Walt Disney Imagineering has shared a video showcasing the installation and behind-the-scenes work to bring a first-of-its-kind large-scale 3D printed prop to the Jungle Cruise attraction. The video takes place at Disneyland, showing crews installing an outrigger canoe on the Jungle Cruise attraction. What makes this prop special is that it is a large-scale, 3D printed prop – a first for Walt Disney Imagineering.
First Large-Scale 3D Printed Prop Installed in Jungle Cruise
Walt Disney Imagineering shared the video below, saying that “large-scale fabrication using 3D printing is just one way Imagineers are innovating to continue to tell immersive stories in our parks”. Imagineers note that while this is the first large-scale 3D printed prop to make it into the Disney theme parks, it won’t be the last. Here’s a look at the installation, followed by some background on the process and how Disney is able to bring these large-scale props to life.
First and foremost, the creation of this prop was not done 100% in-house at Walt Disney Imagineering, and Disney is being very transparent about that. Instead, the prop is a result of not only a partnership, but an investment by Disney into a company called Haddy. Here’s how Disney describes Haddy:
Haddy is an AI-powered industrial 3D printing factory for large-scale objects. Its creations are fully recyclable and can meet architectural code requirements at-scale for theme parks, set design, retail, hospitality, home, and more.
The video says that this is the first time that Walt Disney Imagineering has 3D printed a prop to permanently live in one of Disney’s attractions. I’m a little bit skeptical of that claim on the surface without a scale modifier, but it very well could be the first large-scale 3D printed prop to be installed on a ride.
Imagineering is exploring large-format additive manufacturing, or large 3D printing. The boat itself was designed within the Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development division, sent to Haddy for the printing of the boat. Imagineers said that they took the old boat, did a 3D scan of it, had it printed, and then finished the boat with details from a photo taken in the 1960s.
Haddy CEO Jay Rogers says that Haddy has changed the game, allowing 3D printing to move out of the prototype role and into a functional role within theme parks and beyond. Rogers says that Haddy’s process creates items that are reliable, less expensive, faster to develop, and replicable in any theme park, all over the world.
While Haddy started out as a furniture company, The Walt Disney Company invested in Haddy last year as part of its Disney Accelerator. Disney says that they were able to invest in Haddy and level up their processes to make them consistent with the level of quality Disney expects.
Now in its 11th year, the Disney Accelerator continues Disney’s legacy of creative and technological leadership by engaging pioneering companies and visionary founders from around the world.
The program is an illustration of the many ways Disney invests in innovation, offering a unique opportunity for select emerging companies who are at the cutting-edge in their fields and that align with Disney’s vision for the future of entertainment. Participating companies receive investment capital, as well as the opportunity to explore collaborations with leaders across The Walt Disney Company. Since 2014, more than 60 global companies have come through Disney Accelerator, including Epic Games, Eleven Labs, Kahoot!, Attentive, StatusPro, AudioShake, and many more.
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!
You know whats crazy?
They have a dry dock where they service the boats. They could’ve saved thousands by backing up a trailer with this 3D printed boat and push/pull it along to put it where it is now. Way to go Disney. You really know how to throw time and money away.