What would it look like if the Olympic Village became a place you could actually stay?

With the Winter Games officially underway, this week on Idiot’s Guide to Imagineering, Stephen is joined by Marissa and Jenny to imagine the Olympic Village as a fully realized resort experience at Walt Disney World. How do you capture the spirit of global competition, human achievement, and iconic Olympic moments and translate them into a destination that feels immersive, emotional, and believable year-round?

Along the way, we dive into how Imagineering approaches third-party IP, why collaboration and creative oversight matter more than people realize, and how real-world constraints like risk appetite, park capacity, and resort strategy shape what ultimately gets built. This isn’t about blue-sky dreaming. It’s about bold ideas that still have to work in the real world.

From athlete-inspired accommodations to ceremonial moments woven into the guest experience, this episode celebrates the balance between creativity and practicality and explores why the most compelling Disney projects aren’t the ones with no limits, but the ones that thrive because of them.

Plus, Olympics enthusiasm, Super Bowl aftermath confusion, and a tease that next week we’re heading west for our first Disneyland project of the season.

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What if you could venture beyond Arendelle?

This week, we imagine what it would look like if Disneyland Paris expanded its new World of Frozen with a bold concept called Northuldra. Stephen takes on the role of Project Manager to explore how Imagineers might bring the mystical forests, elemental spirits, and the Nokk to life in a way that’s immersive, emotional, and entirely unique to this park.

We break down the importance of risk appetite in Disney Imagineering, exploring why parks balance daring, original experiences with safe, proven crowd-pleasers, and how both types of projects are essential for long-term success. From placemaking to attraction design, this episode shows how strategy, story, and technology intersect to create something that feels alive.

Even if you’ve never been to Paris or followed the Frozen franchise closely, this episode is about understanding how themed entertainment can challenge expectations, reward imagination, and make guests feel part of the story.

There’s also a surprise twist in this episode, and it’s up to you, the listener, to decide which path you would greenlight. Step beyond Arendelle, explore Northuldra, and let us know what you think is best.

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What happens when a perfectly respectable Magic Kingdom restaurant gets a little… Muppified?

This week, Stephen pitches a small-scale but high-impact plussing project for one of Liberty Square’s most overlooked classics: Columbia Harbour House. No new rides. No massive construction. Just thoughtful storytelling, operational realism, and a whole lot of Muppet chaos.

Set during a post–Revolutionary War celebration, this reimagined Harbour House becomes the unofficial headquarters for the classic Muppets, complete with Statler and Waldorf heckling guests from above, the Swedish Chef wreaking havoc in the kitchen, subtle Haunted Mansion tie-ins upstairs, and even a few streetmosphere surprises outside.

Along the way, the team breaks down what plussing really means, why smaller updates can sometimes matter more than big e-tickets, and how Disney can honor legacy spaces while still evolving them for modern guests, all while filling the MuppetVision-sized hole in the parks.

It’s a love letter to thoughtful Imagineering, classic Muppet mayhem, and the idea that even one restaurant can become a story-rich experience.

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