Tux
Well-Known Member
SPROOKJESBOS/FAIRYTALE FOREST
Being one of the main pinnacles of the park itself, this giant diorama of European fairytales is quite stunning despite it's age for it's beauty and the serene peacefulness of the area. I'll admit, when I first heard of it, I thought it would be one of the minor attractions of the park, but, I was wrong about that. Everyone seems to love this part of the park, and for the reasons stated before, it's not hard to see why. Plus, there seems to have been put in lots of effort to make this dream of a section come true. That being said, I would like to refine this area since it could use some more polish.
For the Sleeping Beauty section, I would like to add a couple of climbing roses on the sides of the castle, a feature originally intended for the walls before evergreen ivy was decided to be a better option due to it's quick growth. The Climbing Roses should be introduced when fully grown, similarly to the tactics the Disney Parks use when planting actual flora in the parks, but, it was especially heavily used in Animal Kingdom in order to make the area feel more grounded and older than it actually was. As additional content, I would like to add in a figure of the Prince standing around in the corner of the room to complete the Diorama.
As for Herald's Square, I would add two more castle towers around the area, one on each side, although keep them small and away from the main paths. I just think the added addition would make the area feel more in touch while not completely taking away the nature aspects of the square.
For The Frog Prince Scene, the concrete surrounding the frog fountains makes the area feel much more synthetic in contrast to the rest of the Dioramas in the park, Keep the cobble stone center, but instead redo the section by planting flora all around the frogs, since the concrete and plaster doesn't contrast very well in this case.
The Snow White Scene has already recently been renovated and is absolutely gorgeous and I feel like there isn't much more that could be added to this scene. It's already perfect and has recently been renovated. Give it a break.
As for De Magische Klok, the only thing I would do is trim the vines on the towers. I think they look okay, but, only in moderation. I don't want to get rid of them completely since this is supposed to be a forest, but, it looks a tad strange for the princes to look shining and new while the Clock Tower looks like it hasn't seen a gardener in ages.
Next up is the Dwarf Village, which I would briefly take down for a quick building repaint since the exterior's paint is starting to dull now, which works for the limestone parts of the town since it makes it look natural in a way, while the current state of everything else look much and adding the new coat would make it look slightly more whimsical like the forest tries to be itself. Also, I would disguise the barriers better with more shrubs and bushes, since it breaks immersion when you tend to look at it.
After that is The Six Servants Diorama, in which I would restore Bullet-Eye as his full figured self instead of him just being shoved into a nearby kiosk, but, keep the blindfold as it's in character. Also, I would add in the other four servants just because it would be neat to have a complete set of characters here.
The Chinese Nightingale diorama was made excellent by the expanded room space it was given after being moved to a new area, but, with that said, I dislike how empty the space in the room is, so let's preferably add in some new furnishings and décor, since the negative space is really distracting, but make sure the new furnishings are in the corners of the room in order not to detract focus from the set. Then I would fix the position of the Emperor prop in the room so his neck isn't so rigid and uncomfortable looking. Finally, let's make the titular Nightingale more visible to the audience in this scene so you can actually see it.
I would retitle The Talking Parrot to The Naughty Princess since that's primarily what the entire sequence is about. Sure, people may not be expecting a parrot, but, I would rather them think they've been mislead and find out the context to why the thought that and why that wasn't true than them thinking it's exactly what the title says and being mislead about how it's more than that. Also, I would replace the statue of the Macaw that's currently there with an actual Audio Animatronic that's kept under a rooftop so it isn't damaged by weather elements. Preferably I'm thinking of the Animatronic bird being kept under a brick shed with one of the fronts of the shed open where guests can walk in. There would still be ivy growing all over the backdrop, and the bird would be on the branch, where the bird would use mechanics similar to the Tiki Bird animatronics but without the clicking, and the sign would still remain but would be infront and on top of the shed.
The Mother Hulda set is doing quite well as of now, and so, I would leave it alone as it's still in near perfect condition, plus the inclusion of the Animatronic in the winter and how it ties in with the story is extremely brilliant.
Same goes for the absolutely amazing performance of The Red Shoes set as well, along with the brilliant technology that's utilized. Seriously, two rotating discs with magnets is all it took? That's absolutely amazing!
The Little Red Riding Hood set doesn't need too much of a refurb, but, I would just add in safety measures so the Little Red Figure doesn't get stolen for the third time (Seriously?? Why??) and update Krakeeltje to look more like a real life crow, though keep the structure and movement the same otherwise. The white around his eyes can stay, but I would just make his underbelly black.
