DisneySky - COMPLETE & RESTORED

[Suchomimus]

In the Flooded Pagoda section, you used the phrase "Jade and peaches bob in the churning rapids". I had to go back and reread the presentation to find where they first appeared- that is the challenge of posting in sections. This phrase confused me, especially the idea of jade "bobbing." Jade don't bob- it sinks, like the rock it is. Then I saw earlier how you mentioned boxes (or crates, I forget) of peaches and jade. Perhaps if the box with "Jade" painted on the side (in English and Chinese) were broken open so that the jade could have fallen out would make more sense. I know- James, stop overthinking everything!

Would’ve thought for sure you would’ve talked about how you were unsure if the dragon skeleton seen during the Monsoonal Rains was meant to be crushed against the boulders instead of having crashed against the boulders. I would have seen it as the dragon actually crashing into the boulders and dying from the impact.

 

[D Hulk]

Would there be any sort of narration during this adventure? The imagery would be overwhelming, but to the majority of Western visitors how much would be lost on them simply because of ignorance of Chinese culture and mythology? Visual, experientially, this would be THE greatest water adventure in the world, but making it possible for riders to understand not just what they are seeing, but WHY they are seeing it would add just one more layer of greatness.

This is a case where purely visual storytelling works stronger, in my opinion. The Disneyland Resort in particular enjoys local guests who constantly re-ride attractions. So as long as a ride's underlying narrative makes sense then it's great when there's more to discover on revisit. Like the fan discussion surrounding Pirates of the Caribbean or Haunted Mansion, when guests discover things on their own they become far more engaged.

 

[Suchomimus]

Would there be any sort of narration during this adventure? The imagery would be overwhelming, but to the majority of Western visitors how much would be lost on them simply because of ignorance of Chinese culture and mythology? Visual, experientially, this would be THE greatest water adventure in the world, but making it possible for riders to understand not just what they are seeing, but WHY they are seeing it would add just one more layer of greatness.

This is a case where purely visual storytelling works stronger, in my opinion. The Disneyland Resort in particular enjoys local guests who constantly re-ride attractions. So as long as a ride's underlying narrative makes sense then it's great when there's more to discover on revisit. Like the fan discussion surrounding Pirates of the Caribbean or Haunted Mansion, when guests discover things on their own they become far more engaged.

It also happens that we’re in the Information Revolution, where most people can find answers to most of their questions in their pockets, so it’s not like guests who are not well versed in Chinese mythology would not be able to learn what the yaogaui or the gods in the ride are.

 

[D Hulk]

Mulan: Reflections in Dance
D-ticket live show

The legend of Mulan is retold in an authentic Chinese acrobatic performance

The story of Disney’s 1998 animated film Mulan - and by extension the beloved legend of Hua Mulan which inspired it - is retold live on stage in a classical Chinese style. This is no mere live musical recapitulation of an animated film. Rather, Reflections in Dance uses Mulan as a means to celebrate centuries-old Chinese theatrical tradition in all its beauty and spectacle.

(Please note that this show was conceived long before Disney’s 2020 live action remake of Mulan, and it takes no inspiration or ideas from that film. I wish to distance “Reflections in Dance” from the remake’s various controversies, which have no bearing on the content of this show.)

Shows take place in the Celestial Theater, an ancient Chinese pre-telescopic observatory. The building exterior resembles a fusion of Beijing’s Ancient Observatory and Nanjing’s Purple Mountain Observatory - receding monolithic grey brick walls lead to a water-stained watchtower. Further back, there are several receding forced perspective turret walls.

Festival banners string about in the gathering space before the Theater. This garden courtyard is dominated by a stone statue of Mulan on horseback riding her horse Khan. The waiting space surrounding this monument is peppered with ancient copper astronomical instruments on display, all held by bronze dragons - armillary spheres, sundials, celestial globes, armillas. Off to one side, a Chinese military tent plays host to small-scale Mulan meet ‘n’ greets after shows.

Due to the wordless nature of the show to come, a stone tablet on the observatory portico outlines the ancient Chinese legend of Mulan...How she took her crippled father’s place in the Chinese army, and how while in disguise she almost single-handedly rescued China from a Hun invasion.

As showtime draws near, guests are ushered into the Celestial Theater. The darkened interior is set under a ribbed stone vault, faintly lit by small sky lanterns arranged like the Chinese constellations. The stage is bare with a drawn curtain. The curtain features a minimalist Chinese watercolor of the Kunlun Mountains and the Great Wall, with the Chinese and Hun armies visible on opposite sides predicting the show’s content. Guests assemble in comfy padded seats as anticipatory music plays.

The theater opens up 15 minutes before showtime. Each performance lasts 25 minutes, with six showtimes daily, typically at 11:00, 12:30, 2:00, 3:30, 5:00, and 6:30. The theater seats around 1,500 people.

Before the show begins, a presenter takes to the stage to provide some cultural context (in English and Mandarin). We are about to see the tale of “Mulan” retold with the millennia-old disciplines of Chinese acrobatic dance and Beijing Opera. This style takes inspiration from the Shen Yun dance troupe, whose touring shows in the U.S. and abroad are enormously popular on a level comparable to Cirque du Soleil. (Shen Yun itself and its associated Falun Gong faith practice are not associated with our production, since inevitably they can draw controversy.)

