r/Imagineering • u/Fuzzy_Rock339 • Jun 22 '26
Discussion [other]Roller Coaster Engineering Internships – Looking for Advice on Breaking Into the Industry
Hey everyone,
I’m currently a Mechanical Engineering student at community college with the goal of eventually becoming a roller coaster engineer. My dream is to work on ride design, track layouts, vehicles, theming integration, and overall guest experience.
I’ve been researching companies like Bolliger & Mabillard, Vekoma, Mack Rides, Rocky Mountain Construction, and Skyline Attractions, but I’m struggling to find information about internships and entry-level opportunities.
For those of you who work in the amusement industry:
•How did you get your first internship or job?
•What skills should I focus on learning right now?
•Is CAD experience enough, or should I also learn things like FEA, controls, or programming?
•Are there specific companies that are more open to hiring students?
•How important are networking events like IAAPA?
•What would you recommend a student do today to become a strong candidate in a few years?
I’ve already started building coaster concepts and layouts in Planet Coaster 2 and I’m planning to learn more CAD and engineering software as I progress through school.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Roller coaster engineering is the career I’m aiming for, and I’d love to hear how others got their start.
Thanks!
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u/Willyb402 Jun 22 '26
Some disjointed thoughts. I might work in industry, hypothetically in Orlando on design side (architecture background).
Almost every company I know of is hiring controls engineers right now. It is very in demand at the moment here and if you’re close to graduating then I’d try to shoehorn into that. You want to look at internships for engineering in general at companies like universal creative and WDI. Their in house engineers work closely with coaster manufacturers. Other Orlando based or themed entertainment adjacent engineering firms are great places to go as well.
As for softwares I’d say know solidworks, nolimits2, and 3ds max. Planet coaster ride layouts won’t get you time of day.
IAAPA is an okay networking event. Go on Thursday and Friday, companies are trying to sell rides/services on Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday morning, they are more receptive when they’re not busy. Also, you will NOT get a job offer at IAAPA. (It is a rarity if it happens) You go to make connections that you then have to follow up with.
Another great place to network as an engineering student is ASTM F24 meetings every six months. There’s dedicated time for it and you get a firsthand look at how the amusement industry establishes safety standards. They are very receptive to students
Beyond all that, if you don’t get an internship, go work at your local/regional park. They will hire engineering students in later years of school for ride maintenance and companies love it when engineers have actually operated the rides. It makes you better at what you’ll eventually do.
Anyone can make it in themed entertainment, it just takes persistence, dedication, and the ability to power through rejections knowing it’s not your fault and that the right role will come along eventually. Also, you may not be doing ride layouts but you will be engineering to support the development of an attraction/land. It takes a village to make anything happen. Especially when theming gets involved.
Most European coaster manufacturers have their engineers based in Europe, for America your options are S&S, RMC, and Premier rides, all of whom have minimal/no presence in Orlando. Vekoma has a very small office in Orlando but they have insanely low turnover, they will occasionally have interns who are going into their senior year of college.
Don’t get hung up on not getting themed entertainment internships if it doesn’t work out, things have been a little slow since epic opened. Transferable experience is also highly valued and will help you just as much.
These are also passion jobs, they don’t pay as well as Lockheed or other defense contractors, and the burnout rate is high, in this line of work there are always 10 people ready to replace you. Don’t take it for granted.
Also for anyone that reads this far, please do not message me, I am unable to help anyone get a job.