One Little Spark Competition (Sponsored by Stealing Things)

[AceAstro]

 

[Pi on my Cake]

@spacemt354 will finish up Act 1 by being the guest reviewer for this scene too!​

 

[AceAstro]

@spacemt354 will finish up Act 1 by being the guest reviewer for this scene too!​

I thought you said it was good news

Just kidding - Excited to have you around still Space!!

 

[Pi on my Cake]

I thought you said it was good news

Just kidding - Excited to have you around still Space!!

Perhaps this'll help clear things up

 

[Suchomimus]

Spoiler: Sneak peak at upcoming reanimated collab

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Quick Announcement! I have some exciting travel plans coming up next week, but that means I won't have access to my computer on the original planned due date for prompt 3. So, in order to keep the timing of the competition steady and not have any single scene be too long or too short, I am going to push the deadline of the current scene back one day. This was already a shorter round at only 6 days. So, this makes it 7 like the first scene was.

This Scene is NOW due Saturday, 9/29 at
11:59 PM WDW Time (8:59 Disneyland Time)​

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

The Muppets Present: Great Moments in Thanksgiving History

With a historical show already present in Liberty Square that goes above and beyond to push Muppet humor into the edu-tainment, the Imagineers felt it was a no brainer to expand the brief "Great Moments in History" shows into a full blown 15 minute production. This will be achieved by temporarily closing the Columbia Harbor House for the month of November and using the sprawling upstairs windows looking out onto the land for a more lavish production featuring even more Muppet characters and some state of the art puppetry brought to life in theme parks for the very first time. Join us, shall you? As we take a look through Great Moments in Thanksgiving History starring The Muppets!

After guests gather in the outdoor seating area for Columbia Harbor House, the theme music starts up and Sam Eagle appears from the middle upper story window to introduce the show.

Sam: Four score, and seven years ago...a group of pilgrims traveled to...America! Oh America, that great land. Why wouldn't the pilgrims want to come here?

Kermit: Um...Sam...stick to the script (Kermit plays the stage manager in this show)

Sam: Right, right. Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to...

Gonzo: Great moments in history!
Piggy: Great moments in history!
Beaker: Meep meep meep meep meep meep
Ensemble: With the Muppet gang!

Gonzo: We'll have a bit of history!
Scooter: It won't be a mystery!
Piggy: The people will all love ME!

Ensemble: Great moments in history!

Swedish Chef: Herp derpy un history!

Camilla: Pock, pock pock, pock pock pock pock

Kermit: That's right! Great moments in history!

Ensemble: It's time to start the show!

In an homage to MuppetVision, a fully costumed Sweetums character rushes out to greet guests on ground level.

Sweetums: Oh, hum de dum. Look at me! I'm just a little pilgrim!

Sam: Sweetums! We can't cast you as all the pilgrims.

Sweetums: Daaaaw. We can't.

Kermit: Uh...sorry Sweetums but I thought we agreed that the best Muppets to play the pilgrims would be...

Kazoo theme of Great Moments plays as a row of Penguin puppets charges through the windows all in pilgrim outfits.

Sweetums: Penguins?!?! Are you kidding me Kermit? They can't even act.

The penguins get agitated and squawk and Sweetums through the windows.

Sam: Get off the performance space, Sweetums!

Kermit: Not to be a downer Sweetums but we did go over this in multiple production meetings.

Sweetums: You mean the production meetings I keep missing because you guys keep driving off without me.

Piggy: Oh Sweetums, sweety. That gag was just in the original Muppet movie. We love you. We wouldn't leave you behind!

Honeydew: You really must get over your bitterness, Sweetums. The original Muppet movie was seven Muppet motion pictures ago.

Sweetums: Well if the penguins are playing the pilgrims, can't I be like...the MAIN pilgrim!

Sam: You DUNCE! There's no MAIN pilgrim. You're missing the point entirely! This is AMERICA! Where no one stands above anyone else.

Suddenly the windows open on Satler and Waldorf in British regalia.

Satler: If only you had a leg to stand on!

HAHAHAHAHA

Fozzie: Oh no, not these guys!

Waldorf: You thought you were rid of us, Muppets. Just by moving to America.
Satler: Think again!
Waldorf: Were gonna tax...the daylights out of you!

Chip the IT guy runs around the windows with a bag with a dollar sign on it just repeating "taxes...taxes...taxes" handing out slips of paper to the pilgrims.

Kermit: Um...guys. Isn't this more the American Revolution than the story of Thanksgiving?

Suddenly curtains open on a new window and fans of Hamilton might recognize a familiar piano refrain as Uncle Deadly takes the stage as King George.

Deadly: You say....the price of my love's not a price that you're willing to pay.
You cry...in your tea which you hurl in the sea when you see me go by.
Why so sad? Remember we made an arrangement when you went away.
Now you're making me mad. Remember despite our enstrangement, I'm your man...

You'll be back.
Can't you see...
You'll remember you belong to me...

Lin: Stop the music!

Suddenly a human actor resembling Lin Manuel Miranda rushes to the center of the ground level performance space.

Kermit: Ladies and gentlemen Mr. Lin Manuel Miranda, or at least an actor that resembles him I'm not sure. Yaaaaaaaay!

Lin: Thanks Kermit! And look, I love the Muppets. If you guys ever make a third Muppet movie with James Bobbin then well...to quote King George...I'm you're man!

Sam: What can we do for you Lin?

Lin: Well, huh huh. Two things Sam. One, I believe the Pilgrims happened hundreds of years before the American Revolution so this whole King George scene makes no sense and also...what gives using my song without permission guys? I mean, I love Disney. Hashtag Little Mermaid 2020 ya'll...but come on, give a common courtesy of an ask, Kermit.

