DashHaber's Imagineering Toybox

DashHaber

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I might had an idea for my next project of Universal's Cartoon World.
That's cool. I'm not sure if I'll design my own take on the idea (which I'd probably call something like Universal's Dimensions of Art or something like that), but I did have some thoughts on the topic:
  • The idea of starting off with a Main Street-style area devoted to comic strips still works really well, and I'd keep the concept. Maybe call it The Comic Strip, as a sort of pun about it being a strip of land devoted to that format.
  • Anime and manga have become more prevalent and well-known to Western audiences, so it would make sense to feature a land devoted to that. A more general anime showcase would be neat, but I could also realistically see it based more around a specific anime production group. In that case, I'd say Shonen Jump, given they're a manga publisher who have published plenty of big anime franchises like Dragon Ball, Naruto, and My Hero Academia.
  • Warner Bros. animation would definitely deserve some spotlight in this park, but the challenge is in what to spotlight. Looney Tunes is definitely the most obvious, but Hanna-Barbera is also a classic. Don't forget their '90s shows like Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs, much less all the work that's come out of Cartoon Network. Frankly, there's a lot you could pull from that branch of animation.
  • Speaking of Warner Bros., DC Comics would be a good choice if there were a land that helped to spotlight superhero comic books.
  • I mentioned Hanna-Barbera earlier, but old-school cartoons are another thing that might be worth considering. For instance, Fleischer Studios had some major classic like Popeye and Betty Boop, while Jay Ward had some classic off-the-wall cartoons with shows like The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. Toon Lagoon is already some solid proof that they can come together well, so a land devoted to these old-school, wackier cartoons would work.
 

HomeImagineer

Well-Known Member
That's cool. I'm not sure if I'll design my own take on the idea (which I'd probably call something like Universal's Dimensions of Art or something like that), but I did have some thoughts on the topic:
  • The idea of starting off with a Main Street-style area devoted to comic strips still works really well, and I'd keep the concept. Maybe call it The Comic Strip, as a sort of pun about it being a strip of land devoted to that format.
  • Anime and manga have become more prevalent and well-known to Western audiences, so it would make sense to feature a land devoted to that. A more general anime showcase would be neat, but I could also realistically see it based more around a specific anime production group. In that case, I'd say Shonen Jump, given they're a manga publisher who have published plenty of big anime franchises like Dragon Ball, Naruto, and My Hero Academia.
  • Warner Bros. animation would definitely deserve some spotlight in this park, but the challenge is in what to spotlight. Looney Tunes is definitely the most obvious, but Hanna-Barbera is also a classic. Don't forget their '90s shows like Tiny Toon Adventures and Animaniacs, much less all the work that's come out of Cartoon Network. Frankly, there's a lot you could pull from that branch of animation.
  • Speaking of Warner Bros., DC Comics would be a good choice if there were a land that helped to spotlight superhero comic books.
  • I mentioned Hanna-Barbera earlier, but old-school cartoons are another thing that might be worth considering. For instance, Fleischer Studios had some major classic like Popeye and Betty Boop, while Jay Ward had some classic off-the-wall cartoons with shows like The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. Toon Lagoon is already some solid proof that they can come together well, so a land devoted to these old-school, wackier cartoons would work.
Good ideas, also i feel like my park needs 5 to 6 areas & at the middle/center of the park is a hub with Portals similar to the upcoming Universal's Epic Universe & connected to each 5 Fantastic Worlds of Cartoons from Books, Movies, etc. Here are my idea lands for this park.
  • Toon Boulevard (Toon Lagoon style of Main Street)
  • The Great Valley (The Land Before Time)
  • Seussland (Dr. Seuss)
  • Nickelodeon Universe (SpongeBob, Blues Clues, Dora the Explorer, Jimmy Neutron, etc)
  • Aardman Acres (Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run, etc)
  • Imagined World of DreamWorks Animation (Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, etc)
 

Twilight_Roxas

Well-Known Member
I could see for the DC area a The Flash coaster with Barry fighting Eobard in the Speedforce, a Justice League motion simulator that has The Justice League fighting either the Legion of Doom or the Criminal Syndicate.
 

