How Do I Become An Imagineer?

CookieMonzter

CookieMonzter

New Member
Original Poster
Hi I'm in the 8th grade and my dream job is to become an Imagineer! I want to know the steps of how I can become one. I love to draw and think designing and building a ride for people to love is so cool. For high school I'm applying to a magnet school with engineering to help me get one step closer to my dream job. Here are some questions I hope you can answer about Imagineering.

1. What college would you recommend I go to so I can get this job?

2. Does anyone have contact with an Imagineer that may be able to email me so I can ask questions?

3. What are some of the Imagineering fields at Disney?

4. Does anyone just know any tips on how to become an Imagineer?
 
tcool

tcool

Well-Known Member
 
CookieMonzter

CookieMonzter

New Member
Original Poster
 
RMichael21

RMichael21

Well-Known Member
CookieMonzter said:
Hi I'm in the 8th grade and my dream job is to become an Imagineer! I want to know the steps of how I can become one. I love to draw and think designing and building a ride for people to love is so cool. For high school I'm applying to a magnet school with engineering to help me get one step closer to my dream job. Here are some questions I hope you can answer about Imagineering.

1. What college would you recommend I go to so I can get this job?

2. Does anyone have contact with an Imagineer that may be able to email me so I can ask questions?

3. What are some of the Imagineering fields at Disney?

4. Does anyone just know any tips on how to become an Imagineer?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure I have your answers to questions 2, but I do know the how to reply to the other ones.

2. It depends what field you want to pursue. If it's art, pursue that. It it's engineering, go to a school with a good engineering program. I'll add more onto this...

3. It's ridiculous. Here's Imagineer's official "list" from their website. Keep in mind, there's plenty more:
  • Master planning
  • Creative development
  • Concept development
  • Show writing
  • Design
  • Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Interior design
  • Production
  • Project management
  • Research and advanced development
  • Ride systems
  • Special effects
  • Interactive technology
  • Multimedia design
4. Mindset and Passion. From the countless Imagineer interviews that I've seen or read online, it's about having a positive attitude/mindset and having passion for what you do. And, if you become an engineer or show writer just to become an imagineer, I assure you they won't select you. You have to choose something that's right for you. And, if that means stepping away from Imagineering and coming back later, that's most likely the best thing. The best way to become an Imagineer, within my understanding, is choose your field without Imagineering in mind and find a way to make Imagineering connect to your chosen profession.

I hope that helps @CookieMonzter and I hope your successful later in life! :)
 
spacemt354

spacemt354

Chili's
CookieMonzter said:
Hi I'm in the 8th grade and my dream job is to become an Imagineer! I want to know the steps of how I can become one. I love to draw and think designing and building a ride for people to love is so cool. For high school I'm applying to a magnet school with engineering to help me get one step closer to my dream job. Here are some questions I hope you can answer about Imagineering.

1. What college would you recommend I go to so I can get this job?

2. Does anyone have contact with an Imagineer that may be able to email me so I can ask questions?

3. What are some of the Imagineering fields at Disney?

4. Does anyone just know any tips on how to become an Imagineer?
Click to expand...

First off welcome to the forum.

I think I could help answer your 1st question, but the answer isn't very specific.

If you research famous Imagineers like Tony Baxter or Joe Rhode, you can find where they went to college and what they majored in. I'm pre-med, so I guess I'm not much help in the major requirements for Imagineering, but from what I know, there isn't one major that is strictly going to give you an edge for Imagineering. From what I've seen, it's more about having the drive, and finding the right location.

Most of the Imagineers that I've seen have gone to college in California (around LA) and majored in anything from Fine Arts to Architecture. Anything that incorporates math/engineering as well as some theatrics to build your creative mind will help. If I was going to look for a college to further my chances of becoming an imagineer, I would look there first. But that doesn't mean LA is the only place where you can become an imagineer. It's just where Burbank is, and where the most opportunities are.

There's also the Disney College Program for Aspiring Imagineers that you can apply to as well. Here's a link: http://wdi.disneycareers.com/en/faq/students-recent-grads/disney-college-program/

Hope that helps!
 
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
Stop focusing on Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney. They're not the only ones doing "Imagineer" type work nor do they work alone. Themed entertainment is so much about range. Only thinking about and knowninh Disney is a very limited range. Show Producer is the glorious job that everybody knows (sort of like a film director) but is hardly the only job involved. It's the cliche "do what you love" mantra. If you have a passion for engineering, then do that. You could be one of the very few hired out of college but there are companies that do engineering for entertainment projects, which means they'll be doing similar work. It also means that you may end up at a company contracted to do work for not just Disney but also Universal, SeaWorld, Herschend, Merlin, etc.
 
MANEATINGWREATH

MANEATINGWREATH

Well-Known Member
As one interested in the field myself, looking at the requirements for one job alone (creative designer or something like that), I was astounded. Just to be able to do this job, the education requirements were five years in entertainment and a BA in the fine arts.
 
