NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. — At Walt Disney World, every detail tells a story. The magic guests experience is carefully engineered, and over fall break, Penn State New Kensington students had the opportunity to see how in an engineering-design focused series of workshops at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
The experience was led by Courtney Cole, assistant teaching professor of engineering at the New Kensington campus, who discussed the off campus setting and how this environment allowed students to connect foundational engineering concepts to real-world applications already embedded in their coursework.
“Experiences like these help students see the bigger picture when it comes to engineering design,” Cole said. “In our EDSGN 100 course, students focus on user-centered design and understanding the human factor. Workshops like the ones at Disney help students see how those ideas apply on a much larger scale.”
The immersive design workshop focused on how Disney imagineers integrate narrative elements with physical design to guide guest experience. Students participated in collaborative activities that examined attraction layouts, pathways and shared spaces, using “Mickey’s 10 Commandments,” a set of design principles commonly applied in theme park planning to emphasize clarity, visual storytelling and guest flow.
“Storytelling is one aspect, where designers need to capture the unique aspects of a franchise and apply it in a way that immerses guests in its world,” Cole said. “Students saw this level of attention to detail applied not just to rides, but also food stands, restrooms and other areas throughout the park. These aspects are important for engineers to understand to create experiences that are not just technically sound, but also desirable for other people.”
A second workshop centered on teamwork and collaboration brought together students from both the New Kensington campus and Penn State Beaver at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Through structured group activities, students worked on communication and problem-solving skills in a fast-paced, real-world setting.
“Any time Penn State students can come together and interact with students from other campuses, it helps build a sense of community,” Cole said. “Our students really enjoyed working with the Beaver campus students during the workshops.”
The workshops are part of a broader initiative led by Amanda Becoate, associate director of student affairs at Penn State Greater Allegheny, focused on supporting student leadership development through experiential learning opportunities.