Nintendo Ave - a new land at DHS (Up next: Sunset Blvd)

[Disney Dad 3000]

July 25, 1946 - 10:47PM
Hollywood, CA
A nondescript 1940 Plymouth Deluxe sits idling.....

Detective Sam Palmer looks intently out of the glistening front windshield as a steady rain beats down around him. The streets are quiet, save for the low rumble of his Plymouth and an occasional honking from traffic nearby........ For now.

“Three……days. Three days of this stuff. Nobody here knows what to do when it rains for three days, let alone one day. Lasted longer than most of my relationships I tell ya." *humph*

"Been here long enough to know that the citizens of this town don’t like anything messing with their perfect day. A strange town it is. Parties. Nightlife. Stars. Starlets. Glitz. Glamour. A bunch of fluff nonsense if you ask me. People love their movie stars though…..and this place is full of em…..or at least people who think they are.

New clubs……restaurants…....Seem to pop up all the time these days…Everybody in the industry loves the new spots….Even the five and dime is fancier than anything I was used to from my days in Jersey…..Keeps me busy……busier than you might think…Plenty of stuff you don’t see though…. It’s there…….If you look hard enough.

Runnin’ this beat for near 34…no 35 years now. Lots changed in that time. I got older…….heavier……..meaner most around here say. Everyone’s got a “Everything they say about me is true line”….I’m no different…….Even the made up stuff I’m sure. A good story is a good way to keep folks in line…….Or off your back.”

Sam leans forward to slightly turn up the music.

“Good tune” he mutters as he adjusts the dial before leaning back …..”Had an incident at the bowl a few months back……Band was there….Free concert…….Perks of the job and all that” he says sarcastically.

“Been busy lately……beat cops calling in all sorts of characters….something weird here…something weird there…..full moon?......the weather?.....I don’t buy it….Maybe it’s just this town.”

The Plymouth’s police radios cackles slightly in the background

“For some reason, cap thinks I need a partner…….I’ve managed to run six of em off……No reason to stop now I suppose……Some kid from back east or something…City kid…..Don’t know if they think i need help, or just trying to replace me…..Maybe a bit of both….Weird name he's got........What kind of name is Lll......”

Sam is abruptly cut off by the police radio..

“Sam… need you over at the hotel…..10-37….patrol 6 on site.”

“Again?” Sam says to the radio incredulously and no one in particular……”One of these days I’ll be able to respond back…..Probably better if I can’t I guess……Third trip this week and nothing to show for it” as he sighs to himself.

“Well…we’re off….Let’s see what kind of trouble we can find tonight.”

The headlights from Sam’s Plymouth flicker briefly before shining brightly on the parked car ahead. The rain continues to fall, pinging off the vehicle and puddling on the boulevard as he shifts and pulls slowly out into late night traffic. He eases the radio dial back up, humming to himself another tune. A small distraction to occupy the 5-minute drive on the way to his next case.​

 

[Disney Dad 3000]

 

[MickeyMouse10]

Awesome! I love what I'm seeing so far, you really get a tower of terror and noir feeling from this.

 

[Disney Dad 3000]

July 27, 1946 - 3:21PM
Hollywood, CA
Inside the bullpen of Police Precinct #6

Already on his 3rd cup of coffee since arriving on duty a few short hours earlier, Detective Sam Palmer leans back in his chair studying the patrolman’s report and his own notes from the hotel “incident” a few days earlier .....

“That amounted to a big waste of time…..Lady insisted she’d seen and heard something, but we couldn’t find any evidence to the fact……nuthin…....Besides the SOLD sign that looked new…..though even it had seen better days.” Sam takes another sip of coffee.

“Shame…..nice place that hotel, once the nicest in Hollywood…not that I’d ever stay…..Just sitting there……Looked like a few letters from the marquee were falling off…….nature really seems to have taken ahold of it lately…..Hard to imagine anyone trying to get in there……tslocked up pretty good…..Imagine some kids up to some monkey business though…..probably a little too curious to see what’s still inside I suppose.” Sam trails off as he takes a few more sips of coffee.

"Tried the county recorder’s office….See if we could check for any new owners….Their having their own issues of their own, what with a water main break flooding out the whole place…..That and the number for the agent were dead ends……Maybe that paperwork will dry out in a week or so and we can do some digging......When the new kid gets here, I already got an assignment for him"

As Sam finishes off yet another cup of coffee and files away the hotel report among the growing caseload on his desk, officers escort a tall, lanky fellow through the pen back into booking.

"Get a load of that guy." Sam mutters……"Looks like he stepped out of a Detective Comics issue in that getup…..that or he missed his calling for the silent pictures with that face."…..Sam chuckles at himself for that one and glances at his watch.

