TrevorA
Active Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
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Team Cap Presents...
---TrevorA
-
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So, You Want to be an Imagineer Season 14: Greatest Hits (Official Hub Thread)
- Thread starter TheOriginalTiki
- Start date
To the next page.
Team Cap Presents...
---TrevorA
Due to one of the judges not being available at all tonight to grade, MEW and I have decided to give you guys a little early "Christmas in July" present...Project due date extended by 24 hours. Project now due on March 11th at 11:59 PM Eastern/8:59 PM pacific. Team Cap is welcome to edit in additional content and make tweaks to their presentation up until the deadline.
Can't wait to read the projects tonight. @MANEATINGWREATH will be joining us on a long-overdue podcast in silent form for the return of "Creepy MEW"...in which MEW stares into the camera without saying anything...because he can't wake up his family 
In all seriousness though, it should be a good show. It's the first time this season were doing video results so MEW and I will both be revealing our scores to each other live on air as well as eliminating the 12th place finisher of the season and announcing a brand new team swap as well as the next prompt.
In all seriousness though, it should be a good show. It's the first time this season were doing video results so MEW and I will both be revealing our scores to each other live on air as well as eliminating the 12th place finisher of the season and announcing a brand new team swap as well as the next prompt.
Basketbuddy101
Well-Known Member
Ladies and gentlemen, Team Younger proudly presents...
Jagd aud den Nachzehrer
June, 2020. 8:57 p.m. In a few minutes, EPCOT will close its doors and conclude its operating hours. You and your friends recall the numerous adventures you had at the park, perhaps none of them reaching the heights of 'Test Track.' You had never been to EPCOT until today, and while you can appreciate its splendor to some extent, you feel like another addition to the park's attraction roster might've made you feel better about the money you spent to get in (or at least the money your parent's spent on the vacation). You certainly feel smarter than you did when you first entered the park anyway. EPCOT seems to have that effect on people, making them feel like they've learned something, or so your parents like to say. "I can't get that 'Listen to the Land' song out of my head," one of your friends says; the other two stare blankly at the "Biergarten' restaurant." Forget it, fellas. Not quite there yet" you tell them as they sigh in disappointment. "I think we've done everything in this park." You shake your head. "No we haven't. We skipped…now, how do you pronounce it? "Jagd aud den..Nachzehrer! That's it. We skipped that one, remember? What does it translate to again?" Your friend scratches his head. "Hunt for the Nachzehrer. And here I thought taking a class on German was of no practical use."You and your friends walk a few yards west of the Germany Pavilion, where a small stage stood just a few years ago.
Attraction Location/Footprint:
A forest trail stands before you, with trees so tightly arranged that it's nearly impossible for anyone to tell that an attraction sits just inside. The forest is lit only by lantern fire. A wooden marquee stands above you, reading "Jagd aud den Nachzehrer" in dark red letters. A 'Fastpass' station sits just to the edge of the forest entrance, but service has concluded for the day. "Huh? I didn't know Germany had a ride" you say. Your friends stare at the marquee. "I think I remember seeing a commercial for this during the super bowl. I just didn't pay much attention to it. I hear it's supposed to be pretty intense" You shrug. "Come on, let's get back to the hotel," you say, trying to hide the dread in your voice." Your friends look at you. "Come on, this is our last day here. We have to get on this." You take a step backward. "The park's about to close. I'm tired," you say, your voice becoming progressively shaky. Your friends look at each other, smiling. "Well, we're going on, and so are you, whether you like it…or not!" The three of them rush down the forest trail, disappearing into darkness. Your body freezes. For at least a minute, you contemplate going back to the hotel alone, but for fear of getting lost, you proceed down the trail and into darkness yourself.
The Forest:
Seeing as how the park is effectively closed at this point, there aren't any other guests in sight. You proceed down the narrow forest path, clinging to the wooden guide rails. The sounds of forest critters fill the air, along with a light mist. The moon shines dimly above you. You cross a bridge over a creek, the water tapping calmly against the rocks below. A pack of rabbits can be seen near one of the rocks, eyeing you. For a moment, you forget they're animatronics. You reach a clearing in the forest, a campsite by the looks of it. It seems abandoned. Stacks of firewood are scattered about the site, as well as a distorted tent and spit just above a pile of more firewood; whoever set up the spit didn't have a chance to cook any meat on it, apparently. An old radio is playing near a stack of old boots, playing a series of German tunes. "Not bad," you think to yourself. As you wind along the trail for a few moments, you notice a wooden structure nearby that reads "Das Jäger Hutte," or "The Hunter's Lodge." You enter through the open doors and into the lodge's abandoned lobby.
