As chief creative officer of Walt Disney Imagineering, Bruce Vaughn co-leads the global, multidisciplinary team behind the creation of Disney’s theme parks, attractions, resorts, cruise ships and entertainment experiences. In particular, he focuses on innovative ways to transform Disney’s extensive collection of beloved franchises, characters and stories into groundbreaking immersive experiences that delight guests around the world.

In 2023 Bruce rejoined Imagineering from Airbnb, where he was vice president, experiential creative product, concentrating on creating meaningful connections between travelers and locals around the world through authentic experiences. Prior to that role, Bruce was the CEO and CCO of Dreamscape Immersive, where he worked with teams to advance virtual reality technologies to create an entirely new form of mainstream location-based entertainment.

Bruce first joined Imagineering in 1993 as a senior technical specialist and went on into several roles of increasing responsibility. Beyond his work at Imagineering he has been involved in efforts across various divisions of The Walt Disney Company that include Consumer Products, Feature Animation, Internet, Location-Based Entertainment, Music, Television, and Theatrical.

Prior to his original stint with Imagineering, Bruce worked on the technical staff of Associates & Ferren, where he contributed to the development and execution of special effects for various media projects. He has received several screen credits for feature films, including Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) and Imposter (2001). Bruce has led R&D teams that received Thea (Themed Entertainment Awards) awards for Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold, Stitch’s Photo Phone, and Lucky the Dino.

Bruce graduated cum laude from Colgate University in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and a minor in art history.