Keri - i sent you an e-mail message via here, did you receive it?
If not...here's some advice:
Walt Disney Imagineering has various headquarters around the globe with the main headquarters in Glendale California. Most of the big attraction and show development takes place there. If your son is wanting to be in a creative department and work on main attractions and huge shows then he should be looking into WDI in glendale.
Orlando does have a small Imagineering campus, it's located at Epcot behind test track. It's composed mainly of meeting rooms and cubicles. They also have small on site trailers scattered throughout the parks behind scenes for project based assignments.
So if your son is looking to take a tour and shadow someone and see models, concept artists and art, attraction development, audio animatronics in action, lighting and sound design, etc. he's going to have to look to california.
Most if not all attractions are developed in Glendale and then recreated and shipped to the other various theme parks.
Most Imagineers working in Orlando work in engineering, architecture, planning and procurement, refurbishment, etc. Orlando's campus does have a graphic design department which works on signage, and other various projects throughout the park...so he could possibly look into that.
Most imagineers in orlando have moved to the Disney Entertainment group developing the small, in between shows and parades and specialty events. They do have show writers for these type of things down in orlando.
As for mentoring....as far as I know WDI doesn't offer mentoring to high school students but there are many ways to go about taking and connecting with Imagineers.
I recommend attending the Dinner with an Imagineer over at Disney Hollywood Studios. Just call dinning reservations and see if there's space still available. This is one way you will be able to speak with an Imagineer and maybe ask if he could show your son around during one of the days of your vacation. It's pot luck when it comes to what type of Imagineer you will be dinning with. I dined with the head of the graphic design department. Others have had the chance to dined with other imagineers of notoriety but there could be a chance the imagineer you're with might not be in the same department your son is wanting to look into.
I also remember there was a special behind the scenes tour with an imagineer back in the day, not sure if they're still doing this but basically an imagineer takes you behind the scenes of one of the parks. It was an all day event and cost extra but well worth it. You should see if they're still doing this, it could be fun for the entire family not to mention informative!
I also recommend calling guest services and just ask if there's a way for your son to meet an imagineer and speak with them for a bit.
If your son is serious about becoming an imagineer I suggest that when he heads of to college he looks at a university with connections to WDI, that he considers doing the Disney College Program and he looks into Walt Disney Imagineering's ImagiNations Design Contest for college students.
Pixiedust - since you're doing the CP you will have tons of opportunities to connect with imagineering down in orlando.