"Better get going….Got a 4:30 over at the Studio…..Seems their latest starlet hasn’t shown up for her first day of filming and the suits are worried…..Probably more about their schedule than the girl, but we’ll go check it out. This isn't unusual.... Star flakes out.... Goes "missing".....We find em a few days later.....Way things been lately?......As he looks back towards booking......"Who knows?"

With that, Sam slides back from his desk, grabs his fedora and steps out from the precinct onto the rain-soaked streets of Hollywood, now glistening under a beaming, sundrenched sky. Another mystery in Hollywood awaits.​

 

[Disney Dad 3000]

 

[Disney Dad 3000]

Aug 2, 1946 - 9:15 AM
Hollywood, CA
Sunset Blvd

Detective Sam Palmer, out for a morning cup of joe and to stretch his legs, makes his way from Hollywood towards Sunset and eventually back to his precinct.

“Aaaaaah……That’s a good cup….Sure beats whatever that stuff is back at the precinct.” Ding. Ding…..The sounds of the now distant streetcar on Hollywood Blvd fades in the distance.

“What day is it?......Last couple of weeks all been kinda running together…..Night bleeds into day……Day turns into night…….No leads on that missing actress yet…..Folks at Silver Screen didn’t have any ideas what coulda happened…..You can imagine how interviews went…..Weird though….whoever it was, made a mess………room all tossed……even the door jam was busted open on all sides.”

Now back at the precinct, Sam makes his way back into the precinct before he’s stopped by the desk sergeant.

“Hey Sam. Captain wanted me to tell you your new guy is delayed back East. Won’t be here for another few days. Knew you’d be thrilled.” the desk sergeant relays as he tries to muffle a laugh.

“Oh yeah….the new guy.” Sam mutters to himself. “Almost managed to forget about him…….This is a hot mess he’s walking into…..We got a file on this kid?” The desk sergeant shrugs in response.

As Sam sags down into the worn leather chair at his desk, he glances at a days old police bulletin strewn over a case file that can’t escape his field of vision.

​

“Not sure if we should take pride in that or not……..humph…….Most of that nonsense are my cases……or this place.” as he scans over the missing cars and the escapee from last week. “Guess at least the hotel isn’t on there……Sure the guys around town would get a kick out of us chasing our tails over nothing out there.” Sam either purposefully or tiredly misses the details on the county offices being closed, impacting his hotel "case". Before he has a minute to collect his next thought, the desk sergeant pops his head in the bullpen.

“Almost forgot to tell ya….the guys over at the Recorder's Office said the guys got that pipe issue under control…..They’ll see what they can dig up for you on that hotel after they dry out.” Sam nods at the sergeant, too weary to crack a joke or respond.

“Fine time for some new kid to show up……We obviously can use the help with all of this going on…..He better be up for it is all i got to say……Don’t need some rook slowing me down in the middle of this.” as he gestures towards the case files on his desk.

As Sam mulls all of that for a minute, he leans back in his chair, closes his eyes and hums some classic Benny Goodman to himself. A brief moment of clarity in the middle of a humdinger of a time in Hollywood.

​

 

[Disney Dad 3000]

Apologies to those of you that were following along for the gap in posts. Been dealing with some medical issues the last 2-3 weeks (Drs, hospital, etc.) and still no clue what the heck is going on with me (this after spending most of Nov/Dec trying to figure out other medical problems with no resolution). Either way, got some energy in me right now and eager to continue posting and get this project (the actual nuts and bolts) out there. Hope you enjoy!

 

[Disney Dad 3000]

Aug 6, 1946 - 3:22 PM
Hollywood, CA
Police Precinct #10

After two plus weeks of one bizarre case after another, Detective Sam Palmer shuffles his feet back towards his desk having made yet another round trip to the coffee pot. His desk, still covered in a mountain of paperwork and case files (nevermind the Captain’s reports he was days past overdue completing gradually mounding up on the corner of his desk) somehow looked different than 2 minutes prior.

Before he can utter another thought…”County just dropped off that file you’d be asking for about the hotel” boomed the desk sergeant seemingly out of nowhere as he pops his head in the doorway.. Not even remotely trying to hide his grin, he continues on “How’s that going anyway?. The desk sergeant leaves as fast as he arrived, barely covering his laugh on the way out.

There’s no secrets in the precinct and some of the boys had gotten a kick out of the oddball stories popping up about that forsaken hotel. Ms. Lumas had made no less than a dozen calls in the preceding days with tales of strange looking men seen near the property and all manner of sounds, even a womans, which made no sense at all. Place was still locked up tighter than Fort Knox and looked to be more overgrown with every passing day. Wasn’t nobody getting in there.