Our cast consists of 5 women and 10 men, plus leads. Our story shall be told without speaking or lyrics, but rather told entirely in choreographed pantomime with orchestral accompaniment. There will be live Chinese instruments - flutes, drums, erhu - and a kaleidoscope of colorful costume pageantry.


The Shen Yun dance troupe proves the popularity of traditional Chinese dance theater

Scene #1: Honor To Us All
(3:00)

With that the curtain rises. The backdrop is a projection screen which is able to display a new painterly setting for each scene. The opening scene occurs in a traditional Ming Dynasty village. The springtime cherry blossoms are in full bloom and festive regalia is set out for the Matchmaker.

The women’s dance chorus appears in beautiful pink Chinese bridal dresses. They dance to the song “Honor To Us All” from Disney’s 1998 Mulan, played in a traditional rearrangement by onstage erhu musicians. This showpiece incorporates swirling dresses and fan dances. It is a snapshot of ancient Chinese culture.



Soon enough Fa Mulan joins the other would-be-brides, failing to match their graceful movements. Mulan struggles with her pratfalls and is unable to impress the Matchmaker. The skies darken as Mulan trudges away dejected, as the scene transitions to the Fa family estate.

Scene #2: Interlude - The War Decree
(1:30)

A brief scene in between dances is used to feature some Beijing Opera comedy. The Emperor’s advisor Chi-Fu appears “riding” backwards on a horse; his performer in a man-on-horse costume capers about awkwardly.

As storm clouds gather in the background, Mulan and her father Fa Zhou gather to hear an imperial decree. Chi-Fu unfurls a war decree, accompanied by drum beats. Conveyed entirely in silent performance, we learn that Fa Zhou has been conscripted into the army. Mulan sadly embraces her father as day turns to night.

Scene #3: Short Hair
(3:20)

Rains and lightning pelt the background skies. Fa Zhou retires to his chamber, accompanied by a flute soloist. He attempts a traditional fight-dance with a sword, limping and collapsing as the music turns atonal.



Mulan mimics her father hidden in the background horse stables. Unlike in her bridal audition, here Mulan succeeds in her mimicry, performing a flawless fight-dance while Fa Zhou falters. In pantomime, and with the music growing in martial intensity, Mulan preps for war: She throws off her wedding gown to reveal a suit of armor. She cuts her hair, applying her sword to a black silk “hair” prop. With a lightning crescendo, Mulan newly transformed into a warrior somersaults into the unknown! Fade to black...

Scene #4: The Ancestors Awake
(2:20)

Lights return to reveal the Fa mausoleum. A chorus of dancers emerges portraying the Fa Family Ancestors in flowing blue wardrobe. They awake and summon both the red dragon Mushu (whose costume resembles a Chinese New Year dragon) and the lucky cricket Cri-Kee (who is puppeteered by a visible dancer in dark purple robes). The group performs a traditional Shen Yun comic dance.

Inspiration for the Mushu and Cri-Kee costumes

Projections on the mausoleum panels relay story information: Mushu and Cri-Kee are assigned to go retrieve Mulan. The comic duo charges off, running in place before a progression of landscape backgrounds as the Ancestors glide away.

Scene #5: Interlude - Mulan Meets Mushu
(1:00)

Mushu and Cri-Kee at last bound into a green bamboo forest. They encounter Mulan seated crestfallen against a log. In another dance-free interlude, Mulan’s protectors psyche her up for military service. Mulan stands tall, her body language conveying bravery as she marches forth.​

 

[D Hulk]

Scene #6: I’ll Make a Man Out of You
(3:20)

Mulan and company reach a military camp. Li Shang and a male dance chorus of soldiers greet and accept the disguised Mulan as a fellow warrior. Harp players take to the stage.



This is the traditional kung fu dance, performed to an orchestral version of “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” on harp. Li Shang and the soldiers (and Mulan) display amazing feats of martial arts and acrobatics, flipping and kicking and leaping. Li Shang gets a solo sequence to perform some archery stunts. He fires real arrows across the stage at “hay soldier” targets.

The kung fu dance resumes. The soldiers’ cohesion grows and grows throughout this rousing sequence, as the military camp setting grows more abstract, bathed in red. The scene climaxes with every single dancer performing flying kicks in perfect unison!

Scene #7: A Girl Worth Fighting For
(2:10)

The soldier troupe sets out. They march into battle along the Yangtze River. Onstage drummers accompany them with a cheery beat, with an arrangement based on “A Girl Worth Fighting For.” Dancers individually rush off stage and return wearing man-on-horse costumes and wielding poles. With these props they perform a happy-go-lucky pole dance. A mock fight plays out as the sun slowly sets behind.



Scene #8: The Huns Attack
(2:00)

The merry song is interrupted suddenly as a bevy of Hun warriors rushes to the stage, led by the fearsome warlord Shan Yu. Battle erupts between the two armies! The background flashes in abstract, jagged, violent reds, and is soon overtaken by a raging snowstorm as the battle continues high up in the snowy mountains! The Chinese soldiers trade out their poles for swords as they fight-dance against the Huns.



