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Go to Disney World Without Leaving Your Desk
Posted by Gina Trapani at 12:42 AM on June 6, 2008
Google adds a 3D tour of Disney World to the latest version of Google Earth (4.3), which lets you "zoom down Main Street, USA, fly around Cinderella Castle, explore Spaceship Earth and climb the Tree of Life."
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
portobello_man
Posted 1:40 AM 6/6/08
I must be having a stupid moment here; I can't see a damn pair of golden mickey ears anywhere!
Is this some kind of US-only thing or am I just going mad?
portobello_man
nXt
Posted 1:39 AM 6/6/08
I'm curious on how they do these.
Do they have some crazy camera with lasers measuring everything with cars/helicopters/airplanes?
nXt
superbryant
Posted 1:13 AM 6/6/08
o man that is so cool :) that was a great break from the work day!
superbryant
portobello_man
Posted 2:12 AM 6/6/08
Ahh - it seems you need to install the US version of Google... I think... :S
portobello_man
Deprong Mori
Posted 1:52 AM 6/6/08
@nXt:
I'm not sure, but it's possible that someone submitted a fairly accurate Google SketchUp model.
You can generate 3D models from photographs or videos; I know this was possible ten years ago with fancy graphics computers, but my assumption is that today's desktop systems have the horsepower. I'm not sure if the software that does this is freely/cheaply available today, but it's not exotic anymore.
Deprong Mori
StrangeTikiGod
Posted 1:42 AM 6/6/08
I noticed a few liberties taken on a few spots, like the hill in front of the Haunted Mansion replaced with a sheer wall, but that was probably just to aid in the ease of modeling.
But this is very cool! I explored this a bit last night, but it was getting late and the data was streaming a bit slowly, so I'll go back to Animal Kingdom today after work.
StrangeTikiGod
Ugly Joe
Posted 2:44 AM 6/6/08
Does this work with the free version of Google Earth? My parents would love this.
Ugly Joe
finalellipsis
Posted 3:12 AM 6/6/08
Schwiggity!
finalellipsis
MarkS
Posted 3:36 AM 6/6/08
Not working for me properly in the UK. I can see lots of 3D buildings. But there isn't an extra layer under Gallery/Travel and Tourism, and the search for Disney World method doesn't work either. It looks like another of those things where they forget to tell people it only works in one country.
MarkS
the_Sleepwalker
Posted 4:35 AM 6/6/08
[www.adobe.com]
Scroll Down to "Disney Travel Planner". Built on Adobe AIR, Flash, and Flex. Amazing.
the_Sleepwalker
DonDiego
Posted 8:24 AM 6/6/08
No Golden Ears from here in France either !
DonDiego
DonDiego
Posted 8:31 AM 6/6/08
Just changed the Language in Options to English (US) and now we have the Golden Ears and the Magical Tour : fantastic!
DonDiego
SpenceMan01
Posted 9:16 AM 6/6/08
I tried it last night. It was very cool...until Google Earth's memory footprint topped out at 1.3GB and it died ungracefully.
SpenceMan01
DonDiego
Posted 9:04 AM 6/6/08
EDIT : From here in France, changing the default language to English (US) does display then the Mickey Ears, clicking on them does display the Menu Panel, but clicking on "Show Disney World in 3D" has no effect ... latest version of Google Earth is installed. What a pity.
DonDiego
MePerson
Posted 9:37 PM 7/6/08
You have to turn on 3D buildings in the left menu, and if that doesn't work, then turn on the Disney World layer in the Gallery.
And if you're wondering how they did it, see here [www.popsci.com] .
"To provide users the detailed images-from the Tower of Terror, to the spectacular castle, to overpriced souvenir shacks, eight photographers shot about 100,000 images, which were then rendered into 1,500 3-D images of Disney World structures."
MePerson
SuchandraMontufar
Posted 2:44 AM 6/6/08
Awesome! My real trip is in less than 2 weeks but this will definitely hold me over!
SuchandraMontufar