Disney World 3D models on Google Earth

Ricky sez, "A virtual version of Walt Disney World has launched today on Google Earth, featuring 3D buildings of most of the major points on Walt Disney World property, including attractions and resorts. Not only can you see what different areas of the parks and resorts look like, but you can also click on them to find out more information, watch a video, and book a trip." Link (Thanks, Ricky!)

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IvyMike

This being Disney, I assume the 3d models are protected by some kind of draconian region-coded copy-proof quality-degrading DRM scheme?
CastanhasDoPara

Just some free PR/advertising for the mega-huge corporate jerk-bags over at… who the fuck owns disney these days anyway? Still the architect side of me finds this cool.
License Farm

They ought to incorporate the fan-produced CGI recreations of discontinued Disnehttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/06/04/disney-world-3d-mode.html#commentsy attractions like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and Journey Thru Innerspace. It’d be like a time machine implemented through Google Earth 3D.
Argon

My thoughts exactly, how can Google get away with this? I’d expect to get badgered with ads.

Hello, visitor! Thank you for your interest in The Walt Disneyâ„¢ Company’s multitude of attractions. You have enjoyed The Walt Disneyâ„¢ Company’s architectural intellectual property for long enough now – obviously, you must want to book a trip! As a service to you, a trip has been automatically booked. If you do not accept, or if you continue to use this content without paying, you will be fined for having stolen The Walt Disneyâ„¢ Company’s architectural intellectual property. You don’t want to steal from The Mouse, do you?

Take the geometry-data and make a Half-Life mod. Pretty please? I’d pay for that. :)
mozTom

I just tried it. They did a great job on the buildings, they did interiors and all even for places you can’t ‘enter’, you can see through the windows. The thing that sucks is the google earth interface, it’s such a huge pain to do anything like walk around on earth, or do proper zooming. Zoom out just a little and it’ll take you from horizontal to vertical, and it doesn’t really let you ‘double click’ a place to put the camera in a good location to look at it.

It’s a nice idea, but Google Earth continues to suck for non-flybys.
Zan

Google Earth’s 3D interface does take getting used to (especially coming from Solidworks), but it is usable if you are using a wheel mouse and clicking the scroll wheel is registered as “Middle Button” and not the “Universal Scroll” that Logitech likes to use. By right-click dragging, left-click dragging, middle-click dragging, and scroll-wheeling you can have pretty good control.

When at ground level, left-click dragging moves you around, shift+left-click dragging (or middle-click dragging) rotates you around whatever is in the middle of the scene, and ctrl+left-click dragging changes the camera angle (which direction you are looking). Scroll wheeling changes your height, as does the “+” and “-” keys, and right-click dragging moves you in a j-hook from overhead view to ground level view.
BuildUupBuzzKill

and this could help terrorists right?