MEW's Dream Disney Resort - The Final Chapter - Winner of a Lemon Tree Award, Sponsored by Applebees

MANEATINGWREATH

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Now, I don't want to seem lazy, but DLA's version of "it's a small world" (in my park it will have capitalized letters in the title) is a near-direct lift of the Hong Kong Disneyland version of the attraction as well as the World's Fair/Disneyland original. As usual, elements of my own imagination are incorporated, but because DLA's version is so similar to the two, I've decided that rather than a detailed ride-through, I'm going to do a list of what's different and what stays the same. So first, if you will, watch these wonderful videos of the versions in question.





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It's a Small World

The Exterior:

- Unlike existing versions of the attraction, DLA's It's a Small World has a unique facade, whereas the colors are "cool" shades of blue, green, and purple rather than the normal pastel-coloring of white, pink, yellow, and so on so forth. Additionally, several landmarks not seen in the "skyline" of existing Small World facades make their debut appearances here, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Sydney Opera House, the Statue of Liberty, and Mt. Everest. Other landmarks include the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Eiffel Tower, a Japanese pagoda, Big Ben, a Dutch windmill, and several other "Small World staples."

- Like the Hong Kong version, guests enter and exit the attraction through a door in the base of the facade. Rather than entering beneath a Chinese-inspired pagoda, DLA guests enter beneath the aforementioned recreation of Sydney Opera House. An exterior overflow queue is featured but hardly used, as per Small World being a massive people-eating attraction.

- Every fifteen minutes, the typical Small World clock parade goes off with joyous music, quirky sound effects, and a parade of "dancing" dolls representing the various nations of the world. All of the original Disneyland dolls are featured in addition to Hong Kong's Chinese opera singer, and a new doll representing Australia. The boy, dressed in garbs similar to Crocodile Dundee, grabs ahold of a miniature crocodile, a tribute to Australia's bountiful wildlife.

- Also like Hong Kong, the large hole in the earth surrounding the forefront of the facade (where the boats would load and unload if this were Disneyland) is filled with colorful flowerbeds and shaped topiaries, a simple treat for those who take the time to look below.

The Interior Queue:

- Like Hong Kong, the interior queue is filled with the music of the 1964 original as well as hand-painted imagery of the Mary Blair-style. Unlike Hong Kong which features mere paintings of the already-seen facade, DLA's interior queue features Mary Blair-inspired paintings of the children of the world, international wildlife, and landmarks, similar to these:

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Of course, many of these murals are later realized in three-dimensional set pieces, but that doesn't matter, if anything, these are sneak peeks towards the adventures to come. After a solid couple of minutes meandering through mural-surrounded switchbacks, the queue opens into a larger room similar to the Disney World attraction; popcorn light-embroidered archways and formations similar to the facade line the walls, leading guests on a downward slope towards the loading and unloading docks.

- As an added detail, shields representing the flags of various nations (i.e. Australia, Germany, Italy, etc.) are placed on the railings separating each row prior to boarding, a feature currently unique to DLA.

The Hello Room:

- Unlike any version of the attraction, DLA's begins in a brand-new Hello Room inspired by a location that is truly out-of-this-world: Outer Space. Fiber optic stars and the decidedly less-convincing glow-in-the-dark star stickers create a Peter Pan's Flight-like representation of our solar system. As the music grows louder and louder (sung in English), 2D cutouts of the children of the world begin making intergalactic appearances dressed as astronauts and "flying past" in rockets. Some of these rockets read "Hello" in their child's respective language, so expect to see "Aloha," "Hola," "Hallo," "Bonjour," etc. Rotating planets and shooting stars occasionally fly past, leading the canal toward the room's major feature, a 2D cutout of Earth with a massive hole in its side, the appropriate entrance to the main attraction. From above the planet, a one-eyed martian figure sits in its UFO, waving at guests as they "crash land" on Earth.

The Arctic:

- As with Hong Kong, each show scene is introduced by a flower-like plaque labeling the approaching scene in multiple languages. In the case of DLA, each plaque starts with the English name of the country/continent, then the Maori name, Cantonese name, Japanese name, etc. Even if Australia is a primarily English-speaking continent, the point of It's a Small World is to apply a universal message of peace and love, making everyone feel welcome no matter what their country of origin.

- DLA's Arctic scene is nearly identical to Hong Kong's, right down to ice-skating Bambi and Thumper, the first of the Disney character cameos. One major difference is featured, this being the snowflakes are replaced by a miniature recreation of the Aurora Borealis.

Europe:

- Like Hong Kong and Disneyland, Europe is the first major show scene to follow the Arctic. DLA's Europe is laid out almost the exact same way as Hong Kong's (with some notable changes), starting with toy soldiers guarding the gates of Tivoli Gardens and the children of Scandinavia on the opposite side of the canal. Added to Scandinavia are a pair of ice-skating children, more reindeer rocking their heads back and forth from the mountaintops, and a new scene unique to DLA: Norway. Norway, represented through ice-capped mountains, Viking children singing aboard a smiling-dragon-headed ship, and Arendelle's castle. The next three Disney cameos are found in Norway: Anna, Elsa, and Olaf. Non-Frozen trolls appear near the side of the canal playing "peek-a-boo." Unlike Hong Kong and Disneyland, the themes of the Disney characters are removed from the soundtrack, making "it's a small world" the consistent theme.

- Marie, Cinderella, and Prince Charming are not found in the France sequence. Instead, Belle and the Beast are featured outside the Beast's castle, waving to boats as they pass. Back on the adjacent side of the canal, Alice and the White Rabbit stand near the spinning chess pieces. Two boys waving flags cheering on their favorite football team sit atop London Bridge, while a double-decker bus filled with miniature children crosses said bridge. Peter Pan and Tinkerbell fly in circles around the smiling crescent moon, joined by Wendy who sits atop the moon.

- Spain continues to be represented by a puppet show of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, as well as some traditional Spanish dancers and windmills. Scotland is expanded, featuring the color-changing mountain as well as a giant representation of the Loch Ness Monster rocking back and forth, a rowboat with a child in it sitting on his snout. Italy remains the same, Pinocchio and all, as does Ireland. Notably, Punch and Judy have been added to Italy, shortly before we see Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket.

- Switzerland, Denmark, and the Netherlands also remain the same as their Hong Kong counterparts, but now pave the forefront for some additional scene-work that expands the Europe sequence. Greece is quietly relocated to the position after the Netherlands on the right-hand side of the canal, featuring pegasus horses flying overhead (a la the hot-air balloons and tightrope walkers seen earlier in the ride), Mount Olympus, a pan flute-playing shepherd and his flock, a Grecian temple, and Hercules and Megara. A silly cyclops stands in the background, holding another boy playing the pan-flute in his hand. Bacchus appears in child form, clutching a goblet and singing from atop his dopey-faced unicorn.

- Also included is Germany, similar to the Disneyland Paris version of the scene. A Bavarian-style house with a clock tower appears on the left-hand side of the canal, fronted by a toy train and a giant wiener dog mixed with a slinky (think Toy Story's Slinky, but not actually Slinky). German children playing a tuba, French horn, and trumpet, a la Oktoberfest stand nearby in lederhosen, while other children partake in several of Germany's delicacies; pretzels, sausages, etc. Rapunzel's tower appears in the not-so-distant background, Rapunzel herself peering out from within.

- Russia is the final portion of the massive Europe scene, naturally featuring Moscow's St. Basil's Cathedral on an overhead ledge, fronted by dancing Cossack dancers.

Asia:

- Unlike Hong Kong, the next sequence is Asia, the second-largest room in the entire ride. DLA's Asia sequence is exactly the same as Hong Kong's with only a few key differences. Bagheera now joins Baloo and Mowgli, rocking his head back and forth; Shanghai's skyline replaces Hong Kong's skyline; that's literally it.

Africa & the Middle East:

- Similar to Disneyland, Africa and the Middle East are combined into one room, starting with the Middle East and ending with the jungles of Africa. Taking a cue from Hong Kong, the Middle Eastern segment is a near-exact replica of the Hong Kong scene with a few minor exceptions; a googly-eyed serpent coils around Cleopatra's den; Abu pops in and out of Genie's lamp rather than from beneath the bunting; the camel is pink like he is at Disneyland; the turban-wearing boy atop the camel is moved to the right-hand side of the canal, immediately following Cleopatra. The sphinx and Pyramids of Giza are also relocated near the camel-boy. This is for the purpose of eliminating the need for scene work on the left-hand side of the canal, as well as to create a seamless transition between the desert and jungle as they are now in the same room.

- Africa remains as it appears in Hong Kong, complete with Mufasa, Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa overlooking the entirety of the scene. As expected, some minor differences are implemented, mostly in the aesthetic regard. The zebra is now blue and pink-striped; the male lion with a flutist on his head from the Disneyland version is placed near the trio of singing children, the lion itself is orange and yellow; the tribal drums are taken out in favor of the jazz music heard in the 1964-1965 version.

The Americas:

- Also like Hong Kong, Latin America and North America are combined into one massive show-room. For the most part, Latin America is generally the same as the Hong Kong scene, with a few changes here and there. To start, the infamous rainforest scene with its kooky-eyed crocodile, heart-spotted jaguar and multitude of bizarre birds are "brought home" to the Latin America scene, appropriately placed on either side of the canal as the boats drift into the room from Africa, a perfect "jungle-y" transition. The crocodile appears on the left-hand side, shaking his head as if saying "no." The jaguar appears on the right-hand side, shaking his head as if saying "yes." Regardless, each animal holds an umbrella, protecting themselves from the never-ending downpour on either side of the canal. As the rainwaters part, the scene is generally the same as Hong Kong and Disneyland, with the Andes on the left-hand side and the penguins of South America on the right-hand side. Several key changes are implemented, such as Incan ruins placed before the Andes scene, featuring children in ceremonial garbs; a bipedal yellow-bird is placed near the cow and horse in front of the Andes; a Brazilian marketplace with pinatas, toys in birdcages, and other oddities (similar to Disneyland) is placed in between Rio and the penguins; the Three Caballeros are placed closer to the water's edge.


- North America starts out in a manner similar to Hong Kong, featuring a Canadian mountie and totem poles to the left and a rugged Southwestern desert to the right. Like Hong Kong, Woody, Jessie, and Bullseye appear amid the coyotes and cacti of the desert whilst Pocahontas and Meeko appear atop the snow-capped mountains to the left, all joining in the song. Newly added to the desert area is the typical saloon, hotel, and bank of a stereotypical western town, complete with a Native American chief pounding on a drum, some Native American girls dancing with him, cancan dancers on top of the saloon, cacti in cowboy clothing rocking back and forth, and a quartet of kachina dolls prominently standing in place. Newly added to the Canadian area is an ice-skating rink where children play hockey, a couple of head-rocking moose, and that's about it.

