Page 49 - Star Wars Insider #182

GALAXY’S EDGE
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SCOTT TROWBRIDGE’S
ROAD TO BATUU
As leader of Walt Disney Imagineering’s global
Star Wars portfolio, Scott Trowbridge’s job is all
about developing new ways to allow guests to
live their own Star Wars stories through innovative
technology and immersive experiences. However,
like many Disney-loving adults, his fi rst experience
of the theme parks dubbed “The Happiest Place
on Earth” goes right back to his formative years.
“I grew up in the Midwest,” Trowbridge recalls.
“We had amusement parks, but we didn’t really
have the full theme-park experience. When I was
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eight or nine, we took a family trip to Disneyland
for the fi rst time, and it was such an eye-opening
experience. It was like my imagination had been
made real and I couldn’t believe that there was
a place that allowed your imagination to exist
outside of your head. From then on, I was pretty
much focused on the idea of sharing imaginative
experiences with other people.”
That ambition led Trowbridge fi rst to gain a
degree in cinema from the University of Southern
California, and he later worked as Vice President
for the creative division of NBC/Universal’s Theme
Parks and Resorts prior to joining Walt Disney
Imagineering.
Though Galaxy’s Edge has been his working
life for some time now, Trowbridge has never lost
sight of just how unique and awesome the reality
of his nine-to-fi ve truly is.
“There are moments when you hit a problem,
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or get caught up in some everyday challenge,” he
says. “But then, all of a sudden, you go, ‘Yeah, this
is tough, but, wait a minute! Look at what we’re
doing!’ Even though I get to see amazing things
every day, there are still great moments where
you’re reminded: that’s the Millennium Falcon;
or we’re going to put people face to face with
this character or this experience. It never stops
seeming cool to me, and hopefully the fans will
feel the same way.
“One of the things that I love doing the most
is spending time listening to our audience, and
I will be in and among those crowds at Galaxy’s
Edge with my antennas open for what people are
saying, what they’re thinking, how much they are
smiling. Ultimately, that’s why we do this. We do it
on behalf of an audience, and we’ll know if we’re
successful by the reaction of that audience. So
that’s where you’ll fi nd me in 2019!”
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