Imagineering creative process in Easter eggs on Disney Treasure

Walt Disney Imagineering Lab onboard the Disney Treasure cruise ship visualizes the creative process of theme park design with nods to Disney’s past and present.

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Walt Disney Imagineering Lab

The creative process behind beloved theme park attractions manifests as “Easter egg” props scattered throughout Walt Disney Imagineering Lab, a section of the kids-only Disney’s Oceaneer Club on the Disney Treasure. The new cruise ship officially casts off for its maiden voyage from Port Canaveral, Fla. on Dec. 21, 2024, and our publishers recently attended a sneak peek.

Disney Cruise Line describes Walt Disney Imagineering Lab this way:

Discover the secrets of world-renowned Disney Imagineers — the creative minds behind Disney theme parks, resorts, and cruise ships — with hands-on activities and inventive experiments.

At the Ride Studio, kids can design their own roller coaster attraction, drawing inspiration from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, or Matterhorn Bobsleds — and then climb into a capsule where they will virtually ride their imaginative masterpiece.

Disney Treasure Imagineering Lab kids club — _{Photo by Kent Phillips / Disney}

A version of Walt Disney Imagineering Lab also exists on the Disney Wish cruise ship.

As kids design the roller coaster of their dreams, they may find inspiration from Disney history if they happen to glance around the room. Various props and displays represent a peek behind the curtain into the Imagineers’ creative process, from start to finish.

Here are some of the Easter eggs we spotted inside Walt Disney Imagineering Lab on the Disney Treasure, organized by the stage of the creative process they represent.

Brainstorming and researching

As Figment is fond of telling Epcot visitors, “One little spark of inspiration is at the heart of all creation.” The spark for the next great Disney attraction might begin with notes, sketches, or treatments in a notebook.

Part of this process may include a research trip, whether that be a day-trip to a local business relevant to Imagineering’s concept, or an international journey. The brick seen below from India may have been from Imagineers’ research trip to the Himalayas as they developed Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain for Animal Kingdom.

Visualizing the idea

As Imagineers continue to build out the idea, creating concept art helps visualize what may or may not be built. This is still early in the process, and anything can happen.

Pictured below is concept art on display at Walt Disney Imagineering Lab from projects such as Zootopia (Shanghai Disneyland) and Roundup Rodeo BBQ (Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios).

Zootopia concept art, Shanghai Disneyland

Taking the development phase one step further, artists next visualize the idea in three dimensions with figurines called maquettes, testing out different shapes and colors. Seen below are maquettes representing Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, and an unspecified Donald Duck.

Still part of concept design but more closely resembling the finished product, drawings known as elevations¹ help determine an exterior viewpoint and may suggest measurements. Seen below are elevations for a Club 33 façade and the Toontown trolley station (both at Disneyland).

Club 33 artwork, Walt Disney Imagineering Lab, Disney Treasure

Toontown trolley art, Walt Disney Imagineering Lab, Disney Treasure

Planning the logistics

Moving from ideation to execution, once concept plans are finalized, it’s time to think through how those concept will actually come to life.

This may include 3D-printed or hand-sculpted figurines more exactly measured than their counterparts earlier in the design process. The figures pictured below represent characters, props, and ride vehicles from Journey Into Imagination with Figment (Epcot), Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (Magic Kingdom), Mad Tea Party (various parks), and The Happy Ride with Baymax (Tokyo Disneyland).

Buzz Lightyear props, Walt Disney Imagineering Lab, Disney Treasure

Imagineers consider the mechanics behind the stars of their show, including the inner workings of Audio-Animatronics figures …

… or costumes of Audio-Animatronics figures and/or character performers involved in the project, as seen below with the helmets of Iron Man and the Mandalorian.

Iron Man helmet, Walt Disney Imagineering Lab, Disney Treasure

Graphic design helps provide a visual identity to any product or atmosphere, including inside theme parks. Seen below is an emblem with the Epcot logo surrounded by the symbols representing various pavilions of Future World (today known as World Celebration, World Discovery, and World Nature).

Epcot logos, Walt Disney Imagineering Lab, Disney Treasure

Building … then Imagineering all over again

Once everything is planned out, it’s on to construction in the field.

An Imagineer’s work is never truly finished, though, and a wealth of literature (both Disney and otherwise) can provide inspiration for current and future projects. On the shelves of Walt Disney Imagineering Lab on the Disney Treasure are the following books (along with links to purchase if you’re interested in reading them yourself):