- However, once the boats pass beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, an entirely expanded North America scene awaits. The trip starts in the colorful bayous of the South past Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and Brer Bear, as well as some alligators and bullfrogs. Spaceship Earth and Cinderella Castle appear in the distance, whilst dolls dressed like Uncle Sam and the Statue of Liberty on the opposite side of the canal stand outside the distant icons of the White House, Washington Monument, and Capitol Building. The swamps of the south fade in favor of the Midwest where children enjoy a hayride through rolling green hills past rolicking scarecrows and twirling sunflowers, dolls representing Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher appearing to go fishing. Washington, D.C. fades in favor of Hollywood where the glistening Hollywood sign appears amid flashing searchlights and dolls dressed as "movie stars" walking down a red carpet. The boat passes beneath the Statue of Liberty and into the final room.

The Islands:

- Representing Australia, Hawaii, New Guinea, New Zealand, and Polynesia as a whole, the Islands starts with a trip under the sea past mermaids gurgling the song (Ariel and Flounder featured), Nemo, Dory, Hank and Crush floating down the East Australian Current, and a multitude of other ocean creatures. The scene itself plays like the Disneyland original rather than the Hong Kong version, minus the rainforest scene. Unlike Disneyland, the song is sung here in an Aussie accent, with the addition of several Australian landmarks to the room's "skyline." The Sydney Opera House can be seen on the distant ocean, as can the Sydney Harbour Bridge and skyline of Melbourne City. The scene ends with the Polynesian musicians rather than the rainforest.

The Finale:

- Generally, the finale is also the same as Hong Kong's, although the majority of the song is sung in English, although the song does occasionally transition to other random languages. Notably, the sun from the 1964-1965 Finale is installed above the exit to the scene along with a banner reading "Farewell." Simple enough. No Disney characters here.

The Goodbye Room:

- The Goodbye Room takes a cue from Disneyland, utilizing animated postcards and displays as means of a farewell from the attraction. Nothing too drastic here, just postcards from the various nations around the world.

Ride Duration: 14 Minutes

Disney Character Count:

- Bambi
- Thumper
- Anna
- Elsa
- Olaf
- Belle
- Beast
- Alice
- White Rabbit
- Peter Pan
- Tinkerbell
- Wendy
- Pinocchio
- Jiminy Cricket
- Rapunzel
- Hercules
- Megara
- Baloo
- Mowgli
- Bagheera
- Mulan
- Mushu
- Aladdin
- Jasmine
- Abu
- Simba
- Mufasa
- Pumbaa
- Timon
- The Three Caballeros
- Woody
- Jessie
- Bullseye
- Pocahontas
- Meeko
- Brer Rabbit
- Brer Fox
- Brer Rabbit
- Ariel
- Flounder
- Nemo
- Dory
- Hank
- Crush
- Lilo
- Stitch

48 Characters Total

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That's all, folks! I've decided that I'm just going straight into Pixar Place next, so stay tuned.
 

MANEATINGWREATH

Well-Known Member
Original Poster


"Computers don't create computer animation any more than a pencil creates pencil animation. What creates computer animation is the artist." - John Lasseter

To the northernmost point of Fantasyland, the sub-areas of Beastly Kingdom and Christmas Town come to a fanciful crossroads where the trees appear far less European and distinctly more American, perhaps a hint of the settings that lie ahead. The Disneyland Australia Railroad gives a whistle as it chugs by on a trestle not-too-high above a downward slope into the earth, a la the entrance to Mickey's Toontown in Disneyland, California. From a planter near the trestle, a familiar desktop lamp peers out among the foliage, neighbored by an equally-familiar ball. In the adjacent planter, words typed in the font of a certain animation studio give a name to our impending adventure: Pixar Place. Being huge Pixar fans ourselves, we dart below the trestle and enter yet another monster of a land.

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Coming up the slope on the other side of the railroad tracks, we stumble upon a fanciful recreation of Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California, complete with a sign dubbing this area as such.
Pixar Studios acts as the "Main Street" to Pixar Place, a miniature stretch of land leading into the various worlds ahead. Being the only sub-area representing the real-world, slight touches of fantasy are strung about the miniature studio, each touch representing a familiar flight of fantasy - Edna Mode's latest designs appear in a storefront, Buy *n* Large provides operation to all the snack carts, a certain green apatosaurus peers out of an opened-window, etc. It seems only fitting that our first stop is the Buy *n* Large Superstore, a high-tech 711 of sorts selling various goods and snacks in a futuristic, robot-filled environment. Don't worry, the cashiers are human...or are they? Designs by Mode sells the latest in non-Disney fashion, as well as Disney fashion, each and every outfit designed by the former seamstress of "gods," Edna Mode. Bug City is a truly bizarre shop named for a primary location in a bug's life that, while miniature in size, sells all things related to critters, whether they be rubber bugs, rubber snakes, rubber rats, remote-controlled spiders, or other souvenirs of the bizarre. Bug City shares a complex with Merida's Marvels, a distinctly girl and boy-friendly shop that sells not just princess gowns, but also bows, arrows, and swords, not forgetting stuffed black bears with rather humanistic expressions. Also in the same complex is The Good Dinosaur, a gift shop that sells all manner of prehistoric-related memorabilia, including the fossils of common dinosaur-era creatures, such as shark teeth and horseshoe crabs. The Pixar Company Store at the end of the left-hand side of the campus sells all things Pixar, from toys to books, to movies, to stills, to you name it. Adjacent to the Company Store is Pizza Planet, DLA's second and last pizza parlor.

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Pizza Planet is essentially Disney's stab at a Chuck E. Cheese, if you will. Marked by the infamous Pizza Planet truck parked outside and bright-yellow rocketship on the rooftop, Pizza Planet provides games of the "intergalactic variety," including the ever-popular claw machine with a score of little green men and a Buzz Lightyear or two to snag. As for attractions in Pixar Studios, well, that can be found in the form of the Dream Studio, a preview center for the latest Pixar film, often presented with 4D effects in fabulous HD-3D.

Throughout Pixar Studios, many of Pixar's classic characters are found walking about, allowed free range over the whole of the studio. Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Frozone, Flik, Ada, and several others are just a small handful of the featured characters in this area, mostly as they are not represented through the five sub-areas found throughout Pixar Place.

Before branching off at the end of the street, we find a miniature recreation of Hidden City Cafe, the infamous cafe where the likes of Wall-E, Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and Monsters, Inc. trace their origin, as mentioned by director Andrew Stanton in the teaser-trailer for Wall-E. The cafe itself sells fresh sandwiches and coffee of the non-Starbucks variety, though the real attraction here are the wall-hangings of Pixar concept art and napkin-drawings.

Like Eliasburg, Pixar Studios breaks off into a miniature hub of sorts, splitting off into five different sub-areas: Monstropolis, the Great Barrier Reef, Radiator Springs, Bonnie's Backyard, and Riley's Head, each and every area themed to the world of a different Pixar film. Our first natural instinct is to head north towards Monstropolis, the first sub-area.



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Inspired by the architecture of 1960's America, Monstropolis is a natural "realistic" extension of Pixar Studios, a bustling center of trade and commerce in a fanciful world inhabited by thousands of varying monster species. Bizarrely-structured automobiles of different sizes (some dwarf-sized, other giant-sized) and different tire-counts park along the sidewalks and spiked-fire hydrants, a compliment to overhead billboards advertising the various goods and services of the monster world; "Odorant, Now Featuring Roadkill," "Monsters, Inc. We Scare Because We Care," and "Primordial Ooze, Now with More Calories!" The whole of DLA's Monstropolis consists of a main drag with two extensions near the end, as building the whole city would perhaps take all of the park's 650 acres! Venturing down the street, we put on our monster-fangs and try to blend in among the local populace.

Tony's Grossery is our first stop, a small "grossery" store owned and operated by the tentacled-Tony, the happiest Italian-grosser in all the land. Although his inventory consists of treats and fresh fruits considered delicious to humans, several monster-friendly items are also seen behind the counter, such as "Bag O' Calories" and "Sugar, Salt, and Fat in a Bag." Of course, we can't actually buy these treats, after all, monsters still think that humans are toxic. Gallerie de Domenique, just a few doors down from Tony's isn't so much a fine art gallery as it is an indoor meet-n-greet for Mike, Sulley, Boo, Art, and George Sanderson. A satellite campus for Fear Tech also appears on this main drag. Inside, we are treated to fictitious advertisements and promotional materials for the second-best scaring school in the monster world, also finding a cleverly-disguised bathroom.

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The premiere dining establishment in Monstropolis is none other than Harryhausen's, the park's one and only sushi and Japanese-inspired restaurant. An animatronic octopus-like monster serves as the in-house "chef," chatting away with diners and chopping rather unnatural-looking fish with an unbelievable amount of skill and tentacled-precision. Named for the legendary special effects artist, Ray Harryhausen, the restaurant features framed caricatures of some of the real-life artist's monsters, such as the Kraken from Clash of the Titans and the Cyclops from The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. Each caricature is naturally given a classy signature by the pictured monster and scattered about the walls of the lobby, a la Sardi's in New York City.

Speaking of caricatures, it's only fair that Van Gore, an earless monster with a spike-beard runs a caricature-producing shop (Van Gore Caricature Shop) where mere humans are re-illustrated to resemble more "monstrous" figures. Our first attraction located next door to Van Gore's takes heavy inspiration from hole-in-the-wall comedy clubs common along the streets of Los Angeles. Being set in a post-scaring Monstropolis, he Karloff Comedy Club alternates between two somewhat major productions - Monsters, Inc. Improv Crew and the Laughing Gas
Comedy Club. The Monsters, Inc. Improv Club is exactly what it sounds like, a family-friendly improv duel in the spirit of Who's Line is it Anyway? It's Fear Tech versus Monsters University in this improvised free-for-all. The Laughing Gas Comedy Club is an updated spin off of Florida's own Laugh Floor Comedy Club, utilizing realtime animation and hidden cameras for a humorous, pun and joke-ridden experience hosted by Mike Wazowski himself.

A simple walk up and down the main drag of town provides several interactive elements triggered by the simplest of tricks. Knocking on one window will cause a giant eyeball to draw the shade and make aggravated eye contact. Walking directly over a sewer grate will cause the gelatinous monster living beneath it to complain about his sudden lack of sunlight. Twisting an eyeball-shaped doorknob on one door will cause an overhead panel to slide away, revealing a rather irritated door...man? These are just a few of the seemingly endless details scattered throughout the sub-area.

