Like many people, I’m a huge fan of theme parks. As a child they played host as a place my imagination could run free, accepting the magic and four-dimensional story worlds I found myself in. At home, I spent hours on Rollercoaster Tycoon replicating the parks I had visited using custom scenery and audio tracks from firework displays to entertain and inspire my two-dimensional guests.

When I was 14, I went on an educational trip to Disneyland Paris. I attended lectures on the subject of what it takes to bring a theme park to life over 3 days. I remember it vividly. During one talk we learnt how parades can be designed to engage all 5 senses:

See - colourful floats with moving parts and multiple levels.

Hear - bespoke music that travels with or comes from a float.

Taste - snacks or treats handed out by characters or performers.

Smell - scents emitted from floats.

Touch - water effects that splash guests or tactile surfaces they might come into contact with.

Looking back, I believe this played a part in my passion for drama as a subject and the concept of creating environments and situations to tell a story and evoke emotion using narrative. I also think you could equate this with the human need for play. While attending university at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, the classes I enjoyed most over the course of my studies were Stagecraft and Storytelling.

In 2015, I took a break from working at Apple to work a Summer Season at Walt Disney World in Florida. I operated two attractions in New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom Park and loved every minute. I was fascinated by the backstage insight I gained into the operational aspects and daily running of one of the world’s most well-known theme parks. There is a lot of insider knowledge I will keep to myself, as integrity is a key value in this space, but to say the thought and execution behind bringing magic experiences alive for guests is impressive is an understatement.