So, You Want to be an Imagineer: An Imagineering Competition (Season 13: Get a Clue)

[TheOriginalTiki]

Greetings fellow Armchair Imagineers! It's my pleasure to welcome everyone to the long awaited 13th season of So, You Want to be an Imagineer. This is the seminal Armchair Imagineering competition that started it all and ran for twelve seasons on visionsfantastic.com and sywtbai.com. Now, it's back.

I'm very happy to launch our 13th season on the WDWMagic Imagineering forums. Throughout the last two years I've been a part of this community and seen it evolve and bring in a lot of talented newcomers, many of which are part of this exciting cast.

This season, being lucky number 13 and all, will be themed around projects leaning on the supernatural and horror side of things with an even mix of Disney and Universal challenge prompts. The game will have a narrative driven element to it revolving around the Society of Explorers and Adventurers and Mystic Manor. There will be several twists including the terrifying and allusive Museum of the Weird. All will be revealed in due time.

For now, be sure to tune in to our cast assessment at midnight eastern time tonight where @JokersWild and I will be announcing who is on which of the THREE teams as well as doing our traditional pre-game fantasy draft!


The teams and full cast list will be posted on this thread as soon as the live show is over. During the live show we'll also be announcing the winner of the first key to Walt's Vault as well as what's inside the vault and the twist that it will entail for the first round.

Each round, teams will work in private conversations developing and brainstorming ideas based on challenge prompts.

Each round every team has to pick a project leader to officially guide the brainstorming and turn in the project. In the event a team looses, the team leader is held partially responsible for the loss and must choose two other team members to nominate for elimination. The remaining team members vote between the three nominees and whoever has majority of the votes gets eliminated.

The winning team leader gets to choose one person from their team to have the Power of MVP (PoMVP for short) which means they cannot be nominated for elimination the previous round. You can only be team leader once until everyone on your team has done so.

If you have any other questions please feel free to ask.

The teams, project one prompt, and Walt's Vault event will be announced in this thread immediately after tonight's podcast!

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

And without further adieu, here are the teams!

Team Gracey
@spacemt354
@David2319
@SandyClaws
@iamaninsomniac
@Angels and Disney's
@Disneylover123

Team Hightower
@Basketbuddy101
@englanddg
@DSquared
@disneydf
@mickeyfan5534
@FigmentPigments

Team Mystic
@MonorailRed
@RMichael21
@KingOfEpicocity
@IAmNotAHufflepuff
@Flippin'Flounder
@Poe Dameron

Project One
Dark Clouds
Blue Skies

I hope you enjoy looking at the classic lineup of Universal Monsters, because you will NOT be designing attractions around them this round! Instead, teams will be creating full blown attractions out of some of the most iconic franchises in recent horror history. Here's a list of some of the franchises teams are allowed to use.
​

-A Nightmare on Elm Street
-Friday the 13th
-Insidious
-Saw
-The Conjuring
-Jeepers Creepers
-A Texas Chainsaw Massacre
-Gremlins
-Monster Squad
-Young Frankenstein
-Child's Play
-The Purge
-Halloween
-Alien
-The Evil Dead
-Final Destination
-Paranormal Activity
-Paranorman/Coraline
-Resident Evil
-Scary Movie (Keep in mind horror comedies are welcome!)

There are just the most notable examples off of Wikipedia. If teams come up with an idea that's not on the list just run it by the judges. The only rule is that it must be a MODERN horror franchise and not part of the classic black and white Universal Monsters lineup.

As for the parameters of the attraction? Universal is having a huge success with Halloween Horror Nights and taking their claim as a top destination from horror fans and thrill seekers in October thanks to their state of the art mazes. The Walking Dead will be getting a year-round maze opening this summer as part of branching off into doing horror throughout the season. This project takes that to the next level.

This round, the Armchair Imagineers will be designing an E Ticket caliber attraction that is NOT a walk-through based on one of these franchises. It's your choice which park to work in out of Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Florida, or Universal's Islands of Adventure.

Here is the grading rubric...

Creativity: /10
Realism: /10
Detail: /10
Presentation: /10
Group Work: /10
Total: /50

Good luck Armchair Imagineers. This project is due Friday, July 1st at 11:59 PM Eastern time.

​

 

[Daveeeeed]

And without further adieu, here are the teams!

