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Walt Disney World: The Next Chapter
- Thread starter DisneyManOne
- Start date
Thank you very, very much!
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With our adventure on Peter Pan's Flight having come to an end, we then decide to head across the cobblestone streets to take off on an in-depth musical cruise around the world accompanied by seemingly thousands of children, toys, and animals from and representing nearly every nation. This cruise is naturally the one and only "it's a small world", Walt Disney's cherished and beloved classic from the 1964 New York World's Fair.
Now, before we get to the ride-through, I'd like to go over a few things regarding this new version on a Disney classic. First of all, For this new version of the ride, I was heavily inspired by the Paris and Hong Kong versions. The entire ride building will be re-built from the ground up. This means that the Pinocchio Village Haus' windows won't look down at the loading area. I should say, with this expansion, the ride building should be at the same mark as the backsides of the Beauty and the Beast/Little Mermaid areas of Fantasyland (which we'll get to later). In fact, the loading area should be at the point where the building for the Village Haus ends. A path in-between "small world" and the Village Haus serves as a new Cast Member entrance. In addition, I don't want to add in the Disney characters like Hong Kong and California do. I feel they just detract from the overall feel of the ride.
Also, I once talked with @MANEATINGWREATH for suggestions of what he would do to improve the classic ride, and he told me this: "The major problem with the Florida version is that the lighting is far too dark. Hong Kong, Disneyland, and Paris all have the distinct "gift" of being brightly-lit and overtly-colorful. Florida is overtly-colorful, but at the same time, much of this is lost due to the dim lighting. I'd say give everything inside and out of the ride a fresh paint job (maybe even add some new colors to certain aspects) and tone up the lighting by a ton. Everywhere."
With that said, let us begin our voyage through this all-new take on "it's a small world".
~The Exterior, Queue & Loading Area~
Having found ourselves captivated by the grand palace, and wanting to see what exactly is inside, our attention is first pulled towards that of a large fountain in the shape of the globe, topped by a boat filled with happy children. On board, each child represents a different nation: Saudi Arabia, China, England, Australia, America, etc., whilst Renaissance-era flags bearing the title of the attraction protrude from among their two-dimensional shoulders.
The original indoor loading area has been completely torn down and re-built in a whole new way. Instead of being crammed up underneath a roof, the magnificent pink, yellow, white and blue (the exact same shade Disneyland's Small World was when it was sponsored by Mattel) spires of Small World Palace stand tall above the surrounding plaza, a lasting tribute to the universal concept of peace on earth and goodwill towards men.
Front and center is the smiling face of the iconic Clock Tower, the Rolly Crump-designed landmark. As with other takes on the venerable tower, every fifteen minutes, the constantly churning cogs and gizmos on the facade begin to protrude and sound off like a cuckoo clock, halting the ongoing music. With a dramatic drumroll, a sextet of musical tin soldiers emerge from the tower's walls, signaling a parade of dolls to emerge from the tower's base and circumnavigate the smiley-faced structure to the tune of the titular song. Each doll represents one of twenty-four countries, dressed in garbs respective to their country. At the conclusion of the parade, the Clock Tower concludes with a series of gongs and chimes in beat with the current time (like a grandfather clock), the time itself displayed from an opened-panel beneath the tower's "face." Intrigued, we dart towards the palace.
After meandering a bit through a series of sheltered-switchbacks, past animal-shaped topiaries, wavy-hedges, and colorful flowerbeds, we make our way down to the docks of the aforementioned lagoon where brightly-colored boats (also known as bateaux) gently pull in and out of the densely-populated harbor. Much like Paris, the loading area is completely covered. This covered loading area will be a welcome addition the ride, shielding guests from the harsh Floridian elements.
As our boat draws closer to the palace (where the canal feeds into a small opening in the palace's right-hand side rather than the usual Clock Tower), John Debney's sweeping instrumental of the Sherman Brothers classic begins to draw closer and closer, gradually overpowering the quirky instrumentals of the World's Fair.
In a mere matter of seconds, we gently drift inside the palace walls for our tour of the world as seen through the eyes of a child, starting with...
~The Hello Room~
As the boats enter the show building, they travel through a long tunnel. Taking a page from Hong Kong's book, the area will be filled with Mary Blair-esque flowers reading "Hello" in various languages. Expect to see "Aloha," "Hola," "Hallo," "Bonjour," etc. Above the section of wall leading into the European scene, is a large banner reading "Welcome", being "held up" by four birds.
~The Arctic~
Our first stop on our musical tour of nations is the Arctic. The lights of the Aurora Borealis illuminate the scene from above, whilst snow-capped mountains and glittering white glaciers appear from all around us, fully immersing us into the mystical realm of the far-Northern Hemisphere. To our left, a koala-like polar bear paddles a kayak oar in circles from atop a googly-eyed beluga whale slowly lowering up and down beneath the surface of the Arctic Ocean. From atop a narrow glacier, a pair of eskimos facing back-to-back go fishing, a blue walrus caught on one eskimo's line, a flower-spotted seal on the other's, said seal balancing a fish on its nose. In the background, eight smiling reindeer bob their heads side-to-side from the snowy mountaintops, a multi-storied igloo topped by a barbershop pole sitting between the fourth and fifth deer. Closer to the water's edge, an eskimo clutching a trio of fish stands back-to-back with a tall polar bear pointing in the opposite direction towards a sign that reads "The North Pole." Nearby, another polar bear spins around in circles on its bottom aboard a floating ice platform, closely neighbored by an all-white seal also spinning around its bottom, which in turn is neighbored by a small Arctic fox spinning around in circles on its bottom. A pair of Norwegian-inspired gnomes, hand-in-hand also spin around in circles, taking advantage of the natural skating rink.
~Europe~
Although Scandinavia and the Arctic are very close in proximity and clime (hence, why we begin here from the Arctic), Scandinavia here is represented not through ice and snow, but through colorful mountains, giant flowers and hills given the markings of abstract Swedish art, also done in the Mary Blair-style. A large clock-like sun overlooks the area (actually telling the time), whilst Scandinavian children sing the titular song from opened-songbooks, swaying in perfect unison. Shimmering waterfalls pour down from an overhead ice-skating rink where a boy and girl in warm, winter clothing go for a perpetual skate. An overhead chalet of Swedish influence rests in a pile of partially-melted snow, a half-melted snowman at its doorstep. Norway finds its representation in the form of a smiling dragon-headed Viking ship swaying back and forth upon the high seas, a trio of Viking children singing from on deck. Non-Frozen trolls, a la Maelstrom, happily pick flowers.
Right next to Scandinavia, a musical band of toy soldiers guard the gates to Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens. From there, London Bridge appears up ahead, topped by a double-decker bus filled with children, a pair of flag-waving boys sporting the colors of their favorite football team, and guarded by a Buckingham Palace guard slowly clogging to the music. Along both towers of the bridge, two dolls dressed like soldiers move their staffs in time to the music. Just to the right of the bridge is a checkerboard-colored Big Ben with a rapidly-spinning clock, backed by the skyline of the London Eye, Tower of London, Parliament Building, and Buckingham Palace. A large checkerboard laid out before the skyline plays home to several large chess pieces, including a stylized-king and queen whom spin around wildly. Directly above London Bridge hangs a smiling crescent moon.
Once under London Bridge, we find France to our right. The Eiffel Tower, painted in shades of red, white and blue--the colors of the French flag--stands high in the middle of this large European scene. In the forefront, a slew of cancan dancers "weeing" and "ooh la-la-ing" in time with their kicks perform a routine. A ballerina spins around in circles with her dance partner, much to the enjoyment of a nearby French poodle.
To our left is Scotland, represented by a bagpipe-player atop an old tower. In the background, a strange goat-like creature munches on a kilt from a plaid-colored hillside ridden with ancient castles. In time with the music, the goat and the hillside change colors. Nearby, the massive serpentine neck and head of the Loch Ness Monster protrudes from the waters, slowly rocking from side to side. From atop the beast's nose, a boat filled with smiling children throw their arms up in glee, as if the monster was a thrill ride. Closely following Scotland is the Emerald Isle of Ireland, represented through a multitude of massive shamrocks, a glistening rainbow, clogging Irish children, and several leprechauns, one leprechaun poking in and out of a large pot of gold.
Following Ireland, The Netherlands appear on the left-hand side, marked by a series of colorful windmills, giant flowers, and wooden shoe-wearing children clicking their heels from within giant flower buds. A girl with a shepherd's crook conducts a trio of geese honking in time with the music. The windmills of Holland serve as a segue into the windmills of Spain. One of these windmills is being titled at by Don Quixote on horseback (after all, he believes windmills are ferocious giants). Sancho Panza, also on horseback, looks on. Nearby, a girl in an elaborate dress clicking castanets as she twirls, a Spanish boy on the guitar nearby. After passing by Spain, we find Italy right next door. A large gondola appears, rocking back and forth with its pilot on board. In front of the Colosseum and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, three Italian girls sing the song from opened-songbooks, swaying with the music.
On the other side of canal, across from Spain, Germany is found. A Bavarian-style house with a clock tower appears on the left-hand side of the canal, fronted by a toy train and a large dachshund-inspired slinky toy. German children playing a tuba, French horn, and trumpet, a la Oktoberfest, stand nearby in lederhosen, providing accompaniment for dancing German children.
The Alps of Switzerland next to Germany welcome us with the mighty Matterhorn. At long last, a little yodeler is seen on top of the mountains. We've all heard him, and it's about time we actually see him. There are also several cuckoo clocks marked by bell-ringing dolls in lederhosen and mountain goats rocking their heads from side to side.
After passing by Italy on the other side of the canal, Greece (which is oddly in the Asian scene here for some reason. Russia's also there for some reason as well.) is seen, marked by flying pegasus horses overhead (a la the hot-air balloons and tightrope walkers seen earlier in the ride), Mount Olympus, and a pair of sheep listening to the pan flute-stylings of their master.
As we prepare to depart Europe, we pass through a cave beneath Russia's Saint Basil's Cathedral where a trio of Cossack dancers twirl in circles and Russian girls perform a dance to the musical accompaniment of a fez-wearing bear playing a street organ. Nearby, Russian musicians provide an eerie musical transition between Europe and the next scene:
~Asia~
Upon passing by this skyline, you pass under an archway, pass by India and Thailand, and then go on into...
~The Middle East~
~Africa~
First and foremost, a pair of hyenas wildly laugh at the rainy misfortune of the animals across the way, closely neighbored by a blue and pink-striped zebra, flower-spotted rhino, and yellow chimpanzee pounding away at their own individual bongos. Additional frogs and a secondary crocodile float amid the swampy waters in the foreground, whilst several African children sing the song in English from an island, joined by a red and yellow lion hosting a flute-playing boy atop his head. In a large alcove overlooking the scene, the sun shines high. Back below, a sheltered-dance floor features several African girls dancing in a circle, also singing in English. A droopy-eyed hippo covered in flowers rests near the exit of the scene, gleefully being pecked by a couple of "peck-peck birds" on its back. Before departing from the scene, we pass beneath the head of a pink African elephant swaying its head back and forth, several children sitting on its tusks and playing instruments.
~The Islands~
On the right-hand side, Hawai'i and Polynesia find representation in the form of rapidly-shaking hula dancers, a boy on a teetering surfboard, and Polynesian boys spinning around in the flames of twirling volcanoes. Tiki heads and tribal masks line the water's edge, leading the canal path into the mouth of a Tiki Room-like structure, our entrance into...
~The Americas~
As we enter the North American scene, to our left, we are treated to the sights and sounds of Canada. A child dressed as a Canadian mountie waves to us, happily singing along. A couple of head-rocking, smiling moose stand on either side of the mountie. a pair of Kwakiutl totem poles also move their "wings" up and down, standing in the foreground of a tree-capped mountain range. An ice-skating rink painted with Kwakiutl symbols also resides in the foreground, two hockey-playing children engaging in a match.
To the right is a scene from Hong Kong: a rugged Southwestern desert with coyotes and cacti. coyotes yip and yowl from atop red-rock buttes and clifftops, welcoming us to the Old West. A Plains Indian Chief pounds a drum from a nearby butte, joined by several Native American girls dancing and a trio of large kachina dolls opening and closing their mouths in time with the lyrics (so it looks like they're singing along, too). Nearby is a small western diorama featuring a saloon, hotel, and bank. Several cacti wearing bandito clothing rock back and forth among the desert rocks, while saloon showgirls perform a kickline on the saloon's rooftop, a cowboy tipping his hat to us from in front of the hotel. A horse and mustachioed cowboy toy roast weenies over a crackling campfire, subduing the right-hand side of the scene into the Midwest where rolling green hills, twirling sunflowers, and a colorful barn house appear. A smiling horse takes several children on a hayride, while a trio of scarecrows move their heads back and forth in time with the music. Along the canal, dolls representing Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher appear to go fishing.
The trees of Canada and the Old West segue into a trip through the United States of the modern-day. To our right, we pass by the colorful bayous of the South past some alligators and bullfrogs. In the background, a riverboat paddles by, the familiar silhouettes of Spaceship Earth and Cinderella Castle residing on the horizon. On the adjacent side, the Capitol Building, White House, Washington Monument, Statue of Liberty, Space Needle, Mount Rushmore, Empire State Building, Freedom Tower, and Lincoln Memorial all appear in a tasteful clump, a group of children dressed as American revolutionaries right out front, one dressed as George Washington, another dressed as Abraham Lincoln.
~The Finale~
~The Goodbye Room~
This room is exactly the same as it currently is, complete with the all-new interactive screens. Once past this short passage, we then drift back outside, return to the loading dock, and depart to continue our day at the Magic Kingdom.
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Wasn't that fun? Next post, our tour of Fantasyland continues with a visit to the Enchanted Forest.
Crossing through the other side of the castle wall, guests find that they have exited out of the royal courtyard of the castle grounds and have stumbled upon the next sub-land of Fantasyland: the Enchanted Forest. The Enchanted Forest encompasses a key location in almost any major fairy tale - the woods. Tall trees of European origin provide shade from the sun, yet a sturdy hideaway for those wishing to evade the law or the eyes of any given wicked witch. At all times, a mysterious fog rolls across the dirt trail, providing a quaint but exciting sense of mystery amid the fairy tale setting. Trickling streams and miniature waterfalls roll along the side of the road, while the occasional cottage protrudes from among the tree trunks and treetops. Fiber optic LED lighting embedded in the trees make the entire area seem to sparkle in an array of magic.
We have a lot of ground to cover here, so let's begin our journey...into the woods.
Much like Storybook Village, the Enchanted Forest serves as a gateway to further adventures in the realm of fantasy, as well as a path leading to Fantasyland's two other sub-areas, Storybook Circus and Wonderland. These adventures start with an old tree, its orange and green leaves fluttering gently in the breeze. Further investigation notes that this tree is marked as "Mr. Sanders", thus identifying the tree as the home of one of the forest's friendliest inhabitants. This tree marks the entrance for one of the park's most endearing attractions, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is one of the park's biggest hits for all ages, and it's not hard to see why. Who hasn't dreamed of actually stepping inside the Hundred Acre Wood to pay a visit with that "willy nilly silly old bear"? On this ride, guests climb aboard honey pots for a voyage through scenes from the 1968 short film Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. This refurbished take on the classic dark ride actually marks a turning point in the Fantasyland dark rides. You see, unlike the two dark rides of Storybook Village--Peter Pan and "it's a small world"--Winnie the Pooh utilizes three-dimensional sets and full audio animatronic figures, a distinct turning point in our trip through Fantasyland. From Pooh on out, all the dark rides feature the latest animatronics, breathtaking sets and everything a Disney dark ride should have. In the case of Winnie the Pooh, I see it as being a completely smart move to revamp the ride and enhance it to be on par with Pooh's Hunny Hunt, the fantastic addition from Tokyo Disneyland. Its 3D sets and stuffed-animal-like animatronic definitely would make Magic Kingdom's Winnie the Pooh a cut above the others. Hundred Acre Goods, a Winnie the Pooh-themed store sits and serves as the exit to the popular attraction. Nearby, in the current location of Storybook Treats, is Rabbit's Garden, a counter-service area serving healthy goods, like fruits, vegetables, salads and the like, as well as sweets from Kanga's kitchen, like Disneyland's popular Tigger Tails. Pooh, Rabbit, Eeyore, Piglet, and Tigger all make meet-n-greet appearances in a special alcove nearby the ride.
Located just across the way, within the shelter of scattered trees, the guests will cross over a wooden bridge, a flowing river underneath, and come across the charming, quaint cottage of the Seven Dwarfs.
The cottage serves as a perfect photo opportunity. Throughout the day, Snow White, the Prince and the Seven Dwarfs themselves meet guests in front of the cottage. But, leading off the trodden trail to the right, guests will find the entrance into the tunnels of the Seven Dwarfs' Diamond Mine. Inside, a winding queue leads through the sparkling mines, bringing guests to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, a family rollercoaster, The mine train sets off, through the dwarfs' glimmering mines, before proceeding to twist and turn around the realms of the forest, passing over cliffs and beneath waterfalls.
To the left of the quaint cottage, the guests will proceed through another small section of the forest, where guests will come across another small cottage...namely, the cottage of Maurice, Belle's inventor father. Inside the cottage, you'll find a magic mirror that serves as a gateway into the Beast's castle, home of Enchanted Tales with Belle, where guests relive the story of Beauty and the Beast, as told by Belle and Lumiere. They may even become part of the story themselves!
When heading outside of the cottage, after crossing over a stone bridge passing over a river, which seems to run throughout the entire forest area, guests will find the familiar structure of the Beast's Castle at the peak of a range of mountains just up ahead. Upon coming closer to the base of the mountains, guests will find the entrance to the Beast's Castle at the base of the mountains. Upon entering the castle, guests can enjoy a meal at the wonderful Be Our Guest Restaurant. This is an expansive and elegant 550-seat dining destination located at the foot of Beast’s Castle. Whether you are enjoying a quick-service breakfast or lunch, or the stately elegance of a table-service dinner, you can dine in one of three rooms: the Ballroom, the Gallery and even the West Wing.
Back outside of the castle, continuing around the Seven Dwarfs' Mine Train, which is located right in the center of the Enchanted Forest, guests will come across the "poor provincial town" that Belle and Maurice call home. It seems only appropriate that Bonjour! Village Gifts and Gaston's Tavern are found here.
Bonjour! Village Gifts serves as the go-to place to find merchandise themed around the story of Beauty and the Beast. The dimly-lit Gaston's Tavern is marked by its wide array of antler-based decorating and bronze fountain of Gaston and LeFou just outside amid the cobblestone pavement. The menu items inside the tavern are similar to that of an actual European tavern, including beer, specialty non-alcoholic drinks, bratwurst, turkey legs, pork shanks, and meat pies. Gaston himself makes rather conceited meet-n-greet appearances just outside the tavern's entrance, often engaging in push-up competitions and wit-battles with patrons. Not only that, newly added Streetmosphere breathes new life into this area. You may find yourself in the company of the Baker or the kindly old Bookseller, LeFou may chat with you, or the Bimbettes could flirt with you.
Continuing out of the village and back into the forest, guests will soon be able to hear the distant sounds of waves crashing along the beach. From behind the new, beautifully placed palm trees, which seem to spring out of nowhere, guests will find Prince Eric's castle, amongst a rocky, lagoon backdrop. Glistening waterfalls cascade down the sides of the rock formations, as tall blades of grass propel from the beaches of the shore. At the base of the castle is a lagoon.
Let's face it--Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid is definitely one of the biggest disappointments among die-hard Disney fans. That's why I propose we get rid of it. But, despite that, Ariel's story will still be told here in Fantasyland, because I plan to replace Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid with something I like to call Voyage of the Little Mermaid.
That's right, ladies and gents: the proposed Disneyland Paris concept finally comes to life here at the Magic Kingdom. Heading deep inside the caverns alongside Prince Eric's castle, we'll find ourselves washed aboard a large seashell suspended from the ceiling, a la Peter Pan's Flight, which allows us to float and "swim" through the magnificent world under the sea. Over the course of the next four minutes, we'll journey through the various sights and sounds of The Little Mermaid, with an emphasis on those classic musical numbers we all know and love...
To the right of the castle, behind a beautiful cascade of waterfalls, Ariel's Grotto is located. Inside of the grotto, Ariel, as a mermaid, hosts meet & greets with guests.
Right across from Voyage of the Little Mermaid is Prince Eric's Village Market, a small food stand offering fruit, vegetables, chips and frozen lemonade. Located alongside the Village Market is Gadgets & Gizmos, which sells countless goods based around the story of The Little Mermaid, including--you guessed it--dinglehoppers.
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What do you guys think so far? Stay tuned, because in the next post, we'll visit Storybook Circus.
We have a lot of ground to cover here, so let's begin our journey...into the woods.
Much like Storybook Village, the Enchanted Forest serves as a gateway to further adventures in the realm of fantasy, as well as a path leading to Fantasyland's two other sub-areas, Storybook Circus and Wonderland. These adventures start with an old tree, its orange and green leaves fluttering gently in the breeze. Further investigation notes that this tree is marked as "Mr. Sanders", thus identifying the tree as the home of one of the forest's friendliest inhabitants. This tree marks the entrance for one of the park's most endearing attractions, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is one of the park's biggest hits for all ages, and it's not hard to see why. Who hasn't dreamed of actually stepping inside the Hundred Acre Wood to pay a visit with that "willy nilly silly old bear"? On this ride, guests climb aboard honey pots for a voyage through scenes from the 1968 short film Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. This refurbished take on the classic dark ride actually marks a turning point in the Fantasyland dark rides. You see, unlike the two dark rides of Storybook Village--Peter Pan and "it's a small world"--Winnie the Pooh utilizes three-dimensional sets and full audio animatronic figures, a distinct turning point in our trip through Fantasyland. From Pooh on out, all the dark rides feature the latest animatronics, breathtaking sets and everything a Disney dark ride should have. In the case of Winnie the Pooh, I see it as being a completely smart move to revamp the ride and enhance it to be on par with Pooh's Hunny Hunt, the fantastic addition from Tokyo Disneyland. Its 3D sets and stuffed-animal-like animatronic definitely would make Magic Kingdom's Winnie the Pooh a cut above the others. Hundred Acre Goods, a Winnie the Pooh-themed store sits and serves as the exit to the popular attraction. Nearby, in the current location of Storybook Treats, is Rabbit's Garden, a counter-service area serving healthy goods, like fruits, vegetables, salads and the like, as well as sweets from Kanga's kitchen, like Disneyland's popular Tigger Tails. Pooh, Rabbit, Eeyore, Piglet, and Tigger all make meet-n-greet appearances in a special alcove nearby the ride.
Located just across the way, within the shelter of scattered trees, the guests will cross over a wooden bridge, a flowing river underneath, and come across the charming, quaint cottage of the Seven Dwarfs.
To the left of the quaint cottage, the guests will proceed through another small section of the forest, where guests will come across another small cottage...namely, the cottage of Maurice, Belle's inventor father. Inside the cottage, you'll find a magic mirror that serves as a gateway into the Beast's castle, home of Enchanted Tales with Belle, where guests relive the story of Beauty and the Beast, as told by Belle and Lumiere. They may even become part of the story themselves!
When heading outside of the cottage, after crossing over a stone bridge passing over a river, which seems to run throughout the entire forest area, guests will find the familiar structure of the Beast's Castle at the peak of a range of mountains just up ahead. Upon coming closer to the base of the mountains, guests will find the entrance to the Beast's Castle at the base of the mountains. Upon entering the castle, guests can enjoy a meal at the wonderful Be Our Guest Restaurant. This is an expansive and elegant 550-seat dining destination located at the foot of Beast’s Castle. Whether you are enjoying a quick-service breakfast or lunch, or the stately elegance of a table-service dinner, you can dine in one of three rooms: the Ballroom, the Gallery and even the West Wing.
Back outside of the castle, continuing around the Seven Dwarfs' Mine Train, which is located right in the center of the Enchanted Forest, guests will come across the "poor provincial town" that Belle and Maurice call home. It seems only appropriate that Bonjour! Village Gifts and Gaston's Tavern are found here.
Continuing out of the village and back into the forest, guests will soon be able to hear the distant sounds of waves crashing along the beach. From behind the new, beautifully placed palm trees, which seem to spring out of nowhere, guests will find Prince Eric's castle, amongst a rocky, lagoon backdrop. Glistening waterfalls cascade down the sides of the rock formations, as tall blades of grass propel from the beaches of the shore. At the base of the castle is a lagoon.
That's right, ladies and gents: the proposed Disneyland Paris concept finally comes to life here at the Magic Kingdom. Heading deep inside the caverns alongside Prince Eric's castle, we'll find ourselves washed aboard a large seashell suspended from the ceiling, a la Peter Pan's Flight, which allows us to float and "swim" through the magnificent world under the sea. Over the course of the next four minutes, we'll journey through the various sights and sounds of The Little Mermaid, with an emphasis on those classic musical numbers we all know and love...
To the right of the castle, behind a beautiful cascade of waterfalls, Ariel's Grotto is located. Inside of the grotto, Ariel, as a mermaid, hosts meet & greets with guests.
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What do you guys think so far? Stay tuned, because in the next post, we'll visit Storybook Circus.
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The roar of the waterfalls nearby Prince Eric's castle seem to fade away into the distance, soon replaced by the sounds of an old-fashioned calliope. The smell of popcorn and cotton candy fills the air as our vision is filled with bright colors and vibrant excitement. We have arrived at the third sub-area of Fantasyland: Storybook Circus!
Themed around Walt Disney's 4th animated film Dumbo, Storybook Circus is a nostalgic look back at turn-of-the-century circuses. Don't be surprised if everything looks temporary, 'cause that's the point of this area. You have just stepped inside the world of a traveling circus that just set up shop on the outskirts of the Enchanted Forest, just beyond Cinderella Castle. Whereas Storybook Village and the Enchanted Forest are based on European styles, Storybook Circus takes us to an old Midwestern American town known as Carolwood Park, where the circus has come to town. Passing underneath a weathered old marquee, we find ourselves in the heart of Carolwood Park, ready to explore all the wonders the circus has to offer. Upon entering into the circus grounds, guests are met by streetmospheric circus Cast Members, such as clowns, mimes and baton twirlers. The entire area is a bustling interactive and entertainment ground for streetmosphere and live entertainment.
Large flags and posters adorn the area, while the circus seems to stretch all the way to where a series of tents is located at the far end of the land. Immediately to your left is the Big Top Souvenirs store. The entire store is inside of a huge circus tent, featuring Dumbo and Storybook Circus merchandise. The store also features the Big Top Treats snack stand, located right in the middle of the tent, offering some of the sweetest treats in all of the Magic Kingdom. Immediately on the right is Dumbo the Flying Elephant. As part of the 2012 Fantasyland expansion, the beloved park classic has been relocated here, bringing a completely new experience to the attraction.
Guests enter into another circus tent, where they proceed to enjoy an interactive queue, where the time passes rather quickly by enjoying interactive games and entertainment. Arriving at the attraction, the new Dumbo spinners, which includes an additional spinner to handle more capacity for the park, include several new touches to make the attraction even more classical. At the base of both spinners are scenic tablets, each depicting a scene from the classic movie. Below the spinning Dumbos is a new water feature, including a beautiful fountain. The Dumbos fly over the circular water feature, while the found cascades from the internal base of the attraction. At night, the entire water feature becomes illuminated with different colors, creating a vibrancy to the entire area. It is really something great to see!
