Citrus Dreamin' - Game Thread

Pi on my Cake

Pi on my Cake

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
In the Parks
Yes
Outbound said:
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AceAstro said:

View attachment 785831

For one final time as Team Birds, The Birdman makes a triumphant return with one last attraction history post...

Read Now!!​
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Truly AMAZING work with two of the best projects of the entire season!

Team Boats and Team Birds both went out with a bang and I'm truly honored by the passion, talent, and creativity ya'll have shared here all season. It really means a lot to see everyone be as excited and passionate about this game as I have been!

Written Reviews are coming this afternoon and there will be a recap podcast with the return of @TheOriginalTiki where we will reveal the Final 8 LIVE tonight at 10 PM WDW Time (7 PM Disneyland Time) with the results posted here shortly after!

Whether your adventure continues on to the Final River or your journey ends here, every single one of you should be immensely proud of what you have done and what you have accomplished these last 2 months and I cannot wait to see what the future holds!​
 
Pi From 2018

Pi From 2018

Member
Can I just say, ya'll have done a great job these last two scenes... err... last two Expeditions while on this time travelling river
I absolutely cannot wait to read these projects in 6 years! Anyways, back to prepping for One Little Spark: Sponsored by Stealing Things! Which will start in Fall of 2018 of course so you probably know more about it than me lol. Wonder how some of the new players like @PerGron Studios and @Outbound Flight are gonna do
Time Travel is weird​
 
Lord Fozzinator

Lord Fozzinator

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Pi From 2018 said:
Can I just say, ya'll have done a great job these last two scenes... err... last two Expeditions while on this time travelling river
I absolutely cannot wait to read these projects in 6 years! Anyways, back to prepping for One Little Spark: Sponsored by Stealing Things! Which will start in Fall of 2018 of course so you probably know more about it than me lol. Wonder how some of the new players like @PerGron Studios and @Outbound Flight are gonna do
Time Travel is weird​
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Confused Kevin James GIF by TV Land

I have so many questions, none of them I have answers too.
Who Are You Reaction GIF by MOODMAN
 
Pi on my Cake

Pi on my Cake

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
In the Parks
Yes
Pi From 2018 said:
Can I just say, ya'll have done a great job these last two scenes... err... last two Expeditions while on this time travelling river
I absolutely cannot wait to read these projects in 6 years! Anyways, back to prepping for One Little Spark: Sponsored by Stealing Things! Which will start in Fall of 2018 of course so you probably know more about it than me lol. Wonder how some of the new players like @PerGron Studios and @Outbound Flight are gonna do
Time Travel is weird​
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I almost forgot posting this 6 years ago! Gotta love time travelling rivers
 
spacemt354

spacemt354

Chili's
Lord Fozzinator

Lord Fozzinator

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Muppetsfan#1: HEY EVERYONE, I AM BACK.
Lord Fozzinator: NO, YOU GET BACK IN THERE.
(Shoves Muppetsfan back into the box)
Lord Fozzinator: Yes, you are not the only ones that have alternate personalities.
Fozdog: Yea, you have me.
Fozarinno: You have me.
Fozzie Bear: You also have me ehh, WAKA WAKA.
Lord Fozzinator: NO, WE CAN’T BE COPYRIGHTED.
Battle Royale Halloween GIF by Sharkmob
 
Pi on my Cake

Pi on my Cake

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
In the Parks
Yes
Team Boats Review
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  • First Impressions​
    • This really was a high note to end on and an amazing choice of attraction! A Mulan log flume is something I've never thought of an never have really seen anyone else suggest and yet as soon as it was suggested it felt so perfect that I was shocked it wasn't everyone's first thought in every since the 90s! It's a creative and out of the box idea that works so well that it feels obvious in retrospect yet no one ever thought of it before! Ya'll really nailed it and did an amazing job balancing Hong Kong's culture and the classic Disney charm. A ride that feels unique and tailor made for Hong Kong Disneyland that would really have gone a long way towards giving the park its own identity back in 2005​

