Lanny Smoot

From Madame Leota’s levitating crystal ball… to Kym Possible’s scene-transforming spy phone… to Kylo Ren’s appearing lightsaber… Lanny Smoot has created some of Disney Parks and Resorts’ most magical special effects and technical achievements. Lanny brings over 42 years of experience as a theatrical technology creator, inventor, electrical engineer, scientist, and researcher; 22 years of which has been as a leader at the Walt Disney Company. Lanny is a graduate of Columbia University and started his early career in a leadership position at Telcordia and Bell Labs, where he worked on the first fiber optic telephone network. His early work earned him the Most Promising Black Engineer award from the USBE magazine in 1987. His knowledge on early VR technology led him to a position with Disney Research in East Hampton which eventually led him to Walt Disney Imagineering R&D and Disney Research.

At Imagineering, Lanny has:

• Invented and been issued 94 patents, 65 while at Imagineering with 12 patents pending almost all of which are in the areas of themed entertainment.

• Managed many collaborative efforts which have led to a myriad of new ideas for entertainment in Disney parks, cruise ships and entertainment.

• Presented his work at world class technical venues such as SIGGRAPH and the International Conference on Robots and Automation, as well as San Francisco’s Exploratorium.

• Often spoken at schools and other venues to encourage young people, especially people of color, to consider careers in the technologies and themed entertainment.
 

Additionally, 2 of Lanny’s projects were recognized with THEA Awards:

• 2008 Thea Award: “Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage” (Disneyland, Anaheim) – Recognized for technical direction and innovative special effects on this reimagined attraction.

• 2017 Thea Award: “Ghost Post” – Recognized for effects consulting for this “beyond the berm” experience inspired by the Haunted Mansion attraction.

Beyond his own achievements, Lanny feels a responsibility to help others recognize and magnify their own talent and creativity. He has mentored dozens of young people over the years, almost all of whom have gone on to successful careers at The Walt Disney Company and elsewhere.