Resources for the attractions industry

BookS on experience design and parks

  1. Creating Memorable Worlds: A Journey into Themed Experience Design, Skees

  2. Creative Catalyst: Empowering Experience Design Teams From Ideation to Production, Ozier

  3. Themed Estimating (not yet titled), Jablonski & Kelly (2025)

  4. Scripted Spaces: Story-Driven Design and the Visitor Experience, Tuch (2026)

  5. Imagineering an American Dreamscape: Genesis, Evolution, and Redemption of the Regional Theme Park, Hill

  6. Designing Disney, Hench

  7. Designing Disney’s Theme Parks: The Architecture of Reassurance, Marling

  8. Theme Park Design, Alcorn

  9. The Imagineering Pyramid: Using Disney Theme Park Design Principles to Develop and Promote Your Creative Ideas, Prosperi

  10. Walt's Revolution!: By the Numbers, Price

  11. The Immersive Worlds Handbook: Designing Theme Parks and Consumer Spaces, Lukas

  12. Theme Park Project Management, Usle

  13. Theme Park Sustainability, Usle

  14. Design Is Storytelling, Lupton

  15. Designing Experiences, Rossman & Duerden

  16. Reimagined Worlds: Narrative Placemaking for People, Play, and Purpose, Kerrison

  17. Immersive Storytelling for Real and Imagined Worlds: A Writer's Guide, Kerrison

  18. Integrated Storytelling by Design, Paulsen

  19. Have one for the list? Let me know!

Books on Audio Production

  1. Recording Audio: Engineering in the Studio, Hill

  2. Podcast Audio: Make Your Show Sound As Good As Your Content, Hill

Podcasts

  1. Themed Attraction

  2. The League of Extraordinary Storytellers

  3. Masters of Storytelling

  4. Experience Imagination

  5. The Season Pass Podcast

Sites

  1. Themed Experience & Attractions Academic Society

  2. Themed Entertainment Association

  3. International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions

  4. Themed Attraction

  5. America’s Disneylands - regional theme park history

  6. National Amusement Park Historical Association - amusement park history

Schools & courses

  1. College & University

    1. It’s never been easier to get a taste of this industry. There are an increasing number of educational offerings in themed experience design, including individual classes, degrees, and masters-level programs. Start your search at the Themed Experience & Attractions Academic Society, where most of these programs are members.

  2. Master classes

    1. Some industry veterans offer master classes to share their expertise. They cover the range from entry level to advanced topics. Here are just a couple:

    2. Theron Skees, veteran WDI executive, at The Designers Creative Studio.

    3. Kile Ozier, master of story and spectacle, at kileozier.com.