A radio perched on a shelf reports on the disappearance of deer all around the forests of Germany. The signal is audibly poor, but you manage to make out a few words from the reporter, her German accent apparent. "...say they're doing everything they can to investigate the shortages, but their findings have been incoclusive." You continue past the lobby and into a rifle room, where large stocks of muskets, rifles, and other weapons line the walls, all of them protected by thick glass cases.
You proceed along the switchback queue and into a gallery of animal heads, all of them hung in tribute to their hunters. The rest of the room is adorned by a number of display cases, all of them displaying objects that seem to be tied to the legendary "Nachzehrer," a vampire-like creature that, judging by the descriptions on the glass plates, is said to, unlike traditional accounts of the creature, have telekinetic powers. A number of strange garments, skulls, bones, iron tools, wooden stakes, and even a full sized coffin are on full display.
You rush out of the room and down a narrow hallway. Portraits of the lodge's wardens are on display, including the current warden: Herr Altman. After reaching the end of the hallway, you approach a large staircase, blocked off by a swinging door. A light at the end of the staircase signifies that someone is inside the office: the warden himself, his silhouette visible.
You hear him discuss the abnormal disappearance of deer in the Black Forest, which you understand is located in southwestern Germany. The warden laments the devastating effects that this shortage is having on his business. "I'll be ruined!" he cries. His assistant reminds him that she's already hired a team of veterans hunters to investigate, and that they've been given explicit instruction to report to the back end of the lodge to their "automobils" to begin their mission to find the culprit and bring its body to the lodge. She then reminds the warden that in return, she offered them a lifelong membership to the lodge, free of charge. "After the last group went missing, the only way we could get them to come aboard was by offering something we'd never in our right minds give away," she says, chuckling a bit. The warden sighs. "Well, at least we can keep in contact with this new batch of hunters. I guess buying those radio transmitters wasn't such a bad idea after all, yeah? I don't want to give up on the others, but they've been gone for two weeks now. Do you think…maybe the legends are—" he is stopped by his assistant. "They'll turn up, Herr Altman, have some faith." "I do have faith. That's what I'm most afraid of." You continue out of the lodge and "outside" to a faux nighttime forest, the air thicker here because of the fog. A cast member beckons you to board your vehicle, and thus, your journey to find the legendary Nachzehrer begins.
The Ride Vehicle:
You notice that the ride vehicle features two sets of four person carts, but little do you know that these vehicles use a combination of state-of-the-art ride technology, fusing Busch Gardens Tampa's 'Cobra's Curse' vehicle with that of Universal Studios Florida's 'Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts' vehicle. On the surface, the vehicles look very similar to the 'Cobra's Curse' vehicles, but with more silver accents, and an altogether rusted metallic feel.
The Ride:
"Testing, testing…yes, splendid. Welcome aboard, friends. This is Herr Altman coming in. Remember our agreement: you find me the culprit of the deer shortage, and a lifetime hunting license is yours, yeah? For your safety, keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the automobile, and watch your kinder. Auf wiedersehen!" You clutch the lap bars as the vehicle moves forward into the forest and into a dank cave. The lights on the front of the vehicles shed light on the walls. Bats! You remember how much you hate bats. The large animatronics flap their wings at you, as if to warn you not to get too close. A crevice on the wall reveals a blood red moon in the distance.
Your car proceeds out of the cave and onto a road. The car gains speed. You genuinely feel like you're cruising down a forest highway in Germany at night, especially with the wind brushing against your hair. Herr Altman comes in via the radio once more .
