The Rainbow Connections

Art Director Ellie Sabatino shares her experience being a Disney

Imagineer for a semester

Written, Photographed and Designed by Ellie Sabatino

Ellie Sabatino and her COMM 4023 group wearing their original T-shirts

for their Muppets attraction concept.

In a typical college lecture, laughing out loud is likely frowned upon. But in Communication 4023 – laughter isn't just welcomed – it’s encouraged. After all, how could you be sad when your final exam is a trip to the happiest place on earth? Storytelling, Technology, and Digital Media in Theme Parks is a domestic study abroad course offered as a senior-level capstone in the fall semester. In this course, students are immersed in the inner-workings of storytelling inside the theme park industry. From commercial design to immersivity and guest experiences, students are tasked with reworking their preconceived notions of what it means to entertain. 

As one of these students, I came into the course with a pretty set idea of how the theme park industry operated, thanks to my years-long love and appreciation of the history of Disney Parks. I’ve been lucky to have visited Walt Disney World with my family growing up. This, along with my passion for design, cemented my connection to creative storytelling, which only grew with my introduction to graphic design in high school. 

Flash forward to today – over ten years since my first trip to Disney and five since discovering my passion for design – my appreciation for storytelling hasn’t changed. In fact, it's taken on a new life as I’ve fallen in love with the work of Disney Imagineers.

“Imagineering” is Disney’s coined term for their creative team. A play on the words “imagination” and “engineering,” these magic makers work tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure that every part of a guest’s experience within the Disney parks and resorts are immersive, magical and true to Disney’s brand. 

Admiring the storefronts leading up to Cinderella's castle on Main Street, U.S.A, or finding a hidden Mickey Mouse tucked into the lattice work on a fence — these details are all products of Disney Imagineering. 

I wasn't quite sure what to expect on my first day in class. I knew that, besides learning about the inner workings of theme parks, I would be working with my classmates on a semester-long immersive project. The details of this project, however, remained a mystery. Regardless, I was more than excited to dive in.

It’s not every class where you genuinely feel better after attending each week. In the midst of the beginning of my senior year – packed with graduate school applications, thesis show preparations and the existential feelings that come with graduation, COMM 4023 was a place where I could learn with my peers, laugh out loud and truly love what I was working on. 

As I got to know more about my classmates, I began to realize the underlying power of laughter during work. By work, I don’t mean just what we were learning about – though it was pretty funny to be graded on our knowledge of Mickey Mouse –  but more about the importance of keeping joy alive in a working environment. No matter how tough the other aspects of my semester felt, I knew that for 90 minutes, twice a week, I could sit with people who were steadily becoming more like friends than just classmates, as we studied something we all loved.

Midway through the semester, it was time to play the music and light the lights. Our task was to come up with a new attraction concept for the Walt Disney World parks. Having spent half a semester learning about the inherent humor, lightheartedness and creativity of Imagineering, I proposed a project that would combine the history of former Disney attractions and the humorous characteristics of The Muppets –  “The Great Muppet Ride.” Based on a beloved former attraction that spoke to the history of movies, my group saw the value in both appealing to and improving upon Imagineers former work. 

With a concept picked and a team assembled, our group began to lay the foundations behind humor and theme park design. What followed was a three week period of intense library brainstorming sessions where we had to address questions and concerns. For example, we found ourselves debating whether a chicken would sing or dance, how The Muppets would faithfully recreate the Titanic and the Shining and whether Rizzo the Rat could truly be a good stand-in for Mickey Mouse. In short, I’ve never had more fun working on a project. 

Despite the silliness, applying what we had learned throughout the semester, along with each group member's talents, truly felt like being a team of Imagineers. Our final project involved concept art, virtual reality renderings, architectural models, logo design, character sketches and much more — all thanks to our team's willingness to push our creative limits through humor. 

Ellie Sabatino smiles in

front of Cinderella Castle.

Even more inspiring was seeing the final projects of all my other classmates, including Pixie Hollow inspired restaurants, Inside Out roller coasters, Kingdom Hearts dark rides and a Fortnite park inclusion. I loved seeing everyones different takes on the importance of creativity in storytelling endeavors.

Sure, our project was the final amalgamation of a semester spent in Athens, but the real final of COMM 4023 was, of course, the long awaited week-long trip to Walt Disney World. 

The whole trip felt like a dream, but really what made it unforgettable was the bond we shared as a group. Participating in a storytelling class led by Imagineers during the day was made even more magical by meeting Flynn Rider (or a guy playing Flynn Rider) as a class at night. I’ve never laughed harder waiting in line for attractions, running to the lobby in the mornings or turning our bus into a party bus. 

All this to say, COMM 4023 is an experience I will always hold close to my heart –  both for the lessons taught to me by professors and the friends I made. Imagineering is truly a passion of mine and I hope to be in the position one day to call it my career. 

For now, as I enter into my final semester of undergrad and all the pressures that come with it, I will remember to approach each assignment with creativity, authenticity and a little bit of humor. After all, life gets pretty dull if you don't remember to laugh every once and a while. b