Making our way to the end of the main drag, we come upon a familiar sight: the Monsters, Inc. Factory.

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The familiar eggshell-white factory boasts the first major E-Ticket in PIxar Place, this of course being the long-awaited but never-built Disney attraction, the Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster.


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Taking a step back in time from the laughter of the Karloff Comedy Club, we reenter the impressive factory through its equally-impressive lobby where a mosaic map of the world inspires both oohs and awws. It's only fair that this suspended roller coaster found deep in the factory takes us into the monstrous door room seen in
Monsters, Inc. Caught in the midst of the film's climax, we hop aboard a door of our own and depart from the eerily-empty scare floor, immediately overwhelmed by the seemingly thousands upon millions of doors surrounding us in the aforementioned door room. When Randall shows up to claim Boo, things get a bit hairy as our door makes a dramatic turn down a roller coaster-like transportation system, whisking us through other open doors and into other worlds, all the while bumping into Mike, Sulley, and Boo as they attempt to evade the slimy paws of Randall. Naturally, following the ride's climactic finale, we pay witness to Randall receiving his just desserts at the hands of a trailer park resident... Oh, and no trip is complete without a "loving" farewell from Roz, beloved employee and head of the C.D.A.

Put that Thing Back where It Came From! perhaps holds the award for longest gift shop title in the park, the store being an everything Monsters, Inc. superstore. A portrait of Waternoose, the then-CEO of M.I. hangs proudly above the cash register, often shifting its eyes around before quietly shifting back into place. Although the shop's title pays tribute to one of the film's most memorable moments, the logo of the store does not, instead showcasing the silhouette of a female monster angrily instructing her younger monster to place the three-eyed rat he clutches back onto the ground.

Just a short walk from Monsters, Inc. sits the Harvard-inspired gates and New England-style structures of Monsters University.




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Although typically a school for only monsters, the scaring-focused school has opened its gates for the first time in monster history, allowing us our own personal tour of the ancient campus (established in 1313). The M.U. Marching Band & Fear Squad often perform in the grassy quad, a rather ragtag marching band with some odd-looking "fear-leaders." Occasionally, the Monsters, Inc. Improv Crew will also perform in the quad, normally on days when the Laughing Gas Comedy Club is the only scheduled event at the Karloff Comedy Club. The Student Store resembles that of a modern-day campus store targeting the ripe audience of students. A secondary Starbucks location is found here, as are school supplies and snack foods, an oddity for a theme park setting, but an authenticity when it comes to colleges. To better blend with its fictitious surroundings, the Starbucks is appropriately renamed "Scarbucks," its mermaid logo replaced with a far more gruesome giant squid covered in stitches and scars.
Kreepy Kreme Donuts, a donut shop sits near the entrance to the Learning Center, an actual learning center where students of any age can learn about the history of monster-kind and interact with some "actual" M.U. professors for a claws-on learning experience or two.

Despite the open-aired campus and our general freedom to explore, the only major attraction here is an immersive dark ride inspired by the Tokyo Disneyland attraction of a similar name: Monsters University: Ride & Go Seek.


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Entering the lavish School of Scaring building, we tour its hallowed halls, meander past busy classrooms, past scaring-based exhibits, and past the wall of fame, witnessing the photographed likeliness of countless M.U. graduates whom went on to become the best in the business, from Frank McCay to a rather hidden, dust-covered cameo by Chernabog of Fantasia fame. We've stepped further back in time in the Monsters, Inc. timeline, this time to Mike and Sulley's college days. As it turns out, we've arrived just in time for the second-biggest event of the year in Monstropolis; "Ride & Go Seek," a flashlight-based game of hide and go seek where yet again, it's Fear Tech versus Monsters University in the ultimate game of skill.

Unlike the Tokyo version of the attraction, each ride vehicle represents either Fear Tech or M.U., in addition to accumulating points to "beat" the other school. Nearly all of the scenes are original to the dark ride, judging by the fact that this takes place long before Monsters, Inc., not after it.

Back at the end of Pixar Studios, we decide to head east towards...well, can you guess what's next?

 

MANEATINGWREATH

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
So, again, I hate being lazy, but the next sub-area (Radiator Springs) is very similar to that of Cars Land in DCA, which, to be fair, is a no-brainer. However, there are several distinct changes that will be made to the concept that I will list here... Instead of doing full coverage of Radiator Springs, I will be doing a detailed overview of Riley's Head in the next post, the sub-area closest to Radiator Springs.

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Radiator Springs vs. Cars Land

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- Located to the northeastern portion of the massive Pixar Place complex, Radiator Springs is an almost-exact recreation of California Adventure's iconic Cars Land, albeit riddled with a number of changes. These changes begin with the famous "Cars Land" billboard which is notably absent here, instead replaced by a similar "Radiator Springs" sign and a relocated "Welcome to Radiator Springs - Gateway to Ornament Valley" sign with the Route 66 marker, elevation sign, population count, etc., a la Cars Land. Around Christmas, the partially-melted car snowman is plopped outside the welcome sign while the rest of the sub-area is given a multitude of car-themed holiday decorations.

- Mater's Junkyard Jamboree located on the left-hand side of the entrance is the first attraction found in Radiator Springs, a "whip" ride featuring baby tractors and wagons normally used to transport junk. Unlike the original version, a full-on Mater animatronic is featured underneath a covered shack near the "dance floor" singing and dancing to the various songs in which he performs for the duration of each ride. A small off-road path near the entrance to Mater's leads to a "pasture" behind Mater's junkyard inhabited by adult tractors fast asleep, day and night. Although the tractors aren't accessible to touch, a series of old steering wheels attached to
fence posts allow us to honk and awaken the tractors, causing them to tip over and subsequently fart exhaust fumes. Occasionally, Frank will also awaken, emerging from the bushes and roaring before lowering back down into the underbrush. Although not an actual attraction, this tractor pasture is lovingly referred to as "Frank's Property - KEEP OUT!"

- Fillmore's Taste-In, an organic snack stand resides in the multicolored, flower-spotted tent across from Mater's. Next door to Fillmore is respectively Sarge's Surplus Hut, a Cars-themed gift shop features diecast cars of both the Pixar variety and the Hot Wheels, in addition to international flags, postcards, and military-themed inventory.
Flo's V8 Cafe, a counter-service restaurant that extends into the interior of neighboring Doc Hudson's clinic, serves meals typical of a 1950's diner, a la Eliasburg. Shakes, specialty sodas, and meat-based dinners are primarily on the menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The interior dining area allows stunning views of Ornament Valley. Cozy Cone Motel is a selection of snack-stands held within the confines of a cone-shaped motel room ("pop-cone," "chili cone queso," etc.) and the main meet-n-greet area for Lightning McQueen, Mater, Red, and for the first time ever, Sally.

- Radiator Springs Curios is a store typical of "out-of-the-way" towns along Route 66, a tacky, tourist-targeting shop with items unique to the town of Radiator Springs, such as keychains, license plates, Piston Cup recreations, and so on so forth. Unlike Cars Land, Radiator Springs does not feature an extending road past the Cozy Cone Motel and nearby Luigi's. Instead, the road leads towards a large wall that protects a backstage area. A hand-painted advertisement for Radiator Springs is spread across the fence, advertising the town as the home of both Lightning McQueen and Sir Mater.

- The next attraction is another clone, Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters, a trackless flat ride where Luigi's cousins dance around in synchronized movement to the Italian stylings of Luigi himself, perched high atop a pile of tires. Guido, in his trademark red, white and green afro provides the musical accompaniment for Luigi, pressing stop and go on the record player. On the adjacent side of the road, Ramone's House of Body Art is the final Cars-themed merchandise shop, also featuring a boutique to create phone and tablet cases with Disney-related artwork. The fastpass kiosks for a certain E-Ticket attraction are located in the back portion of Ramone's which is exposed to the outside elements via an opened-garage.

- The Radiator Springs Courthouse and Firehouse sit at the very end of the street, appropriately marked by a trickling fountain and statue of Stanley, the town's buck-toothed, Ford Model T founder. A quick turn to the right takes us to Stanley's Oasis, the desert-surrounded queue of Radiator Springs, the flagship E-Ticket of the sub-area. Like the Cars Land original, Radiator Springs Racers takes us through the beauty of the Ornament Valley desert, taking us deep into the Cadillac Mountain Range and into the world from the film, Cars. While much of the dark ride is the same as the original, there are several new features leading up to the side-by-side race sequence around the desert. As for what these additional and or revised features are, I am still in the process of design and development. What I can assure you is that new scenes will be found in the dark ride portion, making an already amazing attraction even better.

- The giant hubcap-shaped mountain and Cadillac Range will be visible from the Rivers of the Far West, creating a desert-like backdrop that appears natural despite its somewhat fantastical appearance. Obviously, none of the cars or modern-day elements will be visible from Frontierland. The Badlands features an entrance to Radiator Springs found underneath the railroad tracks and leading down a desert path and alongside the outdoor race portion of Racers, similar to the transition between Pacific Wharf and Cars Land at DCA.

________________________________

Before I dive into Riley's Head, would you guys like me to do a more detailed overview of Small World? I'd be more than willing to do a ride-through if requested, but if not, I'll just continue on with Pixar Place.
 

Twilight_Roxas

Well-Known Member
If you want to. Btw with the nighttime show if Jungle Book is going to be in it with I Wanna Be Like You should it be the animated version or the live action version because it got me wondering of it after watching The Jungle Book yesterday.
 

DisneyManOne

Well-Known Member
Before I dive into Riley's Head, would you guys like me to do a more detailed overview of Small World? I'd be more than willing to do a ride-through if requested, but if not, I'll just continue on with Pixar Place.

I wouldn't mind myself. Side-note, I also re-did my "small world" in my Magic Kingdom thread, taking inspiration from your ride-through here. It's still in its original position (I decided against moving in, instead opting to remove my Tangled area in order to expand the ride building and include all the new stuff, notably the North America scene.)
 

MANEATINGWREATH

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Okay, so I think I'm going to do a Small World ride-through then...I don't want to tire you all out with the land overviews since they're so long...clearly the Radiator Springs overview wasn't too long, but I can assure you that the rest of Pixar Place will be particularly long.

If you want to. Btw with the nighttime show if Jungle Book is going to be in it with I Wanna Be Like You should it be the animated version or the live action version because it got me wondering of it after watching The Jungle Book yesterday.

The Jungle Book will be apart of Legends of the Jungle in Adventureland. Since said show is a live production and not a nighttime spectacular, it won't particularly resemble either version of the film. It'll be portrayed by characters in a Festival of the Lion King/Journey into the Jungle Book-type fashion.
 