Mulan squares off against Shan Yu, armed only with a dragon rocket. She fires it into a background snowbank. An avalanche erupts: the background floods with flurries, paper snowflakes blow onto the stage, and the female dance chorus arrives dancing in sleek white “avalanche” costumes. Their choreography overwhelms the Hun warriors, who are swept offstage.

Scene #9: The Forbidden Palace
(3:20)

Victory! Background fireworks instantly transport us to the Forbidden Palace. Mulan and her fellow soldiers and friends celebrate and dance. There is great pageantry, complete with several performers dancing under a shared dragon costume.

Suddenly the Huns return! Final battle resumes. Mulan now leads the Chinese soldiers on the battlefield. In a parody of the opening bridal sequence, the male soldiers remove their armor to reveal colorful concubine dresses. It’s paper fans versus swords! Our heroes all successfully remove the Huns’ weapons with their fans. Mulan flings Shan Yu into the firework-filled background, where he vanishes down a trapdoor in a climactic flash of lights and streamers!

Final Scene: Homecoming and Reflection
(2:30)

Flashy pyrotechnics send everyone scrambling from the stage except for Mulan herself. She stands alone, having returned to her family’s home. This is a quiet moment of reflection under a gentle breeze. Every single musician takes to the stage to play a triumphant, slowly rising variation on “Reflection.” Mulan performs a graceful solo dance to the music, revealing a gorgeous new gown.



Soon all of Mulan’s allies - Fa Zhou, Li Shang, Mushu, Cri-Kee, even Chi-Fu - join her in this final dance. Everyone wears flowing costumes to complement Mulan’s. The Chinese soldiers wheel a gigantic drum onto stage and pound out a conclusive crescendo. An enchanting, mystical dance plays out, with Mulan at the center!

Curtain call.

***

Lights come back up and the curtain falls. Guests exit the same way they entered, back into Mythic Realms’ lush watery valleys. Hopefully they exit with a song in their head, with an inspiring story in their heart, and with a little more familiarity with traditional Chinese culture.​

 

[DisneyManOne]

Oh my God, that was incredible!!! I swear, that wouldn't feel out of place at EPCOT -- not only is it a perfect IP for China, but the EPCOT purists would be comforted by knowing this is based more on traditional Chinese staging.

 

[James G.]

Something tells me that @D Hulk was worried about my "review" of this theatrical production. He needn't worry. Not that he needs my approval, but I am virtually standing and cheering! This would be a vastly original theatrical production, one unique in TDR, and a celebration of a style of theater quite unique on this side of the world. I'd love to see it!

 

[Suchomimus]

Oh my God, that was incredible!!! I swear, that wouldn't feel out of place at EPCOT -- not only is it a perfect IP for China, but the EPCOT purists would be comforted by knowing this is based more on traditional Chinese staging.

Is it just me or does it feel like you’ll be using this show in your next WDW redux?

 

[DisneyManOne]

Is it just me or does it feel like you’ll be using this show in your next WDW redux?

Well...not necessarily a redux...all I'm saying is that I'm taking inspiration from @MANEATINGWREATH's Mirror Disneyland and doing "Mirror Walt Disney World", and that I've been working on it ever since last summer, and that I intend to start it up here on the forums on New Years Day 2021 -- the year WDW turns 50. But yes, this will definitely be a part of it.

EDIT: I found this cool arrangement of "Reflection" using only Chinese instruments on YouTube.

 

[D Hulk]

Beastly Kites
B-ticket flat ride

Glide upon an early man-carrying kite as Phoenix and Dragon do battle
[HEIGHT REQUIREMENT]

Spinner rides may often be derided, but they nonetheless provide panoramic views, kinetic energy and often uniquely iconic experiences. Beastly Kites is a pair of dueling “flying” spinners which lets guests experience history’s first man-bearing flying machine - the humble kite. But this is no mere day at the park! The dueling Beastly Kites, Phoenix Kites and Dragon Kites, merge man made invention with ancient myth for a singularly thrilling adventure high in the skies above Mythic Realms!

Both spinners sit atop a pair of carved stone platforms modeled after Beijing’s Hall of Prayer or Good Harvests. Like Disneyland’s former Rocket Jets, this added elevation adds extra aerial excitement. The platforms are beautiful as well, with receding gables and ornate colors and a marble base.

This ride represents the eternal symbolic conflict between the Phoenix, a symbol of fire, and the Dragon, a symbol of water. A Chinese stone gateway at the queue’s entry depicts this struggle with bas relief figures of a Phoenix and Dragon in perpetual battle. Stairs beyond the gateway proceed upwards between the two platforms, until they “Y” off at the top as guests choose their allegiance - Dragon or Phoenix.

(Platform ADA access is via elevators hidden in a rear central Temple of Heaven pagoda. The ride’s control office sits in the pagoda’s tallest tower. Lastly, exit ramps wind down the platforms’ far sides.)

