The thrill of designing a rollercoaster

Students in front of the Universal Theme Park's sign.

Members of UB's Theme Park Engineering Club at Universal Studios in Orlando. Photo courtesy of Alaina Herman.

By Elizabeth Egan 

Published October 17, 2024

Katelyn Churakos sped towards the lobby of the Universal Orlando Resort on a mission. Six travel mugs, one for each of her teammates, needed to be refilled before the coffee station closed at 11 p.m. As she neared the lobby with five minutes to spare, groups of students whom she recognized from the other teams streamed passed, their arms equally filled with mugs. They all had the same idea. They would have time to sleep once the competition was over

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“It was really fun to analyze the rides once we got to the park. We got to point out everything we learned from the judges about the park that wasn’t necessarily public information. ”
Alaina Herman, (BS'23)
project controls and planning intern, Walt Disney Imagineering

The University at Buffalo’s Theme Park Engineering Club (UB TPEC) loaded up on coffee for the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Thrill Design Competition. The three-day competition, hosted by Universal Creative in Orlando every November, invites student teams to compete in several challenges judged by industry professionals. UB TPEC was among the 19 teams invited—the first time in club history.

The challenges are unified by a fictional requirement to construct an attraction. Challenges include assignments relating to mechanical design, safety and accessibility, interactive attractions and attraction design.

Led by Alaina Herman (BS ’24), former club president who graduated in May with degrees in mechanical engineering and theater, the UB team was chosen to compete in multiple challenges. The other students representing UB included Bryan Rambo (BS ’24), who also graduated in May with a degree in computer engineering; Alison Casson, a senior mathematics major and current club president; Josh Schertzer, a junior computer science major; Franklin Merlo, a junior aerospace and mechanical engineering major; and Churakos, a senior mechanical engineering major and law minor.

Although there are no winners in the competition, the UB team was praised by the judges for their work. 

The Theme Park Engineering Club

The students in Disney's Epcot.

The group enjoyed time at the Disney Theme Parks after the competition. Photo courtesy of Alaina Herman.

After watching “The Imagineering Story” documentary series on Disney+, Herman knew that her future career was in theme parks. A physics student at SUNY Oswego, Herman decided to transfer to a SUNY school that offered a degree in mechanical engineering. Already home to a theme park engineering club, UB seemed like the ideal choice. 

The club meets weekly to discuss the different steps of making an attraction, including mechanical systems, theming and marketing. Herman noted that attractions go beyond just rides to encompass any interactive, immersive or themed experience. 

"It can be anything from theme parks, roller coasters, museums, escape rooms and even live theater could be involved. It takes engineers and creatives, so the industry really bridges the gap between technical and creative,” said Herman. 

The club also provides numerous opportunities for students to network with industry professionals and travel to various events and competitions. 

Students in UB TPEC work on a 3D model of a rollercoaster. Photo courtesy of Alaina Herman.

Club members work on a scaled model of a rollercoaster for the RIDE Engineering Competition. Photo courtesy of Alaina Herman.

Designing a theme park attraction

Preparation for the competition began in the summer of 2023 when the students submitted an attraction design—including a basic control system, marketing strategy and graphics—for the competition’s open qualifying round. 

The students held weekly meetings to complete and submit the materials that determined which challenges, if any, they would be invited to enter. Once accepted, they had four months to prepare.

The challenges were announced on the first day of the competition and the students could work wherever and whenever they wanted, including the Universal Theme Parks. The UB team visited the attractions for inspiration before working in their hotel for the next two days. They worked around the clock, only stopping briefly to eat and sleep. 

Each team created a set of deliverables that they presented to the other teams and judges. UB received commendations for their presentation, operational feasibility, technical communication and technology integration.

“The judges on the panel were from different aspects of the industry, so we got different perspectives,” said Merlo, noting that the judges gave feedback on important elements such as staffing, maintenance and accessibility.

With the competition over, the students were free to enjoy the parks. But that did not stop them from continuing to think about engineering. 

“It was really fun to analyze the rides once we got to the park,” said Herman. “We got to point out everything we learned from the judges about the park that wasn’t necessarily public information.”

Following graduation, Herman started her career with a year-long project controls and planning internship at Walt Disney Imagineering. She will work on a classic attraction and said that she could not be more excited.

Alaina's Top Five Favorite Attractions

  1. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure, Universal Islands of Adventure 
  2. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Disney’s Hollywood Studios 
  3. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Disney’s EPCOT 
  4. Jurassic World VelociCoaster, Universal Islands of Adventure 
  5. Avatar Flight of Passage, Disney’s Animal Kingdom