In the center of Carolwood Park, guests can find the Casey Jr. Splash 'n' Soak Station, a complete water playground, themed around the classic train from the film.
Heading up a small flight of stairs towards the tents, immediately to your left are three different food carts: a popcorn cart, a hot dog cart and a pretzel cart. A few steps away from Dumbo the Flying Elephant, guests will be able to find The Barnstormer starring The Great Goofini. The newly refurbished attraction features Goofy, opening up his own sideshow attraction, in which he invites guests along his aerocraft, before proceeding to lead them through a twisting turn through his circus grounds.
To the right of the Barnstormer, the Fantasyland Train Station is located. The next stop after this station is located back on Main Street U.S.A. The Storybook Circus Station is a quaint, beautifully detailed building layered in brick and beautiful gardening.
Just to the right of the Big Top Souvenirs tent, guests will be able to find Pete's Silly Sideshow, a meet-n-greet area. This area used to involve meet-n-greets with Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy, but now, the meet-n-greet will feature more obscure characters. Pete welcomes the guests into his new establishment, a three-ringed circus, where he hosts a series of circus acts, featuring the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf, Humphrey the Bear, as well as Clarabelle Cow, Horace Horsecollar and Clara Cluck.
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What do you guys think so far? Any thoughts or comments?
Themed around Walt Disney's 4th animated film Dumbo, Storybook Circus is a nostalgic look back at turn-of-the-century circuses. Don't be surprised if everything looks temporary, 'cause that's the point of this area. You have just stepped inside the world of a traveling circus that just set up shop on the outskirts of the Enchanted Forest, just beyond Cinderella Castle. Whereas Storybook Village and the Enchanted Forest are based on European styles, Storybook Circus takes us to an old Midwestern American town known as Carolwood Park, where the circus has come to town. Passing underneath a weathered old marquee, we find ourselves in the heart of Carolwood Park, ready to explore all the wonders the circus has to offer. Upon entering into the circus grounds, guests are met by streetmospheric circus Cast Members, such as clowns, mimes and baton twirlers. The entire area is a bustling interactive and entertainment ground for streetmosphere and live entertainment.
Large flags and posters adorn the area, while the circus seems to stretch all the way to where a series of tents is located at the far end of the land. Immediately to your left is the Big Top Souvenirs store. The entire store is inside of a huge circus tent, featuring Dumbo and Storybook Circus merchandise. The store also features the Big Top Treats snack stand, located right in the middle of the tent, offering some of the sweetest treats in all of the Magic Kingdom. Immediately on the right is Dumbo the Flying Elephant. As part of the 2012 Fantasyland expansion, the beloved park classic has been relocated here, bringing a completely new experience to the attraction.
In the center of Carolwood Park, guests can find the Casey Jr. Splash 'n' Soak Station, a complete water playground, themed around the classic train from the film.
To the right of the Barnstormer, the Fantasyland Train Station is located. The next stop after this station is located back on Main Street U.S.A. The Storybook Circus Station is a quaint, beautifully detailed building layered in brick and beautiful gardening.
Nearby the Sideshow is a small rest area. Shaded by a yellow tent, this place offers guests a place to take a load off, to charge their mobile devices, to just get away from the hustle and bustle of the park.
Exiting the circus, the guests continue to walk through the forest, soon connecting back to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. However, there are two more additions to Fantasyland that have yet to be discovered...
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What do you guys think so far? Any thoughts or comments?
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Before we get to the next section of Fantasyland, I must make one thing clear: Wonderland will no longer be its own sub-land. Why not, you may ask? Three words: Frozen Ever After. Today was the day the ride opened at Epcot's Norway pavilion. I've seen all the photos and videos I could, and I must say--it's a really beautiful attraction. Amazing and backgrounds, crisp music and the animatronic/projections combinations work to their fullest. However, I want EPCOT's Norway to be more, shall we say, realistic, so in my plans, Frozen Ever After has left Norway...but has found a new home in Fantasyland.
That's why Wonderland won't be its own sub-section. Instead, a smaller Wonderland area will become part of an all-new area of Fantasyland--namely, an area we'll talk about in this post.
With all that said and done, let's dive right in.
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Continuing on from Storybook Circus, we find that the natural, realistic settings of the Enchanted Forest are starting to fade away in favor of something more fanciful and enchanting. Welcome to the newest sub-area of Fantasyland: the Gardens of Imagination.
Welcome to the lush countryside of Fantasyland, where nature reigns supreme. A meandering stream runs through the area and unifies the space. The stream spreads from the edge of the Gardens and empties out into the waterways of the nearby Hub. Manicured gardens line its banks and the abundance of greenery has a calming effect on what could have been a frenetic place. The Gardens of Imagination serve as a home for some of Disney's more fanciful films. And what film could possibly be more fanciful than Alice in Wonderland?
Catching our attention right as we enter the Gardens, an instrumental medley of songs from the film beckon us towards a Disney park staple, the Mad Tea Party.
The beauty of this attraction is two fold. First, it sits on the banks of the aforementioned stream. It is also surrounded by manicured lawns and wonderful landscaping. But the structure itself is where the real beauty comes from. A delicate roof of tinted glass covers the riders below. This canopy provides protection from the elements, but also lets the sun shine in for a brighter experience. But despite its beautiful appearance, the experience is the same. We hop aboard a teacup for a mad spin around a massive, twirling teapot inhabited by the eternally-tipsy Dormouse. Paper lanterns and stringed-lights illuminate the "dance floor" as night falls upon Wonderland, creating a magical, yet eerie glow. As with other versions of the flat-ride, we are able to control the speed and "spin" of each teacup via a wheel in the center of the "brew." For guests of a younger age, this attraction is a must-see, similar to a certain flying elephant in a different area of the park, but for guests our age who get dizzy easily...well, we'll pass. The attraction is surrounded by topiaries of Alice, the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, giant leaves and vines, hedges and flowers. Alice, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, Tweedledee, Tweedledum, the Cheshire Cat, the White Rabbit, and the Queen of Hearts all meander about in full meet-n-greet mode, causing a whole lot of general mischief and mayhem amid the truly peculiar setting.
Across from the Mad Tea Party, the strangeness of Wonderland continues. Immediately to the left is a small hedge maze. The hedges soon turn to rockwork as we come across a new sight. Serving as a way to conceal the backside of Dumbo's circus-tent queue, we find a rockwork edifice, and built into it is the Queen of Hearts' Castle. Similar to the castle in Paris, we can actually go inside the castle and climb upstairs for dramatic elevated views of Fantasyland and the rest of the park. The maze and castle should look like what you see here.
Located just a few more feet away from the tea cups is the Cheshire Cafe, a counter-service area that specializes in breakfast, desserts and frozen beverages.
Just across the stream from Wonderland is another fanciful setting. Do you see that tall snow-capped mountain peak stretching skyward? That's living proof that we've entered Arendelle, the land where the highest-grossing animated film of all time, Frozen, takes place.
The atmosphere is very Scandinavian in its design. Gabled wooden cabins and royal stone fixtures makes it feel as if we're in the kingdom from the movie. Standing tall behind these buildings is the hulking structure of the North Mountain, complete with Elsa's ice palace situated alongside it. Walking around the cobblestone streets, our attention is turned to the center-most building. This building, heavily inspired by the castle Elsa and Anna call home, serves as the entrance to Frozen Ever After. Moved over here straight from EPCOT Center, this exciting voyage takes guests on a voyage unlike any other.
The adventure begins on the docks of Arendelle, as seen in the classic animated film. After finding a seat aboard your boat, feel an Olaf-inspired smile frost across your face when the lapping waters take you right into the frozen willow forest. Soon, you’ll be rubbing shoulders with some “boulders”—a.k.a. Kristoff’s family from Troll Valley—before bracing for the cold. High up in the icy blue world of the North Mountain, Queen Elsa’s enchanting ice palace awaits! Behold the wonder… and keep an eye out for a few more Frozen friends too. Finally, hang on tight as you glide back down into the bay and conclude this “Summer Snow Day” celebration in style—complete with many of your favorite Frozen tunes!
This new attraction will take up the space formerly held by Tomorrowland Indy Speedway. While I know some may protest the removal of the Speedway, what is the point of it being there. Unlike Disneyland's original Walt Disney's Autopia, there is no nostalgia to WDW's, it's been there ever since the park opened and has no place in Tomorrowland anymore. It is actually situated to be more in Fantasyland than in Tomorrowland, so it is having a pretty serious identity crisis at the moment.
The ride exits out into Wandering Oaken's Trading Post (& Sauna). Unlike other shops in Fantasyland, this shop has two different roles: first, there's the trading post itself, where you can get your fix on Frozen merchandising, and then, there's what Oaken likes to call the "Frozen Funland", where a wide arrangement of activities are found, which include ice skating, playing in snow/ice, photo opportunities in front of snowy backdrops, and sweet treats. It’s nice and cold inside the Trading Post, a great retreat from the scorching summer sun outside. Though inexperienced guests do frequently fall on the ice skating rink, everyone seems to have a great time amidst the wintery atmosphere.
Wandering Oaken's is located on the left-hand side of this Arendelle sub-land. To the right-hand side, however, is Arendelle Treats, a Frozen-themed dessert shop. On the farthest edge of the stream, bridging Wonderland and Arendelle, is the Glacial Gazebo, which seems to be permanently decked out in ice and snow. This gazebo, which provides excellent riverside views, serves as the place for character-lovers to meet up with Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf.
All these things together make this section of the Gardens of Imagination the epi-center for all things Frozen here at Walt Disney World.
Now, heading back towards the center of the Gardens, you'll find that Cosmic Ray's has been removed. Why? Because since my vision for a Tomorrowland refurbishment (Tomorrowland 2071, if you will) will see that all original low, featureless, angular architecture be removed, it’s fitting that Cosmic Ray’s be removed, too. So, in its place, you'll find the Fantasy Gardens.
This lush, outdoor garden is as beautiful as anything you've ever seen. Here is a haven of trees, flowers, topiaries, statues and just pure beauty. Stone bridges pass over tiny babbling brooks that soon spread out into the waterways of the Hub. If you should stroll along the path's meandering pathways, you find yourself within eyesight of a picturesque gathering of five unique gazebos. At each magical destination, you’re invited to shake hands, share hugs, receive autographs and pose for photos with some of your favorite Disney friends.
As classic Disney movie music plays overhead, explore Fantasy Gardens at your own pace. You never know who you might see here in the Fantasy Gardens, because each day brings something different (much like the former Fantasyland Character Festival area). This, combined with the dedicated M&G locations in Storybook Circus and Fantasy Forest, fulfills the park’s stationary M&G needs.
As stated before, there are five different gazebos. Here's who you'll usually find here:
Across the way is the Storyteller's Nook. Long-time visitors to the park may know this place by its former name, Fairytale Garden, but now, it has taken on a more fitting name due to what has been happening here. As suggested by its name, Storyteller's Nook is a place where the storytellers of the kingdom come to weave some of the kingdom's most well-known tales. And as given by the inordinate amount of bizarre props being strewn over the stage, this is only proof that storytellers have indeed gathered here. But these aren't just any story-tellers...
That's right. Mr. Smythe and Mr. Jones have set up shop here, inviting one and all to come share in their stories. The "olde" minstrels retell several classic Disney stories in 25-minute shows with the help of two lovely assistants, and actual characters from the stories they tell, as well as the musical accompaniment of the kingdom's revered pianist, Sir Samuel of Morocco. Each story is presented through makeshift props, minimal set pieces, and of course, humorous slapstick, song, and dance. Unlike Disneyland in California, more than three stories are retold here throughout the day: Tangled, Frozen, Beauty & the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and for boys, Hercules. Plus, at the end of the show, guests are invited to come up on stage and meet the characters themselves. In addition, the players and assisants themselves are also on hand, ready to meet with anyone who wishes to meet them, too.
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Well, there we have it. Our tour of Fantasyland is complete. What do you think?
That's why Wonderland won't be its own sub-section. Instead, a smaller Wonderland area will become part of an all-new area of Fantasyland--namely, an area we'll talk about in this post.
With all that said and done, let's dive right in.
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Continuing on from Storybook Circus, we find that the natural, realistic settings of the Enchanted Forest are starting to fade away in favor of something more fanciful and enchanting. Welcome to the newest sub-area of Fantasyland: the Gardens of Imagination.
Catching our attention right as we enter the Gardens, an instrumental medley of songs from the film beckon us towards a Disney park staple, the Mad Tea Party.
Across from the Mad Tea Party, the strangeness of Wonderland continues. Immediately to the left is a small hedge maze. The hedges soon turn to rockwork as we come across a new sight. Serving as a way to conceal the backside of Dumbo's circus-tent queue, we find a rockwork edifice, and built into it is the Queen of Hearts' Castle. Similar to the castle in Paris, we can actually go inside the castle and climb upstairs for dramatic elevated views of Fantasyland and the rest of the park. The maze and castle should look like what you see here.
Just across the stream from Wonderland is another fanciful setting. Do you see that tall snow-capped mountain peak stretching skyward? That's living proof that we've entered Arendelle, the land where the highest-grossing animated film of all time, Frozen, takes place.
The atmosphere is very Scandinavian in its design. Gabled wooden cabins and royal stone fixtures makes it feel as if we're in the kingdom from the movie. Standing tall behind these buildings is the hulking structure of the North Mountain, complete with Elsa's ice palace situated alongside it. Walking around the cobblestone streets, our attention is turned to the center-most building. This building, heavily inspired by the castle Elsa and Anna call home, serves as the entrance to Frozen Ever After. Moved over here straight from EPCOT Center, this exciting voyage takes guests on a voyage unlike any other.
The adventure begins on the docks of Arendelle, as seen in the classic animated film. After finding a seat aboard your boat, feel an Olaf-inspired smile frost across your face when the lapping waters take you right into the frozen willow forest. Soon, you’ll be rubbing shoulders with some “boulders”—a.k.a. Kristoff’s family from Troll Valley—before bracing for the cold. High up in the icy blue world of the North Mountain, Queen Elsa’s enchanting ice palace awaits! Behold the wonder… and keep an eye out for a few more Frozen friends too. Finally, hang on tight as you glide back down into the bay and conclude this “Summer Snow Day” celebration in style—complete with many of your favorite Frozen tunes!
This new attraction will take up the space formerly held by Tomorrowland Indy Speedway. While I know some may protest the removal of the Speedway, what is the point of it being there. Unlike Disneyland's original Walt Disney's Autopia, there is no nostalgia to WDW's, it's been there ever since the park opened and has no place in Tomorrowland anymore. It is actually situated to be more in Fantasyland than in Tomorrowland, so it is having a pretty serious identity crisis at the moment.
The ride exits out into Wandering Oaken's Trading Post (& Sauna). Unlike other shops in Fantasyland, this shop has two different roles: first, there's the trading post itself, where you can get your fix on Frozen merchandising, and then, there's what Oaken likes to call the "Frozen Funland", where a wide arrangement of activities are found, which include ice skating, playing in snow/ice, photo opportunities in front of snowy backdrops, and sweet treats. It’s nice and cold inside the Trading Post, a great retreat from the scorching summer sun outside. Though inexperienced guests do frequently fall on the ice skating rink, everyone seems to have a great time amidst the wintery atmosphere.
Wandering Oaken's is located on the left-hand side of this Arendelle sub-land. To the right-hand side, however, is Arendelle Treats, a Frozen-themed dessert shop. On the farthest edge of the stream, bridging Wonderland and Arendelle, is the Glacial Gazebo, which seems to be permanently decked out in ice and snow. This gazebo, which provides excellent riverside views, serves as the place for character-lovers to meet up with Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf.
Now, heading back towards the center of the Gardens, you'll find that Cosmic Ray's has been removed. Why? Because since my vision for a Tomorrowland refurbishment (Tomorrowland 2071, if you will) will see that all original low, featureless, angular architecture be removed, it’s fitting that Cosmic Ray’s be removed, too. So, in its place, you'll find the Fantasy Gardens.
As classic Disney movie music plays overhead, explore Fantasy Gardens at your own pace. You never know who you might see here in the Fantasy Gardens, because each day brings something different (much like the former Fantasyland Character Festival area). This, combined with the dedicated M&G locations in Storybook Circus and Fantasy Forest, fulfills the park’s stationary M&G needs.
As stated before, there are five different gazebos. Here's who you'll usually find here:
- "Heart" Gazebo: Spend time with a beloved Disney couple at this Victorian-influenced structure featuring a delightful heart motif.
- "Friendship" Gazebo: Here, any day could bring any one of your favorite Disney characters here in this beautiful woodsy setting. Expect to see friends like Aladdin, Mary Poppins and Bert, Pinocchio, Timon, Dopey, Robin Hood, Suzy and Perla...oh, just about anyone at all!
- “Toon Fair” Gazebo: Say hello to Mickey and Minnie Mouse at this festive circus-tent-inspired destination.
- "Fairies" Gazebo: Decorated in shades of green and gold, this is the ideal place to meet Tinker Bell (due to the Town Square Theater meet & greets closing to make way for Walt Disney: One Man's Dream).
- “Crown” Gazebo: Giggle alongside Donald and Daisy, Pluto, Goofy, Duffy the Disney Bear or Chip ‘n Dale at this royal octagonal abode.
Across the way is the Storyteller's Nook. Long-time visitors to the park may know this place by its former name, Fairytale Garden, but now, it has taken on a more fitting name due to what has been happening here. As suggested by its name, Storyteller's Nook is a place where the storytellers of the kingdom come to weave some of the kingdom's most well-known tales. And as given by the inordinate amount of bizarre props being strewn over the stage, this is only proof that storytellers have indeed gathered here. But these aren't just any story-tellers...
That's right. Mr. Smythe and Mr. Jones have set up shop here, inviting one and all to come share in their stories. The "olde" minstrels retell several classic Disney stories in 25-minute shows with the help of two lovely assistants, and actual characters from the stories they tell, as well as the musical accompaniment of the kingdom's revered pianist, Sir Samuel of Morocco. Each story is presented through makeshift props, minimal set pieces, and of course, humorous slapstick, song, and dance. Unlike Disneyland in California, more than three stories are retold here throughout the day: Tangled, Frozen, Beauty & the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and for boys, Hercules. Plus, at the end of the show, guests are invited to come up on stage and meet the characters themselves. In addition, the players and assisants themselves are also on hand, ready to meet with anyone who wishes to meet them, too.
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Well, there we have it. Our tour of Fantasyland is complete. What do you think?
The future: a concept that has captivated the imaginations of the human race for millennia. Some people like Leonardo da Vinci, Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov, and even George Lucas have dedicated their lives to the future and predicting what it might become. Here is a home to the legacies of these and other great visionaries throughout history. The twin orbits of innovation and imagination come together to creates exciting adventures for all to enjoy. Welcome to Tomorrowland.
Entering Tomorrowland from the Hub, the land's experience begins the very second we approach its entryway. Magnificent fountains (That glow in beautiful colors at night) spurt up from the river beneath our feet as we cross a metallic bridge baring the colors of green and copper. A neon, electrified sign reads the land's name. Otherworldly rock formations are nestled up along the banks of the Hub's waterways. Just beyond the sign a metropolis of futuristic architecture and lighting make up Tomorrowland. We're not quite sure if they are spacecraft, futuristic dwellings, or some type of machinery. Entering Tomorrowland is like entering a world of neon colors and bizarre architecture straight from the pages of a Buck Rogers comic book or the reels of a Star Wars film.
The entire land will receive an extensive refurbishment, not just in attractions, but also for the exteriors of the land. What do I mean by that? Well, I think S.W. Wilson of Ideal Buildout put it best...
"The 1994 re-do of MK’s Tomorrowland, intended to evoke 1920s/30s pulp Sci-Fi serials like Buck Rogers and Popular Science magazine, introduced a new design style to theme parks, sometimes referred to as ‘Deco-Tech’ (featuring riveted metal plates, glass domes, mechanical palm trees, extra-terrestrial rock formations, etc). I think this re-do was well-conceived and generally well-executed, including the brilliant Avenue of Planets night lighting package, the Astro-Orbitor and one of the best-ever pre-shows featuring the perfectly-programmed and -voiced S.I.R..
One thing that has always vexed me about the 1994 re-do, however, is that once you pass Rockettower Plaza, New Tomorrowland comes to an awkward end, and you’re back in Old Tomorrowland (clearly the land-wide alteration must have seen budget-slashing). There are a few adornments around Cosmic Ray’s (including Sonny Eclipse), but most of the major visual elements (Space Mountain, the majority of the Peoplemover track, Carousel of Progress, the Speedway) remain mostly in the old 1970s style.
Themed lands are like orchestras, and while each section has different instruments making different sounds, they need to be in pitch in order to deliver a pleasing end result. These two styles (Deco-Tech and 1970s Saarinenesque) do not harmonize."
So, with that said, I plan to apply the Deco-Tech architectural styling to the entire land (excepting the iconic Space Mountain). For example, in S.W.'s illustration for an improved Tomorrowland, which you can see below, he applied metallic fins to the rear 2/3 of the Peoplemover. He allso added new spires, domes and other ornamentation to the land’s buildings.
The concept behind Tomorrowland is simple: Tomorrowland is essentially "the future that never was", heavily inspired by early 20th-century science fiction. When the Magic Kingdom first opened, Tomorrowland was a conceptual place - geometric exteriors to big, flat showbuildings. But then, in 1994, things changed. Now, Tomorrowland is an intergalactic alien spaceport – a stop over for extraterrestrial visitors on their journey through hyperspace. New Tomorrowland was designed as a real, functioning city of the future (not unlike Frontierland being a functioning city of the past). Each of the land’s rides takes place in one continuity. This new, thriving metropolis isn't just conceptual place, it's a habitable one. People, aliens and robots live, work, and play as one in this urban landscape.
With this new refurbishment, Tomorrowland now is more alive than ever. Bridges, catwalks, and escalators have created an entire navigable second floor, creating a vast urban area that can be explored and viewed from many vantage points with shops and restaurants overhead, people passing over metallic bridges. This second floor is achieved by a new form of topography. As the guests pass through Fantasyland, the pathway gradually rises (as the Tomorrowland pathway descends) so by the time you enter Tomorrowland from Fantasyland, you are on the 2nd level. Pretty cool, huh? The 2nd walkway is the way to go should you decide to visit Astro Orbiter. Access to the walkway is available at the Fantasyland border, in front of Space Mountain and in front of Buzz Lightyear.
The land is alight with neon shimmering off of metal and crystals glowing and pulsing. Embedded in the pavement are images of gears and sprockets. These help tell the story of a futuristic city as seen by visionaries of the past. This was a time when great thinkers could not imagine transistors, circuit boards, or wifi. They couldn't bring their minds out of the machine age. As with all good cities, Tomorrowland has a signpost announcing the many service organizations found in their community. At the top of the signpost are the following words, "The future that never was, is finally here."
This “City of the Future” is entered via the magnificent Avenue of Planets, where towering architecture draws guests right into an early 20th century pulp comic book. It feels like you’re walking into a serial adventure like Buck Rogers. The design calls for striking silver, giant cogs, and neon colors. It’s truly breathtaking, and probably the most well-developed Tomorrowland style in the history of the parks. Immediately to your left is the Tomorrowland Interplanetary Convention Center. At first glance, you'll notice that the much-loathed Stitch's Great Escape has finally been removed. In its place is an all-new, redeveloped version of its predecessor...The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. You read that right. Aliens have landed.
Now, I, like many people, believe that Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor does not belong in Tomorrowland, especially with Pixar Place over at DHS. So, in the former space of the attraction, I'd bring back the attraction that replaced it: The Timekeeper.
Much like how Disney brought Captain EO back after Michael Jackson passed away, I'd bring back this beloved Circle-Vision 360 film to honor Robin Williams, who provided the voice for the titular Timekeeper. In this attraction, which takes place in the Metropolis Science Centre, the Timekeeper sends his droid 9-Eye (voice of Rhea Perlmann) through time via the time machine at his side. From there, we're transported through time, from the age of the dinosaurs into the future. At one point, we encounter Jules Verne and H.G. Wells and actually transport Jules Verne into the future along with us.
However, this film will be a bit different from what you may remember. The Timekeeper looks better than ever thanks to a new HD film (while the scenes remain the same to accommodate the Robin Williams/Rhea Perlmann dialogue; they're all new and reshot; even the Jules Verne actor is different) with new in-theater effects and magic. This whimsical attraction would be perfect for Tomorrowland, and to me, I don't know why they closed it down in the first place.
Just past the Timekeeper, in the right side of the land, is a pavilion sponsored by the Tomorrowland Metro-Retro Historical Society. Given the sponsor, it seems only fitting that another old favorite from days gone by returns. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard Dreamflight.
Dreamflight originally dazzled guests at the Magic Kingdom from 1989 to 1998, until it was replaced by Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. But now, with the advent of Tomorrowland 2071, the Imagineers decided to restore this ride to its former glory. In essence, Dreamflight is a classic Omnimover dark ride filled with animatronics and song. In robust Epcot style, Dreamflight tells the story of Man's history of aviation in a stylized pop-up book form, from the early days of barnstorming to the modern days of international air travel, climaxing with a high-speed flight through the future of air travel. Tying the ride together is an insanely catchy score composed by Edo Guidotti. The only major change the ride will receive will be, obviously, to remove all references to Delta. In addition, the original "airport" queue area will be replaced with a museum-esque area (presumably the headquarters of the TMRHS) featuring exhibits and dioramas depicting moments in the history of aviation. At the edge of this queue is a "time travel portal". When you step through it, you're at the 1920's-runway loading area.
Trust me--Dreamflight is one adventure that's sure to put you on Cloud 9.
Despite Dreamflight's return, Buzz Lightyear still has a presence in the park. The hokey 1998 toy-centric version has been scrapped in favor of something more fitting. Located right nearby Dreamflight, in the former location of the current cast member parking lot (which itself used to be the location of the Galaxy Palace Theater), guests will find the Star Command Recruiting Center, home of an all-new version of Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.
In essence, this is essentially a clone of Shanghai's Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue. Star Command is looking for assistance to help them quell the universe's latest crisis: the evil Emperor Zurg has returned to demolish the Space Aliens’ planet with a crystal-powered Superblaster. It’s up to you to infiltrate Zurg’s secret lair, neutralize his army of underlings and eliminate the weapon of “mass alien destruction” before it’s too late! Take aim as your call of duty begins—the fate of the Space Aliens’ home is in your hands! After a briefing with Buzz, board your ship and head to Zurg’s hideout armed with red and green pulse blasters that’ll help block interstellar attacks along the way.
Once you spot the “Power Source Z’s” on Zurg’s guards, fire away to accumulate points for each target hit. The more points scored, the faster you rise through the ranks of Buzz’s elite squadron. From surviving fighter ships and a siege of Sentry Bots to maneuvering through a maze of corridors and unearthing the crystal mines, Buzz and his crew continue to converge on Zurg and ultimately destroy the Superblaster—mission accomplished!
The attraction exits out into Store Command, which sells Buzz Lightyear and Toy Story merchandise. Buzz Lightyear himself often meets guests just outside the ride. Across the way, on the opposite side of Merchant of Venus is the Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies snack location, which serves ice cream, smoothies and and other sorts of snacks. Continuing past the snack location, on the left, is Star Traders, which offers Tomorrowland merchandise. Back in the center of Tomorrowland is Rockettower Plaza, where the spinning Astro Orbiter is located, looming over the rest of Tomorrowland. The elevator to get up to the ride area has been demolished. The ride is now accessible via the 2nd level pathways.