"You're now approaching the site of the highest number of reported Nachzehrer sightings in the entire country! Keep a watchful eye around the bereich, yeah? Luckily, you won't have to worry about any little hirsche running about. There hasn't been a deer in these parts for—" His voice is cut off by the incredibly loud sound of the car's horn. The headlights flash ahead revealing a deer on the road! Your car is forced off the road and down a cliff! You hang on for "deer" life as the vehicle tumbles down the hill.
You scream as your car barely dodges tree after tree, the strong scent of pine filling the air. You barely notice this, however, because your car has landed at the foot of the hill you just tumbled down from. The car stalls for a moment, and you hear the engine whining for a moment. The sound of the engine signifies that the car has failed altogether. The headlights die out completely. Darkness. Suddenly, a man emerges from behind a large tree trunk, waving a flashlight; his face is barely visible. You notice the detail on the animatronic's face. For a split second, you thought he was real! "H-hello? Is there anyone out there!" Oh my…Jane! There's someone here to rescue us!" With that, a woman emerges from inside the tree trunk. "No, Karl! It's a trick! Get back in the trunk or he'll see us!" The man waves his flashlight at you. "No, Jane! They're from the lodge! Hey! Hey, you! Herr Altman sent you, yeah? Please, you must listen carefully. If you have a radio, send out a distress signal. Tell Herr Altman we found the—" He is cut short by the horrifying roar of an unspeakable creature. The man and woman scream, forced back into their hiding place. You gasp for air as you hear the engine on your car attempt to restart. The creature looks straight at your car, and moves toward it, but at last, the car manages to start and you move away from the trunk. The lights, however, do not come back on.
It seems like you're taking your chance at finding your way through the forest than dealing with the creature as the car's engine growls loudly. An accompanying musical track accentuates the course through the trees. You hear the sound of screaming in the distance as the vehicle moves up a hill, the engine growling profusely. You reach the end of the hill. Before you can go over, however, a strange creature emerges from the trees. You hear the sound of brakes slam as the creature waves its arms at you threateningly. The car stops and vibrates for a moment.
Then, without warning, the creature waves his arms higher into the air, ducks, and presumably watches as the vehicle is lifted into the air by a hidden lift mechanism, similar to 'Cobra's Curse.' You watch in amazement (and horror) as your car rocks back and forth in the air. Even in the near-absence of light, you can see the peaks of the forest trees around you. You hear the creature laugh as your car speeds forward, flying down a relatively-steep drop and then through a banked curve past a tree of bats. Unbeknownst to you, this is the exclusive coaster section of the ride, lasting a full minute.
Your car glides through the trees, dipping and diving past large rock formations, at one point speeding past a rushing waterfall, its mist splashing your face for a moment. Your car dives through treacherous, mist-filled caverns, one of which flashes a bright light at you, a ride picture, of course. The car lurches upward and then down the steepest drop in the ride, straight into the trees. You look around as if to contemplate whether or not you didn't happen to die during the ride. Your car travels through a large, hollow tree trunk and out toward another campsite, where the man and woman from earlier are apparently making their way back to the lodge. The two wave their flashlights at you. "Everyone alright? The lodge received your distress signal. We won't be coming back to this place. With the deer still gone, I don't think anyone will need hunting licenses anytime soon. Not with that…thing still out there anyway. Send Herr Altman our regards." The car approaches the exit dock, and you proceed to exit, your heart pounding. You find your friends waiting for you at the ride picture gallery. The three of them are in the same car, their hands covering their eyes. You gaze at your picture. Oh, you're surprised alright. You're terrified on the inside, but the outside doesn't show it in the slightest. As you laugh at your friends, the four of you find yourselves back at the ride's familiar entrance. "What did you think" They ask you. You respond: "We're coming back to EPCOT tomorrow."
