13 Apr 2021
Is Disney planning pop-up attractions with its 'new experience development' department?
BY Tom Walker
Disney Imagineers could be planning on launching pop-up experiences in the US – and potentially around the world.
The rumours have been sparked by Walt Disney Imagineering president Bob Weis' title being changed to include the term "New Experience Development" on both the company website and on his LinkedIn profile.
While Disney has declined to comment on the move officially, it could be significant for WD Imagineering – the department responsible for creating, designing and building IP-based park experiences across the group's portfolio.
The description of the department on Weis' profile now says it is "a multidisciplinary team tasked with exploring, developing and bringing to market groundbreaking ideas that enhance and expand Disney’s global portfolio of products and experiences."
A number of Disney-dedicated fan sites and blogs have suggested this means that Disney is planning on taking Disney experiences normally only found at its theme parks and creating pop-up versions of them at locations with significant footfall – such as shopping malls – across the US.
Disney has in the past dabbled with pop-up concepts, most significantly in Singapore, where its Disney Magical Moments attraction transformed the famous Orchard Road during the Christmas season in 2018-19.
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