AWARDS AND HONORS
THEA AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: BRAND EXPERIENCE
STAR WARS: GALACTIC STARCRUISER
Issued by TEA: Themed Entertainment Association
2023
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort is a first-of-its-kind, multi-day immersive experience with interactive connected storytelling. It excels at taking a complex, branching narrative and making the story feel specific and personal for each guest, before threading everything back together for a climactic finale. It invites guests to play along at their own comfort level, with their friends and family.
It begins at the Galactic Starcruiser Terminal near Disney's Hollywood Studios. Guests check in for their voyage aboard the Halcyon starcruiser, enter a Launch Pod and see their everyday worlds fall away as they jump to hyperspace and draw closer to the starship. When the Launch Pod docks, guests step into the ship's main deck Atrium to begin their journey.
Guests' choices determine their stories as they interact with characters such as Rey and Chewbacca, crew members, droids and other passengers. Guests may be asked to deliver a covert message, take part in a high-stakes heist, defend the ship or hide an ally. Guests can deepen their engagement by using the Play Disney Parks mobile app, as well as interacting with D3-09, the ship's Logistics Droid, via vidscreen.
This new adventure in a galaxy far, far away goes beyond anything Disney has created before. Disney's Imagineering team is showcasing the future of immersive experiences for theme parks and attractions by focusing on how we change the way people play together, the way stories are told together (immersive theater), and how technology can support such experiences.
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD
2021
Beyond honored to receive the University of Miami Distinguished Alumni Award for 2021. I participated in the lecture on "Changing the Tune: Reinventing the Music Industry" with fellow University of Miami Alumni from across the music industry. We shared our perspectives on the transformation of the industry and what the future holds. Thank you so much Stu Bloch (founder of the Distinguished Alumni Lecture Series) and the University of Miami Alumni Association. Go Canes!
2009
THEA AWARD FOR BEST LIVE SHOW FROM THE THEMED ENTERTAINMENT ASSOCIATION
The stage musical of Finding Nemo is a Disney Animal Kingdom attraction, inspired by the Disney-Pixar feature film. Set in an enchanted undersea world, in a newly enclosed theater, it represents the first time Disney has created an all-singing-and-dancing musical from a non-musical feature. Finding Nemo: The Musical is a 30-minute show with live actors, larger-than-life puppets, and original music and lyrics. It is a rich and polished production on every level. The musical has strong lyrics, melodic tunes, a clear narrative and lavish production values. The wonderfully inventive costumes and puppetry stand out, without dominating the choreography and direction. This show represents a benchmark of quality for all theme park musical adaptations.
IAAPA BRASS RING AWARD
2016
Disneyland Paris was the recipient of its 2016 IAAPA (The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions) Brass Ring Awards, which celebrates excellence in live entertainment and more across the globe.At Disneyland Paris, “Mickey and the Magician” won for Best Theatrical Production in parks with more than three million attendance. This incredible show has been dazzling our guests since summertime, bringing together Mickey and many of his friends for a singing and dancing extravaganza filled with soaring scenery and special effects that show guests what magic is made of.
IAAPA BRASS RING AWARD
2016
Shanghai Disney Resort was the recipient of its 2016 IAAPA (The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions) Brass Ring Awards, which celebrates excellence in live entertainment and more across the globe.Shanghai Disneyland’s “Ignite the Dream – A Nighttime Spectacular of Magic” was named the Most Creative Multimedia Spectacular this year, a stunning example of Disney’s rich legacy of storytelling and innovation with breathtaking projections, lasers and fountains and more that continues to awaken the dreamer inside of every guest.