Disney Imagineer and Rose-Hulman Alumnus Andy Milluzzi Helps Students Find Their Happily Ever After
Friday, May 15, 2026
Walt Disney Imagineering Ride Control Systems Engineering Principal and 2012 computer engineering alumnus Andy Milluzzi shared about his magical career in a campus talk.
Walt Disney Imagineering Ride Control Systems Engineering Principal and 2012 computer engineering alumnus Andy Milluzzi hopes to never lose sight of one thing — it was all started by a Rose.
"Any engineer can solve a differential equation or figure out a problem. It's when you don't have clear-cut solutions or a clear-cut problem…that Rose stands out," Milluzzi said in a presentation to students on March 26. He returned to campus to share about his career with Walt Disney Imagineering with students in the IEEE electrical and computer engineering professional society and the new Rose-Hulman Theme Park Engineering and Design team.
In his role, Milluzzi makes magic manifest. One little spark of inspiration becomes an elaborate droid breaking "prisoners" free in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance or an out-of-control train careening through short films at Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, both at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.
Both attractions utilize a trackless ride system, smoothly whirling guests into their favorite stories, and Milluzzi contributed to the whole new world of ride innovation. While most visitors to a Disney theme park aim to close their laptops and escape reality, Milluzzi often sits in ride vehicles with his laptop open, testing important safety features and functionality. Most recently, he and his laptop spent several weeks in the worlds of Frozen and Tangled, supervising final attraction installations and testing ahead of the opening of Disney Adventure World in Disneyland Paris.
As Milluzzi shared with the group, traditionally, the opening of a new attraction culminates in a ritual that puts a smile in his heart. On the first day of the attraction's operation, Milluzzi and his team greet guests, waving and clapping them out as they exit the ride vehicles.
"Our industry is literally about creating happiness. That makes the world a better place," he said. "It is a very fun and interesting challenge to work at Disney."
That happiness extends to the young and the young-at-heart, both human and feline. Milluzzi and his team were featured in an episode of National Geographic's "Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom" (streaming on Disney+ and Hulu) for their Cheetah Ball, a motorized ball to encourage play and hunting behaviors among the cheetahs. Deliberately designed to be replicable for zoos across the country, the Cheetah Ball utilizes parts Milluzzi acquired through his role as a FIRST Robotics senior mentor.
Milluzzi's innovations have earned him nearly a dozen patents — most through his work at Disney — for which he received plaques and a Mickey Mouse trophy.
"The coolest piece of merch you can never purchase," he joked.
Milluzzi helped students move forward, open new doors, and let their curiosity lead them down new paths in themed entertainment, sharing advice for Rose-Hulman students to stand out among the 50,000 applications Disney receives each year. He hopes to unlock the magic for students wishing upon stars for the opportunity to enter the industry.
"There is a definite need for the engineering talent that Rose provides to think critically. The only way that you can improve the world you live in is to reach back and keep doing it," he said. "If I can get one person to get into the industry, I consider that a success."
Milluzzi noted he often has to make an initial calculation of feasibility or safety in real time in front of executives, frequently on problems outside his studied discipline, building on problem-solving he learned in college.
“Rose teaches you how to get from Point A to Point B when you don't know the middle", he said.
Milluzzi also shared with the audience clips from Randy Pausch's "The Last Lecture," in which Pausch, who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, shared an inspirational message of hope and fulfilling childhood dreams. Pausch viewed obstacles as brick walls, a test for people to prove how badly they sought their dreams.
The message resonated with Milluzzi, and he embraced the philosophy throughout his collegiate and career journey and encouraged the students to do the same. (From the audience, his wife even joked that "The Last Lecture" was required reading for their relationship.)
As an Imagineer who previously worked for Xbox, Milluzzi's already realized many of his childhood dreams, with one notable exception: he hopes to someday come back and teach at Rose-Hulman. He noted that he is so passionate about Rose-Hulman that he bestowed the name "Rose" upon his young daughter as her middle name and an homage to his alma mater.
"One thing that I learned from 'The Last Lecture' and life in general is what gives me the most happiness is not my own success. It is helping others achieve what they dream," he said. "That, to me, feels like the professor role at Rose-Hulman…you are empowering others to tear down those brick walls and achieve what they dream to be."
His advice for students aligns with themes threaded throughout both The Walt Disney Company and Rose-Hulman: the power of dreams.
