Behind-the-Scenes of Bringing Projection Mapping to Main Street USA During Disney Enchantment

    Disney has released a behind-the-scenes description of what it took to bring projection mapping to Main Street USA at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World:

    The new Disney Enchantment nighttime spectacular is a feast for the senses with new fireworks, dazzling new lighting, favorite Characters, and a moving music score that includes a new song by Grammy award-winning songwriter, Philip Lawrence.

    But this isn’t your everyday nighttime spectacular. Nope. Disney Enchantment takes the pixie dust up several notches with state-of-the-art technology and projections that extend from Cinderella Castle right down Main Street, U.S.A. If you haven’t seen it up close yet, you’re in for a treat!

    How did we get to this happy place? The show’s special projections are the result of several years of Disney work and wonder. In fact, the first Main Street projection was brought to life at Disneyland® Resort in 2015 as part of Disneyland Forever, the show created for their 60th Diamond Celebration.

    Building on those early beginnings, the Walt Disney World® Resort team incorporated cutting-edge projection mapping software, plus installed brand-new video servers and large, top-of-the-line laser projectors. And the video content itself required its own unique set of technology!

    The process to develop the projection mapping of Main Street, U.S.A. was quite extensive. It started with a scan of the physical buildings, which was turned into point cloud data to create a digital model for the entire street. Then all four blocks of the street were UV-mapped so that flat video content can be wrapped around each three-dimensional structure. Everything was finally tested extensively in the field, overnight when the Park was empty, to ensure it aligned correctly. The amazing part, though, is when you see this technology bring all the lights, music, and motion to life as it dances across buildings and right down Main Street, U.S.A.

    Combine a team of well over 100 digital artists, animators, and editors, along with state-of-the-art equipment, fireworks, narration, music, and months of tweaking, and – voila! – we have magic!

    So the next time you’re at Magic Kingdom® Park, be sure to keep your eyes wide open through the entire Disney Enchantment spectacular. It’s a combination of science, math, imagination, hard work, and, oh yes, plenty of magic.

    Easter Egg Alert: There are a lot of easter eggs sprinkled throughout Disney Enchantment! Here’s one: The Pizza Planet truck (the classic truck that makes cameos in many of the Pixar films) – look for it near the Main Street Bakery!

    As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!

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