Imagineer Wing Chao is my 79th pick for the Legend honor. This information is taken form his bio page on the
Committee of 100 webage. You can find information about Chao at the
Laughing Place as well.
Chao was Executive Vice President for Master Planning,
Architecture and Design at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts creative division
Walt Disney Imagineering. In that role Chao oversaw development of all of
division’s activities
worldwide including theme parks, resorts, cruise ships, water parks and
entertainment complexes. He was also Vice Chairman of Development for Walt
Disney Parks and Resorts, Asia Pacific.
For almost 37 years, Chao played a key role in developing
and implementing projects worth over $8 billion. Leading teams consisting of
Disney designers and engineers of various disciplines and partnering with world’s leading architects and
designers including Robert AM Stern, Frank Gehry and Michael Graves, his
projects included the Disney theme parks, 100,000 new and renovated resort
rooms, 200 restaurants, 4 million-square-feet of retail space, 3 million-square-feet
of entertainment venues, 4 million-square-feet of office buildings, 2
million-square-feet of mixed-used development, sports complex, several
convention and exhibition centers at Disney’s
resorts in California, Florida, Tokyo, Paris, and Hong Kong. Chao also directed
the design for the first two 83,000 ton Disney cruise ships. Prior to his
retirement from Disney, he was overseeing $4 billion of Disney resort expansion
projects both domestically and internationally, including the first Disney
resort in Hawaii Aulani
and 2 new 128,000 ton Disney cruise ships; Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.
Chao joined Disney in 1972 in Florida where he was
responsible for the master planning of Downtown Disney, a
Retail-Dining-Entertainment complex at Walt Disney World Resort. Stationed two
years later at Imagineering's headquarters in Glendale, California, he headed
the land planning of Epcot Center. By the late 70s, he was involved in the
planning of Disney’s first
international theme park, Tokyo Disneyland. In 1984, Chao shifted his focus
back to Florida and participated in the expansion of the Walt Disney World
Resort, including additional theme parks, resort hotels, restaurants, retail
shopping, entertainment venues, and golf courses.
From 1985 to 1987, Chao was a key member in the successful
negotiations with the French government to build the Disneyland Paris Resort.
Two years later, he was promoted to Senior Vice President, and in 1997, he was
elevated to the position of Executive Vice President. During 1990s, Chao also
oversaw the master planning for the Disney’s
new town development of Celebration in Florida as well as the new community of
Val d Europe at Disneyland Paris Resort.
By the end of that decade Chao was active in exploring
potential future Disney Park and resort development in Asia, including the site
selection for Hong Kong Disneyland. To recognize his expanded global role, in
2000 Chao was appointed Vice Chairman, Asia Pacific Development, for Walt
Disney Parks and Resorts. He played a vital role in the successful negotiations
with the Hong Kong government for the project, Disney’s third international destination resort, which
opened in September 2005.