"Have the dream to start. Don't be afraid to dream," Milluzzi emphasized. "The world is your burrito. Everything is available to you. The only dream that's not worth having is the one you won't pursue, so have the dream and chase it."
"Any engineer can solve a differential equation or figure out a problem. It's when you don't have clear-cut solutions or a clear-cut problem…that Rose stands out," Milluzzi said in a presentation to students on March 26. He returned to campus to share about his career with Walt Disney Imagineering with students in the IEEE electrical and computer engineering professional society and the new Rose-Hulman Theme Park Engineering and Design team.
In his role, Milluzzi makes magic manifest. One little spark of inspiration becomes an elaborate droid breaking "prisoners" free in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance or an out-of-control train careening through short films at Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, both at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.
Both attractions utilize a trackless ride system, smoothly whirling guests into their favorite stories, and Milluzzi contributed to the whole new world of ride innovation. While most visitors to a Disney theme park aim to close their laptops and escape reality, Milluzzi often sits in ride vehicles with his laptop open, testing important safety features and functionality. Most recently, he and his laptop spent several weeks in the worlds of Frozen and Tangled, supervising final attraction installations and testing ahead of the opening of Disney Adventure World in Disneyland Paris.
As Milluzzi shared with the group, traditionally, the opening of a new attraction culminates in a ritual that puts a smile in his heart. On the first day of the attraction's operation, Milluzzi and his team greet guests, waving and clapping them out as they exit the ride vehicles.
"Our industry is literally about creating happiness. That makes the world a better place," he said. "It is a very fun and interesting challenge to work at Disney."
That happiness extends to the young and the young-at-heart, both human and feline. Milluzzi and his team were featured in an episode of National Geographic's "Magic of Disney's Animal Kingdom" (streaming on Disney+ and Hulu) for their Cheetah Ball, a motorized ball to encourage play and hunting behaviors among the cheetahs. Deliberately designed to be replicable for zoos across the country, the Cheetah Ball utilizes parts Milluzzi acquired through his role as a FIRST Robotics senior mentor.
Milluzzi's innovations have earned him nearly a dozen patents — most through his work at Disney — for which he received plaques and a Mickey Mouse trophy.
"The coolest piece of merch you can never purchase," he joked.
Milluzzi helped students move forward, open new doors, and let their curiosity lead them down new paths in themed entertainment, sharing advice for Rose-Hulman students to stand out among the 50,000 applications Disney receives each year. He hopes to unlock the magic for students wishing upon stars for the opportunity to enter the industry.
"There is a definite need for the engineering talent that Rose provides to think critically. The only way that you can improve the world you live in is to reach back and keep doing it," he said. "If I can get one person to get into the industry, I consider that a success."
Milluzzi noted he often has to make an initial calculation of feasibility or safety in real time in front of executives, frequently on problems outside his studied discipline, building on problem-solving he learned in college.
“Rose teaches you how to get from Point A to Point B when you don't know the middle", he said.
Milluzzi also shared with the audience clips from Randy Pausch's "The Last Lecture," in which Pausch, who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, shared an inspirational message of hope and fulfilling childhood dreams. Pausch viewed obstacles as brick walls, a test for people to prove how badly they sought their dreams.
The message resonated with Milluzzi, and he embraced the philosophy throughout his collegiate and career journey and encouraged the students to do the same. (From the audience, his wife even joked that "The Last Lecture" was required reading for their relationship.)
As an Imagineer who previously worked for Xbox, Milluzzi's already realized many of his childhood dreams, with one notable exception: he hopes to someday come back and teach at Rose-Hulman. He noted that he is so passionate about Rose-Hulman that he bestowed the name "Rose" upon his young daughter as her middle name and an homage to his alma mater.
"One thing that I learned from 'The Last Lecture' and life in general is what gives me the most happiness is not my own success. It is helping others achieve what they dream," he said. "That, to me, feels like the professor role at Rose-Hulman…you are empowering others to tear down those brick walls and achieve what they dream to be."
His advice for students aligns with themes threaded throughout both The Walt Disney Company and Rose-Hulman: the power of dreams.
"Have the dream to start. Don't be afraid to dream," Milluzzi emphasized. "The world is your burrito. Everything is available to you. The only dream that's not worth having is the one you won't pursue, so have the dream and chase it."