As for the Hansel and Gretel set, I would give the whole building a thorough repaint and redesign in general so it doesn't look as old and as obviously painted in the first place, mainly through fixing the texture of the building which makes the "candy" on the exterior look flat, and fix some of the roof paint so it doesn't look like the tiling was just painted on without a care, while making the roofs stand out more in the process and not so faded. Also, I would reposture Gretel's figure so it actually looks like she isn't just mentally saying "Long Live The King" to her trapped brother who is about to be cannibalized presumably.
The wishing table is in solid condition, so it may stay as in it's current state, plus it's basically the whole tale explained in one statue so, no new content can be added..
I would also say the same for Guinevere's Bridal Gown, but, I would trim some of the tree branches surrounding the top of the structure.
The Gardener And The Fakir is also in pristine condition, and I don't think the current state of it could be topped right now, with the beauty of the building and how clean it looks, the technical effects, and the story that it tells.
The Indian Water Lillies are absolutely stunning, but, I would improve the dolls within all the lillies so the poles that they're attatched to and the mechanics of them are less obvious, as well as giving them a new paint job and more joint movements so they look less robotic and so they look more lifelike. The new paint job is only there because I think that they can be improved with this new budget.
Moving on, The Little Mermaid would probably see a total redo of the Mermaid statue, with the lower portion of the body remaining the same since it works, but having the upper human portion redone so the mermaid doesn't look like a dead-eyed doll with her eyes drifting apart in this case.
Next up, for The Wolf And The Seven Kids, I would just fix the proportions of all the animals and add proper pupils and teeth to them so they don't look so uncanny, as well as flattening their skulls so they don't look like they're swollen.
Now, The Dragon set is absolutely wonderful as it is of now. The only things I would add are perhaps expanding the wingspan of the dragon and giving it the ability to blink perhaps. The Wingspan thing is kind of petty since I just think wings that short break my immersion and look awkward, and the same goes for the blinking, but, blinking also extends immersion by making the dragon feel more alive. Also, I would give the Dragon better sfx so it isn't so obvious it's a blend of a Gorilla and a Snake, not that there's anything wrong with using the latter.
Meanwhile, The Troll King is currently at it's peak, and I wouldn't want to screw it up in an attempt to refurbish it since the entire set cost 2.6 Guilders. I would say it was worth the money since it's the most complex AA here, so let's leave it alone.
Tom Thumb is perfectly okay. While it's hard to see Tomb Thumb from most photos, it's justified since he's supposed to be smaller in scale in comparison to the giant. Otherwise, it's a perfectly average scene and I wouldn't know what else to add to this besides maybe a log, but, I figure that wouldn't work out since it's a very loose connection.
Next of all is the Rumpelstiltskin sequence, which what I would fix here is making the Rumpelstiltskin Animatronic less horrifying by actually attaching his jaw to his body and making it so his Philtrum doesn't stand out as much in comparison to the rest of his body.
The Rapunzel scene is primarily okay, but, I would just fix the Rapunzel figure so it doesn't look like someone took a picture of the character and just shrunk her entire face and stretched it inwards for gits and shiggles.
Moving on, I would fix The Little Match Girl's Special Effects so it isn't so blatant that they figures are animatronics using Pepper's ghost in the sequence, and so they don't look so old, as long as adding some much needed polish to the scene. Other than that, it's a beautiful sequence and one of the best and most memorable in the entire set.
The Cinderella scene is perfectly fine also and like most of the park, has a beautiful antique feeling to it all, but, never feels completely out of touch with reality, and so it should be left as it is as anything else feels like it would detract from the scene.
I feel similarly about the Fairy Tale Tree, but instead of just that, it also feels like the perfect mix of a cartoon as well. It reminds me of all the trees from the Wizard Of Oz but without the whole trees being a threat plot there and instead it's a source of imagination. Plus, once again, I wouldn't want to screw around with the mechanics of something that was probably extremely expensive and doesn't need fixing.
The Emperor's New Clothes set is a straight down awesome use of Puppetry, and expanding on it would feel like I would be padding an already great sequence out long past it's proper expiration. Likewise, I can't think of a way to improve the cartoon aesthetic the show has, since it's already perfect the way it is.
The Pinocchio Sequence is a very interesting use of the immediate enviroment, but, I would just replace the tentacles on the Monstrous Fish so they curve back and don't look more like tentacles or frizzled hair and more like spines or a fin more like a lionfish, since otherwise it just looks weird on the monstrous fish. I would also add a Geppetto figure leaning out in the back so it doesn't look like Pinnochio is the sole survivor of the event.
Finally, I would just leave The Six Swans as they are since it's a genuine icon for the park, and it has that whimsical, beautiful, and delicate antique fantasy look I described earlier. There isn't much I would add here since we're supposed to be the swans in the story, and I feel like the burning scene would be too graphic. So, as a slight nod, I would add the crowns to the swans, but, give it the china look the rest of the swan boats have.
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Sorry about not responding immediately. I should have the rest done by tomorrow. Does this fit in with the Trip Report type themes we're aiming for?
