Celestial Dreamin' - Game Thread

[TheOriginalTiki]

 

[AceAstro]

The Winner of the ACE Voyage is...

Spoiler: Winner of the ACE Voyage

Team Helios!

This was a very very close race once again. The short and sweet no frills nature of Team Luna sold me on a great concept in a very effective manner. And Team Stella once again had an incredible writing style selling the tone of the land just as much as it sold the land itself. I went back and forth a lot especially between Stella and Helios. But ultimately despite some aspect being a bit larger scale than they should be, Helios just clicked for me in a way that is tough to describe. It felt unique and creative with a crazy twist that elevated the simple land concept. This really was a round close to being a tie, but ultimately Helios scared up a win.

Remember, the Navigator of the winning team gets a Golden Pizza Moon. Granting @AceAstro immunity from the next elimination.

#rigged

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Going live now!

 

[Lord Fozzinator]

 

[Architectural Guinea Pig]

View attachment 906981

guacamole

 

[Lord Fozzinator]

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

The coaster nerd in me feels the need to geek out about the fact that the Giant Dipper in San Diego is getting a full GCI retrack. GCI (Great Coasters International) is probably the single best wooden coaster manufacturer and I've always been super curious what retracking a ride that old would feel like. I've done one than one Santa Cruz Giant Dipper RMC conversion and while this isn't that extreme and keeps the same layout, it's still the same basic idea. I know nobody but me will probably care, just wanted to share my enthusiasm haha.

 

[Architectural Guinea Pig]

The coaster nerd in me feels the need to geek out about the fact that the Giant Dipper in San Diego is getting a full GCI retrack. GCI (Great Coasters International) is probably the single best wooden coaster manufacturer and I've always been super curious what retracking a ride that old would feel like. I've done one than one Santa Cruz Giant Dipper RMC conversion and while this isn't that extreme and keeps the same layout, it's still the same basic idea. I know nobody but me will probably care, just wanted to share my enthusiasm haha.

My heart started racing when I thought you meant the Giant Dipper in the Boardwalk because if any dam corporate from RMC lays their hand on that I will throw a pitchfork up

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

My heart started racing when I thought you meant the Giant Dipper in the Boardwalk because if any dam corporate from RMC lays their hand

Keep in mind, we're talking about the company the transformed Ghostrider from one of the roughest coasters in California to one of the most elite coasters in the country. I believe they also did work on Phoenix at Knobles. An RMC conversion that changes the layout is never going to happen, but considering it's getting harder and harder for me to ride the Santa Cruz Dipper without throwing out my back I'd be all for a retrack. (That damn unbanked turn right before the station )

 

[spacemt354]

Proudly presents...

Team Cocoa - Echo Mine River Run

INTRODUCTION WaltWiz1901 After years of relative inactivity, Frontierland at Disneyland is gaining another attraction: Echo Mine River Run. The storyline is inspired by an unlikely source: Home on the Range! “Home on the Range?” we hear you ask. “You mean that mediocre movie that nearly spe...

docs.google.com

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Team Citrus Proudly Presents:

The year: 2018
The month: March

Within the span of a month, the "Not So Awesome" document will be released on the internet, changing the fabric of nerd culture review website Channel Awesome forever and creating a deeply personal rift between site founders and its long line of contributors that lasts to this day. One thing that's a bit of a blip on the Channel Awesome 2018 legacy of failure is a little known motion simulator opened in Six Flags Great America (within the greater Chicago area that the Channel Awesome studio calls home) that served as one last hurrah for the original site's various contributors to cross over in a weird multi-versal event.

Multiverse of Midness flopped when initially opened in the summer of 2017 because of how niche the subject matter was, and closed its doors forever in June of 2018 after the Not So Awesome document cast a dark shadow over anything related to the website. For those glorious 11 months though, this simulator quietly grew a cult following among Channel Awesome loyalists and has become one of the deepest levels of the Channel Awesome "lost media" iceberg. The bizarre timing, the earnest yet super cheap effects, the incredibly 2010s coded meme humor...everything about the attraction serves as a time capsule of the last gasp of Channel Awesome's heyday...before the dark times...before "Not So Awesome".

