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Our guest is Theron Skees, a visionary creative executive with 30+ years in themed entertainment. A veteran of Walt Disney Imagineering, he has led multi-billion-dollar projects worldwide, bringing brand storytelling to theme parks, resorts, and cruise ships. Inspired by Star Wars, Theron’s journey began in film before shifting to theme parks, working on EuroDisneyland and…
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In this episode, we sit down with Jeanette Lomboy, Vice President, Executive Producer, Creative, at Walt Disney Imagineering. Jeanette has led the development of some of Disney’s most beloved modern experiences, from the serene beauty of Aulani to the immersive worlds of Pandora – The World of Avatar and Avengers Campus. Her journey from Disneyland…
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Our guests this episode are collaborators on the new book How Does Disney Do That?: How Disney Makes Us Feel and Why It Matters, James Warda and Theron Skees. Many books cover Disney, but James Warda and former Imagineering executive Theron Skees take a unique approach: exploring “why” and “how” Disney creates such powerful, emotional…
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Our guest is Theme Park Developer, DeLisa Guerrier. With her husband Elde, DeLisa Guerrier personally oversees commercial, residential, and industrial developments in and around Nashville, with a focus on investing in emerging neighborhoods. She’s also dedicated to children’s causes and is a key player in Nashville’s philanthropic circles. And in the spirit of Walt Disney,…
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Our guest is Architect and Theme Park Master Planner, Jeff Damron. Jeff is a 30+ year veteran of themed entertainment and destination design providing his expertise as an architect, designer and master planner in theme park projects, hotels, resorts, casinos, and many other mixed-use projects where people can live, work and play. Most recently he…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE– Kile Ozier, an admired leader in the themed entertainment industry, has finally put to paper the techniques and philosophies behind his decades of show and spectacle production in his new book Creative Catalyst: Empowering Experience Design Teams From Ideation to Production. Prodded by colleagues to spell out how he works his…
Katapult are working in partnership with ROARR! and Cyber Group Studios to open a brand new four-acre interactive play-themed area based on the internationally renowned Netflix, Tiny Pop and Disney+ hit series, Gigantosaurus.
JRA – Part of RWS Entertainment Group in partnership with the Dallas Mavericks, Dimensional Innovations (DI), Heritage Werks and DI Build, is proud to announce Mavs Vault, presented by ShiftKey — an immersive, public exhibition highlighting the organization’s 42-year history through never-before-seen artifacts, archival footage, merchandise, memorabilia and more. Located within the Hall of State at Fair Park at this year’s State Fair of Texas, the exhibit is open to fans now through October 23rd.
JRA – Part of RWS Entertainment Group has tapped zoo and museum industry veteran Robby Gilbert as its new Global Director, Business Development. Gilbert joins the team as JRA and parent company RWS expand their planning, design, implementation and operations capabilities for zoos, aquariums, science centers and botanical gardens worldwide, and as RWS Entertainment Group offers custom leased experiences and merchandise featuring iconic brands, including all-new Hershey’s and Guinness World Records™ attractions.
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Our guests are Bob Rogers of BRC Imagination Arts, Mike West from Universal Creative, and John Wood of Sally Dark Rides. They share their perspectives on ride capacities and THRC. Connect with Bob at BRCweb.com, Mike via his company’s LinkedIn “Innovative West,” and John at SallyDarkRides.com. Show hosts: Mel McGowan & Freddy Martin Show design…
IDEAS has been tapped by local developer Bahía Urbana Redevelopment, LLC to re-imagine the Port of San Juan destination experience at Bahía Urbana in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
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Our guest is Christian Hope, Vice President of Paramount Studios Theme Parks & Resorts. Christian has contributed concept designs in development of world-class attractions here in the US and around the world. His concepts have resulted in some of the most visited location-based entertainment sites around including Disneyland Paris, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, and The…
Finalists and the eventual winner of the Theme Park Designer Competition, have collaborated with international themed attraction designers, Katapult, to create a brand new theme park design.
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Our guest is Tony Bruno, former VP of the Disneyland Resort Hotels & the Downtown Disney District. Under his guidance, over 4000 cast members operated The 4 Diamond Grand Californian Hotel & Disneyland Hotel – as well as the 49 unique brands that comprise Downtown Disney. Today he leads Hospitality Development at Storyland Studios helping…
Everybody knows pretty much everything about Disneyland—how it got started, how the Imagineers do their thing, and so on. But nobody hardly ever talks about the parks that most of us across the country enjoy far more often. The regional theme parks, different from amusement parks, owe their existence to the magical land Walt built…
The nature of modern employment, particularly in the experiential entertainment industry, is incredibly fluid–and becoming more so all the time. Few people can expect to be in one job for life. In many ways, that’s a positive thing. You can look forward to a long and rewarding career. You just need to embrace a continuous state of learning, upskilling, and reskilling.
The ÄEONXP™ ecosystem redefines traditional brick and mortar entertainment by introducing guests to multifaceted levels of engagement that allow them to personalize their experiences across theme parks, live events, branded destinations, location-based entertainment venues, or individual attractions. A key feature is its ability to be networked across multiple sites and experiences, connecting guests to a larger universe of play and possibility.
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Jason Surrell is the Executive Creative Director at Storyland Studios. He was previously the Senior Creative Director on Universal’s newest theme park projects, Universal Studios Beijing and Epic Universe, as well as a creative director at Walt Disney Imagineering. Jason is an amazing storyteller, whether it be in the shows, attractions, or books he’s written.…
Themed attraction and experience design company Katapult have launched a new homeschooling workbook for children, to inspire creativity and consider a career in the leisure and attractions industry in the future.
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In this episode, Joe Pine is going to help us trace the history and evolution of the world’s economies to what the themed entertainment industry currently knows as the “Experience Economy.” Besides being one of Mel’s thought leadership heroes, Joe Pine’s work has influenced much of his design philosophy and consequently many of the experiences…
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Eddie Sotto is a fixture in the themed entertainment industry best known for his contributions at Walt Disney Imagineering. He creative directed dozens of attractions at Disney Parks, including Main Street USA at Disneyland Paris, Mission: Space at Epcot, and the first ever trackless dark ride, “Pooh’s Hunny Hunt” at Tokyo Disneyland. Eddie’s work extends…
July 17 is such a special day. Disneyland opened 65 years ago…and Imagineering an American Dreamscape went on sale, well, a little less than that. It’s finally done, and what a fun journey it’s been putting it together. The book traces the evolution from the grand world expositions to Disneyland, laying the groundwork for…
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Kevin Sherbrooke is an AIA Licensed architect and show set designer who lives at the intersection of creative, blue sky concepts and the rigid structure of architectural design. Kevin’s background gives him a unique perspective on the ins and outs of an industry on the move. You can see his work in familiar environments and…
By Joshua Steadman I’ve always been fascinated by cool environments. The idea of extracting a person and placing them in a unique space or environment intrigues me. Far away worlds and fantasy spaces that were tangible and “real,” became my interest and more or less obsession. I sought out books, articles, and art that supported…
How to become a Theme Park Designer How do I get a job as an imagineer? Guidelines for your success by Nate Naversen So, you want to be a theme park designer, do you? I get hundreds of emails every year from people who want to design rides and other theme park attractions for a…
I was glancing through a themed entertainment trade magazine the other day, and I happened upon an ad for a company that specializes in the manufacturing of “kiddie” rides. Immediately I had to stop myself from turning my nose up at the company and their product. As a designer, I am supposed to keep an…