An overflow queue is set under the Dragon Kites platform. Set across from Magic Carpet Caverns, this platform’s exterior carved stone nicely compliments the nearby Orchha Temple facade. Inside, the stone walls leak water. Queue bridges circle over these waters, which drain down tiered circular steppes into a central pond. This water, symbolizing the Dragon, mixes with flames symbolizing the Phoenix, live flames which spurt up out of the steppes much like an effect in DisneySea’s Raging Spirits. A thick central pillar (practically speaking, it’s the necessary structure and mechanics for the ride overhead) resembles a stack of cylindrical monolithic stones. Wall murals, styled after the Hall of Prayer, feature phoenixes and dragons in skyborne warfare. A beautiful multicolored painted ceiling completes the chamber.

Atop the platforms, Dragon Kites are found to the east (as dragons symbolically represent the east in Chinese culture), and Phoenix Kites to the west. Seated atop each central spinning mini-pagoda is either a Dragon or a Phoenix, depending, an imposing semi-animatronic figure which oversees its riders.
​

RIDE STATS
Ride type: Zamperla Kite Flyers
Riders per cycle (per side): 24
Hourly capacity per side: 600
Total hourly capacity: 1,200
Ride cycle duration: 90 seconds
Height requirement: 36”​

Beastly Kites is a pair of dueling Zamperla Kite Flyers. Riders board kite-shaped two-passenger gondolas suspended from an intricate series of bamboo scaffolding. While Zamperla’s typical Kite Flyer model places riders chest-first upon a platform, ours seats riders in harnesses similar to flying roller coasters from Bolliger & Mabillard. This is a more comfortable, more sensational seating position. Incidentally, it is the same seating type found on DiskeySky’s E-ticket Rocketeer attraction. Duplicating the seating here helps guests get more comfortable with the sensation, and it’s simply more efficient.

Riders first sit down upright. Seats then swivel forward, moving riders into an airborne “Superman” pose. Up-tempo Peking Opera music starts up as the combating Kite Flyers glide into action...



The rides rotate counter to each other, meeting on the southern side; Dragon Kites spins clockwise, Phoenix Kites counterclockwise. These specific directions maximize Storm Mountain views, minimize unwanted sightlines, and heighten the “near miss” effect as the two sides near each other. The spinning platforms oscillate in a wave-like motion, adding to the free-flying sensation.

Beastly Kites’ 90-second ride time provides guests a quick, exhilarating flight through the skies over Mythic Realms. It is a simple ride, yes, but one which still adds to the land’s energy and mythos, while delivering upon that promise of flight implicit in DisneySky’s name.​

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Beastly Kites
B-ticket flat ride

Glide upon an early man-carrying kite as Phoenix and Dragon do battle
[HEIGHT REQUIREMENT]

Spinner rides may often be derided, but they nonetheless provide panoramic views, kinetic energy and often uniquely iconic experiences. Beastly Kites is a pair of dueling “flying” spinners which lets guests experience history’s first man-bearing flying machine - the humble kite. But this is no mere day at the park! The dueling Beastly Kites, Phoenix Kites and Dragon Kites, merge man made invention with ancient myth for a singularly thrilling adventure high in the skies above Mythic Realms!

Both spinners sit atop a pair of carved stone platforms modeled after Beijing’s Hall of Prayer or Good Harvests. Like Disneyland’s former Rocket Jets, this added elevation adds extra aerial excitement. The platforms are beautiful as well, with receding gables and ornate colors and a marble base.

This ride represents the eternal symbolic conflict between the Phoenix, a symbol of fire, and the Dragon, a symbol of water. A Chinese stone gateway at the queue’s entry depicts this struggle with bas relief figures of a Phoenix and Dragon in perpetual battle. Stairs beyond the gateway proceed upwards between the two platforms, until they “Y” off at the top as guests choose their allegiance - Dragon or Phoenix.

(Platform ADA access is via elevators hidden in a rear central Temple of Heaven pagoda. The ride’s control office sits in the pagoda’s tallest tower. Lastly, exit ramps wind down the platforms’ far sides.)

An overflow queue is set under the Dragon Kites platform. Set across from Magic Carpet Caverns, this platform’s exterior carved stone nicely compliments the nearby Orchha Temple facade. Inside, the stone walls leak water. Queue bridges circle over these waters, which drain down tiered circular steppes into a central pond. This water, symbolizing the Dragon, mixes with flames symbolizing the Phoenix, live flames which spurt up out of the steppes much like an effect in DisneySea’s Raging Spirits. A thick central pillar (practically speaking, it’s the necessary structure and mechanics for the ride overhead) resembles a stack of cylindrical monolithic stones. Wall murals, styled after the Hall of Prayer, feature phoenixes and dragons in skyborne warfare. A beautiful multicolored painted ceiling completes the chamber.

Atop the platforms, Dragon Kites are found to the east (as dragons symbolically represent the east in Chinese culture), and Phoenix Kites to the west. Seated atop each central spinning mini-pagoda is either a Dragon or a Phoenix, depending, an imposing semi-animatronic figure which oversees its riders.
​

RIDE STATS
Ride type: Zamperla Kite Flyers
Riders per cycle (per side): 24
Hourly capacity per side: 600
Total hourly capacity: 1,200
Ride cycle duration: 90 seconds
Height requirement: 36”​

Beastly Kites is a pair of dueling Zamperla Kite Flyers. Riders board kite-shaped two-passenger gondolas suspended from an intricate series of bamboo scaffolding. While Zamperla’s typical Kite Flyer model places riders chest-first upon a platform, ours seats riders in harnesses similar to flying roller coasters from Bolliger & Mabillard. This is a more comfortable, more sensational seating position. Incidentally, it is the same seating type found on DiskeySky’s E-ticket Rocketeer attraction. Duplicating the seating here helps guests get more comfortable with the sensation, and it’s simply more efficient.

