Bobcats Geoff Backstrom, Katie Eastman and Courtney Irby received first place last week in the Walt Disney Imagineering’s 25th Imaginations Design Competition.
When you wish upon a star, it makes a difference who you are if you're an Ohio University student.
OU students Geoff Backstrom, Katie Eastman and Courtney Irby along with David Borning from the University of Washington received first place last week in the Walt Disney Imagineering’s 25th Imaginations Design Competition, according to a news release.
Walt Disney Imagineering is responsible for the theme parks, resorts, attractions, cruise ships and real estate developments worldwide at the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.
The competition, which began in 1991, is a way for Imagineering to search for the "next generation of talented theme park designers."
This year's challenge was to design a traveling experience that could tour small towns across the U.S. for families who do not have the opportunity to travel to a Disney park. The temporary venue would stay for a couple days in each community, take no more than a day to set up and take down and embody "the kind of family entertainment that Walt Disney envisioned when he first built Disneyland."
The top three teams received "cash prizes," and an additional $1,000 grant was awarded to the first place team, which will be equally divided among the sponsoring universities.
The winning team’s project, “Mickey’s Magic Garden,” uses the concept of a magical dandelion and showcases multiple themed lands, custom-designed rides, walk-through attractions and character greeting experiences.
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The finalists included 20 students from eight universities, and the six teams of finalists — which included the OU students — visited Walt Disney Imagineering’s main campus in Glendale, California from Jan. 25 to 29.
Second place was awarded to four students from the University of Texas and third place went to four students from North Carolina State University.
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