Editing Disney

The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walt_Disney_Company Walt Disney Company] is an American media conglomerate known originally for their early work on cartoons and animated film and for the theme parks, television shows, and merchandising that followed.

From 1995 to 2002 the FIRST Robotics Competition championship was held at the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epcot EPCOT Center] in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_World Walt Disney World] in Orlando, Florida.

For the purposes of media in the archive, items with an obvious references to Disney or Disney World should be given the [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/list/disney/1 disney] tag. This includes pictures of one of the championship events with large Disney icons such as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceship_Earth_(Epcot) Spaceship Earth] in the background or "tourist" photos taken during the championship but of Disney scenery or attractions.

==1995==
The [[1995cmp|1995 National Championship]] was held from March 30th to April 1st, 1995 on the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_American_Adventure_(Epcot)#America_Gardens_Theatre American Gardens Theatre]. Normal seating in front of the pavilion as well as folding chairs made up the stands for the event, and the pit area was in a tent outside of the nearby Liberty Theatre. Two fields were set up on the stage of the American Gardens Theatre and matches would be played back and forth between the two fields to cut down on match turnaround time. The award ceremony was held near Spaceship Earth. Teams took photos with their robots around the American Adventure pavilion and nearby sections of EPCOT.

Walt Disney World Sports Special Events representatives contacted teams with instructions and rates to stay at one of Disney's "All Star" value resorts and receive a special U.S. FIRST package that included meals, ground transportation, and park-hopper passes.

A team party and aftershow put on by Disney included a stage show and fireworks.

<gallery caption="Additional photos on the [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/list/1995%20disney/1 FRC Archive]" perrow=4 heights=230px widths=250px>
File:3073 - 1995 1995cmp disney.jpg|The award stage near Spaceship Earth [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/3073]
File:3087 - 1995 1995cmp crowd.jpg|The crowd and one of the playing fields on the American Gardens Theatre stage [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/3087]
File:3142 - 1995 1995cmp disney.jpg|Ramp 'N Roll sign at Epcot [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/3142]
File:3147 - 1995 1995cmp disney.jpg|Part of the team party aftershow put on by Disney [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/3147]
</gallery>

==1996==
The [[1996 National Championship]] was also held on the American Gardens Theatre stage. Two fields were set up on stage as in 1995. Over 3,500 people visited the event on its final day.

The pit tent was outside the normal park area and teams had to transport their robots even further across pedestrian walkways than in 1995.

A grey t shirt with "EPCOT" under a stylized Spaceship Earth on the front and a large US FIRST logo and name on the back complete with the original stripy shadows on the symbols was available for purchase as official Disney merchandise.

<gallery caption="Additional photos on the [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/list/1996%20disney/1 FRC Archive]" perrow=3 heights=250px widths=300px>
File:3787 - 1996 1996cmp disney frc171 robot team.jpg|[[frc171|Team 171]] with robot and robot crossing sign [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/3787]
File:4570 - 1996 1996cmp disney.jpg|A Delco-sponsored Innoventions car in EPCOT[https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/4570]
File:3785 - 1996 1996cmp pit robot.jpg|The pit tent in the backlots of EPCOT[https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/3785]
</gallery>

==1997==

In 1997 the championship moved to the EPCOT parking lot

[[Showbot]], a robot made by Disney Ride and Show engineers, made its first appearance at the Championship.

==1998==
The [[1998cmp|1998 National Championship]] was part of "Science Jam at EPCOT," a series of sciency events in the spring of 1998.

An early version of the large FIRST logo banner that teams would take photos in front of appeared this year.

A much more elaborate audio-animatronic [[Showbot]] was built this year that would roam the crowd and speak to guests and shoot confetti. 

<gallery caption="Additional photos on the [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/list/1998%20disney/1 FRC Archive]" perrow=3 heights=250px widths=300px>
File:2791 - 1998 1998cmp disney.jpg|The 1998 pit tent [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/2791]
File:39605 - 1998 1998cmp disney showbot.jpg|The 1998 Showbot, built by Disney Ride and Show engineers [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/39605]
File:16182 - 1998 1998cmp frc132 robot.jpg|[[frc132|Team 132]]'s robot in front of the FIRST banner [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/16182]
</gallery>

==1999==

An official Disney round pinback button was available with the FIRST logo and FIRST Nationals text was available. This pin predates the formal [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney_pin_trading Disney pin trading] introduced in late 1999.

==2000==

The main stage and pit area with other playing fields was located in the Imagine lot of EPCOT's parking lot. Team room packages included three and four night options and parkhopper passes.

This year both a rectangular pinback button and a limited edition of 5000 enamel Disney pin trading pin were available.

[https://www.frcarchive.com/frcwiki/index.php/File:NationalChampionship2000.pdf 2000 National Championship information]<br>
[https://www.frcarchive.com/frcwiki/index.php/File:2000DisneyRelease.pdf 2000 Disney Release form]

==2001==

The main stage and Einstein field took up a large portion of the EPCOT parking lot just outside the front gates.

The 2001 enamel pin was a limited edition of 1500 and had a rotating robotic arm holding the "10th" in the pin's "10th Anniversary" message. A 10th Anniversary Disney t shirt with a similar robotic arm design was also available. Bottles of Mt. Shasta water with special labels featuring the FIRST logo were available.

The aftershow this year once again included a fireworks display and light show.

<gallery caption="Additional photos on the [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/list/2001%20disney/1 FRC Archive]" perrow=4 heights=230px widths=250px>
File:44912 - 2001 2001cmp disney.jpg|An overhead view of the main stage and stands outside the gates of EPCOT and the tents housing the pits and other playing fields deeper into the parking lot [https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/44912]
File:2965 - 2001 2001cmp disney.jpg|Part of the aftershow fireworks display[https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/2965]
File:43819 - 2001 2001cmp disney.jpg|Spaceship Earth during the 2001 championship[https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/43819]
File:10356 - 2001 2001cmp crowd disney.jpg|[[Dean Kamen]] speaking on the big stage with Spaceship Earth in the background[https://www.frcarchive.com/index.php?q=post/view/3785]
</gallery>

==2002==

The 2002 Disney pin trading pin had a spinning FIRST logo. The Disney t shirt had a large FIRST logo on the front which would glow in the dark and a small patch referencing Disney's 100th anniversary.