Riders first sit down upright. Seats then swivel forward, moving riders into an airborne “Superman” pose. Up-tempo Peking Opera music starts up as the combating Kite Flyers glide into action...



The rides rotate counter to each other, meeting on the southern side; Dragon Kites spins clockwise, Phoenix Kites counterclockwise. These specific directions maximize Storm Mountain views, minimize unwanted sightlines, and heighten the “near miss” effect as the two sides near each other. The spinning platforms oscillate in a wave-like motion, adding to the free-flying sensation.

Beastly Kites’ 90-second ride time provides guests a quick, exhilarating flight through the skies over Mythic Realms. It is a simple ride, yes, but one which still adds to the land’s energy and mythos, while delivering upon that promise of flight implicit in DisneySky’s name.​

Always love to see a good flat ride that adds to the land as a whole and would be fun on its own!

 

[D Hulk]

Magic Carpet Caverns
B-ticket walkthrough

Explore Aladdin’s funhouse world deep within the Cave of Wonders

No land which covers legendary forms of flight would be complete without magic carpets! Enter the folktale of Aladdin, originally an Indian myth long before its Arabian version inspired Disney’s animated classic...an easy enough tale to fit into the outskirts of our East Asian wonderland.

With rides aplenty already throughout DisneySky, Aladdin is represented - for now at least - as a fairly simple carnival-style funhouse, as a laugh-inducing journey into the mythical Cave of Wonders. Amazingly, this once-common amusement attraction type has never before appeared in a Disney park. But thanks to historic funhouses like Magic Carpet at Crystal Beach or Aladdin’s Castle in Chicago, Aladdin is a natural fit for the format. And rest assured that while legal limitations forbid many of the old favorite funhouse gags, there’s still plenty of Genie-inspired mayhem to go around!

The entry and facade, as we noted long ago, largely resembles a Chinese version of India’s Orchha Temple. Unlike Orchha, but very much like Petra in Jordan, this asiatic palace is seemingly carved into the limestone rockface of Kunlun Mountain. Magic Carpet Caverns sit directly below Storm Mountain’s high summit turnaround, not visible on the illustrated map, thus doubling up on otherwise unusable space. This exterior - a natural ancient Chinese sight from afar - grows comically idiosyncratic as guests get closer and notice that the many fat Buddha statues on display (in the Longmen Grottoes fashion) are actually of Genie goofing off. Magic lamps on pillars spray mist. Entry into this walkthrough attraction is through a pathway of twisted, gnarled “Gongshi rocks” - surreal repurposed Chinese river rocks here arranged in a “garden” much like Suzhou’s Lion Grove Garden.

The immediate palace interior is realized in a fusion of Chinese and Indian styles. Lamps hanging from overhead feel more Moroccan, and carpet tapestries all about feel like remnants from some Far Eastern bazaar. Here we start the interactive funhouse giddiness, with gags all inspired by Far Eastern fakirs. Guests can press buttons to play a flute, charming a rope to float up from a basket. They can rub a lamp and cause it to sing. They can jiggle the handles of swords wedged into boxes, making noises. Wall tiles around the chamber outline the story of Disney’s Aladdin, with particular emphasis on his nighttime Magic Carpet flight with Princess Jasmine.

A “secret” doorway leads to subterranean winding caverns. Like on Tom Sawyer’s Island, these caves are very dark and twisty, populated by a windy, echoing sound ambiance. Keeping and accelerating the funhouse shenanigans, compressed air blasts from the walls pummel guests.

The tunnels briefly turn left as they open up onto a nighttime desert sandstorm - this howling torrent is visible on screens located beyond a temple veranda. Straight ahead is the tiger-shaped mouth to the Cave of Wonders, wide agape. Painted on the inner temple wall: “TOUCH NOTHING BUT THE LAMP”

The guests’ adventure is well underway now! Upon entering the Cave of Wonders, they find its magnificent treasure room glistening with great heaping mounds of coins, treasure chests and golden statues. Wall shadow projections show Aladdin and Abu exploring the cave.

And there is plenty of funhouse fun for guests to explore too! Should they step on certain lamp-shaped floor tiles, peacock-shaped fountains will spray vertical fountains. Funhouse distortion mirrors appear in golden frames. The room’s centerpiece is the titular Magic Carpet, invisibly held aloft in midair via magnets and dancing to piped-in songs like “Prince Ali” and “One Jump.”

The way out leads through brief claustrophobic caverns. A stalagmite chamber holds rupee-filled urns which guests may spin. These urns project colorful light shows onto the ceiling like the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train queue. If all the urns spin at once, the ceiling shows footage of Genie dancing.

Guests then emerge into the showstopping lamp room. This circular dome room is arranged in a spiral, as the mazelike path spins counterclockwise towards a magic lamp upon a central pillar, then spins out opposite clockwise. The bouncing lamp emits smoke, and seemingly projects imagery onto the domed ceiling: The Genie appears both animated and energetic while raucously performing “Friend Like Me” with wild lighting effects and neon Vegas decals. Spinning vases full of gems like the cavernous barriers separate pathways. So do Columns A and B.



