WDI Show Mechanical Design & Production Intern, Glendale, Spring 2027

Job Position(s): WDI Show Mechanical Design & Production Intern, Glendale, Spring 2027

Disney is hiring a WDI Show Mechanical Design & Production Intern for its Walt Disney Imagineering division in Glendale, CA, running January 2027 through June 2027. This role sits inside the Creative Development group, where the intern contributes directly to the design and fabrication of special effects systems, animatronics, and show action equipment for theme park attractions. It suits a mechanical or manufacturing engineering student who has spent time in a machine shop, fabrication lab, or hands-on club environment and wants to see how that work translates into large-scale themed entertainment production.

About the Role

Walt Disney Imagineering is the in-house studio responsible for every Disney theme park, resort attraction, and cruise ship experience worldwide, which means the mechanical systems this intern touches are destined for actual guest-facing installations. Day-to-day work involves supporting prototype builds, contributing to CAD-based mechanical design in SolidWorks or a comparable package, and assisting with assembly and integration under the supervision of senior engineers. The intern also participates in design reviews, maintains documentation, and works alongside Quality Control and Engineering teams to troubleshoot issues as they come up on the production floor.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the design and documentation of mechanical systems for animatronics, special effects rigs, and show action equipment using SolidWorks or equivalent CAD software.
• Assist with prototype fabrication and assembly of mechanical and electrical systems, applying skills in machining, welding, and bench assembly.
• Participate in formal design reviews, flagging conflicts between creative intent and engineering constraints before they reach the fabrication stage.
• Contribute to mock-up builds and system integration testing, helping the team validate that hardware performs to show specification.
• Work with Quality Control and Engineering to identify root causes of mechanical failures and support resolution during the production workflow.
• Identify process improvements on the shop floor and communicate them clearly to the broader engineering team.

What You Bring

• Current enrollment as a junior or higher in an accredited Mechanical or Manufacturing Engineering program, or a closely related field.
• Hands-on fabrication experience gained through coursework, industry work, or project-based clubs, with comfort using standard shop tools and measurement instruments.
• Ability to read and interpret technical drawings and mechanical assembly documentation.
• Proficiency in SolidWorks or a comparable CAD package used in themed entertainment or mechanical design production.
• Familiarity with Airtable, Finite Element Analysis, or Lean Manufacturing principles is a genuine advantage.

Why This Role

Walt Disney Imagineering is one of the few places where mechanical engineering work feeds directly into permanent, large-scale entertainment installations rather than a single production run, which gives interns exposure to a full project lifecycle that most fabrication roles cannot offer. The pay rate for this internship in California is $26.50 per hour for undergraduate students and $27.50 per hour for graduate students, with select medical and financial benefits available. For an engineering student looking to build credits in themed entertainment or animatronics fabrication, the Glendale facility offers access to senior Imagineers and real production infrastructure.

Apply now for the WDI Show Mechanical Design & Production Intern position at Disney and bring your mechanical engineering background into one of the most technically complex storytelling environments in the industry.