MANEATINGWREATH

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Not what I meant MEW.

No, I got it, lol, I should have said that "I Wanna Be Like You" probably won't be in the nighttime spectacular. The Magic of Dreams isn't going to be a "best of" show like other fireworks shows have been lately. Even if it does feature musical numbers and whatnot, this will not be the typical firework show, so "I Wanna Be Like You" will most likely only be featured in Legends of the Jungle.
 

MANEATINGWREATH

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Excuse me, I've really enjoyed reading along as do this. However, I'm a little confused on the layout. Can you give me an idea of how this place is layed out? I think you might have talked about it earlier but I couldn't find it. Thank you.

Of course I can! Ideally, I'd like to make an "authentic" map towards the end of the project, but I'm not the best artist in terms of...art. Lol. Ideally, I'd love to do a map-collaboration with SW Wilson of Idealbuildout again as I did the last time I tackled Disneyland Australia, but we'll see. I'll be giving spoilers for future lands that have yet to be announced, so read on if you dare.

Essentially, the major thing to remember is that the park is 650 acres in size to establish it as not only the largest Magic Kingdom in existence, but also as a multi-day theme park as compared to a full-day park. To give you an idea of how big that is, Animal Kingdom is 403 acres, the Magic Kingdom is 105, Epcot is 300, Tokyo Disneyland is 115, and Disneyland in California is 85. Notably, Shanghai Disneyland, built on 963 acres of land hasn't really had its Magic Kingdom size announced yet, so for the time being, the fictitious Disneyland Australia is the biggest, being built on approximately 1,000 acres of land just outside Sydney, Australia.

The Mickey & Friends Parking Structure with direct bus transportation from both Sydney as a city and the Sydney Airport will make up the far western portion of the resort, connected by both walkways and PeopleMover to the Esplanade which connects everything in the resort together. Port Disney, a seaside-themed Downtown Disney resides to the east of the Esplanade; Disneyland Australia resides to the north of the Esplanade; the Disneyland Hotel sits to the south of the Esplanade; the far more lavish Grand Australian Resort & Spa sits to the west of the Esplanade, along with a Fantasia-themed miniature golf course, DisneyQuest-type attraction (with a name and theme tbd) and additional walkway towards the Parking Structure. An expansion pad rests next door to the Grand Australian, perhaps a hint of things to come... The Esplanade itself is a giant compass marked by a lavish fountain of Mickey & Friends.

When first built, Disneyland Australia will not have everything that I've been covering throughout the overview. To be realistic, if the park opened with everything I've covered so far, Disney would most definitely go bankrupt in a matter of seconds and lose all its stockholders. It can be claimed that this fictitious overview has been going on ten years after the park's grand opening, meaning that things and areas have been gradually added-onto the park over time.

Once inside Disneyland Australia, guests are transported back in time to small town America in the 1950's, lovingly referred to as Eliasburg. Like most Magic Kingdoms, guests pass beneath railroad tracks surrounding the park's berm and enter a main drag that leads towards the park's icon. In the case of DLA, Snow White Castle is the park's icon standing as the tallest Disney castle in the world. Unlike most "Main Streets," Eliasburg splits into three streets from Town Square: Main Street (down the middle), Blue Moon Blvd (to the west), and Anaheim Way (to the east). Main Street leads directly to the Hub, the park's wheel-like "core." Blue Moon Blvd leads around Main Street and features a secondary entrance to Hollywoodland to the west of Eliasburg as well as a secondary entrance to the Hub. Anaheim Way also runs around Main Street and features a more "outdoorsy" third path to the Hub, not to mention a full-functioning baseball stadium for park guests.

The Hub, like Florida's recent Hub makeover mixed with a dash of Tokyo's Hub, is a wide-open space with entrances to many of the park's various "lands" and areas. Fantasy Lagoon sits at the northernmost tip of the Hub, the performance space for The Magic of Dreams, a story-driven nighttime spectacular in the spirit of Fantasmic! During the day, a large, retractable drawbridge spans the lagoon and leads to Snow White Castle. The waters of the lagoon shrink into small "rivers" that encompass the whole of the Hub, meaning bridges must be crossed to enter each of the park's lands. Nightly, the Paint the Night Parade departs from the northwestern tip of the park, making its way down the left-hand side of the Hub, and down Main Street, exiting through Town Square near a backstage entrance by Anaheim Way.

Adventureland resides to the southeast of the Hub and the east of Eliasburg. Each of the park's lands are massive in size, representing various areas of fiction and nonfiction. Adventureland itself is split up into three distinct realms of "pulp" adventure: there's the distinctly 1930's jungle-themed Forgotten Kingdom, the medieval 1,001 Arabian Nights and Aladdin-inspired Arabian Marketplace, and post-Golden Age of Piracy Uncharted Lagoon, themed to both the Pirates of the Caribbean and Peter Pan. The Forgotten Kingdom, reminiscent of the never-built Indiana Jones & the Lost Expedition concept takes up the entire southern portion of the circle-shaped Adventureland, featuring a dense jungle, massive show building for the Indy attraction, and other points of interest. The northern portion of Adventureland (which sits to the direct east of the Hub) is split in half by the other two "sub-areas," with the Arabian Marketplace to the left and Uncharted Lagoon to the right. A rocky mountain range divides the two sub-areas from the separate land to the north, whilst a large lagoon inhabited by various sailing vessels and Adventure Isle sits in the middle of both sub-areas, a thematic, visual element for both areas.

To the north of Adventureland and northeast of the Hub sits Frontierland, an equally-large masterpiece in immersive Disney magic. Like Adventureland, Frontierland is split into several sub-areas. Unlike Adventureland, Frontierland's sub-areas encircle the iconic Rivers of the Far West, a misshapen oval-shaped river. Buzzard Rock County is the first sub-area located right near the Hub's entrance of Frontierland, themed to the American Southwest as seen in the 1850's. The French Quarter, themed to 1920's New Orleans sits to the south of the rivers, right near the mountainous border of northern Adventureland. Nature's Wonderland, an immersive lumber-driven town of the Pacific Northwest resides to the close east of the French Quarter, right along the railroad tracks. The Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland attraction runs along the Rivers of the Far West as well as the railroad tracks, creating a little bit of the American frontier in the midst of Australia. Lastly, Glacier Ridge, 1890's-era Canada (during the time of the Klondike Gold Rush) is the final sub-area, taking up the entire northern portion of Frontierland.

Finally, the eastern side of the park is rounded-off to completion with The Badlands, a representation of the modern-day Australian outback. The Badlands has the distinction of being the smallest land in the park (probably about the size of a basic Epcot pavilion in Future World) as to not make park guests feel as if they're in their own backyard. The Badlands sits in between Frontierland's Glacier Ridge and the next land over, a "real-world transition" from the wild frontier to...

Fantasyland, the happiest and perhaps largest land of them all. Fantasyland is divided into several distinct sub-areas, each representing a different flight of fantasy. The first of these areas is Castle Town, a storybook village sheltered within the property walls of Snow White Castle. At least six classically-inspired dark rides make their home here in addition to a carousel, a Magic Kingdom staple. The castle wall open and part to the north of the castle, dumping guests into the Enchanted Forest where classic tales held in the woods are brought to life, such as Winnie the Pooh, Rapunzel, Into the Woods, etc. The whimsical colors and twisted reality of Wonderland resides to the east of the forest, sitting just near the border of The Badlands. North of Wonderland is Beastly Kingdom, a romanticized spin on English, German, and Greek mythology. Central to the "kingdom" is a "fairy tale village" underneath the shadow of a dragon-guarded castle to the western wood, whilst to the east, Mount Olympus and a Greek farmland sit near the northern border of The Badlands. To the far west of Fantasyland and Castle Town rests Small World Plaza, the smallest sub-area and home of It's a Small World, while directly to the northwest and northeast of Small World Plaza are Halloween Town and Christmas Town respectively, the established homes of Jack Skellington and Santa Claus not just seasonally, but year-round.

Beyond the northern railroad tracks resides the park's first added-on land: Pixar Place. Pixar Place consists of several sub-areas as well, starting with the main drag of Pixar Studios, a fanciful recreation of Pixar's Emeryville campus. Pixar Studios splits at a hub of its own, dividing into Monstropolis to the north, Radiator Springs to the northeast, Riley's Head to the southeast, the Great Barrier Reef to the northwest, and Bonnie's Backyard to the southwest. Simple enough.

The western side of the park is perhaps even larger than the eastern side, featuring more lands by far. Discovery Bay is the first of these lands, themed to 1800's San Francisco during the time of the California Gold Rush. However, Jules Verne and H.G. Wells-inspired technology has turned the realistic world of the Gold Rush into a flight of pure science fiction and fantasy. I won't go into too much detail, but Discovery Bay will take heavy inspiration from the unbuilt concept of the same name. South of Discovery Bay is Mos Eisley Spaceport, the park's eighth major land and stand-in for Star Wars Land. Again, I won't go into too much detail, but I will spoil that Mos Eisley will be divided into three time periods rather than sub-areas. Each time period stands for each trilogy, meaning each area divided by period will have different attractions and features. So you won't see Kylo Ren having a meet-n-greet anywhere near the Darth Vader meet-n-greet.

South of Mos Eisley is Marvel City, the home of all things Marvel. I guess you can say that the land is marvelous. Not much else to explain here other than it will resemble a superhero-based metropolis of the non-DC variety. South of Marvel City (so I'd say to the west of the Hub by this point) is Tomorrowland, a vista into a word of wondrous opportunities and imagination. Unlike current incarnations of the land, DLA's Tomorrowland focuses on what the future might actually be like with a Utopian-based feel and atmosphere. Much of Tomorrowland focuses on the potential of mankind's future and gives a look at what life might be like in this hypothetical Utopian society. A PeopleMover connects Tomorrowland with Marvel City, Mos Eisley Spaceport, and Discovery Bay, making stops in all four lands.

The final land makes its home in the southwestern portion of the park, this land being Hollywoodland, Eliasburg's next-door neighbor.
Hollywoodland takes the up the entire southwestern side, the home of Hollywood as it appeared in the grand year of 1948, one year after the events of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. In this "Hollywood that never was," Toontown is the only sub-area, accessed through a large hole in a Gag Factory. As mentioned in previews for this project, the Haunted Mansion, Adventures in Cinema (aka The Great Movie Ride) and several other attractions make their home in the realistic portion of Hollywoodland.

Oh wait! One more land... Surprise! Wait...maybe even more than one! I will not give them away for the time being, but I will tell you that they will be located beyond the berm on the eastern side of the park's railroad tracks. Think Hong Kong Disneyland in reverse. I refuse to give these way just yet, but they will be there.