Kermit: Sorry Lin. Would you like to be the main pilgrim.

Lin: I thought you'd never ask! (Sweetums yells "Heeeeeey!" from off stage)

Lin: Anywho folks. The Pilgrims traveled to America to escape religious tyranny.

Sam: Someone's getting a little contro-verse-ee-al...

Lin: When the pilgrims arrived at Plymouth via the Mayflower, they were greated by.

Piggy: The great princess Pocahontas!

Lin: Um...not quiet, Piggy.

Piggy: What?!?! You're saying I can't be in this show.

Lin: Once again, different...um...century from the pilgrims. Guys you really need to get your history right.

Piggy: I'll show you!

Meanwhile Gonzo and Camilla appear in another window.

Gonzo: Come on Camilla. You'll be perfect as the turkey. It's the star role!

Sweetums: Lin can't be the main Pilgrim. I'm the main pilgrim!

Piggy: Come on Kermie, you can be my John Smith.

Deadly (in a Ratcliffe costume): My name is Governor Ratcliffe. I'm the villain trying to tear Pocahontas from her love John Smith.

Lin: Actually, Ratcliffe wasn't a bad guy at all in real life. Disney just used him because his name sounded like a villain name. If anything social prejudice was the real villain of that story.

Kermit: Why are we even entertaining this?

Sam: Then the great native warrior Kokoum spotted Pocahontas with John Smith and charged at the stranger with his bride to be.

Kermit: Sam you're supposed to be on my side. Were getting off track.

Fozzie (wearing a racoon mask): I'm Meeko, the comic relief. Wakka Wakka!

Lin: EVERYONE QUIET!

The performers all freeze as Rolfe starts playing an emotional song on piano.

Lin: This isn't about Pocahontas. This is about Thanksgiving! The fact is...

Sam: When the pilgrims arrived on Plymouth, they were greated by the resident native Americans. At first there was hostility

Robin: Ra...ra...were being hostile.

Sam: But then, everyone came together when the idea of a feast was brought up. If there was one thing the two cultures could agree on. It's food!

Were then treated to an extended sequence of the Sweedish Chef preparing the Thanksgiving meal that I won't bother to script. The last scene sees 12 muppet characters gathered around a table. Six dressed as Pilgrims, six as native Americans.

Pilgrims: Kermit, Gonzo, Sam, Scooter, Honeydew, Beaker
Native Americans: Fozzie, Piggy, Robin, Pepe, Swedish Chef, Lin

As they're saying grace, Big Mean Carl rushes to the table and lifts the table and all its contents directly into his mouth in the most impressive bit of live puppetering ever in a live setting. As a fight breaks out between all the characters, Lin and Kermit come out to wrap up the show. Kermit apologizes to Lin for things not going well. Lin says not to worry about it and he's happy to help. As that happens, Lin's goatee falls off revealing the actor to be a fake (shocker!)

Everyone gasps, distracting the scene from the chaos of the fight.

Scooter: He's not the real Lin Manuel Miranda...

Fozzie: For SHAME!

Kermit: Well folks, thanks for joining us. Things might have gotten a bit too chaotic but I hope you had a good time and learned something regardless. Join us next time for.

Sam: Great moments in history!
Gonzo: Great moments in history!
Carl: Great moments in *Belllllch*

Ensemble: GREAT MOMENTS IN HISTORY!

Fake Lin: With the Muppet gang!

 

[Pi on my Cake]

With the end of Act 1, Scene 2 tonight, we also come to the end of Act 1!

This competition will be 10 scenes over the course of 5 acts. Each act will have its own theme. Act 1 was all about big, blue sky, out of the box projects meant to help the teams get to know each other and me get to know them.

For Act 2, things are gonna get out of this world!​

Welcome to the second act of the One Little Spark Competition!

This act will have 3 Scenes!

This is where we start to get really into the meat of the competition. The warm ups and ice breakers are done, now to start the fun part!

The Scenes in this act will be made to each focus on a different aspect of armchair imagineering. Helping people to step a bit outside of their comfort zone and discover new skills or hone the skills you already have!

(The teams and names in the video are how they are now. Teams may be switched up a bit for Act 2 depending on how the current scene goes)

 

[AceAstro]

Just wanted to start this off with thank you to Team Purple for not specifying American Thanksgiving…

Thanksgiving: Around the World

(Please note all of this info is to the best of my knowledge. Some things may be incorrect but I don’t speak the ~7 languages to understand it all so trusted heavily on Google Translate)

What’s the best part of the World Showcase at EPCOT? Learning about all the various different cultures represented through the 11 countries. Did you know, 10 out of those 11 countries celebrate either their own Thanksgiving or someone else’s Thanksgiving?

Luckily, all of these days fall in between the end of September to end of November: Food and Wine Festival (if extended by two weeks).

For three weeks (the week before the holiday, the week of the holiday, and the week after the holiday), guests can find that the country’s Food and Wine Festival Booth, as well as their Table Service Restaurant, have transformed into a full celebration of their Thanksgiving Cuisine. If the country has any other traditional games or activities that happen t these celebrations, recreations of them can be found within the pavilion also during these 3 weeks.