At the base of Rockettower Plaza is The Lunching Pad, a counter-service location. The plaza also features conveyor belt ramps up to the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. The Tomorrowland Transit Authority is a pleasant tour of Tomorrowland, along the blue line unit of transit. The tour takes guests above the entrances to many attractions in the land. The attraction will also have its 1994-2009 spiel restored, which you can listen to below.
Now, continuing on past up north, beyond Rockettower Plaza and next to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin is the familiar circular structure of Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress.
Carousel of Progress has been a beloved attraction ever since its inception at the 1964 New York World's Fair. This attraction is special not only because it was Walt Disney's idea from beginning to end, but also because it is an embodiment of Tomorrowland and Walt Disney World as a whole. A symbol for innovation and progress in the world, by showing the evolution of a family through time. However, since the original show was made for the final scene to show the future in the 1960s, the timeline for the attraction in 2016, is somewhat, confusing. We begin at the turn-of-the-century, then to the 20's, then to the 40's, and then we make a full 50-year jump to the "90's" vision of the future. With that apparent loss of timeline in the final scene, and the progression of 20 years then suddenly jumping over half a century, in order for the attraction itself to progress, changes should be made to update and revitalize the attraction, and now is the time, now is the best time, to see those changes become a reality.
The most elaborate part of the refurbishment will be to replace 1920, 1940, and the final scene with three all-new scenes. The first scene (1900s) will be kept just as is in honor of Walt Disney and the original incarnation. The 1920s scene will be changed to the 1950s, and the timeline will now jump 50 years instead of 20, in order to keep up with the times. The 1940s scene will be replaced with a scene at the start of the 21st century/new millenium, showing off the internet and other digital gadgets for a new age. The final scene will be replaced with a Horizons/Progress City crossover, which will be a constant remind of what the future, could be, rather than assume something in the present day or near distant future that would consistently have to be remodeled. Keeping something vague, yet tying it into the story of Tomorrowland keeps the final scene relevant to audiences for years to come, and keeps the original ideals of the attraction in tact.
On top of that, there will be a special plaque outside the attraction, seemingly a dedication of the ride directly from the people of Tomorrowland. It will read:
"Walt Disney was a dreamer and a doer; a man who cared about the world, and its problems. He believed that people could develop solutions to problems if equipped with information, technology, and opportunity. He loved the idea of progress, and he loved the American family. And he himself was probably as American as anyone could possibly be. He thought it would be fun to watch the American family go through the 20th century, experiencing all new wonders as they came. The result was 'Carousel of Progress', which first delighted guests at the New York World's Fair in 1964.
We, the people of Tomorrowland, are proud to play host to this piece of history. As long as Tomorrowland stands tall, so too shall the Carousel of Progress, as an everlasting reminder of Walt's passion and optimism for the future, and of all that we have achieved over the years."
The pointless stage, as well as the bathrooms, will be removed (side note--both dance parties that take place at MK (Incredibles and Move It Shake It) will be removed), and replacing them is an all-new version of Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe, the "first Earth restaurant franchise straight from outer space"! Here, the theming is far more detailed and elaborate than the original. Break away from your travels through Tomorrowland at this open-air terrace—all while indulging in a variety of burgers, chicken fingers, French fries, Caesar salads and more. And of course, popular alien crooner Sonny Eclipse is there to perform for the diners.
To the farthest eastern edge of the Magic Kingdom, Space Mountain is located.
This is it...one of the rides in the Magic Kingdom. Originally opened here in 1975 (one of the few rides in the park to open before Disneyland's version opened), this iconic roller-coaster sends guests hurtling into the inky blackness of space on a wild ride. This attraction will receive a very extensive refurbishment. The ride's current tracks will be removed, and a new, single track will be installed, to model it somewhat as a mixture between the Disneyland track and the Walt Disney World track. The space of the Walt Disney World dome will also allow the track's to be somewhat longer in length. The attraction will feature all new special effects, such as LED stars, new projections, soaring through asteroids, a floating meteor shower and many more effects. The entire lift hill segment will be re-designed to simulate the rocket vehicles ascending towards space, similar to Disneyland's tunnel. Plus, @mharrington had an idea about a new music score for the ride. For the ride's lift hill, he suggested using this piece of music from the 1979 film The Black Hole.
And once that music ends (and the video, too), the music changes into a custom dramatic music score, different than the music at Disneyland. He suggested a more dramatic version of this music here:
One building that never sat well with me was the barrel-vaulted arcade plopped in front of the Mountain in 1994. It’s not so much the structure itself, which is okay in isolation, but its oversized-ness and placement. Space Mountain should provide a larger-than-life backdrop to the land and be made to look even bigger than it is (forced perspective). Attaching a large, out-of-scale building to the front side damages that perspective. What I would do is add shorter, more-detailed deco-tech facades that will mark the entrance to SM. There is a large fountain and two reflecting pools in the plaza, befitting a flagship attraction of the park. (Note the WDW Railroad passes through rocks like those found at the entry, bringing visual cohesiveness to the land).
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And I think that just about does it. What do you guys think?
Entering Tomorrowland from the Hub, the land's experience begins the very second we approach its entryway. Magnificent fountains (That glow in beautiful colors at night) spurt up from the river beneath our feet as we cross a metallic bridge baring the colors of green and copper. A neon, electrified sign reads the land's name. Otherworldly rock formations are nestled up along the banks of the Hub's waterways. Just beyond the sign a metropolis of futuristic architecture and lighting make up Tomorrowland. We're not quite sure if they are spacecraft, futuristic dwellings, or some type of machinery. Entering Tomorrowland is like entering a world of neon colors and bizarre architecture straight from the pages of a Buck Rogers comic book or the reels of a Star Wars film.
The entire land will receive an extensive refurbishment, not just in attractions, but also for the exteriors of the land. What do I mean by that? Well, I think S.W. Wilson of Ideal Buildout put it best...
"The 1994 re-do of MK’s Tomorrowland, intended to evoke 1920s/30s pulp Sci-Fi serials like Buck Rogers and Popular Science magazine, introduced a new design style to theme parks, sometimes referred to as ‘Deco-Tech’ (featuring riveted metal plates, glass domes, mechanical palm trees, extra-terrestrial rock formations, etc). I think this re-do was well-conceived and generally well-executed, including the brilliant Avenue of Planets night lighting package, the Astro-Orbitor and one of the best-ever pre-shows featuring the perfectly-programmed and -voiced S.I.R..
One thing that has always vexed me about the 1994 re-do, however, is that once you pass Rockettower Plaza, New Tomorrowland comes to an awkward end, and you’re back in Old Tomorrowland (clearly the land-wide alteration must have seen budget-slashing). There are a few adornments around Cosmic Ray’s (including Sonny Eclipse), but most of the major visual elements (Space Mountain, the majority of the Peoplemover track, Carousel of Progress, the Speedway) remain mostly in the old 1970s style.
Themed lands are like orchestras, and while each section has different instruments making different sounds, they need to be in pitch in order to deliver a pleasing end result. These two styles (Deco-Tech and 1970s Saarinenesque) do not harmonize."
So, with that said, I plan to apply the Deco-Tech architectural styling to the entire land (excepting the iconic Space Mountain). For example, in S.W.'s illustration for an improved Tomorrowland, which you can see below, he applied metallic fins to the rear 2/3 of the Peoplemover. He allso added new spires, domes and other ornamentation to the land’s buildings.
With this new refurbishment, Tomorrowland now is more alive than ever. Bridges, catwalks, and escalators have created an entire navigable second floor, creating a vast urban area that can be explored and viewed from many vantage points with shops and restaurants overhead, people passing over metallic bridges. This second floor is achieved by a new form of topography. As the guests pass through Fantasyland, the pathway gradually rises (as the Tomorrowland pathway descends) so by the time you enter Tomorrowland from Fantasyland, you are on the 2nd level. Pretty cool, huh? The 2nd walkway is the way to go should you decide to visit Astro Orbiter. Access to the walkway is available at the Fantasyland border, in front of Space Mountain and in front of Buzz Lightyear.
The land is alight with neon shimmering off of metal and crystals glowing and pulsing. Embedded in the pavement are images of gears and sprockets. These help tell the story of a futuristic city as seen by visionaries of the past. This was a time when great thinkers could not imagine transistors, circuit boards, or wifi. They couldn't bring their minds out of the machine age. As with all good cities, Tomorrowland has a signpost announcing the many service organizations found in their community. At the top of the signpost are the following words, "The future that never was, is finally here."
This “City of the Future” is entered via the magnificent Avenue of Planets, where towering architecture draws guests right into an early 20th century pulp comic book. It feels like you’re walking into a serial adventure like Buck Rogers. The design calls for striking silver, giant cogs, and neon colors. It’s truly breathtaking, and probably the most well-developed Tomorrowland style in the history of the parks. Immediately to your left is the Tomorrowland Interplanetary Convention Center. At first glance, you'll notice that the much-loathed Stitch's Great Escape has finally been removed. In its place is an all-new, redeveloped version of its predecessor...The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. You read that right. Aliens have landed.
http://www./wp-content/uploads/2011/10/AlienEncounterRide.jpg
In case any of you cared to remember, the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter was a fantastic Magic Kingdom attraction that relied on the use of "3D sound" and in-theater effects to scare the living daylights out of park guests. The basic premise--famed technological pioneer X-S Tech has set up shop at the TICC and they plan to demonstrate their new teleportation device. But, however, things go awry, and the teleportation signal is diverted to another planet. As a result; a towering, winged and carnivorous alien is beamed into the tube by mistake, as chaos and confusion ensue. With plenty of wit, dark humor, and some definite thrills and chills, this modern day incarnation of Alien Encounter finally accomplishes the dreams of all those Imagineers years and years ago who longed to create an immersive encounter with a bloodthirsty alien. The attraction exits out into the Merchant of Venus store.Now, I, like many people, believe that Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor does not belong in Tomorrowland, especially with Pixar Place over at DHS. So, in the former space of the attraction, I'd bring back the attraction that replaced it: The Timekeeper.
Much like how Disney brought Captain EO back after Michael Jackson passed away, I'd bring back this beloved Circle-Vision 360 film to honor Robin Williams, who provided the voice for the titular Timekeeper. In this attraction, which takes place in the Metropolis Science Centre, the Timekeeper sends his droid 9-Eye (voice of Rhea Perlmann) through time via the time machine at his side. From there, we're transported through time, from the age of the dinosaurs into the future. At one point, we encounter Jules Verne and H.G. Wells and actually transport Jules Verne into the future along with us.
However, this film will be a bit different from what you may remember. The Timekeeper looks better than ever thanks to a new HD film (while the scenes remain the same to accommodate the Robin Williams/Rhea Perlmann dialogue; they're all new and reshot; even the Jules Verne actor is different) with new in-theater effects and magic. This whimsical attraction would be perfect for Tomorrowland, and to me, I don't know why they closed it down in the first place.
Just past the Timekeeper, in the right side of the land, is a pavilion sponsored by the Tomorrowland Metro-Retro Historical Society. Given the sponsor, it seems only fitting that another old favorite from days gone by returns. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard Dreamflight.
Trust me--Dreamflight is one adventure that's sure to put you on Cloud 9.
Despite Dreamflight's return, Buzz Lightyear still has a presence in the park. The hokey 1998 toy-centric version has been scrapped in favor of something more fitting. Located right nearby Dreamflight, in the former location of the current cast member parking lot (which itself used to be the location of the Galaxy Palace Theater), guests will find the Star Command Recruiting Center, home of an all-new version of Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.
Once you spot the “Power Source Z’s” on Zurg’s guards, fire away to accumulate points for each target hit. The more points scored, the faster you rise through the ranks of Buzz’s elite squadron. From surviving fighter ships and a siege of Sentry Bots to maneuvering through a maze of corridors and unearthing the crystal mines, Buzz and his crew continue to converge on Zurg and ultimately destroy the Superblaster—mission accomplished!
The attraction exits out into Store Command, which sells Buzz Lightyear and Toy Story merchandise. Buzz Lightyear himself often meets guests just outside the ride. Across the way, on the opposite side of Merchant of Venus is the Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies snack location, which serves ice cream, smoothies and and other sorts of snacks. Continuing past the snack location, on the left, is Star Traders, which offers Tomorrowland merchandise. Back in the center of Tomorrowland is Rockettower Plaza, where the spinning Astro Orbiter is located, looming over the rest of Tomorrowland. The elevator to get up to the ride area has been demolished. The ride is now accessible via the 2nd level pathways.
Now, continuing on past up north, beyond Rockettower Plaza and next to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin is the familiar circular structure of Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress.
Carousel of Progress has been a beloved attraction ever since its inception at the 1964 New York World's Fair. This attraction is special not only because it was Walt Disney's idea from beginning to end, but also because it is an embodiment of Tomorrowland and Walt Disney World as a whole. A symbol for innovation and progress in the world, by showing the evolution of a family through time. However, since the original show was made for the final scene to show the future in the 1960s, the timeline for the attraction in 2016, is somewhat, confusing. We begin at the turn-of-the-century, then to the 20's, then to the 40's, and then we make a full 50-year jump to the "90's" vision of the future. With that apparent loss of timeline in the final scene, and the progression of 20 years then suddenly jumping over half a century, in order for the attraction itself to progress, changes should be made to update and revitalize the attraction, and now is the time, now is the best time, to see those changes become a reality.
The most elaborate part of the refurbishment will be to replace 1920, 1940, and the final scene with three all-new scenes. The first scene (1900s) will be kept just as is in honor of Walt Disney and the original incarnation. The 1920s scene will be changed to the 1950s, and the timeline will now jump 50 years instead of 20, in order to keep up with the times. The 1940s scene will be replaced with a scene at the start of the 21st century/new millenium, showing off the internet and other digital gadgets for a new age. The final scene will be replaced with a Horizons/Progress City crossover, which will be a constant remind of what the future, could be, rather than assume something in the present day or near distant future that would consistently have to be remodeled. Keeping something vague, yet tying it into the story of Tomorrowland keeps the final scene relevant to audiences for years to come, and keeps the original ideals of the attraction in tact.
On top of that, there will be a special plaque outside the attraction, seemingly a dedication of the ride directly from the people of Tomorrowland. It will read:
"Walt Disney was a dreamer and a doer; a man who cared about the world, and its problems. He believed that people could develop solutions to problems if equipped with information, technology, and opportunity. He loved the idea of progress, and he loved the American family. And he himself was probably as American as anyone could possibly be. He thought it would be fun to watch the American family go through the 20th century, experiencing all new wonders as they came. The result was 'Carousel of Progress', which first delighted guests at the New York World's Fair in 1964.
We, the people of Tomorrowland, are proud to play host to this piece of history. As long as Tomorrowland stands tall, so too shall the Carousel of Progress, as an everlasting reminder of Walt's passion and optimism for the future, and of all that we have achieved over the years."
The pointless stage, as well as the bathrooms, will be removed (side note--both dance parties that take place at MK (Incredibles and Move It Shake It) will be removed), and replacing them is an all-new version of Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe, the "first Earth restaurant franchise straight from outer space"! Here, the theming is far more detailed and elaborate than the original. Break away from your travels through Tomorrowland at this open-air terrace—all while indulging in a variety of burgers, chicken fingers, French fries, Caesar salads and more. And of course, popular alien crooner Sonny Eclipse is there to perform for the diners.
To the farthest eastern edge of the Magic Kingdom, Space Mountain is located.
And once that music ends (and the video, too), the music changes into a custom dramatic music score, different than the music at Disneyland. He suggested a more dramatic version of this music here:
One building that never sat well with me was the barrel-vaulted arcade plopped in front of the Mountain in 1994. It’s not so much the structure itself, which is okay in isolation, but its oversized-ness and placement. Space Mountain should provide a larger-than-life backdrop to the land and be made to look even bigger than it is (forced perspective). Attaching a large, out-of-scale building to the front side damages that perspective. What I would do is add shorter, more-detailed deco-tech facades that will mark the entrance to SM. There is a large fountain and two reflecting pools in the plaza, befitting a flagship attraction of the park. (Note the WDW Railroad passes through rocks like those found at the entry, bringing visual cohesiveness to the land).
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And I think that just about does it. What do you guys think?
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Twilight_Roxas
Well-Known Member
Brilliancy even the Marvel theme Alien Encounter. That's a easy way to revive a classic attraction by mixing it to Marvel.
Jack Pumpkinhead
Well-Known Member
The future: a concept that has captivated the imaginations of the human race for millennia. Some people like Leonardo da Vinci, Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov, and even George Lucas have dedicated their lives to the future and predicting what it might become. Here is a home to the legacies of these and other great visionaries throughout history. The twin orbits of innovation and imagination come together to creates exciting adventures for all to enjoy. Welcome to Tomorrowland.
Entering Tomorrowland from the Hub, the land's experience begins the very second we approach its entryway. Magnificent fountains (That glow in beautiful colors at night) spurt up from the river beneath our feet as we cross a metallic bridge baring the colors of green and copper. A neon, electrified sign reads the land's name. Just beyond the sign a metropolis of futuristic architecture and lighting make up Tomorrowland. Entering Tomorrowland is like entering a world of neon colors and bizarre architecture straight from the pages of a Buck Rogers comic book or the reels of a Star Wars film.
The entire land will receive an extensive refurbishment, not just in attractions, but also for the exteriors of the land. What do I mean by that? Well, I think S.W. Wilson of Ideal Buildout put it best...
"The 1994 re-do of MK’s Tomorrowland, intended to evoke 1920s/30s pulp Sci-Fi serials like Buck Rogers and Popular Science magazine, introduced a new design style to theme parks, sometimes referred to as ‘Deco-Tech’ (featuring riveted metal plates, glass domes, mechanical palm trees, extra-terrestrial rock formations, etc). I think this re-do was well-conceived and generally well-executed, including the brilliant Avenue of Planets night lighting package, the Astro-Orbitor and one of the best-ever pre-shows featuring the perfectly-programmed and -voiced S.I.R..
One thing that has always vexed me about the 1994 re-do, however, is that once you pass Rockettower Plaza, New Tomorrowland comes to an awkward end, and you’re back in Old Tomorrowland (clearly the land-wide alteration must have seen budget-slashing). There are a few adornments around Cosmic Ray’s (including Sonny Eclipse), but most of the major visual elements (Space Mountain, the majority of the Peoplemover track, Carousel of Progress, the Speedway) remain mostly in the old 1970s style.
Themed lands are like orchestras, and while each section has different instruments making different sounds, they need to be in pitch in order to deliver a pleasing end result. These two styles (Deco-Tech and 1970s Saarinenesque) do not harmonize."
So, with that said, I plan to apply the Deco-Tech architectural styling to the entire land (excepting the iconic Space Mountain). For example, in S.W.'s illustration for an improved Tomorrowland, which you can see below, he applied metallic fins to the rear 2/3 of the Peoplemover. He allso added new spires, domes and other ornamentation to the land’s buildings.
Not only will I have given the Deco-Tech theming to the whole land, but I plan to give the land a new backstory: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to...Tomorrowland 2071.
The concept is simple: the year is 2071 (WDW's 100th birthday) and things have changed. Once, Tomorrowland was a conceptual place - geometric exteriors to big, flat showbuildings. But now, Tomorrowland is (much like it is now) an intergalactic alien spaceport – a stop over for extraterrestrial visitors on their journey through hyperspace. In this new New Tomorrowland, a trip to Mars is as simple as a trip downtown.
You ever notice those rocks at the entrance to Tomorrowland today? They'd get changed up a bit to better fit this new backstory. You see, along the land's main entry, you'll see odd formations: crystals and rocks jutting up from the ground, undulating with light. Whatever these new, strange formations are, they seem to pulse with energy, creating an otherworldly, fantasy landscape. The story here is that these supernatural crystals – uncovered during the construction of this New Tomororwland – were ancient, buried beacons left by sentient beings. Now uncovered and exposed to Earth's sun, the glowing crystals are transmitting messages deep into space, drawing aliens who had long forgotten about Earth.
Now with a re-established relationship, Tomorrowland has turned out to be the perfect place for those aliens to rebuild their Earth port. This new, thriving metropolis isn't just conceptual place, it's a habitable one. People – and aliens – live, work, and play in this urban landscape. There are landed spacecrafts, shops and restaurants run by alien immigrants, and launch ports for you to travel into the wild reaches of outer space.
With this new refurbishment, Tomorrowland now is more alive than ever. Bridges, catwalks, and escalators have created an entire navigable second floor, creating a vast urban area that can be explored and viewed from many vantage points with shops and restaurants overhead, people passing over metallic bridges. This second floor is achieved by a new form of topography. As the guests pass through Fantasyland, the pathway gradually rises (as the Tomorrowland pathway descends) so by the time you enter Tomorrowland from Fantasyland, you are on the 2nd level. Pretty cool, huh? The 2nd walkway is the way to go should you decide to visit Astro Orbiter or Astronomer's Club. Access to the walkway is available at the Fantasyland border, in front of Space Mountain and in front of Buzz Lightyear.
The land is alight with neon shimmering off of metal and crystals glowing and pulsing. In fact, those supernatural crystals I told you about are spread out throughout the land, providing power to all of the area. And you couldn't have picked a better time to visit Tomorrowland, because the spaceport is playing host to a "galactic World's Fair", giving reason for many of the diverse exhibits and attractions. Many of the attractions take place in their own special "pavilions", if you will (for convenience, the pavilions' names will be italicized). All of the attractions and dining facilities have been re-worked to make Tomorrowland a more coherent world.
Moving further into the land, on the left, is the Tomorrowland Interplanetary Convention Center. At first glance, you'll notice that the much-loathed Stitch's Great Escape has finally been removed. In its place is an all-new, redeveloped version of its predecessor...but with quite a twist. Enter Guardians of the Galaxy: An ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. You read that right. Aliens have landed...as has Star Lord.
http://www./wp-content/uploads/2011/10/AlienEncounterRide.jpgIn case any of you cared to remember, the original ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter was a fantastic Magic Kingdom attraction that relied on the use of "3D sound" and in-theater effects to scare the living daylights out of park guests, centering around a man-eating alien that broke loose and menaced the spectators in the dark. Sadly, the attraction was plagued with complaints by those who did not read the logo, as well as being in the wrong park at the wrong time. This is no longer the case.
Jump ahead decades past Alien Encounter's untimely demise. Tomorrowland now boasts a new and far more light-hearted (but still scary) take on the would-be classic attraction. Inside the Convention Center, we learn of the Guardians landing in Tomorrowland as per the request of X-S Tech chairman L.C. Clench to examine some strange alien relics found deep below Tomorrowland. Believing to know something of their origin, the Guardians invite us to take part in the demonstration and investigation of the relics. Starting with an introduction by S.I.R. and Skippy, back from the grave, we are ushered into a viewing chamber where the Guardians strap us in and unintentionally resurrect an unnatural alien creature that is centuries old and hungry for some din-din. Luckily, Groot and Rocket are both well-equipped to save us from the ancient creature. With plenty of wit, dark humor, and some definite thrills and chills, this modern day Marvel-incarnation of Alien Encounter finally accomplishes the dreams of all those Imagineers years and years ago who longed to create an immersive encounter with a bloodthirsty alien. The attraction exits out into the Merchant of Venus store.
Now, I, like many people, believe that Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor does not belong in Tomorrowland, especially with Pixar Place over at DHS. So, in the former space of the attraction, I'd bring back the attraction that replaced it: The Timekeeper.
Much like how Disney brought Captain EO back after Michael Jackson passed away, I'd bring back this beloved Circle-Vision 360 film to honor Robin Williams, who provided the voice for the titular Timekeeper. In this attraction, which takes place in the Metropolis Science Centre, the Timekeeper sends his droid 9-Eye (voice of Rhea Perlmann) through time via the time machine at his side. From there, we're transported through time, from the age of the dinosaurs into the future. At one point, we encounter Jules Verne and H.G. Wells and actually transport Jules Verne into the future along with us.
However, this film will be a bit different from what you may remember. The Timekeeper looks better than ever thanks to a new HD film (while the scenes remain the same to accommodate the Robin Williams/Rhea Perlmann dialogue; they're all new and reshot; even the Jules Verne actor is different) with new in-theater effects and magic. This whimsical attraction would be perfect for Tomorrowland, and to me, I don't know why they closed it down in the first place.
Just past the Timekeeper, in the right side of the land, is a pavilion sponsored by the Tomorrowland Metro-Retro Historical Society. Given the sponsor, it seems only fitting that another old favorite from days gone by returns. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard Dreamflight.
Dreamflight originally dazzled guests at the Magic Kingdom from 1989 to 1998, until it was replaced by Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. But now, with the advent of Tomorrowland 2071, the Imagineers decided to restore this ride to its former glory. In essence, Dreamflight is a classic Omnimover dark ride filled with animatronics and song. In robust Epcot style, Dreamflight tells the story of Man's history of aviation in a stylized pop-up book form, from the early days of barnstorming to the modern days of international air travel, climaxing with a high-speed flight through the future of air travel. Tying the ride together is an insanely catchy score composed by Edo Guidotti. The only major change the ride will receive will be, obviously, to remove all references to Delta. Trust me--Dreamflight is one adventure that's sure to put you on Cloud 9.
Despite Dreamflight's return, Buzz Lightyear still has a presence in the park. The hokey 1998 toy-centric version has been scrapped in favor of something more fitting. Located right nearby Dreamflight, in the former location of the current cast member parking lot (which itself used to be the location of the Galaxy Palace Theater), guests will find the Star Command Recruiting Center, home of an all-new version of Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.
In essence, this is essentially a clone of Shanghai's Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue. Star Command is looking for assistance to help them quell the universe's latest crisis: the evil Emperor Zurg has returned to demolish the Space Aliens’ planet with a crystal-powered Superblaster. It’s up to you to infiltrate Zurg’s secret lair, neutralize his army of underlings and eliminate the weapon of “mass alien destruction” before it’s too late! Take aim as your call of duty begins—the fate of the Space Aliens’ home is in your hands! After a briefing with Buzz, board your ship and head to Zurg’s hideout armed with red and green pulse blasters that’ll help block interstellar attacks along the way.
Once you spot the “Power Source Z’s” on Zurg’s guards, fire away to accumulate points for each target hit. The more points scored, the faster you rise through the ranks of Buzz’s elite squadron. From surviving fighter ships and a siege of Sentry Bots to maneuvering through a maze of corridors and unearthing the crystal mines, Buzz and his crew continue to converge on Zurg and ultimately destroy the Superblaster—mission accomplished!
The attraction exits out into Store Command, which sells Buzz Lightyear and Toy Story merchandise. Buzz Lightyear himself often meets guests just outside the ride. Across the way, on the opposite side of Merchant of Venus is the Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies snack location, which serves ice cream, smoothies and and other sorts of snacks. Continuing past the snack location, on the left, is Star Traders, which offers Tomorrowland merchandise.
Nearby, another alien encounter provides a way for kids to see aliens without being scared out of their wits. Welcome to the Space Traffic Control Center, home of Stitch Encounter.
