Oompa Loompas, chocolate rivers, juicing rooms and taffy pullers only exist in Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” However, Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale, CA is home to a mysterious and secretive factory that exists beyond the borders of Dahl’s book. And just as Charlie is given a chance to visit the factory in the book, four Illinois students have been given a “golden ticket opportunity” to spend June 8 to 16 at the Imagineering headquarters.

According to a press release, Imagineering is an organization that creates concepts for worldwide Disney entertainment venues, real estate developments, cruise ships, attractions, resorts and theme parks. Brent Dirks, senior in computer engineering; Marchelle Gant, senior in architecture; Samantha Juna, junior in industrial design; and John Wieser, senior in architecture all came together to be one of the eight finalists in the 19th annual ImagiNations design competition. The objective of the project was to create a ride, attraction, hotel, or land within an existing Disney theme park.

“We were not expecting to win at all,” Gant said. “We weren’t expecting to hear back for another day and we definitely weren’t expecting a phone call. The phone just rang out of nowhere. My mouth was hanging wide open.”

Gant and Wieser worked together on building a team for the project. They wanted to find a diverse team with different skill sets.

“For example, Sam was able to work on things that Marchelle and I couldn’t do,” Wieser said. “And Brent worked on a lot of circuit wiring and computer programming. Finding all the different specialities and learning how to corral those talents helped bring our project together.”

The team set up the project as an independent study to ensure accountability among all members. Project production took place in the beginning of the semester, finishing around the fourth week. The students had to pull an all-nighter the day before the project was due.

“We spent like a week in the lab, six hours a night, just assembling the model,” Dirks said.

Juna said the project was important to the group, and everyone made time to work on it.

The group’s ride was inspired by Disney’s “Tron”, In their ride, people are able to go through the doors of Innotron Industries and be among the first to try the new interactive gaming technology, “Project Gridlock.” Guests enter a digital world and are taken through a high-speed mission through TRON city in a special escape vehicle, the “Light Shuttle.“ The team was not permitted by Disney to disclose any further information about their project.

The project is different than a regular Disney animated feature and showcases new technological advances.

“There’s specific technologies we have incorporated that have never really been used before on rides,” Wieser said. “These would just really help incorporate that one-of-a-kind experience that Disney is known for.”

Dirks said he likes the edgy and futuristic characteristics of the project the most.

According to a Disney press release, participants were encouraged to tell a unique story and showcase this through the project.

“We had to research a lot about how Disney Imagineering works and focus on how Disney works with storytelling concepts,” Dirks said. “For me, as an engineer, this project allowed me to take a more creative route and harness more creative skills.”

All four members are fans of Disney and hope to one day be able to work on an Imagineering team.

In California, the team will tour the inside of the headquarters, meet with people who have made it there and interview for potential internships. They will also present their projects to a judging panel, and the final award ceremony will take place June 16.

“It’s very fascinating for me to be able to meet with the people who are working there.” Juna said.

Wieser said the incentive of the trip to California motivated them.

“We know it’s there, we think we have an idea of what they do but it’s all very secretive and magical in a way,” Wieser said.