Constructing a Career: Ren’s Journey from Disney Intern to Engineer
What do music, aviation, animation, parks, resorts, Marvel and Imagineering all have in common? They’re areas of The Walt Disney Company that Ren, a Senior Manager of Civil/Structural Engineering, has collaborated with during his career.
A career that now includes a Disney Legacy Award, but it all started with a Disney internship.
Laying the Blueprint
Ren’s Disney journey started in 2013, when he landed an Area & Facilities Engineering internship at Disneyland Resort. When his internship ended, he joined a structural consulting firm that worked on Disneyland projects to stay connected with the company and officially returned to Disney in 2022 as a Project Manager in corporate real estate. About a year later, he was chosen to lead the Civil and Structural Engineering team.
This career journey was shaped by the experience Ren had as a Disney Intern.
“I knew I wanted to be a structural engineer — the internship confirmed that, but it also broadened my sense of what that career could look like,” Ren said. “I saw that the most impactful engineers weren't just technically excellent; they were the ones who understood the full lifecycle of a project and could lead teams through complexity.”
Engineering Entertainment
During his internship, Ren was assigned as lead designer to redesign a vehicle gate that became too heavy for Disneyland cast members to maneuver safely. While most of the work he performed happens behind the scenes, this was an opportunity to work on a project that would be visible to everyone riding the train.
“It was the first project I completed entirely on my own, and when it was constructed, I got to ride the train and point it out to my mom, finally showing her exactly what I do at work,” Ren said. “To this day that gate is still there, and I share the story with everyone, including my own interns.”
The internship was the first time Ren saw how technical engineering work connects to a bigger picture inside of Disney. He also learned how to make information more accessible to other teams outside of engineering.
“I quickly learned to translate complex structural concerns into language that non-technical partners could understand and act on, and that skill has become one of the most valuable things I carry with me,” Ren said.
Advice to Intern Self
Building relationships with the people around you is important in any career, but especially a career at Disney, according to Ren. His main piece of advice to his intern self is to treat every interaction as the start of something lasting.
“The person beside you today could be a key decision-maker tomorrow, and those connections can lead to opportunities you never saw coming,” Ren said.
Ren also advises prospective Disney interns to approach the opportunity ready to work on real problems and has seen the level of trust bestowed upon interns.
“Disney is rare in how much it lets early-career professionals contribute to work that millions of people will experience,” Ren said. “If you are ready to grow quickly, surround yourself with talented people and be surprised by where your career can go. You will not find a better place to start.”
For more information on how to apply for Disney Internships, visit DisneyCareers.com.