This fan favorite, placed directly behind the show building for Frozen Ever After in Fantasyland, makes it fifth home (after Hong Kong, Paris, Tokyo and Shanghai) here in Tomorrowland 2071. It seems like everyone’s favorite blue cosmic monster has “borrowed” Gantu’s ship for an impromptu trip. Thanks to powerful tracking devices, Crisis Command pinpoints his whereabouts and establishes interstellar communication. Stitch is happy to talk, tell jokes and play games with all his new friends, despite knowing the Federation’s hot on his trail.
After receiving an alert that Gantu’s boarding the ship, our furry little friend needs to find his space cruiser fast. Will Stitch escape and return home to his “ohana” before the Captain closes in? Find out by embarking on an extraterrestrial trek that takes you from one end of the wacky galaxy to the next!
Back in the center of Tomorrowland is Rockettower Plaza, where the spinning Astro Orbiter is located, looming over the rest of Tomorrowland. The elevator to get up to the ride area has been demolished. The ride is now accessible via the 2nd level pathways.
At the base of Rockettower Plaza is The Lunching Pad, a counter-service location. The plaza also features conveyor belt ramps up to the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. The Tomorrowland Transit Authority is a pleasant tour of Tomorrowland, along the blue line unit of transit. The tour takes guests above the entrances to many attractions in the land. The attraction will also have its 1994-2009 spiel restored, which you can listen to below.
Now, Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress, while a classic, really has no place within this setting. So, with that said, I've decided to move the attraction elsewhere and turn the former theater area into the Galaxy Palace Theater. The theater retains the same look as that of the original Carousel theater (albeit with Deco-Tech styling), but the interior will be completely re-gutted and the rotating part gone. Why is this happening? Because a new show is coming to town, in the form of Plectu's Intergalactic Revue (I was inspired by @ScorpionX's concept for a new take on the idea, known as the Galactic Cabaret, so credit to ScorpionX).
Entering the theater, you see a very lavish lobby, combining the art-deco of the 20s and 30s with the Tomorrowland 2071 motif. Adorning the walls are posters for such acts as "Mysteria the Magnificent", one of the galaxy's most talented magicians, and "Dr. Doodad and his Duds", a garage band from the planet Zork. To your right, you may see Security Officer Xyzzy sleeping in his booth with a half-eaten box of donuts. On the other side of the lobby is Garz, who manages the concession stand.
A cast members informs us it's showtime, and we enter the theater. It's a grand theater, one fit for a galactic emperor? Columns soar to the heavens, decorated with the god of extraterrestrial civilizations. At our level is a sea of seats, ready to accommodate the next set of guests. Getting seated, you may hear the voices of the aliens backstage getting ready.
A few minutes later, the lights go down. We are introduced to a friendly alien entertainer, the eponymous Plectu. After an opening number sung by Plectu, we're treated to a series of alien acts, including...
Plectu's Intergalactic Revue should serve as a perfect way to showcase the "alien" aspect of the sci-fi feeling of Tomorrowland.
- Ulysses the Great, an alien trainer who kidnaps Earthlings (humans) and makes them do silly tricks (think the kind you'd see a seal or a clown do)
- Lady Mysteria, an opera-singing swamp monster
- Mysteria the Magnificent, a fine magician who cast spells upon the theater, causing glow-in-the-dark, water sprinkles, and bubble effects
- Narf, Darf, and Barf, a comedy trio, much like the Three Stooges, who perform a series of slapstick routines
- A choir of man-eating plants
- C-15 Baldini, a big band singer based on a mix of the Rat Pack members
- Dr. Doodad and his Duds, the previously mentioned garageband that performs a song from their "totally wicked mixtape that, like, the entire galaxy's gonna buy!"
- The grand finale, where all the acts come together to sing a "Thanks for coming" song.
Located on the second floor of the Galaxy Palace Theater is the Astronomer's Club, an all-new restaurant.
To the right of the theater, another curved escalator takes guests up to the dining area. The dining area is at the center of the second floor with the edges open to the queue space below. Full size glass windows give a view out to Tomorrowland. The food and look could be pretty futuristic. And ever since Cosmic Ray's left to make room for the Fantasy Gardens, this is where Sonny Eclipse performs for the diners.
No Tomorrowland has a really good futuristic table service restaurant so hopefully this could fix that.
Speaking of restaurants, the pointless stage, as well as the bathrooms, will be removed (side note--both dance parties that take place at MK (Incredibles and Move It Shake It) will be removed), and replacing them is the Stargazer Grill, a new quick-service restaurant. Break away from your travels through Tomorrowland at this open-air terrace—all while indulging in a variety of burgers, chicken fingers, French fries, Caesar salads and more.
To the farthest eastern edge of the Magic Kingdom, Space Mountain is located.
This is it...one of the rides in the Magic Kingdom. Originally opened here in 1975 (one of the few rides in the park to open before Disneyland's version opened), this iconic roller-coaster sends guests hurtling into the inky blackness of space on a wild ride. This attraction will receive a very extensive refurbishment. The ride's current tracks will be removed, and a new, single track will be installed, to model it somewhat as a mixture between the Disneyland track and the Walt Disney World track. The space of the Walt Disney World dome will also allow the track's to be somewhat longer in length. The attraction will feature all new special effects, such as LED stars, new projections, soaring through asteroids, a floating meteor shower and many more effects. The entire lift hill segment will be re-designed to simulate the rocket vehicles ascending towards space, similar to Disneyland's tunnel. Plus, @mharrington had an idea about a new music score for the ride. For the ride's lift hill, he suggested using this piece of music from the 1979 film The Black Hole.
And once that music ends (and the video, too), the music changes into a custom dramatic music score, different than the music at Disneyland. He suggested a more dramatic version of this music here:
One building that never sat well with me was the barrel-vaulted arcade plopped in front of the Mountain in 1994. It’s not so much the structure itself, which is okay in isolation, but its oversized-ness and placement. Space Mountain should provide a larger-than-life backdrop to the land and be made to look even bigger than it is (forced perspective). Attaching a large, out-of-scale building to the front side damages that perspective. What I would do is add shorter, more-detailed deco-tech facades that will mark the entrance to SM. There is a large fountain and two reflecting pools in the plaza, befitting a flagship attraction of the park. (Note the WDW Railroad passes through rocks like those found at the entry, bringing visual cohesiveness to the land).
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And I think that just about does it. What do you guys think?
As brilliant as your ideas go, retheming Stitch's Great Escape to Guardians of The Galaxy isn't the smartest. In fact, it's just as bad if not worse than Stitch. Guardians of The Galaxy doesn't really work in Tomorrowland as well as it is a drop tower or a theater-in-the-round. Maybe a Star Tours esque attractions or a roller coaster. Neither is it the right way to introduce Marvel as an attraction in WDW. An idea for a theater-in-the-round in Deco Tech Tomorrowland would be time traveling or alien encounter (making it IP based might not be your best option). And another thing; since Toy Story is going to become bigger in Hollywood Studios, so maybe you can retheme or replace the attraction with something else like Wall-E persay. The ending of Wall-E was when Earth was recolonized, so it does make sense to Tomorrowland's context.
I guess you are right about that. Besides, I just remembered the contract between Disney and Universal regarding Marvel. And although properties like Guardians of the Galaxy and Big Hero 6 weren't involved, I'm sure it will be very confusing when, years from now when MCU movies feature the Avengers and the GotG together, it'll be confusing to have rides based around them in two different parks.
As for Wall-E, the film takes place in 2806, and this land, as stated before, takes place in 2071. I don't think it would fit within the timeline.
Twilight_Roxas
Well-Known Member
Don't change the Marvel adaptation DisneyOneMan. Its the only way they could bring it back.
Jack Pumpkinhead
Well-Known Member
No it ain't. Two or three options. Hollywood Studios (or whatever D.M.1 wants to call it), or a fifth gate about Marvel or features a zone about Marvel.
Let's move on...or rather, move back to Fantasyland. I've decided to go over the changes I'd make to Winnie the Pooh, so let's get started.
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As sun sets over the Magic Kingdom, we notice that we have a bit of time before the nighttime entertainment is scheduled to start. So, we decide to head back to Fantasyland to take a journey aboard The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, now that the line has gotten quite short. As stated before, the ride has been given a Tokyo-esque makeover. Let's see what's in store!
I plan to make the most of the small footprint the ride occupies. As you can see in the picture below...
...the current ride takes up less space than its predecessor, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. I plan to change that with this new version of the ride. If you notice the white area to your right, you'll see it was originally used for storage and maintenance. In order to make room for expanded scenes, I'd set something up so that as the vehicles go through the loading area, their batteries get charged or something.
Not only will the ride system be updated, the overall look of the ride will be updated as well. The character animatronics will be changed to look more like those at Tokyo. Over there, the character animatronics not only blink and move their mouths, but they actually look like real stuffed animals! As for the scenery, the 2D cutouts will be gone forever, replaced with full-fledged 3D sculptures (especially in the case of the Heffalumps and Woozles scene).
Now, let's get on to the ride experience itself. First of all, let's talk about the loading area. This is what the ride's loading area mural looks like.
With that said, I'd replace that boring green wall with a mural, designed as the iconic "storybook map of the 100 Acre Wood" from the film.
Also, I'd turn the passage the honey pots enter and exit the ride from into swinging doors made to look like the forest, much like Tokyo.
Once all are aboard their honey pot, they pass through the forest doors and enter the Hundred Acre Wood. Much of the first half of the ride takes inspiration from Tokyo, so be prepared for lots of things that are similar to Hunny Hunt. The first thing guests see is Winnie the Pooh floating past the Honey Tree. He tells us "I've got a rumbly in my tumbly. It must be time for something sweet!" However, he floats right up past the Honey Tree, and soon flies right over our heads as we head further into the Hundred Acre Wood.
Heading north, we pass by Gopher's hole. He pops up and says "If I was you, I'd think about skedaddlin' out of here...." He heads back into his hole and finishes his sentence: "...'cause it's Winds-day!" As Gopher says "Winds-day", a bunch of leaves pop up from his hole. Turning right from Gopher's hole, we pass by Rabbit's house. His vegetables are in perfect order...but Rabbit isn't. Rabbit is desperately hanging onto his clothesline to avoid blowing away into the wind. "Why me? Why me?" he gripes.
Nearby Rabbit's house is the home of Kanga and Roo. Kanga is desperately holding on to Roo's kite, lest he blow away. "Hang on tightly, Roo!" she calls up to him. But Roo isn't fazed in the least. "Look, Mama, look!" Roo shouts ecstatically. "I'm a kite!"
From there, we proceed to do a circle around Owl's house, caught in the middle of the windstorm, rocking back and forth as if it were shaken by the wind. Also, the picture of Mr. Toad and Owl will be seen at the base of the tree, as if the wind has knocked it down there.
Pooh flies past us once again, wishing us a Happy Winds-day as he flies by, heading past the home of Piglet before passing through the nearby trees. Coincidentally, the home of Piglet is our next stop. Right outside his home of "Trespassers Will" (named after his grandfather, Trespassers William). Piglet is busily raking the leaves. We overhear him saying "I don't mind the leaves that are leaving. It's the leaves that are coming." Upon seeing the leaves that constantly blow into his yard, it's hard not to agree with him.
The final abode we pass by is that of Eeyore. Eeyore is just sitting outside his little stick teepee. Suddenly, we hear Pooh call "Watch out, Eeyore!" as he floats past, knocking his stick house down to the ground. Eeyore simply states "If you ask me, he'll never reach that tree."
At the exit to the room, we pass by another forest-decorated pair of swinging doors. To our right, in front of a tree, is a clump of bushes. Suddenly, Tigger pops out from the bushes and says "Come on, everybody! Let's bounce together!" Now, this is where things start to get interesting.
Built into the honey pots is a new Kuka-arm system. This allows the pots to actually move up and down, like it was actually bouncing, unlike the current "bucking-bull"-esque bouncing movement. Anyways, this new take on the Tigger scene utilizes screens that surround us on both sides, like Tokyo's version. However, instead of him singing his song, the song plays as an instrumental as we follow Tigger around. Tigger bounces from one screen to the next. However, as we make a turn, we see him bounce so high...but he doesn't come back down. The sound of angry buzzing doesn't help much, either...
As we make a right turn, we find out what happened. We see Tigger, clinging on to a tree branch, with a beehive on his head. Is he fazed? Nope. Instead, looking around, he says "Phew! I almost bounced right outta the ride!"
Passing underneath Tigger, we pass through another pair of swinging doors and find Tigger and Pooh outside Mr. Sanders. The moon shines high overhead as Tigger says "Watch out for Heffalumps and Woozles. They steal honey." "Steal honey?" Pooh repeats, obviously worried. "Yep, sure do." Tigger responds.
We find ourselves heading towards the front door of Mr. Sanders' house. Inside, we find Pooh, fast asleep, his faithful balloon sitting right beside him. Suddenly, our car stops. The room fades away and a starfield forms. The balloon turns into a Heffalump head. Pooh starts to float away. All the while, we hear the sound of Tigger's ominous warning: "Heffalumps and Woozles...Heffalumps and Woozles steal honey...beware...beware!..."
The starfield does indeed give way to that bizarre dream-world. The eerie yet catchy refrain of the honey thieves' theme fill the air.
At the end of the tunnel, we head back into the 100 Acre Wood. However, we find that this isn't the 100 Acre Wood we began the ride in. It has now become victim to a flood-inducing rainfall.
This is basically like the Blustery Day scene, but we’ll seem to be higher due to the flood. Our honey pots will also seem to float along the water. In fact, the surrounding track will be made over with effects that really make it feel like floating on water. Anyways, once we enter the flooded wood, the first thing we see is Pooh, who is sitting on a tree branch that we go under. He sits with 10 honey pots as he says “Oh, no! I must rescue my supper!”
Passing under Pooh, we set off to see how the other residents of the Wood are holding up. Seeing as how their residencies are unavailable at the time, this leads to an all-new immersive experience. The things the characters float on have an LPS system, so it truly feels like we're really floating along with them. First, we pass by Piglet, standing on a chair, bailing water with a saucepan. He floats right out of his house towards us.
Next, we pass by Owl, sitting on a rocking chair, still talking about his relatives. Then, we pass by Eeyore, sitting on a doorframe. "First the wind, and now this..." he moans.
The final group we float by are Tigger, Kanga, Roo and Rabbit, sailing along in a turned-over umbrella, which Tigger rows. Much like before, Roo isn't fazed. "Whee! This is fun!" he says. Rabbit, on the other hand, is far more anxious. "Goodness gracious!" he says.
Then, things take a decidely darker tone. First, we pass by Pooh, stuck head-first in a spinning honey pot. Then, we pass by Tigger and Piglet, the former is trying to save the latter from a log. “We’ll save you, Piglet!” cries Tigger. “Oh, hurry, Tigger!” says Piglet. “It’s a very big waterfall!” And just as Tigger says "...Did you say..."waterfall"?" you plummet down one, getting spritzed when you land.
Now, of course, there's no way we could possibly stage a real waterfall drop in such a small space. So, here's what we'll do. I've taken inspiration from this post: http://pureimagineering.blogspot.com/2011/08/pocahontas-colors-of-wind-dark-ride.html. I think this will be a perfect way to simulate going down a waterfall.
The honey pots loads onto a turntable. They “fall down” the Virtual Waterfall while the turntable turns us a hundred and thirty-five degrees. The Virtual Waterfall is inspired by the Anti-Gravity Room at The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Islands of Adventure. Like the Spidey ride vehicle, the pots tilt, skewering our sense of perspective as we enter a new room. In the new room, we combine the set, physical effects, and film footage to simulate falling down when, in fact, we’re on flat ground. (In the video, this anti-gravity part takes place from 2:51 to 3:03).
Let’s walk through the experience. As we load onto the turntable, we can’t see the Virtual Waterfall, because there’s a wall blocking it. As we turn, there’s a cloud of mist, which segues us over to the Virtual Waterfall.
The Virtual Waterfall is a traditional screen, showing first-person perspective footage of falling down into a lake. We do not actually see the waterfall in this footage...just a fall from a cliff into a lake. The further the turntable turns our pot, the closer the film footage zooms into the lake.
Between the honey pot and the screen, there are water jets. The water jets are angled at the screen. They create a sheet of water that skewers our sense of perspective, and looks like the waterfall, itself. At the end of the Virtual Waterfall, water cannons shoot up a burst of water right in front of the honey pot, indicating that we’ve hit the lake, and are now coming back up to the surface. Sure enough, we see trees, and rocks, and shoreline...
As we come back to land, a happy, joyful instrumental of "Winnie the Pooh" starts up, similar to what plays in this video (I've heard the full version of the track before, but I don't know where to find it. Can someone help with that, please?):
Anyways, as we come back to land, we see a rainbow spread across the sky above our heads. The voice of the narrator says "At last, the rain went away, and everyone gathered together to say…” “Hooray!” yells the gang, finishing the sentence. We see that our Hundred Acre friends are throwing a hero party.
“Hooray for Pooh, too!” pipes up Piglet. “Speaking of which, where is that silly ole bear?” asks Tigger. "Over here, everyone!" Pooh replies from inside the honey tree. "But you can start the party without me." And with that, he happily starts to enjoy his favorite treat. The tree will, of course, be a 3D sculpture, and the tree's interior will look like this.
Finally, replacing the storybook pages we pass through before unloading is a giant animated storybook page, featuring the characters waving goodbye and text reading, of course, "The End".
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What do you guys think? This was a pretty short post, so I'm gonna post another one later today. In that post, we'll take in the spectacle of an all-new SpectroMagic. See ya then!
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As sun sets over the Magic Kingdom, we notice that we have a bit of time before the nighttime entertainment is scheduled to start. So, we decide to head back to Fantasyland to take a journey aboard The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, now that the line has gotten quite short. As stated before, the ride has been given a Tokyo-esque makeover. Let's see what's in store!
I plan to make the most of the small footprint the ride occupies. As you can see in the picture below...
Not only will the ride system be updated, the overall look of the ride will be updated as well. The character animatronics will be changed to look more like those at Tokyo. Over there, the character animatronics not only blink and move their mouths, but they actually look like real stuffed animals! As for the scenery, the 2D cutouts will be gone forever, replaced with full-fledged 3D sculptures (especially in the case of the Heffalumps and Woozles scene).
Now, let's get on to the ride experience itself. First of all, let's talk about the loading area. This is what the ride's loading area mural looks like.
With that said, I'd replace that boring green wall with a mural, designed as the iconic "storybook map of the 100 Acre Wood" from the film.
Once all are aboard their honey pot, they pass through the forest doors and enter the Hundred Acre Wood. Much of the first half of the ride takes inspiration from Tokyo, so be prepared for lots of things that are similar to Hunny Hunt. The first thing guests see is Winnie the Pooh floating past the Honey Tree. He tells us "I've got a rumbly in my tumbly. It must be time for something sweet!" However, he floats right up past the Honey Tree, and soon flies right over our heads as we head further into the Hundred Acre Wood.
The final abode we pass by is that of Eeyore. Eeyore is just sitting outside his little stick teepee. Suddenly, we hear Pooh call "Watch out, Eeyore!" as he floats past, knocking his stick house down to the ground. Eeyore simply states "If you ask me, he'll never reach that tree."
Built into the honey pots is a new Kuka-arm system. This allows the pots to actually move up and down, like it was actually bouncing, unlike the current "bucking-bull"-esque bouncing movement. Anyways, this new take on the Tigger scene utilizes screens that surround us on both sides, like Tokyo's version. However, instead of him singing his song, the song plays as an instrumental as we follow Tigger around. Tigger bounces from one screen to the next. However, as we make a turn, we see him bounce so high...but he doesn't come back down. The sound of angry buzzing doesn't help much, either...
As we make a right turn, we find out what happened. We see Tigger, clinging on to a tree branch, with a beehive on his head. Is he fazed? Nope. Instead, looking around, he says "Phew! I almost bounced right outta the ride!"
We find ourselves heading towards the front door of Mr. Sanders' house. Inside, we find Pooh, fast asleep, his faithful balloon sitting right beside him. Suddenly, our car stops. The room fades away and a starfield forms. The balloon turns into a Heffalump head. Pooh starts to float away. All the while, we hear the sound of Tigger's ominous warning: "Heffalumps and Woozles...Heffalumps and Woozles steal honey...beware...beware!..."
Many new effects and gags are scattered around the room. Heffalump-Bees and hot-air balloons with eyes on them fly above our heads. Woozle-headed jack-in-the-boxes pop right out of their boxes and laugh at us. We pass by a honey tree with three Heffalumps at the top of it. A hot-air balloon carries Pooh over to it, but a gust of air within the hole of the tree blows him away. A large transparent Heffalump is projected on a mirror as we pass by, sucking the honey out of our honey pot. We even pass by a Heffalump and Woozle band, using their bodies as their instruments.
Soon, we escape the madness via a large tunnel made from a Heffalump's trunk. As we pass through it, the sounds of thunder are heard as lightning flashes along the tunnel walls and we see a projection of Pooh flying past on an umbrella.
This is basically like the Blustery Day scene, but we’ll seem to be higher due to the flood. Our honey pots will also seem to float along the water. In fact, the surrounding track will be made over with effects that really make it feel like floating on water. Anyways, once we enter the flooded wood, the first thing we see is Pooh, who is sitting on a tree branch that we go under. He sits with 10 honey pots as he says “Oh, no! I must rescue my supper!”
Now, of course, there's no way we could possibly stage a real waterfall drop in such a small space. So, here's what we'll do. I've taken inspiration from this post: http://pureimagineering.blogspot.com/2011/08/pocahontas-colors-of-wind-dark-ride.html. I think this will be a perfect way to simulate going down a waterfall.
Let’s walk through the experience. As we load onto the turntable, we can’t see the Virtual Waterfall, because there’s a wall blocking it. As we turn, there’s a cloud of mist, which segues us over to the Virtual Waterfall.
The Virtual Waterfall is a traditional screen, showing first-person perspective footage of falling down into a lake. We do not actually see the waterfall in this footage...just a fall from a cliff into a lake. The further the turntable turns our pot, the closer the film footage zooms into the lake.
Between the honey pot and the screen, there are water jets. The water jets are angled at the screen. They create a sheet of water that skewers our sense of perspective, and looks like the waterfall, itself. At the end of the Virtual Waterfall, water cannons shoot up a burst of water right in front of the honey pot, indicating that we’ve hit the lake, and are now coming back up to the surface. Sure enough, we see trees, and rocks, and shoreline...
As we come back to land, a happy, joyful instrumental of "Winnie the Pooh" starts up, similar to what plays in this video (I've heard the full version of the track before, but I don't know where to find it. Can someone help with that, please?):
Anyways, as we come back to land, we see a rainbow spread across the sky above our heads. The voice of the narrator says "At last, the rain went away, and everyone gathered together to say…” “Hooray!” yells the gang, finishing the sentence. We see that our Hundred Acre friends are throwing a hero party.
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What do you guys think? This was a pretty short post, so I'm gonna post another one later today. In that post, we'll take in the spectacle of an all-new SpectroMagic. See ya then!
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Alright, as promised, here it is...
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Night has fallen at the Magic Kingdom. The six distinct areas of the park are lit up in their own unique style. Although people still roam the lands now, many are lining up along the curbs of Main Street, U.S.A., Liberty Square and Frontierland to take in the spectacle of an old park classic re-designed for a whole new generation: SpectroMagic: Colors Combined!
@RadiatorSpringsRacer was the one who came up with the idea, and I absolutely adored it. So much so, that I decided to include it in my ideas.
Here's how he devised the concept...
"How will this work? The thought is to have different parade units - whirlyballs, costumes, parts of floats, etc. basically covered in pixels - or rear-projected - so that they can completely change their appearance at any time. In effect, the entire thing is a display.
There would be an art station open at the park until a couple of hours before the parade starts, in which guests could pick a paper template for whichever paintable unit they wanted to design, and then get to work. Disney's done this sort of thing before with LuminAria; why not plus it? (If you're familiar with the process of putting textures onto a 3D model, this concept should be easier to visualize.)
All the submitted paintings, after being properly checked, sorted, scanned and what not, would be cycled through along the parade route.
Guests' designs could be linked to their MagicBands, and an alert could also be sent to each guest's MDE app to let them know where to sit/stand along the route to see their design(s) in action. Can you imagine the character interaction possibilities of this sort of thing? "Thank you for making this for me!" "Your painting looks wonderful." "I love the red/blue/gold/etc." "Say, this reminds of the time [insert event from movie here].""
SpectroMagic: Colors Combined will ultimately be not just a cavalcade of art and color, but a tribute to each person's individuality and imagination; their power to express themselves and bring to light everything that inspires them. In keeping with the theme, the plan is to mostly feature characters who paint or who are known for being artistic/creative.
For the sake of character interaction, new versions of all Made With Magic accessories will be released for the parade that can sync with wearers' MagicBands.
Jiminy Cricket will return as host for the parade, but joining him is a special co-host: Woody from Toy Story. He's enthusiastic and unafraid while still having a kind of warmth to him, and the fact that he's a toy that a child plays with ties beautifully into the theme. Ten minutes before the start of the celebration, and again with "just a few" to go, they'll address the guests:
JIMINY: Walt Disney World guests young and old, this is your SpectroMagical host, Jiminy Cricket. We here at the Magic Kingdom have been pouring over all the great art that you did up today, and we can't wait to see it glow out there on the streets. Come on out and paint the night with us. You'll see Mickey Mouse and his lovable friends, the enchanted wonders of Belle and the Beast's castle, the pulse-pounding adventures of the Big Hero 6, and so many more of the magic worlds of Disney. Now, for those of you that painted something for us, I'll hand it over to tonight's creative director, my pal Sheriff Woody.
WOODY: Howdy, everyone! Welcome to the show! If you drew up some artwork, make sure you head over to where it's set to show up if you haven't yet. And remember, when your creation gets close to you, anything you're wearing that's Made With SpectroMagic is gonna sparkle in a bunch of different colors depending on what you made - sort of like it's doing right now! In my time as a toy I've seen a lot of great imagination, and I think all yours is right up there with it. Jiminy, how long until we step off?
JIMINY: Just about ten minutes. See you then, folks!
~Opening Unit~
As the lights dim, we hear a very familiar sound...
On this magic night,
A million stars will play beside us,
Cast a spell of light,
Glimmering, shimmering, carousel-ling
'Round the world tonight,
A symphony in SpectroMagic.
Pure enchantment lights our way!
Woody chimes in once more: "This is our playtime...where with a spark of light, a rainbow of possibilities, and a special touch from each of us, the unforgettable characters and moments of Disney stories are painted to life."
Jiminy finishes the introduction thusly: "And now, the Magic Kingdom proudly presents, in ten million bright hues of musical light...the magic worlds of Disney...as colors combine to make...SpectroMagic!"
The first float of the parade is exactly the same as the original...the trumpeters' float.
In front of the trumpeters are six SpectroMen. Their names: Lightcap, Waxxee, Twinkle, Piccolo, Glitterflow, Tyedye. Each has a SpectroMagical art tool (paintbrush, crayon, marker, pencil, etc.) affixed to one of their arms, and they can change the colors of any accessories the guests are wearing with a cheerful wave.