DashHaber

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Ice Age: Glacial Voyage
(Boat dark ride)
The Herd is in need of a new home, and Buck may have found the way to a hidden paradise. Follow Manny, Sid, and Diego and take a trip down these chilly waters, sailing through icy caverns into a jungle filled with hungry dinosaurs.


Guests discover a large arctic mountain range, with some mammoth footprints leading the way to a cave entrance. Stepping inside, guests first pass through an icy opening chasm, weaving through the frigid structures before finally reaching the main cavern chasm. The rock walls feature primitive cave art that depicts the Herd (the main characters from the Ice Age films) in a variety of locations, as if they've been moving around constantly. We eventually pass by a cave chamber where (on a screen, as if in another room) Manny, Sid and Diego are talking about how they need to find a new home given the recent earthquakes. Buck then arrives, claiming that he has found a great new home hidden away from danger. Manny is slightly skeptical, but Buck insists it will be a pleasure cruise getting there, no dangers at all. With that, we pass through a cave with BUCK'S ROOM carved into the stone entrance and find the trappings of Buck's adventurous life, like his signature dagger and a map of the cave systems (with a circle drawn around one particular point). With that, we emerge into another frozen chasm as we reach the loading area, with wooden boats awaiting. Hopping inside, we begin our voyage.

We sail down into a frozen cave, with ice all around. The atmosphere is cold, and a bit quiet. Manny has Sid and Diego by his side as he asks if they are going the right way, when Buck says they just need to head into this chasm. His dagger points to a corner that we pass around, only to find a crack in the ice. He warns us to hang on, as we take a fall into the darkness. Despite the minor thrill, we emerge from the dark to find ourselves in a lush jungle. Manny thinks it looks good, but Buck says the adventure isn't over yet. Sailing further in, Sid gets lost from the group and accidentally runs afoul of some dinosaurs. His antics draw the dinosaurs to the group, leading to a big chase through the jungle. Eventually, the Herd have to fight back, battling this big T-Rex and his dino henchmen. The resulting battle causes cracks in the mountain walls, triggering an avalanche. We barely manage to avoid the avalanche by sailing under a cliff face, leaving us to witness the dinosaurs buried in the ice and snow. With that, we pass another pleasant spot in the jungle as the Herd finds their new home, even if Manny insists they could have gotten there without all the dinosaurs and danger. With that, we arrive at the unloading are and disembark from our boat.
 

DashHaber

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So, here's a crazy idea: what if you took the Mr. DNA scene from Jurassic Park and made an Epcot-style ride of it?

The DNA Dino-Tour
(Omnimover dark ride)
Jurassic World is a modern marvel with its expansive collection of living dinosaurs, but just how did they take these prehistoric creatures and bring them into the modern world? Take a little trip with Mr. DNA to learn about the tiniest wonder of life that makes cloning possible: DNA!


Among the tropical surroundings of Jurassic World, guests will find another sleek white lab structure. However, something that helps it to stand out from the pack is the colorful statue of Mr. DNA, a mascot character for Jurassic World. Standing next to the attraction signage, he cheerfully gestures to the entrance of the building. Stepping inside, guests find that the building is a visitor research center, with a particular focus on the science behind Jurassic World. Passing by a display that offers some history on John Hammond, whose original vision of Jurassic Park would inspire the creation of Jurassic World, guests head down the sleek hallways designed with artistic murals of dinosaurs. Monitors overhead present advertisements for some of the various attractions located around Jurassic World, along with trivia questions that are all about dinosaurs. Eventually, guests reading the loading area, where blue and white omnimover ride vehicles pass by. We quickly and carefully grab a seat, as we get ready to learn.