  • Presentation​
    • The Slides presentation were beautiful! I believe this was @Outbound who designed it. Excellent job with it. The color pallet and bits of visual flair were the perfect balance of thematically appropriate, visually pleasing, and clearly/easily readable!​
    • I's make the minor note that the transition between every slide can get old after the first 15 or so slides and I found myself skipping the transition half the time, but the transitions do look very nice. Perhaps save them just for the jumps between sections rather than between every slide? Very minor nitpick obviously, but ya'll have done such an amazing job that if I don't throw in a few nitpicks the whole review will just be "This is super cool" over and over and over again lol​
    • The map by @Tegan pilots a chicken was a very nice touch. I know the due date snuck up on you and you planned on more, but given the unexpected time crunch it turned out great! Might not be your prettiest map, but it communicated the information it needed to perfectly and serves as a strong visual aid!​

  • Team Dynamics​
    • The leadership from @Brer Panther as skipper was perhaps a bit too hands off, but @Outbound and @spacemt354 were able to help fill in the gaps and honestly at this stage in the game with everyone firing on all cylinders it doesn't take much to keep things going​
    • This team after struggling with communication and coming together early on has grown SO much! It took 3 hours after getting the prompt to come up with the Mulan flume ride idea and everyone worked so well to make it a reality working in sync with each other. It feels like a solo project which is amazing for a team of 7 to be able to speak in one voice like that!​
    • @Architectural Guinea Pig you have quickly cemented yourself as one of the strongest imagineers here with many talents. I especially love your flair for visual design. Your presentations are top notch, your sense of humor always shines through, your maps are stellar, and I can't wait to see where you go from here!​
    • @Brer Panther so much has been said about your artwork and character designs in the past (and for good reason, they really are top notch), but your writing deserves more credit than it gets. You might not always write a ton, but everything you do write is phenomenal with such a great sense of character and personality that shines through. That tough to define "spark" that makes imagineers great!​
    • @Lord Fozzinator it is astounding what you've been able to do especially as someone so new! Some of the most realistic and detailed maps I've ever seen, some excellent art work, unbridled passion and excitement, a great job at setting boundaries and knowing when its best to take a step back. Not to mention an incredible eye for realism and small details in your writing!​
    • @Outbound you've been such a strong imagineer for so long and played in so many competitions and yet you never once have rested on your laurels always finding new and creative ways push the limits and plus projects. It's always inspiring to see a veteran still finding new ways to grow!​
    • @spacemt354 your were pretty much the unofficial leader of the forum for years and have always sought to build other up and even with your more limited availability your passion to not just keep imagineering but also to keep building up/encouraging others and to keep growing/nurturing this community is so inspiring! Everyone always talks about your leadership and how easy you are to work with, but I want to also shout out just how incredibly talented and creative you are. You could do this in your sleep and with how busy you've been while still being a frontrunner here sometimes I feel like doing it in your sleep is the only way your schedule makes sense lol. Your artwork, your sense of realism, your eye for place setting, and your ability to fill in wherever and whatever is needed is truly incredible!​
    • @Tegan pilots a chicken your unbridled creativity and wild imagination are a joy to see! Someday you'll get you waterslide where you ride down in a full size steamboat! You already were an incredibly talented and strong player and a natural front runner of nearly every game you've ever been in, but even with that it was great to see your growth in finding the perfect balance between keeping your unique creative energy while blending in with your team's voice. I've seen you be a leader many times before, but for much of this game I've seen you do something new: play more of a supporting role and, much like beloved character actress Margo Martindale, absolutely nail it every single time!​
    • @ThemeParkPriest your talent for research and realism have never once failed to amaze me. Whatever the team would wind up doing, you were always there to give it 110% and always there to add to it in unique ways showcasing your care not just for the game but for the team. It was great seeing more of your creativity and your own passions/interests on display as well as your ability to support others instead!​