Going clockwise in order from Mexico (also the proper way to go for Drinking Around the World), I will showcase what each country celebrates and some food you can find there:

Mexico
US Thanksgiving
November 22

It’s become more and more popular for Mexico to celebrate US Thanksgiving. Here, guests can find updates to the F&W Booth as well as San Angel Inn where some of this new, Thanksgiving cuisine could be found. These items include:​

• Roasted Chile Cornbread​
• Turkey in Mole Poblano​
• Pumpkin Empanadas​
• Mexican Eggnog​
• Cranberry Margaritas​

Norway
Hosttakkefest/ Michaelmas
September 29

For what I could find, Hosttakkefest (Norwegian Thanksgiving) and Michaelmas go hand in hand together for Norwegian celebrations. The F&W Booth and Akershus Royal Banquet Hall will get the transformation for this holiday. Luckily, there are traditional dishes that go with it:​

• Goose, not Turkey​
• Glazed Carrots​
• St. Michael’s Bannock (Sweet Bread)​
• Blackberries​

China
Mid-Autumn Festival
September 24

China’s Mid-Autumn Festival is their version of Thanksgiving. The F&W Booth and Nine Dragons Restaurant will be fully prepared for the Mid-Autumn Festival. It has some very traditional (and very delicious) food that goes with it:​

• Mooncake (the cream of the crop)​
• Duck, not Turkey​
• River Snails​
• Taro​
• Hairy Crab​

Germany
Erntedankfest
October 7

Erntedankfest is Germany’s version of Thanksgiving. This festival will transform the Biergarten and F&W Booth to reflect this holiday. Some traditional dishes you will be able to find are:​

• Beef Rouladen​
• Red Cabbage Salad​
• Blitz Torte​
• Cream Roll​
• Spätzle​
• Potato Dumplings​

Italy
Harvest Festivals
September-October

Italy has a harvest festivals all through September or October with no real, solid date due to it depending on when the Grapes are ready. Because of that, the Italian F&W Booth and Tutto Italia Ristorante will feature the freshest wines having the newest Italian grapes shipped out as soon as they are harvested.

USA
Thanksgiving
November 22

The traditional Thanksgiving. The Liberty Inn and Fife & Drum Tavern will receive the traditional Thanksgiving dishes:​

• Turkey​
• Stuffing (Dressing?)​
• Mashed Potatoes​
• Gravy​
• Cranberry Sauce​
• Pumpkin Pie​

Japan
Kinrō Kansha no Hi
November 23

The day after US Thanksgiving, the Japanese celebrate “Kinrō Kansha no Hi” or “Labor Thanksgiving Day” which is described best as a “day off”. There is no real “traditional” meal that goes along with Kinrō Kansha no Hi (except for the lack of turkey). Because of that, Teppan Edo and the Japan F&W booth will offer either the full meal seen above at Teppan Edo, or parts of it as “snacks” at the F&W booth.

Morocco
US Thanksgiving
November 22

Morocco apparently has a fair number of Americans in it as you can find people over there who celebrate it in their own way. Restaurant Marrakesh and Spice Road Table will get this Thanksgiving update. The Moroccan style dishes include:​

• Lemon and Charmoula Turkey​
• Lemon and Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce (actually REALLY good)​
• Moroccan Stuffing (includes Moroccan spices, dates, pears, and almonds)​
• Pumpkin and butter bean soup​

France
All Saint’s Day
November 1st

The trickiest one of them all. From what I could find, there is nothing like Thanksgiving over in France. I went with All Saint’s Day for two reasons: 1) it was a national holiday in the same time period as all of the Thanksgiving holidays, and 2) it had traditional food for the holiday like Thanksgiving. The France F&W Booth and and Le CHefs de France will be getting the traditional food:​

• Lamb at lunch​
• Bacon​
• Black Grain​
• Pancakes​
• Cider​

United Kingdom
Harvest Festival
September 23

The UK Harvest Festival occurs on the Sunday nearest the harvest moon (Full moon closest to the Autumn Equinox). This would all lead up to the Harvest Supper, or Harvest Home, a large meal celebrating a successful harvest. The Rose and Crown Dining Room will get the traditional food:​

• Pumpkin​
• Squash​
• Potatoes​
• And many other traditional autumn harvested foods​

Canada
Thanksgiving
October 8

My Thanksgiving. The Le Cellier and Popcorn Inn Booth will receive the traditional Canadian Thanksgiving dishes:​

• Turkey​
• Stuffing (Dressing?)​
• Mashed Potatoes​
• Gravy​
• Cranberry Sauce​
• Pumpkin Pie​

And with that, thank you for joining me on Thanksgiving: Around the World!

​

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

 

[Evilgidgit]

Mickey's Halloween Spooktacular - Disneyland Paris (of Team Purple)

Disneyland Paris celebrates the Halloween season in style, taking inspiration from Halloween Horror Nights, but on a more family friendly level. Mickey’s Halloween Spooktacular encompasses the whole of the Disneyland Park. Walt Disney Studios Park would likely have its own celebrations too, but for the sake of focus and brevity, we’ll be focusing exclusively on the main park.

In this spooky celebration of tricks, treats, monsters, and ghouls, Disneyland Paris undergoes a haunting transformation as the denizens of Halloween Town, the Disney Villains, and other creepy and kooky happy haunts take over to celebrate All Hallow’s Eve. Mickey Mouse serves as the ghost host, celebrating both the frights and fun of Halloween. Also helping Mickey are the new characters, the Frightful Friends, a trio of lovable trick-o’-treaters who may be a little too much into Halloween. The shy Sammy has come as a blanket ghost, the bubbly, bunny-eared Hop is a witch, and they are accompanied by Patch the Pumpkin Dog. At a glance, they may look like normal trick-o’-treaters, but a closer inspection shows they are a little more otherworldly. Sammy is floating off the ground, Hop has a magical touch about her, and Patch reeks of pumpkin guts…

Now, this being Disney, its own Halloween celebration won’t be as macabre and frightening as HHN. No masked lunatics running around with chainsaws. But, it will be scary, complete with scare zones, or “Frightful Friends Zones” and haunted houses in each land. Some rides will undergo themed layouts for the season, and there will be an abundance of Halloween-themed merchandise and food to purchase in most of the shops. But, we’ll be mostly focusing on the atmosphere, Frightful Friends Zones, houses, and attraction overlays.