Heading up a hill past some artistic takes on dinosaurs, an unseen voice marvels at these ancient creatures being back in our world, but he has one question: how did they come back? We enter a darkened hallway as our ride vehicle turns to face the voice's owner: Mr. DNA (who narrates the ride, and generally appears on screens or holograms if he appears in-person during the ride). He explains that the key is DNA, the building blocks of life. Our ride vehicles face forward against as we weave around the iconic helix structures of DNA, as he explains how DNA contains the genetic code of a creature, storing massive amounts of information. We see that swirl of genetic coding on the walls as we pass through a red room, with Mr. DNA saying that even a simple drop of blood can contain tons of DNA. With that, we transition into a prehistoric forest, though seemingly small as our host explains how mosquitoes from these prehistoric eras would sometimes be caught in tree sap and end up fossilized in amber while still containing dinosaur blood. We see one such mosquito preserved in amber, looking big thanks to our seemingly smaller state. Our own ride vehicle passes through an amber-colored hallway, as Mr. DNA explains that such mosquitoes were discovered by inGen researchers and that blood contained the DNA necessary to clone dinosaurs. We leave the past behind as our ride vehicle turns to look out over a research lab, where scientists (animatronics) are hard at work. Mr. DNA explains how these scientists use that blood to replicate these dinosaurs, using supercomputers and gene sequencers to quickly sort through the genetic coding and frog DNA to help fill in any gaps in the coding. With that, our ride vehicles head down a hill as the pieces all add up to one thing: dinosaurs! Our ride vehicles turn once more to face an egg nursery, where dinosaur eggs are tended to. One of them even hatches, with a baby velociraptor emerging from its shell. Our ride vehicles regain their normal position, as Mr. DNA says that thanks to the tiny wonder of life that is DNA, even the biggest dinosaur can come back to life! With that, we reach the unloading area, carefully disembarking from our ride vehicle as we head out the exit hallway and back into Jurassic World.
 

DashHaber

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Oogie Boogie’s Rowdy Roulette
(Disk’O ride)
Are you feeling lucky as you wander into the domain of that no-good Oogie Boogie? If so, then step up to his roulette wheel and leave your fate to a roll of the dice!


Certain to catch the eyes of passersby is a half-pipe black and green track, upon which a roulette wheel ride vehicle spins and moves. By one side of the half-pipe awaits the entrance to the queue, bring guests into a Gothic rocky structure. Inside, technicolor chains hang from the ceiling, as columns are emblazoned with the four card suits. There is even a trio of cowboy-like skeleton slot machines (one-armed bandits, so to speak) who glare at guests while the tumblers on their chests spin. Guests weave their way through the switchback maze until they the reach the end, right before a gate to the loading area. When they're ready, the gate opens and guests step out from the stone building. Guests head up a small set of stairs to the loading platform, where they board the roulette wheel. The wheel itself has a red and green floor, with ghoulish designs along the wheel's sections and outward-facing gold-colored seats lining the ring of it. The central spinner of the wheel is topped with a statue of Oogie Boogie, sporting a wicked grin as he brandishes some dice.

Once we grab our seats and are safely in place, the wheel starts moving back and forth along the track. As we do so, our roulette wheel starts to spin. The back and forth motion along the half-pipe track paired up with our spinning roulette wheel adds up to a fun and thrilling combination. All the while, we can hear Oogie Boogie taunting us about our predicament. Eventually, the ride slows back down and Oogie remarks that it looks like we got lucky this time. Of course, he's always up for another roll of the dice, as we safely disembark from the wheel and exit off onto the loading platform towards the attraction's exit.
 
