“Weenies”

Every Imagineer (experience designer, in Disney-speak) knows that attractions need an iconic skyline. Space Mountain, for example, looks like a giant ... well … space mountain.

There are two strategies here:

1. It looks like what it is, a non-verbal sign for itself.

2. It's hard to miss — and hard to resist.

Seems obvious. But it wasn't at first.

Walt Disney had a novel vision for the very first theme park. He needed new experiences that would market themselves to visitors. Touring his future property, his beloved dog was a reluctant companion. Walt had to lure his dog along with Viennese cocktail sausages that the dog could see and smell from far away, and couldn’t resist. Where a “weenie” was, his dog was sure to go.

Inspiration struck. On his orders, Walt's Imagineers designed every new attraction with irresistible visual elements guests could see from far away.

Today, Disney insiders still refer to those iconic visual elements using Walt’s term: “weenies.”

Here’s the thing:
Your next exhibition could be your best. But if it doesn't act as a non-verbal sign for itself, if it doesn't create an irresistible lure, who will know?

Every exhibition needs … a weenie.

Warmly,
Jonathan

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MtM Word of the Day:

Weenie. An obvious and appealing large visual feature, on or near an exhibition element, intended to draw visitor attention and traffic towards it. The term was invented by Walt Disney to refer to the outsized sculptural features that showed visitors where the major experiences were in the first theme parks.