  • Introduction - @spacemt354​
    • The introduction is great and showcases Space's ability to just kind of sense EXACTLY what a park needs and showcase how the project will give the park just that. You don't just set up the project, you set up why Hong Kong need's this project​
  • Placemaking and Feng Shui - @Architectural Guinea Pig​
    • I love the thought of it blending the two lands together. That's really clever using it as a transition point a great way to take advantage of Hong Kong's layout which is the only one where Adventureland/Fantasyland touch. The thought put into how the facade while feeling cohesive still gives off different vibes depending on what side you view it from is brilliant. And while I don't know much about feng shui, I do really appreciate the thought here to help cater to the park's audience and Hong Kong culture in a respectful way without compromising the animated adventure​
  • Queue/Pre-Show - @Architectural Guinea Pig / @Outbound​
    • The queue through the family home is great! The tweaks to make it more realistic (both in terms of Chinese villas and in terms of scale to hold more guests) was really smart and really well done. This queue could have easily wound up overdesigned, but it seems to be both very detailed yet also charmingly calm/understated. Reminds me almost of Expedition Everest's queue in a way where you're wandering through a lived in space. It doesn't FEEL like a theme park queue the way even amazing queue do. It feels like exploring a traditional house from another era and walking through some gardens. The queue feels like Joe Rhodhe's take on Mulan and that's meant as a BIG compliment as I feel like one of that man's greatest strengths was his queues​
    • The preshow using the stretching room effect and the spirits was a super fun effect and a great way to hide the showbuilding a bit. Again, simple and doesn't overstay its welcome, yet still over the top, fun and effective. A great balance!​
  • Ride Vehicles - @Brer Panther​
    • The single file boats might be slightly lower capacity than what I feel modern Disney would build, but also I'm ok with that considering how perfect that is for the Firework rocket theme and how much this design would add to the ride! Plus, the tighter track of the skinnier boats would add to the trilling excitement/adventure of Mulan! The light up red eyes on the boats is a touch I am particularly fond of too. The perfect tiny Disney Detail to add in!​
  • Ridethrough - @Outbound​
    • I love this ride so much! I have only one real issue with it and it is that some scenes are slightly too dependent on dialogue or prior knowledge of the film. Especially Honor to us All and the set up of Mulan going into the army to protect her father. It's a minor thing, but it makes the beginning feel a bit bloated and out of place. I almost feel like you could have cut Honor to us All and started with Reflections ending it with her simply picking up a sword to see her reflection in it. And maybe had posters in the queue setting up the war and need of soldiers if you wanted to set that up more. The Honor to us All scene feels here more because it was in the movie and less because of how it works here. That being said, the scene is full of fun gags and these are very mild issues I have with the flow/pacing which usually wouldn't even be noticeable if it wasn't for the fact that the flow/pacing is so good everywhere else that it makes the very minor issues feel larger by comparison​
    • Prologue​
    • I adore the slow paced start setting the mood. A perfect way to begin and a great calm moment. the kind that often get overlooked in modern imagineering​
    • Scene 1: Honor to us All​
    • While I mentioned some minor issues with the flow/storytelling here, I do love the gag based beginning. Feels Marc Davisy and like a great way to add some slapstick fun and goofy moments early on before the real adventure begins​
    • Scene 2: Reflection​
    • Another quieter scene setting up Mulan's emotional journey very nicely. A beautiful/serene moment interrupted by the call to action. The kind of subtle mood whiplash that the movie Mulan used so effectively as tool to take viewers on an emotional journey as they watch the film. Its great to see it used so well here!​
    • Scene 3: Make a man out of you​
    • The quick outside bit is a great transition to get started with the sequence. Great to have another more gag filled scene without going back to full comedy. You start to build the more serious/action tone well. The pacing here is great and the big lift hill being the march up the mountain is brilliant​
    • Scene 4: Mountain​
    • This might not be as harsh a mood whiplash as it is in the movie, but the quick tonal change is a great way to kick off the climax and set the more somber/dangerous tone. I wish there was a bit more to communicate exactly how some of the effects would work. Are there screens, is it all physical, is the approaching army just heard other than the couple encounters or are they projected? But then again, by not going into all those details you do a great job wit the writing doing the arguably more important job of communicating the emotional journey and these scenes would make guests feel. The writing really captures that tonal journey so well and in a dark ride few things matter more than vibes​
    • Scene 5: Hall of the Emperor​
    • A great finale and a great big pay off moment much like Splash's riverboat bringing the characters together to celebrate. A cathartic release after the tense stand off. Plus, I'm always a fan of fireworks as an effect on dark rides! Bringing it back to a small scale and personal moment between Mulan and her father was an incredibly sweet ending and a great pay off the her character arc set up with Reflections early on. Love to see this level of storytelling on a ride project without that storytelling being overwhelming to the experience! The ending bit with Mushu telling guests how to exit was a really fun and realistic touch too.​
  • Mushu's Mercantile - @ThemeParkPriest​
    • Love the unique merchandise we see here! Merch is always a great plus for a project and these are prefect additions. Chocholate dipped fortune cookies sound delicious and I love the dragon head hats! I wish there was a bit more to describe the shop itself and what it looks like, but the focus on merch worked well. I'd also make the super pedantic nitpicky not the "samurai swords" are out of place here as samurai were exclusively in Japan. I got what you were going for and honestly that mistake sounds like one Disney would make, but had to note it. Anyways, now to head to Etsy to see if anyone is making headbands that make it seem like Mushu is hanging out on my head!​
  • The message at the end - @Architectural Guinea Pig​
    • Ooooo neat. Let me just break out Google Translate real quick to see what this says annndddd....​
    • michael.jpg
 
