An Interview with Imagineer Neil Engel, - LaughingPlace.com: Disney World, Disneyland and More

An Interview with Imagineer Neil Engel
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LP: Do you think because the park is set in the "right now" it will be changed even more frequently than other Disney theme parks?

NE: Ya know, that’s a good question. I think that this park, because of its contemporary nature, is really going to want that. I think - like the parade, have you seen the parade? It’s real contemporary. It’s real now. I think that is a challenge because that means you've got to keep it hip, you've got to keep it going. Everyone that’s been associated with the park from the beginning, and that’s over five years now - well I’ve been with it for five years now, some people have been with it for seven - everyone seems really committed to it. It’s funny because most of us, we finish a job and go on and work on something else. But it’s like all the producers associated with the park are saying what’s going on now? What do they like? What do they think is fun? Should we give them more of that? It’s really unique. It’s not like 1910 is 1910 and there’s nothing I can do about it.

LP: Do you keep up on reaction from the previews to your two shows?

NE: Oh absolutely. In fact, I don’t think it’s any different from any show that anyone opens. We design for the people that are here, plunking down their money to see Disney, and despite the fact that we’ve had a lot of preview audiences, that really begins on Thursday (the grand opening on February 8th). That’s when we get to see the real people that are coming here to see what this whole park is about. Everything gets looked at. We look at it very carefully to see what’s really working, what needs work and I think you’ll see a lot of little tweaking here and there because every park needs it because when you start a new one there are so many unknowns, the people dynamics. It’s like I was telling you about the Animation Courtyard.

I think that also helps you drive what this land needs now is a "blank." What that's land needs now is a "blank." Because it’s all on its own. These shows are here now. It’s really time to give it some careful thought because it’s not another Magic Kingdom. It’s its own identity. I think, so far, the California theme has just turned to to be really fun and exciting. When you stroll through here and listen to music you watch the people singing along with the Mommas an the Poppas and stuff. It’s like it just happens. It starts like a musical in a Broadway show. It just draws you in. California is about trends and hip settings and everything.

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The Ben Hair facade illustrates the contemporary feel of the Hollywood Pictures Backlot District
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LP: Have you gotten positive feedback from your shows?

NE: I’ve actually gotten a lot of positive feedback about both of them. There are some things I’m sure we’ll be working on to make certain things clearer and certain things easier to hear and more things easier to see, but it’s all valuable input and we really welcome it. And it’s really exciting to see that there are so many people that are interested. Like when you work on a show for as long as we do on these shows, we get to the end and say "I wonder if anyone is going to even care." Then you go "Wow! They noticed that’s really cool."

LP: Did you feel any pressure because you were doing the one traditional dark ride in the park?

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Whoopi Goldberg in Superstar Limo
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NE: Pressure? I would say yes and no in that of course you've got this bastion of material that people have loved for millions and millions of years and then you’re going I’m going to start there and then I’m going to go (he makes a sound indicating he's going completely off the board).... so yeah, you’re going out on a limb but with any new show you’re doing that because that’s what’s exciting. If we were just copying the same things over and over, I mean that’s why attractions are all kind of one of a kind and you learn things from them and you find, wow, that really went over so much bigger than we thought or ya know, I thought this would go over bigger than it did. It’s really a great experience to get to be with the show from the beginning to the end and then see how it’s going. Thinking hey, this really works, what about this, maybe we should try something like this now. I think you should stick around. I’m sure there are people that are going to be here every day for the next 30 to 60 days and that’s great because they’ll start to see the things you don’t see until you’ve been there three or four times.

LP: Are there any specific future plans for Hollywood you can mention at all?

NE: Nothing in particular that I can mention but I can tell you that what I have seen up on the drawing boards up at WDI is really exciting. Stuff that you will not want to miss, trust me.


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-- Posted March 16, 2001

-- Interview and sidebars by Doobie Moseley
-- Pictures by Rebekah Moseley and Doobie Moseley

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