Join us, shall you? As we at Team Citrus take you on a whirlwind tour of the meme-marinated NOSTALGIA that this attraction represented for the wider Chicago Land area for one brief, glorious season.

To Boldly Flee: Multiverse of Midness

Intro Queue & Preshow The queue for To Boldly Flee: Multiverse of Midness starts with an outdoor unthemed switchback before heading inside the show building. The queue is themed to the Channel Awesome studio (specifically the old one) where Doug Walker made many videos. It is decorated with ...

docs.google.com

SIDE NOTE:
If you're wondering why the Nostalgia Critic is reviewing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in the year of our Lord 2017...

"OH WELL! PLOT HOLE!!" ​

 

[Pi on my Cake]

I look forward to diving into your projects! As I mentioned before, I won't be able to do reviews tonight but they will come later this week along with the results.

The good news is that there will be no elimination this round after all! @Mr. Sullivan has decided to voluntarily step away from the Moonship and end their time with the game. BUT they do intend to stay around as a Guest Reviewer! A great imagineer who I look forward to working with more in the future!

Since there are no other eliminations this round, I won't wait for reviews to start the next Voyage. Especially since the next voyage is closely tied to the one we just finished...​

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Imagineering Expedition #05

Well, you did it! You did a Waterworld and made something amazing from something terrible! Now your theme park attraction is a HUGE hit! The people want more...

--What you need to know--

There have been a number of adaptations of theme park rides. Books, board games, movies, video games... I don't believe any ever made it to air but there has even been a few TV shows or streaming series that made it to various stages of development over the years

While the attractions you made in the last round were based on a pre-existing IP (and not a great one), they were such successful theme park rides that they have found a way to stand on their own and transcend their origin. Now they just feel like original theme park characters. Ones that people want to see more of!

--The Prompt--

Team Cocoa: Pitch a Movie, TV Series, Video Game, Board Game, or Book based on The Echo Mine River Run

Team Citrus: Pitch a Movie, TV Series, Video Game, Board Game, or Book based on To Boldly Flee: Multiverse of Midness

What form of media you choose to adapt this into is up to you. If you have a pitch for a different medium than the ones I listed, I'm sure I'll be easily convinced to let you do a concept album or whatever.

While the intention is to base it on the attraction you made last round, teams are also able to adapt the Waterworld stunt show instead.

IMPORTANT: This is not a Home on the Range or To Boldly Flee challenge. Your adaptations are based on the attractions, not their crappy source material.

Think of it this way: You wouldn't be making a new Song of the South (2 Song 2 South), you would be making Splash Mountain: The Movie. You wouldn't be making a new Tron Video Game (Tron Legacy: Legacy), it would be the Lightcycle/Run: The Video Game.

There will be one elimination at the end of this round from the losing team as well as a fabulous prize for the winning team!

--Team Navigators--

If your team wins, the Navigator will be granted a Golden Pizza Moon and immunity from the next Elimination.

Team Citrus - @Architectural Guinea Pig
Team Cocoa - @Brer Panther

--When is it due?--

This project is due Saturday, February 21st, 2026 at 11:59 pm Universal Hollywood Time
(3 am WDW Time, 2 am Six Flags over Texas Time, 5 pm the next day Tokyo Disneyland Time)

--Some Brainstorming Music--
​

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Apologies for the late reviews and thank you for your patience. I didn't want to say no to the second extension because I could tell the passion the teams had and wanted to see them complete their projects to their full potential. But that did mean not having time for reviews right away which I know caused some stress for some players with Voyage 4 and 5 being connected. I'll try to be more careful about balancing accommodating players with extensions while also being mindful of my availability for prompt reviews in the future.