Pi on my Cake

Pi on my Cake

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
In the Parks
Yes
Team Birds Review
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  • First Impressions
    • A lot of trackless dark ride projects miss the opportunity to really take advantage of the technology. I've certainly been guilty of that in the past and that doesn't necessarily make a bad project. But half the time when I read about a trackless dark ride I find myself just thinking "This would've been better with a different ride system." Trackless allows you to explore, to be unexpected, to be playful! Yet often, all people do is "big rooms plus maybe we spin" both on here and IRL. Again, I've been guilty of that and it doesn't make the projects bad. BUT with this ride you might have the best utilization of this tech I've ever seen on the forum or IRL! Wonderland is such a great fit for it and you've created such a fantastic ride where guests truly do explore the wondrous land, twist and turn in unexpected ways, and at the end of the day be playful!
  • Presentation
    • Birdman! Other than Volcano Bat, Birdman might be the only Forum OC to get this much use and fame/infamy lol
    • The blog is fantastic! Great presentation by @AceAstro! It functionally is very simple keeping the focus on your ride without a bunch of distracting bells and whistles, but has just enough of a unique charm to feel special and help you stand out! Love including Nara and some other old Ace articles to round it out and add some realism. If I heard some random person stumbled on this page and thought it was real (or at least a real pitch) I wouldn't be shocked! This format does come with a few downsides as the blog style makes it tougher to add in technical details, but you make it work pretty smoothly and there's only one or two times where I wanted more about how it actually worked. Everything else flowed beautifully!
    • The artwork/maps by @WaltWiz1901 were great! Stylish yet clear. Simple, yet capturing the vibe perfectly! Always love seeing a bit of hand drawn art so the ride vehicle sheet was great! I know there was some miscommunication about ride scene order and you wound up using an older pitch for the order of scenes in your map rather than the finalized pitch. But the note that your map was an in universe early rendering was a smart way to fix that "plot hole" and small miscommunications are normal when getting acclimated to a new team like you were here as a late swap
    • Artwork by @MonorailRed was amazing as always! As the person who has been called the forum's own "Mary Blair" it was great to see you take on Wonderland. If this was released as official concept art for a new ride I wouldn't bat an eye. Truly some of your best work! I'm especially a fan of the Tugley Woods scene with the flowers as well as the Queen of Hearts jumping out!
  • Team Dynamic
    • Great job by @AceAstro leading the way! Not that much was needed with how well the team works together at this point. Some mild issues with Walt finding his place here at first, but after just two rounds they already feel like a proper Birdman! This team has consistently been a joy to watch with out of the box your ideas always area! You guys also made the right move scaling back and keeping things simple for this project yet still creating a masterpiece!
    • @AceAstro you've always been an incredibly talented imagineer! Much like Space you're a natural leader who is great at bringing people together. Someone who can do this stuff in their sleep and is always ready to do something unexpected and special! We started this game with the running gag of calling it the Year of Ace Astro with winning MoM and the 1SC back to back, but honestly you deserve a year!
    • @DisneyManOne you are easily the best and most prolific writer! When you find something you're passionate about you're able to write an entire novel about it practically overnight without ever sacrificing quality! Even when you aren't passionate, you always find a way to add your unique voice and infuse whatever you do write with so much personality! It's been great seeing you actively involved and engaged throughout the game proving why you're one of the most respected veterans here!
    • @JokersWild you might be one of the most "fun" imagineers on the forum! Always ready with a joke, a wacky idea, or some fantastic plus to add on to a project. Whether its podcasts or songs or whatever you're a great collaborator and very humble too always thinking you were on the chopping block when no one has nominated you for elimination this entire game. I can't wait to see what fun things you do next
    • @MonorailRed I mean obviously your artwork is amazing! We all know that and so much has been said about your artwork, but I wanted to take a moment to instead shout out your writing! You have such a sense of whimsy in how you approach projects. A sense of "yeah, but what if we COULD do that" pushing the boundaries of what is realistically possible and finding new fun angles to approach ideas!
    • @PerGron the Joe Rhode of the forum, the animal expert, the backstory guy! You have so many talents and passions that you infuse into your work that its not hard to tell when I'm reading something from you! The horror land was a stand out this game, but even going back to your early early days with a Hotel California themed drop tower or the Sonny Eclipse Jimmy Fallon parody, you let what you're passionate about guide you and that leads to such wonderfully unique projects!