Jagd aud den Nachzehrer
June, 2020. 8:57 p.m. In a few minutes, EPCOT will close its doors and conclude its operating hours. You and your friends recall the numerous adventures you had at the park, perhaps none of them reaching the heights of 'Test Track.' You had never been to EPCOT until today, and while you can appreciate its splendor to some extent, you feel like another addition to the park's attraction roster might've made you feel better about the money you spent to get in (or at least the money your parent's spent on the vacation). You certainly feel smarter than you did when you first entered the park anyway. EPCOT seems to have that effect on people, making them feel like they've learned something, or so your parents like to say. "I can't get that 'Listen to the Land' song out of my head," one of your friends says; the other two stare blankly at the "Biergarten' restaurant." Forget it, fellas. Not quite there yet" you tell them as they sigh in disappointment. "I think we've done everything in this park." You shake your head. "No we haven't. We skipped…now, how do you pronounce it? "Jagd aud den..Nachzehrer! That's it. We skipped that one, remember? What does it translate to again?" Your friend scratches his head. "Hunt for the Nachzehrer. And here I thought taking a class on German was of no practical use."You and your friends walk a few yards west of the Germany Pavilion, where a small stage stood just a few years ago.
Attraction Location/Footprint:
A forest trail stands before you, with trees so tightly arranged that it's nearly impossible for anyone to tell that an attraction sits just inside. The forest is lit only by lantern fire. A wooden marquee stands above you, reading "Jagd aud den Nachzehrer" in dark red letters. A 'Fastpass' station sits just to the edge of the forest entrance, but service has concluded for the day. "Huh? I didn't know Germany had a ride" you say. Your friends stare at the marquee. "I think I remember seeing a commercial for this during the super bowl. I just didn't pay much attention to it. I hear it's supposed to be pretty intense" You shrug. "Come on, let's get back to the hotel," you say, trying to hide the dread in your voice." Your friends look at you. "Come on, this is our last day here. We have to get on this." You take a step backward. "The park's about to close. I'm tired," you say, your voice becoming progressively shaky. Your friends look at each other, smiling. "Well, we're going on, and so are you, whether you like it…or not!" The three of them rush down the forest trail, disappearing into darkness. Your body freezes. For at least a minute, you contemplate going back to the hotel alone, but for fear of getting lost, you proceed down the trail and into darkness yourself.
The Forest:
Seeing as how the park is effectively closed at this point, there aren't any other guests in sight. You proceed down the narrow forest path, clinging to the wooden guide rails. The sounds of forest critters fill the air, along with a light mist. The moon shines dimly above you. You cross a bridge over a creek, the water tapping calmly against the rocks below. A pack of rabbits can be seen near one of the rocks, eyeing you. For a moment, you forget they're animatronics. You reach a clearing in the forest, a campsite by the looks of it. It seems abandoned. Stacks of firewood are scattered about the site, as well as a distorted tent and spit just above a pile of more firewood; whoever set up the spit didn't have a chance to cook any meat on it, apparently. An old radio is playing near a stack of old boots, playing a series of German tunes. "Not bad," you think to yourself. As you wind along the trail for a few moments, you notice a wooden structure nearby that reads "Das Jäger Hutte," or "The Hunter's Lodge." You enter through the open doors and into the lodge's abandoned lobby.
A radio perched on a shelf reports on the disappearance of deer all around the forests of Germany. The signal is audibly poor, but you manage to make out a few words from the reporter, her German accent apparent. "...say they're doing everything they can to investigate the shortages, but their findings have been incoclusive." You continue past the lobby and into a rifle room, where large stocks of muskets, rifles, and other weapons line the walls, all of them protected by thick glass cases.
You proceed along the switchback queue and into a gallery of animal heads, all of them hung in tribute to their hunters. The rest of the room is adorned by a number of display cases, all of them displaying objects that seem to be tied to the legendary "Nachzehrer," a vampire-like creature that, judging by the descriptions on the glass plates, is said to, unlike traditional accounts of the creature, have telekinetic powers. A number of strange garments, skulls, bones, iron tools, wooden stakes, and even a full sized coffin are on full display.
You rush out of the room and down a narrow hallway. Portraits of the lodge's wardens are on display, including the current warden: Herr Altman. After reaching the end of the hallway, you approach a large staircase, blocked off by a swinging door. A light at the end of the staircase signifies that someone is inside the office: the warden himself, his silhouette visible.
