Students mobilize their ingenuity vying for an internship opportunity at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort

In the Disney Imaginations Hong Kong Design Competition 2023, students from seven tertiary institutions applied their creativity, imagination and talents to vie for the six- to eight-week internship opportunities offered under Disney Imagineers at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, the first-ever chance for local students to embark on a sponsored visit to Shanghai Disney Resort and cash prizes.

A decade’s efforts to nurture innovative talents

At Disney, ‘Imagineering’ is the creative form of bringing the wildest ideas to life. “It encourages and combines storytelling and innovation, two key pillars of Disney’s philosophy, to create immersive experiences for our guests,” says Michael Moriarty, managing director of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

For the tenth Disney Imaginations Hong Kong Design Competition this year, participating teams are challenged to design an entertainment and educational experience to celebrate a human community in outer space that is known for fostering a diverse and inclusive culture and raising environmental awareness.

The nine teams who were short-listed for the final round had been showered with teachings and advice as they joined the workshop conducted by Hong Kong Disneyland executives and veteran Imagineers, along with the support of Imagineer mentors throughout their preparation for the final presentation.

Officiating at the ceremony as Guest of Honor, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung expresses his appreciation to the continued effort of Walt Disney Imagineering and Hong Kong Disneyland, a flagship tourism attraction in the city, to provide a platform for youngsters to showcase their creative work in the field of design, engineering and technology.

Over 2600 students from colleges and universities across Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area had joined the program which has been launched for 10 years, according to Jo Phoa, Director of Creative Development at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort.

What's more, Phoa reveals that seven of the past winners in the competition continued to pursue their career as Imagineers at Hong Kong Disneyland. These local talents have worked on extensive projects like the new Castle of Magical Dreams standing at the end of Main Street, as well as the world's first Frozen-themed land “World of Frozen” that is expected to open in the second half of this year, she adds.

“Disney is committed to inspiring and empowering the next generation of diverse storytellers and innovators, while upholding its commitment to core values such as inclusivity and sustainability,” Moriarty remarks.

Aspiring Imagineers shine with creativity

Moriarty points out that the finalists have to take into consideration various elements, from inclusivity and sustainability to more practical aspects such as spatial planning and operational execution.

This year's championship goes to Summie Lee Sum-yu, Susan Tam Ling-shan, Amy Shum Nga-man, and Lilian Liang Yan from the University of Hong Kong. The group of Year 4 Architecture students created a outer-space society comprising of multiple rings of living spaces and the Wishing Tree, which generate unlimited power from everyone’s dream, no matter it is big or small.

Phoa, who is also one of the judges, praises their work is very impressive. “The storytelling is highly coherent and presented in layered manner. They had meticulously employed various techniques and gears such as 3D printing to create beautiful models and illustrations, which demonstrate excellent artistic and technical talents.”

“We learnt from our mentor to pay attention to every details to create the immersive experience of its best for the guests,” says the champion team. “We even included voice-over of our original characters in the presentation to bring the characters alive.”

The winning team is looking forward to the precious internship opportunity to learn from over 140 disciplines in the Walt Disney Imagineering, ranging from creative, engineering, to facility maintenance teams, as well as the exchange at the Shanghai Disneyland.

Percy Leung Nga-ching, Helia Li Hei-joy, Sherene Li Wing-tung, and Charmaine Wong Tsz-yuet from City University of Hong Kong won the first runner-up. The Creative Media-majored students at their final year designed a space shuttle-esque ride to take guests on a space tour to Cosmicity, an exoplanet with a futuristic city that offers a lively and captivating lifestyle.

The second runner-up is a sophomore duo who study Architecture in HKU. Edith Kwok Tsz-ki and Ally Sze Ching-yi have pictured a retro-futuristic reverie resembling the blue planet, where guests are invited to embark on different missions to support the community powered by stardust.

Another team from HKU got the newly set up merit award. Chris Lo Lok, Henry Yeung Ka-hang, Victor Chui Wai-chun and Fiona He Wai-hung made use of their engineering knowledge to tell a story of a space research facility and design two games for guests of all ages to join the adventure with the protagonists in search of clean energy.

Launched in 1991, Imaginations is a design competition created and sponsored by Walt Disney Imagineering in the United States to seek out and nurture the next generation of diverse Imagineers.

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is the first international site to bring the competition outside the US. Applications for Disney Imaginations Hong Kong 2024 open in the coming June. This will be a precious opportunity for aspiring Imagineers to demonstrate their talent for integrating innovative and diverse ideas with a passion for Disney. Stay tuned for further updates on the next round of the competition.

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