 

IAmNotAHufflepuff

Well-Known Member

Of course I can! Ideally, I'd like to make an "authentic" map towards the end of the project, but I'm not the best artist in terms of...art. Lol. Ideally, I'd love to do a map-collaboration with SW Wilson of Idealbuildout again as I did the last time I tackled Disneyland Australia, but we'll see. I'll be giving spoilers for future lands that have yet to be announced, so read on if you dare.

Essentially, the major thing to remember is that the park is 650 acres in size to establish it as not only the largest Magic Kingdom in existence, but also as a multi-day theme park as compared to a full-day park. To give you an idea of how big that is, Animal Kingdom is 403 acres, the Magic Kingdom is 105, Epcot is 300, Tokyo Disneyland is 115, and Disneyland in California is 85. Notably, Shanghai Disneyland, built on 963 acres of land hasn't really had its Magic Kingdom size announced yet, so for the time being, the fictitious Disneyland Australia is the biggest, being built on approximately 1,000 acres of land just outside Sydney, Australia.

The Mickey & Friends Parking Structure with direct bus transportation from both Sydney as a city and the Sydney Airport will make up the far western portion of the resort, connected by both walkways and PeopleMover to the Esplanade which connects everything in the resort together. Port Disney, a seaside-themed Downtown Disney resides to the east of the Esplanade; Disneyland Australia resides to the north of the Esplanade; the Disneyland Hotel sits to the south of the Esplanade; the far more lavish Grand Australian Resort & Spa sits to the west of the Esplanade, along with a Fantasia-themed miniature golf course, DisneyQuest-type attraction (with a name and theme tbd) and additional walkway towards the Parking Structure. An expansion pad rests next door to the Grand Australian, perhaps a hint of things to come... The Esplanade itself is a giant compass marked by a lavish fountain of Mickey & Friends.

When first built, Disneyland Australia will not have everything that I've been covering throughout the overview. To be realistic, if the park opened with everything I've covered so far, Disney would most definitely go bankrupt in a matter of seconds and lose all its stockholders. It can be claimed that this fictitious overview has been going on ten years after the park's grand opening, meaning that things and areas have been gradually added-onto the park over time.

Once inside Disneyland Australia, guests are transported back in time to small town America in the 1950's, lovingly referred to as Eliasburg. Like most Magic Kingdoms, guests pass beneath railroad tracks surrounding the park's berm and enter a main drag that leads towards the park's icon. In the case of DLA, Snow White Castle is the park's icon standing as the tallest Disney castle in the world. Unlike most "Main Streets," Eliasburg splits into three streets from Town Square: Main Street (down the middle), Blue Moon Blvd (to the west), and Anaheim Way (to the east). Main Street leads directly to the Hub, the park's wheel-like "core." Blue Moon Blvd leads around Main Street and features a secondary entrance to Hollywoodland to the west of Eliasburg as well as a secondary entrance to the Hub. Anaheim Way also runs around Main Street and features a more "outdoorsy" third path to the Hub, not to mention a full-functioning baseball stadium for park guests.

The Hub, like Florida's recent Hub makeover mixed with a dash of Tokyo's Hub, is a wide-open space with entrances to many of the park's various "lands" and areas. Fantasy Lagoon sits at the northernmost tip of the Hub, the performance space for The Magic of Dreams, a story-driven nighttime spectacular in the spirit of Fantasmic! During the day, a large, retractable drawbridge spans the lagoon and leads to Snow White Castle. The waters of the lagoon shrink into small "rivers" that encompass the whole of the Hub, meaning bridges must be crossed to enter each of the park's lands. Nightly, the Paint the Night Parade departs from the northwestern tip of the park, making its way down the left-hand side of the Hub, and down Main Street, exiting through Town Square near a backstage entrance by Anaheim Way.

Adventureland resides to the southeast of the Hub and the east of Eliasburg. Each of the park's lands are massive in size, representing various areas of fiction and nonfiction. Adventureland itself is split up into three distinct realms of "pulp" adventure: there's the distinctly 1930's jungle-themed Forgotten Kingdom, the medieval 1,001 Arabian Nights and Aladdin-inspired Arabian Marketplace, and post-Golden Age of Piracy Uncharted Lagoon, themed to both the Pirates of the Caribbean and Peter Pan. The Forgotten Kingdom, reminiscent of the never-built Indiana Jones & the Lost Expedition concept takes up the entire southern portion of the circle-shaped Adventureland, featuring a dense jungle, massive show building for the Indy attraction, and other points of interest. The northern portion of Adventureland (which sits to the direct east of the Hub) is split in half by the other two "sub-areas," with the Arabian Marketplace to the left and Uncharted Lagoon to the right. A rocky mountain range divides the two sub-areas from the separate land to the north, whilst a large lagoon inhabited by various sailing vessels and Adventure Isle sits in the middle of both sub-areas, a thematic, visual element for both areas.

To the north of Adventureland and northeast of the Hub sits Frontierland, an equally-large masterpiece in immersive Disney magic. Like Adventureland, Frontierland is split into several sub-areas. Unlike Adventureland, Frontierland's sub-areas encircle the iconic Rivers of the Far West, a misshapen oval-shaped river. Buzzard Rock County is the first sub-area located right near the Hub's entrance of Frontierland, themed to the American Southwest as seen in the 1850's. The French Quarter, themed to 1920's New Orleans sits to the south of the rivers, right near the mountainous border of northern Adventureland. Nature's Wonderland, an immersive lumber-driven town of the Pacific Northwest resides to the close east of the French Quarter, right along the railroad tracks. The Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland attraction runs along the Rivers of the Far West as well as the railroad tracks, creating a little bit of the American frontier in the midst of Australia. Lastly, Glacier Ridge, 1890's-era Canada (during the time of the Klondike Gold Rush) is the final sub-area, taking up the entire northern portion of Frontierland.

Finally, the eastern side of the park is rounded-off to completion with The Badlands, a representation of the modern-day Australian outback. The Badlands has the distinction of being the smallest land in the park (probably about the size of a basic Epcot pavilion in Future World) as to not make park guests feel as if they're in their own backyard. The Badlands sits in between Frontierland's Glacier Ridge and the next land over, a "real-world transition" from the wild frontier to...

Fantasyland, the happiest and perhaps largest land of them all. Fantasyland is divided into several distinct sub-areas, each representing a different flight of fantasy. The first of these areas is Castle Town, a storybook village sheltered within the property walls of Snow White Castle. At least six classically-inspired dark rides make their home here in addition to a carousel, a Magic Kingdom staple. The castle wall open and part to the north of the castle, dumping guests into the Enchanted Forest where classic tales held in the woods are brought to life, such as Winnie the Pooh, Rapunzel, Into the Woods, etc. The whimsical colors and twisted reality of Wonderland resides to the east of the forest, sitting just near the border of The Badlands. North of Wonderland is Beastly Kingdom, a romanticized spin on English, German, and Greek mythology. Central to the "kingdom" is a "fairy tale village" underneath the shadow of a dragon-guarded castle to the western wood, whilst to the east, Mount Olympus and a Greek farmland sit near the northern border of The Badlands. To the far west of Fantasyland and Castle Town rests Small World Plaza, the smallest sub-area and home of It's a Small World, while directly to the northwest and northeast of Small World Plaza are Halloween Town and Christmas Town respectively, the established homes of Jack Skellington and Santa Claus not just seasonally, but year-round.

Beyond the northern railroad tracks resides the park's first added-on land: Pixar Place. Pixar Place consists of several sub-areas as well, starting with the main drag of Pixar Studios, a fanciful recreation of Pixar's Emeryville campus. Pixar Studios splits at a hub of its own, dividing into Monstropolis to the north, Radiator Springs to the northeast, Riley's Head to the southeast, the Great Barrier Reef to the northwest, and Bonnie's Backyard to the southwest. Simple enough.

The western side of the park is perhaps even larger than the eastern side, featuring more lands by far. Discovery Bay is the first of these lands, themed to 1800's San Francisco during the time of the California Gold Rush. However, Jules Verne and H.G. Wells-inspired technology has turned the realistic world of the Gold Rush into a flight of pure science fiction and fantasy. I won't go into too much detail, but Discovery Bay will take heavy inspiration from the unbuilt concept of the same name. South of Discovery Bay is Mos Eisley Spaceport, the park's eighth major land and stand-in for Star Wars Land. Again, I won't go into too much detail, but I will spoil that Mos Eisley will be divided into three time periods rather than sub-areas. Each time period stands for each trilogy, meaning each area divided by period will have different attractions and features. So you won't see Kylo Ren having a meet-n-greet anywhere near the Darth Vader meet-n-greet.

South of Mos Eisley is Marvel City, the home of all things Marvel. I guess you can say that the land is marvelous. Not much else to explain here other than it will resemble a superhero-based metropolis of the non-DC variety. South of Marvel City (so I'd say to the west of the Hub by this point) is Tomorrowland, a vista into a word of wondrous opportunities and imagination. Unlike current incarnations of the land, DLA's Tomorrowland focuses on what the future might actually be like with a Utopian-based feel and atmosphere. Much of Tomorrowland focuses on the potential of mankind's future and gives a look at what life might be like in this hypothetical Utopian society. A PeopleMover connects Tomorrowland with Marvel City, Mos Eisley Spaceport, and Discovery Bay, making stops in all four lands.

The final land makes its home in the southwestern portion of the park, this land being Hollywoodland, Eliasburg's next-door neighbor.
Hollywoodland takes the up the entire southwestern side, the home of Hollywood as it appeared in the grand year of 1948, one year after the events of Who Framed Roger Rabbit. In this "Hollywood that never was," Toontown is the only sub-area, accessed through a large hole in a Gag Factory. As mentioned in previews for this project, the Haunted Mansion, Adventures in Cinema (aka The Great Movie Ride) and several other attractions make their home in the realistic portion of Hollywoodland.

Oh wait! One more land... Surprise! Wait...maybe even more than one! I will not give them away for the time being, but I will tell you that they will be located beyond the berm on the eastern side of the park's railroad tracks. Think Hong Kong Disneyland in reverse. I refuse to give these way just yet, but they will be there.



I'm confused about Mos Eisley Spaceport. Since Mos Eisley isn't showing in the sequel trilogy, are you going to use Jakuu as a substitute?
 

MANEATINGWREATH

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I'm confused about Mos Eisley Spaceport. Since Mos Eisley isn't showing in the sequel trilogy, are you going to use Jakuu as a substitute?