Voxel

Voxel

President of Progress City
lazyboy97o said:
Stop focusing on Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney. They're not the only ones doing "Imagineer" type work nor do they work alone. Themed entertainment is so much about range. Only thinking about and knowninh Disney is a very limited range. Show Producer is the glorious job that everybody knows (sort of like a film director) but is hardly the only job involved. It's the cliche "do what you love" mantra. If you have a passion for engineering, then do that. You could be one of the very few hired out of college but there are companies that do engineering for entertainment projects, which means they'll be doing similar work. It also means that you may end up at a company contracted to do work for not just Disney but also Universal, SeaWorld, Herschend, Merlin, etc.
Click to expand...
DING DING DING!!!
 
lazyboy97o

lazyboy97o

Well-Known Member
MANEATINGWREATH said:
As one interested in the field myself, looking at the requirements for one job alone (creative designer or something like that), I was astounded. Just to be able to do this job, the education requirements were five years in entertainment and a BA in the fine arts.
Click to expand...
There is no single set of requirements. Individual job postings on Disney's website may have requirements but in such a small industry most people probably aren't coming in through the Disney Careers website. There are entry level jobs in the industry, and even a few at Walt Disney Imagineering itself.
 
JoseLorenzo

JoseLorenzo

Member
Hi welcome,
My name is José, nice to meet you.

That's the question everyone asks when they get into the wonderful of Imagineering.

Well you gotta know that if you want to be an Imagineer it will cost you so much hard work and effort to land a job in The Walt Disney Company.
There's not just one path to follow to be an Imagineer. You have to make your way through it.
I'd also like to be an Imagineer, so I'm going to share with you what I'm doing to become one:

1.- Read, read and READ, any culture you can get through books is welcome. Do you think the guys who built the Showcase in Epcot were ignorant people?

2.- Study something you love in college, there are a hundreds of disciplines working at Disney. So chances are what you choose is going to be related :)
In your case any engineering is fine, after all the word Imagineering comes from "Imagination" and Engineering".

3.- Be truly devoted to your career while in college so you can learn as much as you can, Imagineering makes sure to hire just the best people. While your classmates party you study, you gotta stand out of the people.

4.- Develop your own ideas, write them down and create your own portfolio (very important step).

5.- Learn a language, knowing a language is a huge boost to land a job there. Learning a language is always good to apply for ANY job. Learning a new language is actually really funny, I know 4 :p (not perfectly all of them)

6.- Stay in touch with Disney to never lose your inspiration. You can post pictures of Disney in your room, connect to WDW Magic every now and then to share your interests with people who are as crazy as you. This will help you to never lose your goal.

That's all buddy!
I'll be happy to see you here.
I recommend you to read about Tony Baxter (my favorite Imagineer) or Don Carson (another imagineer). That can help you. If you have any question post it here, there's plenty of interesting people who you can learn from.
 
I

ImagineThatDis

New Member
I won't con
firm or deny that I am an Imagineer. Regardless, I will help you out with these questions.

1. Technically speaking, your college education does not matter. People at WDI come from all types of educational backgrounds. However, it may take more individual effort to stand out from the crowd if you go to a school Disney does not have on it's radar.

But, Disney primarily sends recruiters to schools in California, Florida, and the Ivy League. WDI has educational partnerships with Carnegie Mellon, Florida State, UCLA and SCAD. There are are classes offered at these schools that are taught by Imagineers.

4.
Imagineering is a Complex Machine
It takes many people with top talent in a specific area to make it work. There are people that are super artsy and creative, and there are people who are super technical and strategic. There are also people in-between. WDI is typically interested in people who know what type of person they are and have an obsession for doing what they are doing. There are Imagineers with accounting degrees who work with robots, because that was there passion.WDI consists of Imagineers who work in finance, law, engineering, art, computer science, animation,ect. If you have not found an obsession, then keep looking and don't settle. Try new things whenever possible. You will find it. But, once you find it, practice it everyday.

Be humble
Imagineers are often inching towards perfection or mastery of their craft before and long after college. Imagineers are pushed to solve complex problems everyday to preserve the magic and guest experience, which requires them to stretch their skills. Mastery of a skill or multiple skills is often necessary in order to solve and execute these problems. There is no typical day at the office. Imagineers are constantly learning how to make stories and tools to make stories better. And, you must be willing to work as part of a team. This means you must contribute ideas and go along with ideas that may not be yours.

Be a Great Storyteller, (Or Understand a Great Story)

WDI is a company made of people obsessed with telling stories. Imagineers like Joe Rohde are great storytellers.But, not everyone is a great storyteller. Yet, everyone can tell a story. We all tell stories to our friends and family everyday at the dinner table. Every Imagineer is not a great storyteller, but they all understand the importance and value of a great story. This is the "Disney Difference". I believe this is what sets WDI apart from every other company. WDI believes everything has a story. But, that is not far from the truth. Everything does have a story. If you look at an antique table that has scratches and tarnishes, you can tell it had a rough history. But, even a new table has a story, though it maybe short and sweet. At Imagineering, the problem is often figuring out what story you want to tell. And, why do we need to tell the story this way at this point in time. And, how do we carry that story through every detail - from the door knobs, to the fire hydrant, to water suppression system, to the hand rails and to pavement, to the structure that holds up the buildings. Most companies do not pay this much attention to the story. But, these are the things though about everyday at WDI.

Network
Lastly, as you get I would attend events and conferences Imagineers attend, as you get older. Knowing an imagineer is often the best way to get into imagineering. Join the Themed Entertainment Association when you get older, and start engaging with the thought-leaders in our field.

Anyways, I hope this helps. But, realize Imagineering is not a one way street. I find the people who end up becoming Imagineers, were Imagineers at heart before becoming one. They had a passion for telling stories through a particular medium or skill. It's really that simple.





 

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