198. Mike Schwalm on Pandora: The World of Avatar and Happily Ever After

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Mike Schwalm was obsessed with Disneyland and theme parks from a young age. He even built a Jurassic Park-themed attraction for a swim team event after The Lost World premiered. This interest led him to study set design in college and work on developing his illustration and design skills. He ultimately earned an internship at Walt Disney Imagineering in 2011 and received a full-time role. Mike is my guest on this episode of the Tomorrow Society Podcast to talk about his background and career with theme parks.

His first major project was a small one known as Pandora: The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Mike developed a wide range of concepts for that land including Na’vi River Journey. He was already a big fan of the Avatar movie, and that excitement was perfect for this role. We talk about the role that Mike’s interest in the original film played in his part in this massive project. Mike describes his part in Pandora and has some cool stories about working behind the scenes.

Photo by Mike Schwalm

Mike worked on concepts for the castle projections for the nighttime show Happily Ever After at the Magic Kingdom. He talks about that cool project from his time working at Mousetrappe after Imagineering. We also chat about Mike’s ambitious concepts for Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar at Disney Springs, which is themed to Indiana Jones. Mike also describes the cardboard Tiki Bar created in his garage during the pandemic and the Arkham Asylum Files: Panic in Gotham City game currently in the works. Finally, we dive into what excites Mike about the industry and where it’s heading. I really enjoyed talking with Mike and learning more about his career.