Being one of the main pinnacles of the park itself, this giant diorama of European fairytales is quite stunning despite it's age for it's beauty and the serene peacefulness of the area. I'll admit, when I first heard of it, I thought it would be one of the minor attractions of the park, but, I was wrong about that. Everyone seems to love this part of the park, and for the reasons stated before, it's not hard to see why. Plus, there seems to have been put in lots of effort to make this dream of a section come true. That being said, I would like to refine this area since it could use some more polish.
For the Sleeping Beauty section, I would like to add a couple of climbing roses on the sides of the castle, a feature originally intended for the walls before evergreen ivy was decided to be a better option due to it's quick growth. The Climbing Roses should be introduced when fully grown, similarly to the tactics the Disney Parks use when planting actual flora in the parks, but, it was especially heavily used in Animal Kingdom in order to make the area feel more grounded and older than it actually was. As additional content, I would like to add in a figure of the Prince standing around in the corner of the room to complete the Diorama.
As for Herald's Square, I would add two more castle towers around the area, one on each side, although keep them small and away from the main paths. I just think the added addition would make the area feel more in touch while not completely taking away the nature aspects of the square.
For The Frog Prince Scene, the concrete surrounding the frog fountains makes the area feel much more synthetic in contrast to the rest of the Dioramas in the park, Keep the cobble stone center, but instead redo the section by planting flora all around the frogs, since the concrete and plaster doesn't contrast very well in this case.
The Snow White Scene has already recently been renovated and is absolutely gorgeous and I feel like there isn't much more that could be added to this scene. It's already perfect and has recently been renovated. Give it a break.
As for De Magische Klok, the only thing I would do is trim the vines on the towers. I think they look okay, but, only in moderation. I don't want to get rid of them completely since this is supposed to be a forest, but, it looks a tad strange for the princes to look shining and new while the Clock Tower looks like it hasn't seen a gardener in ages.
Next up is the Dwarf Village, which I would briefly take down for a quick building repaint since the exterior's paint is starting to dull now, which works for the limestone parts of the town since it makes it look natural in a way, while the current state of everything else look much and adding the new coat would make it look slightly more whimsical like the forest tries to be itself. Also, I would disguise the barriers better with more shrubs and bushes, since it breaks immersion when you tend to look at it.
After that is The Six Servants Diorama, in which I would restore Bullet-Eye as his full figured self instead of him just being shoved into a nearby kiosk, but, keep the blindfold as it's in character. Also, I would add in the other four servants just because it would be neat to have a complete set of characters here.
The Chinese Nightingale diorama was made excellent by the expanded room space it was given after being moved to a new area, but, with that said, I dislike how empty the space in the room is, so let's preferably add in some new furnishings and décor, since the negative space is really distracting, but make sure the new furnishings are in the corners of the room in order not to detract focus from the set. Then I would fix the position of the Emperor prop in the room so his neck isn't so rigid and uncomfortable looking. Finally, let's make the titular Nightingale more visible to the audience in this scene so you can actually see it.
I would retitle The Talking Parrot to The Naughty Princess since that's primarily what the entire sequence is about. Sure, people may not be expecting a parrot, but, I would rather them think they've been mislead and find out the context to why the thought that and why that wasn't true than them thinking it's exactly what the title says and being mislead about how it's more than that. Also, I would replace the statue of the Macaw that's currently there with an actual Audio Animatronic that's kept under a rooftop so it isn't damaged by weather elements. Preferably I'm thinking of the Animatronic bird being kept under a brick shed with one of the fronts of the shed open where guests can walk in. There would still be ivy growing all over the backdrop, and the bird would be on the branch, where the bird would use mechanics similar to the Tiki Bird animatronics but without the clicking, and the sign would still remain but would be infront and on top of the shed.
The Mother Hulda set is doing quite well as of now, and so, I would leave it alone as it's still in near perfect condition, plus the inclusion of the Animatronic in the winter and how it ties in with the story is extremely brilliant.
Same goes for the absolutely amazing performance of The Red Shoes set as well, along with the brilliant technology that's utilized. Seriously, two rotating discs with magnets is all it took? That's absolutely amazing!
The Little Red Riding Hood set doesn't need too much of a refurb, but, I would just add in safety measures so the Little Red Figure doesn't get stolen for the third time (Seriously?? Why??) and update Krakeeltje to look more like a real life crow, though keep the structure and movement the same otherwise. The white around his eyes can stay, but I would just make his underbelly black.
As for the Hansel and Gretel set, I would give the whole building a thorough repaint and redesign in general so it doesn't look as old and as obviously painted in the first place, mainly through fixing the texture of the building which makes the "candy" on the exterior look flat, and fix some of the roof paint so it doesn't look like the tiling was just painted on without a care, while making the roofs stand out more in the process and not so faded. Also, I would reposture Gretel's figure so it actually looks like she isn't just mentally saying "Long Live The King" to her trapped brother who is about to be cannibalized presumably.
