Mel McGowan, AICP, DBIA, LEED AP creatively leads Storyland Studios’s unique, multidisciplinary Spatial Storytelling℠ practice, which integrates master planning, conceptual development, architecture, interior and production design, graphics and wayfinding, and dimensional fabrication and installation. He combines his background in film and design with a decade-long stint at the Walt Disney Company to create a team synergy inspired by Disney’s original Imagineers, designers, and fabricators.

Mel is passionate about creating compelling experiences and immersive environments around the world. Post-Disney, he co-founded Visioneering and PlainJoe Studios, where he led multi-award-winning architectural teams and was named one of the top 25 influencers by OC Metro Magazine. Mel is the author of Design Intervention and an adjunct professor at CBU’s College of Architecture, Visual Arts & Design. Mel is the host of The Themed Attraction Podcast, a show featuring interviews with themed entertainment innovators past and present.

Mel’s experience and portfolio includes the renewal of the Disneyland Resort, Morongo Casino, new urbanist towns, and museum and theme park work in the US, China, and Korea, as well as non-profit cause-oriented projects in the Americas, Africa, Australia, Europe and Asia.

Mel currently sits on the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA)’s Western Board Of Directors, and is a host of the TEA Masters, speaking with legendary industry masters of their craft. In 2021, he was ranked in The Blooloop 50 Theme Park Influencer List.

Attractions Expert Q&A: Mel McGowan | Tap here to read.

Mel’s Projects

Poverty Encounter

GIVING VISITORS AN IMMERSIVE, FIRST-HAND GLIMPSE AT THE REALITY OF POVERTY

California nonprofit Children’s Hunger Fund (CHF) wanted to build an immersive and dimensional attraction experience that would introduce visitors to the sad realities of childhood poverty – Poverty Encounter.

Rejecting the predictably common charity video, they wanted to surprise volunteers with an eye-opening journey of insight, empathy, and action.

By telling the true stories of the suffering children through a realistic, walk-through attraction, CHF’s Poverty Encounter recreates the experience of visiting impoverished communities around the world.

Mel worked with the Storyland team to bring these stories and spaces to life, in a close to our hearts project that culminated in the winning of a THEA Award.

Libertyland USA

A MAJOR REGIONAL ENTERTAINMENT AND RESIDENTIAL DESTINATION IN THE HEART OF THE BLACK HILLS

The Pete Lien & Sons mining company has been a fixture in western South Dakota since 1944. Over the decades, the Liens have made significant contributions to their community. Founder Pete Lien’s nine children wanted to honor their father’s legacy by creating a live-work-play destination that would welcome both residents and visitors to their beloved Black Hills.

The Lien family turned to Mel and the Storyland Studios to master plan and design LIBERTYLAND USA, an all-American theme park, residential and entertainment destination that honors a wide variety of American Journeys (our Big Idea!) that anchors a broader mixed-use destination for travelers and residents to enjoy.

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ADRENA, Red Sea Global

CRAFTING A STORY-DRIVEN ADVENTURE DESTINATION ON THE RED SEA

Storyland Studios partnered with Red Sea Global as landscape architect and experience designer for ADRENA, an integrated adventure destination on the Red Sea coast. Mel and the Storyland team worked across master planning, landscape design, water features, pools, hardscape, and specialist attraction components from concept design through IFC to shape a story-driven environment built around the themes of Mind, Body, and Spirit, calling guests to Curiosity, Action, and Connection.

From wave pool attractions and adventure courses to beach experiences and underwater exploration, Storyland designed a diverse collection of experiences that connect guests to the sea, the landscape, and each other. The team developed the project in Revit, modeling landscape, seawater processing systems, and underground utilities in BIM to coordinate design, engineering, and construction across the project. By combining narrative thinking, technical landscape design, and BIM coordination, Storyland helped translate an ambitious concept into a cohesive built destination that blends adventure, environment, and immersive storytelling.

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GAMING & ESPORTS DISTRICT – QIDDIYA

A GLOBAL DESTINATION FOR ENTERTAINMENT, SPORTS AND CULTURE, BASED ON THE POWER OF PLAY.

Mel is leading the creative efforts with Storyland Studios on a number of projects on the within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including on projects within the world’s first mixed-use gaming and esports district.

Dana Ayala tells stories through materiality and interior architecture, bringing concepts to life through construction documentation, finish & fixture selection, and guiding Storyland clients through design decisions. She has extensive experience working on multifamily real estate, urban community, and recreational gated community developments. Dana has also provided interior design for multimillion-dollar homes in high-end residential communities. 

Prior to Storyland, Dana worked as a designer for Lyon Living and an interior designer at Blackhand Design. She holds a Master’s in Interior Architecture from the Interior Design Institute in Newport Beach, California. 

Dana loves volunteering at local theaters and on small independent films, providing set design and design direction. When she’s not working, she loves spending time with her family, visiting the beach, working on her home, and scouting out the best smashburgers around. 

Dana’s Projects at Previous Firms

RED Reno (Reno Experience District)

Dana provided interior design for RED Reno, a first-of-its-kind urban community in Reno, Nevada.

1900 Ocean Beach Club

Dana acted as interior designer for 1900 Ocean Beach Club, a high-end apartment community in Long Beach, California.

CDA National Reserve (Golf Club Community)

Dana provided interior design for CDA National Reserve, a gated community including golf course homes and a high-end clubhouse, in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

The Villas at Rancharrah (Golf Club Community)

Dana designed interiors for The Villas at the Rancharrah gated golf club community in Reno, Nevada. 

With over 20 years of experience in commercial interior design, Danielle Mercado is a seasoned professional known for her creative approach and leadership roles in Storyland’s Spatial Storytelling projects. As a Certified Interior Designer in California (CID) and a National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) certificate holder, she brings expertise and credibility to her work. She oversees interior design projects throughout the project life cycle, from concept to opening day. 

Danielle has led numerous successful projects specializing in story-driven design, transforming spaces with a unique blend of innovation and purpose. She holds an Associate of Arts degree from the Interior Design Institute in Newport Beach, California. 

Danielle’s Projects

Bethany Children’s Health Center

Danielle led the interior design team in providing design, graphics, and theming for the public spaces at the new, state-of-the-art facility in Bethany, Oklahoma.