Wilhelm Family - Aulani Resort 2025

How did all this begin? Maybe this goes back to my first trip to Disneyland in 1981. Or was it the endless hours of Disney movies and The Wonderful World of Disney on TV that piqued my interest. However it began, I can't think of a single moment in my life when I wasn't fascinated with how the Walt Disney Company operated. In high school I would study the layout of Walt Disney World and submit highly detailed reports to my bewildered teachers. I saved newspaper clippings and magazine articles on changes to the parks and corporate acquisitions. It was the Eisner era and I just couldn't get enough 'Disney'.

Then came college. During my fourth year I discovered 3D modeling software and digital animation tools. Architectural Visualization (defined as creating digital versions of realworld architectural structures), with a sprinkle of animation, became an obsession. I enrolled in the same class three semesters in a row; at that time there was no intermediate or advanced classes. The instructors were unable to provide guidance since this was a foreign subject for them coming from traditional media like oil painting and watercolor. Not suprisingly, inspiration was found right at home within the books featuring architecture of the Disney parks.

It was all down hill from there, as I jumped in feet first with my first model: The Grand Floridian Resort at Walt Disney World. That was followed by work on Disneyland's Main Street Train Station and Sleeping Beauty Castle. At some point I just decided to model the entire Disneyland Park and created a Facebook page to showcase my work and ask for feedback from fellow Disney fans.

This eventually lead to a phone call in the summer of 2014, days before I was set to walk down the aisle. My Sleeping Beauty Castle model was discovered online by the team working on transforming the castle for the upcoming 60th Anniversary celebration at Disneyland. I was asked to come down to Anaheim and work in the park overnight for two days and refine my model by recording dimensions from every angle and height. The magic of seeing AND touching the castle from over 70 feet in the air is an experience I will never forget.

After completing that project I worked with the entertainment team to accurately locate virtual cameras at different locations in park to visualize their newest firework show. I also provided a full model of the Main Street U.S.A. Train Station for the yearly Candlelight Processional event. The Walt Disney Co. has been a wonderful organization to work with on these special projects, and I look forward to offering my expertise for years to come!