systems reference for show playback . This process has allowed us to be very exact over the last few years .”
NAVIGATING THE TERRAIN Disney Parks are open every day of the year , so when does the team test out new shows ? After hours . Counterman explained that the design and content teams show up about an hour before park close to get their gear set up backstage . They then work like tech-savvy elves through the night to prepare for the next show .
The process can mean hearing the same Disney earworms for hours . “ We can sometimes get a little tired of hearing the same few seconds of a clip over and over again throughout a shift while we try to make everything just perfect , but it ’ s all worth it in the end when we can stand in the crowd and witness the joy it brings to our guests each night .”
Some park structures are easier than others to map out . Counterman said the Chinese Theater and surrounding buildings at Center Stage in Hollywood Studios have many flat surfaces that simplify the task . Counterman considers the Tree of Life to be the most challenging due to all those dark crevices and creatures we love during the daytime . Counterman said , “ Those alignment points we talked about earlier can be as small as the eye of one of the animal carvings , and we have to locate those points via remote cameras during the alignment process .”
Given that logic , you ’ d think it was easy to project onto Spaceship Earth . But without permanent projection mapping in place , the team works with a temporary setup for special events . Counterman said , “ It can be one of the more complicated ones to prepare for , as it involves shutting down monorail lines and placing temporary projection systems in not-so-easy-to-reach locations , not to mention the challenge presented by all those reflective panels .”
The Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom is one of the most difficult surfaces to illuminate . PHOTO BY RICH RAMOS