Don Carson is an art director, concept designer, illustrator, and former Walt Disney Imagineer who turns imaginative ideas into places people can explore. His career spans more than four decades across theme parks, video games, virtual worlds, and live entertainment, combining art, storytelling, and technology to create memorable experiences.
As a Senior Show Designer at Walt Disney Imagineering, Don served as the lead show designer and art director for Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World and was one of the lead designers behind Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland, where he helped shape its playful downtown area. His work begins with sketches and concepts that help teams imagine how a place will look, feel, and tell its story before it is built.
Beyond Disney, Don’s clients have included Universal Studios, The Jim Henson Company, Microsoft, and the California Academy of Sciences. His experience connects entertainment, educational software, and immersive design—showing students the many directions a creative career can take.
Today, Don is Senior Art Director at Mighty Coconut, the studio behind Walkabout Mini Golf, a virtual reality game that lets players explore imaginative environments together. He brings theme park design principles into virtual reality, helping create worlds where people can discover, play, and connect.
For students interested in drawing, gaming, storytelling, or technology, Don’s career offers a fascinating look at environmental storytelling—using the details of a physical or digital space to make visitors feel they have stepped inside a story.
