The San Gabriel Valley Tribune profiles a team of three Cal State Fullerton Students who were finalists in a Walt Disney Imagineering contest to design and build a prototype of an attraction. Their idea is an interactive adventure featuring a guy named Otto.

Their concept, called Operation SNAP: Destination Dragon, would supplant riders as explorers on a boating adventure with Otto as he pursues a legendary Chinese dragon.

The real culprit is total immersion — in the ride, in the scenery, in Otto — something Berger would want riders to experience, too.

To that end, guests on Operation SNAP (Otto’s Society of Natural and Artificial Phenomena, of which he is the sole member) would be equipped with mounted camera devices to collect photographic evidence of all the mythical creatures residing in and around the professor’s Chinese wildlife preserve. The more photos, the more points earned by riders.

Click through to the article to see some of the concept art and storyboards from the attraction.

I was at EPCOT yesterday and managed to sneak in a ride on Test Track. GM’s imprint via name, vehicles, and brands is still all over the attraction. Frankly, it seemed a bit of a disconnect from what everyone knows is going on with the company trying to reinvent itself. While the post-show showroom, however, is looking the emptiest I’ve ever seen it, they did have the new Camero on display (and it looks amazing).

This morning the Orlando Sentinel reports on the progress of negotiations between Disney and GM. The expiring sponsorship deal was for a reported $10 million a year, which GM paid mostly upfront.

GM also spends between $1 million and $2 million a year operating a post-ride showroom inside the attraction, with more than a dozen vehicles on display and terminals that guests can use to order sales brochures.

The company’s contract-extension talks with Disney have been further complicated by the involvement of the federal government, which has kept GM afloat with tens of billions of dollars in loans and is about to become majority owner of the iconic company. Some worry the company could face a public backlash if it is seen as using taxpayer money to underwrite a theme-park ride.

I personally think it makes great sense for GM to keep this facility open with their brand on it. It’s great PR, not just for the domestic audience they reach, but internationally. If anything GM should work with Imagineering to help reshape their message to enforce the new reality of GM going forward. Disney and GM can partner getting the word out as well.

What say you now that the American Government is a 60% shareholder in the automaker?

We’ve known for sometime that the Hall of Presidents attraction at the Magic Kingdom was getting a fairly large makeover. A new film, new narrator, and, of course, a new President. But the details as laid out in today’s NY Times are really impressive.

The exhibit will open with the new film, narrated by the actor Morgan Freeman. At a certain point, the Abraham Lincoln figure will rise and speak to the audience, as it always has, but now it will deliver the Gettysburg Address in its entirety.

“And this is the first time George Washington will have a speaking role,” said Kathy Rogers, a senior show producer for Walt Disney Imagineering, the unit that oversees the creative side of the theme parks.

But the emotional high point is intended to be the introduction of the Obama figure, who will yet again be heard taking the oath.

Apparently the Imagineers working on the project have taken to calling the animatronic version of President Obama, Robobama. Cute.

July 4th, the official re-opening of the Hall of Presidents, can’t get here soon enough.

It’s hard to express how talented an artist Marc Davis, one of Walt’s Nine Old Men, was. You’ve no doubt seen his animation (Aurora, Maleficient, and Tinkerbell to name a few) and his concept art (Pirates, Country Bears, and Haunted Mansion are just the beginning), but you don’t really understand until you’ve seen his non-Disney drawings and paintings.

Beginning this Friday is your chance to be amazed. Forest Lawn Museum in Glendale is presenting The Art of Marc Davis. For a little more background, Alice Davis talks about the exhibit in the Glendale Press.

The art show runs from May 8th through July 26th, 10:00am–5:00pm everyday except Mondays when the museum is closed. For more information, check the Forest Lawn website.

I wasn’t able to make it to DHS’s 20th, so please welcome guest author Leigh Caldwell to The Disney Blog.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ 20th birthday dawned bright and early May 1, with a special rope drop welcome by the park’s new vice president, Rilous Carter. Carter spoke briefly about the changes that have come to the park during its two decades.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Vice President Rilous Carter

The real fun for Disney fans began an hour later, when three of the Imagineers involved in the building of the park gave a fascinating talk about the park’s history in the Premiere Theater. Most of the crowd was made up of dozens of Disney fans who were part of Studio 20, an unofficial celebration of the park’s anniversary organized by the guys at WDW Celebrations.

