Theme Park Design: Behind the Scenes with an Engineer

This is a great book on theme park design, specifically on Imagineering. But, it's not about roller coaster design. There's little or no mention about coasters in the book. In fact, despite a wooden roller coaster being on the cover, they weren't even mentioned in the book.But, it's a great book to pick up and read. The is book based on personal stories from the author Steve Alcorn. I haven't found too many books where the focus on one designer's career. It's pretty easy to read, with little math involved despite being about engineering and design. Also, the book is pretty fun read and a witty at points. The book has a rare blend of Disney and non-Disney attactions (more emphasis on Disney attractions).In a hex-nut bolt shell, it's a nice read, even if you have every book on Disney imagineering out there.

I was hoping this book would be a bit more technical as I am developing an FEC. If you are already working on building your own theme park or FEC this book is probably not for you.If you are interested in the design and process of building rides for large theme parks like Disney, this book may be for you. This book is a great one for someone who is looking for entertainment and behind the scenes info, but probably won't prove too helpful for designing your own park. Steve Alcorn is witty and humorous in his "for the layman" portrayal.

I enjoyed the book. The insight Steve Alcorn gives into the process of developing theme park attractions from his own experiences are priceless.However, please know that his perspective is one of engineering specifically. While not so heady that it's hard to grasp, the creative element of theme park design is mostly glossed over.That's ok with me. While not quite what I was expecting, it clearly states that he's an engineer in the title. It detailed elements of the design process that I was unfamiliar with before, and I find that enlightening and fascinating.Good reading if you are interested in behind the scenes stories of what goes into all the technological magic at these places.

Steve Alcorn's fast paced romp through the world of theme park design are as fun to read as they are informative. Don't get me wrong, the book isn't a complete guide to becoming a theme park guru, but it is an overview of the design and engineering that go into theme park attractions and rides. If you've ever wondered about the steps it takes to bring an attraction to life, you will enjoy this book. Plus, Steve's irreverent humor keeps you laughing throughout the ride. So if you want to know what a video binloop is, or how to control a runaway roller coaster, read the book!

I really enjoyed this book and learned a thing or two from it... If you are in the business... this is a great reference tool. I tried to contact the company that the author owns to give him a thumbs up, but he/they never acknowledged my email compliment. That was kind of disappointing, but...

An informative exploration of the process and jobs required in developing theme parks and other themed entertainments. I found the descriptions of the technology used quite interesting, including the superiority of Laser Discs over DVD for a lot of uses and the arguments in favor of PLCs over PCs (which I recall from my experience in irrigation). It had also never occurred to me that the buildings were the greatest experience in developing new attractions, although it seems obvious now.The writing style was very readable and good for digesting the material. The many short chapters were well focused on individual topics.I enjoyed this quite a lot. I passed it on to my wife who will probably enjoy it even more than I did.

This book was extremely disappointing. The organization of the book is dreadful with seemingly no clear focus throughout. At the end of every few chapters the author will offer a concluding paragraph for the section you just finished, except there are no sections delineated in the book. You jump from the author's experience at Epcot, to daydreaming of a new ride, to a few pages on the history of the Disney parks, to designing entire parks, and back to any of the topics listed above. None of these topics are covered in any sort of detail.There was a shocking lack of information for a 200-page book. Entire disciplines of engineering are covered in one or two paragraphs. The entire book screams for more depth and focus. It might have helped if the author focused solely on his expertise and provide some true insight into how the business works. There are nuggets of information in there, but you have to wade through pages of fluff to get there and when you do you are left wanting more.Sprinkled throughout the book are annoying and snide marks about non-engineers involved in an attraction's design (artists, schedulers, project managers). It seems the author believes Epcot was constructed only because of his superhuman efforts to outsmart all the minions around him. I suppose it he was trying to be cute and funny, but it just comes off crass.It is also strange that in Chapter 31 that discusses block zones for vehicle control the author claims that roller coasters do not use this system. Apparently he hasn't ventured out to see many modern roller coasters. If the coaster has multiple trains I guarantee it uses a block control system (see Bolliger & Mabillard's roller coasters for an example).If you're looking for a book to give you insight into theme park attraction design, keep on looking because this is not the book.

Bought this for my 12 yr old who wants to be an engineer, he loved it!

Decepcionante o livro, só tem texto não tinha nenhum tipo de ilustração, desenho, foto sobre o tema em questão. Além de abordar de forma superficial o tema.

This book is an excellent insight into the Themed Entertainment Construction Industry. Steve Alcorn has packed this brilliant read with the entire construction process from his totally unique point of view and knowledge in an honest, humorous and entertaining personal style. Mr Alcorn runs an extremely successful electronics company that is an industry leader and is uniquely placed to lift the lid and reveal just what it takes to put a world class theme park ride together.

I bought the book together with the on-line course from Mr. Steve Alcorn. Although the title is a bit misleading (it's more about attraction design than theme park design), it is still an interesting read for anybody who would like to find out more about the processes behind attraction development. It is becoming slightly outdated (as any technical book), but as it is written from personal perspective and with humour, I can still recommend it.

A very well written, insightful look into the world of themed attraction design. It doesn't break into deep technical detail but does offer enough information for the reader to base their further research on. This 'real world' look at the world of people who work behind the scenes is written in both a honest & humours way and proves to be a totally compelling read.

Perfection! It's fantastic, and as a 13 year old budding designer, this book has just giving meaning to the countless piles of ride plans sitting on my desk. I can't put what the book means to me in words, and I don't know whether Mr. Alcorn reads these comments. But thank you, sincerely, for igniting my dreams. :)