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DashHaber

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Recently, there was a bit of a discussion in regards to the content in theme park attractions, and how Halloween events (such as Halloween Horror Nights) give some leeway in terms of exploring darker and more graphic content in the theme park space. Well, while the idea was sparked by @Tegan pilots a chicken and their Harley Quinn ride as part of a Warner Bros. theme park, I found myself thinking about what a Halloween event for such a park could be like. Some stray thoughts I had:
  • Probably one of the most obvious ideas for a scare maze would be Arkham Asylum. It's such an iconic location, and a great space to show off the creepy potential in some of Batman's villains. There'd also be such a variety of villains you can use with fitting scares to go with them. For instance, a mind-bending hallway with the Mad Hatter (as if you were under his trance), or finding a collection of Arkham doctors in Saw-like contraptions courtesy of the Riddler. One idea I've had is an arts and crafts room where living clay figures blend in among discarded mannequins, leading to an encounter with Clayface himself. Even the idea of the maze could easily be modified with different themes for different years of the event, such as a takeover by Joker or Scarecrow. Perhaps even one approach might be a dangerous tour engineered by the asylum's new director: Prof. Hugo Strange.
  • Warner Media actually has quite a number of notable horror movies under their belt. From classics like The Shining and A Nightmare on Elm Street to modern hits like The Conjuring and IT, they certainly offer solid fodder for potential mazes.
  • Halloween Horror Nights has had a trend for a while of what I'd call a "comedy house", where they've got more laughs mixed in among the scares. For a Warner Bros. Halloween event, two movies that could easily fit this niche (if they did such a niche) are Beetlejuice and Little Shop of Horrors.
  • Something slightly out of left field could be Game of Thrones. There's been plenty of dark elements in that show, but my thought would be a scare maze that takes us beyond the Wall, coming face to face with wildlings and white walkers. Another oddball idea could be a house inspired by the Adult Swim Infomercials, leaning into more surreal horror.
  • As for scare zones, there is one clear-cut idea to me: Metalocalypse. The pulse-pounding heavy metal paired up with rabid Dethklok fans and risen demons would offer such a strong atmosphere.
 
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DashHaber

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Hopefully Disney could do the same thing in DCA & DHS with their horror IPs.
That would be interesting, but I don't see that happening any time soon.

If Disney were ever to try out scare mazes for a Halloween event, I'd imagine that they'd stick to recognizably Disney stuff and go much gentler with it. I'd imagine no scareactors, maybe cut-outs or even simple animatronics for characters. Lean more into atmosphere rather than any big scares.
 

DashHaber

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So, back in the 1986 competition, we had an elimination round where we had to design some scare mazes for a Halloween event in the 1986 Disneyland Resort. We ended up having a tiebreaker round where we had to come up with an additional scare maze on the spot. Well, I had basically improvised mine, coming up with a funhouse-style scare maze based on the "Pink Elephants on Parade" sequence from Dumbo.

Well, I decided to finally write it up.

 

DashHaber

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Hey there, everyone. Sorry I've been basically away from the forums for so long. I did have a bad case of creative burnout on the theme park stuff where I felt like I was trying to force my creations, so I had to step back for a while. My apologies again to my teammates for dropping out mid-competition.

My head's getting back into a place for designing again, so I'll try to be around more. Maybe not as intense as I had been, but enough to pop in now and again with stuff for here or maybe some competitions. As always, I'm up for any requests for attraction or land ideas you'd like to see from me.
 

DashHaber

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So, this is something that I thought about for a new Energy pavilion at Epcot. As a little background, I envision the pavilion having a backstory based around Gaiadyne Energy Research, a company that is focused on looking for cleaner and more efficient methods of power.

Power Trip
(Theater-in-the-round show)
Take a seat inside the Gaiadyne Energy Theater, where you will have the chance to witness the history of energy development. As the theater shifts and changes with each new step in progress, you will see how we can better harness energy in a way that is balanced with our world.


Within the sleek walls of the Energy pavilion, guests can find the entrance for the Gaiadyne Energy Theater. Advertising a study in the "Age of Energy", displays abound that give a simple timeline of the history of energy development and discuss different key figures in this history. Eventually, guests reach the main waiting area, serving as our pre-show area. On television monitors, Dr. Grace Joule welcomes us to the Gaiadyne Energy Theater. She explains that energy has always been been a key part in humanity's development and has allowed us to achieve incredible feats. By the same token, however, it's become more apparent that a balance needs to be made in what we take from the world and what we give it. However, how did we get to this situation, and how can we improve? With this show, perhaps Gaiadyne might help to "illuminate" the answers to our questions. With that, the doors open and guests head into the circular theater, which shares a similar sleek design and is dotted with screens on the walls along with a central column-like display. Once guests have taken their seats around the central display, the doors close and the show begins.

