Letters from Santa
Holiday Careers: Theme Park Designer
It comes as no surprise that a career as a theme park designer is an enriching experience that incorporates imagination, skill and the love of artistic expression. In combination with these qualities, a person looking to pursue a career as a theme park designer will have to acquire knowledge that relates to architecture and other building principles. Through this gained knowledge, a person can make a world come to life that they only dreamed of before.
Education Requirements
A theme park designer has a list of aspects that they are responsible for. There are also many different areas in which a theme park designer can specialize in. Below are a few areas of specialty and their degree requirements that theme parks look for.
1. Landscaping: The landscape of a theme park plays an integral role in the whole experience of a visitor. When they are not on rides or visiting arcades, etc., they are walking around outside or eating in an outdoor restaurant- or even indoors with a scenic view. Meticulous detail is seen in theme park landscaping. For this type of career, theme parks look for a degree in landscape architecture.
2. Structural Elements: Structural elements such as buildings, facades of buildings, restaurants, rides and more are all part of the structural elements of a theme park. A person can land a job of this magnitude by earning a degree in architecture. In addition to the degree gained, the person will need to be creative and offer a very solid and desired perspective that showcases individuality in design elements.
3. Fashion Designers: In theme parks, characters, uniforms and costumes make the magic happen and allow the park to really come to life. A fashion design degree will be a requirement for this in demand job. Much like a wardrobe specialist in the film industry, costumes and uniforms for a theme park must be distinct yet unified in quality while capturing the tone the theme park wants to portray.
4. Engineer: An engineer is the person that creates and maintains the thrill rides that bring in, captivate and make visitors want to come back. An engineer for this type of career needs a Masters degree in engineering. As with all careers in the theme park industry, the engineer needs to be creative in nature.
There are a few other degrees that lead to a position as a theme park designer such as computer design and programming.
What Theme Parks Are Available to Work For?
There are numerous theme parks available in the United States as well as around the world. They vary in size and location. One of the most popular theme parks to work for is Walt Disney World. They also have an “imaginer” program for potential theme park designers.
Other than Disney, Sea World, Busch Gardens, Cedar Park, Universal Studios and the Hark Rock Theme Parks are just to name a few.
Although the competition is tight, a person can obtain a job as a theme park designer by focusing on their degree and by attending a school that has a reputation for high success rate with alumni jobs in the chosen career path.
It comes as no surprise that a career as a theme park designer is an enriching experience that incorporates imagination, skill and the love of artistic expression. In combination with these qualities, a person looking to pursue a career as a theme park designer will have to acquire knowledge that relates to architecture and other building principles. Through this gained knowledge, a person can make a world come to life that they only dreamed of before.
Education Requirements
A theme park designer has a list of aspects that they are responsible for. There are also many different areas in which a theme park designer can specialize in. Below are a few areas of specialty and their degree requirements that theme parks look for.
1. Landscaping: The landscape of a theme park plays an integral role in the whole experience of a visitor. When they are not on rides or visiting arcades, etc., they are walking around outside or eating in an outdoor restaurant- or even indoors with a scenic view. Meticulous detail is seen in theme park landscaping. For this type of career, theme parks look for a degree in landscape architecture.
2. Structural Elements: Structural elements such as buildings, facades of buildings, restaurants, rides and more are all part of the structural elements of a theme park. A person can land a job of this magnitude by earning a degree in architecture. In addition to the degree gained, the person will need to be creative and offer a very solid and desired perspective that showcases individuality in design elements.
3. Fashion Designers: In theme parks, characters, uniforms and costumes make the magic happen and allow the park to really come to life. A fashion design degree will be a requirement for this in demand job. Much like a wardrobe specialist in the film industry, costumes and uniforms for a theme park must be distinct yet unified in quality while capturing the tone the theme park wants to portray.
4. Engineer: An engineer is the person that creates and maintains the thrill rides that bring in, captivate and make visitors want to come back. An engineer for this type of career needs a Masters degree in engineering. As with all careers in the theme park industry, the engineer needs to be creative in nature.
There are a few other degrees that lead to a position as a theme park designer such as computer design and programming.
What Theme Parks Are Available to Work For?
There are numerous theme parks available in the United States as well as around the world. They vary in size and location. One of the most popular theme parks to work for is Walt Disney World. They also have an “imaginer” program for potential theme park designers.
Other than Disney, Sea World, Busch Gardens, Cedar Park, Universal Studios and the Hark Rock Theme Parks are just to name a few.
Although the competition is tight, a person can obtain a job as a theme park designer by focusing on their degree and by attending a school that has a reputation for high success rate with alumni jobs in the chosen career path.