After travelling under the train station, now covered in giant pumpkins (and turnips, a European custom) of Mickey and pals, guests can enter Mean Street. Taking inspiration from Buena Vista Street in DCA, Main Street’s turn-of-the-century theming takes on a more darker feel. Bats are bursting out of every window in sight, pumpkins and cobwebs cover the sidewalk and lampposts, and a sinister statue of the Headless Horseman has found its way into the square. Mean Street celebrates The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Hocus Pocus, since both have similar colonial feel to them, and celebrate the darker side of the original colonies.

Also decorating the streets are the annual Main Street Ghosts, appearing in and out of the shops, restaurants, and arcades to create a more comical story and environment. Characters dressed in colonial-era dress wander the streets, telling tales of the Sanderson Sisters, and the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. In the gazebo, scheduled meet and greets occur with Mickey and Minnie, dressed as a vampire and witch, the Sanderson Sisters. Ichabod Crane, and the Lonesome Ghosts respectively. The land also has street entertainment from the Dapper Dans (or the Cadaver Dans), and plays host to the Halloween parade, which we’ll get to later.

Central Plaza becomes the Domain of Doom, with topiary statues dedicated to the greatest of Disney Villains circling the central spot – the Evil Queen, Cruella De Vil, Jafar, Ursula, Gaston, Hades, Dr. Facilier, and Oogie Boogie. If you’re wondering why Maleficent doesn’t have one, it’s because the whole of Sleepy Beauty Castle is dedicated to her. The grounds and turrets of the fairy tale castle are wrapped in black and green thorns, and for now, has become Dark Beauty Castle. La Taniere du Dragon remains open, and guests can have an exclusive M&G with Maleficent within the plaza.

The stage to the right of the castle hosts a small show based around my OC characters, A History of Halloween, where they and a cast member present their own wacky take on how Halloween has changed over the centuries.

Let’s move on to Frontierland, which intermixes several American-based hauntings. First up, the Mark Twain Riverboat plays host to Mama Odie’s River Cruise, turning it into an outdoor dark ride of sorts, depicting scenery from The Princess and the Frog. Mama Odie narrates the story from the riverboat’s intercom. Dr. Facilier’s “friends on the other side” fly across the walls of Big Thunder Mountain. Mama Odie’s boathouse/treehouse appears on the other side of the river, with fireflies glowing within the branches at night. An animatronic of Louis bobs up and down in the river, playing jazzy tunes. The frog catchers are nearby in their boat. And one may even glimpse Tiana and Naveen in their frog forms on the small islands in the river.

I considered giving Phantom Manor a Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay, but decided against it, since it wouldn’t make much sense for the story. Instead, the grounds and Boot Hill serve as a walkthrough of sorts celebrating The Nightmare Before Christmas, featuring meet and greets with Jack Skellington, Sally, and Oogie Boogie.

The Lucky Nugget Saloon brings in a new stage musical, Ghosts of the Old West, featuring Madame Leota summoning a line-up of icons from the American Frontier and folklore. These include Davy Crockett, Pecos Bill, Zorro, Captain Stormalong, Paul Bunyan, and John Henry. Goofy also shows up Rip Van Winkle.

The Mexican buildings skirting around Big Thunder Mountain, including Fuente del Oro Restaurante, serve as one of the Frightful Friends Zones, with A Celebration of Coco, featuring wandering characters from the Pixar film, and a mariachi band performing songs from Coco, and traditional ones from Dia de Muertos and Mexican culture.

And finally, the section around the train station is marked with new signs and posters, welcoming guests to Gravity Falls, Oregon. I’ve dying to include the show into the parks and now was the perfect opportunity. I’m not sure how popular Gravity Falls is in Europe, but I wanted to include it anyhow. The disused Big Thunder Ranch is repurposed into the Gravity Falls haunted house – seriously, who puts a Frozen meet and greet in Frontierland?

The open field at the back has the show building for the haunted house built on it, the exterior being the Mystery Shack. Through the shop guests go, which is filled with many visual gags and references to the series. Bill Cipher has returned, causing reality to go a bit warped, and various monsters will jump guests in the corridors as they venture through the shop. The distortions in reality have caused various locations from the show to blur together. Dipper, Mabel, Gruncle Stan, Soos, Wendy, and others appear to aid guests on their way. In the final scenes, things go really crazy as Bill distorts the world, with the use of forced perspective and special effects to create some spooky illusions.

The Cowboy Cookout Barbeque is re-themed for the Halloween season to match up with Gravity Falls, as Hoo-Ha’s Owl’s Pizzamatronic Jamboree, with subtle references to the Country Bears. There is also a M&G area where guests can meet Dipper, Mabel, Gruncle Stan, and Soos.

Onwards to Adventureland. Entering through the Arabian plaza, guests enter a small Frightful Friends Zone – The Genie’s Magic Lamp Marshalling – where the Genie has gathered several fellow Djinn (from Tokyo Disneyland) to interact with guests. Jafar is also on hand, cause he’s a former genie. Special character dining experiences are also introduced at the Agrabah Café, with the characters of Aladdin appearing for M&Gs.

The small area to the east of the Hakuna Matata Restaurant celebrates African culture, with street entertainment, The Tales of Anansi. Dressed in traditional, colourful clothes of Ghana, the storytellers depict the various stories involving the spider god, using shadow puppets. Outside the Hakuna Matata Restaurant, characters from The Lion King appear, including Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed.