The wishing table is in solid condition, so it may stay as in it's current state, plus it's basically the whole tale explained in one statue so, no new content can be added..
I would also say the same for Guinevere's Bridal Gown, but, I would trim some of the tree branches surrounding the top of the structure.
The Gardener And The Fakir is also in pristine condition, and I don't think the current state of it could be topped right now, with the beauty of the building and how clean it looks, the technical effects, and the story that it tells.
The Indian Water Lillies are absolutely stunning, but, I would improve the dolls within all the lillies so the poles that they're attatched to and the mechanics of them are less obvious, as well as giving them a new paint job and more joint movements so they look less robotic and so they look more lifelike. The new paint job is only there because I think that they can be improved with this new budget.
Moving on, The Little Mermaid would probably see a total redo of the Mermaid statue, with the lower portion of the body remaining the same since it works, but having the upper human portion redone so the mermaid doesn't look like a dead-eyed doll with her eyes drifting apart in this case.
Next up, for The Wolf And The Seven Kids, I would just fix the proportions of all the animals and add proper pupils and teeth to them so they don't look so uncanny, as well as flattening their skulls so they don't look like they're swollen.
Now, The Dragon set is absolutely wonderful as it is of now. The only things I would add are perhaps expanding the wingspan of the dragon and giving it the ability to blink perhaps. The Wingspan thing is kind of petty since I just think wings that short break my immersion and look awkward, and the same goes for the blinking, but, blinking also extends immersion by making the dragon feel more alive. Also, I would give the Dragon better sfx so it isn't so obvious it's a blend of a Gorilla and a Snake, not that there's anything wrong with using the latter.
Meanwhile, The Troll King is currently at it's peak, and I wouldn't want to screw it up in an attempt to refurbish it since the entire set cost 2.6 Guilders. I would say it was worth the money since it's the most complex AA here, so let's leave it alone.
Tom Thumb is perfectly okay. While it's hard to see Tomb Thumb from most photos, it's justified since he's supposed to be smaller in scale in comparison to the giant. Otherwise, it's a perfectly average scene and I wouldn't know what else to add to this besides maybe a log, but, I figure that wouldn't work out since it's a very loose connection.
Next of all is the Rumpelstiltskin sequence, which what I would fix here is making the Rumpelstiltskin Animatronic less horrifying by actually attaching his jaw to his body and making it so his Philtrum doesn't stand out as much in comparison to the rest of his body.
The Rapunzel scene is primarily okay, but, I would just fix the Rapunzel figure so it doesn't look like someone took a picture of the character and just shrunk her entire face and stretched it inwards for gits and shiggles.
Moving on, I would fix The Little Match Girl's Special Effects so it isn't so blatant that they figures are animatronics using Pepper's ghost in the sequence, and so they don't look so old, as long as adding some much needed polish to the scene. Other than that, it's a beautiful sequence and one of the best and most memorable in the entire set.
The Cinderella scene is perfectly fine also and like most of the park, has a beautiful antique feeling to it all, but, never feels completely out of touch with reality, and so it should be left as it is as anything else feels like it would detract from the scene.
I feel similarly about the Fairy Tale Tree, but instead of just that, it also feels like the perfect mix of a cartoon as well. It reminds me of all the trees from the Wizard Of Oz but without the whole trees being a threat plot there and instead it's a source of imagination. Plus, once again, I wouldn't want to screw around with the mechanics of something that was probably extremely expensive and doesn't need fixing.
The Emperor's New Clothes set is a straight down awesome use of Puppetry, and expanding on it would feel like I would be padding an already great sequence out long past it's proper expiration. Likewise, I can't think of a way to improve the cartoon aesthetic the show has, since it's already perfect the way it is.
The Pinocchio Sequence is a very interesting use of the immediate enviroment, but, I would just replace the tentacles on the Monstrous Fish so they curve back and don't look more like tentacles or frizzled hair and more like spines or a fin more like a lionfish, since otherwise it just looks weird on the monstrous fish. I would also add a Geppetto figure leaning out in the back so it doesn't look like Pinnochio is the sole survivor of the event.
Finally, I would just leave The Six Swans as they are since it's a genuine icon for the park, and it has that whimsical, beautiful, and delicate antique fantasy look I described earlier. There isn't much I would add here since we're supposed to be the swans in the story, and I feel like the burning scene would be too graphic. So, as a slight nod, I would add the crowns to the swans, but, give it the china look the rest of the swan boats have.
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Sorry about not responding immediately. I should have the rest done by tomorrow. Does this fit in with the Trip Report type themes we're aiming for?