Sam turns back to the matter at hand…….The file from County Records. One crazy problem at time.

Sam knew a guy over at County, Jack Lewis, and if there was anything he needed in a pinch for a case, Jack could get it. Jack’s note didn’t sound promising. “What on Earth have you sent me Jack” Sam mutters to himself……”What is this?

The site plan on Sam’s desk left him a bit speechless. Sure the hotel was there, but nothing that could help him locate the owner and get that “case” off his desk. The rest of it he had no clue what he was looking at…None of it made sense….Sunset was there and the surroundings up to the hotel….heck even the coffee shop near Hollywood Blvd…but the rest of it?......”This makes no sense…What kind of mularkey is this?…..Kind of how things are going these days” Sam trails off. The water main break downtown had really done its damage as was evident from the singular file on Sam’s desk.

Tossing the “site plan” aside, Sam stares intently at the files on his desk……casually ignoring August 7th peeking up from the desktop calendar (his new partner arrives tomorrow)……..thinking…….then a thought as he abruptly barrels out of his chair towards the back wall of the bullpen…..a bulletin board square in his sites. “I wonder” he says to himself.

Sam would be busy the next few hours as the bullpen eventually became his own later into the evening…..his caseload making its way from his desk to the bulletin board….In his element, Sam’s mind is in overdrive as he mulls over every facet of his cases….keenly unaware of what new problems he would face the next day.​

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Is this for a Halloween event?

 

[Disney Dad 3000]

Is this for a Halloween event?

No, just dropping some subtle hints about the project forthcoming via the story. One more post after today's and the framework for what's ahead will be laid out.

 

[Disney Dad 3000]

Aug 7, 1946 - 1:58 PM
Sunset Blvd
Hollywood, CA

Detective Sam Palmer slowly idles his 1940 Plymouth Deluxe onto Sunset heading towards the precinct. After what seemed like months of rain (it was only 4 days), the weather has been kind the last two weeks and it’s no different today as the mid-afternoon sun reflects off the Plymouth’s hood ornament inside the cabin.

“Well that was a good waste of a lunch break.” Sam mutters, having just spent the last 2 hours at Silver Screen Studios following up on a possible lead for that missing starlet, Pauline. “Studio execs will throw anybody under the bus if it can clean up their mess…….They were so sure they had their culprit in that kid from the rigging crew…..Nevermind that he probably don’t weigh a hundred pounds soakin’ wet and couldn't have made that mess of the dressing room……had an alibi too.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Sam catches a sign for a new jazz joint opening around the corner. “She couldn’t have been spotted there could she” as he nods towards the sign. “Sure would make my day.” he finishes. Now back at the precinct after the short drive from the Studio, Sam slips through the front door and makes a beeline for his desk, but not fast enough to avoid the sergeant on duty.

“Got a patrol over at the Lane estate……Know you just got back, but Cap needs you over there to check things out……Lane's asked for you specific......And oh yeah, your partner’s here.” Sam doesn’t even look up as he heads back towards his desk, motioning in the vague direction of the slender fellow waiting in a chair nearby he didn’t notice upon entering.

Back in the bullpen, Sam gazes at the bulletin board that had become a window into his case file world and was about to get bigger. “Detective Pal…..” Sam quickly shuts down his new partner with a wave of his hand. “Not now kid…..We’re up….We can chat on the way…...Nothing like jumping in on your first day.” as he casually glances back at his new partner, quickly sizing him up from head to toe.

“What’s with the hat?” he queries without waiting for a response. “Spare desk over there, Go ahead and drop your folder and stuff…..You’ll have your hands full when we get to the Lane’s, for whatever awaits us”.

As Sam’s new partner quickly discards his things, the duo exits the precinct for the short drive to the Lane Estate, one of Hollywood’s many unique properties, and soon to be another spot on the bulletin board.​

 

[MickeyMouse10]

Geez, that's awesome! Very creative!

 

[Disney Dad 3000]

Aug 7, 1946 - 2:13 PM
Hollywood, CA

The drive to the Lane Estate was fairly uneventful for Detective Sam Palmer and his new partner, fresh from the Brooklyn Detective School (maybe Sam should’ve looked at that folder first). Sam was quiet, still annoyed at getting saddled with a partner, and his cohort too intimidated to utter a sound. The sign of dark clouds rolling in certainly didn’t help his mood.

“Here’s the thing kid” Sam starts as he parks in the estate’s driveway, finally looking over in the passenger seat, “I don’t know what kind of stuff you’ve been exposed to back East, but you’re gonna find Hollywood to be a different animal……Especially of late.” Sam finishes as they exit his Plymouth.

