The Imagineering Story

Explore the past, present and future of Walt Disney Imagineering with noted filmmaker Leslie Iwerks. Ms. Iwerks comes from a family with deep Disney history — her grandfather was an early Disney animator and her father is a former Imagineer — and her previous work includes profiles of Pixar Animation Studios and visual effects house Industrial Light & Magic.

The Imagineering Story (2019) is a United States documentary docuseries created by Leslie Iwerks for Disney+. Filmmaker Leslie Iwerks, whose grandfather was an early Disney animator and whose father was a former Imagineer, serves as the guiding voice across six episodes of roughly sixty-three minutes each. Narrated by Angela Bassett, the series moves through the past, present and future of Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative engineering division that designs the company's theme parks and attractions. Its engine is the process itself: how sketches become rides, how concept artists, engineers and show designers solve problems of illusion and scale, and how the studio's founding vision carries forward into new projects. Archival footage of Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney sits alongside present-day interviews, giving the series a nostalgic and reverent register that is warm, curious and admiring. Its atmosphere is that of a behind the scenes tour, with a sense of wonder about craft and invention. Viewers drawn to behind the scenes studio portraits, theme park history or animation craft will find resonance here, in the vein of Pixar: Pixar Story and Abstract: The Art of Design.

Audiences broadly acclaim the documentary for its warm, behind-the-scenes access to how Walt Disney Imagineering builds the parks and attractions.

• Pixar: Pixar Storybehind the scenes studio history, documentary craft, legacy of an entertainment company
• Chef's Tabledocuseries profiling creative studio and its craft, warm nostalgic tone
• Abstract: The Art of Designinside look at a creative company's engineering and artistic process

Created by

Leslie Iwerks

Release Date

2019-11-12

Episode runtime

63 min

Rating

8.9 / 10 (54)

What is The Imagineering Story about?

Filmmaker Leslie Iwerks traces the past, present and future of Walt Disney Imagineering, the company's theme park design arm.

What is The Imagineering Story like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Imagineering Story as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.

Is The Imagineering Story violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Imagineering Story.

What did critics think of The Imagineering Story?

Audiences broadly acclaim the documentary for its warm, behind-the-scenes access to how Walt Disney Imagineering builds the parks and attractions.

Which shows are like The Imagineering Story?

Shows with a similar feel include Pixar: Pixar Story, Chef's Table, and Abstract: The Art of Design.

How long is The Imagineering Story?

The Imagineering Story: 2 seasons, 6 episodes.

Is The Imagineering Story still running?

Yes, The Imagineering Story is still running.

Where can I watch The Imagineering Story?

In United States, The Imagineering Story streams on Disney Plus.