Top Ten Things that make Imagineering Different

*Please note that all opinions expressed are mine and mine only. I do not represent Disney, Walt Disney Imagineering, or any other entity other than myself in any capacity, official or otherwise.*

Since the majority of my views other than the Russian/German bots and my father (Hi Dad!) are still coming from a Disney intern blog aggregator, some of you might be interested in what I think about working for the Mouse. (Also, I like the sound of my own keyboard.)

Because the Internet loves top ten lists, here are the top ten things that make working for Walt Disney Imagineering different, in no particular order:

1. There is a lot of money involved.  Not as much as, say, an oil refinery, but there are copious amounts of zeroes tacked on to the end of many numbers in unexpected places.
2. People genuinely care about the source material. I know people might think that a lot of the new stuff going into the parks is just money grabs, but the people working on it and building it genuinely care. The people I work with on Star Wars Galaxy's Edge still are hugely passionate and excited about the movies and extended universe(s), and take great care and pride in bringing in their favorite little bits. 
3.  Everything has a code name. It was a bit of a shock when coming in - WDI is worse than the military for inscrutable code names and acronyms. For example, Pandora at Animal Kingdom was known as Project Morpho before it was completed. This is done in theory to prevent spoilers and allow the company to file building permits and the like without screaming WE ARE BUILDING AVATAR!!! but really, sometimes the code names just sound cooler. But seriously, secrecy is taken very seriously.
4. Everyone is really smart at something. There is an intimidating amount of brainpower and talent at WDI. Everyone seems really quick on their feet and excited to learn new things, which leads to a really dynamic work environment. Everyone seems to have at least one thing that they are scary good at, like programming or baking or drawing or storytelling or Excel or something completely off the wall.
5. People play along. The company threw a party and invited the Black Panther and the Dora Milaje to come and take pictures (as one does). As His Highness was leaving the photo area to take a break, almost everyone he passed unironically gave the crossed-arm Wakandan salute. People are genuinely dedicated to protecting the magic and mystique that surrounds the Disney stories almost to a fault, and will go along with almost anything.
6. The dress code is loose. No need for casual Fridays, no need to shave - the dress code at Imagineering is a lot more lenient than in any guest-facing role - or in any other corporate environment I've been in. My boss has a magnificent (sort-of) beard, the guy down the hall has a mohawk he occasionally dyes electric blue, and I can come into work wearing jeans, t-shirt, and Vans every day. It's glorious.
7. The big names get their hands dirty. As noted in a previous post, the Bobs (Weis + Chapek + Iger), Joe Rohde, and other big names are often on campus or on site. I actually work with awesome people like Robin Reardon, Scott Trowbridge, and Jon Georges, and can assure you that not only are their faces pretty, but they work extremely hard and are great at what they do.
8. There is a lot of focus on personal and cross-disciplinary development. Full time Imagineers get the legendary "Self Directed Development Allowance", an allowance to be spent on personal professional development. Outside of that, speakers (sometimes with big names) regularly get invited to give talks on what they do and how they do it. I've seen talks on everything from biomimicry to happiness to concrete forming (more interesting than it sounds), and I didn't have to look very far.
9. Tradition is important. No one is allowed to forget Walt Disney or Mickey Mouse. Some conference rooms and hallways are named after legendary Imagineers. Part of onboarding is a (sanitized) history lesson on the Disney company, the Disney Parks, and Imagineering.
10. Story is King.  Most importantly, everything that happens at Imagineering is in service of a story. Little details are added to add character. Cuts and adds are made with consideration to an overall storyline. Every crack in the rock, every queue line, every divot in the pavement, every piece of writing, every safety feature, every piece of merchandise is made with a story in mind. It might not always be obvious, but the scavenger hunt aspect makes it fun to create and explore. There is a story basis for almost every decision that gets made  - and that's what makes Disney different.

That's just a few random thoughts and observations from my time interning there. If you want to know anything more (other than project specifics lol) please leave a comment. Even I occasionally need the ego boost. 

As always, have a magical day.