​

• First Impressions
  
  • First Impressions
    • The "bad movie" prompt and the twist two parter prompt was definitely something I was nervous about doing. Especially when this team had a bit of trouble getting started. But you heard Tiki talk in the podcast about some spoiler free excitement for their team's project and instead of being discouraged ya'll took that as a challenge to lock in and create something outstanding! That sudden shift from general loose brainstorming to "Alright, how do we make this the best dang project ever" was so fun to watch! (Shout out to @spacemt354 as project manager for being a big part of making that push!)
    • Overall, this could've been a very simple project and a very simple ride. But every step of the way you looked for ways to "plus" both the ride itself and the presentation. Taking something simple and elevating it way above where it could have been!
    • I know there was a lot of debate over location and exactly how grand the ride should be. I think you found a good spot and a good balance of high tech without the tech distracting from the experience. But my advice for the future is to be careful not to get too hung up on details like that. These are ultimately for fun and also done in a tight time frame. About a full day and a half was lost to debating where to put it, in what park, and whether there should be an elevator. All important discussions, but sometimes if I hadn't allowed a last minute extension (I usually say you need to ask 24 hours before the deadline) then losing a day to small details might've taken away the time needed to polish and add the plusses that sold your project. Again, its not that those topics don't matter, but imagineering is like improv. Sometimes it is better to "yes, and" so the flow of the team can keep moving.
    • All those general notes out of the way,
  • Inro - WaltWiz
    • Very solid intro. Frontierland doesn't get a lot of love in real life or in these games and you did a good job emphasizing that gap your project could fill. I'm always a big fan of "problem/solution" imagineering and your intro emphasized that was part of your goal here which is nice
  • Location/Concept Art - Outbound
    • Amazing work on the art you did throughout the project! The pencil sketches are incredible and feel like real concept art while the more detailed 3d model render thing looks like a real engineering diagram and sells the realism of the project almost more than anything I've seen on the forum!
    • The location chosen is great and such a creative use of the limited space! Very clever way to pull this off
  • Layout - Space
    • The way this transforms Disneyland's Frontierland into a wild west mountain range is such a great way to revitalize the land and make it feel fresh without losing what already works there. I was a bit worried about two mine themed thrill rides next to each other, but your description sells me on them feeling complimentary rather than competing. Instead of seeming repetitive, it feels like an incredibly kinetic and exciting wild west wonderland!
  • Audio Track - Outbound
    • Such an incredible job! This isn't the first time I've seen you do this kind of audio track, but just like before it is a stand out moment for the project and the game as a whole! These kind of multimedia plusses can do a LOT to elevate a project!
  • Queue - Space
    • Excellent artwork as always! And as I've mentioned a lot this season, your ability to transport readers into a new environment through your writing is unparalleled. Excellent sense of placemaking. The focus on the smells, unique yet simple visual motifs like the sunflowers and the creek make it feel both more real to the readers and more distinct from other queues without being gimmicky. You do a great job setting up some theme and story elements without needing a full preshow. Just environmental storytelling which I almost always think is the best way to go for a queue.
  • Ride Vehicle Design - Priest/Space
    • I used this ride system for a James Bond ride back in Visions Fantastic, so I know what it is capable of and was excited to see it used here! Great explanation of the ride system, what makes it special, and how it can elevate the ride beyond a simple boat.
  • Ridethrough (Slow Scenes) - Tcool
