Mickey's Fun House for MK's Storybook Circus (open brainstorming)

[mharrington]

Another idea I've had involves giant inanimate objects coming to life, based on the objects in "Thru the Mirror".

I also thought of having the designs of the carriages be adorned with these designs, based on those of the soon-to-be-altered Mickey's Fun Wheel:

Of course, I have a feeling that maybe I should bring in Pluto (but not Minnie) after all. This also means that maybe Pete should not be in. Or maybe he can be in it, but the carriages are not his.

What are your thoughts, anybody? I really want to get this in some kind of order. I look forward, @spacemt354, to what you have to say, since I have provided some more ideas.

 

[spacemt354]

This would be my general thoughts on how to go about it from a conceptual standpoint.

You mentioned you wanted this in Storybook Circus, and one way to do that is converting the Pete's Silly Sideshow into the Mickey's Fun House facade. The facade can either resemble the original Mickey Mad House design, replicate Pete's Silly Sideshow, or be something entirely your creation.

As you enter into the building structure (no longer a tent) you wind through the queue that can introduce you to the 'Mickey's Magical Nights' events - in which the ring leader Mickey and his pals Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto work with their circus cast and crew to perform acrobatics and stunts. This traveling circus has come to Storybook Circus to put on a show. Their most prized attraction in their traveling circus is the 'Fun House' in which visitors travel in colorfully decorated carriages into a house of zany fun. Odd shaped mirrors, special effects, and much more. While the show is run by Mickey, the circus is owned by Pete, whose presence is felt throughout the queue and attraction.

Throughout the queue could be several props and memorabilia from their tours, which would be a good place to put your license plate idea. Have it line a wall with all sorts of innuendo character names in the letters.

The queue winds around the right side of the building structure, and can hold approximately a 60 minute wait inside the queue, before overloading into Storybook Circus. The ride, with 8 scenes, as you had wanted, would probably clock in around the same time as Peter Pan's Flight (approx 3.5 mins) given space limitations.

You load unto carriages that will take you into the Fun House. The attraction will mostly use basic motion Animatronics along with digital projection technology (2.5D) and other special effects.

Scene 1 - Introduction to Mickey and his pals.
He greets the guests and sends you on your way through the Fun House entrance.

Scene 2 - The Mirror Maze.
Your vehicles meander around odd shaped mirrors as 2.5D projections (tech used in Mickey/Minnie's Runaway Railway) adapts the surroundings to different shaped mirrors and settings as you circle around.

Scene 3 - A Loose Seal!
Donald, performing a stunt with 3 seals (homage to Mickey's Circus) accidentally lets them loose and they crash into a barricade, sending your carriage spinning into the next room.

Scene 4 - A Goofy 'Movie'
You crash into a projection room within the Fun House that is responsible for the special effects throughout the shows. From your crash into the projection room, Goofy, in charge of the special effects, accidentally sets off fireworks in the room and you're dazzled and dodging pyrotechnics as your carriage careens backwards out of the projection room.

Scene 5 - Pete's Surprised Reaction
As the seals break loose, fireworks continue to go off, and your vehicle is careening backwards. Pete grabs a hold of Mickey and tells him that he's finished for all this damage he has caused to the Fun House he owns. Soon you hear the bellow of the seals as they pop in and surprise Pete.

Scene 6 - Midway Madness
While Minnie and Pluto where in charge of the midway games portion of the Fun House, Goofy and Donald's previous mishaps have caused the effects in the Midway section to go crazy, with pop out figures coming out of the walls, moving targets spinning out of control, puffs of air coming from above and below ground, all while your vehicle attempts to make it back to the entrance of the 'Fun' House.

Scene 7 - Mickey's Finest Hour
Approaching the finale, Mickey races ahead along with the other fab five members, as they are being chased by Pete and the seals, and closes off the remained of the Fun House from the guests. In a loud bang of a finale, the carriages regain control, and Mickey breathes a sign of relief.

Scene 8 - Unload
Ragtime jazz circus music begins to play as you approach the exit to the Fun House. You reappear near the load area, disembark and head back through the main queue building structure and to the Big Top Souvenir. However, on the exit path over to the gift shop, there's a meet and greet with circus Mickey and Minnie, held over from the old Pete's Silly Sideshow M&G attraction.

Guests then enter into Big Top Souvenir, and exit back out into Storybook Circus.

 

[mharrington]

Looks great. Looks really great!