Moving along, Genie’s anachronistic magic grows more pronounced. The next room is formed, illogically, from velvet Broadway curtains...crossbred with a Middle Eastern carpet tent. Searchlights scan the space. Carpets on the floor offer up optional funhouse gags: They wildly vibrate side-to-side or up-and-down, making for a potentially dizzifying walking surface.

The exit is through Genie’s wide open mouth (giant and static with goofy rotating eyes), accessed along a spongy tongue pathway. “Inside” of Genie is a funhouse “barrel of fun” revolving room - a cylinder spinning on its side, made up like an Agrabah palace turret. Guests walk along a stable catwalk which crosses over this disorienting madness.

That marks the climax of funhouse craziness. Guests exit under a neon blinking “APPLAUSE” sign, through an arched Indian/Chinese hallway and to a brief Orchha chamber which transitions back to Mythic Realms. Merchant goods lie stacked up in a corner, recalling the Shopkeeper from Aladdin’s introduction. There is a faint orchestral version of “A Whole New World.” All this is a calming conclusion to a goofball little walkthrough attraction...just a fun way to deepen DisneySky’s offerings and thematic richness.​

 

[D Hulk]

Mythic Realms - Dining​

 

[D Hulk]

Zodiac Noodle House
Counter service character dining restaurant

Asian wraps, noodles, desserts and more

Mythic Realms’ central plaza is littered with succulent, tantalizing dining options. Her signature restaurant is the humble Zodiac Noodle House, a quaint traditional Chinese inn which hides unexpected delights of both the visual and culinary variety.

Entry is across a subtly arched stone bridge spanning a pond with submerged rice paddies and koi fish (which originated in China). An upturned ox cart, its slat shelving encased in glass, serves as a display case for the restaurant’s food. Courtyard walls beyond the pond are topped with stone statues depicting the twelve Chinese zodiac animals - this restaurant’s all-encompassing theme. Guests pass through the circular moon gate.

An inner open air veranda, shaded by weeping willow trees, frames views of the two-floor inn. Red paint coats the folksy facade, while golden phoenix statuettes line curlicue roof gables. A pathway leads along the courtyard perimeter towards the inn, around outdoor diners and past Chinese-style bonsai trees on display. Two whimsical iron “guardian lion” statues hold up the inn’s portico entry. Here and inside, Jerry Goldsmith’s Mulan score provides aural ambiance.



Ordering takes place inside the inn, within an atrium lobby under second level mezzanine balconies. Red lanterns complement the space, as do simple geometric wood paneling featuring astrological signs. In one corner is a roaring fireplace. Inaccessible ladders lead to upstairs. The innkeeper’s life is quickly sketched in with details like rice paper walls and assorted bric-a-brac.

Zodiac Noodle House uses an RFID ordering system like that seen at Magic Kingdom’s Be Our Guest restaurant. Guests order from 1 of 12 touchscreen kiosks set about in a zodiac circle, all porcelain pedestals bearing jade statues of the Monkey King. Guests then receive a “magical peach” with an LPS locator, allowing cast member servers to locate guests later.

The menu consists of accessible Asian foods like wraps and Hong Kong-style street food. Naturally, Zodiac Noodle House’s specialty is Chinese noodles, with varieties like kimchi or Beijing beef. Dessert options prominently include Mickey-shaped custard tarts. Look to Vulcania at DisneySea for an example of how Disney creates authentic, delicious Asian cuisine which can remain accessible for all palettes.

Dining areas are present throughout. We’ve already seen the outdoor veranda. There are several indoors options as well. The Zodiac Room sits directly below Phoenix Kites - the western half of Beastly Kites. This cylindrical banquet hall is laid out like the Chinese zodiac itself, with twelve radial wedges circling a central pillar. Each wedge represents a different animal - dog, monkey, ox, dragon, rat, rooster, goat, snake, horse, rabbit, tiger, pig - depicted in statuary and wall tiles. A ceiling mural depicts all twelve animals interacting atop Kunlun.

For a more private experience, the Mausoleum Galley lets guests dine in the soft blue light of a family temple. Mulan’s Fa Family Ancestor scene serves as a primary inspiration for this space. Vaulted stone recesses reveal engraved tablets and guardian statues in the rafters. Like in Be Our Guest, occasional show elements bring extra life to the setting. At the ringing of a gong (every 10 minutes) the stone tablets’ calligraphy glows from within with spectral blue light. The ancestors’ opaque spirits appear in the recesses as a projected Musion effect, silently hovering and fading away.

The Zodiac Noodle House experience is rounded out with character dining. Performers appear from the nearby Celestial Theater accompanying costumed Mulan characters.
​

---

The Floating Lantern
Buffeteria

Chinese dishes such as dim sum and fried rice.

Enjoy a dim sum banquet at the water’s edge at the Floating Lantern restaurant. Food is prepped and served aboard a golden dragon boat. Diners then enjoy their meal in a simple tea house overlooking East Lake.

