Guardians & Tiana – OT Security & Arch
Invisible Infrastructure That Powers Galactic Adventures and Bayou Dreams
Key Skills
Summary
In March 2020, the world stopped. Construction on projects like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and TRON Lightcycle / Run was halted, and planning for attractions such as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure went quiet. When Disney furloughed ninety percent of the Global Engineering & Technology (GE&T) team, I was among the ten percent chosen as the COVID ride‑out crew—those who “ride out” storms to protect and sustain the parks. Walking through Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom completely empty was surreal and sobering, but our mission was clear: keep the parks alive and ready for the day they would welcome guests again.
As the parks reopened and projects restarted, I shifted from maintaining legacy systems to shaping the future. Over the next three years, I led and implemented cyber architecture for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, TRON Lightcycle / Run, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, while also supporting projects like the park‑wide DuckTales World Showcase Adventure, Harmonious, and a sweeping legacy attraction remediation effort. By the time I departed in early November 2023, I left behind secure, resilient networks that quietly power some of Disney’s most ambitious experiences.
Project Narrative
Holding the Line in Empty Parks
Those first months of 2020 were unlike anything I had experienced. I was part of a small ride‑out crew—walking silent parks, responding to maintenance trouble calls and cybersecurity detections, and planning distancing protocols while the world watched and waited. We kept the heartbeat of the parks alive. Even as rides sat idle, our work ensured that when the time came to reopen, the systems behind them would be ready.
Guardians and a New Way Forward
When projects restarted, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind became my proving ground. I managed the cyber remediation project while simultaneously designing and installing secure operational technology networks for the attraction. I applied lessons learned from Galaxy’s Edge—segmentation, intrusion detection, and log collection— but refined them into a more efficient and resilient architecture. I worked side by side with Imagineers, contractors, and Enterprise Technology teams, often spending mornings in project meetings and afternoons on ladders with tools in hand.
Even as I focused on Guardians, I was also contributing to other efforts: implementing a park‑wide OT network for the DuckTales World Showcase Adventure at EPCOT, supporting Harmonious, and helping drive a sweeping legacy attraction remediation initiative—all while coordinating between creative, technical, and operational teams.
TRON, Tiana’s, and Overlapping Worlds
As Guardians neared completion, I shifted focus to TRON Lightcycle / Run, carrying forward everything we had learned and improving efficiency even further. Cybersecurity wasn’t an afterthought; it was built in from the start, ensuring that industrial controls, show systems, and guest‑facing networks worked in harmony without compromising safety. By the time Tiana’s Bayou Adventure accelerated into active build, our team had a proven playbook— and I was once again wearing every hat: architect, integrator, field engineer, and cross‑functional liaison.
Closing a Chapter
By October 2023, I had completed my portion of the cyber implementations—networks, monitoring, segmentation, and documentation were all in place—leaving final scans and pen tests to those who would carry the baton forward. In early November, I stepped away from Disney, leaving a permanent position to join the project team at Epic Universe. It was both exhilarating and nerve‑wracking, but I carry a hope with me: that someday, I might return “home” to Disney with even greater experience, ready to help shape the next chapter of magic.
Disney Projects That Shaped My Journey
From Legacy Classics to Next‑Gen Adventures
Key Achievements – Guardians, TRON & Tiana’s
- Served on Disney’s COVID ride‑out crew, maintaining cybersecurity and OT operations across all four Walt Disney World parks during the 2020 shutdown.
- Led the kickoff and execution of the Legacy Attraction Remediation Project, improving network segmentation and monitoring across multiple classic rides while parks remained closed to guests.
- Managed and implemented cyber architecture for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, integrating lessons from Galaxy’s Edge to build a more efficient, resilient OT network with log collection, segmentation, and ICS intrusion detection.
- Coordinated cross‑functional teams—Imagineering, Enterprise Technology, Engineering Services, and contractors—while serving as both architect and hands‑on field engineer.
- Supported simultaneous initiatives such as DuckTales World Showcase Adventure and Harmonious, delivering park‑wide OT integrations and show‑critical communications systems.
- Extended cyber architecture and field support to TRON Lightcycle / Run, applying improved designs and proven workflows from prior projects to a new high‑speed attraction.
- Contributed to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, completing core cyber implementation—including segmentation, monitoring, and secure communications—before transitioning to Universal’s Epic Universe.
- Delivered robust turnover documentation and configurations, ensuring future vulnerability scans, mitigations, and penetration tests could proceed with confidence after project handoff.
Experience the Cosmic Rewind
Ride along on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in this 4‑minute, 47‑second full ride‑through featuring the soundtrack hit Conga. Video courtesy of Blog Mickey.
The secure architecture and network design I implemented quietly power moments like these:
- Segmented OT networks supporting attraction controls
- Integrated intrusion detection and monitoring
- Resilient Wi‑Fi and wired backbone for ride and show systems
- Coordinated cross‑team implementation in live construction
The Story Continues...
Contact
Email: guy.t.teets@gmail.com