Theme Park Discussion / Job In Roller Coaster Designing

I was looking forward and I was wondering what does someone need to become a Roller Coaster designer? Do you need to be an architect or an engineer? What do you need to take in High School.

Thanks

All you need is a nice resume of Scream Machine designs and your first grade class photo.


Or you can ask these guys: http://www.greatcoastersinterns.com/

Edited by The Beta Factor, 20 July 2007 - 12:20 AM.

Actually, I'm trying this. I'm taking CADD at my high school and plan to be an architect with some coaster design thrown in if I can get it.

Looks like Mechanical Engineering. I think that's what XCoaster's taking.

I asked the same question a couple of months ago, when we were supposed to choose our '4-year plan' for high school. I was told to apply for a spot in my school's engineering academy, so that's what I'll be doing. Is there anything offered at your school that could be similar? If so, that would probably be the way to go.

-disneylhand

Isn't the architect the one who designs the coaster and an engineer is the one who fixes it up and whatever?

Mechanical Engineering, maths, physics and a lot of luck and determination.

Architects have nothing to do with coaster design in the industry.

I would imagine coaster building companies would employ all types of engineers - electric, civil, mechanical and computer scientists as well. Not so sure about architects, isn't that more designing buildings?

Want me to make things easy on you? Youre not going to be a coaster designer. Its a job held by MAYBE 25 people in the world, and it is a very desirable position of course. The few who are coaster designers persay generally have a background in mechanical and civil engineering, architecture has absolutely nothing to do with coaster design as far as what youre thinking, though I do recall the person responsible for CCI's supporting structures had a double major in mech engineering and architecture.

I want to major in Mechanical Engineering AND Architecture in college, but at my high school, you can't take them both. I wanted CADD and Mechanical Engineering (both are program areas) but I had to settle for CADD because I realized that the demand was so small, that I should maybe step in to something in a similar field (using CADD and math in both) with roller coaster design a distant option, but still reachable should the occasion arise.

Want me to make things easy on you? Youre not going to be a coaster designer. Its a job held by MAYBE 25 people in the world, and it is a very desirable position of course. The few who are coaster designers persay generally have a background in mechanical and civil engineering, architecture has absolutely nothing to do with coaster design as far as what youre thinking, though I do recall the person responsible for CCI's supporting structures had a double major in mech engineering and architecture.

Hey, now I don't need your help deciding on my career. You get hired usually if you're good and know what you're doing. If I take my time doing that, maybe that's what I could do.

Edited by Video_Kid, 20 July 2007 - 12:14 PM.

Really the only way you're going to be designing rollercoasters, the big ones anyway, is by knowing someone in one of the major companies and having the necessary engineering background or by starting a new coaster company yourself. That's an incredibly niche career field with very little turnover.

There are only a few places to go if you want to 'design' rollercoasters. There are a few ways to interpretate 'design'.
I shall divide it into the following groups: attraction builders (Intamin, B&M, etc.), internal themepark designers (like disney) external design studios and the final one are the calculators.
Themeparks can only design a ride soo much. They always have to rely on external parties for there needs. They can make a area design and perhaps a design a certain layout for the coaster. For all the technical issues you have the ride builders, but most of the time they give the calculation work to an external party and most of that time it's Werner Stengel & co simply because they have the special expertise. This is the part of the ride design that requires very complex thinking as a computer is only a tool for checking if your calculations have the desired results. This is the work area that requires a high grade level of maths and physics. Best studies for that are the mechanical studies (in my previous study I could apply to because I did aerospace engineering. You'll need a degree in that.
The other part is the 'imagineering' side. This side requires you to be very very very very good artwise and also a good portion of luck. IMO this is the more fun part of ride design, but I know perfectly well that I'm unlikely to get there because I'm not good enough as an artist.
Jobs in this workfield is very scarce and very difficult to get into and even if you get in you still have to get in into the job you really want. Way back I really wanted to be a themepark designer too (and still actually), but it's best to be realitsic. It takes a tremendous amount of skill, luck and determination to get anywhere here. I like coasters a lot, but I'm a disaster at maths (pretty good at mechanics though) and even then I don't want to spend most of my days calculating. The best way of choosing a study is by choosing one that has many exits to jobs you like. If you choose a study you like and one of those exits can lead to the coaster industry then why not. Just be aware that you might never end up there, but at least take care that your other option are good with you too.

The other part is the 'imagineering' side. This side requires you to be very very very very good artwise and also a good portion of luck. IMO this is the more fun part of ride design, but I know perfectly well that I'm unlikely to get there because I'm not good enough as an artist.

Yeah i feel the same. This is the side that appeals to me more, and i'd love to do it, but i'm not good enough at art.

First of all, LISTEN TO TY!

Secondly, yeah, I'm going into my fourth year of studying Mechanical Engineering and Material Science Engineering. The second one is to keep my options open, plus it's pretty fun. But anyways, for roller coaster design (for layout design, at least), you'd probably want Mechanical Engineering, or maybe Structural Engineering or Civil Engineering (I don't know much about them though, so I can't really say). But at the same time, even if you do get employed by a roller coaster firm with one of those, keep in mind that it will probably be nothing like RCT (unless if you're structural/civil, because then you'll probably get to place the supports). You'll probably just be given a design that was already worked out a bit, and you'll need to calculate the forces on the riders, the track, and the supports and basically just smooth it out. Unless if you're "the guy," you might not ever get much input into the actual design. And to be honest, we all wish we could be "the guy," but I'm not totally sure how you'd ever become him.