However, based on the image you provided, I have just a few quibbles, all of which are relatively minor and easily addressable. For example, do we really need a GIGANTIC tent just for a gift shop or even a queue? When I do these things, I try not to impact backstage roads too much, because they are pretty important.

Those are just minor quibbles, though, that could be relatively addressed with little trouble. That said, great ride! I love it.

 

[spacemt354]

Looks great. Looks really great!

However, based on the image you provided, I have just a few quibbles, all of which are relatively minor and easily addressable. For example, do we really need a GIGANTIC tent just for a gift shop or even a queue? When I do these things, I try not to impact backstage roads too much, because they are pretty important.

Those are just minor quibbles, though, that could be relatively addressed with little trouble. That said, great ride! I love it.

Glad you like it!

The Gift shop exists already (the blue tent) which doubles as the main giftshop for all of Storybook Circus (Big Top Souvenirs)

Here's the current view

And here's it updated

With Pete's Silly Sideshow (the red tent) being repurposed to the Mickey's Fun House facade and queue, the only expansion that would take place is behind the red tent, where there's only some backstage areas that are expendable for the placement of a dark ride (similar to what is happening in France with the Ratatouille attraction) using backstage area for the show building. No access roads would be impacted.

 

[mharrington]

Glad you like it!

The Gift shop exists already (the blue tent) which doubles as the main giftshop for all of Storybook Circus (Big Top Souvenirs)

With Pete's Silly Sideshow (the red tent) being repurposed to the Mickey's Fun House facade and queue, the only expansion that would take place is behind the red tent, where there's only some backstage areas that are expendable for the placement of a dark ride (similar to what is happening in France with the Ratatouille attraction)

Yes, I have seen the pictures. However, would it not be possible to maybe halve the shop space, so we can use that space for the queue/exit path if possible? I don't know much about backstage space, but I would think that it would seem pretty important not to be taken out of commission for an extended period time.

Also, I'm thinking of doing a spinning ride based on Donald's role as seal trainer. It would be called "The Astounding Duke Donaldo and His Seal Symphony". It would just a simple silly spin ride. It would be based on this one idea for Toontown Fair involving a spinning ride themed to Donald that was never created. I got the information on the Neverland Files, but the image for it is not available anymore, sadly. In any case, here's the description for it:

Before the Miss Daisy play area, this flat ride idea was thought up to represent Donald Duck in the new Toontown Fair land. Donald's boat would now stand off to the side, and the attraction would instead by a merry-go-round style attraction in spinning rowboats, with Huey, Dewey and Louie at the center. Other guests would be able to control fountains and splashes - aiming to get the riders as wet as they could.

That never got built and the Miss Daisy boat was used instead. However, that kind of thing is now based around Casey Jr. here, so I think we can bring it back up again. My idea for the ride is similar to this abandoned concept, only it features Salty the baby seal playing horns in the center. The horns spurt out water that can get you wet if you're not careful. The music heard would be the Donald Duck theme. That would be pretty fun.

 

[mharrington]

And one more thing, I noticed that your space in the red tent has a meet-n-greet spot along the exit path. Anything to go on there?

 

[spacemt354]

Yes, I have seen the pictures. However, would it not be possible to maybe halve the shop space, so we can use that space for the queue/exit path if possible? I don't know much about backstage space, but I would think that it would seem pretty important not to be taken out of commission for an extended period time.

Also, I'm thinking of doing a spinning ride based on Donald's role as seal trainer. It would be called "The Astounding Duke Donaldo and His Seal Symphony". It would just a simple silly spin ride. It would be based on this one idea for Toontown Fair involving a spinning ride themed to Donald that was never created. I got the information on the Neverland Files, but the image for it is not available anymore, sadly. In any case, here's the description for it:

Before the Miss Daisy play area, this flat ride idea was thought up to represent Donald Duck in the new Toontown Fair land. Donald's boat would now stand off to the side, and the attraction would instead by a merry-go-round style attraction in spinning rowboats, with Huey, Dewey and Louie at the center. Other guests would be able to control fountains and splashes - aiming to get the riders as wet as they could.

That never got built and the Miss Daisy boat was used instead. However, that kind of thing is now based around Casey Jr. here, so I think we can bring it back up again. My idea for the ride is similar to this abandoned concept, only it features Salty the baby seal playing horns in the center. The horns spurt out water that can get you wet if you're not careful. The music heard would be the Donald Duck theme. That would be pretty fun.

Big Top is one of MK's largest retail locations actually, so realistically it is tough to cut, and with the removal of Pete's Silly Sideshow, I'm pretty sure the queue would fit fine in the space that tent provided.

