It turns out building dreams is not in the wands of fairy godmothers after all.

Such work is in the hands of the "Imagineers," a league of creative and talented professionals. Thanks to these architects and engineers, Disney's Magic Kingdom showcases some of the most imaginative architecture in never-never-land, as well as in the real world.

Robert Holland, vice president of resorts, facilities and infrastructure development at Walt Disney Imagineering, will present "Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Making the Magic Real" at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Nittany Lion Inn.

An integral part of Disney projects for more than 26 years, Holland, a Penn State alumnus, said he will provide insight on the complicated design processes he has undertaken as an Imagineer. "Our job is to create a time and/or place, real or imagined, for our guests to escape to," he said.

The highlighted projects will include the concept initiation and construction of Disney Magic, Disney's first cruise ship; the Animal Kingdom Lodge in Orlando; and the hotels being constructed in Hong Kong Disneyland.

Decades back, as a Penn State architecture student, Holland envisioned partaking in challenging projects overseas.

"The first thing I wanted was to work international," Holland said.

In the job market, however, wishing upon a star does not always guarantee acquiring dream jobs, and Holland was asked to call back when he had 10 years of experience under his belt.

"Sure enough, it took me about 10 years" to reach a worldwide company, he said.

The story goes: Holland first visited Walt Disney World while working as a project architect for the U.S. Veterans Administration.

"I happened to be in Orlando for a hospital project," Holland said. "I was impressed with the quality [of the architecture] and how much fun everyone was having."

Holland said the cheerful climate was a refreshing trade from the atmosphere of the hospitals, "which usually aren't much fun."

He said that upon his return to California, he received an offer from Disney enterprises just as his particular project was nearing completion.

Holland's dreams materialized, as he stirred magic into actuality for Disney fans and ventured around the globe, working in places like Paris, Italy and Hong Kong.

He said students should realize that while the typical firm hires architects from within a radius of several hundred miles, there are large, multinational firms around the world.

He mentioned he had no specific training with cruise ships prior to managing the establishment of Disney's first floating palace, the 83,000-ton Disney Magic.

"I didn't even enjoy cruising," Holland said. "But it turned out to be one of my most exciting projects."

Working for Walt Disney Imagineering in the first place was certainly nothing he ever had planned on, Holland added.

He said that while he predicts the audience for his lecture will be populated with architecture and engineering students, he urges art students to attend as well.

"Our hotels display lots of original art," he said. Disney's work is never separate from pure aestheticism, Holland added.

Many students anticipate Holland's speech, which will display a behind-the-dreams look at his life as an Imagineer.

Jonathan Dougherty (graduate-architectural engineering) said, "Each year the [architectural engineering] department draws some of the most sought-after speakers from the building industry" to the annual Architectural Engineering Senior Thesis Recognition and Awards Kick-Off Seminar.

"The worlds of artistry and engineering collide as only they can in the vision and tradition of Walt Disney," he added.