Team Gracey
@spacemt354
@David2319
@SandyClaws
@iamaninsomniac
@Angels and Disney's
@Disneylover123

Team Hightower
@Basketbuddy101
@englanddg
@DSquared
@MANEATINGWREATH
@mickeyfan5534
@FigmentPigments

Team Mystic
@MonorailRed
@RMichael21
@KingOfEpicocity
@IAmNotAHufflepuff
@Flippin'Flounder
@Poe Dameron

Project One
Dark Clouds
Blue Skies

I hope you enjoy looking at the classic lineup of Universal Monsters, because you will NOT be designing attractions around them this round! Instead, teams will be creating full blown attractions out of some of the most iconic franchises in recent horror history. Here's a list of some of the franchises teams are allowed to use.
​

-A Nightmare on Elm Street
-Friday the 13th
-Insidious
-Saw
-The Conjuring
-Jeepers Creepers
-A Texas Chainsaw Massacre
-Gremlins
-Monster Squad
-Young Frankenstein
-Child's Play
-The Purge
-Halloween
-Alien
-The Evil Dead
-Final Destination
-Paranormal Activity
-Paranorman/Coraline
-Resident Evil
-Scary Movie (Keep in mind horror comedies are welcome!)

There are just the most notable examples off of Wikipedia. If teams come up with an idea that's not on the list just run it by the judges. The only rule is that it must be a MODERN horror franchise and not part of the classic black and white Universal Monsters lineup.

As for the parameters of the attraction? Universal is having a huge success with Halloween Horror Nights and taking their claim as a top destination from horror fans and thrill seekers in October thanks to their state of the art mazes. The Walking Dead will be getting a year-round maze opening this summer as part of branching off into doing horror throughout the season. This project takes that to the next level.

This round, the Armchair Imagineers will be designing an E Ticket caliber attraction that is NOT a walk-through based on one of these franchises. It's your choice which park to work in out of Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Florida, or Universal's Islands of Adventure.

Here is the grading rubric...

Creativity: /10
Realism: /10
Detail: /10
Presentation: /10
Group Work: /10
Total: /50

Good luck Armchair Imagineers. This project is due Friday, July 1st at 11:59 PM Eastern time.

​

Love that you included tot Tokyo, HM dl, and mm Hong Kong.

 

[spacemt354]

Here be my project!

Kilimanjaro Safaris

Born in London during the mid-late 1800s, Sir Claudius T. Clarke had a keen sense for exploration and adventure. Since the age of 9, Claudius would accompany his father on sight-seeing expeditions into the African savannas. His father was an avid animal enthusiast, and loved witnessing the animals in their natural habitats. The fascination with animals also led to frustration with the numerous poachers who would infest the African savannas and kill the animals for profit. Claudius and his father had hoped that one day, people could be able to explore the savannas like they could, and see how we shouldn't tamper with the wildlife.

After his father's passing and Claudius' coming of age, Claudius traveled the world and was introduced to Dr. Albert Falls during a trip to South America in 1911. Dr. Falls had just recently opened a Jungle Navigation Company to facilitate transport of goods up and down the Amazon River. Over the years, Sir Claudius T. Clarke and Dr. Albert Falls became very close friends, and even joined the Society of Explorers and Adventurers. As a member of S.E.A. and inspired by Dr. Falls' Jungle Navigation Company, Claudius decided to travel to Africa and fulfill his passion for the wildlife.

In 1924, Sir Claudius T. Clarke decided to create the Kilimanjaro Safaris, named after the tallest mountain in Africa. The Safaris would be expeditions into the wild, to observe earth's beautiful creatures. Upon opening, Clarke invited various S.E.A. members such as Dr. Albert Falls, Henry Mystic, and Harrison Hightower III, to take the expedition. Beginning modestly with walking trails and eventually to safari vehicles as time went on, Kilimajaro Safaris continues to inspire explorers to this day, all thanks to the passion and pursuit of S.E.A. member, Sir Claudius T. Clarke.

Queue Adaptations


The long-winding queue of Kilimajaro Safaris will have subtle, yet evident references to S.E.A. for the sharp eyes looking out for the ties.

The major additions will be in the Safari Booking Room (44 sec mark of the video above), where behind the front desk, you will see a portrait of Sir. Claudius T. Clarke.

In addition to the portrait, you will see reviews of various other S.E.A. members who took the expedition and their thoughts on the untamed wilderness as well as the passion of Sir Claudius T. Clarke.

Further on in the queue, the photography tips sign (4:50 on the video above) will feature a black and white photo of Sir Claudius T. Clarke and his father, on one of the expeditions Claudius took when he was younger.

A little more noticeable will be the additions to the Safari vehicles themselves.

The S.E.A. logo can now be seen on one of the luggage items on the rack above, and on another luggage item you can see the name Dr. Albert Falls embedded into the suitcase.

Overall, the Kilimanjaro Safaris, while an incredible attraction itself, will now have a backstory that not only makes it a deeper Animal Kingdom attraction, but connects it with other Disney attractions around the world through S.E.A.​

 

[spacemt354]

Could we please go over what the Walt's Vault Award was again?