Walking down a manicured path towards the home, he picks back up, “Take this place…..Eccentric folks here and a house to match….The parties they throw are pretty legendary around town…..Big themed ones, in every nook and cranny of the place from what I hear…….All kinds will pop in….Studio people…… acrobats…..magic acts….musicians” Sam cuts off as they approach a pair of patrolmen near the homes turret. “Hey Jimmy…..Jack” Sam nods towards the pair, “What’s the word?”

“Hey Sam….Station got a call from the butler this morning….Owners were throwing one of their shindigs last night, and as was custom, gave staff the night off once things were all set up…..Apparently some of the staff stuck around for a late night card game and went to take a peek…..And well…..You’re gonna have to talk to them yourself…..They’re all a bit spooked.”

Shaking his head, Sam looks around at nothing in particular as a light drizzle bounces off his fedora. “What about the owners….talked to them yet?” “That’s the thing Sam, the owners aren’t here. Butler says he’s never actually met the folks. He and the staff keep the place and grounds up, but all their communication with the owner is via note, or through the owner’s attorney.” Patrolman Stansik finishes, bracing for the reaction from the detective.

Before Sam can respond, another patrol car pulls up in the drive and an officer sprints up to the crowd gathered outside the home. “Detective.....”, the officer pauses momentarily to catch his breath, “Station got another call about that hotel case of yours…..You're gonna want to get over there.”

Laughing in spite of the absurdity of it all, Sam steadies himself for a moment, looking up towards the imposing home before him, and back at his partner of all of 2 hours. “Looks like yer jumping in headfirst today kid……Get these guys notes, start interviewing the staff, and I’ll get back here as soon as I can...... You got it?” Sam queries. Not giving his partner a chance to respond he picks back up, “Guys this is Detective Lu……How’s that go again?” he says looking over at his partner. “Nevermind….You guys all introduce yourselves, I’ve got a date with a hotel apparently” With that Sam makes a beeline for his car.

Pulling out of the drive, the rain begins to intensify ever so slightly, and a light fog seems to have rolled in. Headlights ablaze, he continues on as visibility worsens with every passing second.

Screeeeeeeech. Sam slams on the breaks muttering to himself. Did he miss his turn? Guess it would be possible in this fool weather that popped up, but he’d been in Hollywood long enough to never get lost. As he threw the Plymouth in reverse, he slammed on the brakes again. He was long past annoyed at this point. He should be near Sunset by now, but where was his turn?

Up ahead, the lights from his Plymouth illuminated several large, shadowy figures crossing before him. Unable to make head nor tails of where he was, and what was going on, Sam makes an executive decision and exits his vehicle into the elements, flashlight in hand. It was mere steps before he came upon an intersection, and he could faintly make out the words Sunset Blvd above him. As the low-lying fog out of nowhere slowly dissipated around him, the full signage begins to come into focus, bringing even more questions than answers………

​

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Um. Universal has Nintendo.

 

[Miru]

Maybe Capcom Avenue would work instead? Or Squeenix? Both companies have notable IP involvement with Disney, aside from the fully in-house ones (even moreso than Disney’s in-house games like Epic Mickey or Spectrobes, really) Or are you going with the alternate universe where Universal got Sony/Microsoft on board?

 

[Disney Dad 3000]

What? How? #BlameTegan

In all seriousness, @Tegan pilots a chicken was running What If about this time a year ago and threw out the prompt of bringing Nintendo to DHS or DCA, assuming in this fictional universe that Disney had the rights to the IP.

While I wasn’t in the competition, the ideas that will come forward as this DHS expansion is fleshed out were my first thoughts (I'm not sure why) as the teams themselves were busy at work producing a couple of great lands. I’m not a Nintendo expert by any means, but I have this forum to thank for various Nintendo prompts over the years (looking at you Jungle of Pixels) to broaden my palate beyond the OG Nintendo titles I adore and current affinity for PC gaming.

Some of my ideas are bound to be a bit different, but what will unfold intrigued me as a challenge. Nintendo the land as a concept, is still a relatively new phenomena with the first Super Nintendo Land opening in Japan in 2021 and similar constructs opening in Hollywood and on the way for Singapore and Orlando.

They, and video game projects in general for theme parks normally follow a similar path. Place guests inside these digital worlds, essentially making them part of the game. By all accounts, it’s a successful model, and while there are myriad nitpicks here and there, what they’ve done is very, very good, though I’m most looking forward to the Donkey Kong coaster seeing the light of day. With Nintendo Ave though, we are going to do something a bit different.