Baloo, King Louie, and characters from Tarzan appear in the area around Colonel Hathi’s Restaurant. A haunted house stands in the unused area beyond the Temple of Peril. Dr. Jones’ Warehouse is a large, dodgy-looking government warehouse, like the one in Raiders of the Lost Ark, and open to guests, who are met as government agents. The warehouse route passes through shelves stacked with crates (most covered in stickers and easter eggs, and allow for a few Disneyland references to be made.) The latest addition is the Idol of Mana, said to be able to petrify anyone who looks into its eyes. An evil cult, the Order of Gnysixa, breaks into the warehouse to acquire it, but causes mayhem and activates other artifacts in the warehouse. Guests must aid Indiana Jones in repelling the invaders, but their possession of the idol may be their undoing anyway.

On the spot that overlooks Skull Rock and the Jolly Roger remains a meet and greet area for Peter Pan and co., though with more emphasis on meeting Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, and other members of Hook’s crew.

And finally, Adventure Isle plays host to a unique Frightful Friends Zone. Curse of Smuggler’s Cove brings Pirates of the Caribbean to Adventure Isle. Both the cursed crew of the Black Pearl, and Davy Jones’ crew of the Flying Dutchman, roam the bridges and caverns of the mysterious island of shipwrecks and treehouses. A very immersive and spooky atmosphere, and maybe even an artificial fog is used to make the island look even more haunting and foreboding.

Fantasyland essentially becomes a giant Frightful Friends Zone, with the Disney Villains given free reign of the land. The Evil Queen can be found outside Snow White’s Scary Adventures, while Honest John and Gideon can be met outside Pinocchio’s Daring Voyage. The area around Dumbo becomes a hot spot for circus clowns dressed as firemen, and the Pink Elephants on Parade. Other fairy tale characters, mostly villains can be met for various M&Gs. The Alice in Wonderland area is flocked with the Wonderful denizens – Alice, The White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat, The Mad Hatter, The March Hare, The Queen of Hearts, The King of Hearts, the Tweedles, and Card Guards.

In front of Toad Hall, Winnie the Pooh and friends hold a honeybee party, dressed as bees, and guests can purchase British honey products. Storybook Land Canal Boats gets an overlay, with a majority of the fairy tale models being replaced with the lairs of the villains. Beyond that and Casey Jr., is the third haunted house. HHN likes to include classic horror films, and while Disney only has a handful of those, I decided to go with Return to Oz, a film which scared the pants off many. Essentially it is a walkthrough dark ride, guests travelling through Oz, down the destroyed Yellow Brick Road, through the ruins of the Emerald City where everyone is petrified, Mombi’s scary lair, and then onwards to the Nome King’s mountain for a fantastic encounter with the king as a monolithic golem.

Over in Discoveryland, Space Mountain inherits the Ghost Galaxy overlay for the season. There are two Frightful Friend Zones here. Around the Astro Orbitor and Buzz Lightyear is Jumba’s Experiment Encounter, where guests can meet Stitch and his numerous cousins, along with Jumba and Pleakley.

Towards Star Tours, the second zone dwells, March of the First Order, where guests encounter the officers and stormtroopers of the First Order, along with Kylo Ren. Mickey’s PhilharMagic, which will open soon at Disneyland Paris, gets a unique, villainous overhaul as Maleficent and co. show Mickey and Donald the darker side of orchestral magic.

The final haunted house is located within the disused Pizza Planet show building, now Monsters, Inc. CDA Chaos. Reports of human activity have been reported in Monsters, Inc., and the CDA are on hand to secure the area. The only problem is that we, the humans, are the threat, and the monsters try to scare us away out of their world. The use of the doors would allow for some immersive scenery.

Wooh! That's done. *faints*

 

[TwilightZone]

Critter Country Expansion

As part of the Thanksgiving celebrations at Walt Disney World, Tom Sawyer Island will be replaced and rethemed to Critter Country! Guests will enter an old American civilization, filled with log cabins, a restaurant, a raceway track, and a theater.

The main attraction of the new land will be American Sings Raceway. This attraction stars the famous racer Sam Jr. (not to be mistaken with any other Sams out there!) and his engineer buddy Luna the owl. Sam tells guests that he is going to host a special race, a race through time! Guests go through the beginning of America, with Yankee Doodle and the national anthem. Then through the 50s with A'int got no home and Rock and Roll music. Then through the 70's with brass in pocket and I feel love. Then through the 80s with Let's Dance and Money for Nothing. Finally, the guests go through the 90s and early 00's in a fireworks filled city with Poison and Hey Ya! The ride ends with the message that while things may change, music will always entertain.

When entering the theater, guests get to view a show called The First Thanksgiving. The First Thanksgiving is an amateur play presented by a group of animals. It recreates the first Thanksgiving in a fun and educational way, with a lot of jokes and flubs by the animal performers. It will utilize a similar technology as laugh floor, allowing for many unique shows.

The Cabin Club restaurant will feature many classic foods, such as turkey, mashed potatoes, salads, and more. It will also feature some options for the picky eaters of the family, such as burgers and pizza, but it will also feature burgers and pizza with unique, old school toppings, such as pizza topped with corn and turkey. It also has some great variety of dessert, such as cobbler and pies. At night, some guests can stay and watch fireworks out of their windows.


Overall, this expansion will provide a lot of entertainment for the family and will provide joy and fun for years to come!

 

[Outbound]

Goofy’s Thanksgiving Jumble

That’s right folks! After years and years of begging Minne, Goofy will finally be hosting this year’s ToonTown Thanksgiving! He’s been given strict instructions to ensure he doesn’t goof up. So far, so good! The food has been cooked to perfection.

