ORLANDO, Fla. – If you have ever been to Disney World, you have probably been on the Jungle Cruise at Magic Kingdom.
One of the highlights of the ride is the feeling of escaping to the jungle while laughing at a slew of “dad” jokes.
Former Imagineer Brian Collins is responsible for some of those.
“I was very lucky to be able to work on some very cool projects, like writing very corny puns for the Jungle Cruise,” Collins said.
He said he wrote, “You don’t need to bring any money with you on the jungle cruises because there are plenty of banks along the river.”
“One of the reasons I think I got hired in as a writer with Imagineering is because writing was something I always loved to do, it came very easy to me and I could write anything from technical writing to poems, to ‘dad’ jokes and everything in between,” Collins said.
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Being an Imagineer can be a coveted role, but Collins, who is now an instructor at the University of Central Florida, said he tells his students there is enough room in the theme park industry for all of them.
“Don’t focus on being an Imagineer. What you need to focus on is finding what your passion is, finding what you love to do, and focus on that and become happy and an expert in what your passion is and if you can do that, hopefully the rest will take care of itself,” Collins said.
“There’s so many ways that you can create a path, whether it’s Imagineering, or Universal Creative, or working for Legoland, SeaWorld. I mean there is a whole cottage industry, especially here in Central Florida, of amazing firms that support the themed entertainment industry for example that Imagineers will work with,” Collins explained.
Still, he says it’s important to differentiate yourself.
“I have a favorite saying for my students, it’s that ‘if you do the same thing as everyone else, you’re just going to be like everyone else, and you don’t want to be like everyone else,” Collins said.
To hear more of Collins’ advice for becoming a staple in the theme park industry check out Florida’s Fourth Estate. You can download the podcast from wherever you listen to podcasts or watch anytime on News 6+.
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