I honestly just missed it.

Also who are the Team Leaders in Round 1? Does the team internally select them?

 

[englanddg]

Ride Chosen: Roaring Rapids (Shanghai Disneyland)

Characters Added: Volney Osborn​

Volney is a lesser known, but highly respected, member of the Society, having joined near inception. He conducted extensive explorations in Southern Asia, India and the Pacific Rim, and has a deep respect for the cultures of the region. A man known to be quiet and studious, he has proven invaluable on many expeditions for the Society, and is esteemed for his detailed survey work.

As a young man, Volney attended Harvard, and later his education was further expanded at Oxford University, where he became an expert in paleontology and biology. After an encounter in the country wilds of New Jersey with what locals called a "Devil", he dove deeply into the subject of Crypto-zoology, hoping to prove that seemingly mystical and magical creatures of lore actually exist in today's world. Unfortunantly, this interest turned, eventually, into what he describes as a "destructive passion", and he decided to retire.

Not much is known as to why he chose to become less active in the Society, but it did occur after a trip to Mt. Everest to map the north side, and an encounter which only he survived, but refuses to speak of to this day.

He moved to a quiet town in Indiana, and took a job at the local private college teaching biology. He met and married a young woman here, Marion, who happened to be the town librarian, and together they parented three children. Two sons, and a baby girl. Quite content with his quiet life, he tended to his yard, took long strolls around the neighboring forest, but he never went adventuring or exploring. During winter nights, he was known to lock all the doors and windows tight, and keep a nearly uncomfortably warm fire burning.
All of that changed, however, the day he received..."the letter"

_______________________________________________________________

Queue Additions​

Whilst this will not completely re-theme the attraction with a new story-line, several additions will be made which hint to the fate of the Society expedition.
The queue will be rerouted through scenes which tell a story, if you are paying attention!
​

Section 1) Queue Entry - Forested Area, getting denser as your proceed

Section 2) You come around a corner to a mall campsite with a series of tents that seem eerily abandoned. You make your way around a smoldering campfire. Laying against a tree, slightly out of reach, appears to be a shotgun, and you can faintly smell gunpowder. You quickly search your surroundings, but no one else appears to be around.

Section 3) More tents await you after you pass a turn, and you can note that many items, such as clothes and rucksacks, were abandoned. Some tents even seem to have rips and slashes through the linen. In one tent, it appears someone was eating dinner of what appears to be a roasted bird of some sort with some bread and wine. However, the chairs and cups are overturned. Something has gone drastically WRONG!

Section 4) You find a tent overlooking the rapids below, and a small desk is set up here. This is where you can observe the letter (shows at the start of this submission) and begin to piece together what happened. You also observe a journal, several books and maps, an astrolabe, a telescope overlooking the rocks in the distance, survey equipment (theodolite, compass, etc), and a variety of papers with notes and figures on them, Also littered around the table are small pictures of what appear to be the man's family.

This was obviously an observation station of some sorts. Some notes, however, indicate that the person who was working here (Volney) had certainly found something, something very large, and in his own words, "extraordinary"!

Section 5) Outside this tent you are lured to another tent where a sitting chair and rug are sat next to a old time crank phonograph, the sort that plays wax cylinders, which seems to be stuck on a loop repeating words. But, as you listen in, you realize it's not stuck. It's communicating a message for you to find certain animals. You look next to the phonograph and see a series of cylinders, each labeled as recordings of educational lectures given on a variety of crypto-zoological animals and mythical events.

Here Guests will be able to compete on touch screens themed to match the wood railing. As they play a "seek and find" style game, looking for different items and animals, they are queued as to what to search for by the scratchy voice over the phonograph. When the game ends, a short musical interlude of period music will play, before starting up again.

Section 6) Leaving Camp, Forested Area.

Section 7) Entering the Loading Dock and Board.

Thank you for taking the time to read my proposal. I am now going to go have dinner.

Koongaloosh!

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Could we please go over what the Walt's Vault Award was again?

I honestly just missed it.

Also who are the Team Leaders in Round 1? Does the team internally select them?

Thanks for the questions and be sure to keep them coming if there's any confusion

Each round, each team leader must nominate two people for elimination. With the Diamond Power of MVP whoever has one has the power to replace one or both of the team leader's nominations once in the game. This may be done all the way until the round before semi-finals (project 11) Holders of the Diamond PoMVP will communicate with me via private conversation to tell me when they want to use it and on which people.

The regular Power of MVP is given by the team leader of the highest scoring project to whoever they think contributed the most to the overall presentation. When you hold the regular PoMVP you cannot be nominated for elimination for one round.

