WDI Ride Development Engineering Intern, Glendale, Summer 2026
About The Position
Be a part of an innovative team and culture… Walt Disney Imagineering is the creative force that imagines, designs and brings to life all Disney theme parks, resorts, attractions and cruise ships worldwide. Working across a spectrum of disciplines that range from creative and conceptual to scientific and technical, Imagineers blend an innovative mixture of storytelling, art, science and technology to create immersive experiences, memorable destinations, and innovative entertainment for families around the globe. The approximate date of this internship is May/June 2026 to August/September 2026 and will be located in Glendale, CA. At Ride Engineering, it is our responsibility to move people through our stories in magical ways that bring these experiences to life! Ride Engineers bring optimism and solutions to design challenges that seem impossible, and partner with diverse creative talent to define and build one-of-a-kind experience that bring fun and joy to millions of people all around the world. As a Ride Development Engineering intern, you have the opportunity to work within a Project Engineering team, and be responsible for a wide variety of mechanical design & development tasks on innovative ride platforms that include unique requirements for extreme duty cycles, high reliability, and inherent life safety. Responsibilities may include conceptualizing, designing, analyzing, and/or testing of system components and features. Throughout the internship, a RDEI will be exposed to subject matter experts in a variety of engineering disciplines and experience a diverse environment where scope and requirements change frequently. While an intern is responsible for a variety of engineering activities, emphasis is always placed on learning.
Requirements
- Relevant engineering expertise (eg. machine design, kinematics, stress/strain, power train, materials)
- Superior design sensibilities and creative problem solving
- Ability to communicate complex technical concepts with non-technical audience.
- Work collaboratively within a large and diverse team environment
- Highly dependable, strong work ethic, with excellent time management skills.
- Willingness to learn new things and continually improve capabilities/skills
- Positive and optimistic influence on team, department, and community
- Comfortable working in a creative/chaotic environment
- Familiarity with design tools (eg. SolidWorks, Navisworks, AutoCAD, SketchUp, ANSYS, FEA, Matlab)
- Currently enrolled as a Junior or higher attending an accredited college/university earning a BS or higher degree in Mechanical Engineering or an equivalent degree
- Be enrolled in an accredited college/university pursuing a degree taking at least one class at time of application posting OR currently participating in a Disney College Program or Disney Internship
- Be at least 18 years of age
- Possess unrestricted work authorization
- Have not completed one year of continual employment on a Disney internship or program.
- Able to provide reliable transportation to/from work
- Must be fully available for the duration of the internship
- Able to provide own housing for the duration of the internship in Glendale, CA
Nice To Haves
- Experience with life safety design/requirements
- Experience with prototype, development, and/or innovative products
- Hands on experience with equipment assembly, fabrication, and installation
- Proactive, self-sufficient and able to work and add value with minimal oversight
- Attention to detail, Optimism and Enthusiasm, Perseverance and grit
Responsibilities
- Creatively apply engineering principals to assist in the design of a wide variety of innovative ride platforms, components, & related equipment for unique (and fun) life safety systems.
- Work with teams to distill technical requirements from high level experience/story descriptions & artwork
- Conceive and implement elegant solutions to complex design challenges
- “Clean sheet” concept design of ride components that meet creative intent and requirements
- Implement proof of concept prototype & mock ups: design/fabricate/test
- Assist with development of scope, inspection, testing, and report documents
- Digital model and drawing development and release
- Assist with installation, field support, testing, and standards development
- Explore and evaluate new and emerging technologies for practical use
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Intern
Number of Employees
5,001-10,000 employees