Nope, it will still be Mos Eisley, not Jakku. Even if Mos Eisley isn't featured in the sequel trilogy thus far, this land will take place in between episodes, presumably in an era of the timeline not seen in the films, similar to what Disney is doing now with Star Wars Land being an original planet not seen in the films. The original trilogy portion of Mos Eisley will obviously take place during the events of Episode 4, while the prequel area will take place between Episodes 2 and 3, so you can bet that a podracing attraction will definitely be in order. Everything will make more sense once I start coverage of the land. As soon as Small World, Pixar Place, and Discovery Bay are done, Mos Eisley will be next.
 

MANEATINGWREATH

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Admittedly, I have made a few subtle or not-so-subtle changes to what I had originally planned for DLA's It's a Small World. This attraction is my personal guilty pleasure (Haunted Mansion is still my favorite), so I couldn't resist. I have to credit @DisneyManOne for refreshing my memory in regards to the giant globe outside Small World in Paris. Without said reminder, DLA would be globe-less. Additionally, I've nixed the Hong Kong-inspired queue in favor of a sheltered-outdoor queue and loading area. Technically speaking, the above post about Small World should be completely disregarded, so I've completely removed it as of mine writing this. The music heard in Small World Plaza will remain the same as the 1964-1965 soundtrack, but the music in the interior will now be that of the John Debney Small World soundtrack heard in Disneyland Paris.

I may also be going back to Adventureland to dive into another boat ride: Sindbad or Jungle River Cruise. But I might be going back to Pixar Place first, we'll see how things play out with this.
_________________________


Before we go any further into
Pixar Place, we decide to temporarily journey back to Fantasyland for an in-depth musical cruise around the world accompanied by seemingly thousands of children, toys, and animals from and representing nearly every nation. This cruise is naturally the one and only It's a Small World, Walt Disney's cherished and beloved classic from the 1964 to 1965 World's Fair, reborn and reimagined for a new audience in Disneyland Australia.



Having found ourselves in the colorful esplanade of
Small World Plaza, our attention is first pulled towards that of a large fountain in the shape of the globe, topped by a boat filled with laughing children. On board, each child represents a different nation: Saudi Arabia, China, England, Australia, etc., whilst Renaissance-era flags bearing the title of the attraction and its slogan protrude from among their two-dimensional shoulders. "Join the happiest cruise that ever sailed around the world!"

DisneyParis-182.jpg


Continuing forward, additional flags appear along the walkways, each painted with the same exact slogan written in a language other than English ("Treten Sie der glücklichste Kreuzfahrt, die jemals auf der ganzen Welt gesegelt !
"), not to mention speaker-towers covered in abstract paneling pointing the way towards Small World Palace, the not-so-humble abode of our impending adventure. Quirky instrumentals straight from the 1964-1965 World's Fair fill the air.


The magnificent purple, blue, pink, and green spires of Small World Palace stand tall above the surrounding plaza, a lasting tribute to the universal concept of peace on earth and goodwill towards men (especially when the palace is decorated for Christmas). From within the palace walls, the triumphant sounds of that all-too-familiar song ring out, majestic fountains spewing on either side of the crystal-clear lagoon in the forefront. Topiaries crafted into the shape of various animals serve as a perfect compliment to the various landmarks and familiar icons crafted into the palace walls; the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, the Golden Gate Bridge, Sydney Opera House, the Temple of Zeus, Big Ben, the Temple of Heaven, Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Windmills of La Mancha, etc. Front and center is the smiling purple face of the iconic Clock Tower, the Rolly Crump-designed landmark.


View attachment 140437

(/\ My apologies for the low quality concept art, but hopefully it gives you a good idea of what to expect for the facade coloring.)



As with other takes on the venerable tower, every fifteen minutes, the constantly churning cogs and gizmos on the facade begin to protrude and sound off like a cuckoo clock, halting the ongoing music. With a dramatic drumroll, a sextet of musical tin soldiers emerge from the tower's walls, signaling a parade of dolls to emerge from the tower's base and circumnavigate the smiley-faced structure to the tune of the titular song. Each doll represents one of twenty-four countries, dressed in garbs respective to their country. At the conclusion of the parade, the Clock Tower concludes with a series of gongs and chimes in beat with the current time (like a grandfather clock), the time itself displayed from an opened-panel beneath the tower's "face." Intrigued, we dart towards the palace, but not before passing beneath the Tower of the Four Winds, another relic of the 1964-1965 original, albeit painted to match the "cool" colors of the palace walls.

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After meandering a bit through a series of sheltered-switchbacks, past animal-shaped topiaries, wavy-hedges, and colorful flowerbeds, we make our way down to the docks of the aforementioned lagoon where brightly-colored boats (also known as bateaux) gently pull in and out of the densely-populated harbor. New to Disneyland Australia, each boat is named for a different country (e.g. "Switzerland") whilst a medieval shield bearing the likeliness of a random country's flag serve as decor for the railings in between each row of the boarding area. As the loading dock is also sheltered from the elements, flags that aren't represented by a shield are draped from the covering, a subtle but appropriate detail. Being gestured to the first row by a friendly dockhand in a straw hat and polo shirt, we patiently wait our turn to set sail with the happiest crew to ever sail around the world. Finally, "Australia" floats into position, allowing us to board.

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As our boat departs from the dock, an unseen woman with an Australian accent states, "Welcome to It's a Small World! For your safety, please remain seated throughout your voyage, keeping your hands, arms, feet and legs inside the boat. And please, watch your children. Thank you." This same safety spiel is played several more times and in multiple languages, including but not limited to Japanese, German, French, Mandarin, Maori, Cantonese, and so on. As our boat draws closer to the palace (where the canal feeds into a small opening in the palace's left-hand side rather than the usual Clock Tower), John Debney's sweeping instrumental of the Sherman Brothers classic begins to draw closer and closer, gradually overpowering the quirky instrumentals of the World's Fair. In a mere matter of seconds, we gently drift inside the palace walls for our tour of the world as seen through the eyes of a child, starting with the Hello Room.



Unlike prior versions of the attraction, the Hello Room here takes us far out of this "small world" and into the reaches of our solar system, surrounding us with a vast field of fiber-optic stars and planets, a la Peter Pan's Flight. Amid the occasional shooting star and revolving planet, several two-dimensional rocketships gently rock back and forth, each rocket inhabited by (or sat upon) a different animal representing a different nation. As this is the "Hello Room," each rocket bares the respective flag and colors of the country as well as said country's term for welcome (e.g. the German rocket reads "Willkommen."). Like the Paris attraction, the Hello Room is a simple straightaway into the main show building beyond, leading us to a large two-dimensional cutout of Mother Earth herself, a gaping hole in her side leading into the first major show scene. From above the earth, a one-eyed martian sits within a UFO, giving a two-fingered wave below as we sail through the earth's side and into the blue. The titular song, having been heard in instrumental form for the past few seconds gives way to its first sung incarnation: Scandinavian.

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Like the Disneyland original, our cruise begins in the Arctic and Scandinavia, as named by a flower-like emblem placed near the entrance to the scene (like Hong Kong, these "title emblems" are placed near the entrance of every scene). The lights of the Aurora Borealis illuminate the scene from above, whilst snow-capped mountains and glittering white glaciers appear from all around us, fully immersing us into the mystical realm of the far-Northern Hemisphere. To our left, a koala-like polar bear paddles a kayak oar in circles from atop a googly-eyed beluga whale slowly lowering up and down beneath the surface of the Arctic Ocean. From atop a narrow glacier, a pair of eskimos facing back-to-back go fishing, a blue walrus caught on one eskimo's line, a flower-spotted seal on the other's, said seal balancing a fish on its nose. In the background, eight smiling reindeer bob their heads side-to-side from the snowy mountaintops, a multi-storied igloo topped by a barbershop pole sitting between the fourth and fifth deer. Closer to the water's edge, an eskimo clutching a trio of fish stands back-to-back with a tall polar bear pointing in the opposite direction towards a sign that reads "The North Pole." Nearby, another polar bear spins around in circles on its bottom aboard a floating ice platform, closely neighbored by an all-white seal also spinning around its bottom, which in turn is neighbored by a small Arctic fox spinning around in circles on its bottom. A pair of Norwegian-inspired gnomes, hand-in-hand also spin around in circles, taking advantage of the natural skating rink. From an alcove high above, Bambi and Thumper can be seen ice-skating timidly, appropriately represented in the Mary Blair-style as all the attraction's character cameos are.

On the right-hand side of the canal, Scandinavia is represented not through ice and snow, but through colorful mountains, giant flowers and hills given the markings of abstract Swedish art, also done in the Mary Blair-style. A large clock-like sun overlooks the area
(actually telling the time), whilst Scandinavian children sing the titular song from opened-songbooks, swaying in perfect unison. Shimmering waterfalls pour down from an overhead ice-skating rink where a boy and girl in warm, winter clothing go for a perpetual skate. An overhead chalet of Swedish influence rests in a pile of partially-melted snow, a half-melted snowman at its doorstep. Norway finds its representation in the form of a Viking ship swaying back and forth upon the high seas, a trio of Viking children singing from on deck. Non-Frozen trolls, a la Maelstrom, compliment the gnomes on the adjacent side of the flume, happily picking flowers and relaxing under the clock-like sun. Anna, Elsa, and a rather mute Olaf appear just outside a 2D cutout of the Arendelle castle splattered in glitter-paint, joining in the song in their native Scandinavian tongue. As we leave the northern countries behind, we pass through a cave in the base of a snow-covered glacier, but not before taking note of a ninth reindeer pulling a sleigh full of snowmen across the glacier's peak. This reindeer is none other than Sven.

