TYSVC: It All Begins With a Story – Casey’s Corner

Our last stop in Main Street, U.S.A. is Casey’s Corner as an example of “It All Begins With a Story”, one of the core foundational principles of Imagineering.

Story is the fundamental building block of everything the Imagineers do when designing and building attractions, parks and other venues.

The Imagineers identify a core idea or premise for each attraction they work on, and it is that core idea, or story, that serves as the basis for every decision they make. Decisions about an attraction’s theming, lighting, sound effects, background music, and other details are all based on how well they serve to support the story

In this example, Casey’s Corner is based on a poem called Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888, and an animated short called Casey at the Bat Disney produced in 1946 based on that poem.

The pictures of Casey’s Corner below illustrate how Casey’s Corner inspires the design and theming of the venue.

The Casey’s Corner marquee.

The menu depicts important characters from Casey at the Bat, including Casey, who sadly is about to strike out. We can also see the baseball-shaped “Enter” signs at the ordering stations.

Casey’s Corners cast members wear vintage baseball uniforms and umpire aprons to help reinforce the story.

The walls of the seating area feature baseball memorabilia, including pennants, team photos, and gear.

More pennants and photos decorating the walls of the seating areas.

More pennants and photos decorating the walls of the seating areas.

The scoreboard tells us the sad truth that Casey and our hometown heroes, the Mudville Nine, were not victorious.

Baseball bats, caps, and baseballs decorate this corner of the seating area.

“When the Imagineers tell their stories, they decide on the story they’re going to tell, and use it as the basis for all their decisions moving forward.”

Next: We’re heading into Cinderella Castle to visit the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique to see an example of communicating Creative Intent.