With Pete's Silly Sideshow right now, guests exit after the Meet and Greet into the Big Top Souvenirs, so I figured it would make sense to keep that same thru-path.

No access roads would be altered with this. The attraction fits perfectly within the extra backstage space for Pete's already provided.

Now, adding more rides to Storybook Circus is something else entirely (and something that's just being brought up for the first time)

If your objective is to now have more rides, such as the spinner, then that's a different story.

 

[mharrington]

Now, adding more rides to Storybook Circus is something else entirely (and something that's just being brought up for the first time)

If your objective is to now have more rides, such as the spinner, then that's a different story.

I'm only proposing one more ride addition to this area, in addition to the Fun House. My main objective here is to simply make this area a more worthwhile land that can stand on its own, separate from Fantasyland.

 

[mharrington]

Actually, I've looked at it more carefully, and I feel somewhat conflicted: on the one hand, it looks great, what @spacemt354 did, but on the other hand, almost everything I suggested, including references to classic shorts, was thrown out. I am not trying to step on anyone's creativity, because it looks great, but I was hoping you would include some of my suggestions into it somewhere. Like I said, I feel somewhat conflicted here.

 

[spacemt354]

Actually, I've looked at it more carefully, and I feel somewhat conflicted: on the one hand, it looks great, what @spacemt354 did, but on the other hand, almost everything I suggested, including references to classic shorts, was thrown out. I am not trying to step on anyone's creativity, because it looks great, but I was hoping you would include some of my suggestions into it somewhere. Like I said, I feel somewhat conflicted here.

Your scenes were ideas based on different storylines. Including them all in the same ride wouldnt make a lot of sense for the rider.

So a few of your ride suggestions, such as the short Mickey's Circus, and the never built Mickey's Mad House, which both were the inspirations for the ride, were used.

Not only that, but your suggestions for ragtime jazz music, 8 scenes, having it shorten than Mystic Manor, the ride location, not tampering with backstage access roads, location in Storybook Circus, and many more...were all met.

I think i went out of my way to accomodate you.

If it is not to your liking or that isnt enough of your suggestions included, then you should try editing the attraction to your preferences. I dont mind.

 

[mharrington]

Your scenes were ideas based on different storylines. Including them all in the same ride wouldnt make a lot of sense for the rider.

I guess you're right, but in the case of the KH video, I wasn't necessarily doing something based around that level, just some random elements thrown in. I'm just still a little upset that Toontown Fair is gone, and with it, no place to reliably find a spot for to reference the old shorts. Even Main Street would have worked (maybe themed to a cinema, like the old Main Street Cinema), but with the coming of the new live theater in the most reliable spot for it to go, it doesn't seem possible anymore. And besides, it would have involved going into a movie (again, the cinema concept), which is being taken up by the new ride coming to the Studios, to be based on those newer Flash-animated shorts, which I don't really consider in the same league.

So a few of your ride suggestions, such as the short Mickey's Circus, and the never built Mickey's Mad House, which both were the inspirations for the ride, were used.

Not only that, but your suggestions for ragtime jazz music, 8 scenes, having it shorten than Mystic Manor, the ride location, not tampering with backstage access roads, location in Storybook Circus, and many more...were all met.

I think i went out of my way to accomodate you.

Again, I appreciate what you did. But the original concept had called for references to classic shorts somehow. It contains very little information to guide me, so I really don't have much to go on. I just thought if that concept could work in Dumbo's Circusland, it could work here. It wasn't so much that I was having a hard time coming up with scenes based on these shorts as the difficulty in tying them all together. But I do like your idea of having Mickey and friends be employed under Pete.

If it is not to your liking or that isnt enough of your suggestions included, then you should try editing the attraction to your preferences. I dont mind.

I'm trying to include elements of the old cartoons into this ride. Yes, it is based (loosely) on one short, "Mickey's Circus", but I want to include some other references, too. Maybe the mirror room could be full of references to, say, "Thru the Mirror": you look through and you see inanimate objects come to life inside (giant playing cards, if nothing else).

 

[spacemt354]

I guess you're right, but in the case of the KH video, I wasn't necessarily doing something based around that level, just some random elements thrown in. I'm just still a little upset that Toontown Fair is gone, and with it, no place to reliably find a spot for to reference the old shorts. Even Main Street would have worked (maybe themed to a cinema, like the old Main Street Cinema), but with the coming of the new live theater in the most reliable spot for it to go, it doesn't seem possible anymore. And besides, it would have involved going into a movie (again, the cinema concept), which is being taken up by the new ride coming to the Studios, to be based on those newer Flash-animated shorts, which I don't really consider in the same league.