    • A really good selection of scenes. Taking some fun bits and characters from the movie and giving them the spotlight without any of them outstaying their welcome. Very dialogue heavy in a way that is almost too much, but also in ways that feel more like passive gags rather than exposition dumps so I think it works well. Especially with the slower pace. Plus, while there is a lot of dialogue for a dark ride the gags themselves are simple. A funny rabbit singing about the plot. Three cows singing, one of them is bad, the other two tease them. Villain angry at henchmen. All very effective and fun classic jokes. Helps make the ride feel like classic Disney even with all the new tech at play
  • Ridethrough (Fast Scenes) - Outbound
    • The dynamite transition from calm dark ride to thrill ride is a great choice! I do kind of miss WaltWiz's elevator/drop tower idea here, but I also understand the idea of simplifying things and as a general rule I do tend to think simple and streamlined is better.
    • The flooding mines is an excellent setting to build this second half around! Not only does it provide a great context for the boat/coaster hybrid, but it also provides a striking visual to tie the second half together. You have a few fun gags here of characters struggling wiht the flood, and I appreciate the self restraint keeping these gags very simple considering the thrill is the focus. The action here is big and broad in a way where every detail adds to the experience rather than distracting from it!
    • It goes on maybe one or two scenes too long. Cutting the town or the cow hypnotizing to streamline it a bit and keep the focus on the mines/flood/dynamite might've worked. There are elements that feel like they were included more as tribute to the movie rather than because they fit on the ride. But also everything here is great and the visuals would be striking and exciting in a way that has a lot of appeal even as someone who hasn't seen the movie since it was in theaters. It stands on its own as an experience exactly the way I hoped it would and even if it is a bit long it never feels like it drags on. I stayed excited the whole time reading it!
  • Exit - Space
    • Really fun selection of merch. Great way to ue the visual motifs set up in the queue as a book ends here. Plus, a great more grounded take on the setting to transition us back to reality after the cartoony ride. Feels like the perfect middle ground between Frontierland as is and the ride as a whole perfectly connection to both.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • First Impressions
    • I had a feeling from the moment ya'll chose this theme that this was going to be a lot like the round from Citrus Dreamin' Season One with the Nara Dreamland Beauty and the Beast vs the Sesame Street/Muppet crossover. Both teams would take very different approached, but both do incredibly well. One team nailing it as a comedic project and one team nailing it as a more sincere project in a way that makes it almost impossible to compare. And I was absolutely right because as much as Team Cocoa's Home on the Range ride feels like a perfect modern take on a classic Disney E-Ticket, ya'll did such a great job making something off the wall bonkers and fun that is just a joy to read!
    • This is the type of niche idea I'd usually be really nervous to see a team do, but there was almost immediately buy in and passion from the whole team. It was clear from both the brainstorming and the execution that Citrus was having a lot of fun here and that fun comes across to the readers as well!
    • The biggest downside here is the presentation which isn't bad, but is bare bones. I know there was a plan for doing a full Nostalgia Critic parody video which would have obviously been a blast, but I won't fault anyone for not having time to do something that major. Though a few "plusses" could have really helped. Even very simple stuff like adding in some photos (screenshots from videos even) of the characters to give readers more of a visual reference. Some reading music. Something just a bit more so it isn't just reading text. That being said, writing does continue to be the biggest strength of many of this team's players. Not just that your writing is great (which it is), but your ability to sell a tone and work in tandem with your writing. You've been able to continuously work so in sync that the final project almost feels like a solo project. The players on these team excel at committing to the bit!
    • Last minor nitpick before we dive in, the presentation is tough to read. Black text on a dark red background is rough on the eyes. It looks really nice, but you want more contrast between the text and the page for readability. For reviews I made a copy and switch the font color to white and it made it WAY easier to take it all in.