Oh, and by the way, I recently came across the backstory for these whimsical light-keepers. Here it is:
The Spectromen are keepers of light. They hold the parades magical light and transform it for you in the midst of the night. They come from a land called Light Spriation where everything is filled with rays of light and magical bursts of color. They were always afraid to come out of hiding and share their magical light, until one day, Mickey, the Spectromen King, asked if they would join him in a nighttime festival of magic and light, and come and bring the magical light for everyone to see. Scared to confront people, they hesitated. After much consideration, the Spectro Men agreed. They brought along their magical Spectro Balls and Light-Trumpets to spread the joy of their magical light to everyone. Mickey controls the light they magically create and powers the parade through his Electro-ball, changing it from night to day, or crystal to multi-color.
The story of the SpectroMen has never really been told, or even mentioned. Creative Entertainment uses back-stories, as well as Walt Disney Imagineering, to help create the ride, show, or parade. Like who, what, when, why and where. The SpectroMen aren’t really scary (as many considered them to be), just misunderstood creatures of the night that just want to bring you their power of magical light.
Following them is a new unit: a series of Knights. They look like the knights in Tokyo's DreamLights parade and the "horses" they ride actually "trot".
Following the knights are four moreSpectroMen - Holo-Brite, Lo-Beat, Rapstar and Opera - on the whirly-balls.
A reimagined SpectroMagic title float comes into view next, writing the parade's logo before our eyes once again. Two SpectroMen, Prismatix and Harmony, chatter about on balls affixed to the float, much like the setup of the original. The float itself is composed of fountain-like golden tubes that spew liquid color, which change hues in time with the logo. Along the bottom is a silver ribbon studded with light patterns.
Following them are more SpectroMen on whirly-balls, as well as Mickey's iconic float. But this time, the crystal ball Mickey stands over will feature selected artwork. Upon seeing whatever new artwork comes into view, Mickey will remark about it.
Paintable Items: Whirly-balls, SpectroMagic logo, crystal ball
~Music Unit~
Following this is the music unit. It will remain the same as it was during the original run of SpectroMagic, but the instruments will be much more animated. Each instrument's bells, strings, etc. glow a different color when that instrument is played. Also, Genie's baton is replaced by a paint brush.
~Alice in Wonderland Unit~
Following behind the music unit is a new unit themed around Alice in Wonderland. Tulgey Wood makes up the front of this float - Alice is flanked by a few trees, with animatronic creatures sitting on their branches. The Cheshire Cat makes mysterious remarks about the guests' painting on the trees.
The butterflies from the former garden unit walk behind this float, alongside the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts.
The next float in the unit involves Queen of Hearts' rose bushes, whose roses are all continually changing color as the playing cards paint them. Yet more cards surround the float, and they can use their brushes to paint any accessories the guests are wearing.
Paintable Items: Tulgey Wood trees; butterflies' wings; roses
~Hunchback of Notre Dame Unit~
Several of Quasimodo's handmade wooden figures dance around his replica of the Notre Dame cathedral, which he and Esmeralda stand on top of. A rendition of "God Help the Outcasts", done in the style of "On This Magic Night" is heard throughout this unit.
Paintable Items: Wooden figures, Notre Dame windows
~Inside Out Unit~
--More to come--
~Little Mermaid Unit~
Following this float is the Little Mermaid unit. The giant swimming fishes and the "bubble fishes" lead the way, as they did before. The hull of the sunken ship at the front of Ariel's float is now filled with treasure--treasure that the guests have painted. Behind Ariel's float, Sebastian conducts an orchestra of fish.
Paintable Items: Bubble fishes and giant swimming fishes; Ship's treasure
~Winnie the Pooh Unit~
Riding on a giant wave of color-changing honey, high above guests' heads is a giant mobile of Heffalump balloons. There are four different balloons in the mobile, each one carrying a different character--one carrying Tigger, one carrying Piglet, one carrying Eeyore and one carrying Rabbit. Behind them all is another Heffalump balloon carrying Pooh. Of course, all five characters will react to the different artwork.
Paintable Items: Balloons
~Big Hero 6 Unit~
On top of a stack of Big Hero 6 comic books, Hiro is testing a modification of his now-famous Microbots - they now light up! This is achieved through a spherical volumetric display similar to the one seen on Mack in Disneyland's Paint the Night. At the front is Fred, spewing fire of several different colors. A second float consists of a giant open book, turned inward so that its pages are displayed on either side of the route. Honey Lemon and Wasabi battle a generic enemy on either side, playing along with the different backgrounds displayed in the books. Gogo Tomago and Baymax split the two floats on foot - or, in the former's case, on wheels. Gogo's outfit dazzles as she spins, Wasabi's blades glow, Honey spews colored smoke from her capsules, and Baymax can show his surroundings on his hyperspectral camera.
Paintable Items: Microbots, book pages
~Beauty and the Beast Unit~
--More to come--
~Cars Unit~
In a recreation of his body art studio - with paint cans, display hoods and such all around - Ramone faces backwards, bouncing on his hydraulics and holding his airbrush. He paints the cars rolling behind him - Lightning McQueen (with his original Piston Cup parts), Sally and Mater - as well as the guests' accessories. Guido has come along as well, driving and spinning about.
Paintable Items: Lightning, Sally, Mater, Ramone
~Tangled Unit~
The base of the unit is made to look like part of Rapunzel's tower, bordered by all the creative endeavors she took on while she was kept there - pottery, candles, paper maché, etc. Its walls display several of the guests' paintings at a time. Rapunzel herself is carried high by her expanse of astoundingly long hair, which flows to the bottom of the unit and lights up as it does in the film.
Paintable Items: Tower wall
~Finale~
As the previous float fades out of view, the parade's ending theme fills your ears.
Music surrounds us
Laughter that found us
Twirling around this
Carousel of light and laughter!
We shall remember
This moment together
Let this night forever
Live in our dreams!
On this magic night,
A million stars will play beside us,
A special spell of light,
Glimmering, shimmering, carousel-ling
'Round the world tonight,
A symphony in SpectroMagic.
Pure enchantment lights our way!
Music surrounds us
Magic around us
Twirling around us
Carousel of light and laughter!
Though we say goodbye
We cast a spell that won't be broken
Let this night forever
Live in our dreams!
The first thing we see in the finale is an audio-animatronic Dumbo, who hovers about in special blue-and-magenta garb. Behind him is Casey Jr. (For this float, I'd honestly re-use the Casey Jr. float from Disneyland Paris' Wonderful World of Disney Parade, albeit without Dumbo atop him, because in this parade, he's in front of him...)
Onboard the passenger cars of the train are some of the characters who appeared in the original SpectroMagic: Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, Brer Bear, Madame Upanova (the ostrich from Fantasia), Fifer Pig, Fiddler Pig, Practical Pig and the Big Bad Wolf.
Following behind Casey Jr. is a princess-based float. Heralded by couples waltzing romantically to the music (they will wear the same costumes the ballroom dancers wear in MSEP)...
...the float is the garden patio of a beautiful, color-chaning castle. On this patio, Snow White and Prince Florian, Cinderella and Prince Charming, Aurora and Phillip and Tiana and Naveen waltz. The float should look something like this...
Joining the fun are the Seven Dwarfs. Some of the Dwarfs will march about on the ground, and the others will be on the float. Naturally, the Dwarfs have decorated the patio with sparkling jewels. On occasion, the Dwarfs on the float will even use their mining tools to pop one of them right off the wall for further inspection! Some of the smaller characters take turns popping in and out of the castle's windows - Jaq and Gus, Tinker Bell, even Duchess' kittens. The Three Fairies float towards the back, and Flora and Merryweather consistently fuss over whether to paint the guests' accessories pink or blue.
Inspired by, but not identical to, the boat from Steamboat Willie, a black-and-white vessel comes sailing in on a rainbow sea of paint, parting it into waves. Donald Duck is at the controls, which include a whistle whose tone harmonizes with the parade music. Minnie, Daisy and Pluto are also on the boat, dancing happily. The boat's wheel and smokestacks move in time with the music as well.
Following behind the boat is a float from the original SpectroMagic: the carousel float.
Surrounding the carousel are Mary Poppins, Pinocchio, Gepetto, Aladdin, Jasmine, Peter Pan, Baloo, Timon and the like.
Behind this is one last float. This final float features larger-than-life art supplies - crayons, paintbrushes, paint cans, sheets of paper, watercolors, etc. - as well as an easel. There'll also be a few blocks with Disney Infinity textures, as a small homage to that game. Jiminy and Woody, alongside Buzz and Jessie wave goodbye to guests.
Paintable Items: Train cars, dancers' ballgowns, picture panels on the carousel canopy, easel
On this magic night,
A million stars will play beside us,
A special spell of light,
Glimmering, shimmering, carousel-ling
'Round the world tonight,
A symphony in SpectroMagic.
Pure enchantment lights our way!
"So long! I'm Jiminy Cricket..."
"And I'm Sheriff Woody..."
"...in SpectroMagic!"
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What do you guys think? Is it a good concept? Now, before we get to the fireworks show, I'd like to take a detour and go over the posters that will line the entry tunnels' walls.
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Night has fallen at the Magic Kingdom. The six distinct areas of the park are lit up in their own unique style. Although people still roam the lands now, many are lining up along the curbs of Main Street, U.S.A., Liberty Square and Frontierland to take in the spectacle of an old park classic re-designed for a whole new generation: SpectroMagic: Colors Combined!
@RadiatorSpringsRacer was the one who came up with the idea, and I absolutely adored it. So much so, that I decided to include it in my ideas.
Here's how he devised the concept...
"How will this work? The thought is to have different parade units - whirlyballs, costumes, parts of floats, etc. basically covered in pixels - or rear-projected - so that they can completely change their appearance at any time. In effect, the entire thing is a display.
There would be an art station open at the park until a couple of hours before the parade starts, in which guests could pick a paper template for whichever paintable unit they wanted to design, and then get to work. Disney's done this sort of thing before with LuminAria; why not plus it? (If you're familiar with the process of putting textures onto a 3D model, this concept should be easier to visualize.)
All the submitted paintings, after being properly checked, sorted, scanned and what not, would be cycled through along the parade route.
Guests' designs could be linked to their MagicBands, and an alert could also be sent to each guest's MDE app to let them know where to sit/stand along the route to see their design(s) in action. Can you imagine the character interaction possibilities of this sort of thing? "Thank you for making this for me!" "Your painting looks wonderful." "I love the red/blue/gold/etc." "Say, this reminds of the time [insert event from movie here].""
SpectroMagic: Colors Combined will ultimately be not just a cavalcade of art and color, but a tribute to each person's individuality and imagination; their power to express themselves and bring to light everything that inspires them. In keeping with the theme, the plan is to mostly feature characters who paint or who are known for being artistic/creative.
For the sake of character interaction, new versions of all Made With Magic accessories will be released for the parade that can sync with wearers' MagicBands.
Jiminy Cricket will return as host for the parade, but joining him is a special co-host: Woody from Toy Story. He's enthusiastic and unafraid while still having a kind of warmth to him, and the fact that he's a toy that a child plays with ties beautifully into the theme. Ten minutes before the start of the celebration, and again with "just a few" to go, they'll address the guests:
JIMINY: Walt Disney World guests young and old, this is your SpectroMagical host, Jiminy Cricket. We here at the Magic Kingdom have been pouring over all the great art that you did up today, and we can't wait to see it glow out there on the streets. Come on out and paint the night with us. You'll see Mickey Mouse and his lovable friends, the enchanted wonders of Belle and the Beast's castle, the pulse-pounding adventures of the Big Hero 6, and so many more of the magic worlds of Disney. Now, for those of you that painted something for us, I'll hand it over to tonight's creative director, my pal Sheriff Woody.
WOODY: Howdy, everyone! Welcome to the show! If you drew up some artwork, make sure you head over to where it's set to show up if you haven't yet. And remember, when your creation gets close to you, anything you're wearing that's Made With SpectroMagic is gonna sparkle in a bunch of different colors depending on what you made - sort of like it's doing right now! In my time as a toy I've seen a lot of great imagination, and I think all yours is right up there with it. Jiminy, how long until we step off?
JIMINY: Just about ten minutes. See you then, folks!
~Opening Unit~
As the lights dim, we hear a very familiar sound...
On this magic night,
A million stars will play beside us,
Cast a spell of light,
Glimmering, shimmering, carousel-ling
'Round the world tonight,
A symphony in SpectroMagic.
Pure enchantment lights our way!
Woody chimes in once more: "This is our playtime...where with a spark of light, a rainbow of possibilities, and a special touch from each of us, the unforgettable characters and moments of Disney stories are painted to life."
Jiminy finishes the introduction thusly: "And now, the Magic Kingdom proudly presents, in ten million bright hues of musical light...the magic worlds of Disney...as colors combine to make...SpectroMagic!"
The first float of the parade is exactly the same as the original...the trumpeters' float.
Oh, and by the way, I recently came across the backstory for these whimsical light-keepers. Here it is:
The Spectromen are keepers of light. They hold the parades magical light and transform it for you in the midst of the night. They come from a land called Light Spriation where everything is filled with rays of light and magical bursts of color. They were always afraid to come out of hiding and share their magical light, until one day, Mickey, the Spectromen King, asked if they would join him in a nighttime festival of magic and light, and come and bring the magical light for everyone to see. Scared to confront people, they hesitated. After much consideration, the Spectro Men agreed. They brought along their magical Spectro Balls and Light-Trumpets to spread the joy of their magical light to everyone. Mickey controls the light they magically create and powers the parade through his Electro-ball, changing it from night to day, or crystal to multi-color.
The story of the SpectroMen has never really been told, or even mentioned. Creative Entertainment uses back-stories, as well as Walt Disney Imagineering, to help create the ride, show, or parade. Like who, what, when, why and where. The SpectroMen aren’t really scary (as many considered them to be), just misunderstood creatures of the night that just want to bring you their power of magical light.
Following them is a new unit: a series of Knights. They look like the knights in Tokyo's DreamLights parade and the "horses" they ride actually "trot".
A reimagined SpectroMagic title float comes into view next, writing the parade's logo before our eyes once again. Two SpectroMen, Prismatix and Harmony, chatter about on balls affixed to the float, much like the setup of the original. The float itself is composed of fountain-like golden tubes that spew liquid color, which change hues in time with the logo. Along the bottom is a silver ribbon studded with light patterns.
~Music Unit~
Following this is the music unit. It will remain the same as it was during the original run of SpectroMagic, but the instruments will be much more animated. Each instrument's bells, strings, etc. glow a different color when that instrument is played. Also, Genie's baton is replaced by a paint brush.
~Alice in Wonderland Unit~
Following behind the music unit is a new unit themed around Alice in Wonderland. Tulgey Wood makes up the front of this float - Alice is flanked by a few trees, with animatronic creatures sitting on their branches. The Cheshire Cat makes mysterious remarks about the guests' painting on the trees.
The butterflies from the former garden unit walk behind this float, alongside the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and the Queen of Hearts.
The next float in the unit involves Queen of Hearts' rose bushes, whose roses are all continually changing color as the playing cards paint them. Yet more cards surround the float, and they can use their brushes to paint any accessories the guests are wearing.
Paintable Items: Tulgey Wood trees; butterflies' wings; roses
~Hunchback of Notre Dame Unit~
Several of Quasimodo's handmade wooden figures dance around his replica of the Notre Dame cathedral, which he and Esmeralda stand on top of. A rendition of "God Help the Outcasts", done in the style of "On This Magic Night" is heard throughout this unit.
Paintable Items: Wooden figures, Notre Dame windows
~Inside Out Unit~
--More to come--
~Little Mermaid Unit~
Following this float is the Little Mermaid unit. The giant swimming fishes and the "bubble fishes" lead the way, as they did before. The hull of the sunken ship at the front of Ariel's float is now filled with treasure--treasure that the guests have painted. Behind Ariel's float, Sebastian conducts an orchestra of fish.
Paintable Items: Bubble fishes and giant swimming fishes; Ship's treasure
~Winnie the Pooh Unit~
Riding on a giant wave of color-changing honey, high above guests' heads is a giant mobile of Heffalump balloons. There are four different balloons in the mobile, each one carrying a different character--one carrying Tigger, one carrying Piglet, one carrying Eeyore and one carrying Rabbit. Behind them all is another Heffalump balloon carrying Pooh. Of course, all five characters will react to the different artwork.
Paintable Items: Balloons
~Big Hero 6 Unit~
Paintable Items: Microbots, book pages
~Beauty and the Beast Unit~
--More to come--
~Cars Unit~
In a recreation of his body art studio - with paint cans, display hoods and such all around - Ramone faces backwards, bouncing on his hydraulics and holding his airbrush. He paints the cars rolling behind him - Lightning McQueen (with his original Piston Cup parts), Sally and Mater - as well as the guests' accessories. Guido has come along as well, driving and spinning about.
Paintable Items: Lightning, Sally, Mater, Ramone
~Tangled Unit~
The base of the unit is made to look like part of Rapunzel's tower, bordered by all the creative endeavors she took on while she was kept there - pottery, candles, paper maché, etc. Its walls display several of the guests' paintings at a time. Rapunzel herself is carried high by her expanse of astoundingly long hair, which flows to the bottom of the unit and lights up as it does in the film.
Paintable Items: Tower wall
~Finale~
As the previous float fades out of view, the parade's ending theme fills your ears.
Music surrounds us
Laughter that found us
Twirling around this
Carousel of light and laughter!
We shall remember
This moment together
Let this night forever
Live in our dreams!
On this magic night,
A million stars will play beside us,
A special spell of light,
Glimmering, shimmering, carousel-ling
'Round the world tonight,
A symphony in SpectroMagic.
Pure enchantment lights our way!
Music surrounds us
Magic around us
Twirling around us
Carousel of light and laughter!
Though we say goodbye
We cast a spell that won't be broken
Let this night forever
Live in our dreams!
The first thing we see in the finale is an audio-animatronic Dumbo, who hovers about in special blue-and-magenta garb. Behind him is Casey Jr. (For this float, I'd honestly re-use the Casey Jr. float from Disneyland Paris' Wonderful World of Disney Parade, albeit without Dumbo atop him, because in this parade, he's in front of him...)
Following behind Casey Jr. is a princess-based float. Heralded by couples waltzing romantically to the music (they will wear the same costumes the ballroom dancers wear in MSEP)...
Inspired by, but not identical to, the boat from Steamboat Willie, a black-and-white vessel comes sailing in on a rainbow sea of paint, parting it into waves. Donald Duck is at the controls, which include a whistle whose tone harmonizes with the parade music. Minnie, Daisy and Pluto are also on the boat, dancing happily. The boat's wheel and smokestacks move in time with the music as well.
Following behind the boat is a float from the original SpectroMagic: the carousel float.
Behind this is one last float. This final float features larger-than-life art supplies - crayons, paintbrushes, paint cans, sheets of paper, watercolors, etc. - as well as an easel. There'll also be a few blocks with Disney Infinity textures, as a small homage to that game. Jiminy and Woody, alongside Buzz and Jessie wave goodbye to guests.
Paintable Items: Train cars, dancers' ballgowns, picture panels on the carousel canopy, easel
On this magic night,
A million stars will play beside us,
A special spell of light,
Glimmering, shimmering, carousel-ling
'Round the world tonight,
A symphony in SpectroMagic.
Pure enchantment lights our way!
"So long! I'm Jiminy Cricket..."
"And I'm Sheriff Woody..."
"...in SpectroMagic!"
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What do you guys think? Is it a good concept? Now, before we get to the fireworks show, I'd like to take a detour and go over the posters that will line the entry tunnels' walls.
As stated before, I'd like to take this opportunity to go through the "Poster Gallery", if you will, and go over the posters that will line the Magic Kingdom's entrance tunnels. For each new poster, I'll go over what the new posters would look like. Each tunnel will have different posters lining them. I believe that the current posters are exactly the same for each tunnel (can anyone confirm that fact, please?), and I'd like to make it so that both tunnels are different.
Also, for tradition's sake, each new poster will feature the original WDW logo.
Mad Tea Party:
Pirates of the Caribbean:
Walt Disney World Railroad: This poster will be updated to include the Fantasyland depot.
Splash Mountain:
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad:
Space Mountain:
Dreamflight: Dreamflight's poster will look like what you see here, albeit with a few text changes. First off, the "Dreamflight" text will be bigger. And in the place of all that text before "Dreamflight" will be "Take A Journey That's Sure To Put You On Cloud 9" in the same font, but smaller and on one line. Replacing all that text at the bottom of the poster will be "Tomorrowland" written in the "Cloud 9" font, but small-capped, and below that, the original WDW logo. And of course, the jet plane will be re-designed so it won't look like a Delta plane.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh:
Legend of the Lion King: I believe this poster used to line the entrance to the show when it played in Fantasyland. Of course, "Presented by Kodak" will be replaced by text reading "Adventureland" and the original WDW logo.
The Haunted Mansion:
Peter Pan's Flight:
Country Bear Jamboree:
"it's a small world":
Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room:
Jungle Cruise:
Fantasy Gardens:
The Timekeeper:
Wishes:
And speaking of Wishes, we better head back to the Hub, because that show is just about to start!
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In the next post, we wrap up the Magic Kingdom by taking in the spectacle of an all-new version of Wishes. See ya then!
Also, for tradition's sake, each new poster will feature the original WDW logo.
Mad Tea Party:
Pirates of the Caribbean:
Walt Disney World Railroad: This poster will be updated to include the Fantasyland depot.
Splash Mountain:
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad:
Dreamflight: Dreamflight's poster will look like what you see here, albeit with a few text changes. First off, the "Dreamflight" text will be bigger. And in the place of all that text before "Dreamflight" will be "Take A Journey That's Sure To Put You On Cloud 9" in the same font, but smaller and on one line. Replacing all that text at the bottom of the poster will be "Tomorrowland" written in the "Cloud 9" font, but small-capped, and below that, the original WDW logo. And of course, the jet plane will be re-designed so it won't look like a Delta plane.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh:
The Haunted Mansion:
Peter Pan's Flight:
Country Bear Jamboree:
"it's a small world":
Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room:
Jungle Cruise:
The Timekeeper:
Wishes:
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In the next post, we wrap up the Magic Kingdom by taking in the spectacle of an all-new version of Wishes. See ya then!
Twilight_Roxas
Well-Known Member
Lets hope it could outbeat Ignite the Dream.
Now, let us finish up the Magic Kingdom with the nighttime fireworks spectacular, Wishes.
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And now, at last, we come to the final piece to close out the Magic Kingdom. This epic fireworks display weaves a tale of the power of dreams, as told by Jiminy Cricket. Originally, I had no intention to update this show...but then, I saw Disneyland Forever on YouTube. Upon seeing Disneyland Forever, I plan to update Wishes to bring it up to par with Disneyland Forever. To do this, I plan to use projections on the castle, and set up various effects all around the Hub--water screens, water fountains, puppets and various other things.
So, let's not waste another second. Let us take in the spectacle of Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams.
Night has settled all across the Magic Kingdom. The murmur of guests rings down Main Street, U.S.A., as you approach the center of the hub, by the Partners Statue, to find a good location to view the fireworks for their opening night debut. Cinderella Castle is illuminated in a dark blue hue, as the light of the moon reflects down onto the hub. After watching SpectroMagic: Colors Combined, you find yourself anticipating what lies in store next. The trees down Main Street U.S.A., and the trees in the middle of the Hub, twinkle with pixel lights, enchanting the street making everything seem magical. The smell of popcorn settles into the hub, as families quickly rush to get some ice cream and their spots to see the fireworks. Anticipation rises.
Introduction: A World of Wishes
Then, a rich, low chord is struck, as all of Main Street U.S.A. and Cinderella Castle black out, enveloping the entire entrance of the park and the hub in complete darkness. Then, the chord builds higher and higher, crescendoing into the iconic opening fanfare. From this point, the show is largely the same as it is before. But, after Aladdin's voice is heard saying "Genie, I wish for your freedom" and the choir sings "Wishes", that's where the changes start.
Scene One: Dreams Take Flight
JIMINY CRICKET: All it takes is a simple wish to let all of your dreams take flight!
Peter Pan suddenly emerges from one of the balconies of Cinderella Castle.
PETER PAN: Hey there, everyone! Now, think of the happiest things, it's the same as having wings! All you need is faith and trust. Oh, and one thing I forgot, dust! Tinker Bell!
Suddenly, the entire castle becomes illuminated in a darker golden color. Golden streams fireworks fall around the castle.
Come on, everybody! Here we go! Off to Neverland!
In that instance, suddenly, Peter Pan flies around the castle. With the use of projections, the castle appears to be shrinking smaller and smaller. Wait, we're flying! Clouds soon cover the castle, as six different water screens surrounding the castle and Hub emerge, projected with fanciful clouds, making it seem as though the entire hub is floating in the middle of the sky. As this is happening, the tune of "You Can Fly!" is heard, as Peter flies through the clouds, before the segments ends with an arch of firework streams rising from behind the castle, illuminating it with a white light.
Scene Two: Be Our Guest
Then, a drum roll sounds, as the entire castle is illuminated in a dark red hue. The windows of the castle are illuminated with bright yellow lights. A puppet of Lumiere appears from behind the curtain of the castle's balcony and welcomes the guests to the magical night that is yet to be seen. The entire hub then explodes in a celebration of color! Fireworks from behind the castle then are perfectly choreographed to "Be Our Guest" as the castle is illuminated in a rainbow of lights.
Fountains to the sides of the castle dance to the melody of the music. In the final segment of the show, Lumiere appears on the castle, which is adorned with numerous colorful spotlights, dancing plates and silverware, as they proceed into the final segment of the show. As the song segues into its' final fanfare, an array of colorful fireworks explode behind the castle, as the fountains dance higher and higher. At the speed of the music picks up, more and more fireworks blast off. It's like a mini-finale and the show has only just begun! In the final chord of the number, a big blast of fireworks erupts completely surrounding the hub, before the hub fades back into the darkness.
Scene Three: Wishes To Be Shared
JIMINY CRICKET: Wishes can be very special, especially when you share them with friends...
Suddenly, we see the iconic sunrise from The Lion King projected onto the castle, complete with the iconic opening chant. What follows is a beautiful segment inspired by "Circle of Life". The water screens project animals walking towards the castle, which has turned into Pride Rock. As the song ends, a gigantic firework explodes in time to the bass drum hit that ends the song as the projections black out.
Then, projected at the base of the castle, Timon and Pumbaa appear, welcoming the audience to their care-free, no worries lifestyle. An instrumental of "Hakuna Matata" plays, as the castle is soon covered with bugs and grubs, covering all over the castle. Firework explosions in the shapes of types of bugs emerge in the sky, along with other fireworks choreographed to the music. Leaves are projected all along the base of the castle. The fountains at the base of the castle simulate green leaves, to create a dense-jungle like appearance. During the segment, guests can hear Timon and Pumbaa talking about all of the delicious grubs crawling across the castle.
In the midst of the song, a flash of blue appears across the castle, as blue sparkles drape around the castle. The Genie from Aladdin appears!
GENIE: Whoa! 10,000 years can give you such a crick in the neck! Hello, people, up here! Come on, we've got some wishes to grant!
This leads into an instrumental of "Friend Like Me", where the Genie uses his magic powers to warp and change the castle. In this number Genie's magical powers are choreographed to the fireworks, as he uses his magic to transfigure the castle, the sparks on the castle are choreographed with real fireworks. At the end of the number, the Genie has multiplied all over the castle and finishes off the number, as a string of blue fireworks shoot into the sky.