    • @WaltWiz1901 it took some time to fully find your footing in this game and to get used to working in a team dynamic under a time crunch, but once you did find your footing you hit the ground running! You have amazing ideas, your writing is great, talented with multiple forms of artwork! Once you iron out the kinks of working with a team in these games (the social game as Tiki calls it), you're gonna do amazing! A true Power House in the making! And I can't wait to see your dream projects come together too!
  • Introduction/Queue - @DisneyManOne (with slight edits for continuity sake by Ace I thhhiiiink but not sure)
    • I love the ties to Disney history with this attraction. Both the legacy of Fantasyland dark rides, the ways they've stepped up in the modern era, and the clever legal loop hole with Hunny Hunt. You did an amazing job making this ride feel like a real and integral piece of Disney's theme park history despite that fact that it doesn't even exist!
    • The focus on the history and legacy of Fantasyland rides continues into the queue where you really cleverly keep it once again scale backed as an homage to classic rides. The outdoor queue sounds absolutely lovely and the Rabbit's Cottage using the upstairs for extended queue is a smart plan. I love how the facade intentionally hides the building by blending into the real hills all around. The bait and switch of setting up a bus bar before the reveal of the LPS is very clever and fun. FUN really is the keyword for this ride! With the Rabbit Hole as a great set piece to whisk guests away into Wonderland!
  • Ridethrough - @JokersWild
    • I admire your determination to go all in this round after a couple of rounds where you played more of a supporting role. This was the perfect round for you to take the lead considering your writing style exemplifies the "fun" that is at the heart of this ride!
    • Gonna again shout out the art by @MonorailRed here as a part of the ride through! Great selection of scenes to draw and a great job at communicating the emotions of the scenes as well as the visuals!
    • Rabbit Hole
    • A great beginning! I remember talks of various more complex effects for this sequence, but I'm glad you kept it simple as a great transition into the world of Wonderland. Just crazy enough, but still easing people in. This ride is excellently paced
    • Flower Chorus
    • A perfect first big scene to get guests acclimated to Wonderland and give the Teacups to dance and spin a bit for the first time. The moment where the lights come on here is sure to be a big "wow" moment for first time riders
    • Tugley Woods
    • This is a great use of the LPS so have guests get "lost" in the woods. Wonderland deserves a lack of a track to get crazy with it. I have mixed feelings about iconic characters like the Caterpillar and the Tweedles only being seen by one teacup each, but also the star of this ride is Wonderland itself and not the characters so I feel it works
    • The teacups beginning to move and spin and lose control trying to follow the Cheshire Cats ever changing directions is such a great use of this tech! I can practically hear the people in the drawing of this scene giggling as it happens. When I say you make some of the best use of this tech I've seen, this scene was one of the stand out moments for that!
    • Hedge Maze
    • The Queen of Hearts reveal is perfect with the slow build up riding past the cards painting the roses red. Guests almost certainly know what's going to happen the second the queen is teased, but that build tension leading to the pay off of the queen immediately shouting at us! A great way to kick off another crazy sequence
    • The maze itself is another very fun use of the tech to make guests feel lost and add to the frantic pace of this scene!
    • I do question of the collapsing house of cards would work. Especially in the center of the room with guests spinning around. Obviously the answer to how it works is "Disney Magic" but this seems like such a stand out moment that it needed a blurb about what it practically looks like for readers to get immersed in it. A nitpick obviously, but like I told Team Boats if I didn't discuss nitpicks there wouldn't be much to discuss lol
    • Mad Tea Party
    • I'm really happy this did wind up as the finale. It might be different then the movie and it also arguably follows the Disneyland ride too closely. But a fun and triumphant finale fits the playful tone of the ride better than ending on the chaotic "fight" with the evil queen.
    • The exploding cake is another effect that I question how it works. I assume it doesn't explode until guests can no longer see it making it just sound/air/smell, but again this is one I would've like to get a bit more to describe it.
    • That being said, its a very fun scene and I love the idea of going out on a bang showing that you truly never know what's gonna happen next in Wonderland!
  • Conclusion
    • Love that it gets replaced by Frozen. Don't know why but I always think its fun for projects that take place in the past to end with the ride getting replaced making it a "lost gem" of sorts. Great gag!
 