There’s just one minor problem… Goofy lost the food.

He needs your help retracing his steps. On the Magic Kingdom Park Map, you’ll find six clues, one per land. For example, under Fantasyland it may say:

“We’d love to tell you where the Turkey’s at, but we keep things confidential between guests. If only you could join us…”
​

In which case, you’d head to Belle’s Castle.

At hidden locations within each land are six QR codes, each representing a classic Thanksgiving food. Scan with your phone to “add it” to your collection.

· Turkey = Fantasyland
· Mashed Potatoes = Tomorrowland
· Stuffing = Adventureland
· Cranberry Sauce = Frontierland
· Brussel Sprouts = @TwilightZone’s Critter Country, or Liberty Square
· Pumpkin Pie = Main Street USA

Once you collect all six, Goofy will ask you to meet him at the Liberty Tree Tavern. Once there, he (through the app) thanks you for the trouble and suggests you grab a Thanksgiving Meal half off!

This promotion is only available during the Thanksgiving season. You must have the Disney App with all six codes scanned to receive the half-priced meal.

 

[NateD1226]

Disney's
Award Nights!​

Awards are a big part of the entertainment industry! That is why all February long, Disney will take you into a whole new nighttime party at Disney's Hollywood Land in DCA called Award Nights! This whole new experience brings you into fun party with all your Disney pals! You can get to meet Mickey, Minnie, the News Boys, and so much more! So let us get to the changes!

Character Meet Ups
The Fab 5 come to Awards Night dressed in all gold! They want to see you in your formal attire too!

For the first time ever you can meet the band themselves... Five & Dime! they will be walking around after their shows to meet guests and tell how they came to be a jazz band! The other people you can see walking around Award Nights is the News Boys! They will be dressed in their regular attire with their newspapers ready to hand out when you go in! Last but not least are the Hollywood Land citizens! They will be their and join on your journey to the awards.

Muppets: Backstage!
​

The all new Muppet ride will replace Mike and Sulley to the Rescue! They will take you on an all new journey to get ready for the Muppet Show! The ride will close down to being the construction. When it reopens in February, you will be taken into a Limo and go backstage to visit the Muppet getting ready. Your tour guide is the one and only Rizzo. You will go into a room and see Miss Piggy putting on makeup and practicing her vocals, Kermit singing and tuning his banjo, Fozzie Bear practicing jokes and more! The ride will have an all new feature where you go into a room with a couple of other cars and watch a 30 second show from the Muppets! Then you tour backstage will be over until next time!

The Golden Castles

This all new pre-recorded show (taking over "Muppet Vision")brings all your Disney Characters together for an award night they will never forget! The Genie will be your host and will give awards like Best Villain Laugh, Best Ballgown, and more! The award will have the Disneyland Castle but in all gold! You can even get your own Castle in the gift shop outside! So come join Genie in this spectacular award ceremony and see who takes home the castle!

Oscars and Grammys

The Oscars and Grammys will be shown in the Hyperion if you a pay a little extra to see it on the Big Hyperion Screen! You can walk the red carpet before you walk in and even buy snacks to eat inside the theater! The Hollywood Land citizens may even join the party to have some fun!

Food and Beverages

Award Wieners stays exactly the same as it fits in with the theme.

Popcorn Bucket: The Golden Castle will be an exclusive bucket only for the people that go to the party.

Daisy's and Minnie's Gold Doughnut Bows: This gold dusted doughnut tastes delicious even thought it looks like a real bow!

Fozzie's Frozen Apple Cider: This drink gives you all the chills with this frozen apple cider!

Conclusion!

This party is supposed to give you great vibes and have a magical night! I hope I showed all my ideas in a great way! I hope you like...

Award Nights

 

[pixie_princess]

Picnic In The Park

Date: April 23rd 2019
Time: 2:00pm Local time
Location: Magic Kingdom Hub Grass

Event Details:

To celebrate national picnic day Magic Kingdom is getting into the spring spirit with a special one day only event. Embrace the sun and smell the flowers while soaking up the sun as you lay out your blankets in the hub and grab some lunch before the parade. Guests can purchase the special picnic package for 20$ per person day of event from Tomorrowland Terrace. Package includes 1 small basket with a sandwich (either peanut butter and jelly or turkey and cheese) a juice (apple or orange) and a snack (bag of pretzels or Babybell cheese) as well as a picnic blanket and priority seating in the hub grass. Spots will sell out fast so be sure to reserve your spot and make your dining choices early on in the day. Food and specialty seating will open up at 2:00pm so people can have enough time to get situated and eat before the 3 o'clock parade, but anyone who wants to have a DIY picnic can save their parade spot and soak up the springtime air at any time. Kick back, relax and enjoy the season.
​

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Almost done writing reviews! Had some things come up that delayed me. If anyone hasn't turned in something, but still wants to, go ahead!

@Disney Dad 3000
@FireMountain
@MonorailRed
@PerGronStudio
@Brer Oswald

 

[spacemt354]

space's reviews (Holiday edition)

These might be a bit brief, but will take them one by one based on the submissions so far.

Starting off with Team Orange you glad you posted first - Tiki you did an amazing job with the script on this project, taking an already popular show and making it better for the holiday season. First bringing to life the second floor of the Harbor House (which is one of my favorite hidden gems in the MK) and making it into a full-blown Muppet show. Very funny script and dialogue between the characters as well...and voice acting it with the podcast was an amazing touch!

Don't have too much to critqiue on it really...other than I would have liked to have seen some visuals/photoshop of the 2nd floor and the arrangement of the show. Nonetheless - great job!