Walt Disney Imagineers Executive Vice President Bob Weis showed a slide of the Grauman’s Chinese Theater facade. And then came the music to many Disney purists’ ears: “This was the view walking down Hollywood Boulevard on opening day. You can’t get this view anymore. I hope we will get this view again soon.”

Weis, Tom Fitzgerald and Eric Jacobson seemed to genuinely enjoy their time reminiscing about the park. Jacobson told about his work as the art director of The Great Movie Ride, and his excitement at dealing with all the stars who had to grant permission for their likenesses to be used. “We went to John Wayne’s family first. Then the other stars would say, ‘If John Wayne is in, I’m in.’”

Jacobson also confirmed a fact that many Disney enthusiasts have known for a long time, that the Fantasia scene in The Great Movie Ride was originally built to be the tornado scene in “The Wizard of Oz.” He would not elaborate about why the scene was changed, but did say the change was made “at the last minute” and “for a number of reasons.”

A highlight of the Imagineer talk for me was a showing of “The Lottery,” a short film shot at the park that starred Bette Midler. I have missed this film on the Studio’s Backlot Tour and was glad to see it again.

WDW Celebrations then kicked off their Studio 20 scavenger hunt, with 69 questions about the park. Organizer Jason Diffendal said the guys had spent four days in the park looking for all the little details you wouldn’t normally notice. And then the teams were off, scouring the windows above the shops and the posters outside many of the attractions.

The gang from WDW Celebrations!

Four hours later, the scavenger hunt answers had to be turned in. Two teams tied for first place, with 65 correct answers, which led the WDW Celebrations team to declare the hunt too easy and promise harder questions next time.

Organizer Adam Roth said 140 people registered for the Studio 20 event. The group donated $300 from registration fees and T-shirt sales to Lou Mongello’s Dream Team Project.

The Studio 20 celebration continues Saturday, with group rides and a history walk.

Read more from Leigh Caldwell at her great website — ThemeParkMom.com.

Imagineers Rolly Crump and Don Edgren were recently honored at Disneyland by having their name added to what are effectively the ‘credits’ for the theme park, the Windows on Main Street.

Don Edgren was known for his mastery of resort development and his ‘can-do’ attitude. Rolly Crump was a designer who created many of the iconic looks that have come to symbolize the ‘Disney theme park’.

LaughingPlace.com was there and brings some great video and photos of the dedication event.

• Two sad deaths have hit the extended Disney family this week. First Director Ken Annakin and then Bea Arthur. Annakin directed Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson and Arthur was star of TV’s Maude and The Golden Girls. You may have seen the house of the Golden Girls on the old MGM-Studios backlot studios tour, before it was bulldozed to make way for Lights, Motor, Action stunt show.
• Alain Littaye reports on the internal Disney letter announcing Walt Disney Imagineer Legend Marty Sklar’s upcoming retirement. His retirement, July 17th – Disneyland’s birthday.
• Scott Joseph has the final versions of the menus for Disney’s newest restaurant Sanaa. It’s located in the Kidani Village, the DVC expansion of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Definitely looks yummy and adventurous.
• io9, the best Science Fiction fan blog out there, has a look at some of the more out-there offerings coming from ABC this fall.
• The official opening of SeaWorld’s new Manta roller coaster is May 22nd, but I’m hearing that public soft openings could come as soon as the 1st week of May. SeaWorld cast members have been riding the coaster for more than a week now.
• Finally, if you are in Orlando in May you may want to check out the Hasbro Easy-Bake cookoff. I’m trying to pin down the exact date and if it’s open to the public. But here’s the story of one of the lucky finalists.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios celebrates it’s 20th anniversary on May 1st. Three representatives from Walt Disney Imagineering will speak at Premiere Theater at 9:00am & 10:45am about the history of the theme park.

* Tom Fitzgerald, Executive Vice President, Senior Creative Executive
* Eric Jacobson, Senior Vice President, Creative Development
* Bob Weis, Executive Vice President, Creative

The event is open to all guests, but attendees of WDW Celebrations, a fan organized event, will also be there.

I can’t make it, so I hope someone gets a good video on the presentation.