Whats a good college to be an imagineer??

[disneyfan333]

Im a junior now in buffalo ny and ive been thinking about college for a while and i still have NO clue where i bwant to go.....BUT i do know and i have known for practically my whole life that i want to become an imagineer and give my two sense to the disney corporation. BUT the problem is i have no idea where to even apply for engineering or architecture to become an imagineer. i have special ins in the disney corporation but i was wondering if anyone knew of a good college to go. any personal experiences? any colleges that people went to that are currently an imagineer now??? please please please respond. thanks a bunch.


Tanner =)

 

[CelebrationNM]

In my opinion it makes little difference where you go to school, as long as the school has the programs you like and you take advantage of them for everything they're worth.

The only kind of engineering I know anything about is industrial engineering and there is a pretty good video online where you can see the role that IE plays in WDW operations. http://www.iienet2.org/media/video.aspx?id=9232&Video=Disney&AppURL=IIE (The universities that the engineers went to are also included in the video.)

You can look forward to Imagineering's ImagiNations competition in a few years: http://disney.go.com/disneycareers/imaginations/

On that website you'll see examples of projects by previous college students, so you can get some ideas of where they went. University of Miami, Exeter University and Hampton University are just a few.

Good luck!

 

[joepic]

In my opinion it makes little difference where you go to school, as long as the school has the programs you like and you take advantage of them for everything they're worth.

The only kind of engineering I know anything about is industrial engineering and there is a pretty good video online where you can see the role that IE plays in WDW operations. http://www.iienet2.org/media/video.aspx?id=9232&Video=Disney&AppURL=IIE (The universities that the engineers went to are also included in the video.)

You can look forward to Imagineering's ImagiNations competition in a few years: http://disney.go.com/disneycareers/imaginations/

On that website you'll see examples of projects by previous college students, so you can get some ideas of where they went. University of Miami, Exeter University and Hampton University are just a few.

Good luck!

Thanks very much. That provided lots of insight to my dreams!!

 

[disneyfan333]

In my opinion it makes little difference where you go to school, as long as the school has the programs you like and you take advantage of them for everything they're worth.

The only kind of engineering I know anything about is industrial engineering and there is a pretty good video online where you can see the role that IE plays in WDW operations. http://www.iienet2.org/media/video.aspx?id=9232&Video=Disney&AppURL=IIE (The universities that the engineers went to are also included in the video.)

You can look forward to Imagineering's ImagiNations competition in a few years: http://disney.go.com/disneycareers/imaginations/

On that website you'll see examples of projects by previous college students, so you can get some ideas of where they went. University of Miami, Exeter University and Hampton University are just a few.

Good luck!

wow thanks thats awesome. i really think im gonna try and go to University of cent florida. thanks!

 

[Cutefeet]

I would say ucf as well. My sister went there and I think they work with disney on things like that. But u should be fine no matter where u go

 

[My Grandpa]

Hey Tanner .....

Ask your guidance counselor at school about design schools ... such as the Rhode Island School of Design. Check out their website and look at all of the different design disciplines that are out there. Sure the traditional big design fields - architecture, interior design, landscape architecture (SUNY College of Environmental Science at Syracuse is where I went back in the early 70's) - might be one way to go ... but industrial design, graphic design, fashion design and other design fields will take you into creative problem solving and the imagineering process. And get the book - "The Imagineering Way" it was written by Disney Imagineers and is a wonderful way to get excitied about what happens in their world. Good luck!

 

[pezheadmeg]

If you want to make your parent's happy in the tuition department. F.I.T. has an exhibition design program.

http://www.fitnyc.edu/aspx/Content....Programs:ArtAndDesign:DisplayAndExhibitDesign

I'm doing classes in it now, and while I'm an adult student I love it. It gives you more on the design than the engineering but there's construction involved.

 

[joepic]

If you want to make your parent's happy in the tuition department. F.I.T. has an exhibition design program.

http://www.fitnyc.edu/aspx/Content....Programs:ArtAndDesign:DisplayAndExhibitDesign

I'm doing classes in it now, and while I'm an adult student I love it. It gives you more on the design than the engineering but there's construction involved.

Hello, fellow Long Islander!

SUNY is the way to go........

 

[maccagerl]

Make reservations for the " Lunch with an Imagineer" at WDW and ask the real imagineers !

 

[My Grandpa]

Hello maccagerl .....

How / where do I find info to have "Lunch with an Imagineer???"

 

[maccagerl]

Hello maccagerl .....

How / where do I find info to have "Lunch with an Imagineer???"

http://allears.net/din/dine_imag.htm

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

That book sounds great, thanks for sharing. My DD14 is interested in becoming an imagineer as well, I think I will get her the book and keep a bookmark on this page for a couple years from now.

 

[CelebrationNM]

That book sounds great, thanks for sharing. My DD14 is interested in becoming an imagineer as well, I think I will get her the book and keep a bookmark on this page for a couple years from now.

The Imagineering Way is a good book; I keep it two-arms-lengths away on bookshelf by my desk for when I need a burst of inspiration. The price is right, too.

Slightly more expensive is the classic Walt Disney Imagineering and the new Walt Disney's Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park . Maybe you can get them through your library if not buy them, but they're both official Disney Editions books with great illustrations...the pictures are my favorite part.

 

[My Grandpa]

Thank You ... We're Gonna Do It!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[joepic]

Thanks everyone! This thread has become very interesting!

 

[disneyfan333]

Just so all of you know there is also another AWESOME book called The Imagineering Workout. If your daughter like me is planning on making magic with disney when were out of our youth, you should without a doubt BUY HER THIS BOOK! lol its a great book to expand her creativity muscles! Im positive she will love it!

 

[disneyfan333]

also about the dine with an imagineer. just so you all know, they apparently dont offer it over easter break, not sure why though its truly a bummer see as though i want to be an imagineer and this would be simply amazing for me. and since its the only time i go during the year its a bummmer!! but when i called they said they dont offer it over that break. not sure why.....im truly truly dissapointed.....does anyone know EXACTLY why? or have an idea why? im very bummed to hear about it.

 

[CelebrationNM]

also about the dine with an imagineer. just so you all know, they apparently dont offer it over easter break, not sure why though its truly a bummer see as though i want to be an imagineer and this would be simply amazing for me. and since its the only time i go during the year its a bummmer!! but when i called they said they dont offer it over that break. not sure why.....im truly truly dissapointed.....does anyone know EXACTLY why? or have an idea why? im very bummed to hear about it.

Hmm I don't know anything about this, but Spring Break season is about two months long...maybe you're just coming on the wrong days and you'll be able to do it in a future year? Hopefully that is the case! You could always call again and ask the reason. Have you considered the Keys to the Kingdom tour for this trip? It's not Imagineering, but you'll get to go Backstage and learn some cool things.

 

[FutrImagineer]

Hey everyone.

I just want to reiterate the point about entering the ImagiNations competition. A friend and I are currently polishing up our entry before the submission deadline (eek! a week away!). I have no idea how we'll actually fare in the competition, but the whole process has really helped us to learn a lot and expand our creative thinking. I think it's a must-do for anybody even slightly interested in Imagineering.

Also, a little note: the ImagiNations website lists certain disciplines you have to major in in order to be eligible. However, there's a little more flexibility than what is mentioned on the website. For example, I'm majoring in English with an emphasis in creative writing and my partner is doing a multidisciplinary major that combines many of the recommended fields.

For specific schools, I'm not really sure (it's my dream to be an Imagineer as well, but my school definitely does not have any connections to the department), but I do think it helps to be geographically close to either WDW or Disneyland. I've also heard that SCAD is pretty good if you're interested in design.