Dream Chasing

"It would not have been this thing if it was not for the contributions of these people." Joe Rohde book, Floating Mountains Episode chapters [02:55] Joe's first glimpse at Floating Mountains [04:14] Giving a team direction without commanding it [06:41] How Joe found his path at Disney [09:36] Why creative satisfaction has little to do with scale [11:38] Joe's advice to young artists: find your people [12:55] Where Joe sees promise for AI and artists [18:11] Why unfamiliar art can be difficult to value [25:43] Seeing creative potential in raw materials [29:24] Bob and Jody reflect on the conversation Joe Rohde and I worked together for many years at Walt Disney Imagineering. He helped bring Disney's Animal Kingdom and Aulani to life, and I've always admired how he brings people with different perspectives into the work. Joe's new book, Floating Mountains, published by National Geographic, gives Jody and me a chance to ask him how he thinks about creativity now. Joe tells us why a finished project can surprise even the person who started it. He explains how to give a team direction while leaving room for their ideas to change the result. We also talk about what AI might make possible for artists. And when Jody asks Joe about the value of a blank sheet of paper, he takes us somewhere I didn't expect. That's what I enjoy about talking with Joe. He can help you see possibilities in what's right in front of you. BobWeis.com Buy the book Dream Chasing

"The creative process is not going from point A to point B. You go to point A, you take a U-turn, you do some curlicues, and then point B might be off in the distance." BobWeis.com Buy the book Dream Chasing Episode Chapters [03:08] Deciding when to retire after a 42 year career [04:59] The people and experiences that remain [09:02] Bringing her skills to an arts organization [11:29] Learning patience with creative work [16:59] Speaking up for a Cars Land scene [21:08] Kathy's regret about Splash Mountain [24:17] Returning to the work she loved [30:08] How a strong idea changes the room When I think about Kathy Mangum's 42 years at Disney I think about the attractions she helped bring to life. Even moe than that, I think about the people she collaborated with to bring the ideas to life. Kathy helped build teams where people could do their best work, and she remembers how much those people gave her in return. In the final part of our conversation, Kathy tells me why she kept moving her retirement date three months at a time. There were many things about creative work that she loved. We talk about the moments when she knew to speak up, and a decision she wishes she had challenged. It's an honest look at the things that stay with you after a long, notable career. There is work you're proud of, choices you'll still think about, and the people who were there for all of it. Kathy's story should be recognized beyond the list of attractions she had a hand in. She was someone that made sure to make room for other people to do remarkable work.

"You don't justify it on performance. You justify it on it's the right thing to do." Guests had a way of showing us what Disney California Adventure Park still needed. They were crossing over from Disneyland to visit a few attractions, then would head back over to Disneyland. We wanted them to stay, and that meant thinking about the park as a whole. In part two of our conversation, Kathy Mangum takes us through her work as an Imagineering producer on A Bug's Land, the Finding Nemo attractions, and Cars Land. She explains why rebuilding the entrance was a bolder bet than adding a major ride. In all of the ideas we brought to the table, it's the artists, engineers, and craftspeople who worked together to make those experiences possible. Episode Chapters [00:01] The gamble behind a new park entrance [01:07] Kathy returns to project work [02:39] An idea for A Bug's Land [07:40] Bringing Nemo into two parks [15:20] Making Turtle Talk with Crush feel live [22:33] Why California Adventure needed to change [27:49] How Car Land became Cars Land [33:03] Solving design and engineering problems [37:04] The challenge of measuring a mountain [40:54] Watching guests enter Cars Land BobWeis.com Buy the book Dream Chasing

"I entered Imagineering as a concept designer, and I left as a painter." Buy the Book Return to Progress City by Eric Robison Eric Robison Art At D23, I saw a desk set up for Eric Robison. I knew Eric would be at home with a chair near the crowd and a piece of paper in his hand. Eric is an artist, storyteller, architectural designer, and longtime friend. Eric entered Walt Disney Imagineering as a concept designer and spent 39 years doing creative work there. Along the way, he became a painter. In our conversation, we talk about the people who encouraged his art and the idea he kept returning to: Progress City. Walt Disney envisioned it as a real city where people would live, industry would operate, and visitors could see possibilities for the future. Eric first saw its model at Disneyland as a child. Eric's fascination grew and led him to create a collection of concept artwork in his book, Return to Progress City. His path is a perfect example of how far a dream can go when you keep doing the thing you love. BobWeis.com Buy the book Dream Chasing Episode Chapters [06:04] Why Eric keeps making art [09:22] A childhood fascination with Progress City [11:50] Drawings that grew into a book [16:01] Why Eric can't leave a blank page alone [19:28] AI, artists, and working by hand [29:01] How Marty Sklar encouraged Eric's art [37:03] Becoming a painter after Imagineering [48:00] The people who helped Eric move forward

"It was being the right place, at the right time, and with the right initiative." Kathy Mangum was studying English at Cal State Fullerton and working part-time at Disneyland when one of her classes called for an internship. The key was to find something that used her degree. So, Kathy went to her supervisor in Adventureland and asked, "Need anything written?" Neither of us knew then where that question would lead. In this first part of our conversation, we go back to the opportunities and people that shaped her path into Imagineering. Kathy shares what it was like to take on unfamiliar projects and learn from specialists. She shares each experience helped her discover the kind of work she most wanted to do. Chasing a dream doesn't always begin with a clear plan. It can start by taking the work in front of you seriously and staying curious about where it might lead. Episode Chapters [01:29] Growing up near Disneyland [05:18] An English major asks to write [09:24] From Tokyo Disneyland to EPCOT [15:50] Learning on the job at Typhoon Lagoon [22:46] Working with experts across disciplines [27:42] Brainstorming Blizzard Beach [32:04] Discovering which work she wanted to do [35:21] Finding the right people for a project BobWeis.com Buy the book Dream Chasing