The theater goes dark as Dr. Joule narrates, explaining how humanity used to live at the whim of the elements, with only an early grasp of fire being our main control. There are small steps, but the "Age of Energy" would not begin until the birth of the steam engine. With a roar, the theater lights up, but it is no sleek, futuristic structure. We are now in a Victorian-Era chamber, with a bulky steam engine in the center. Dr. Joule discusses how steam power had led to the Industrial Revolution while also leading to a major consumption of wood and coal. However, its dominance would soon be challenged by the discovery of petroleum and oil. With that, our theater shifts (through in-theater effects and some projection mapping) to the Edwardian Era, as the steam engine strips away some pieces into an oil-powered machine. Times shift and change into the 1940s, as nuclear power is found and a gleaming new possibility is discovered. However, Dr. Joule brings up how these major energy sources came to a dangerous head in part due to mismanagement and unchecked application. It is those incidents that led the world to start looking for more eco-friendly methods of energy, such as solar and wind. As the theater starts to shift into a futuristic space and the central display becomes a greenlit energy container like when we had first entered, Dr. Joule mentions that as we discover new methods like geothermal and biomass, we may now be living in tandem with the elements instead of just at their command like our earliest ancestors. With that, she hopes that we too will help add our own step to improving our world of energy, as the doors open and we leave the theater.
 
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DashHaber

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
If a Nintendo theme park were ever to happen, I'd love to see some sort of WarioWare representation turn up. That series (and Wario in general) is the perfect vehicle for something that can poke some fun at theme parks, but I've had trouble thinking about how to capture the manic feel of the franchise's microgame nature. I tried thinking of a ride that could mix together different ride types, but then something simpler occurred to me: a funhouse.

I don't have an exact lineup at the moment for what the WarioWare FunHou$e would be like, but I feel the goofy nature of a funhouse would make for a good compliment to the nature of the games. I'd envision it as Wario getting in on the theme park business with this funhouse designed by him and his WarioWare crew. The entrance to the building would go through the mouth of a big grinning Wario face, as we find ourselves going through rooms designed by different WarioWare characters. For instance, Jimmy T. might have a disco where certain spots on the dance floor activate floor tricks like spinning discs or moving panels, while Ashley might take you through a spooky upside-down or crooked rooms. 9-Volt might have a hallway themed around Duck Hunt with air jets in the walls activated by floor triggers, as another potential example. Whatever the rooms, it would definitely lead to a grand finale with Wario.

Whatever the room lineup, I do feel that a funhouse would make for a good approach to deliver some of that antic WarioWare energy.
 

DashHaber

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
If I had a chance to revise any of the Disney parks, Epcot is probably the one I'd love to work with most. It's still a nice place to visit, but it just feels a bit muddled when it comes to the core themes of the park. I like the fact that part of the founding ideas is that it tries to be both educational and fun, but it doesn't quite hit the heights that it could in its current form. Take Future World, for instance.

There are some fun pavilions and classic elements here, but it feels too much like just a bit of an unguided mixed bag compared to the World Showcase portion of the park. It's even more noticeable with the new land breakdown. Sure, there are some decent ideas in the themes for those new neighborhoods, but it's so clearly decided on after the fact. Personally, I would better plan out Future World to have much more specific sublands from the start, to better help organize that area and better plan out potential developments over time.