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Passing through the cave, we drift into the expansive continent of Europe where the song is sung not just in a British-accented English, but also in French, Italian, German, Spanish, etc. From the "heavens" above, clowns in hot-air balloons, acrobats on tightropes, and children attached to balloons soar about in hectic directions, a visual compliment to the scenes below. To our left, a musical band of toy soldiers guard the gates to Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens. Next door, a rather pink Eiffel Tower stands high above the Paris skyline, said skyline consisting of several "pink" buildings, Notre Dame Cathedral, and oddly enough, the Elephant of the Bastille. In the forefront, a slew of cancan dancers "weeing" and "ooh la-la-ing" in time with their kicks perform a routine. A ballerina spins around in circles with her dance partner, much to the enjoyment of a nearby French poodle. Just a few feet away sits the icon of the Beast's Castle from Beauty and the Beast, Belle and the non-transformed Beast waltzing just outside. On the right-hand side of the canal we are treated to a glimpse of the United Kingdom, starting with the Emerald Isle of Ireland, represented through a multitude of massive shamrocks, a glistening rainbow, clogging Irish children, and several leprechauns, one leprechaun poking in and out of a large pot of gold. Closely following Ireland is Scotland, represented by a bagpipe-player atop an old tower. In the background, a strange goat-like creature munches on a kilt from a plaid-colored hillside ridden with ancient castles. In time with the music, the goat and the hillside change colors. Nearby, the massive serpentine neck and head of the Loch Ness Monster protrudes from the waters, slowly rocking from side to side. From atop the beast's nose, a boat filled with smiling children throw their arms up in glee, as if the monster was a thrill ride. London Bridge appears up ahead, topped by a double-decker buss filled with children, a pair of flag-waving boys sporting the colors of their favorite football team, and guarded by a Buckingham Palace guard slowly clogging to the music. Just to the right of the bridge is a checkerboard-colored Big Ben with a rapidly-spinning clock, backed by the skyline of the London Eye, Tower of London, Parliament Building, and Buckingham Palace. A large checkerboard laid out before the skyline plays home to several large chess pieces, including a stylized-king and queen whom spin around wildly. Alice and the White Rabbit appear near the king and queen, almost directly adjacent to Belle and the Beast. Directly above London Bridge hangs a smiling crescent moon, sat upon by Wendy Darling. Peter Pan and Tinkerbell fly in circles around the moon, almost hidden among the aforementioned tightrope-walkers and hot-air balloons.

Passing beneath London Bridge, we stumble upon Germany to our right and Spain to our left. Spain, represented by the Windmills of La Mancha and several grassy hills, greets us with a girl in an elaborate dress clicking castanets as she twirls, a Spanish boy on the guitar nearby. Straw-made puppets of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza appear on wooden rocking horses, facing towards the neighboring scene of Italy where the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Colosseum, and seaside homes of Venice appear. Naturally, a large gondola appears, rocking back and forth with its pilot on board. Several Italian girls sing the song from opened-songbooks, swaying with the music. Not one, but two puppet shows are held near Italy, one being that of Punch and Judy (who beat the heck out of each other), the other being that of Pinocchio, joined by two "Swiss Miss" marionettes and Jiminy Cricket. Back on the right-hand side, Germany finds its representation through a miniature recreation of Berlin, featuring the Reichstag, TV Tower, Brandenburg Gate, and Berlin Cathedral. In the foreground, an Oktoberfest-type polka-band provides accompaniment for dancing German children whilst a train filled with toys chugs by. A large
dachshund-inspired slinky toy stands on top of the train, wagging its tail and panting. The Alps of Switzerland next to Germany welcome us with the mighty Matterhorn, not to mention a yodeling-boy and several cuckoo clocks marked by bell-ringing dolls in lederhosen and mountain goats rocking their heads from side to side. The Netherlands appear on the left-hand side, marked by a series of colorful windmills, giant flowers, and wooden shoe-wearing children clicking their heels from within giant flower buds. A girl with a shepherd's crook conducts a trio of ducks quacking in time with the music. Back on the right-hand side, Greece is seen, marked by flying pegasus horses overhead, the Temple of Zeus, Mount Olympus, and a pair of sheep listening to the pan flute-stylings of their master. Hercules and Megara stand and wave from the palm of a silly cyclops standing near Mount Olympus. A Bacchus doll leans back-to-back with a goofy-looking unicorn, both raising a wine goblet towards the heavens.

As we prepare to depart Europe, we pass through a cave beneath Russia's Saint Basil's Cathedral where a trio of Cossack dancers twirl in circles to the musical accompaniment of a fez-wearing bear playing a street organ. Nearby, Russian musicians provide an eerie musical transition between Europe and the next scene: exotic Asia which is, ironically, an exact replica of the Hong Kong Disneyland scene, save for the addition of a head-twirling Bagheera and dancing King Louie near Baloo and Mowgli, as well as the Shanghai skyline replacing that of Hong Kong's. Oh yeah, not to mention Mount Everest and a cartoonish Yeti making their Small World debut near Taj Mahal. The song itself alternates between Japanese, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, and Tagalog. Of course, Mulan and Mushu make a cameo among the kite-flying children in China. Passing beneath a bridge, we enter the next major show scene...

The Middle East & Africa transport us into a bazaar straight from the pages of 1,001 Arabian Nights...well, sort of. Much of the Middle Eastern segment is enclosed within a close-knit passageway covered by overhead tarps and tapestries. Israel finds its representation in the form of a boy and girl dancing beneath a wedding canopy, the boy wearing a Hebrew prayer shawl and the girl wearing a wedding dress. On the adjacent side, a boy clutching a magic lamp sings in Arabic with a child-like genie who also sings in Arabic. A trio of boys in desert-protective clothing stand with their arms folded, swaying and singing in Arabic. A belly dancer and several sheep point the way to the not-so-distant figure of Argrabah's Palace on the right-hand side, fronted by a fruit-filled marketplace, not to mention Aladdin and Jasmine floating up and down on their magic carpet. Abu appears among the market, poking in and out of Genie's dormant magic lamp. On the left-hand side, the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphynx (rocking its head back and forth) appear alongside a boy playing drums atop a pink camel, naturally representing Egypt. A mysterious throne room of sorts entangled by a googly-eyed snake sits on the right-hand side following Agrabah, the residence of a Cleopatra-lookalike reclining on a sofa and giving us a wink.

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Tribal drums fill the air as the desert setting subdues into that of a colorful jungle where technicolor animals and children alike jam out to the titular song on both sides of the canal. However, there is a stark contrast between both sides. To the left, we have a tropical rainforest being absolutely pelted by an ongoing thunderstorm, and to the right we have a jungle jamboree that has thus far stayed in the sunshine. Starting with the left, we find umbrella-shaped trees amid the falling "rains," several exotic birds chirping and crying out everytime thunder strikes. Many of these tropical birds spin their heads in complete circles, roll around in their eggshells, or perform other weird feats, all surrounding a beady-eyed crocodile clutching an umbrella that is far-too-small for its body. The crocodile (who appears to shake his head "no") is neighbored by a flower-spotted leopard with a much larger umbrella (who shakes his head "yes") as well as several frogs residing in a lily pad-filled pond, flower-spotted giraffes swaying in the background foliage, and a series of huts painted with tribal mask-type markings and fronted by a trio of tribal musicians in ceremonial masks. An African elephant (who appears to be pink) perpetually sprays "water" from its trunk, unintentionally creating a heart-shaped fountain as it frolics in the rain. Multicolored chimpanzees connect the two sides of the canal via overhead vines, leading our attention to the right-hand side.

First and foremost, a pair of hyenas wildly laugh at the rainy misfortune of the animals across the way, closely neighbored by a blue and pink-striped zebra, flower-spotted rhino, and yellow chimpanzee pounding away at their own individual bongos. Additional frogs and a secondary crocodile float amid the swampy waters in the foreground, whilst several African children sing the song in English from an island, joined by a red and yellow lion hosting a flute-playing boy atop his head. In a large alcove overlooking the scene, the sun resembles the stern face of Mufasa, joined by Timon juggling two platters piled high with grubs, and Simba standing atop Pumbaa. Back below, a sheltered-dance floor features several African girls dancing in a circle, also singing in English. A droopy-eyed hippo covered in flowers rests near the exit of the scene, gleefully being pecked by a couple of "peck-peck birds" on its back. Before departing from the scene, we pass beneath the head of a pink African elephant swaying its head back and forth, several children sitting on its tusks and playing instruments.

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Our next stop, Latin America is an exact replica of the Disneyland original, save for the addition of an Incan temple with children in Incan garbs placed in between the spinning penguins and the Andes. Also worth noting, the penguins now wear winter clothing, as in winter hats, knitted-sweaters, and ski caps, a subtle but noticeable change. The Three Caballeros make an appearance as pinatas near the end of the scene which remains generally the same, save for a new adobe-built archway dividing Latin America from the next scene: North America. Children in the garbs of a Mariachi band sing in Spanish from atop the archway, but are quickly drowned out by the sounds of the song being sung in American-accented English. To our right, coyotes yip and yowl from atop red-rock buttes and clifftops, welcoming us to the Old West. A Plains Indian Chief pounds a drum from a nearby butte, joined by several Native American girls dancing and a trio of large kachina dolls opening and closing their mouths. Woody, twirling a lasso from atop Bullseye appears next to a Conestoga wagon and a guitar-playing Jessie, shortly thereafter backed by a small western diorama featuring a saloon, hotel, and bank. Several cacti wearing bandito clothing rock back and forth among the desert rocks, while saloon showgirls perform a kickline on the saloon's rooftop, a cowboy tipping his hat to us from in front of the hotel. A horse and mustachioed cowboy toy roast weenies over a crackling campfire, subduing the right-hand side of the scene into the Midwest where rolling green hills, twirling sunflowers, and a colorful barn house appear. A smiling horse takes several children on a hayride, while a trio of scarecrows move their heads back and forth in time with the music. Back on the left-hand side we are treated to the sights and sounds of Canada, where a nutcracker-like Mountie greets us, waving his arms up and down. A pair of Kwakiutl totem poles also move their "wings" up and down, standing in the foreground of a tree-capped mountain range. An ice-skating rink painted with Kwakiutl symbols also resides in the foreground, two hockey-playing children engaging in a match. At the mountain's peak, Pocahontas and Meeko join in on the song, giving way to the Golden Gate Bridge which spans from the Canadian mountains to the end of the Midwestern scene.

Passing beneath the bridge, we enter the United States of the modern-day, passing by the colorful bayous of the South to our left and a multitude of American icons to our right. In the colorful bayou, Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and Brer Bear lazily relax among the swampy fauna, Brer Rabbit going so far as to recline on the back of an alligator. In the background, a riverboat paddles by, the familiar silhouettes of Spaceship Earth and Cinderella Castle residing on the horizon. On the adjacent side, the Capitol Building, White House, Washington Monument, Statue of Liberty, Space Needle, Mount Rushmore, Empire State Building, Freedom Tower, and Lincoln Memorial all appear in a tasteful clump, a group of children dressed as American revolutionaries right out front, one dressed as George Washington, another
dressed as Abraham Lincoln. A girl dressed as the Statue of Liberty points our attention towards the Hollywood sign which serves as the exit of this scene, backed by searchlights and surrounded by "paparazzi" children taking flash pictures of us as the canal passes through the mountain and into the next scene. The ride's only hidden Mickey is created by the searchlights when cast upon the ceiling.

Tired of reading yet?