At the conclusion of the "Friend Like Me" segment, the water screens re-emerge around the hub, as Aladdin and Jasmine appear, singing "A Whole New World". The two fly around the hub via the water screens, floating along the Magic Carpet, amidst a starry night. The Sultan's Palace from Agrabah is projected onto Cinderella Castle. Water fountains dance in arching formations. Shimmery fireworks blast off into the sky in golden colors. The silvery, starry fireworks descend down over the hub. Beautiful, steams of fireworks shoot up from behind the castle, quiet, not to disturb the beauty of the scene. At the end of the segment, Aladdin and Jasmines descend and the Sultan's Palace fades, leaving the castle twinkling in an array of blinking stars.
Scene Four: Underwater Dreams
As the next sequence begins, the stars fade away and the area is shrouded in complete darkness. Suddenly, we hear the voices of Marlin and Dory from Finding Nemo.
MARLIN: Dory, do you see anything?
DORY: Ahh! Something's got me!
MARLIN: That was me. I'm sorry.
DORY: Who's that?
MARLIN: Who's that? Who else would it be? It's me!
DORY: Are... are you my conscience?
MARLIN: (sighs) Yes, I'm your conscience. We haven't spoken for a while. How are you?
DORY: Eh, can't complain.
MARLIN: Good. Now, Dory, do you see anything?
A giant white light appears at the top of the castle's tallest spire.
DORY: Yes, I see... a light. Hey, conscience, am I dead?
MARLIN: No, I see it too.
Marlin and Dory then appear on the castle, seemingly coming out of the darkness and towards the light.
DORY: It's so...pretty.
MARLIN: I'm feeling...happy. Which is a big deal for me.
DORY: I want to touch it.
And with that, they swim up to the spire and watch in awe as the light reveals itself to be a firework. Soon, more fireworks, in shades of blue and green appear to the tune of "Fronds Like These", as the undersea environment from Finding Nemo comes to life on the castle and on the water screens.
Suddenly, we find ourselves rising above the surface. The moon's silver light shines down upon the waves. To underscore this haunting sight, guests can hear the faint score to "Part of Your World", as Ariel wishes to be a part of the human world. Soon the castle becomes engulfed with a wave, as if it was being submerged. The entire area soon feels as though it is underwater. Bubbles descend down upon the area and lasers simulate the wavy surface to the ocean, completely enveloping the hub and Main Street. The water screens open to simulate the undersea environment from The Little Mermaid.
Fireworks and fountains dance to "Part of Your World", before the hub becomes alive with color, to the tune of "Under the Sea". Sebastian appears on one of the water screens, as the entire hub wraps with all different sorts of undersea-life seen in The Little Mermaid. The hub becomes alive with an array of colorful fountains. Colorful fireworks blast off into the sky in red, green and blue colors. Arches of fireworks envelop the castle in the tropical, undersea rhythm. Lights envelop the hub, as the song reaches its' climax and blasts of shimmery, twirly fireworks shoot off into the sky.
Scene Five: A Wish to See the World
Projected onto the castle, a series of leaves sweep across, before the instrumental tune of "Colors of the Wind" could be heard. Blue and green fountains rise into the sky, turning into the center, towards the castle. The sky becomes illuminated with different colors of fireworks. Some of the fireworks "sizzle" out, almost as if they are part of the leaves flying across the castle. As the end of the song approaches, the fireworks become more vibrant and larger, until the end of the song, where a series of colorful fireworks arch out from behind the castle.
A silhouette of Hercules onboard Pegasus flies across the castle, as the castle is illuminated in a bright orange color. Huge circular red and orange fireworks blast off to the tune of "Go the Distance" in a grand and bold manner (re-using the same track as that used in the original version of Wishes). The song soon segues into "Out There" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which keeps the same manner as the previous segment, the fireworks launch out in big, bold patterns to the tune of the music. The Cathedral of Notre Dame is projected onto the castle, as huge fireworks explode out from behind it, completely enveloping the entire hub in the bright oranges and reds of the fireworks.
Scene Six: The Ties of Family
A brief reprise of "When You Wish Upon a Star" plays again.
JIMINY CRICKET: If you tell someone about your wish, that doesn't mean that it won't come true, you know. Just like my friend, Pinoke, he and his father both wished on a star...and their wishes came true.
An instrumental of "You'll Be in My Heart" plays, as vines slowly creep up the castle, as blue butterflies fly across the castle. Green fountains shoot up around the castle, as golden streams of fireworks fall during the verse of the song, raining down over the castle, like a canopy. During the refrain of the song, strings of pyrotechnics emerge from the sides of the castle, ending the segment perfectly. The hub soon fades to darkness again, as "Ellie's Theme" from Up plays, as colorful balloons rise on the castle. Colorful fireworks in red, blue, green, yellow and all sorts of colors illuminate the hub, for the incredibly colorful, yet somber musical segment.
Suddenly, the area takes on a cool, mellow blue tone, as we hear the voice of Timothy Mouse.
TIMOTHY: Come on, Dumbo. You can do it. You don't need a magic feather! You really can fly!
And just like that, Dumbo himself appears flying over Cinderella Castle, flapping his big ears and moving his legs. Blue shells are quietly shot in the background, as the strains of "Baby Mine" fill the Hub. The music softens and Dumbo makes his exit.
Emerging from the side of the castle, Stitch appears, as Experiment 626. He arrives at a balcony in the castle, where he uses his laser gun weapon to shoot into the audience. As he does so, flares emerge all around the castle and the hub, as lasers emerge into the audience, in a completely realistic way. Stitch lets out a wicked laugh, before proceeding his onslaught of using his laser gun to spark fireworks from all around the castle. Stitch waves goodbye to the audience, as he climbs down the sides of the castle turrets and plunges into the Cinderella Castle moat towards Tomorrowland. A splash is heard and the water fountains shoot up.
Scene Seven: Wishes of Love
JIMINY CRICKET: A wish is a powerful thing, especially when it comes from the heart...
The darkened hub becomes illuminated to the grand tune of "One Song" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, before proceeding into elements of "Someday My Prince Will Come". The Prince's castle from the film is projected onto the castle, as a colorful mix of golden curtain fireworks is contrasted against the deep blue hues of the dancing fountains. Hearts are also projected onto the castle.
Immediately following the refrain from Snow White, "So This Is Love" from Cinderella sweeps through the hub, the castle takes on a gloss, glassy appearance, not too different from glass slippers, perhaps? Bold blue and white orb fireworks explode in the sky, almost as bright and shimmery as diamonds. Heart fireworks explode in the sky, as blue dancing fountains illuminate the base of the castle.
Following the Cinderella segment, the hub livens up to the tune of "Once Upon a Dream" from Sleeping Beauty. Cinderella Castle takes the form of King Stephan's castle from the film, as a battle ensues between blue and pink fireworks above. The bright fireworks light up the castle, lighting up the structure in an array of blue and pink lights. Flying across the castle are small red, green and blue orbs; Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. During the segment, guests can hear Flora and Merryweather chanting "Make it pink!" or "Blue"! At the base of the castle, the fountains themselves are battling out between deciding whether to be blue or pink.
As the song slowly fades, a single floating lantern is projected, rising up the castle.
"I See the Light" starts playing throughout the hub, as the water screens surrounding the hub soon become illuminated with several floating lanterns, which also completely illuminate the castle. Rapunzel begins to sing the verse of the song, as golden fountains rise from the base of Cinderella Castle. Golden fireworks explode overhead. It really does feel as though the entire hub is surrounded in floating lanterns. As Flynn joins Rapunzel during the refrain of the song, real floating lanterns float from the base of Cinderella Castle and rise into the sky, out of sight. As the song slowly finishes out its' final chords, the tone of the music turns somewhat darker, dismal. The castle falls into a dark blue/purplish color.
Scene Eight: Dark Forces Ignite
JIMINY CRICKET: Uh oh, now don’t worry. Just remember, always let your conscience be your guide. Let your conscience be your guide…let your conscience be your guide…
Suddenly a flash of light appears across the castle, as a firework makes a gigantic, thunderous noise. In a golden circular frame, the face of the Magic Mirror appears, stating to the guests that dreams can give way to a world of nightmares. Flames burst from within the magic mirror, engulfing the mirror and spreading across the castle. Real jets of fire ignite off of the castle.
THE QUEEN: Slaves in the magic mirror, come from the farthest space. Through wind and darkness, I summon thee. Let me see thy face. A blast of wind, to find my fate. A thunderbolt, to cast my spell. Alas, grant me my wish as well.
Smoke emants from the castle, as green fountains emerge from its' base. Projected green some rises along the castle, before the evil face of Scar from The Lion Kingappears from within the green smoke. Suddenly, a rock theme of "Be Prepared" takes hold, as bold green and yellow fireworks illuminate the sky, cackling above. The segment ends with a thundersome crackle, from the fireworks above. The green lights remain on the castle, as a shadowy figure of Dr. Facilier is projected onto the castle, performing "Friends on the Other Side". During the number, the dark shadow uses his "voodoo" powers to create the magical firework displays at hand, in many different shapes. Dark shadowy creatures swarm the castle. This segment is similar to the "Friend Like Me" segment, where in, the animation on the castle, is choreographed with the fireworks.
Suddenly, bursts of flame appear from the castle, as the "Hellfire" theme from The Hunchback of Notre Dame plays. Huge orbs of red and orange fireworks explode in the sky, painting a haunting picture of a darkened Cinderella Castle in the forefront. It seemingly appears as though the sky is on fire from the mass arrangement of fiery red fireworks. Fiery beams emerge from jets on Cinderella Castle. The segment ends with an explosion of blood red fireworks surrounding the hub.
When the light from the fireworks fade, a very familiar villain appears in a burst of green flame.
MALEFICENT: Behold the power of all evil! This kingdom shall become my dominion of nightmares!
Blasts of green fireworks emerge from behind the castle. Projected thorns begin to cover the castle. The water screens open to reveal a thorn forest surrounding the hub. Jets of fire appear from within the hub, spreading the blaze across the river, seemingly making it seem as though the hub is surrounding by a river of fire! Blasts of green and purple fireworks explode in the sky, creating a haunted scene. The fireworks explode faster and faster, as the fire sears farther. Maleficent's wicked laugh fills the hub. The momentum continues to build and build until…
Sorcerer Yensid appears on the castle and halts the madness by casting forth his hands. Upon doing so, the fountains rise and rush upwards towards the castle. The fire is distinguished and the madness finally subdues, as Maleficent's laughter fades away. The twisted green and purple mash of colors on the castle fades away, illuminating the castle in a light blue glow.
Scene Nine: A Bolt Out of the Blue
Smoke still clears from the previous madness, surrounding the castle, as all falls silent. A slight glimmer of light sparkles across Cinderella Castle. From here on out, the rest of the show plays out just like it did before, starting from Jiminy's line "You know folks, you gotta be careful what you wish for around here, or you'll get yourself in an awful mess."
Finale: A Wish Triumphant
For this new version of Wishes, the finale will be changed a bit. After Jiminy Cricket says "'Cause that, my friends, is where the magic lives", the castle becomes black and white and Walt Disney himself seems to walk through the castle entrance.
WALT DISNEY: To all who come to this happy place...welcome.
Then, as the current finale is sung, the castle and water screens project scenes of Disney characters having their wishes come true. Each projected surface features different scenes, creating a truly immersive experience. An orchestra of fireworks jet into the sky, of all different colors. They illuminate Cinderella Castle, which grows brighter and brighter. Streams of fireworks shoot from the Castle, towards the sky, crossing in front of one another. The fountains rise higher and higher, as the music builds. On the final note, a burst of golden fireworks surrounding Cinderella Castle and the hub illuminate the Magic Kingdom, before fading away into the dark.
JIMINY CRICKET: See what a little wishing can do?
Cinderella Castle lies, shimmering thoughout the night.
Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams
INTRODUCTION: A WORLD OF WISHES
1) Wishes Theme
-Jiminy Cricket's Introduction-
2) When You Wish Upon a Star
DREAMS TAKE FLIGHT
3) You Can Fly!
BE OUR GUEST
4) Be Our Guest
WISHES TO BE SHARED
5) Circle of Life
6) Hakuna Matata
7) Friend Like Me
8) A Whole New World
UNDERWATER DREAMS
-Marlin and Dory's Interlude-
9) Fronds Like These
10) Part of Your World
11) Under the Sea
A WISH TO SEE THE WORLD
12) Colors of the Wind
13) Go the Distance
14) Out There
THE TIES OF FAMILY
15) When Your Wish Upon a Star (Reprise)
16) You'll Be in My Heart
17) Ellie's Theme
18) Baby Mine
-Stitch's Interlude-
WISHES OF LOVE
19) One Song/Someday My Prince Will Come
20) So This is Love
21) Once Upon a Dream
22) I See the Light
DARK FORCES IGNITE
-Magic Mirror Interlude-
23) Be Prepared
24) Friends On the Other Side
25) Hellfire
-Maleficent's Takeover Interlude-
A BOLT OUT OF THE BLUE
-Blue Fairy's Interlude-
26) Wishes Theme (Reprise)
FINALE: A WISH TRIUMPHANT
-Walt Disney's Interlude-
27) Finale ("Wishes" Theme/When You Wish Upon a Star)
28) Exit Music (Wishes)
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And there we have it...our tour of the Magic Kingdom is complete. Now, when we come to the end of each park, I'll give a brief recap of what each respective area of the park has in store. Anything with FastPass+ will have a FP+ next to its title (Side note: Much like in the past, my plans regarding FP+ call for strictly reserving it for only the more popular attractions in the park). New content, or content I forgot to mention, will be in red. YouTube videos posted above each list serve their usual purpose as themed background music. "**" denotes live entertainment.
Also, note that some places I mentioned in the posts may not show up. That's because I don't consider those places real "attractions" (i;e store-fronts, minor (as in, not really listed on any map or Times Guide) character greeting areas).
MAIN STREET, U.S.A.
Attractions & Entertainment
1. Celebrate the Magic**
2. City Hall
3. Citizens of Main Street**
4. The Dapper Dans**
5. Discovery Arcade
6. Disney's Festival of Fantasy Parade**
7. Liberty Arcade
8. Main Street Cinema
9. Main Street Trolley Show**
10. Main Street Vehicles
11. Penny Arcade
12. SpectroMagic: Colors Combined**
13. Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom
14. Walt Disney: One Man's Dream
15. Walt Disney World Railroad
16. Wishes**
Dining & Shopping
1. Casey's Corner
2. The Chapeau
3. Crystal Arts
4. Crystal Palace
5. Disney Clothiers
6. Emporium
7. Greenhouse Flower Shop
8. Harmony Barber Shop
9. House of Magic
10. Lillian's
11. Main Street Bakery
12. Main Street Chamber of Commerce
13. Main Street Confectionery
14. New England Clock Shop
15. Plaza Ice Cream Parlor
16. Plaza Restaurant
17. Sherman Music Co.
18. Storybook Shoppe
19. Tony's Town Square Restaurant
20. Uptown Jewelers
21. Walt's
22. WED Photography
ADVENTURELAND
Attractions & Entertainment
1. Adventureland Swingers**
2. Arabian Minstrels**
3. The Black Pearl
4. The Bootstrappers**
5. The Enchanted Passage of Aladdin
6. Indiana Jones and the Lost Expedition FP+
7. Jungle Cruise FP+
8. Legend of the Lion King**
9. Pirates of the Caribbean
10. Sonidos del Paraíso**
11. Swiss Family Treehouse
12. Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room
Dining & Shopping
1. Adventureland Bazaar
2. Aloha Isle
3. Archaeologist's Outpost
4. Bwana Bob's
5. Crocodile Mercantile
6. El Pirata y El Perico
7. Honest Marooned Pete's
8. Jungle Navigation Co, Ltd. Skipper Canteen
9. The Pirate's League
10. Sunshine Tree Terrace
11. Tesoros Misteriosos
12. Zanzibar Trading Company
DELETED MATERIAL
F.K.E.T. Base--I don't think there would be room for it at all.
Blue Lagoon Restaurant--Same reason as above. I don't think there could be room to fit a restaurant in such a small space, without disrupting the ride.
FRONTIERLAND
Attractions & Entertainment
1. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad FP+
2. Big Thunder Ranch
3. Conestoga Wagons
4. Country Bear Jamboree
5. Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes
6. Frontierland Hoedown**
7. Frontierland Shootin' Arcade
8. The Notorious Banjo Brothers & Bob**: I forgot to mention these guys. Essentially, they're a comedic band consisting of two banjo players and a tuba player, performing cowboy melodies.
9. Pack Mules
10. Rainbow Caverns Mine Train
11. Splash Mountain FP+
12. Stage Coaches
13. Tom Sawyer Island
14. Walt Disney World Railroad
15. Western River Expedition FP+
Dining & Shopping
1. Aunt Polly's Dockside Inn
2. The Bandwagon
3. Big Al's Galley
4. Briar Patch
5. Frontier Trading Post
6. Golden Oak Outpost
7. Mesa Terrace
8. Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Inn & Cafe
9. Prairie Outpost & Supply
10. Tumbleweed Tavern
11. Tumbleweed Traders
LIBERTY SQUARE
Attractions & Entertainment
1. Diamond Horseshoe Saloon Revue**
2. The Hall of Presidents
3. The Haunted Mansion FP+
4. Liberty Belle Riverboat
5. Mike Fink Keel Boats
6. The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History** (For more information on this new addition, which is coming to the Magic Kingdom this fall, click here.)
Dining & Shopping
1. Columbia Harbour House
2. The Diamond Horseshoe
3. Finery
4. Liberty Tree Tavern
5. Memento Mori
6. Sleepy Hollow
7. Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe
DELETED MATERIAL
Heritage House--Its space, from what I have heard, will be used for a new project that's happening in real life. For more info, click here.
FANTASYLAND
Attractions & Entertainment
1. Ariel's Grotto
2. The Barnstormer starring the Great Goofini
3. Casey Jr. Soak 'n' Splash Station
4. Cinderella Castle
5. Cinderella's Golden Carrousel
6. Dumbo the Flying Elephant
7. Enchanted Tales with Belle
8. Fantasy Gardens
9. Frozen Ever After FP+
10. The Hunchback of Notre Dame Festival of Fools**
11. "it's a small world"
12. Mad Tea Party
13. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh FP+
14. Peter Pan's Flight FP+
15. Pete's Silly Sideshow
16. Princess Fairytale Hall FP+
17. Royal Majesty Makers: According to the Walt Disney World Entertainment site, "Led by retired knight Sir Sterling and royal etiquette expert Lady Llewellyn, the Royal Majesty Makers also include squire extraordinaire Tobias and flirtatious lady-in-waiting Bridget. They may be found in the Castle Courtyard, conducting Knight School, delivering invitations to a royal ball, leading royal dances or even playing a game of “Sir Sterling Says.”"
18. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train FP+
19. Storyteller's Nook**
20. The Sword in the Stone Ceremony**
21. Voyage of the Little Mermaid FP+
22. Walt Disney World Railroad
Dining & Shopping
1. Arendelle Treats
2. Be Our Guest Restaurant
3. Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boutique
4. Big Top Souvenirs
5. Big Top Treats
6. Bonjour! Village Gifts
7. Castle Couture
8. Cheshire Cafe
9. Cinderella's Royal Table
10. Fantasy Faire
11. Gadgets & Gizmos
12. Gaston's Tavern
13. Pinocchio Village Haus
14. Prince Eric's Village Market
15. Rabbit's Garden
16. Sir Mickey's
17. Small World Imports
18. Storybook Treats
19. Wandering Oaken's Trading Post (& Sauna)
TOMORROWLAND
Attractions & Entertainment
1. Astro Orbiter
2. Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin FP+
3. Dreamflight
4. The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter FP+
5. PUSH, the talking trash can**: I'm bringing him back, y'all!
6. Space Mountain FP+
7. The Timekeeper
8. Tomorrowland Transit Authority
9. Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress
Dining & Shopping
1. Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies
2. Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe
3. The Lunching Pad
4. Merchant of Venus
5. Mickey's Star Traders
6. Store Command
7. The Tomorrowlanding: a frozen yogurt stand built into the side of a satellite-topped structure. Located right nearby Space Mountain.
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What did you guys think about the Magic Kingdom? But hang on tight, because things are only going to get better. In the next post, we'll visit my personal favorite of the four WDW parks: Epcot. But for my plans, Epcot will be taking a heavy blast from the past, to bring its original ideals back for an all-new generation. Stay tuned!
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And now, at last, we come to the final piece to close out the Magic Kingdom. This epic fireworks display weaves a tale of the power of dreams, as told by Jiminy Cricket. Originally, I had no intention to update this show...but then, I saw Disneyland Forever on YouTube. Upon seeing Disneyland Forever, I plan to update Wishes to bring it up to par with Disneyland Forever. To do this, I plan to use projections on the castle, and set up various effects all around the Hub--water screens, water fountains, puppets and various other things.
So, let's not waste another second. Let us take in the spectacle of Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams.
Night has settled all across the Magic Kingdom. The murmur of guests rings down Main Street, U.S.A., as you approach the center of the hub, by the Partners Statue, to find a good location to view the fireworks for their opening night debut. Cinderella Castle is illuminated in a dark blue hue, as the light of the moon reflects down onto the hub. After watching SpectroMagic: Colors Combined, you find yourself anticipating what lies in store next. The trees down Main Street U.S.A., and the trees in the middle of the Hub, twinkle with pixel lights, enchanting the street making everything seem magical. The smell of popcorn settles into the hub, as families quickly rush to get some ice cream and their spots to see the fireworks. Anticipation rises.
Introduction: A World of Wishes
Then, a rich, low chord is struck, as all of Main Street U.S.A. and Cinderella Castle black out, enveloping the entire entrance of the park and the hub in complete darkness. Then, the chord builds higher and higher, crescendoing into the iconic opening fanfare. From this point, the show is largely the same as it is before. But, after Aladdin's voice is heard saying "Genie, I wish for your freedom" and the choir sings "Wishes", that's where the changes start.
Scene One: Dreams Take Flight
JIMINY CRICKET: All it takes is a simple wish to let all of your dreams take flight!
Peter Pan suddenly emerges from one of the balconies of Cinderella Castle.
PETER PAN: Hey there, everyone! Now, think of the happiest things, it's the same as having wings! All you need is faith and trust. Oh, and one thing I forgot, dust! Tinker Bell!
Suddenly, the entire castle becomes illuminated in a darker golden color. Golden streams fireworks fall around the castle.
Come on, everybody! Here we go! Off to Neverland!
In that instance, suddenly, Peter Pan flies around the castle. With the use of projections, the castle appears to be shrinking smaller and smaller. Wait, we're flying! Clouds soon cover the castle, as six different water screens surrounding the castle and Hub emerge, projected with fanciful clouds, making it seem as though the entire hub is floating in the middle of the sky. As this is happening, the tune of "You Can Fly!" is heard, as Peter flies through the clouds, before the segments ends with an arch of firework streams rising from behind the castle, illuminating it with a white light.
Scene Two: Be Our Guest
Then, a drum roll sounds, as the entire castle is illuminated in a dark red hue. The windows of the castle are illuminated with bright yellow lights. A puppet of Lumiere appears from behind the curtain of the castle's balcony and welcomes the guests to the magical night that is yet to be seen. The entire hub then explodes in a celebration of color! Fireworks from behind the castle then are perfectly choreographed to "Be Our Guest" as the castle is illuminated in a rainbow of lights.
Fountains to the sides of the castle dance to the melody of the music. In the final segment of the show, Lumiere appears on the castle, which is adorned with numerous colorful spotlights, dancing plates and silverware, as they proceed into the final segment of the show. As the song segues into its' final fanfare, an array of colorful fireworks explode behind the castle, as the fountains dance higher and higher. At the speed of the music picks up, more and more fireworks blast off. It's like a mini-finale and the show has only just begun! In the final chord of the number, a big blast of fireworks erupts completely surrounding the hub, before the hub fades back into the darkness.
Scene Three: Wishes To Be Shared
JIMINY CRICKET: Wishes can be very special, especially when you share them with friends...
Suddenly, we see the iconic sunrise from The Lion King projected onto the castle, complete with the iconic opening chant. What follows is a beautiful segment inspired by "Circle of Life". The water screens project animals walking towards the castle, which has turned into Pride Rock. As the song ends, a gigantic firework explodes in time to the bass drum hit that ends the song as the projections black out.
Then, projected at the base of the castle, Timon and Pumbaa appear, welcoming the audience to their care-free, no worries lifestyle. An instrumental of "Hakuna Matata" plays, as the castle is soon covered with bugs and grubs, covering all over the castle. Firework explosions in the shapes of types of bugs emerge in the sky, along with other fireworks choreographed to the music. Leaves are projected all along the base of the castle. The fountains at the base of the castle simulate green leaves, to create a dense-jungle like appearance. During the segment, guests can hear Timon and Pumbaa talking about all of the delicious grubs crawling across the castle.
In the midst of the song, a flash of blue appears across the castle, as blue sparkles drape around the castle. The Genie from Aladdin appears!
GENIE: Whoa! 10,000 years can give you such a crick in the neck! Hello, people, up here! Come on, we've got some wishes to grant!
This leads into an instrumental of "Friend Like Me", where the Genie uses his magic powers to warp and change the castle. In this number Genie's magical powers are choreographed to the fireworks, as he uses his magic to transfigure the castle, the sparks on the castle are choreographed with real fireworks. At the end of the number, the Genie has multiplied all over the castle and finishes off the number, as a string of blue fireworks shoot into the sky.
At the conclusion of the "Friend Like Me" segment, the water screens re-emerge around the hub, as Aladdin and Jasmine appear, singing "A Whole New World". The two fly around the hub via the water screens, floating along the Magic Carpet, amidst a starry night. The Sultan's Palace from Agrabah is projected onto Cinderella Castle. Water fountains dance in arching formations. Shimmery fireworks blast off into the sky in golden colors. The silvery, starry fireworks descend down over the hub. Beautiful, steams of fireworks shoot up from behind the castle, quiet, not to disturb the beauty of the scene. At the end of the segment, Aladdin and Jasmines descend and the Sultan's Palace fades, leaving the castle twinkling in an array of blinking stars.
Scene Four: Underwater Dreams
As the next sequence begins, the stars fade away and the area is shrouded in complete darkness. Suddenly, we hear the voices of Marlin and Dory from Finding Nemo.
MARLIN: Dory, do you see anything?
DORY: Ahh! Something's got me!
MARLIN: That was me. I'm sorry.
DORY: Who's that?
MARLIN: Who's that? Who else would it be? It's me!
DORY: Are... are you my conscience?
MARLIN: (sighs) Yes, I'm your conscience. We haven't spoken for a while. How are you?
DORY: Eh, can't complain.
MARLIN: Good. Now, Dory, do you see anything?
A giant white light appears at the top of the castle's tallest spire.
DORY: Yes, I see... a light. Hey, conscience, am I dead?
MARLIN: No, I see it too.
Marlin and Dory then appear on the castle, seemingly coming out of the darkness and towards the light.
DORY: It's so...pretty.
MARLIN: I'm feeling...happy. Which is a big deal for me.
DORY: I want to touch it.
And with that, they swim up to the spire and watch in awe as the light reveals itself to be a firework. Soon, more fireworks, in shades of blue and green appear to the tune of "Fronds Like These", as the undersea environment from Finding Nemo comes to life on the castle and on the water screens.
