Cool Google Earth thing

Northern Sorcerer Mickey · May 16, 2008

This will be cool once it is up and running.

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/200 ... sney_N.htm

It's a small world, thanks to Google Earth

Starting this month, you can tour realistic re-creations of Disney's Florida theme parks and resorts simply by clicking your computer mouse.

In a pioneering partnership aiming to go online Tuesday, Google Earth and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts will make it easy to take a virtual trip to Walt Disney World's Epcot Center, Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios and 22 Disney hotels and resorts.

Computer users will click on maps that show about 1,500 rides, restaurants and attractions in 3-D.

The mega-map, with interactive features, will be available via disneyworld.com/3dparks or Google Earth (earth.google.com) for free.

"It's a virtual walk-through of the whole property … the most amazing virtual tour of any place in the world," Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman Jay Rasulo says.

While Google Earth offers a growing number of 3-D images and gives bird's-eye views of theme parks, with links to information about them, the Disney project is the most ambitious and detailed 3-D production yet. It's "truly innovative and unique," says Google Earth maps director John Hanke.

Disney's Rasulo expects the map to serve as a cutting-edge trip planner ("it's one small step from actually being there") and an armchair diversion for legions of Disney World fans. Up to three-quarters of Disney World visitors are repeaters, Rasulo says; about one-third are adults. Disney does not release attendance figures.

The map began with eight photographers who canvassed every inch of Disney World for 10 days. Then their images were rendered in 3-D.

Click on Space Mountain, for instance, and you can view a video of the ride and get information such as height requirements. Put your mouse on the Grand Floridian and a video of the resort pops up. You also can check availability and rates and make a reservation.

For now, the map shows only exteriors. In the future, Web visitors can stroll into Cinderella's Castle or walk into a room at a Disney resort. Photographers are at work to map Disneyland Resort Paris (Euro Disney); other Disney properties may be next.

Disney is just one of many traveler-friendly additions to fast-growing Google Earth in recent months.

In April, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced the posting of its digital map of U.S. wetlands there. The information is useful to bird-watchers and fishermen, among others, says Fish & Wildlife Service spokesman Joshua Winchell.

"It's an attempt to make the data more available to (everyday) people," he says. Google Earth "is a figurative sandbox, and anyone can jump in" and play.
Click to expand...

amw · May 16, 2008

Re: Cool Google map thing

Looking forward to trying it out. ; What a great tool for newbies ... as well as those who want to reminisce!

highland3 · May 18, 2008

Re: Cool Google map thing

It still doesn't seem to be online. ; Can't wait to check it out!

Northern Sorcerer Mickey · May 20, 2008

Here is the URL on Disney's site, but not functional yet

http://www.disneyworld.com/3dparks

Northern Sorcerer Mickey · Jun 4, 2008

IT"S LIVE....... ;D

GO 3D NOW!

Now you can explore every inch of Walt Disney World® Resort in 3D, in Disney's incredible Google Earth™ tour. With 3D views of all four Theme Parks and over 20 Disney Resort hotels, you can zoom down Main Street, USA®, fly around Cinderella Castle, explore Spaceship Earth and climb the Tree of Life.

This tour will transform how you plan your Disney vacation, offering attraction descriptions, videos and photos, and links to menus, event calendars, and tickets and reservations.

Just follow the download instructions below. Once in Google Earth™, select the Gold Mickey Ears icon to get the official Walt Disney World info.

Let your magical journey begin!

Northernmouse · Jun 4, 2008

This is very cool. Seems a little slow today hopefully it will be faster latter in the week.

highland3 · Jun 4, 2008

I can't wait to try it. ; I have Google Earth, but I guess I'll uninstall it and get the new version.

amw · Jun 6, 2008

"Sorcerer Mickey" said:

Here is the URL on Disney's site, but not functional yet

http://www.disneyworld.com/3dparks
Click to expand...

Everytime I try that address, I get sent to: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/index ; ??? ; What do I do from there?

Northern Sorcerer Mickey · Jun 7, 2008

Just download the newest Google Earth. Ensure that 3d buildings is checked and Gallery/Travel & Tourism. Zoom into WDW and you will start seeing the world in 3d

Ham Ham · Jun 7, 2008

3-D OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

highland3 · Jun 7, 2008

oh man!!!!!!!

CoryTheRaven · Jun 17, 2008

Props to Count Floyd!

I did download Google Earth, but I wasn't impressed by it... I personally found it too difficult to get the hang of for the value it offered. I did flybys of Calgary, WDW and Paris, and didn't get that much more out of it than I would on Google Maps. Except, I guess, I get to look at badly designed and rendered CGI versions of WDW, the Eiffel Tower and parts of my hometown skyline. Just awful.

Suffice it to say that it has since been uninstalled.

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