Walking through any Disney theme park, you become immersed into a whole new world. Disney Imagineers are the creative forces working behind the scenes to bring the magic of Disney to life. The memorable experiences that travelers from all over the world enjoy would not be possible without engineers adapting stories through their technical skills.
From Aggieland to Fantasyland
Aggieland is the proud home of several Disney Imagineers. Emily Richardson ’01 graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in chemical engineering and now cultivates magic as an Imagineer in Orlando, Florida.
Richardson and her husband, Chad, also an Aggie, have relocated from Texas to California and then to Florida, leaning into the Aggie Network each time to find and connect with Aggies who routinely made them feel at home.
“Near or far, the spirit of the 12th Man is strong,” Richardson said.
Richardson first started her career as an Imagineer in California. One of her most memorable first experiences was an overnight site walk through the attractions. Fascinated by the details, Richardson quickly gained a deep appreciation for the storytelling, engineering and technology that went into every scene.
Watching the sun rise over Sleeping Beauty Castle and Main Street, U.S.A., Richardson knew it was the dawn of an exciting new career.
Starting a new position can be intense, but for Richardson one of the things that worried her most was the thought of losing the joy of the Disney experience once she knew how the magic was made. Happily, she was quickly proven wrong.
“I quickly realized that understanding how much effort goes into each and every experience only made me appreciate what Imagineers do all the more,” Richardson said.
In her role as a project and delivery integration manager, Richardson focuses on the people, programs, processes and tools that are necessary for all the global projects. By being a leader who supports project teams, she helps ensure the delivery of magical, world-class attractions and resorts to Disney guests around the globe.
Also an Imagineer in Orlando is Esteban Aristizabal ’18, a computer engineering graduate whose most important lesson learned from his time at Texas A&M is grit. Through championing courses and embracing traditions, grit allowed Aristizabal to learn the value in moving forward and chasing dreams, which he is now experiencing in his role at Disney.
“In the end, as engineers we are problem solvers, and no matter how difficult the problem may be, we always find a solution albeit may not be the one we expected,” Aristizabal said.
There are times when problems arise, and the solution might not always be clear. It is key to keep moving forward and face the problems head on.
“As engineers we are problem solvers, and no matter how difficult the problem may be, we always find a solution albeit may not be the one we expected,” Aristizabal said.
As a software engineer, Aristizabal’s experience as an Imagineer is different than his peers. The team he works with develops the platforms that help support Imagineers across the world as well as their work. As he spends his days writing code and meeting with his team to brainstorm new ideas, he is able to give other Imagineers a platform to success.
“Not every problem is going to use your current toolset for the solution, and you sometimes need to learn a new technology or a new tool on the spot to solve the existing problem,” Aristizabal said.
The magic of Disney is not only for the many visitors of the parks, but also for the Imagineers. After working remote for two years, Aristizabal had the opportunity to go to California and see the Disney Headquarters, the Imagineering campus, and the Studio Lots. Seeing the magic and innovation in person was an experience Aristizabal will never forget.
“It was incredible to see the creativity and passion Imagineers and Disney employees share,” Aristizabal said.
Beyond the Blueprints
In Germany, a team of Aggies are working together to help create the newest additions to the Disney fleet of ships. Andres Ovalles ’08, Thomas Mas ’23 and Carolina Torres-Ovalles ’17 are all working together in support of Disney Cruise Line. Their shared experiences as Aggies have given them a strong sense of community. They all recall watching Aggie athletics and sporting their maroon and white proudly, no matter a game’s outcome.
“It is nice to work with people that you know have the same focus, determination, and ability to perform,” Ovalles said.
All speak highly of their education from Texas A&M, reflecting on the skills they developed as Aggies.
As Thomas Mas says, “It was a holistic education that prepared me for the multifaceted demands of my role.”
Each member of the team plays a special role in each project they work on. For Mas, every day looks a little different.
“I typically oversee project timelines collaborating with diverse teams, navigating challenges to ensure the seamless execution of Disney's creative endeavors,” Mas said.
Torres-Ovalles, however, manages procurement processes and ensures that the team has all of the parts needed to finish the ship, along with conducting meetings with stakeholders to keep them aligned with the scope of the project.
As project manager, Ovalles is involved with a variety of tasks, like story development, design reviews and leading construction or testing attractions.
Ovalles also got to work on one of the newest additions to Walt Disney World, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. This family coaster is the first ever to reverse-launch and spin riders 360 degrees for a fully immersive experience. With each ride, a new song plays for takeoff, adding to the magic. This out-of-world ride came to fruition because of Imagineers like Ovalles.
All of these Aggies may have different roles, but it takes teamwork for everyone to be successful.
“Our projects can last multiple years and the team becomes a family,” Ovalles said.
Imagineers take on many roles to ensure that each visitor's experience offers memories that will last a lifetime.
“My goal is to help equip our teams to deliver magical, world-class attractions and resorts to our guests around the world,” Richardson said.
For those interested in working at Disney, Torres-Ovalles offers some advice. “There’s not just one path to work at Disney, there are so many different roles to choose from that can align to your skill sets perfectly,” she said. “Remember that the magic needs to be supported in all perspectives.”
“Be confident about your skills and education and open-minded to try different roles since there are so many different areas at Disney, both in operations and support, as well as Imagineering,” Torres-Ovalles said.
