Inspired by the gold rush and the American Wild West, Grizzly Gulch is a new attraction that opened at Hong Kong Disneyland last Saturday. Our junior reporters went along to explore the town, and to try out the ride. They also spoke to Joe Lanzisero, one of the imagineers in charge. Check out what they found out ...
Imagineering with Joe Lanzisero
Joe Lanzisero grew up in southern California, in the US. He first started out as an animator for Disney. He then became a story developer before finally becoming an imagineer. The imagineer says that telling people positive stories with inspirational messages is the most enjoyable part of his job. He likes it, especially in a world where people have to face many negative things.
Lanzisero talked about how stories are like movies - they all have a beginning, climax and an ending. The idea of having a theme plays an important role in the Grizzly Gulch design. The newly opened section, Lanzisero says, is man versus the wild: how mankind encroaches on natural resources and land, and tends to forget the consequences of their actions.
Audrey Lee
Making the idea happen
Grizzly Gulch is world-exclusive to Hong Kong. 'We wanted something not only unique in Hong Kong, but unique in the world, too,' Lanzisero says. 'We wanted to keep the tradition and tell a story, so we had to keep in mind that we needed to have one foot in the past and one in the future.'