I adore the place setting of the entry to Disney’s Hollywood Studios along Hollywood and Sunset Boulevard’s. That era has always intrigued me, from the architectural styles, the music, changes in moviemaking, etc. It’s a rich time period to pull from.

I thought to myself, instead of bringing the worlds of Nintendo to life, what if we brought Nintendo and its characters to our world? Not just any world though. What if we brought them to a time, and place that was also foreign and unique to most park guests? The decor, the music, the clothes will all be a bit different for our characters sure, but we’ll keep their core identity (still in video game form) and their stories gamers have come to know and love.

What if we brought Nintendo to Disney’s Hollywood Studios? What if we didn’t just bring them to DHS, but what if we brought them into the Hollywood era that never was, and always will be?

That’s how Nintendo Ave was born, and hopefully you got a taste of it from our little backstory/marketing leading up to the park announcement. Nintendo Ave will be a new expansion and extension of the park, but tie directly into the theme and time period of Sunset and Hollywood Boulevards in a fun and unique way (hopefully). There will be lots of new stuff, and a retheme or two as well. While Nintendo is not taking over the entire park, it did lead to further ideas that you will (eventually) see fleshed out with changes to Animation Courtyard and in current backstage areas to tie multiple lands and areas together.

That’s it. In a nutshell (a big one). We are taking Nintendo to Hollywood and the 1940s. Enjoy!

What clues (if any) did you catch from the busy days of one Sam Palmer?​

 

[Tegan pilots a chicken]

View attachment 792672

What? How? #BlameTegan

In all seriousness, @Tegan pilots a chicken was running What If about this time a year ago and threw out the prompt of bringing Nintendo to DHS or DCA, assuming in this fictional universe that Disney had the rights to the IP.

While I wasn’t in the competition, the ideas that will come forward as this DHS expansion is fleshed out were my first thoughts (I'm not sure why) as the teams themselves were busy at work producing a couple of great lands. I’m not a Nintendo expert by any means, but I have this forum to thank for various Nintendo prompts over the years (looking at you Jungle of Pixels) to broaden my palate beyond the OG Nintendo titles I adore and current affinity for PC gaming.

Some of my ideas are bound to be a bit different, but what will unfold intrigued me as a challenge. Nintendo the land as a concept, is still a relatively new phenomena with the first Super Nintendo Land opening in Japan in 2021 and similar constructs opening in Hollywood and on the way for Singapore and Orlando.

View attachment 792671

They, and video game projects in general for theme parks normally follow a similar path. Place guests inside these digital worlds, essentially making them part of the game. By all accounts, it’s a successful model, and while there are myriad nitpicks here and there, what they’ve done is very, very good, though I’m most looking forward to the Donkey Kong coaster seeing the light of day. With Nintendo Ave though, we are going to do something a bit different.

I adore the place setting of the entry to Disney’s Hollywood Studios along Hollywood and Sunset Boulevard’s. That era has always intrigued me, from the architectural styles, the music, changes in moviemaking, etc. It’s a rich time period to pull from.

View attachment 792670

I thought to myself, instead of bringing the worlds of Nintendo to life, what if we brought Nintendo and its characters to our world? Not just any world though. What if we brought them to a time, and place that was also foreign and unique to most park guests? The decor, the music, the clothes will all be a bit different for our characters sure, but we’ll keep their core identity (still in video game form) and their stories gamers have come to know and love.

What if we brought Nintendo to Disney’s Hollywood Studios? What if we didn’t just bring them to DHS, but what if we brought them into the Hollywood era that never was, and always will be?

That’s how Nintendo Ave was born, and hopefully you got a taste of it from our little backstory/marketing leading up to the park announcement. Nintendo Ave will be a new expansion and extension of the park, but tie directly into the theme and time period of Sunset and Hollywood Boulevards in a fun and unique way (hopefully). There will be lots of new stuff, and a retheme or two as well. While Nintendo is not taking over the entire park, it did lead to further ideas that you will (eventually) see fleshed out with changes to Animation Courtyard and in current backstage areas to tie multiple lands and areas together.

View attachment 792669
That’s it. In a nutshell (a big one). We are taking Nintendo to Hollywood and the 1940s. Enjoy!

What clues (if any) did you catch from the busy days of one Sam Palmer?​

Thanks for the shout out!

This is truly an awesome concept!!! I can’t wait to read more of this!!

 

[WaltWiz1901]

This is going to be really interesting...and not just because of the surface-level what-if

 

[Solaris Knight]

This is such a oddball idea that I respect it so much.

 

[JokersWild]

This is so unique. Can’t wait to see it!