"Spectacular ideas mean very little without a rigorous understanding of what it takes to build them... Done well, estimating is not an obstacle to creativity but a partner to it, ensuring that big dreams can actually come to life."

— Frank Cassin, former Disney Imagineer

Looking to adopt this book for your classes? Order through your institution’s bookstore or contact us directly for more options.

Carl Jablonski

Carl’s interest in theatrical scenic design and show lighting began with his volunteer work teaching his wife’s drama students, where Alison was the drama teacher at Edgewood High School. At the time he was attending California State University, Pomona, where he earned his bachelor of arts degree, and California State University, Fullerton, for a master of arts diploma. By the completion of his coursework, Carl had designed and built thirty-five theatrical scenic designs, created props and dressings for Davey and Goliath, and completed three theatrical models for stage and special effect miniatures for the theatrical release of the movie Meteor. His work as a professional in the business of show began as a model maker at Clokey Productions during junior college and later as stage manager for the magician Mark Wilson. Following a ten-year period of teaching show production, scenery design, and stage management, his next major career opportunity arose at WED (Walt Disney Imagineering), where Carl became the first show and ride estimator for the EPCOT project. His scope of work also included Star Tours and New Fantasyland at Disneyland.

New projects and responsibilities followed at NBC Studios, Burbank, as Manager of Scenic Operations, where he oversaw a $12M annual budget for set construction for The Tonight Show, the Bob Hope specials, Santa Barbara, Wheel of Fortune, and David Copperfield, among many more. Disney reappeared to recruit Carl as Senior Estimator for the Euro Disney project. He was elevated to Chief Estimator for Shows and Rides upon his relocation to Paris.

The opportunity to work at Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) was too good to pass up, and Carl moved to Marin County as the Director of Project Management and Chief Estimator for a newly formed ILM division called LucasArts Attractions. The project was called New World, a mixed-use development that included a theme park to be located in Kipu Kai, Hawaii.

When LucasArts shut down, Carl was hired in a consulting capacity (CLJ & Associates) to identify a new location for the Black Hills (Novato) Renaissance Faire, where he assisted in setting up their southern California operation that had been moved to San Bernardino. Other consulting work in Singapore, Thailand, Kuala Lampur, Hong Kong, and Taiwan occupied the next ten years of work. With a relocation back to Los Angeles, Carl was hired at Scenery West, a theatrical production shop. Here as Director of Project Management and Chief Estimator, projects included Universal Studios, the Disney Store, Oakley Stores, and casinos in Biloxi, Mississippi. Scenery West’s largest contract was for Texas Wild in Fort Worth, Texas.

Before retiring for good in 2012, Carl accepted one last consulting position for the Cumming Group as a show and ride estimator for Bollywood (World of Motion) in Dubai, UAE. In retirement Carl has written four books, including a memoir of his estimating experiences at EPCOT and the Disneyland Paris projects (Cost of a Kingdom) and children’s titles under the Adventures of Chloe series: Chloe with the Crooked Ears, A Name Unto Myself, and K9r Chloe, Surf City USA. Royalties for the first two titles go to the Westside German Shepherd Rescue in Los Angeles; K9r royalties are donated specifically to the K9 Unit through the 42 Foundation of Huntington Beach, CA. Carl has been married to Alison for fifty-six years, having met in the Cal Poly Drama Department green room. He has two children, Andrea and Christopher, and donates his time to the Huntington Beach Neighborhood Watch program and Retired Senior Volunteers at the Huntington Beach Police Department.

Eoin Kelly

Eoin Kelly, MRICS, is Senior Director of Procurement at Modon, where he leads the Estimation and Benchmarking, Tendering, Corporate Procurement, and Technical Assurance functions. As part of the wider Modon team, he helps establish robust cost benchmarks, develop procurement strategies, manage competitive tendering, and strengthen commercial governance across the company’s diverse development portfolio. His Technical Assurance team provides independent reviews of project scope, design, cost, and procurement documentation, helping to identify risks, control scope growth, and improve value throughout the development process.

A chartered quantity surveyor with more than 25 years of international experience, Eoin has worked across the UAE, Ireland, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. He also has more than ten years of direct experience in the theme park and leisure sector. Before joining Modon, he spent over a decade with Miral in senior development and commercial roles, contributing to the delivery of major entertainment destinations including Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi and SeaWorld Yas Island.

Eoin brings extensive experience in the commercial delivery of large-scale themed entertainment, mixed-use, and infrastructure projects from early feasibility and concept development through procurement, construction, and completion.