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Considered one of the preeminent concept designers and creative leaders in the Location Based Entertainment industry, Christian’s professional affiliations over the last forty years include: Google, 20th Century Fox, Illumination Entertainment, Dubai Parks & Resorts, Paramount Global, Universal Studios and The Walt Disney Company.
Christian’s Projects At Previous Firms
Shanghai Disneyland – Mickey Avenue
CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND CONCEPT DESIGNS FOR MICKEYAVENUE AT SHANGAHI DISNEYLAND
Mickey Avenue is located at the entrance to the park and serves as the equivalent to Main Street USA. It is one of only two Disney castle parks not to feature Main Street USA as its entrance street, Tokyo Disneyland’s World Bazaar being the other. Mickey Avenue is inspired by the personalities of Disney characters such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Chip’n’Dale as well as Disney PIXAR films such as Ratatouille.
The Storytellers statue, which depicts a young Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse, is at the end of Mickey Avenue and in front of the Gardens of Imagination.
Universal Islands of Adventure – Marvel Superhero Island
INITIAL CONCEPT DESIGN AND ART DIRECTION FOR THE SUPERHERO ISLAND AT UNIVERSAL ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE
Marvel Superhero Island is an area at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure park in Orlando Florida that is themed after popular Marvel Comics. The area is home to four attractions – The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man (motion-based 3D dark ride), The Incredible Hulk Coaster (launched roller coaster), Doctor Doom’s Fearfall (space shot drop tower) and Storm Force Accelatron (teacup ride).
The area is also home to various dining, merchandise and meet and greet locations.
Disneyland Paris – Frontierland
CONCEPT DESIGN SUPPORT FOR EACH ATTRACTION, RETAIL AND F&B EXPERIENCE FOR FRONTIERLAND AT DISNEYLAND PARIS
Frontierland features nine attractions, including Big Thunder Mountain (Coaster), Thunder Mesa Riverboat Landing (ferry ride), Phantom Manor (dark ride), and Frontierland Theatre, among others. The land also features a number of restaurants and shops including the Lucky Nugget Saloon and the Pueblo Trading Post.
The land has an elaborate backstory featuring the town of Thunder Mesa, founded by Henry Ravenswood to support the mining of Big Thunder Mountain.
THE ABC Studios Times Square
CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT FOR THE ABC TIMES SQUARE STUDIO, NEW YORK STUDIO
The ABC Times Square Studio is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is best known as the home of ABC News’ Good Morning America and other ABC News programs as well as various programs on ESPN. It was inau was designed and constructed by Walt Disney Imagineering. Christian was a Concept Design Director for WDI during the project.
The studio is located on the southeastern corner of West 44th Street and Broadway in Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
Cuffy’s Boardwalk
TRANSPORTING GUESTS BACK IN TIME TO A BEAUTIFULLY THEMED, UNIQUE DESTINATION EXPERIENCE THAT BLENDS THE CHARM OF CAPE COD WITH AN UNFORGETTABLE SHOPPING ENVIRONMENT
Like many themed destinations, Cuffy’s of Cape Cod had humble beginnings. Dominick Ablano dreamed of creating a shopping and family entertainment attraction in the Cape. He started out selling T-shirts from the back of his mom’s car in 1980. Over time, Cuffy’s grew into a premiere stop for travellers and locals alike.
In addition to period architectural stylings, Cuffy’s follows parallel stories and themes throughout the experience. Visitors follow the stories of fictional immigrant families putting down roots in New England alongside Ablano’s own story of starting and scaling Cuffy’s.
The goal was to create a family shopping destination that’s one-of-a-kind.
Guests at Cuffy’s of Cape Cod enjoy a lively shopping experience on the boardwalk. Shop at the turn-of-the-century-style emporium or beach club, enjoy a treat from the confectionary or the general store, or browse the household goods at the Cottage Kitchen.
Visitors will also find a life-saving station boathouse, where they can learn about this fixture in Cape history. Cuffy’s is off to a fantastic start and has been a rousing success so far. Its guests love being transported back in time. You’ll find them enjoying a game of checkers at the general store, or savoring a snack in one of the many rocking chairs along the boardwalk. Families love engaging in seasonal activities such as crafting, face painting, and building sand sculptures.
*Christian completed these projects before joining Storyland Studios. All images have been sourced from the public domain and belong to their original owners.