I collaborated with 3 other undergraduates at NC State University to create a portable Disney experience that could travel across the United States to families who cannot access Disney World. We were chosen as one of six national finalists, got to have two Imagineers as mentors during the final development, and flew to Glendale, California to present our project in front of Imagineers. We ended up winning 3rd place!
©Disney. All Rights Reserved.
We all took part in the overall planning, design and user experience. However, my focus was on the technology integration (wristbands and floor tiles), transportation logistics, and designing the Finding Nemo world interior and experience.
Ostium is a portable, expandable atraction that is able to travel across America to families who are not able to travel to Disney World. We created the Ramos family to serve as an example of our target users and described their journey through the park as our narrative.
The idea behind Ostium was inspired by the doors in Monsters Inc that were portals to different places (Ostium is latin for door). The story is that monsters from the Monsters Inc universe have discovered that these doors can lead to other worlds and have ventured into them to explore for themselves. However, they are not able to find their way back, so Mike and Sully are recruiting the guests to help locate them all.
In designing the park, we had to create a way to make the structures easy to set up and take down in a few days. We decided to turn to modular, inflatable domes for their easy transportation, set up, and durability.
In finding the lost monsters, the kids are able to explore four unique worlds based on Disney movies. Mike and Sully will equip each user with a wristband that will work to not only track their location with the domes, but work as a way for Mike and Sully to help narrate their journey.
In each world there are games and activities for both entertainment and to promote interactivity between users. For instance, in the Toy Story dome, the users can work together to put the pieces on Mr. and Mrs. potato head before time runs out, or "play dead" with Woody when Andy comes. We also made sure to include rest areas for the adults to relax, outdoor eating areas, and character meet and greet queues.
The wristbands connect with the smart floor tiles in order for the users to "retrieve" the monsters. When a tile lights up with an image of the monster, the user must run over and stand on the tile. Each user must try to save as many monsters throughout each world. Their progress is stored in the wristband.
The lion king world incorporates climbable structures for the kids to promote more exercise, which uses cushioned floor tiles for safety and protection. However, there are still attractions to enjoy even for those unable to partake in the physical activities.
The movie theme of each of the domes can easily be interchanged to promote new movies or to give each city a more unique experience.
We wanted to create something for the users to enjoy after their time and to remember their experience. We wanted them to feel accomplished in helping Mike and Sully save the monsters and be able to continue their adventure online.