Our second-to-last scene takes us to the Islands, starting with Australia's Great Barrier Reef tastefully mixed with the other regions of the Pacific Ocean. Greeting us first are several mermaids singing the song in gurgled English, joined by Ariel and Flounder, along with several other underwater creatures donning sunglasses, straw hats, and leis. Opposite Ariel swim the rolicking figures of Nemo, Dory, and Hank, Hank pointing his tentacles toward the left-hand side of the canal: Australia. Starting with the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, we see a collection of Easter Island-type heads surrounded by a line of platypuses shaking their eggs like maracas, a kangaroo and her baby rocking back and forth, a Crocodile Dundee-type boy waving a boomerang at a puppy-like dingo, and several koalas munching on eucalyptus trees protruding from the water. An Aboriginal boy sails the high seas in his canoe, while several other Aboriginal children perform the song on instruments, including that famous didgeridoo we heard so much of in the Badlands...the major butte seen in nearly all images of the Outback makes an appearance here, as does the skyline of Melbourne.

On the right-hand side, Hawai'i and Polynesia find representation in the form of rapidly-shaking hula dancers, Lilo and Stitch on a teetering surfboard, and Polynesian boys spinning around in the flames of twirling volcanoes. Tiki heads and tribal masks line the water's edge, leading the canal path into the mouth of a Tiki Room-like structure, our entrance into the...

Grand Finale!

Almost all the children of the world have gathered together in a purple and white room, singing the song in every language that has been heard thus far, with an emphasis on the Australian-accented version. For the first time in any Small World, some of the more recognizable animals make appearances in the finale. Each child, animal, and toy wears all-white to symbolize peace and unity in a world that can at some times be so divided. A carousel appears to our immediate right, several children riding in circles on all-white animals. A hot-air balloon filled with happy children lowers down from the ceiling before going back up, several international instrumentalists standing beneath its landing zone. On the adjacent side, children rolick back and forth on a swing set, while other children sing from opened-songbooks aboard a slow-moving riverboat, a la Splash Mountain on a smaller scale. Africa's droopy-eyed hippo floats in the waters near the riverboat, still being pecked, whilst the umbrella-clutching crocodile returns, this time wearing a white tuxedo and not clutching an umbrella. The cow, mule, and yellow-bird from Latin America make an appearance on the side adjacent to the hippo, standing before an all-white castle filled with singing children. From the ceiling above, Chinese kites and acrobats on tightropes wheel by, including a magnificent Chinese dragon built in hues of white and gold. Before our boat departs from the finale, we pass beneath a large sun taken straight from the 1964-1965 World's Fair, a bird-carried banner beneath it reading "Farewell!" Our boat then drifts through the Goodbye Room, a short passage filled with animated postcards bidding us farewell in their respective country's language. We then drift back outside, return to the loading dock, and depart to continue our day at Disneyland Australia.

FINAL CHARACTER COUNT:

Bambi
Thumper
Anna
Elsa
Olaf
Sven
Belle
Beast
Alice
White Rabbit
Peter Pan
Wendy
Tinkerbell
Pinocchio
Jiminy Cricket
Hercules
Megara
Baloo
Mowgli
Bagheera
King Louie
Mulan
Mushu
Mufasa
Simba
Pumbaa
Timon
The Three Caballeros
Woody
Jessie
Bullseye
Pocahontas
Meeko
Brer Rabbit
Brer Fox
Brer Bear
Ariel
Flounder
Dory
Nemo
Hank
Lilo
Stitch

45!
 

MANEATINGWREATH

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Just a scary thought, but this thread was started on March 25th...it is now early May, and I'm nowhere close to being done...spooky how quickly time goes by, isn't it? Before you know it, we'll be diving right into the final park overview.

For those of you just joining us, so far we've covered...

1. Eliasburg
2. Adventureland
3. Frontierland
4. The Badlands
5. Fantasyland
6. Half of Pixar Place (Pixar Studios, Monstropolis, Radiator Springs)

This means we still have to cover...

1. The Rest of Pixar Place (Riley's Head, Great Barrier Reef, Bonnie's Backyard)
2. Discovery Bay
3. Mos Eisley Spaceport
4. Marvel City
5. Tomorrowland
6. Hollywoodland
7. Final Park Overview with Edits

We've got a long way to go, but it will all be worth it in the end!
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Continuing onward into Pixar Place, our travels take us into the mind and imagination of an eleven-year old girl, this girl being none other than Riley, the star and primary "filming" location of Disney*Pixar's Inside Out. Riley's Head is the world's first theme park land themed to Inside Out and one of the most immersive areas in the entire park, seeming to be straight from the reels of Pixar's Academy Award-winning classic.

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Taking place shortly after the events of the film, Riley's Head takes us from the asphalt streets of Pixar Studios and magically transports us into the imaginative world of Riley's still-developing brain where anything can happen. The "weenie" of this area is none other than the Headquarters Tower, Riley's mission control center. As we draw closer and closer to the tower, we notice that the asphalt has suddenly transformed into a bizarre, almost rock-like material that appears to be strangely organic. The usual trees and plant life along the walkways are swapped out in favor of Long Term Memory Banks, shelves of varying sizes filled with an almost infinite amount of memories contained within multicolored orbs that give an ethereal glow. A closer glimpse into one of these orbs reveals that these aren't just typical theme park props; there are actual clips of Riley's life playing in them, just like in the film.

On the horizon, we catch a glimpse of the distant Islands of Personality (represented as forced perspective miniatures): Family Island, Friendship Island, Hockey Island, Honesty Island, and Goofball Island, each and every one animated and moving to the theme of their respective title. At night, the whole of the sub-area is washed aglow in surreal lighting as Riley "falls asleep" for the night, a perfect compliment to the already immersive land. One island makes its home a little bit closer to us than the other islands do, this island being Shopping Island. Shopping Island, marked by several mechanical-based silhouettes and figures in an abstract shopping mall on its rooftop is exactly what one would expect to find in the world of Inside Out, a hyper-surreal spin on an everyday shopping mall. Giant photographic memories (literally, they're actual photographs) of Riley shopping with her family and friends appear on the walls, whilst the blob-shaped Mind Workers busily work away at machinery powering the aforementioned display on the rooftop.

Approaching the Headquarters Tower, we find that it is surrounded by a large pit that has since been railed-off since the events of the film. This pit is none other than the Memory Abyss, the massive chasm where memories go to disappear once they are no longer needed. A statue of Bing Bong rests near the edge of the pit, reportedly built by Joy as a tribute to the fallen imaginary friend and his great sacrifice. Fortunately for us, a glass-enclosed escalator has also been installed near the banks of the abyss on either side, leading upward to the entrance of the not-so-distant Headquarters Tower. Once inside, we find a meet-n-greet for Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust amid their memory-filled mission control center. Whilst participating in the meet-n-greet we are often given glimpses of Riley's current location, as if we were actually looking through her eyes at her changing world.

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A short distance from Shopping Island and the escalators to Headquarters is the entrance to Imagination Land, a sub-area within a sub-area! Who knew? In the spirit of the interactive playground found ashore Adventure Isle, Imagination Land takes us into a small but immersive, three-dimensional playground of pure imagination and wonder, starting with the salty, er...trees of the French Fry Forest. Amid the towering deep-fried potatoes, we are given the opportunity to purchase sized-down and edible versions of the giant fries at Fryley Riley, where the fries are always cooked fresh and to order in several flavor varieties, including the cinnamon-drenched apple fries. Trophy Town, a golden city where everyone's a winner, allows us the opportunity to take part in several games of chance which allow us to win a trophy of our own, albeit a smaller version of the giant trophies scattered about the place. Even if we don't win, we still are given a participation award for trying. The House of Cards actually serves as a rather "unstable" (meaning the floors and walls shake when touched) mirror maze and super slide that may or may not get one lost for...hours...just kidding, only twenty minutes...or thirty... Lastly is the Imaginary Boyfriend Generator which allows guests to create their ideal Pixar-animated significant other on a tablet screen. Upon completion, the character will be submitted to the generator for production, only to soon after appear on a giant screen and declare that they would in fact "die for *insert name of guest here*!"

The last portion of Imagination Land is the one and only station stop for the Train of Thought, a purplish freight train with a knack for communication from the rest of Riley's mind to Headquarters up above. Although the tracks are visible, the train isn't, as the Train of Thought is actually a simulator attraction used in the area's major attraction: Inside Out: Tour de Riley.

Tour de Riley (a play on "Tour de France") takes us into the brain's first ever "open house" tour of everyone's favorite eleven-year old. Hosted by Joy and Sadness, we hop aboard the Train of Thought's engine to take a 4D tour of all the places in Riley's Head that we have been unable to explore thus far, including Abstract Thought which does turn us temporarily into abstract imagery, the

Subconscious, a not-so-safe realm of Riley's greatest fears, Dream Productions where dreams are made, and settings that weren't even seen in the film, such as Deja Vu and Critical Thinking. As expected, the tour goes off without a hitch, until the imaginary monster under Riley's bed (Bing Bong's evil twin "Ding Dong," also voiced by Richard Kind) pulls himself up from the depths of the Subconscious, promising to wreak havoc on the innocent tour. What ensues next is a wild thrill ride through Riley's brain, ending with Ding Dong getting eaten by a giant bear in Riley's subconscious in a most humorous fashion.

The last accessible area of Riley's Head is a new area designed especially for Disneyland Australia: Deep Imagination. Who resides in Deep Imagination you may ask?




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If Joy and Sadness have their own attraction, it's only fair that Fear, Disgust, and Anger get their own, let alone an attraction featuring everyone's favorite bearded gentleman and purple dragon, Dreamfinder and Figment. In Journey into Imagination, we board an omnimover-inspired ride vehicle for a tour of Deep Imagination, the deepest darkest bowels of Riley's brain, this tour being led by Fear, Anger, and Disgust respectively. It is in Deep Imagination where Dreamfinder, a surrealistic version of Riley's grandfather emerges from hiding, taking over the tour and claiming to know far more than the emotions do in regards to imagination. To establish this, Dreamfinder uses his own imagination to create Figment as an assistant to his teaching, thus taking us and the emotions on a tour of pure imagination all played to the classic tune of "One Little Spark."

Leaving Riley's Head behind, we return to the Pixar Studios hub, this time facing the northwestern walkway... Giant blades of grass protrude among the walkways, while typically-small objects suddenly appear greater in size among the giant blades; building blocks and Legos stand at ten-feet in height, a Casey Jr. animal cracker box stands taller than an average house; Christmas lights of an unusual size string across from overhead; it seems as if we've been shrunk down to the size of a toy... The only question now is...how did Woody get to be so tall?

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It seems as if we've just stepped foot into the next sub-area of Pixar Place: Bonnie's Backyard.

_________________________________________

More to come! Thoughts so far?
 

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