    • Also, I can't remember who suggested it, but the title of the ride is incredibly funny
  • Introduction - Tiki
    • I really enjoyed and appreciated the attempts to tie this into a realistic timeline and ground what is an objectively silly project into reality. The choice of park having significance for the Nostalgia Critic/Channel Awesome. The timing of when it opened/closed. The way you set it up to be able to serve as a tribute to the past/legacy. The use of the cheap budget to justify the niche theme. A lot of really clever subtle details that sold it
  • Concept Art - Panther
    • The edit of the simulator ride with the video replaced by a film screenshot was really funny! I feel like once you had the simulator with the blank screen it might've helped to make a few of these with different characters/scenes instead of just the one. But even with just one it sells the concept right off the bat. simulator through the larger Channel Awesome multi-verse. Pictures say a thousand words and your art sells the concept right off the bat here.
  • Queue - Disney Warrior
    • Very fun queue. Simple yet effective. Feels like something realistic for Six Flags scale while still being fun and full of Easter Eggs. Well done
  • Pre-show - DisneymanOne
    • One of the best dialogue writers on the forum as always. Nailed the tone and style here (I haven't watched in years and there's a lot of the extended Channel Awesome crew I never watched or got into, but definitely went through a Nostalgia Critic phase as it seems many here did). A picture or two of characters like Dr. Insano and some background about them might have been nice to have, but also hearing a name like Dr. Insano kind of tells you all you need to know lol. Very fun pre-show that sells the concept to people who might not be in on the joke while still providing fan service for those that are. The Chester safety video is also a pitch perfect addition. The irreverent lampshading tone works well here.
  • Ridethrough - Bee & Tiki
    • I want to clarify up front that when I say this I genuinely mean this as a compliment: This feels like Race through New York: Starring Jimmy Fallon, but if it starred YouTube movie reviewers circa 2010ish. A ride that doesn't take itself too seriously and prioritizes goofy fun above all else. And with the goal of goofy fun clearly set, ya'll hit a bullseye for that target. I know there was a bit of burn out by the end of the round, but it turned out great! The fun writing, doubling down on being intentionally dumb but in clever ways, the mix of Easter Eggs for fans and simple gags for newcomers. All very well done.
    • I usually am not a fan of the Star Tours style randomization as it leads to a final product that feels disjointed. How can you have good flow/pacing if everything is random? But this ride has such a wacky premise and embraces both the absurdity of that premise as well as lampshades the craziness in a way where I feel that disjointed randomness adds to it instead of subtracting from it.
    • Some of the scenes work better than others. FAMILY PICTCHA with the animated chaos or AVGN/Kickassia work great as big kinetic set pieces to fly through. Meanwhile while scenes like Melvin, Brother of the Joker have really funny writing and fanservice, they don't take advantage of the ride setting and mostly involve just sitting there watching the (still well written) scene. I definitely wouldn't say any of the scenes are bad as they all have something funny or charming about them. Just that some work really well as a ride whereas others might've been able to be saved for skits that could play on tvs in the queue or shortened to be 15 second interstitials between full scenes (like when Maz Kanata or Yoda calls you in Star Tours).
    • Again, have to shout out how well the writing was from the whole team and how well you worked together. It feels like how I remember these videos/skits being when I think back on them with my (pun intended) nostalgia goggles. Good jokes, fun bits, clever uses of ride tech, but still realistically small scale and simple. Some fun irony laden, 4th wall breaking, meta, memey humor that captures that era well and works nicely for a theme park ride. IF you don't have the budget for immersion, embrace the 4th wall instead and have fun with it!
  • Post-Show - Aiden
    • Love the slap dash half destroyed theme. PErfect capper to the experience. Once again riding the line between "realistically cheap for a Six Flags" and "Fun and immersive to the story being told" and "subversively sarcastic about everything." A unique tone that ya'll nailed throughout!