Lord Fozzinator

Lord Fozzinator

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Both Pi’s think that I am funny. I never thought I would say that and has nothing to do with the fact that I realized that some people have multiple profiles (maybe I should bring Muppetsfan back).
 
Pi on my Cake

Pi on my Cake

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
In the Parks
Yes
As we wait for the reveal of the Final 8 tonight on the podcast (and here shortly after), lets look at Expedition 10 and officially declare the winner

Both teams truly did incredible! I say that a lot, but it's true! I don't think there's really been a "losing" project this entire season. Just winning projects and runner ups lol

That being said, while both were amazing and both made great uses out of both their IP and their ride system, I'm gonna give the wind to Team Birds and their Wonderland dark ride!
Team Boats did do a better job of capturing the park, but ultimately I feel the experience of the Wonderland ride slightly edged out the (still amazing) Mulan ride.

Congratulations Team Birds for winning the final head to head match!


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Pi on my Cake

Pi on my Cake

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
In the Parks
Yes
Lord Fozzinator said:
Both Pi’s think that I am funny. I never thought I would say that and has nothing to do with the fact that I realized that some people have multiple profiles (maybe I should bring Muppetsfan back).
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I'd advise only using that trick for special occasions if ever, it's not technically allowed by forum rules lol. Hence it only ever being used for a joke here and there about once a year or so
 
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