Technical Producer / Company Owner at Entertainment Technical Solutions
Mike Layman is a Technical Producer and company owner of Entertainment Technical Solutions, based in Orlando, Florida. Over the course of a 30-plus-year career in themed entertainment, Mike has become a respected leader known for his ability to bring complex technical productions from concept through delivery. His expertise spans both the theme park and cruise line industries, where he has contributed to cutting-edge entertainment venue designs for Royal Caribbean’s Generation 3 Oasis Class ships and Norwegian’s Luna Class 2 ships.
Mike spent 25 years at Disneyland Resort as a Technical Director, where he oversaw live entertainment technology for major shows including Fantasmic! One of the defining moments of his career was leading the massive upgrade of Fantasmic!’s control systems from the original 1992 analog setup to a modern digital and fiber-optic network. He describes the process as “the scariest thing in the world to do,” but one that proved the team could tackle seemingly impossible challenges.
Today, through Entertainment Technical Solutions, Mike assembles the right specialists for each project, working alongside creative teams to understand the vision and then translate it into technical reality. His philosophy is simple: make the impossible possible. He is passionate about hearing the joy of audiences and thrives on the daily challenge of inventing new methods and equipment that have never existed before.
A fun fact about Mike: he is one of 10 people listed on three patents for a PIVOTABLE FLUID EFFECTS PLATFORM, a robotic water fountain system used in themed entertainment.
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeP6gmEo3g8
Also watch the full 38-minute episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVOw6Pjc9dI
Mike Layman, Technical Producer and Company Owner at Entertainment Technical Solutions, shares career wisdom from 30+ years in themed entertainment including 25 years at Disneyland. Watch the episode (11:51): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeP6gmEo3g8 | Full episode (38:36): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVOw6Pjc9dI
Watch the full career wisdom episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeP6gmEo3g8
In this episode, Mike Layman and fellow industry veteran Phil Lindsey discuss the evolution of entertainment technology from analog systems to modern digital and AI-driven solutions. They share valuable career advice for aspiring technical directors, emphasizing the importance of being a generalist and understanding the broad scope of technical disciplines rather than specializing too narrowly.
Key topics include the massive upgrade of Fantasmic! at Disneyland from its 1992 analog control systems to a modern digital and fiber-optic network, the prototype nature of attraction work where every project is being built for the first time, and the critical role of networking and reputation in a small, niche industry.
Notable quotes from Mike Layman: "Make the impossible possible. And we're inventing every day." "Don't burn bridges. Our industry is so small, so niche that if you do something wrong, chances are they'll find out." "The show when we opened in 1992 was analog... to tear out those cabinets to put in digital cabinets... was just the scariest thing in the world to do, but knowing that we could do it."
For the full 38-minute deep dive into Mike's Disney career, watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVOw6Pjc9dI
Connect with Mike and his team at https://www.entertainmenttechnicalsolutions.com/