Suddenly, we find ourselves rising above the surface. The moon's silver light shines down upon the waves. To underscore this haunting sight, guests can hear the faint score to "Part of Your World", as Ariel wishes to be a part of the human world. Soon the castle becomes engulfed with a wave, as if it was being submerged. The entire area soon feels as though it is underwater. Bubbles descend down upon the area and lasers simulate the wavy surface to the ocean, completely enveloping the hub and Main Street. The water screens open to simulate the undersea environment from The Little Mermaid.
Fireworks and fountains dance to "Part of Your World", before the hub becomes alive with color, to the tune of "Under the Sea". Sebastian appears on one of the water screens, as the entire hub wraps with all different sorts of undersea-life seen in The Little Mermaid. The hub becomes alive with an array of colorful fountains. Colorful fireworks blast off into the sky in red, green and blue colors. Arches of fireworks envelop the castle in the tropical, undersea rhythm. Lights envelop the hub, as the song reaches its' climax and blasts of shimmery, twirly fireworks shoot off into the sky.
Scene Five: A Wish to See the World
Projected onto the castle, a series of leaves sweep across, before the instrumental tune of "Colors of the Wind" could be heard. Blue and green fountains rise into the sky, turning into the center, towards the castle. The sky becomes illuminated with different colors of fireworks. Some of the fireworks "sizzle" out, almost as if they are part of the leaves flying across the castle. As the end of the song approaches, the fireworks become more vibrant and larger, until the end of the song, where a series of colorful fireworks arch out from behind the castle.
A silhouette of Hercules onboard Pegasus flies across the castle, as the castle is illuminated in a bright orange color. Huge circular red and orange fireworks blast off to the tune of "Go the Distance" in a grand and bold manner (re-using the same track as that used in the original version of Wishes). The song soon segues into "Out There" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which keeps the same manner as the previous segment, the fireworks launch out in big, bold patterns to the tune of the music. The Cathedral of Notre Dame is projected onto the castle, as huge fireworks explode out from behind it, completely enveloping the entire hub in the bright oranges and reds of the fireworks.
Scene Six: The Ties of Family
A brief reprise of "When You Wish Upon a Star" plays again.
JIMINY CRICKET: If you tell someone about your wish, that doesn't mean that it won't come true, you know. Just like my friend, Pinoke, he and his father both wished on a star...and their wishes came true.
An instrumental of "You'll Be in My Heart" plays, as vines slowly creep up the castle, as blue butterflies fly across the castle. Green fountains shoot up around the castle, as golden streams of fireworks fall during the verse of the song, raining down over the castle, like a canopy. During the refrain of the song, strings of pyrotechnics emerge from the sides of the castle, ending the segment perfectly. The hub soon fades to darkness again, as "Ellie's Theme" from Up plays, as colorful balloons rise on the castle. Colorful fireworks in red, blue, green, yellow and all sorts of colors illuminate the hub, for the incredibly colorful, yet somber musical segment.
Suddenly, the area takes on a cool, mellow blue tone, as we hear the voice of Timothy Mouse.
TIMOTHY: Come on, Dumbo. You can do it. You don't need a magic feather! You really can fly!
And just like that, Dumbo himself appears flying over Cinderella Castle, flapping his big ears and moving his legs. Blue shells are quietly shot in the background, as the strains of "Baby Mine" fill the Hub. The music softens and Dumbo makes his exit.
Emerging from the side of the castle, Stitch appears, as Experiment 626. He arrives at a balcony in the castle, where he uses his laser gun weapon to shoot into the audience. As he does so, flares emerge all around the castle and the hub, as lasers emerge into the audience, in a completely realistic way. Stitch lets out a wicked laugh, before proceeding his onslaught of using his laser gun to spark fireworks from all around the castle. Stitch waves goodbye to the audience, as he climbs down the sides of the castle turrets and plunges into the Cinderella Castle moat towards Tomorrowland. A splash is heard and the water fountains shoot up.
Scene Seven: Wishes of Love
JIMINY CRICKET: A wish is a powerful thing, especially when it comes from the heart...
The darkened hub becomes illuminated to the grand tune of "One Song" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, before proceeding into elements of "Someday My Prince Will Come". The Prince's castle from the film is projected onto the castle, as a colorful mix of golden curtain fireworks is contrasted against the deep blue hues of the dancing fountains. Hearts are also projected onto the castle.
Immediately following the refrain from Snow White, "So This Is Love" from Cinderella sweeps through the hub, the castle takes on a gloss, glassy appearance, not too different from glass slippers, perhaps? Bold blue and white orb fireworks explode in the sky, almost as bright and shimmery as diamonds. Heart fireworks explode in the sky, as blue dancing fountains illuminate the base of the castle.
Following the Cinderella segment, the hub livens up to the tune of "Once Upon a Dream" from Sleeping Beauty. Cinderella Castle takes the form of King Stephan's castle from the film, as a battle ensues between blue and pink fireworks above. The bright fireworks light up the castle, lighting up the structure in an array of blue and pink lights. Flying across the castle are small red, green and blue orbs; Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. During the segment, guests can hear Flora and Merryweather chanting "Make it pink!" or "Blue"! At the base of the castle, the fountains themselves are battling out between deciding whether to be blue or pink.
As the song slowly fades, a single floating lantern is projected, rising up the castle.
"I See the Light" starts playing throughout the hub, as the water screens surrounding the hub soon become illuminated with several floating lanterns, which also completely illuminate the castle. Rapunzel begins to sing the verse of the song, as golden fountains rise from the base of Cinderella Castle. Golden fireworks explode overhead. It really does feel as though the entire hub is surrounded in floating lanterns. As Flynn joins Rapunzel during the refrain of the song, real floating lanterns float from the base of Cinderella Castle and rise into the sky, out of sight. As the song slowly finishes out its' final chords, the tone of the music turns somewhat darker, dismal. The castle falls into a dark blue/purplish color.
Scene Eight: Dark Forces Ignite
JIMINY CRICKET: Uh oh, now don’t worry. Just remember, always let your conscience be your guide. Let your conscience be your guide…let your conscience be your guide…
Suddenly a flash of light appears across the castle, as a firework makes a gigantic, thunderous noise. In a golden circular frame, the face of the Magic Mirror appears, stating to the guests that dreams can give way to a world of nightmares. Flames burst from within the magic mirror, engulfing the mirror and spreading across the castle. Real jets of fire ignite off of the castle.
THE QUEEN: Slaves in the magic mirror, come from the farthest space. Through wind and darkness, I summon thee. Let me see thy face. A blast of wind, to find my fate. A thunderbolt, to cast my spell. Alas, grant me my wish as well.
Smoke emants from the castle, as green fountains emerge from its' base. Projected green some rises along the castle, before the evil face of Scar from The Lion Kingappears from within the green smoke. Suddenly, a rock theme of "Be Prepared" takes hold, as bold green and yellow fireworks illuminate the sky, cackling above. The segment ends with a thundersome crackle, from the fireworks above. The green lights remain on the castle, as a shadowy figure of Dr. Facilier is projected onto the castle, performing "Friends on the Other Side". During the number, the dark shadow uses his "voodoo" powers to create the magical firework displays at hand, in many different shapes. Dark shadowy creatures swarm the castle. This segment is similar to the "Friend Like Me" segment, where in, the animation on the castle, is choreographed with the fireworks.
Suddenly, bursts of flame appear from the castle, as the "Hellfire" theme from The Hunchback of Notre Dame plays. Huge orbs of red and orange fireworks explode in the sky, painting a haunting picture of a darkened Cinderella Castle in the forefront. It seemingly appears as though the sky is on fire from the mass arrangement of fiery red fireworks. Fiery beams emerge from jets on Cinderella Castle. The segment ends with an explosion of blood red fireworks surrounding the hub.
When the light from the fireworks fade, a very familiar villain appears in a burst of green flame.
MALEFICENT: Behold the power of all evil! This kingdom shall become my dominion of nightmares!
Blasts of green fireworks emerge from behind the castle. Projected thorns begin to cover the castle. The water screens open to reveal a thorn forest surrounding the hub. Jets of fire appear from within the hub, spreading the blaze across the river, seemingly making it seem as though the hub is surrounding by a river of fire! Blasts of green and purple fireworks explode in the sky, creating a haunted scene. The fireworks explode faster and faster, as the fire sears farther. Maleficent's wicked laugh fills the hub. The momentum continues to build and build until…
Sorcerer Yensid appears on the castle and halts the madness by casting forth his hands. Upon doing so, the fountains rise and rush upwards towards the castle. The fire is distinguished and the madness finally subdues, as Maleficent's laughter fades away. The twisted green and purple mash of colors on the castle fades away, illuminating the castle in a light blue glow.
Scene Nine: A Bolt Out of the Blue
Smoke still clears from the previous madness, surrounding the castle, as all falls silent. A slight glimmer of light sparkles across Cinderella Castle. From here on out, the rest of the show plays out just like it did before, starting from Jiminy's line "You know folks, you gotta be careful what you wish for around here, or you'll get yourself in an awful mess."
Finale: A Wish Triumphant
For this new version of Wishes, the finale will be changed a bit. After Jiminy Cricket says "'Cause that, my friends, is where the magic lives", the castle becomes black and white and Walt Disney himself seems to walk through the castle entrance.
WALT DISNEY: To all who come to this happy place...welcome.
Then, as the current finale is sung, the castle and water screens project scenes of Disney characters having their wishes come true. Each projected surface features different scenes, creating a truly immersive experience. An orchestra of fireworks jet into the sky, of all different colors. They illuminate Cinderella Castle, which grows brighter and brighter. Streams of fireworks shoot from the Castle, towards the sky, crossing in front of one another. The fountains rise higher and higher, as the music builds. On the final note, a burst of golden fireworks surrounding Cinderella Castle and the hub illuminate the Magic Kingdom, before fading away into the dark.
JIMINY CRICKET: See what a little wishing can do?
Cinderella Castle lies, shimmering thoughout the night.
Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams
INTRODUCTION: A WORLD OF WISHES
1) Wishes Theme
-Jiminy Cricket's Introduction-
2) When You Wish Upon a Star
DREAMS TAKE FLIGHT
3) You Can Fly!
BE OUR GUEST
4) Be Our Guest
WISHES TO BE SHARED
5) Circle of Life
6) Hakuna Matata
7) Friend Like Me
8) A Whole New World
UNDERWATER DREAMS
-Marlin and Dory's Interlude-
9) Fronds Like These
10) Part of Your World
11) Under the Sea
A WISH TO SEE THE WORLD
12) Colors of the Wind
13) Go the Distance
14) Out There
THE TIES OF FAMILY
15) When Your Wish Upon a Star (Reprise)
16) You'll Be in My Heart
17) Ellie's Theme
18) Baby Mine
-Stitch's Interlude-
WISHES OF LOVE
19) One Song/Someday My Prince Will Come
20) So This is Love
21) Once Upon a Dream
22) I See the Light
DARK FORCES IGNITE
-Magic Mirror Interlude-
23) Be Prepared
24) Friends On the Other Side
25) Hellfire
-Maleficent's Takeover Interlude-
A BOLT OUT OF THE BLUE
-Blue Fairy's Interlude-
26) Wishes Theme (Reprise)
FINALE: A WISH TRIUMPHANT
-Walt Disney's Interlude-
27) Finale ("Wishes" Theme/When You Wish Upon a Star)
28) Exit Music (Wishes)
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And there we have it...our tour of the Magic Kingdom is complete. Now, when we come to the end of each park, I'll give a brief recap of what each respective area of the park has in store. Anything with FastPass+ will have a FP+ next to its title (Side note: Much like in the past, my plans regarding FP+ call for strictly reserving it for only the more popular attractions in the park). New content, or content I forgot to mention, will be in red. YouTube videos posted above each list serve their usual purpose as themed background music. "**" denotes live entertainment.
Also, note that some places I mentioned in the posts may not show up. That's because I don't consider those places real "attractions" (i;e store-fronts, minor (as in, not really listed on any map or Times Guide) character greeting areas).
MAIN STREET, U.S.A.
Attractions & Entertainment
1. Celebrate the Magic**
2. City Hall
3. Citizens of Main Street**
4. The Dapper Dans**
5. Discovery Arcade
6. Disney's Festival of Fantasy Parade**
7. Liberty Arcade
8. Main Street Cinema
9. Main Street Trolley Show**
10. Main Street Vehicles
11. Penny Arcade
12. SpectroMagic: Colors Combined**
13. Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom
14. Walt Disney: One Man's Dream
15. Walt Disney World Railroad
16. Wishes**
Dining & Shopping
1. Casey's Corner
2. The Chapeau
3. Crystal Arts
4. Crystal Palace
5. Disney Clothiers
6. Emporium
7. Greenhouse Flower Shop
8. Harmony Barber Shop
9. House of Magic
10. Lillian's
11. Main Street Bakery
12. Main Street Chamber of Commerce
13. Main Street Confectionery
14. New England Clock Shop
15. Plaza Ice Cream Parlor
16. Plaza Restaurant
17. Sherman Music Co.
18. Storybook Shoppe
19. Tony's Town Square Restaurant
20. Uptown Jewelers
21. Walt's
22. WED Photography
ADVENTURELAND
Attractions & Entertainment
1. Adventureland Swingers**
2. Arabian Minstrels**
3. The Black Pearl
4. The Bootstrappers**
5. The Enchanted Passage of Aladdin
6. Indiana Jones and the Lost Expedition FP+
7. Jungle Cruise FP+
8. Legend of the Lion King**
9. Pirates of the Caribbean
10. Sonidos del Paraíso**
11. Swiss Family Treehouse
12. Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room
Dining & Shopping
1. Adventureland Bazaar
2. Aloha Isle
3. Archaeologist's Outpost
4. Bwana Bob's
5. Crocodile Mercantile
6. El Pirata y El Perico
7. Honest Marooned Pete's
8. Jungle Navigation Co, Ltd. Skipper Canteen
9. The Pirate's League
10. Sunshine Tree Terrace
11. Tesoros Misteriosos
12. Zanzibar Trading Company
DELETED MATERIAL
F.K.E.T. Base--I don't think there would be room for it at all.
Blue Lagoon Restaurant--Same reason as above. I don't think there could be room to fit a restaurant in such a small space, without disrupting the ride.
FRONTIERLAND
Attractions & Entertainment
1. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad FP+
2. Big Thunder Ranch
3. Conestoga Wagons
4. Country Bear Jamboree
5. Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes
6. Frontierland Hoedown**
7. Frontierland Shootin' Arcade
8. The Notorious Banjo Brothers & Bob**: I forgot to mention these guys. Essentially, they're a comedic band consisting of two banjo players and a tuba player, performing cowboy melodies.
9. Pack Mules
10. Rainbow Caverns Mine Train
11. Splash Mountain FP+
12. Stage Coaches
13. Tom Sawyer Island
14. Walt Disney World Railroad
15. Western River Expedition FP+
Dining & Shopping
1. Aunt Polly's Dockside Inn
2. The Bandwagon
3. Big Al's Galley
4. Briar Patch
5. Frontier Trading Post
6. Golden Oak Outpost
7. Mesa Terrace
8. Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Inn & Cafe
9. Prairie Outpost & Supply
10. Tumbleweed Tavern
11. Tumbleweed Traders
LIBERTY SQUARE
Attractions & Entertainment
1. Diamond Horseshoe Saloon Revue**
2. The Hall of Presidents
3. The Haunted Mansion FP+
4. Liberty Belle Riverboat
5. Mike Fink Keel Boats
6. The Muppets Present...Great Moments in American History** (For more information on this new addition, which is coming to the Magic Kingdom this fall, click here.)
Dining & Shopping
1. Columbia Harbour House
2. The Diamond Horseshoe
3. Finery
4. Liberty Tree Tavern
5. Memento Mori
6. Sleepy Hollow
7. Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe
DELETED MATERIAL
Heritage House--Its space, from what I have heard, will be used for a new project that's happening in real life. For more info, click here.
FANTASYLAND
Attractions & Entertainment
1. Ariel's Grotto
2. The Barnstormer starring the Great Goofini
3. Casey Jr. Soak 'n' Splash Station
4. Cinderella Castle
5. Cinderella's Golden Carrousel
6. Dumbo the Flying Elephant
7. Enchanted Tales with Belle
8. Fantasy Gardens
9. Frozen Ever After FP+
10. The Hunchback of Notre Dame Festival of Fools**
11. "it's a small world"
12. Mad Tea Party
13. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh FP+
14. Peter Pan's Flight FP+
15. Pete's Silly Sideshow
16. Princess Fairytale Hall FP+
17. Royal Majesty Makers: According to the Walt Disney World Entertainment site, "Led by retired knight Sir Sterling and royal etiquette expert Lady Llewellyn, the Royal Majesty Makers also include squire extraordinaire Tobias and flirtatious lady-in-waiting Bridget. They may be found in the Castle Courtyard, conducting Knight School, delivering invitations to a royal ball, leading royal dances or even playing a game of “Sir Sterling Says.”"
18. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train FP+
19. Storyteller's Nook**
20. The Sword in the Stone Ceremony**
21. Voyage of the Little Mermaid FP+
22. Walt Disney World Railroad
Dining & Shopping
1. Arendelle Treats
2. Be Our Guest Restaurant
3. Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boutique
4. Big Top Souvenirs
5. Big Top Treats
6. Bonjour! Village Gifts
7. Castle Couture
8. Cheshire Cafe
9. Cinderella's Royal Table
10. Fantasy Faire
11. Gadgets & Gizmos
12. Gaston's Tavern
13. Pinocchio Village Haus
14. Prince Eric's Village Market
15. Rabbit's Garden
16. Sir Mickey's
17. Small World Imports
18. Storybook Treats
19. Wandering Oaken's Trading Post (& Sauna)
TOMORROWLAND
Attractions & Entertainment
1. Astro Orbiter
2. Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin FP+
3. Dreamflight
4. The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter FP+
5. PUSH, the talking trash can**: I'm bringing him back, y'all!
6. Space Mountain FP+
7. The Timekeeper
8. Tomorrowland Transit Authority
9. Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress
Dining & Shopping
1. Auntie Gravity's Galactic Goodies
2. Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe
3. The Lunching Pad
4. Merchant of Venus
5. Mickey's Star Traders
6. Store Command
7. The Tomorrowlanding: a frozen yogurt stand built into the side of a satellite-topped structure. Located right nearby Space Mountain.
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What did you guys think about the Magic Kingdom? But hang on tight, because things are only going to get better. In the next post, we'll visit my personal favorite of the four WDW parks: Epcot. But for my plans, Epcot will be taking a heavy blast from the past, to bring its original ideals back for an all-new generation. Stay tuned!
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Twilight_Roxas
Well-Known Member
Its good. As for Wishes yeah Ignite the Dream outrank your version tbh.
IAmNotAHufflepuff
Well-Known Member
EPCOT Center, the second park of Walt Disney World, opened to the world exactly eleven years after the Magic Kingdom opened, on October 1st, 1982. Essentially, EPCOT Center is a celebration of what it means to be a member of the human race, with one side of the park celebrating man's scientific and futuristic achievements, and the other celebrating our world's diverse culture. True, it's a far cry from Walt's original intentions of an ultra-modern city, but many of its forward-thinking and innovative ideas were recognized in Future World when the park first opened.
But then, something happened. In 1994, EPCOT Center became just "Epcot". Ever since then, its optimistic messages became tarnished. As the 2000s came in, the Imagination Institute kicked Dreamfinder to the curb and turned Figment into a shell of his former self, the optimistic Horizons and World of Motion pavilions were kicked out and turned into corporate shills, and perhaps worst of all, IP handling got totally out of control. First, the Seas with Nemo and Friends came along, and just recently, Frozen Ever After brought the fictional kingdom of Arendelle to the real-life country of Norway. But that's not all--now rumors are circling around that the Guardians of the Galaxy may be touching down soon. But to me, perhaps the worst thing to happen is that "Epcot" doesn't represent an acronym anymore. The name change from "EPCOT Center" to just "Epcot" reflects one of the sad truths about Epcot and especially Future World in that it really does not reflect the ideals and themes of what the park stood for when it first opened.
Therefore, my plans for re-imagining Epcot call for a restoration of the park’s original identity. Before we begin, I'd like to take this moment to bring up a quote from @sshindel, the man behind the "EPCOT Manifesto", which served as my basis for this project:
Hopefully, with this refurbishment, I'll be able to make the park do everything it originally did and more. So, without further ado, let's begin our day at EPCOT Center (and yes, I do plan to restore its original name)!
The sun rises high over the Floridian skies. The monorail pulls into the station, unloading the day's first group of guests, ready to explore EPCOT Center, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Joining them are guests who have arrived by bus or by car. Soon, 9:00 strikes and the turnstiles open, letting guests inside the park.
The first thing you notice is that the series of Leave a Legacy stone epitaphs that have covered Epcot's entrance for over the last decade. In place of the former Leave a Legacy plaques, a new, welcoming entrance will be re-created. The entrance of the park now features the original symbol of EPCOT Center, embedded in silver tiling at the very entrance of the park. Much in the same style as the former Leave a Legacy stones, the silver tiling will consist of the small images of all those who had had their images features on the Leave a Legacy tiles. With this renovation, the guests that had left their "legacy" at the entrance of the park will still have it there, while opening up the entrance and removing the large stones, which obstructed the entrance to the park. In the place of the Leave a Legacy stones, the entrance plaza will be adorned with beautiful trees and grass beds of flowers, very similar to the ones that used to grace the plaza during the park's first years, to create a truly beautiful entrance to the theme park. The large, geometrical sphere of Spaceship Earth globe rises high over the numerous trees.
And of course, right in the middle of it all, is an inclined ramp that takes guests inside the giant geometric sphere for a ride aboard Spaceship Earth! (Oh, and BTW, I plan to restore the original Future World pavilion logos, as you will see throughout the Future World posts...)
Spaceship Earth, presented by Siemens, takes you through the historical and cultural progression of the world, showing how the world has evolved through both technology and communication. The attraction dates back to the earliest periods of the cavemen, proceeding through many different eras and civilizations before arriving in the current one in which we live today.
A major point that I want to address with the renovation of Spaceship Earth is the actual theme of the attraction. Ever since the 2007 refurbishment, the theme of the attraction has been the evolution of technology and ways to communicate, from the hieroglyphics in Egypt, to the Phoenicians developing the alphabet to the dawn of computer systems. The theme of the attraction has always been about the potential of communication, to branch out and to communicate across the world. I believe with the previous renovation, that was an aspect of the theme that was lost. It is not just about ways TO communicate, but rather HOW FAR we can. I want that to be a part of the attraction that is re-touched on.
We stand poised, just outside its entrance. Curious and excited, we step forward, getting closer and closer to its entrance...
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What do you think, guys? Perfect little teaser/introduction, right? In the next post, we'll ride Spaceship Earth and discover its new changes.
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Now before I begin the Spaceship Earth ride-through, I want to go over a few things regarding this new version. As a general point of reference, the entire attraction will undergo several audio and vehicle repairs, to make sure that the attraction not only sounds as best as it could be, but that there is a fluid movement to the attraction, so that it is not as bumpy as it currently is. Also, the use of the video screen technology is going to be heavily toned-down. The entire descent down of Spaceship Earth will no longer utilize the video screen technology. Instead, the video screen will operate as a timeline as the vehicles travel through the attraction. As the vehicles reach each new era, it will display the approximate year and location on earth of where the events we see in the attraction actually happened in real-time. I know that the addition of video screens is one of the things that many people disliked about the recent refurbishment, so this may be a way to utilize the video screen technology in the attraction, without it being an entire centerpiece, as seen in the finale, which will be completely revised.
But probably most important to the renovation of this classic attraction is a new narration, which will be done by Morgan Freeman. I honestly think there's something about his voice that makes it so calming, yet powerful, so I think he'd be perfect to narrate the new Spaceship Earth. Also, many tracks from the previous versions of Spaceship Earth will be re-established in this attraction, combining both soundtracks from the current and previous editions of the attraction to create a splendid attraction. The most notable returning soundtrack piece would be the arrival at the peak of Spaceship Earth and the descent from the Edo Guidotti-scored 1994 incarnation of the ride. Also, this new refurbishment will see the return of the ride's 1986 theme, "Tomorrow's Child".
Now, let's get on to the ride proper.
Passing directly beneath the remarkable structure, we proceed up a short ramp. (Note that in my plans, FastPass+ has been discontinued for this ride) A sign which is along the right side of the ramp reads, "Spaceship Earth is a slow moving attraction that explores the history of human communications. Since travelers will be transported to the furthest regions of our solar system, the attraction is not recommended for those who experience anxiety in dark, narrow or enclosed spaces." The mural depicts astronauts working on a satellite with Earth in the distance. Surrounding them are smaller images of cavemen, the Egyptians, the Romans, Gutenburg and his printing press, and modern day people. Announcements are heard as we enter the small loading area room.
MALE ANNOUNCER: Please take small children by the hand and look down as you step onto the moving platform. The platform is moving at the same speed as your time machine vehicle.
FEMALE ANNOUNCER: Please take small children by the hand and watch your step onto the moving platform. The platform and your time machine vehicle are moving at equal speed.
MALE ANNOUNCER: The moving platform is traveling at the same speed as your time machine vehicle. Please take small children by the hand, look down, and watch your step onto the platform.
Once in the small room, we board blue, constantly moving "time machine" vehicles. At this point, a video screen in the vehicle illuminates, asking the guest to select one of many different languages for the narrator to speak throughout the attraction. Another announcement continuously plays over speakers in the room.
MALE ANNOUNCER: Your time machine doors will close automatically. Please keep your hands, arms, feet and legs inside your time machine vehicle and remain seated throughout your journey. Parents, watch your children.
FEMALE ANNOUNCER: The sliding doors on your time machine will close automatically. Please remain seated and keep your hands, arms, feet and legs inside your time machine vehicle during your journey. Parents, watch your children.
MALE ANNOUNCER: Your time machine doors slide closed automatically. Please keep your hands, arms, feet and legs inside your time machine vehicle and remain seated while traveling. Parents, watch your children.
The doors close and we hear the introduction.
MALE ANNOUNCER: On behalf of EPCOT Center and Siemens, welcome aboard Spaceship Earth. Journey with us now as we travel through time to explore the fascinating history of human communication.
The vehicle enters a dark tunnel and rises sharply upward. A starfield appears and we hear soundbites from famous people such as Susan B. Anthony's "We ask equality be guaranteed...", JFK's "Putting a man on the moon," and FDR's famous line, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Along the walls, light surges up colored "wires" towards the top of the tunnel. As we near the top, we see a projection of purplish clouds and an occasional lightning bolt as Morgan Freeman begins his narration.
MORGAN FREEMAN: Like a grand and miraculous spaceship, our planet has sailed through the universe of time. And for a brief moment, we have been among its many passengers. But where did we come from and where were we going? In the dust from which we were formed, the walls of time have recorded the answers to these questions and so many others. And from the very beginning with our ancestors, we have always wanted to reach out to each other... to bridge the wide gaps between us... to communicate.
Once at the top of the tunnel, we see animated projections of Neanderthals fighting for survival without a sense of communication and language. We then enter a cave and see a Shaman, or medicine man, with a fur cape and antlers on his head. Two men sit around the fire listening to the Shaman. His large shadow is reflected by the fire onto the cave wall. A woman is also listening while working with a fur. On the far right wall, a man and a woman are painting a message on the wall. The drawings are similar to those found in the Salon-Niaux cave in Ariège, France, circa 10,000 B.C. Sounds of animals growling echo through the caves.
