Universal Destinations & Experiences and the University of Central Florida are teaming up to train the next wave of Orlando theme park decision-makers, unveiling the Universal School of Experience Leadership & Innovation on Monday. The new school, housed at UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, is framed as a campus-based bridge between creative design and day-to-day operations for themed entertainment. Backed by a $10 million commitment, it will feature a Hospitality Technology Lab where students and researchers can prototype guest-facing technologies. Organizers say the school is built to feed talent directly into Orlando’s parks, resorts and immersive venues by blending hands-on labs with industry mentorship, positioning it as a new pipeline into the region’s experience economy.
Mark Woodbury, chairman and CEO of Universal Destinations & Experiences, called the initiative one that “unites creativity, technology and the practical application of business,” and Universal is presenting the move as both philanthropic and strategic. UCF says the company will become the university’s first entertainment-sector Pegasus Partner and will enter a master research agreement to support applied projects and shared research. According to UCF, the new lab will concentrate on service robotics, AR and VR simulation, AI, and digital twins that students can experiment with in a hands-on setting.
Local media quickly picked up the announcement, with WKMG’s ClickOrlando airing a video segment that labeled the program “a first-of-its-kind” effort to train leaders in immersive experiences. The station framed the launch as another sign that Orlando’s universities and theme parks are tightening ties to meet hiring needs in the attractions industry. As reported by ClickOrlando, the announcement took place on May 11, 2026.
Built on existing UCF programs
The Universal School of Experience Leadership & Innovation builds on UCF’s existing themed-experience offerings, including a producing concentration in the themed-experience M.S. program that began in Fall 2025 and earlier collaborations that granted students behind-the-scenes access to attractions. Those efforts were created to prepare producers, creative technologists, and operations leaders who can manage complex immersive projects and fold emerging technologies into guest experiences. Per UCF, the new school establishes a dual-school model that pairs experience-focused education with business and service leadership.
What students and employers stand to gain
For students, the school is expected to bring more internship options, lab-based research projects, and closer recruiting ties to Universal and other Orlando employers as the program scales up. Universal is framing its investment as a long-term workforce strategy that could accelerate training for tech positions, show production roles, and operations leadership posts at parks and resorts. University officials say the program aims to help Orlando’s economy by retaining more local talent and giving companies a place to prototype and move new guest experiences toward commercialization…