 

[Pi on my Cake]

The Winner of the Mariner Voyage is...

Spoiler: Winner of the Mariner Voyage

Team Cocoa!

This was a uniquely tough round to judge because how do you compare a genuine modern take on a classic Disneyland E-Ticket experience against a subversive, silly, irreverent tribute to a bygone era of the internet? Especially when both teams nailed it and accomplished exactly what they set out to do! This is definitely one of those times here neither team "lost" it is just that one team "won"

That being said what pushed it over the edge was the "plusses" that Team Cocoa filled the Echo Mine River Run with. Multiple styles of artwork from multiple players. The audio track from outbound. The added details on the ride system/stats. If we were just comparing the core projects the winner might have been different (though still very close). But those "plusses" are what pushed it over the edge!

Remember, the Navigator of the winning team gets a Golden Pizza Moon. Granting @spacemt354 immunity from the next elimination.

With @Mr. Sullivan needing to step away from the competition, there will be no eliminations today. So, all Golden Pizza Moon holders keep their immunity still and remain safe from the next elimination

There will be a prize for the Winning Team. They have won: Time!

Voyage Five, which is currently being worked on, is due Saturday, February 21st, 2026 at 11:59 pm Universal Hollywood Time

For winning Voyage Four, Team Cocoa will have an extra 12 Hours to work on the project. For them it will not be due until Noon on Sunday, February 22nd (Still Universal Hollywood Time). If the current voyage is extended, then their deadline will still be 12 hours later than the deadline for the other team.​

 

[Pi on my Cake]

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Team Citrus proudly presents
Multiverse of Midness: The Final Channel Awesome Crossover

Reading music


You know what they say about the best years of our life. They can't last forever...

20. Years. Later.

The year is 2028. The Nostalgia Critic is 20 years old. Doug Walker, facing his legacy and mortality, desperately doesn't want his flagship character to go out with a whimper. Instead, Doug has collected an eclectic group of returning guest stars anchored by the return of Noah Antwiler as beloved mad scientist Dr. Insano for one last crossover event to end the entire Channel Awesome franchise on a high note. Inspired by the ill-fated To Boldly Flee simulator that lasted about one year in the Chicago based Six Flags Great America before closing in the wake of the Not So Awsome document, this project aims to end the Nostalgia Critic legacy out on a high note and on its own terms, in the most wacky and meta way possible.

Team Citrus Expedition #05

docs.google.com

In the years that follow, the noise fades and something quieter takes its place. Rob, James, Noah, and Brad channel everything they learned into forming a small independent film production company. It isn’t about spectacle anymore. It’s about making things they care about, at a pace that's actually manageable.

Back in Chicago, the crew leans into what they always did best: performing together. What starts as a loose improv night becomes a genuinely popular troupe, built on collaboration instead of escalation. The energy is still there — just healthier, shared, and live.

Doug steps away from the spotlight and into something more personal. He devotes much of his time to volunteering for a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome charity, lending his platform to advocacy and awareness rather than outrage. It’s quieter work. It’s meaningful work. After all this time, the channel has finally changed. For the better this time.

​

 

[Outbound]

Warmly Presents...

The Great
ECHO MINE
Adventure
LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK



Looking for a new classic to stock the shelves? Check out the newly-released The Great Echo Mine Adventure, a new Little Golden Book releasing end of the month. Following the smash-hit success of Disneyland Park's exciting new all-original attraction, Echo Mine River Run, a Little Golden Book was commissioned as a tie-in once it was clear the ride would be a big hit. Inspired by the completely original story of the ride, adventure across the Wild West with three bovine bounty-hunters to catch that yodeling hypnotist, outlaw Alameda Slim!

A joyful read for all ages, preorder below!

The Great Echo Mine Adventure Little Golden Book

online.fliphtml5.com

--
written by @spacemt354 & @WaltWiz1901
published by A+A House (@AceAstro & @Architectural Guinea Pig - presentation)
special book reviews from @ThemeParkPriest
with illustrations from @Outbound​

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Another great round! Thus definitely wound up being a more challenging round for teams than expected, but if I wasn't in the brainstorming threads I never would've guessed that considering how great the final projects are!

Expect reviews and results later this afternoon with the next Voyage into a new Galaxy coming shortly after!

There will be our first official elimination as well, but as mentioned before it will not be based on just this round but on the season as a whole. Anyone who has won a Golden Pizza Moon thus far will be immune from this Elimination​

 

[ThemeParkPriest]

I think both teams might like this…
I can buy one or many at a store within walking distance of my house:

https://www.amazon.com/Disney-Space-Mountain-All-Systems/dp/B0BG3KTR3G/ref=asc_df_B0BG3KTR3G?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80883033960730&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=m&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=109072&hvtargid=pla-4584482511172653&psc=1&msclkid=d48655958ed4187a55d93c091f0d37cc