The palatial “Quanrao” dragon boat, with its sculpted dragon’s head mast and its tiered temple body, is seen moored in Floating Lantern Pond across from the Celestial Theater. Entry docks leading into the hull are set among delivery crates full of artifacts. A gangplank leads upwards towards the dragon mast, then curves around the bow and descends on the opposite side into the boat’s central tower structure.

High on the interior tower wall is a magnificent mural depicting Mulan’s Emperor and (off to one side) his advisor Chi-Fu. An interior ramp carries guests downwards along the boat’s central spine, before forking off at the bottom to twin serving buffeteria counters. (Kitchens aren’t onboard - there is no room - but rather are accessed by cast members via a tunnel leading under land walkways to a nearby Mulan mural structure.) Food, available a la carte or as set “pu pu platters,” consists of Cantonese dim sum - bite-sized dumplings and rolls in steamer baskets. Sides include fried rice. These dishes are a combination of authentic Chinese plus safer “Americanized” plates a-la Panda Express for potentially squeamish guests.

Payment takes place onboard, forward towards the dragon mast. Checkout counters are located in the wooden dragon’s neck, with countertops designed like smaller racing dragon boats.

With their meals handy, guests proceed out through the boat’s hull and underneath the covered bridge connecting Floating Lantern Pond to East Lake. Dining is entirely along East Lake’s shores, found on open air patios or enclosed in a tea house. Either way, long corridors ensure protection from the elements. Paneling in the corridor ceilings provide a history of the millennium-old Song Dynasty, a history of Mongol invasions and trade with the West. Guests may also reach this dining platform from the land’s main plaza near the covered bridge, accessing it via zig-zagging bridge or ramped stairways.

Dining terraces provide panoramic East Lake views...of the lily pad fields, of nearby limestone cliffs drenched in waterfalls, of the distant Storm Mountain splashdown amidst the wrecked junks. Outdoor patio dining features “guardian lion” statues imbued with life and limited movement...occasionally they turn their heads and roar. The tea house interior, meanwhile, is warmly lit by sky lanterns which gently waft up and down in the rafters on unseen strings. The tea house centerpiece, surrounded by table booths, is a porcelain statue of Captain Li Shang from Mulan. Like in many traditional Chinese tea houses, chirping bird cages line the walls. There are no real caged birds, only their lovely birdsong emitted by speakers. One cage features a prominent projection effect of Mulan’s Cri-Kee, the “lucky bug.” Wherever guests dine, the Floating Lantern provides top-notch food and a beautiful, immersive setting.
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Qilin Tea Hut
Snack cart

Snack wagon with specialty drinks

Set in the plaza in between The Floating Lantern and Zodiac Noodle House, Qilin Tea Hut provides a quicker option for delicious Chinese food and drink.

This simple snack wagon largely resembles Epcot’s Joy of Tea at the China Pavilion, with the same upturned tile roof and red counter. But there are additional details. The Tea Hut rests on wagon wheels, with tracks visible in the walkway mud. Littered around its base are urns bearing teas and spices. Atop the roof, a statue of a golden Qilin (a Chinese chimera) flaps its mechanical clockwork wings.

The Tea Hut specializes in Chinese drinks like hot or cold milk tea. Add-ons include boba balls, grass jellies and lychee seeds. This is a Taiwanese drink trend which might seem odd to many, but is very popular with Southern California’s Asian diaspora. Snack foods consist of potstickers, spring rolls, and Mickey-shaped almond cookies.​

 

[Evilgidgit]

You mean to tell me there is actually a gigantic floating boataurant shaped like a golden dragon somewhere in the world!

 

[James G.]

In the Floating Lantern, you said, "There are no real caged birds, only their lovely birdsong emitted by speakers." I agree that there should be no live birds, but Disney is the inventor of the original bird droids- you know what I'm talking about. Why not have a few non-tiki-tiki-tiki birds in the cages? You got the technology. You got the cages. Adding singing birds would be just one more layer of total immersiveness in this remarkably immersive land you've created.

I wondered if you were going to add a nod to ROC, and think you did so subtly enough without bringing politics into it.

Remarkable as always, bro!

 

[D Hulk]

Mythic Realms - Retail​

 

[D Hulk]

Lu Ban’s Kite Shop
Merchandise store

Toy shop selling kites and other aerial items

Welcome to Lu Ban’s Kite Shop, the marketplace and adjacent workshop of ancient China’s greatest master craftsman. Among Lu Ban’s many inventions - all of which are on display here - are some considered history’s first flying machines. Lu Ban (a real historical figure) is deified in Chinese culture, and deeply connected to DisneySky’s elaborate story. Indeed, careful examination of Lu Ban’s premises reveals mottoes and symbols and imagery which the Society of Explorers and Adventurers (S.E.A.) would later borrow.

Mythic Realms’ major shop sits wedged by waterways on the land’s western edge. With multiple entrances and facades, Lu Ban’s Kite Shop reflects the village’s disparate economic classes. The west-facing corner is the poor side of town, with a chaotic collection of wood huts upon flimsy bamboo stilts resembling the city of Fenghuang. An older house of wood and stone - Lu Ban’s home - is the western entry, accessed along a creaking oak bridge. Outside on a pedestal is a magnetic compass from the Han Dynasty, which is simply a ladle spoon spinning atop a bronze board. Carved roof gables depict colorful fenghuang (mythical birds).

