Credit: DisneyIf one works in the theme park industry, it’s only logical that they would want to work for one of the two giants in that industry: The Walt Disney Company and Universal Studios. Given that there’s only so much talent to work with, it would make sense that someone trained in the theme park industry would switch back and forth between Disney and Universal.
It’s gotten to the point now that the two sides seem to be trading employees for various projects. Over a dozen former Disney Imagineers worked on Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe, while Disney has started poaching Universal’s talent for its new projects at Disney World and Disneyland.
Despite the constant flow between the two companies, this latest defection from Disney has to sting a little bit more as the man who literally wrote the book on Disneyland is heading to Universal Creative.
Christopher Merritt spent over a dozen years working at various positions within The Walt Disney Company, but he’s best known for his books. He wrote The Happiest Place on Earth: The True Story of Walt Disney’s Disneyland and a book on former Imagineer Marc Davis, Marc Davis In His Own Words: Designing the Disney Theme Parks.
Merritt announced yesterday via his LinkedIn account that he will join Universal Creative as its Creative Director. Merritt left Disney Imagineering in 2020 and most recently was the Creative Director at THG Creative.
Merritt started working as a Jungle Cruise skipper at Disneyland in 1990. He moved to Disney Imagineering in 1996 and was with the Imagineering on and off for five and a half years from 1996 to 2008. In his LinkedIn bio, he says he worked on the revamped Sleeping Beauty Castle Walk Through, The Little Mermaid ride, and Radiator Springs Racers at Disneyland.
For nearly four years, Merritt also worked as an Art Director for Universal Studios Singapore. He returned to Disney Imagineering in 2013, working on the Beauty and the Beast ride at Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea, and Shanghai Disneyland.
BREAKING: Universal acquires Christopher Merritt from Walt Disney Imagineering, one of the creative minds behind beauty and the beast at Tokyo Disneyland!
I wonder what he’ll be in charge of 👀 https://t.co/gZxx9u8lor
— Wallin Ballin (@wallin_ballin) August 9, 2025
Now, Merris is returning to Universal Creative after a decade-long absence, and Disney has lost the man who wrote the book on Disneyland.
What do you think of Disney and Universal poaching talent from each other? Let us know in the comments.