The Science of Disney Imagineering: Gravity

Program Overview

Students will explore how gravity and Newton’s laws of motion are fundamental to creating exhilarating theme park experiences.

Learning Objectives

After completing The Science of Disney Imagineering: Gravity, participants will:

  • Be familiar with Newton’s first law of motion.
  • Be able to differentiate between balanced and unbalanced forces.
  • Demonstrate how force and mass affect the acceleration of an object.
  • Explain how Walt Disney Imagineers used an understanding of gravity and Newton’s laws of motion to create the free-fall effects seen/experienced in The Twilight Zone Tower of Terrorâ„¢ attraction.
  • Explain the difference between mass and weight.
  • Explain how Walt Disney Imagineers and engineers used an understanding of magnetism and Newton’s laws of motion to accelerate the ride vehicles on Rock ‘n Roller Coaster® Starring Aerosmith.