To Ace with the Thanksgiving around the world - this was a very interesting one as well and score another point for Team Orange! I like the variety and the realism of it...naturally Disney would extend F&W just like they are having Halloween parties in August...anything to make that $$. And I think if presented in the right way this would be a very successful. The menus were well researched and thought out as well.

For Evil

This was a very well detailed post overall - could have definitely used a map though. Even something as simple as a google earth pic with quick stars or points of interest as you went along with the project. While I do have a sense of DLP's layout, having never been there myself I was getting a bit lost how everything would blend in and look. That being said, the visuals you did have added some assistance.

It shows you thought a lot about this and the effort is impressive - keep this up and you'll do very well in the competition!

For Twilight morphing Tom Sawyer Island into Critter Country is pretty ambitious - and actually not too bad of an idea. TSI has a ton of potential and to me, while there are hidden areas that are need (and some AAs too!) it is underused real-estate. And having a special event celebration on the island would help generate that added capacity use.

For Outbound - very nice way of including a perk towards a season event. I think that would be a nice catch for a family of 4-5 who isn't on the dining plan or something, and looking for a quick bite to eat at half off...play a game the kids will like, and eat for half-price - not a bad deal!

For Nate, an Oscar mix could be very intriguing given the location - and some nice events to go with it as well. I do wonder if the new Muppet attraction is permanent? I would assume so if it's an entirely new ride. I was under the impression this prompt was about a new element to a holiday celebration - I guess it could remain permanent, eh who knows - this is a pretty open-ended comp haha. Nice job.

Lastly, for Pix - like this as a short and sweet holiday overlay - could also see this being themed to Mary Poppins as well.

 

[Disney Dad 3000]

Almost done writing reviews! Had some things come up that delayed me. If anyone hasn't turned in something, but still wants to, go ahead!

@Disney Dad 3000
@FireMountain
@MonorailRed
@PerGronStudio
@Brer Oswald

Crap. Sorry man. Completely got lost in the day and forgot to post. I'll be home in the am and post. You don't have to count it towards the week since it will be late but will post anyway for posterity.

 

[Pi on my Cake]

​

Crap. Sorry man. Completely got lost in the day and forgot to post. I'll be home in the am and post. You don't have to count it towards the week since it will be late but will post anyway for posterity.

Totally understand. It won't count towards what team wins, but I'll make sure that it won't count against you if you're up for elimination if you post it tomorrow!

 

[Pi on my Cake]

(Sorry for delays, had some Wi-fi issues)

Team Purple Reviews

@Evilgidgit

I love how ambitious this project was! Does a great job taking the base concepts from Halloween Horror Nights and applying them to the not so scary Disney party set up. And don’t think I missed the Epic Mickey References. Overall, a great party! Disneyland Paris could use some special events like this to help drive up attendance. Mama Odie’s River Cruise and the Tales of Anansi are stand outs to me. And I love your use of original characters mixed in with the Disney ones! For the most part, everyting is great! A truly ambitious project on a grand scale. But maybe a bit too grand.

There is a LOT here. Like, a LOT. It would be hard to do all the holiday stuff in a single day even if you only do that. And that is assuming it is just available all day and not done as a part of a hard ticket event which would give you even less time. Nothing here is bad (Gravity Falls may be a bit too niche for realism, but it is a strong property that could stand on its own in this setting even if people don’t know the show. And Return to Oz may be a bit too dark). Nothing here is bad. There’s just too much here. It may have been better to go through the list of things you had planned and choose to cut some. Or spread these elements between the two parks. That being said, Paris loves walkthrough and atmospheric attractions. Any other park this would be waaaayyy too much. Paris, this doesn’t seem too far outside the realm of possibility. I would definitely advise to focus on your strongest elements going forward though and know when projects are starting to become overstuffed.

One last note, your presentation was great. Just enough detail and visual flair that I knew what was going on, but not so much detail that I was overwhelmed despite how large your project is.

@nated1226

I LOVE THIS! As a big film buff, this might be the one I’d have the most fun with.The unique character interactions seems like a great set of characters for a mix of M&Gs as well as streetmosphere. The Golden Castles was a great standout and I absolutely loved that idea! Your choice of award categories and of Genie as the host were incredible! The upcharge event to watch the actual award shows in the Hyperion was smart. Specialty food makes your project come to life and feel real. Just ambitious and outside the box enough without ever getting too crazy. Except for in one area.

Muppets:Backstage sounds amazing! But I was unclear as to whether it was replacing Monsters Inc. prermanently, or if it was just a seasonal overlay. It seems far to major of an overlay to do just for a month. Especially the shortest month of the year. The only other seasonal overlay of this scale is Haunted Mansion Holiday which is open from September to early January. If it was meant to be a permanent replacement and stay Muppets year round, than I think it sounds like a perfect upgrade that fits a lot better thematically in the land! Just gotta make sure things like that are clear.

Overall, a great project that was so clever and well done with a perfect amount of detail for a solo round and a nice, pretty, simple presentation.

@pixie_princess

I read this and I had to pause and double check that I wasn't reading a Disney Parks Blog announcement. This might shine as one of the most grounded and realistic projects of the round, while still not losing a fun, whimsical charm. This was clearly written by someone who is very familiar with how WDW operates and the kind of events they. Plus, you made an upcharge event not seem unfairly over priced! Special seating, food, a souvenir blanket. Not a bad value. And Picnic Day was a really clever, outside the box idea for a holiday to use.

