Imagineering Takes Us Inside Stark Flight Lab

The third episode of Disney’s excellent “We Call It Imagineering” series takes us behind the scenes of several upcoming rides, including Stark Flight Lab, the Cars-themed rides coming to Magic Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios’ upcoming Monsters, Inc.-themed coaster. But my favorite segment wasn’t about the new attractions. It was the interview with Imagineering legend Bob Gurr.

As many of you know, Gurr was the driving force behind several Disneyland attractions, including the Matterhorn Bobsleds, Autopia, and the Disneyland Monorail. He shared how different it was to develop those rides before computers:

“There were no smartphones. Nothing was digital. We had no calculators. Everything was done completely by hand.”

Gurr never went to engineering school. He said, “I didn’t know I can’t do it.” I love that man.

Fast forward 70 years, and things are done a bit differently. With the help of computers and calculators, Imagineers are developing a cutting-edge ride to showcase Tony Stark’s technology. The attraction features a “first-of-its-kind ride system that transfers guests from a vehicle on a track to a robot arm and back again.” Remember Dum-E from the first Iron Man movie? The arms look like him, but way bigger. They’ll spin and twirl riders before placing them back on the track to finish the ride.

Guests will see all of the working mechanics. Imagineers usually hide those elements, but since the ride is about Tony’s tech, they decided to showcase everything.

Stark Flight Lab’s twelve robotic arms will offer unique experiences. Design teams partnered with choreographers to ensure guests feel like they’re flying. I wonder if they’ll offer green vs. orange experiences. Watch the video and you’ll see why.

We don’t know when Stark Flight Lab opens, but it can’t be soon enough.