Again, I appreciate what you did. But the original concept had called for references to classic shorts somehow. It contains very little information to guide me, so I really don't have much to go on. I just thought if that concept could work in Dumbo's Circusland, it could work here. It wasn't so much that I was having a hard time coming up with scenes based on these shorts as the difficulty in tying them all together. But I do like your idea of having Mickey and friends be employed under Pete.



I'm trying to include elements of the old cartoons into this ride. Yes, it is based (loosely) on one short, "Mickey's Circus", but I want to include some other references, too. Maybe the mirror room could be full of references to, say, "Thru the Mirror": you look through and you see inanimate objects come to life inside (giant playing cards, if nothing else).

If there are other reference scenes in the attraction that arent circus based then I'm not sure how well it fits in Storybook Circus.

What you have to decide is...what kind of attraction do you want? Something circus based, like what has been previously discussed, for Storybook Circus or something for Toontown in DL or for WDS Paris based on classic Mickey shorts.

Im not going to redo the attraction write up, as that was simply a draft for you and not a final copy. But why dont you try to write your own draft then others can provide feedback instead of others doing the work for you then you providing feedback.

 

[mharrington]

What you have to decide is...what kind of attraction do you want? Something circus based, like what has been previously discussed, for Storybook Circus or something for Toontown in DL or for WDS Paris based on classic Mickey shorts.

As I said before, Mickey's Mad House was going to be going into the never-built Dumbo's Circusland and be based on the classic Mickey shorts. This was in the 1970s, long before Toontown was ever even thought of. Storybook Circus seems to be a variation on Circusland, so I think it could work.

Speaking of Toontown, rumor has it that a version of Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway is going in there somewhere, somehow. That's the ride to be based on those new Mickey shorts going into the Studios. So that's not going to work in Disneyland at all. This ride might go in there if there was room, but if the rumor persists, the Runaway Railway will defeat that. And to be honest, I don't really like those shorts a lot anyway. As for Paris, I've already decided it will go into the castle park, not the studio park.

Im not going to redo the attraction write up, as that was simply a draft for you and not a final copy. But why dont you try to write your own draft then others can provide feedback instead of others doing the work for you then you providing feedback.

I can try to do a draft, but I don't think it will be as detailed as yours. And like I said, I only have a few random ideas.

 

[mharrington]

To start with, I'm debating the concept to be either Mickey living in Carolwood Park (his home would be the queue for the new ride) and Pete somehow takes it over with his crazy show, or Mickey, Donald and Goofy are already Pete's underpaid performing peons somehow, similar to @spacemt354's concept. Either way, it will involve old cartoons.

What does everyone think?

 

[AceAstro]

To start with, I'm debating the concept to be either Mickey living in Carolwood Park (his home would be the queue for the new ride) and Pete somehow takes it over with his crazy show, or Mickey, Donald and Goofy are already Pete's underpaid performing peons somehow, similar to @spacemt354's concept. Either way, it will involve old cartoons.

What does everyone think?

I personally like the Pete’s performer style!

 

[mharrington]

I personally like the Pete’s performer style!

The problem is, I really don't know how to merge it with the old shorts. The performer style was already more or less laid out.

As was pointed out, and rightfully so, the old shorts dark ride concept seems to fit more in Toontown than a circus. The problem is, Toontown Fair is long gone and Toontown in Disneyland doesn't have the space for a ride like this. Besides, rumor has it that a copy of Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, the ride based on those brand-new shorts (which I don't really care for), is going to be added into Toontown somehow, somewhere, and if that happens, then A) the ride will really not fit physically (thematically, it could, but not physically), and B) it will just be more or less the same ride, just with newer shorts and not the classics I'm advocating.

One option I had had was to do this ride on Main Street (since Mickey has a meet-n-greet there anyway), but the planned stage show area is taking over much of the possible area I was thinking of:

As spacemt354 pointed out, and again rightfully so, I tend to be very critical of how to do things, because when I do Imagineering, I try to do it as if it could plausibly happen. Apparently, that makes me difficult to work with.

 

[AceAstro]

So what if we change the premise of this slightly and develop the attraction to fit into Disneyland’s ToonTown first? Have it be this designed attraction instead of Mickey’s Runaway Railway. That way it can still be based on the old shorts.

