If an investor is already on board for the project, funds might be allocated to hire the best theme park designers and architects as the general idea starts to take shape in a meaningful way.

However, even if it’s still too early and funding is being secured, having the dream drawn out on paper with plenty of proof of concept documentation will help the project move forward.

3: Designing with Professionals: Optimizing the Idea

As the business side of things starts to develop, and the idea of the developers is defined appropriately, designers and architects will become necessary.

While developers who are passionate about the project will have lots of ideas of what they want, it truly takes a professional level of expertise to take that idea and turn it into something that works.

With an idea of what the developers want, designers can work closely with the developers to implement a large number of design strategies that will not only make the park more optimized from a design perspective but also from a business perspective.

A big part of this comes down to optimizing the layout to allow guests to move freely, but to also guide them through the experience in a way that maximizes their engagement with the park.

This typically revolves around a key feature or group of features with smaller features being used as lead-ups to those key features.

During this process, everything from the locations of entrances and exits, the positioning of each feature, the distances between features, to how different types of features are grouped, can be optimized.

4: Mock-ups and Professional Designs

With a more functional idea of how the park will eventually be created, the design team can start making mock-ups. Modern design teams leverage technology to scan the space you’re building in and create 1:1 virtual mock-ups of every feature.

During this phase, the entire park is essentially brought to life in a virtual environment, and developers can see exactly how their dream will eventually look when it’s built, but that’s not the best part.

Thanks to modern technology and the prowess of design experts, designers can work directly with developers to change things on the fly in real-time.

Whether that’s trying different color palettes, changing lighting, or completely overhauling the park design to make something entirely different, it can be done in a flash right before the developer’s eyes.

This part of the design phase makes up much of the process. It’s when refining the design to a finished state takes place, and most decisions are solidified before any sort of material purchases or construction processes start.

One of the most beneficial parts of this advancement in design is that, since it’s incredibly accurate to real life, it will have the largest impact on the construction process.

From seeing how different materials will impact the park’s function and appearance, to understanding exactly how much material is required to finish the project without large amounts of waste, this has become a crucial part of building themed environments and theme parks.

5: Approving the Design, Starting Construction, and Making Tweaks

This is the end of the design process and the last step in our theme park design guide. Once the developers and designers find a design that both meets the developer’s vision and will function properly, it’s time to start bringing it all to life.