Anyways, from my point of view, I'd recommend not going into Mechanical Engineering simply because you'd like to design coasters. That's sort of what I did, though I was planning on Engineering back even when I was still scared of coasters. However, I just kind of went into Mechanical Engineering with the idea that they were like architects, only for machines and with more math. In reality, it's all basically physics and math (so you'd better love them, and not just motion and geometry, but also fluid flow, heat, calculus, and that which lies beyond the realms of calculus) with a little bit of chemistry (mostly for the materials science related aspects), programming, and an even littler bit of drafting. At least, this has been my experience so far. Aside from programming, there really isn't much designing or creativity to it, at least not in the sense I imagined. Once I get into the field I expect, and hope, that will change, since when I got into Engineering I really only wanted to do drafting and design. And as far as designing coasters, most of what is necessary is fairly basic to M.E., but you'll also be learning a lot of heat transfer and thermodynamics, which don't have much to do with coaster design. Basically, M.E. simplifies to learning how to design almost every aspect of a car, maybe aside from the outside shell (that seems more art/aerospace to me). That may be a lot more than you want to learn.

So in short, if you'd be just as happy designing car engines as roller coasters, and you love calculating stuff with math and physics, than Mechanical Engineering might be the way to go.

And sorry if that was kind of harsh, but that's probably the worst you'll ever see it from someone in Engineering, and it's good to hear that a few times before you get neck deep in it. I never really did get a good idea of Engineering before going into it, and now I'm thinking maybe I would've been better suited for architecture. Though I might just be hard to please, since I'm honestly not very good at architecture even in RCT.

And for Ling, Architecture and Mechanical Engineering seems like a bad idea, sorry. Both of them are difficult degrees, and they aren't that similar. At my school it would probably take at least 6 years (assuming we had architecture). I'd recommend just getting one for now, and if you feel like you still want to get both, get the other later. I might do that with art or something in order to tackle the Imagineering side Ty mentioned (though I'd still have to be mostly supported by engineering, since I'm not that good at art). Or alternatively, go for something more related, like Architecture and Structural Engineering (assuming they're related; we don't even have Structural, so I'm not totally sure what it's like).

And once again, LISTEN TO TY!!!

EDIT: Oh, and you asked about high school. If you decide to go with M.E., the following would be very helpful (I only took about half, but two or three shop classes would've helped):
*The highest level of physics possible (I rocked physics twice, since I accidentally took it non-honors/AP the first time)
*Calculus or as high as you can go in math
*Drafting
*Metal shop
*Auto shop
*Wood shop
*Chemistry wouldn't hurt either, though as with Physics we went over all the same high school stuff again, just in more depth. But Physics is especially important to get a handle on in high school

I want to major in Mechanical Engineering AND Architecture in college

lol, you have no idea. that'd be about 7 years of hell.

also, i regret not taking drafting 2 or any shop classes in highschool. with that being said, take ap calc, ap physics, ap or dual credit english, ap or dual credit chemistry, and ap or dual credit history to gett most of your first year out of the way (i took ap calc and ap english, should have done more.) also psychology in highschool is a waste of time, however interesting it might be.

Edited by penguinBOB, 20 July 2007 - 02:26 PM.

Listen to Ryan.

Thanks for the writeup Ryan. I can just tell everybody to get a good physical background before studying M.E. It helped/helps me a lot to think the "physicists way" in a lot of technical subjects.
Getting a job in the Rollercoaster Industry is something you need a lot of relations and luck for. If you are interested in getting such a job, M.E. might fit you perfectly. You will probably work on other things, but it doesn't make a lot of difference if you are calculating another coaster or the bridge next to your house. It actually is the same, just that riding the coaster is a lot more fun than going over the bridge with your car, as long as the coaster wasn't made by Vekoma.
And you better don't try to get a job in the coaster Industry, as I will take it away from you.

Ryan, we need to talk one day. Need to get some information about studying in the US. Seems like you are the man there. Will be out if house this weekend. Just tell me when you have time and I will try to make it. Thanks in advance.

I would to suggest focusing on one element of coaster building. Sure a coaster starts with one man's vision, but it takes many people to execute the long process of design. Probably physics and engineering are the easiest way to get in. This way you know how to make a coaster work. The arcitecture in coasters are always kept simple and would be a lot easier to pick up on while"on the job".

Also like has been said, you need connection!!!! That is the biggest key. Think about how many different coaster makers there are, not many. It may be easier to become a proffesional sports player. But that doesn't mean it's impossible. I would suggest that you somehow get a job in the field, however low it may be. When I was 17 I got a job at my local theme park as a lowly ride operator. Within a few summers I gained ome seniority and then in my last year I was picked to manage the parks yet to be built B&M. I got to meet Walter Mabillard and talk with him a little about coasters. He is a real down to earth guy. It was a great experiance to see him get all gitty when "his baby" ran for the first time. If I'm not mistaken I think he said he is more of the engeneer while Claude Bolliger is more into the actual design and concept. But anyway, a time like that would be a good opportunity. If I were to give him some kind of resume I'm sure he'd give it a glance. Maybe the coaster genius would laugh at it, but if it was good enough you never know what could happen till you try.

Edited by WallyWorld, 20 July 2007 - 05:41 PM.

Hey, now I don't need your help deciding on my career. You get hired usually if you're good and know what you're doing. If I take my time doing that, maybe that's what I could do.

No, you dont. Thats what Im telling you. Im sorry for not sugarcoating and feeding you the you can do it if you put your mind to it BS, but its a practically impossible job field to get into and getting into it is more a matter of luck then anything else.

Yeah I guess so^

Meh, I thought it would be easier to stick with my Videography since I have most of my credits for it already. But we could leave this open for the future as it has many references and good information if anyone needs it.

Thanks all!