There are three particular areas within Future World that I would see:
  1. Future of Humanity: Serving as the central hub for Future World, this area would be a celebration of humanity as a whole. Spaceship Earth would still stand tall demonstrating our history of communication, but other areas would showcase the many inventors and artists who have helped to bring humanity forward with every little spark they've had.
  2. Future of Innovation: On the left-hand side (when entering the park) is a collection of pavilions that are centered around science and technology. To be more specific, how science and technology have helped to advance humanity and improve it with these incredible discoveries.
  3. Future of Nature: On the right-hand side (when entering the park) is a collection of pavilions devoted to learning about the world around us. From far beyond the sky to even the deepest parts of the human body, this is a place to learn about the natural world and how we can live in better harmony with it.
I know that's similar to what they're planning now, but I feel that an Epcot park designed with these sublands in place at the start would help offer a more defined path for its development.
 
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DashHaber

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
A while back, I had designed a Frontierland that was all about tall tales and Western folklore. While it had a spiritual successor to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad with the Casey Jones Runaway Train as the land's big E-Ticket, one idea that didn't make the cut was a log flume successor to Splash Mountain. Well, here is that idea.

Bigfoot Falls
(Log flume)
The Diggem Excavation Company has arrived, with miners and loggers tearing up the land in pursuit of profit. However, there is one critter who’s not happy about them tearing up his home: Bigfoot!


Past some tree stumps, guests will find a large 19th-century timber mill. This is the Diggem Excavation Company, and guests entering the lobby will pass by a portrait of the company's founder (Isaac Diggem) and signs advertising wealthy opportunities for new employees. Turning down a hallway, guests head down through an employee space, filled with signs telling of proper rules for using the mining and logging equipment, along with a map of the surrounding territory marked with work sites. Curiously, there is also a notice claiming that Bigfoot was sighted out in the woods, but a few derisive remarks mock the notice. Further in, guests pass through the storage sheds, filled with equipment for mining and logging. There's also an additional sign offering bonuses for anyone who can help to "stop any work interruptions caused by surrounding wildlife", surrounded by notes from workers saying they quit and that there's no money worth the risk of fighting Bigfoot. Eventually, we reach the loading platform, finding a log ride vehicle ready for us to ride in.

Once we're safely seated, we take off down the river and leave the timber mill. Sailing past some pine trees, we can hear workers singing some foresty folksong as they work while we head uphill. The serene nature is broken at the top, however, as we start passing some tree stumps and treecutting machinery along the river. We begin to go up another small hill, passing by a broken treecutter as a lumberjack looks upward with alarm. A tall shadow is cast on a nearby rock wall, and the lumberjack calls out, "BIGFOOT!" while we go down the drop. Finding ourselves in a darkly forested area, lumberjacks armed with hunting tools and traps are on the hunt for the elusive beast, eager for a reward in capturing the elusive creature. However, Bigfoot is more clever than they are, leaving them caught in their own traps. One such foiled trap has even knocked over a supply shed into the river path, diverting it into the mines where we take another small plunge. Inside, a muscled miner rolls up his sleeves while a smaller miner says he'll prepare a real surprise for Bigfoot. We pass by moments of the battle between the muscled miner and Bigfoot, but Bigfoot's mighty cudgel knocks the brute out. We soon see the smaller schemer again as he preps some dynamite in a mine cart. We head up a long hill, as we hear the dynamite fuse sizzling with a menacing echo. We pass an alcove, though, where Bigfoot has caught the now-panicked miner and his dynamite minecart and is roaring in the miner's face. As we reach the top of the hill, we take a big plunge back outside as the sound of an explosion rattles behind us. After a big splash of water at the bottom, we drift along a more peaceful river. It is here that we see Bigfoot smiling in peace, his cudgel over his shoulder and cute woodland critters all around him. With that, we return to the timber mill and exit safely from our log ride vehicle.
 

DashHaber

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
With mazes did you watch the Disney+ series Just Beyond? That could give you ideas for a maze.
I did watch Just Beyond, and it could make for a solid anthology maze (my term for a scare maze based around smaller segments of different stories/scenes). Of the episodes, I'd probably use Parents are from Mars, Kids are from Venus, My Monster, and We've Got Spirits, Yes We Do within the maze.
 

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