You hear him discuss the abnormal disappearance of deer in the Black Forest, which you understand is located in southwestern Germany. The warden laments the devastating effects that this shortage is having on his business. "I'll be ruined!" he cries. His assistant reminds him that she's already hired a team of veterans hunters to investigate, and that they've been given explicit instruction to report to the back end of the lodge to their "automobils" to begin their mission to find the culprit and bring its body to the lodge. She then reminds the warden that in return, she offered them a lifelong membership to the lodge, free of charge. "After the last group went missing, the only way we could get them to come aboard was by offering something we'd never in our right minds give away," she says, chuckling a bit. The warden sighs. "Well, at least we can keep in contact with this new batch of hunters. I guess buying those radio transmitters wasn't such a bad idea after all, yeah? I don't want to give up on the others, but they've been gone for two weeks now. Do you think…maybe the legends are—" he is stopped by his assistant. "They'll turn up, Herr Altman, have some faith." "I do have faith. That's what I'm most afraid of." You continue out of the lodge and "outside" to a faux nighttime forest, the air thicker here because of the fog. A cast member beckons you to board your vehicle, and thus, your journey to find the legendary Nachzehrer begins.
The Ride Vehicle:
You notice that the ride vehicle features two sets of four person carts, but little do you know that these vehicles use a combination of state-of-the-art ride technology, fusing Busch Gardens Tampa's 'Cobra's Curse' vehicle with that of Universal Studios Florida's 'Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts' vehicle. On the surface, the vehicles look very similar to the 'Cobra's Curse' vehicles, but with more silver accents, and an altogether rusted metallic feel.
The Ride:
"Testing, testing…yes, splendid. Welcome aboard, friends. This is Herr Altman coming in. Remember our agreement: you find me the culprit of the deer shortage, and a lifetime hunting license is yours, yeah? For your safety, keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the automobile, and watch your kinder. Auf wiedersehen!" You clutch the lap bars as the vehicle moves forward into the forest and into a dank cave. The lights on the front of the vehicles shed light on the walls. Bats! You remember how much you hate bats. The large animatronics flap their wings at you, as if to warn you not to get too close. A crevice on the wall reveals a blood red moon in the distance.
Your car proceeds out of the cave and onto a road. The car gains speed. You genuinely feel like you're cruising down a forest highway in Germany at night, especially with the wind brushing against your hair. Herr Altman comes in via the radio once more .
"You're now approaching the site of the highest number of reported Nachzehrer sightings in the entire country! Keep a watchful eye around the bereich, yeah? Luckily, you won't have to worry about any little hirsche running about. There hasn't been a deer in these parts for—" His voice is cut off by the incredibly loud sound of the car's horn. The headlights flash ahead revealing a deer on the road! Your car is forced off the road and down a cliff! You hang on for "deer" life as the vehicle tumbles down the hill.
You scream as your car barely dodges tree after tree, the strong scent of pine filling the air. You barely notice this, however, because your car has landed at the foot of the hill you just tumbled down from. The car stalls for a moment, and you hear the engine whining for a moment. The sound of the engine signifies that the car has failed altogether. The headlights die out completely. Darkness. Suddenly, a man emerges from behind a large tree trunk, waving a flashlight; his face is barely visible. You notice the detail on the animatronic's face. For a split second, you thought he was real! "H-hello? Is there anyone out there!" Oh my…Jane! There's someone here to rescue us!" With that, a woman emerges from inside the tree trunk. "No, Karl! It's a trick! Get back in the trunk or he'll see us!" The man waves his flashlight at you. "No, Jane! They're from the lodge! Hey! Hey, you! Herr Altman sent you, yeah? Please, you must listen carefully. If you have a radio, send out a distress signal. Tell Herr Altman we found the—" He is cut short by the horrifying roar of an unspeakable creature. The man and woman scream, forced back into their hiding place. You gasp for air as you hear the engine on your car attempt to restart. The creature looks straight at your car, and moves toward it, but at last, the car manages to start and you move away from the trunk. The lights, however, do not come back on.
It seems like you're taking your chance at finding your way through the forest than dealing with the creature as the car's engine growls loudly. An accompanying musical track accentuates the course through the trees. You hear the sound of screaming in the distance as the vehicle moves up a hill, the engine growling profusely. You reach the end of the hill. Before you can go over, however, a strange creature emerges from the trees. You hear the sound of brakes slam as the creature waves its arms at you threateningly. The car stops and vibrates for a moment.
