Meet Matthew Miller, also known as Wewa miller, who is a senior executive within the theme park industry. For over a decade, he has helped design new theme park attractions and interactive guest experiences all across the globe. He’s worked on projects with industry leaders such as Disney and Universal – but his real passion is helping students learn how to break into the industry.
How did you land such an exciting career?
I’ve dreamed of becoming a roller coaster designer ever since I was in the first grade. Truthfully, I didn’t know exactly what that meant, but I always knew I would have a career in theme parks. When I was first starting, I held internships and apprentice-type roles with multiple design organizations. I started working on tiny projects that allowed me to get my foot in the door. I was always looking for opportunities to grow; and before I knew it, my temporary internships became a full-time career!
What advice would you have for someone getting started?
I’d consider learning as much as possible about the industry and be open to realizing you may land a job you didn’t even know existed. When I was first getting started, I used the term “roller coaster designer” often, but I had no idea how many different disciplines were involved in bringing a theme park attraction to life. Now I consider myself a theme park technologist as I have focused more on portfolio management of technologies used in attractions and interactive guest experiences. The last attraction I worked on was an augmented reality-based dark ride in Osaka, Japan. The technologies we used in that attraction weren’t even around when I started as an intern!
What are you working on now?
Currently, I help lead Orlando Informer as the Senior Director, Technology and Business Development. I lead the technology division of the organization, as well as, spearheading any new partnerships and business development opportunities. It’s really exciting to help create experiences for our global community and build partnerships with some of the most recognized theme parks on the planet. In my spare time, I travel across the nation, speaking to students on how they can land their dream careers too. Some would say, I’m living the dream.