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Project Leaders are decided internally among yourselves, and they should generally be who on the team has the best grasp on the challenge prompt. Once you are a project leader, you cannot become one again until everyone left on your team has had a chance to do so.

 

[englanddg]

Thanks for the questions and be sure to keep them coming if there's any confusion

Each round, each team leader must nominate two people for elimination. With the Diamond Power of MVP whoever has one has the power to replace one or both of the team leader's nominations once in the game. This may be done all the way until the round before semi-finals (project 11) Holders of the Diamond PoMVP will communicate with me via private conversation to tell me when they want to use it and on which people.

Knowing me, I probably won't use it.

So, I'll just set it to the side and do what I do.

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Knowing me, I probably won't use it.

So, I'll just set it to the side and do what I do.

Please officially give me the names of one person from each team to receive a Diamond PoMVP. You can choose yourself from your team or one of your team mates if you wish.

 

[spacemt354]

Thanks for the questions and be sure to keep them coming if there's any confusion

Each round, each team leader must nominate two people for elimination. With the Diamond Power of MVP whoever has one has the power to replace one or both of the team leader's nominations once in the game. This may be done all the way until the round before semi-finals (project 11) Holders of the Diamond PoMVP will communicate with me via private conversation to tell me when they want to use it and on which people.

The regular Power of MVP is given by the team leader of the highest scoring project to whoever they think contributed the most to the overall presentation. When you hold the regular PoMVP you cannot be nominated for elimination for one round.

Project Leaders are decided internally among yourselves, and they should generally be who on the team has the best grasp on the challenge prompt. Once you are a project leader, you cannot become one again until everyone left on your team has had a chance to do so.

Thank you! That clears it up!

 

[englanddg]

Please officially give me the names of one person from each team to receive a Diamond PoMVP. You can choose yourself from your team or one of your team mates if you wish.

Too early in the game for that. What is my deadline to give you that?

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Too early in the game for that. What is my deadline to give you that?

24 hours. Sorry buddy, that's part of Walt's Vault. Something good, but with a tough decision attached to it.

 

[englanddg]

24 hours. Sorry buddy, that's part of Walt's Vault. Something good, but with a tough decision attached to it.

So, explain this to me. I need to pick 3 people, one from each team, who have immunity, and post it to the main thread?

Or I can hold onto this until later in the competition?

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

So, explain this to me. I need to pick 3 people, one from each team, who have immunity, and post it to the main thread?

Or I can hold onto this until later in the competition?

It's not specifically immunity, it's more of a power to overthrow the team leader's nominations and replace them with your own which could be be hypothetically used a number of ways. It could save you if you find yourself nominated or you could put up two power players on your team in a power move to get one of them out. The Diamond PoMVP is designed to be flexible and work in several different scenarios.

And yea, post your choices one from each team on this thread. Like I said you may choose to give it to yourself from your team or to one of your team mates. You must make your decision by midnight or the power will go to Space. Like I said, Walt's Vault often leads to tough decisions!

To repeat, the Diamond Power of MVP can be used any time from now until project 11.

 

[englanddg]

It's not specifically immunity, it's more of a power to overthrow the team leader's nominations and replace them with your own which could be be hypothetically used a number of ways. It could save you if you find yourself nominated or you could put up two power players on your team in a power move to get one of them out. The Diamond PoMVP is designed to be flexible and work in several different scenarios.

And yea, post your choices one from each team on this thread. Like I said you may choose to give it to yourself from your team or to one of your team mates. You must make your decision by midnight or the power will go to Space. Like I said, Walt's Vault often leads to tough decisions!

To repeat, the Diamond Power of MVP can be used any time from now until project 11.

Well, I'll hold onto it for now then...if I have the choice to wait until Project 11.

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Well, I'll hold onto it for now then...if I have the choice to wait until Project 11.

If you want to keep it for yourself and hold on to it that's fine. I'm just going to need who you want to give one to from the other two teams in the next 24 hours. Like I said the short time limit is part of the challenge/twist of Walt's Vault.

 

[englanddg]

If you want to keep it for yourself and hold on to it that's fine. I'm just going to need who you want to give one to from the other two teams in the next 24 hours. Like I said the short time limit is part of the challenge/twist of Walt's Vault.

So, I can say "myself" but I want to use it later, and then list two other people on other teams which are immediately challenged due to that?

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

So, I can say "myself" but I want to use it later, and then list two other people on other teams which are immediately challenged due to that?

You pick one person from each team and they can do whatever they want with it up until project 11.

 

[englanddg]

You pick one person from each team and they can do whatever they want with it up until project 11.

Oh, so, I give them basically a blanket immunity token? One per team?

(I'm sorry I'm having so much trouble understanding this...I am Batman...you need to put it in terms of latex for me to understand, I'm sorry...)