Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 4196 Location: Sanford, Fl
Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 9:42 am Post subject: WDW 3-D Walk Through
Start this month, you can do a virtual walk through of the WDW theme parks, thanks to Google:
Quote:
It's a small world, thanks to Google Earth
By Kitty Bean Yancey, USA TODAY
tarting this month, you can tour realistic re-creations of Disney's Florida theme parks and resorts simply by clicking your computer mouse.
In a pioneering partnership aiming to go online Tuesday, Google Earth and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts will make it easy to take a virtual trip to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios and 22 Disney hotels and resorts.
Computer users will click on maps that show about 1,500 rides, restaurants and attractions in 3-D.
The mega-map, with interactive features, will be available via disneyworld.com/3dparks or Google Earth (earth.google.com) for free.
"It's a virtual walk-through of the whole property … the most amazing virtual tour of any place in the world," Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman Jay Rasulo says.
While Google Earth offers a growing number of 3-D images and gives bird's-eye views of theme parks, with links to information about them, the Disney project is the most ambitious and detailed 3-D production yet. It's "truly innovative and unique," says Google Earth maps director John Hanke.
Disney's Rasulo expects the map to serve as a cutting-edge trip planner ("it's one small step from actually being there") and an armchair diversion for legions of Disney World fans. Up to three-quarters of Disney World visitors are repeaters, Rasulo says; about one-third are adults. Disney does not release attendance figures.
The map began with eight photographers who canvassed every inch of Disney World for 10 days. Then their images were rendered in 3-D.
Click on Space Mountain, for instance, and you can view a video of the ride and get information such as height requirements. Put your mouse on the Grand Floridian and a video of the resort pops up. You also can check availability and rates and make a reservation.
For now, the map shows only exteriors. In the future, Web visitors can stroll into Cinderella's Castle or walk into a room at a Disney resort. Photographers are at work to map Disneyland Resort Paris (Euro Disney); other Disney properties may be next.
Disney is just one of many traveler-friendly additions to fast-growing Google Earth in recent months.
In April, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced the posting of its digital map of U.S. wetlands there. The information is useful to bird-watchers and fishermen, among others, says Fish & Wildlife Service spokesman Joshua Winchell.
"It's an attempt to make the data more available to (everyday) people," he says. Google Earth "is a figurative sandbox, and anyone can jump in" and play.
Has anyone gotten this to work yet? I've seen websites that claim that it is supposed to be live starting today, but when I type in the URL, I get forwarded to a different location.
So... I guess I can stop working on my own Google Earth 3D stuff now
Here's a pic of my first one. It's still a work in progress but Ive never done 3D, so this has taken me a while to pickup. I started with htis because I thought it would be mor difficult than a typical building. And I was right
I look forward to seeing WDW in 3D. They have the Castle on there now, and have had for several months. It looks great !!!
Thanks for your interest in seeing Walt Disney World® Resort in 3D. Mickey and friends are working away to make it great, but it's currently still in development. Check back again real soon — we'll share more information just as soon as we can.
Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 4196 Location: Sanford, Fl
Posted: Tue May 20, 2008 4:16 pm Post subject:
From what I've read, the premier date was something that the original USA Today article threw out there and that there is no specific start date. Apparently it is some time in the next few weeks, but nothing specifically yet. I doubt that Disney will just start it without announcing a specific start date... _________________ Up or Down North, South, East, or West An Adventurer's Life is Best!
It may take a little bit to load but as long as you have "3D Buildings" checked in the lower left corner, in the layers section, you should at least see the castle there now. It was modeled and submitted by Disney themselves, and not by a fan, so it's probably typical of what we'll eventually see.
Now all we have to do is invent a USB compatible treadmill, so I can exercise while virtually running down Main Street!
I like that idea. ALOT !
Do you remeber the exercise bikes at the "wonders of life" provillion? They had a video attached to the bike, as you pedaled along, you would weave in and out of the crowds at Walt Disney World.
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Nice post