Sweeping across a vast, lonely, hostile planet, our early ancestors had set out in every direction, for they were intent on their search for food and shelter. With the development of speech came a very significant answer to survival. Now we could share and learn from one another. On the walls of caves, we inscribed our utmost victories, an increasing proof of our deeds to share with others so they too may greet tomorrow's sun.
Moving into an Egyptian temple, representing 1567 - 1085 B.C., a man on the left is making paper out of papyrus. On the right, next to an elaborate entrance to a building whose archways are decorated with hieroglyphics, a man stands high upon scaffolding carving a ventilation hole near the top of a tower. Further ahead on the left, an Egyptian pharaoh is dictating a message as a scribe copies it onto the new paper. His wife is seated next to him while a servant fans them.
Within a few thousand years, the Egyptians created more walls, each of which covered in the first written form of communication: hieroglyphics, a multifaceted language of symbols and pictures. Now we could release our thoughts from carved walls and set them down on papyrus scrolls, the first form of paper. Pharaohs could now deliver declarations to subjects throughout the land.
In the Phoenician scene, 9th century B.C., two ships meet in the ocean to exchange goods. Another man on the larger ship, behind the smaller ship, holds a rope that is connected to the smaller ship so that both ships stay together. Fog surrounds the ships. Smoke rises from small fires in pots at both ends of the larger ship. To the right of us is a wall showing the ocean going to the horizon and stars above.
Then came the Phoenicians who not only helped institute the first means of trading goods to distant ports of call, but also created the first common alphabet and delivered it from one area of the Mediterranean to another.
Up next on the right is a Grecian school, circa 428 B.C. An elderly man teaches three young scholars.
In ancient Greece, the spoken word is elevated to a higher level of knowledge. With the help of new trade routes by land and sea, the Greeks realize the vital role math and science plays in aiding a powerful empire. Schools are opened, forums are established, and knowledge is spread throughout the empire.
Ahead on the left, a young Roman man holds the reins to a two horse-drawn chariot. The man, dressed as if he is in the Roman army, who arrived in the chariot is now exchanging information with another man dressed in a toga. The man holding the reins is standing on the ground with the horses, the army man is standing one step up, and the man in the toga is standing one step up from there on a marble platform. He is between four large columns, two on each side. Smoke rises from two small fires in metal pots/stands on both ends of the scene. In the back is a painted wall showing the streets of Rome. An animated horse-drawn cart with a man riding in it dashes out of one street and off into the distance.
The great Roman Empire intertwined three continents with roads, one of the fastest information highways the world had ever known. No matter what road you took, they all led to and from Rome.
We then see a building in ruins with smoke rising from it. The smell of the burning building fills the air.
Alas, these same roads spelled doom for Rome, thanks to invaders who left Rome and centuries of knowledge in the ashes of the Dark Ages. But all was not lost. Far from the smoldering embers, Jewish and Islamic teachers would not give up the quest for knowledge. As they traveled, they debated ideas and shared new breakthroughs to anyone who would listen.
In the Islamic Empire scene, on the right, four men sit around a table on pillows on the floor discussing topics. One man has two books right next to him and another has a wooden book holder that holds the book open to a specific page. On the left is a library with some books on the shelves. They aren’t stacked full. Two men, one standing, one seated on pillows on an elevated platform, are reading. Standing up high on the balcony on the right is an astronomer looking at the stars through a quadrant, which is an exact replica of the real thing. Further ahead on the left, two Benedictine Monks, 11th and 12th century, are seated at their desks copying text. The one on the right has fallen asleep at the job. His chest rises and falls as he breathes in and out.
In western abbeys, monks toiled endlessly in silent seclusion, copying old books of wisdom and revelations for future generations. At long last, from the depths of the Dark Ages, came the Renaissance and a wonderful new invention, the printing press. Now for all: the printed word.
On the left, two men are working with a large wooden printing press. Johann Gutenberg is studying a piece of paper that just came off the press (1456).
Scientists, scholars and explorers expanded their discoveries into books and essays. Poets, musicians and artists all fanned the flames of the Renaissance, swelling it into a time of priceless works of beauty and majesty.
In Renaissance Italy (1500s), on the right, one man is reading a book to two listeners on the steps. Also, two musicians are playing just beyond in front of a closed doorway. An Italian town can be seen through the columns and arches in the background. On the left, in an artist's studio, we see a man mixing paint, another painting some fruits with a bowl of fruit as a guide, and another chiseling marble to create a statue. Sketches of the female subject are on the wall behind him and to the left of him is a small statue that he also uses as a guide. Further ahead and up on the left, we see Michelangelo painting the Sistine ceiling while lying on his back high upon scaffolding. Below, the stained glass church windows are illuminated with black light. To the right is a conveyance system that allows buckets of paint to be hoisted up the scaffolding to Michelangelo.
On this wave of inspiration, we sail into a bold, new era: an age of amazing inventions and ever-increasing progress in communications, bringing people worldwide together as never before. As our appetite for knowledge and information continued to swell, the world began to shrink.
Now we move into the Age of Invention (19th and 20th centuries). First, we see a large steam-powered printing press by William Bullock in 1863. Just like Gutenberg inspected his printed paper, a man stands in front of the press and inspects a newspaper that was just printed. Nearby, on a street corner, a boy stands with a stack of New York Daily papers calling out to try to sell them.
NEWSPAPER BOY: Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Lee surrenders at Appomattox! Civil War is over! Extra! Extra!
On the right, one man is dictating a message and the other is using a telegraph to send the message. Through the window and door behind them, we can see train tracks crossing the plains to the mountains in the distance. On the left is a switchboard that three women, two seated and the third standing, are operating. Behind that are several windows that represent homes and apartments throughout the town. Fiber optic telephone lines stretch from the switchboard across poles to the homes. We can hear conversations coming from the shadows of people in some of the windows. On the right, is a woman in a ticket booth. Above that and also spanning above us is a lighted "Cinema" sign. There are three screens to the left of the booth that show scenes from an old black and white movie about a guy on a runaway trolley ("Stop that trolley!" is one of the captions), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954). The screen showing the old movie is surrounded by red curtains and gold trim to look like the fancier theaters of its time. Back on the left is the WDP radio station. WDP is, of course, short for Walt Disney Productions. A man and a woman inside the sound booth are live on the air acting out a story. A man outside the booth is checking sound levels and directing. To the right of that is a radio tower with a red light blinking on top. On the wall behind it is a painting of another radio tower in the distance. Surrounding its red light are drawings of the radio waves spreading from the tower. Just beyond that is a family (mother, father, and daughter) sitting in their living room around the TV. The mother changes the channel using a large, by today's standards, remote control. Three other TVs hang on the wall up behind the family TV. The TVs are playing Ozzie and Harriet, the 1964 NFL Colts vs. Browns Championship Game, Walt Disney introducing an episode of Disney's Wonderful World of Color and Neil Armstrong landing on the moon.
MORGAN FREEMAN: Now we have the ability to connect with everyone anywhere in the world, and then on July 20th, 1969, from somewhere else...
NEIL ARMSTRONG: That's one small step for man...and one giant leap for mankind.
MORGAN FREEMAN: Yes, to send a man to the moon, we had to create a new language. A language not spoken by man...but by computer.
We then enter a 1960's-era computer lab.
By the mid 20th century, human communication is translated into numbers. Early mainframe computers, some the size of the average home, dot various laboratories to record and store information.
The vehicle progresses through a garage in California, where a man is seen building one of the very first home computers.
By the end of the 20th century, the personal computer and the internet evolve the perceived notion of instant communication and modern day trade. Together, we form a super network that glows with billions of interactions, and once again, we stand on the brink of a new Renaissance.
Fiber optic lights then transfer the information to a large sphere representing Earth. We pass through a satellite transmitter that has rays of electric energy fly overhead, representing Internet informatoin jumping from city to city and sometimes across continents to computers. We then enter a tunnel that surrounds us with lights blinking and whirling past. The sounds of jumbled conversations and visuals of words (e-mails) join the music.The rays of energy converage and expand, covering the vehicles, almost as if it is being sucked into this expanse of energy. The video screens begin to illuminate with a series of digits and letters, as if it was being enveloped by a matrix. The vehicles travel down a glittering, illuminated matrix, before arriving at the peak of the attraction.
After 30,000 years of progress, here we are. Verged on the threshold of infinity, we see our world as it truly is: small, silent, fragile, alive, a drifting island in the midnight sky. We are a truly global community, poised to shape the future of this, our Spaceship Earth.
Outer space. Looking in from space, up at the Earth. The entire peak of the attraction features glittering, new fiber-optic stars, as well as projected stars filling the vast space sky. Edo Guidotti's sweeping score fills our ears. The vehicles then rotate backwards, as they begin their descent back down to earth.
MALE ANNOUNCER: Attention, travelers of time. Please remain seated at all times. Your time machine is rotating backwards for your return back to earth.
What follows is an all-new descent. As I said earlier, the video screens will no longer be utilized during the finale and much of the current finale will be completely removed. As for the new descent, @sshindel posed an interesting new idea...Carl Sagan's famed "Pale Blue Dot" speech.
According to him, this speech was, to some degree, what that crowning scene in SSE is meant to convey. Plus, the speech is 3 minutes long, about half of the descent's length. So, what we do is we set up the clip a little. As we start the descent, we take on the role of Voyager. Starting when we turn around, we're faced with the Earth.
Using a long, ribbon-like screen that follows us down the descent, a video like above is playing, showing us moving backwards away from Earth towards the outer reaches of the solar system. As we move, we cue Carl Sagan's speech...
CARL SAGAN: Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.
Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.
The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.
It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.
We get farther and farther away from our home, passing planets and asteroid belts, with our Earth getting smaller and smaller, until we finally reach that iconic sunbeam off of Saturn, we have reached the end of his speech.
As Sagan's speech ends and the vehicles continue to ascend down, Guidotti's score fades out and replacing it is the sound of "Tomorrow's Child"--the theme for the ride during the Cronkite era (1986-1994), which has made its return for this new version. (This should be done so that Guidotti's score blends with the instrumental that begins the song, as I'd like to utilize the original recording.)
Our descent continues through space, and through the stars. Constellations form above our heads. Shooting stars whiz past. As we continue past, we see stars form the images of children holding hands, a person using a microscope, DNA strands, the universe, etc. Each star formation then shoots to a new place and forms a new formation, symbolizing the transfer of ideas. As we near the unloading station, the vehicle becomes wrapped in a descent of stars, as twinkling, colorful fiber-optics swirl overhead before seemingly dissolving into a series of glittering bulbs, as if fading, just as the vehicles turn around to reveal the unloading station.
MORGAN FREEMAN: Since the dawn of recorded time, communication has transformed our ways of life and changed our world. We now have the ability and the responsibility to build new bridges of acceptance and co-operation between us, to create a better world for our children and ourselves as we continue our astounding voyage on board Spaceship Earth.
MALE ANNOUNCER: Siemens thanks you for traveling with us on Spaceship Earth and look forward to serving you in the future. For a look at today's new technologies, we invite you to visit Project: Tomorrow in CommuniCore West, an exciting world of new ideas and innovations made possible by Siemens ingenuity. When the doors of your vehicle open, please gather your personal belongings, take small children by the hand and step out onto the moving platform up ahead. The platform and your vehicle are traveling at equal speed.
Upon exiting the vehicle, we proceed to Earth Station, the Guest Relations for EPCOT Center. As aforementioned, Project: Tomorrow has moved to CommuniCore, thus allowing Earth Station to return. Here, we make lunch or dinner reservations by talking to a human cast member via video monitors. The cast member is able to hear and see us and is able to make reservations or answer questions. When the terminals are not being used for reservations, guests can reserve their FastPass+ times, get information on the different pavilions and where the shops, restaurants, and restrooms are located. Overhead, screens provide an overview of the park, in a style very similar to the "A Day at EPCOT Center" souvenir video...
Hosts and hostesses at the information desk provide general information. Siemens' Employee Lounge is located on the second level of the building with a great view of the fountain and World Showcase Lagoon.
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What do you think? In the next post, we'll visit an all-new CommuniCore, unlike anything you've ever seen. Stay tuned!
But probably most important to the renovation of this classic attraction is a new narration, which will be done by Morgan Freeman. I honestly think there's something about his voice that makes it so calming, yet powerful, so I think he'd be perfect to narrate the new Spaceship Earth. Also, many tracks from the previous versions of Spaceship Earth will be re-established in this attraction, combining both soundtracks from the current and previous editions of the attraction to create a splendid attraction. The most notable returning soundtrack piece would be the arrival at the peak of Spaceship Earth and the descent from the Edo Guidotti-scored 1994 incarnation of the ride. Also, this new refurbishment will see the return of the ride's 1986 theme, "Tomorrow's Child".
Now, let's get on to the ride proper.
Passing directly beneath the remarkable structure, we proceed up a short ramp. (Note that in my plans, FastPass+ has been discontinued for this ride) A sign which is along the right side of the ramp reads, "Spaceship Earth is a slow moving attraction that explores the history of human communications. Since travelers will be transported to the furthest regions of our solar system, the attraction is not recommended for those who experience anxiety in dark, narrow or enclosed spaces." The mural depicts astronauts working on a satellite with Earth in the distance. Surrounding them are smaller images of cavemen, the Egyptians, the Romans, Gutenburg and his printing press, and modern day people. Announcements are heard as we enter the small loading area room.
MALE ANNOUNCER: Please take small children by the hand and look down as you step onto the moving platform. The platform is moving at the same speed as your time machine vehicle.
FEMALE ANNOUNCER: Please take small children by the hand and watch your step onto the moving platform. The platform and your time machine vehicle are moving at equal speed.
MALE ANNOUNCER: The moving platform is traveling at the same speed as your time machine vehicle. Please take small children by the hand, look down, and watch your step onto the platform.
Once in the small room, we board blue, constantly moving "time machine" vehicles. At this point, a video screen in the vehicle illuminates, asking the guest to select one of many different languages for the narrator to speak throughout the attraction. Another announcement continuously plays over speakers in the room.
MALE ANNOUNCER: Your time machine doors will close automatically. Please keep your hands, arms, feet and legs inside your time machine vehicle and remain seated throughout your journey. Parents, watch your children.
FEMALE ANNOUNCER: The sliding doors on your time machine will close automatically. Please remain seated and keep your hands, arms, feet and legs inside your time machine vehicle during your journey. Parents, watch your children.
MALE ANNOUNCER: Your time machine doors slide closed automatically. Please keep your hands, arms, feet and legs inside your time machine vehicle and remain seated while traveling. Parents, watch your children.
The doors close and we hear the introduction.
MALE ANNOUNCER: On behalf of EPCOT Center and Siemens, welcome aboard Spaceship Earth. Journey with us now as we travel through time to explore the fascinating history of human communication.
The vehicle enters a dark tunnel and rises sharply upward. A starfield appears and we hear soundbites from famous people such as Susan B. Anthony's "We ask equality be guaranteed...", JFK's "Putting a man on the moon," and FDR's famous line, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Along the walls, light surges up colored "wires" towards the top of the tunnel. As we near the top, we see a projection of purplish clouds and an occasional lightning bolt as Morgan Freeman begins his narration.
MORGAN FREEMAN: Like a grand and miraculous spaceship, our planet has sailed through the universe of time. And for a brief moment, we have been among its many passengers. But where did we come from and where were we going? In the dust from which we were formed, the walls of time have recorded the answers to these questions and so many others. And from the very beginning with our ancestors, we have always wanted to reach out to each other... to bridge the wide gaps between us... to communicate.
Once at the top of the tunnel, we see animated projections of Neanderthals fighting for survival without a sense of communication and language. We then enter a cave and see a Shaman, or medicine man, with a fur cape and antlers on his head. Two men sit around the fire listening to the Shaman. His large shadow is reflected by the fire onto the cave wall. A woman is also listening while working with a fur. On the far right wall, a man and a woman are painting a message on the wall. The drawings are similar to those found in the Salon-Niaux cave in Ariège, France, circa 10,000 B.C. Sounds of animals growling echo through the caves.
Sweeping across a vast, lonely, hostile planet, our early ancestors had set out in every direction, for they were intent on their search for food and shelter. With the development of speech came a very significant answer to survival. Now we could share and learn from one another. On the walls of caves, we inscribed our utmost victories, an increasing proof of our deeds to share with others so they too may greet tomorrow's sun.
Moving into an Egyptian temple, representing 1567 - 1085 B.C., a man on the left is making paper out of papyrus. On the right, next to an elaborate entrance to a building whose archways are decorated with hieroglyphics, a man stands high upon scaffolding carving a ventilation hole near the top of a tower. Further ahead on the left, an Egyptian pharaoh is dictating a message as a scribe copies it onto the new paper. His wife is seated next to him while a servant fans them.
Within a few thousand years, the Egyptians created more walls, each of which covered in the first written form of communication: hieroglyphics, a multifaceted language of symbols and pictures. Now we could release our thoughts from carved walls and set them down on papyrus scrolls, the first form of paper. Pharaohs could now deliver declarations to subjects throughout the land.
In the Phoenician scene, 9th century B.C., two ships meet in the ocean to exchange goods. Another man on the larger ship, behind the smaller ship, holds a rope that is connected to the smaller ship so that both ships stay together. Fog surrounds the ships. Smoke rises from small fires in pots at both ends of the larger ship. To the right of us is a wall showing the ocean going to the horizon and stars above.
Then came the Phoenicians who not only helped institute the first means of trading goods to distant ports of call, but also created the first common alphabet and delivered it from one area of the Mediterranean to another.
Up next on the right is a Grecian school, circa 428 B.C. An elderly man teaches three young scholars.
In ancient Greece, the spoken word is elevated to a higher level of knowledge. With the help of new trade routes by land and sea, the Greeks realize the vital role math and science plays in aiding a powerful empire. Schools are opened, forums are established, and knowledge is spread throughout the empire.
Ahead on the left, a young Roman man holds the reins to a two horse-drawn chariot. The man, dressed as if he is in the Roman army, who arrived in the chariot is now exchanging information with another man dressed in a toga. The man holding the reins is standing on the ground with the horses, the army man is standing one step up, and the man in the toga is standing one step up from there on a marble platform. He is between four large columns, two on each side. Smoke rises from two small fires in metal pots/stands on both ends of the scene. In the back is a painted wall showing the streets of Rome. An animated horse-drawn cart with a man riding in it dashes out of one street and off into the distance.
The great Roman Empire intertwined three continents with roads, one of the fastest information highways the world had ever known. No matter what road you took, they all led to and from Rome.
We then see a building in ruins with smoke rising from it. The smell of the burning building fills the air.
Alas, these same roads spelled doom for Rome, thanks to invaders who left Rome and centuries of knowledge in the ashes of the Dark Ages. But all was not lost. Far from the smoldering embers, Jewish and Islamic teachers would not give up the quest for knowledge. As they traveled, they debated ideas and shared new breakthroughs to anyone who would listen.
In the Islamic Empire scene, on the right, four men sit around a table on pillows on the floor discussing topics. One man has two books right next to him and another has a wooden book holder that holds the book open to a specific page. On the left is a library with some books on the shelves. They aren’t stacked full. Two men, one standing, one seated on pillows on an elevated platform, are reading. Standing up high on the balcony on the right is an astronomer looking at the stars through a quadrant, which is an exact replica of the real thing. Further ahead on the left, two Benedictine Monks, 11th and 12th century, are seated at their desks copying text. The one on the right has fallen asleep at the job. His chest rises and falls as he breathes in and out.
In western abbeys, monks toiled endlessly in silent seclusion, copying old books of wisdom and revelations for future generations. At long last, from the depths of the Dark Ages, came the Renaissance and a wonderful new invention, the printing press. Now for all: the printed word.
On the left, two men are working with a large wooden printing press. Johann Gutenberg is studying a piece of paper that just came off the press (1456).
Scientists, scholars and explorers expanded their discoveries into books and essays. Poets, musicians and artists all fanned the flames of the Renaissance, swelling it into a time of priceless works of beauty and majesty.
In Renaissance Italy (1500s), on the right, one man is reading a book to two listeners on the steps. Also, two musicians are playing just beyond in front of a closed doorway. An Italian town can be seen through the columns and arches in the background. On the left, in an artist's studio, we see a man mixing paint, another painting some fruits with a bowl of fruit as a guide, and another chiseling marble to create a statue. Sketches of the female subject are on the wall behind him and to the left of him is a small statue that he also uses as a guide. Further ahead and up on the left, we see Michelangelo painting the Sistine ceiling while lying on his back high upon scaffolding. Below, the stained glass church windows are illuminated with black light. To the right is a conveyance system that allows buckets of paint to be hoisted up the scaffolding to Michelangelo.
On this wave of inspiration, we sail into a bold, new era: an age of amazing inventions and ever-increasing progress in communications, bringing people worldwide together as never before. As our appetite for knowledge and information continued to swell, the world began to shrink.
Now we move into the Age of Invention (19th and 20th centuries). First, we see a large steam-powered printing press by William Bullock in 1863. Just like Gutenberg inspected his printed paper, a man stands in front of the press and inspects a newspaper that was just printed. Nearby, on a street corner, a boy stands with a stack of New York Daily papers calling out to try to sell them.
NEWSPAPER BOY: Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Lee surrenders at Appomattox! Civil War is over! Extra! Extra!
On the right, one man is dictating a message and the other is using a telegraph to send the message. Through the window and door behind them, we can see train tracks crossing the plains to the mountains in the distance. On the left is a switchboard that three women, two seated and the third standing, are operating. Behind that are several windows that represent homes and apartments throughout the town. Fiber optic telephone lines stretch from the switchboard across poles to the homes. We can hear conversations coming from the shadows of people in some of the windows. On the right, is a woman in a ticket booth. Above that and also spanning above us is a lighted "Cinema" sign. There are three screens to the left of the booth that show scenes from an old black and white movie about a guy on a runaway trolley ("Stop that trolley!" is one of the captions), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954). The screen showing the old movie is surrounded by red curtains and gold trim to look like the fancier theaters of its time. Back on the left is the WDP radio station. WDP is, of course, short for Walt Disney Productions. A man and a woman inside the sound booth are live on the air acting out a story. A man outside the booth is checking sound levels and directing. To the right of that is a radio tower with a red light blinking on top. On the wall behind it is a painting of another radio tower in the distance. Surrounding its red light are drawings of the radio waves spreading from the tower. Just beyond that is a family (mother, father, and daughter) sitting in their living room around the TV. The mother changes the channel using a large, by today's standards, remote control. Three other TVs hang on the wall up behind the family TV. The TVs are playing Ozzie and Harriet, the 1964 NFL Colts vs. Browns Championship Game, Walt Disney introducing an episode of Disney's Wonderful World of Color and Neil Armstrong landing on the moon.
MORGAN FREEMAN: Now we have the ability to connect with everyone anywhere in the world, and then on July 20th, 1969, from somewhere else...
NEIL ARMSTRONG: That's one small step for man...and one giant leap for mankind.
MORGAN FREEMAN: Yes, to send a man to the moon, we had to create a new language. A language not spoken by man...but by computer.
We then enter a 1960's-era computer lab.
The vehicle progresses through a garage in California, where a man is seen building one of the very first home computers.
By the end of the 20th century, the personal computer and the internet evolve the perceived notion of instant communication and modern day trade. Together, we form a super network that glows with billions of interactions, and once again, we stand on the brink of a new Renaissance.
Fiber optic lights then transfer the information to a large sphere representing Earth. We pass through a satellite transmitter that has rays of electric energy fly overhead, representing Internet informatoin jumping from city to city and sometimes across continents to computers. We then enter a tunnel that surrounds us with lights blinking and whirling past. The sounds of jumbled conversations and visuals of words (e-mails) join the music.The rays of energy converage and expand, covering the vehicles, almost as if it is being sucked into this expanse of energy. The video screens begin to illuminate with a series of digits and letters, as if it was being enveloped by a matrix. The vehicles travel down a glittering, illuminated matrix, before arriving at the peak of the attraction.
After 30,000 years of progress, here we are. Verged on the threshold of infinity, we see our world as it truly is: small, silent, fragile, alive, a drifting island in the midnight sky. We are a truly global community, poised to shape the future of this, our Spaceship Earth.
Outer space. Looking in from space, up at the Earth. The entire peak of the attraction features glittering, new fiber-optic stars, as well as projected stars filling the vast space sky. Edo Guidotti's sweeping score fills our ears. The vehicles then rotate backwards, as they begin their descent back down to earth.
MALE ANNOUNCER: Attention, travelers of time. Please remain seated at all times. Your time machine is rotating backwards for your return back to earth.
What follows is an all-new descent. As I said earlier, the video screens will no longer be utilized during the finale and much of the current finale will be completely removed. As for the new descent, @sshindel posed an interesting new idea...Carl Sagan's famed "Pale Blue Dot" speech.
According to him, this speech was, to some degree, what that crowning scene in SSE is meant to convey. Plus, the speech is 3 minutes long, about half of the descent's length. So, what we do is we set up the clip a little. As we start the descent, we take on the role of Voyager. Starting when we turn around, we're faced with the Earth.
CARL SAGAN: Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.
Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.
The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.
It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.
We get farther and farther away from our home, passing planets and asteroid belts, with our Earth getting smaller and smaller, until we finally reach that iconic sunbeam off of Saturn, we have reached the end of his speech.
Our descent continues through space, and through the stars. Constellations form above our heads. Shooting stars whiz past. As we continue past, we see stars form the images of children holding hands, a person using a microscope, DNA strands, the universe, etc. Each star formation then shoots to a new place and forms a new formation, symbolizing the transfer of ideas. As we near the unloading station, the vehicle becomes wrapped in a descent of stars, as twinkling, colorful fiber-optics swirl overhead before seemingly dissolving into a series of glittering bulbs, as if fading, just as the vehicles turn around to reveal the unloading station.
MORGAN FREEMAN: Since the dawn of recorded time, communication has transformed our ways of life and changed our world. We now have the ability and the responsibility to build new bridges of acceptance and co-operation between us, to create a better world for our children and ourselves as we continue our astounding voyage on board Spaceship Earth.
MALE ANNOUNCER: Siemens thanks you for traveling with us on Spaceship Earth and look forward to serving you in the future. For a look at today's new technologies, we invite you to visit Project: Tomorrow in CommuniCore West, an exciting world of new ideas and innovations made possible by Siemens ingenuity. When the doors of your vehicle open, please gather your personal belongings, take small children by the hand and step out onto the moving platform up ahead. The platform and your vehicle are traveling at equal speed.
Upon exiting the vehicle, we proceed to Earth Station, the Guest Relations for EPCOT Center. As aforementioned, Project: Tomorrow has moved to CommuniCore, thus allowing Earth Station to return. Here, we make lunch or dinner reservations by talking to a human cast member via video monitors. The cast member is able to hear and see us and is able to make reservations or answer questions. When the terminals are not being used for reservations, guests can reserve their FastPass+ times, get information on the different pavilions and where the shops, restaurants, and restrooms are located. Overhead, screens provide an overview of the park, in a style very similar to the "A Day at EPCOT Center" souvenir video...
Hosts and hostesses at the information desk provide general information. Siemens' Employee Lounge is located on the second level of the building with a great view of the fountain and World Showcase Lagoon.
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What do you think? In the next post, we'll visit an all-new CommuniCore, unlike anything you've ever seen. Stay tuned!