Have you ever wondered how theme parks create their magic? From soaring roller coasters to immersive dark rides, from spectacular shows to seamless park operations — discover the engineering secrets behind the world's greatest attractions. Written by Steve Alcorn, who helped design EPCOT Center and founded the leading manufacturer of theme park control systems, this insider's guide takes you behind the scenes of themed entertainment design. Whether you're considering a career in the industry or simply fascinated by how attractions work, you'll gain unprecedented access to the creative and technical processes that bring theme parks to life. Inside you'll discover: • The different types of attractions and how they're controlled • What it takes to design, build, and operate a major theme park • The creative and technical people who make the magic happen • Ride control systems, show control, audio, video, and lighting design • Project management from concept through opening day • Real stories from EPCOT's construction and other major projects From Imagineers to maintenance crews, from concept art to opening day chaos, Theme Park Design reveals the rarely seen world of themed entertainment engineering. Perfect for aspiring theme park designers, engineering students, Disney enthusiasts, and anyone curious about how these magical places really work. About the Author: Steve Alcorn is a USA Today bestselling author, engineer, and educator. In 1986 he founded Alcorn McBride, the leading maker of technology for theme park attractions worldwide. He is the author of 27 books and has helped over 100,000 students learn to write through Writing Academy. From concept drawings to nightly testings, Mr. Alcorn brings you right into the attraction-making process... a must read for anyone thinking of going into an engineering field whether it be in theme park industry or not.--The Daily City, Orlando Every aspect of a ride's creation is covered, which left me in awe at the complexity involved in making these things. To keep the detailed sections light, the author peppers them with humorous anecdotes. --Orlando Florida Culture An informative read for anyone interested in the how, who and why of theme park design, engineering and operations with a dollop of good humor and some Imagineering anecdotes to boot. --Progress City, USA I felt like I was right along with him during the ride builds. An author who can put me behind the scenes at Disney is all right in my book! --Thrill Network For an entertaining and readily digestible journey through the mechanics of the theme park industry this book is highly recommended. --Blooloop Have you ever gone to a theme park and wondered, "How did they do that?" That one question is why I wrote this book. I started designing for theme parks in 1982, following my wife into the profession. In 1986 I founded Alcorn McBride, which today makes the audio, video, and control systems found in nearly every major theme park in the world. For more than 35 years I've been in the middle of it — from blue sky concept to opening day — and eventually I decided I should pass some of that knowledge on. What you'll find here isn't a textbook. It's an insider's guide to how an attraction goes from a napkin sketch to a functioning ride — covering what all those different job titles actually mean, how the technology behind the magic works, what engineers really argue about at 3 AM before a park opens, and how to pursue a career in the themed entertainment industry. Even if you've never read a technical book, you can read this one — I've been told it reads more like a conversation than a manual. "I would consider this required reading for anyone interested in learning about theme park engineering and design." — James Carstensen "I actually now work for a theme park. The book is pretty spot on." — a theme park professional Steve Alcorn is an entrepreneur, engineer, inventor, author and teacher best known for his involvement in the theme park industry. In 1982 he joined Walt Disney Imagineering (then known as WED Enterprises) as a consultant, where he worked on the electronic systems for Epcot Center. During his time with Imagineering he designed show control systems for The American Adventure, wrote the operating system used in the park-wide monitoring system, and became Imagineering's first Systems Engineer. In 1986 he founded Alcorn McBride Inc. The company's show control, audio, video and lighting equipment is used in most major theme park attractions around the world.  Mr. Alcorn is the author of many novels and non-fiction books, including How to Fix Your Novel, and Building a Better Mouse: The Story of the Electronic Imagineers who Designed Epcot. During the past few decades, Mr. Alcorn has also helped more than 100,000 aspiring authors structure their novels through his online classes, offered at over 1500 universities and colleges worldwide via WritingAcademy.  He also teaches an Ima