Then, without warning, the creature waves his arms higher into the air, ducks, and presumably watches as the vehicle is lifted into the air by a hidden lift mechanism, similar to 'Cobra's Curse.' You watch in amazement (and horror) as your car rocks back and forth in the air. Even in the near-absence of light, you can see the peaks of the forest trees around you. You hear the creature laugh as your car speeds forward, flying down a relatively-steep drop and then through a banked curve past a tree of bats. Unbeknownst to you, this is the exclusive coaster section of the ride, lasting a full minute.
Your car glides through the trees, dipping and diving past large rock formations, at one point speeding past a rushing waterfall, its mist splashing your face for a moment. Your car dives through treacherous, mist-filled caverns, one of which flashes a bright light at you, a ride picture, of course. The car lurches upward and then down the steepest drop in the ride, straight into the trees. You look around as if to contemplate whether or not you didn't happen to die during the ride. Your car travels through a large, hollow tree trunk and out toward another campsite, where the man and woman from earlier are apparently making their way back to the lodge. The two wave their flashlights at you. "Everyone alright? The lodge received your distress signal. We won't be coming back to this place. With the deer still gone, I don't think anyone will need hunting licenses anytime soon. Not with that…thing still out there anyway. Send Herr Altman our regards." The car approaches the exit dock, and you proceed to exit, your heart pounding. You find your friends waiting for you at the ride picture gallery. The three of them are in the same car, their hands covering their eyes. You gaze at your picture. Oh, you're surprised alright. You're terrified on the inside, but the outside doesn't show it in the slightest. As you laugh at your friends, the four of you find yourselves back at the ride's familiar entrance. "What did you think" They ask you. You respond: "We're coming back to EPCOT tomorrow."
Last edited:
Pi on my Cake
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
Ladies and gentlemen, Team Younger proudly presents...
Jagd aud den Nachzehrer
June, 2020. 8:57 p.m. In a few minutes, EPCOT will close its doors and conclude its operating hours. You and your friends recall the numerous adventures you had at the park, perhaps none of them reaching the heights of 'Test Track.' You had never been to EPCOT until today, and while you can appreciate its splendor to some extent, you feel like another addition to the park's attraction roster might've made you feel better about the money you spent to get in (or at least the money your parent's spent on the vacation). You certainly feel smarter than you did when you first entered the park anyway. EPCOT seems to have that effect on people, making them feel like they've learned something, or so your parents like to say. "I can't get that 'Listen to the Land' song out of my head," one of your friends says; the other two stare blankly at the "Biergarten' restaurant." Forget it, fellas. Not quite there yet" you tell them as they sigh in disappointment. "I think we've done everything in this park." You shake your head. "No we haven't. We skipped…now, how do you pronounce it? "Jagd aud den..Nachzehrer! That's it. We skipped that one, remember? What does it translate to again?" Your friend scratches his head. "Hunt for the Nachzehrer. And here I thought taking a class on German was of no practical use."You and your friends walk a few yards west of the Germany Pavilion, where a small stage stood just a few years ago.
Attraction Location/Footprint:
A forest trail stands before you, with trees so tightly arranged that it's nearly impossible for anyone to tell that an attraction sits just inside. The forest is lit only by lantern fire. A wooden marquee stands above you, reading "Jagd aud den Nachzehrer" in dark red letters. A 'Fastpass' station sits just to the edge of the forest entrance, but service has concluded for the day. "Huh? I didn't know Germany had a ride" you say. Your friends stare at the marquee. "I think I remember seeing a commercial for this during the super bowl. I just didn't pay much attention to it. I hear it's supposed to be pretty intense" You shrug. "Come on, let's get back to the hotel," you say, trying to hide the dread in your voice." Your friends look at you. "Come on, this is our last day here. We have to get on this." You take a step backward. "The park's about to close. I'm tired," you say, your voice becoming progressively shaky. Your friends look at each other, smiling. "Well, we're going on, and so are you, whether you like it…or not!" The three of them rush down the forest trail, disappearing into darkness. Your body freezes. For at least a minute, you contemplate going back to the hotel alone, but for fear of getting lost, you proceed down the trail and into darkness yourself.