The regal east-facing corner near Floating Lantern Pond is far more prosperous. It rises from the waters not upon rickety stilts, but on finely-carved marble. The Huxinting Tea House in Shanghai is the primary design inspiration here. On this side, the main entry is under a cantilevered cylindrical window box . Another entrance nearby is based on Hong Kong’s Lo Pan Temple, which is a memorial to Lu Ban with parapet walls and a jagged roof.

From either side, the airs above Lu Ban’s rooftops are alive with traditional Chinese kites, which bear the shapes of paper-cut clouds, mighty birds, and red dragons (one is a Mushu cameo).

The interior is divided into different spaces reflecting the exteriors. The regal side also resembles Huxinting Tea House, with vaulted silk-lined ceilings and carved teak rafters, refashioned from Shanghai’s inspiration as a high-end period shop space. The entry lobby prominently features an emblem in the floor which is very similar to the S.E.A. symbol. Its Chinese text is a variation on S.E.A.’s creed (as found in DisneySea’s Fortress Explorations). The poorer side, meanwhile, is Lu Ban’s carpentry workshop, complete with woodworking tools and saw desks repurposed for checkout.

All of the shop’s many connected rooms are filled with inventions. The regal side teems with silk fans and kites and umbrellas, all of them hanging artfully from the rafters and giving the space a soft, heavenly feel. Little paper cranes - Lu Ban’s patron bird - dangle in a window bay. Wall murals are similar to those in Lo Pan Temple.

The workshop space features “bamboopunk” contraptions. These include: rotor-winged bamboo copters; a wooden bird (a prototype kite) strapped to a firecracker; grappling hooks; a “cloud” ladder for sieges; a 250 A.D. pine bicycle cart. Ancient scrolls line shelves. A terracotta statue of Lu Ban himself stands as a centerpiece upon a central urn.

Merchandise consists of apparel and toys. There is also specialized clothing in the traditional Chinese style, much of it made with authentic silk. Wooden toys reflect Lu Ban’s carpentry. These gadgets include gliders and kites, many bearing Disney characters, which come prepackaged and are not meant to be thrown around within DisneySky.
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Monsoon Marketplace
Post-ride shop

Souvenir photos of your adventure and Chinese merchandise

Following a watery plunge aboard Storm Mountain, guests find themselves along a waterfront dock styled after Lijiang Town. While they are free to simply return to Mythic Realms via a riverside walkway overlooking East Lake, a doorway straight ahead leads them inside to the Monsoon Marketplace post-ride shop.

Upon entering, first guests find an eight-sided vestibule hall. Their on-ride photos project onto wall-mounted tapestries like mystic imagery.

A hall further down divides the shop’s two main interior floors. This indoors hall is made to feel like an outdoor veranda, with a hidden glass skylight strewn with bamboo slats and awnings. The hall resembles the narrow canal alleyways of Hongcun. Small water-filled drainage ditches line the walls, blocked off by netted fencing. Vaulted doorways peer into the shop spaces on either side.

To the left, merchandise is displayed on jointed cabinets under the complex’s tall Lijiang Town pagoda tower. A ceiling mural high overhead depicts rains falling down from heaven, an apt image following Storm Mountain. Everywhere along shelves there are artifacts from the Kunlun Mountains, items such as jade or peach bushels. Also displayed along the shelves and in little side alcoves are ancient Chinese meteorological devices, plus a parchment portrait of astronomer Wang Chong. Oriental rugs drape from the walls and ceilings.

The second shop floor, found to the right, is a low-slung Chinese pharmacy. Display shelves feature baskets of herbs, all manner of dried sea creatures, and jars full of preserved vegetables and snake wine. A pinewood medical dummy in a corner depicts ancient acupuncture. Throughout, a faint scent of incense wafts. Rows of wide open red doors look out onto Mythic Realms’ pathways, inviting guests outside to enter and browse.
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Fireworks Cart
Wagon cart

Wagon with light-up items and more

Floating Lantern Pond’s central island is host to a large ox cart which doubles as the land’s simple “wagon cart” shop. The cart itself is simple enough, balanced on two wooden wheels and handles resting upon a rock. The cart’s leather tenting is home to a grand assortment of medieval Chinese fireworks, plus the expected merchandise.

Observant guests will notice that the cart’s corner wall has been blown out from inside, burnt by a firework blast. The nearby upper levels of Lu Ban’s Kite Shop have also exploded, and still emit smoke. Clearly, one of the cart’s fireworks went off unexpectedly. As explanation, a static Mushu figure (looking sheepish and guilty at his mistake) stands near the cart’s blast.
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That concludes Mythic Realms. Tomorrow, Halloween in DisneySky.

 

[Suchomimus]

I wondered if you were going to add a nod to ROC, and think you did so subtly enough without bringing politics into it.

So what is ROC, and where can I find the reference? Hulk, can you provide some context?

 

[Suchomimus]

Everything in the park would have a complete, detailed walkthrough, from attractions to retain, dining,

@James G. , you may have been the first to notice a misspell here but you didn’t notice the first misspell.