If you watch the video below and skip to about 3:55 in you’ll see there’s tons of space there without losing too much.

 

[mharrington]

So what if we change the premise of this slightly and develop the attraction to fit into Disneyland’s ToonTown first? Have it be this designed attraction instead of Mickey’s Runaway Railway. That way it can still be based on the old shorts.

If you watch the video below and skip to about 3:55 in you’ll see there’s tons of space there without losing too much.

The rumor is that the Runaway Railway concept could be happening, and if it is, there really won't be much reason to do my concept, since it's the same basic thing, but with shorts from a different time period, one that, admittedly, is probably too far gone for the company (we'll be lucky to get at least one short on TCM's Disney Vault night).

On an unrelated matter, while on the subject of the rumored location, I'm also not fond of losing a kiddie coaster for this, either (granted, it could be rethemed to not be themed to something outdated, but even so...). Every other castle park has one (save for Shanghai, for now), and it would seem awkward not to keep Disneyland involved, too. Here are the other parks' kiddie coasters:

• The Great Goofini (Magic Kingdom)
• Gadget's Go Coaster (Tokyo)
• Casey Jr. - Le Petit Train du Cirque (Paris)
• RC Racer (Hong Kong)

So it would seem weird that almost every park has a kiddie coaster but Disneyland. And let's not forget that this would also mean the end of the Mickey and Minnie meet-n-greets as they are known today. But I digress.

If the Runaway Railway does go in (as per the current rumor), then it makes no sense to do my concept. One reason why I am so critical of everything I do in Imagineering is because I want to do it as if it could plausibly happen. It's really no fun coming up with rides for parks and then reality ensues with different ideas that take the space away.

 

[AceAstro]

The rumor is that the Runaway Railway concept could be happening, and if it is, there really won't be much reason to do my concept, since it's the same basic thing, but with shorts from a different time period, one that, admittedly, is probably too far gone for the company (we'll be lucky to get at least one short on TCM's Disney Vault night).

On an unrelated matter, while on the subject of the rumored location, I'm also not fond of losing a kiddie coaster for this, either (granted, it could be rethemed to not be themed to something outdated, but even so...). Every other castle park has one (save for Shanghai, for now), and it would seem awkward not to keep Disneyland involved, too. Here are the other parks' kiddie coasters:

• The Great Goofini (Magic Kingdom)
• Gadget's Go Coaster (Tokyo)
• Casey Jr. - Le Petit Train du Cirque (Paris)
• RC Racer (Hong Kong)

So it would seem weird that almost every park has a kiddie coaster but Disneyland. And let's not forget that this would also mean the end of the Mickey and Minnie meet-n-greets as they are known today. But I digress.

If the Runaway Railway does go in (as per the current rumor), then it makes no sense to do my concept. One reason why I am so critical of everything I do in Imagineering is because I want to do it as if it could plausibly happen. It's really no fun coming up with rides for parks and then reality ensues with different ideas that take the space away.

What I’m saying is what if we did this to be what would go into Disneyland instead of Mickey’s Runaway Railway. If it goes in the same rumoured area (where Roger Rabbitt’s is so the opposite side of ToonTown) then the kiddie coaster stays and we can do the ride based off of the old shorts so it fits the proper land theme.

 

[mharrington]

What I’m saying is what if we did this to be what would go into Disneyland instead of Mickey’s Runaway Railway. If it goes in the same rumoured area (where Roger Rabbitt’s is so the opposite side of ToonTown) then the kiddie coaster stays and we can do the ride based off of the old shorts so it fits the proper land theme.

With the current rumor of the Runway Railway going in, it makes no sense to me to just abruptly suggest a different, yet similar, idea of my own, no matter how fun it may be to do. It's the same basic idea, just based on the Flash cartoons rather than the old shorts. Besides, I have a feeling that if it were to go in Toontown, it would mostly emphasize Mickey's milestones (i.e., "Steamboat Willie", "The Band Concert", "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", etc.). I also feel that to do black-and-white mostly in this world would be somewhat out of place.

To me, the Runaway Railway concept and my concept are the same thing. When the rumor mill is going on, I try not to get too involved. But I digress...

Anyway, to further emphasize my idea of Mickey's home in Carolwood as part of Storybook Circus, maybe Mickey decides to have his house get involved, but Pete decides that his house's artifacts should be "livened up" somehow and brings them to life. For some reason, it turns them to black-and-white, so Mickey has to restore order. In a way, it could be akin to "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", but with Mickey as Yen Sid. It's still being worked on.

What do you think of that?