Unbeknownst to many guests, theme park giants like Disney and Universal Studios don't tend to build their own attractions. Instead they rely on specialist engineering firms to make rides to their specification or they buy off-the-shelf systems so that their designers can give them a magic touch.

The Walt Disney Company designs its attractions through its "in-house" creative arm, Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI), but the physical fabrication and "building" of the ride systems are usually done in partnership with specialized third-party manufacturers. Imagineers are the architects, storytellers, and "imagineers" who create the concepts, the theme, the animatronics, and the overall "show" experience. However, the complex mechanical tracks and ride vehicles for major coasters are often contracted out to world-renowned engineering firms. For example, Vekoma (a Dutch company) manufactured the ride systems for Expedition Everest and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, while Intamin built Radiator Springs Racers. Dynamic Attractions often works on their complex dark-ride motion bases. Disney does build its own sophisticated Audio-Animatronics and proprietary software systems that synchronize the "show" with the ride's movement. In 2026, the trend has shifted toward Disney maintaining more control over the "tech stack" while leveraging the heavy manufacturing expertise of global partners to ensure that the rides meet the highest standards of safety and mechanical innovation while remaining completely unique to the Disney brand.