From what I have seen......becoming an imagineer starts from lowly positions in the Disney work place. Imagineers are often promoted to and transferred from other jobs within the Disney Corp. While working in the parks etc. get degrees in fields that will benefit your cause. Hopefully my son being steered in the right direction for it someday by being a computer engineer, math, and creative writing major while working for the company through college. Work on your people skills because even behind the scene they are important. Get your foot in the door by working in the parks and get into mid management in any field showing management that you really make a fit with the company. Show that you can think on your feet and handle situations that occur. Then you watch for openings and apply hoping to be transferred over to Imagineering. As stated on here before Disney hires from within a lot.
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What to study???
- Thread starter DonaldDuck34
- Start date
coilback
Active Member
That's the quick route, but the internship available is limited - so you'll be competing with a lot of people to get it where if you just take the "standard" approach with the CP and internships, you have a better chance of getting in there. You could do both and make your odds better, but I'd rather focus on my studies right now so I can impress them when I get down there (still waiting for my letter - got my fingers crossed)
terp79
Member
Me!
yes, I was in 2005's contest. Designed a Nightmare before Christmas ride for Disney Studios (aka MGM).
http://media.www.bsudailynews.com/m...ews/Student.Wins.Disney.Contest-1306968.shtml
yes, I was in 2005's contest. Designed a Nightmare before Christmas ride for Disney Studios (aka MGM).
http://media.www.bsudailynews.com/m...ews/Student.Wins.Disney.Contest-1306968.shtml
could we see what you designed plz i'm really interested
GenerationX
Well-Known Member
As for your college majors and/or minors, I would think Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Architecture, Graphic Design, and Cinematography would be good choices.
terp79
Member
Well as for showing what I did, alas I can't. Once you enter you sign a confidentiality agreement and your entry becomes WDI property, and I wouldn't break my agreement especially with the mouse. lol!!!
The contest was not tough in 2005, it's really not about the contest and trying to beat someone. All the finalists are there and you all bond real fast over each others love for Disney. I will say that it is tough to figure out all the stuff you want to say in 15 mins. That's all the time we had back in 2005. You make your entry what you want it to be. I spent an entire year before I could enter the contest working on my idea. I know some who did there entry in 3 weeks. It all depends on what you want to showcase and how you showcase your talents.
The contest over the past years has been re-imagineered and is much better than it has ever been. One of my friends from Canada won this year with his design. His idea was killer.
You meet a lot of killer people, it's like a dream come true.
Good luck and enter...if you make it then you're on one path to making your dreams a reality.
The contest was not tough in 2005, it's really not about the contest and trying to beat someone. All the finalists are there and you all bond real fast over each others love for Disney. I will say that it is tough to figure out all the stuff you want to say in 15 mins. That's all the time we had back in 2005. You make your entry what you want it to be. I spent an entire year before I could enter the contest working on my idea. I know some who did there entry in 3 weeks. It all depends on what you want to showcase and how you showcase your talents.
The contest over the past years has been re-imagineered and is much better than it has ever been. One of my friends from Canada won this year with his design. His idea was killer.
You meet a lot of killer people, it's like a dream come true.
Good luck and enter...if you make it then you're on one path to making your dreams a reality.
That is a really good ?
terp79
Member
1. The rules are simple: you must be a college student majoring in one of the majors it lists on the website (art, creative writing, architecture, engineering, etc.) or you can belong to a professional group dealing with diversity such as SWE (society of women engineer's), African American Architects, etc. There is a huge list of professional organizations you can belong to in order to enter the contest. In 2005 it was ONLY open to college students but the website and rules now make it sound as if anyone can enter if they just belong to a professional organization dealing with diversity.
2. In 2005, durring the first day at WDI, the college relations representative came into the room and said she had 4 openings for internships, most of them where engineering and architecture positions. She listed them off and told anyone in the room who wanted to apply to follow her. 3 of the students where offered internships and one of had to forego their's because there was a problem with their work visa. 2 of them completed their internships at WDW but both where not hired on full time.
3. My friend that was in last years contest describes the same events (college rep coming in and asking) but then each finalist got a chance to have a sit down interview with an imagineer in the dept. they most wanted to work in. My friend interviewed for Blue Sky.
4. My friend also said that one guy who did not make finals for the contest was brought in for an internship just becuase of his entry. WDI liked his work and called him up. So that proves you don't even have to make finals to get noticed.
I hope that answers some of your questions.
2. In 2005, durring the first day at WDI, the college relations representative came into the room and said she had 4 openings for internships, most of them where engineering and architecture positions. She listed them off and told anyone in the room who wanted to apply to follow her. 3 of the students where offered internships and one of had to forego their's because there was a problem with their work visa. 2 of them completed their internships at WDW but both where not hired on full time.
3. My friend that was in last years contest describes the same events (college rep coming in and asking) but then each finalist got a chance to have a sit down interview with an imagineer in the dept. they most wanted to work in. My friend interviewed for Blue Sky.
4. My friend also said that one guy who did not make finals for the contest was brought in for an internship just becuase of his entry. WDI liked his work and called him up. So that proves you don't even have to make finals to get noticed.
I hope that answers some of your questions.
terp79
Member
I don't know where the best college's are for creative writing. I'm not an english major, I was a fine arts major. Google it, is what I recommend! If you're looking into creative writing, I'd also consider taking script writing and theatrical direction writing on top of your basic classes.
>>>>>>
As a former teacher I have to ask. When you were in High school did you write stories that teachers told you were pretty good? Did they enter any in state school publications? Do you write stories for fun? Do you have ideas running through your head that you think would be good for TV show or movie?
I think learning how to be a creative writer is sort of impossible. Seems like it just comes naturally. I think classes can help you perfect it, but you can't learn it.
i also can tell you that if you go into the creative writing classes as a non language arts/writing major, you will get the hardest critiques in the class because the majors think you have no right to be in their classes or league almost. Don't listen to them though. If you are good, the professors will let you know it. . My son doesn't go by all the rules of writing and has had professors remind the majors that many good writers didn't either.
In his engineering classes the profs know him as the one who can write in sentences. LOL So dare to be different and you can succeed. If it is what you want you have to try, but set up a base where you also have alternatives. Good luck.
>>>>>>
As a former teacher I have to ask. When you were in High school did you write stories that teachers told you were pretty good? Did they enter any in state school publications? Do you write stories for fun? Do you have ideas running through your head that you think would be good for TV show or movie?
I think learning how to be a creative writer is sort of impossible. Seems like it just comes naturally. I think classes can help you perfect it, but you can't learn it.
i also can tell you that if you go into the creative writing classes as a non language arts/writing major, you will get the hardest critiques in the class because the majors think you have no right to be in their classes or league almost. Don't listen to them though. If you are good, the professors will let you know it. . My son doesn't go by all the rules of writing and has had professors remind the majors that many good writers didn't either.
In his engineering classes the profs know him as the one who can write in sentences. LOL So dare to be different and you can succeed. If it is what you want you have to try, but set up a base where you also have alternatives. Good luck.