Theme Park Engineering

Have you ever gone to a theme park and wondered,
"How did they do that?"

Theme Park Engineering tells you!

Theme Park Engineering offers a peek behind the scenes at the world's greatest theme parks. Instructor Steve Alcorn is the president of Alcorn McBride Inc., a company that engineers equipment for theme parks all over the world. For over twenty years he’s been having great fun bringing hundreds -- perhaps thousands -- of attractions to life all over the world. Now it’s your turn.

These aren't engineering classes per se, but rather classes about Imagineering. We won't be using calculators, we'll be using ideas. With Mr. Alcorn's help, each student designs his or her own attraction, and then follows the process through to opening day.

You'll learn about show design, story structure, art direction, blue-sky brainstorming, architecture, ride control, show control, audio, video, acoustics, lighting, mechanics, hydraulics, figure animation, merchandising, and even food service!

Each lesson is accompanied by a quiz, a written assignment, and an interactive forum where you can discuss your ideas with other classmates and Mr. Alcorn.

The resources that accompany each lesson point you towards companies that do Theme Park Engineering, industry trade organizations, plus interesting sites about roller coasters, haunted houses and other attractions.

You also receive important tips on how to locate jobs in the theme park industry, and what skills are required. Our graduates overwhelming express their appreciation for the fun, enriching experience, and many have already found their niche in the world of theme parks. Now it's your turn!

Theme Park Engineering is open to everyone, regardless of age or country of residence. It doesn't require math or any other prerequisites other than the ability to communicate your ideas and the desire to have fun.

It takes about an hour to read each lesson, and less than an hour to take the quiz and post to the discussion forum. Of course, you might spend lots of time thinking about your designs, or interacting with other students -- that’s entirely up to you. The interaction is all “post” and “reply” so you don’t need to be online at any particular time. Click here for the course syllabus.

At the end of the twelve lessons there's a final exam that covers material similar to the quizzes. Although there is no college credit, you will receive a certificate of completion, recognized by many in the theme park industry.

What Our Students Say...

"This course was awesome. The instructor's use of real experiences with theme park design and construction helped make the lessons very easy to understand. The opportunity to create a ride helped bring everything together and was a blast."

"I just want to say THANK YOU again, thank you for all the work you put into the course, thank you for taking care to reply so fast, thank you for your generous way of sharing your knowledge, thank you for setting up the forum - including the digest, which is a great bonus - to give us a way to keep in touch."

"I enjoyed the course very much. The instructor's writing was very enjoyable to read and his use of humor throughout was very effective. Well done! The information was well presented and coherent and it helped me clarify some ideas and preconceptions I had about designing theme parks. Now I think I'm better equipped to handle many tasks in my new job of theme park design. Thanks a lot. Really appreciate it."

"Loved the course, even tho I was very, very busy over Christmas time, the class, lessons and tests were always available for you in your own time! Loved it, wanted it to go on for another 12 weeks!"

"Really enjoyed the course. The content was thorough and gently built on the previous lecture given allowing for an increase of knowledge as the weeks passed. The program was very creative and the feedback given by the instructor motivational. The program has allowed me to tap into my creative aspect and realize my potential. Yes, the information gained was new and beneficial. However, it is what I learned about myself that was even more important. That is the greatest gift one can gain from completing any form of study. Thanks to a great program and a motivational instructor. The course format and structure was simple to follow. The best I have seen for an on-line format."

"THANK YOU Mr. Alcorn. Not just for coming up with a great class and sharing your wealth of knowledge with us, but for me what was very special were the prompt and in some cases, immediate replies to our posts. That in itself made the whole class for me."

"Steve Alcorn is an EXCELLENT instructor. His stories and examples bring the instructional materials into real world applications. His guidance as a Coach was invaluable in helping us grow from our own experiences. This is the first online course I have taken and I found the content to be much more comprehensive than I expected - thank you. I will highly recommend this course and Steve Alcorn to my peers as informative and enjoyable! A wonderful learning experience!"

"Thoroughly enjoyed the course. Good overview of theme park engineering and all associated disciplines, people, equipment and thought processes. Really enjoyed the presentation from the instructor, great informal style, captivating, good mix of humour. Will definitely recommend to anyone considering this field."

"This was an AMAZING course. It helped me realize that I want to be part of "Theme Park Engineering" when I grow up!"

"Your storytelling in the lessons really put me in the scenarios and made it seem real to me. This class has truly given so much to me in many different ways. I hope to someday phone you up for some help on a ride I'm working on for real."

"This was a great course. For a theme park aficionado it's a fantastic drink from the deep well of Theme Park engineering. It will open my eyes the next time I spend some time at a Theme Park - thinking about all the work that goes in to delivering that experience for the guest."

"This is a great course -- fun to to take while being informative. I am recommending this course to all my friends!"

"This class was wonderful! I learned so much!"

"Excellent course containing just the right material. I couldn't wait to get to each lesson!"

"Mr. Alcorn: Thanks for your help! I really liked the course. I can't believe it's over already. Hope to see you at the IAAPA conference someday!"

"Mr. Alcorn made this course one of the most informative and enjoyable courses I've had. Great job! Would I recommend this course to others? I already have! Thank you."

"This has been a great learning experience in my life....I'm glad I had a great instructor, because I had no trouble learning in this class."

"This was an excellent course. I really, really, enjoyed it and learned a lot of new things."

"This was a great course and it exceeded my expectations! The teacher was excellent and the material very informative. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in theme parks."

"Great course with a knowledgeable instructor who has current industry experience."

"If learning is a way to change the way to view things, you have accomplished this in a few ways. I don't think I will be able to go into a park without looking for the themeing. I will be curious about sound and lighting in a way I haven't been before. I enjoyed very much your discussions of PCs and PLCs - and certainly your wonderful way of sending us out after finishing the course."

"Discovering that there is a great family of creative people who are and have been associated with Disney in different ways, and the way they describe that experience, is fascinating. Thank you for having me in the course."

"This was the first online course that I have ever taken, so I was not quite sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the course materials and by how quickly the instructor responded to my questions. I thought that this course was a helpful professional development tool, as it gave me ideas about possible career directions. This course gave me a new perspective on what goes into developing theme park attractions. Next time I go to Disneyland, a Las Vegas casino, or a science museum, I will definitely appreciate the hard work that went into these attractions."

"I have one thing to say....it was great! Thank you Steve!"