Brief sidenote, I was really expecting Team Orange (having lost scene 1) to be stuck with some weird obscure holiday and Team Purple to be mostly sticking with safe and simple fall/winter holidays. It is incredibly amusing to me that Team Purple almost universally did weird, obscure holidays and Team Orange was tasked with Thanksgiving lol

Anyways, back on topic. My only real complaint is crowd control/safety issues. The special reserved seating areas will be fine, but space around the parade route is already usually pretty packed with people trying to shove each other out of the way. Encouraging guests to set up picnic blankets and eat along that route is a recipe for disaster. Not to mention the ever present risk of a Yogi Bear attack

But these issues are relatively small since the focus of your project was on upcharge event side of it. And you pulled that off beautifully in a short, simple manner. The issue just stood out more because of how grounded your project was.

Team Orange Reviews

@AceAstro

A really clever idea that does a great job adding to Food & Wine. That festival really needs something more to it, especially with food and drink booths being added to every festival now. I love how this does a great job incorporating cultural details and activities too as well the food. Would have been easy to just keep it simple, but you went the extra mile adding cultural details besides food as well as very clearly putting a lot of effort into the research of all the different holidays. You did a great job!

Events themed around food in the world showcase is maybe not the most ambitious or original idea, but you pull it off in a very clever and well put together way. This could have been fine as a very basic and simple project in just a couple sentences, but you made it into something pretty great. Still maybe not the most original idea though, as they do the same concept for Christmas already. The menu options and the effort clearly put into research helped this truly stand out.

@OutboundFlight

I love this idea! Nice and simple! Clever and unique. Well written. I don’t really have to much to say about. It is just really good. I have one or two small issues though. First off, the Magic Kingdom already has the most interactive, explore the park type games (Sorcerer’s and Pirates) as well as the least need for them (already has the most rides and the most kid focused attractions). Something like this in any other park would help a lot more. Even just take the concept to Disneyland where they don’t have any games like this (as far as I know). Also, half off your meal seems a bit steep. Maybe a smaller discount or specify that it can only be used once per party. Or even do it like the Easter Eggs/Remy games they do seasonally at Epcot where you have to pay to play the game but then you get a free souvenir at the end. Pay for the app, get the meal discount for completing the game.

Overall though, minor issues. Clever use of technology tying it to the app. Short, sweet, and to the point presentation. And just a fun idea.

@TheOriginalTiki

Let me start by saying.. Well done! A clever idea, great writing, and a really creative, ambitious, and engaging presentation! The idea of a holiday overlay for Great Moments in History is maybe not the most original idea, but the execution of it was just fantastic. You did a great job plussing the show into a real event and the Fake Lin sub plot really added a fun, unique element to it. The writing was funnier than some of the actual Muppet TV specials (Though I’m not sure if that says more about the quality of your writing or the quality of some Muppet TV Specials lol)

There may have been a bit of word overload with how nearly the entire show is scripted out. You could have achieved the same effect with less of the complete script written out. But this wasn’t really a problem here because of your video. This was already a good project, if a bit wordy, but your video did an amazing job of elevating it! What you did took a lot of courage and I have to applaud that. It turned out great! Some of your voices were definitely better than other, but the whole thing really helped make the project come to life. What could have easily became a wordy, overly long write up became a breezy, fun video that in no way felt as long as it was. You were at the end of it and it in no way felt like more than 10 minutes had passed which speaks volumes to just how entertaining and well paced your show was.

Now, that doesn’t mean there weren’t some small issues with the idea. LIberty Square has rather narrow paths. The current Muppet show causes a bit of a bottleneck already (nothing too serious, but a bit of one). Moving the show to Columbia Harbor House area (which is already more congested being near Haunted Mansion and the Peter Pan/Small World bottleneck, might cause crowd flow issues. Also, maybe a bit too much fourth wall humor for a castle park (especially with the Pocahantas stuff) that makes the show feel like it would fit in more at Studios. BUT these issues are rather small. Especially in light of how excellent this project was overall.

@TwilightZone

Perhaps the most outside the box idea of the group! I will admit, I have mixed feelings on some parts. But overall a great new little land. Adding attractions to Tom Sawyer Island and turning it into a land is a cool idea! I have concerns about crowd flow though since you didn’t mention adding a bridge or anything. So, I’m assuming that the rafts are still the main transportation option. Not that this is a huge deal, but I would’ve liked to see a bit more thought put into crowd flow on and off the island. Unless this was meant to get rid of the river entirely and no longer be an island. But if that was the case it wasn’t said.

The First Thanksgiving show is a great idea! I would love to see this as it sounds adorable and cute and funny. The Cabin Club was a great restaurant. I like the idea of the menu being a mix of traditional foods and modern twists on the classics (I have my doubts about corn and turkey pizza, but it sounds like exactly the type of trendy unique food that would be a huge hit).

The thing I have the most mixed feelings about is American Sings Raceway. Let me start by saying this would be a great attraction. A clever refresh of a forgotten classic. Unlike the Sugar Rush go kart/dark ride Team Purple did in scene 1, this ride’s scenes are focused on atmosphere over storytelling which is crucial for making a go kart/dark ride hybrid work. Well done. My problem comes from feeling like it doesn’t fit in Critter Country. The original America Sings was in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland at a time when that land was a mix of a permanent world’s fair (almost like Epcot) and sci-fi elements. Time Travel focused around celebrating culture and history fit there. Without the sci-fi or the world’s fair elements, I’m not sure how a race through time fits into Critter Country. If anything, you made the ride feel less like something from Critter Country than the original did by adding the racing. Again, amazing ride. I just don’t see the connection to Critter Country.

Overall, I have to admire and applaud your ambitious, outside the box ideas here. You made some great stuff. But maybe it was a bit too much and a bit too out there to all work together. You might have been better off just adding the show and the restaurant to Disneyland’s Critter Country rather than making a new one.​