The Forest:
Seeing as how the park is effectively closed at this point, there aren't any other guests in sight. You proceed down the narrow forest path, clinging to the wooden guide rails. The sounds of forest critters fill the air, along with a light mist. The moon shines dimly above you. You cross a bridge over a creek, the water tapping calmly against the rocks below. A pack of rabbits can be seen near one of the rocks, eyeing you. For a moment, you forget they're animatronics. You reach a clearing in the forest, a campsite by the looks of it. It seems abandoned. Stacks of firewood are scattered about the site, as well as a distorted tent and spit just above a pile of more firewood; whoever set up the spit didn't have a chance to cook any meat on it, apparently. An old radio is playing near a stack of old boots, playing a series of German tunes. "Not bad," you think to yourself. As you wind along the trail for a few moments, you notice a wooden structure nearby that reads "Das Jäger Hutte," or "The Hunter's Lodge." You enter through the open doors and into the lodge's abandoned lobby.
A radio perched on a shelf reports on the disappearance of deer all around the forests of Germany. The signal is audibly poor, but you manage to make out a few words from the reporter, her German accent apparent. "...say they're doing everything they can to investigate the shortages, but their findings have been incoclusive." You continue past the lobby and into a rifle room, where large stocks of muskets, rifles, and other weapons line the walls, all of them protected by thick glass cases.
You proceed along the switchback queue and into a gallery of animal heads, all of them hung in tribute to their hunters. The rest of the room is adorned by a number of display cases, all of them displaying objects that seem to be tied to the legendary "Nachzehrer," a vampire-like creature that, judging by the descriptions on the glass plates, is said to, unlike traditional accounts of the creature, have telekinetic powers. A number of strange garments, skulls, bones, iron tools, wooden stakes, and even a full sized coffin are on full display.
You rush out of the room and down a narrow hallway. Portraits of the lodge's wardens are on display, including the current warden: Herr Altman. After reaching the end of the hallway, you approach a large staircase, blocked off by a swinging door. A light at the end of the staircase signifies that someone is inside the office: the warden himself, his silhouette visible.
You hear him discuss the abnormal disappearance of deer in the Black Forest, which you understand is located in southwestern Germany. The warden laments the devastating effects that this shortage is having on his business. "I'll be ruined!" he cries. His assistant reminds him that she's already hired a team of veterans hunters to investigate, and that they've been given explicit instruction to report to the back end of the lodge to their "automobils" to begin their mission to find the culprit and bring its body to the lodge. She then reminds the warden that in return, she offered them a lifelong membership to the lodge, free of charge. "After the last group went missing, the only way we could get them to come aboard was by offering something we'd never in our right minds give away," she says, chuckling a bit. The warden sighs. "Well, at least we can keep in contact with this new batch of hunters. I guess buying those radio transmitters wasn't such a bad idea after all, yeah? I don't want to give up on the others, but they've been gone for two weeks now. Do you think…maybe the legends are—" he is stopped by his assistant. "They'll turn up, Herr Altman, have some faith." "I do have faith. That's what I'm most afraid of." You continue out of the lodge and "outside" to a faux nighttime forest, the air thicker here because of the fog. A cast member beckons you to board your vehicle, and thus, your journey to find the legendary Nachzehrer begins.
The Ride Vehicle:
You notice that the ride vehicle features two sets of four person carts, but little do you know that these vehicles use a combination of state-of-the-art ride technology, fusing Busch Gardens Tampa's 'Cobra's Curse' vehicle with that of Universal Studios Florida's 'Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts' vehicle. On the surface, the vehicles look very similar to the 'Cobra's Curse' vehicles, but with more silver accents, and an altogether rusted metallic feel.
The Ride:
"Testing, testing…yes, splendid. Welcome aboard, friends. This is Herr Altman coming in. Remember our agreement: you find me the culprit of the deer shortage, and a lifetime hunting license is yours, yeah? For your safety, keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the automobile, and watch your kinder. Auf wiedersehen!" You clutch the lap bars as the vehicle moves forward into the forest and into a dank cave. The lights on the front of the vehicles shed light on the walls. Bats! You remember how much you hate bats. The large animatronics flap their wings at you, as if to warn you not to get too close. A crevice on the wall reveals a blood red moon in the distance.
Your car proceeds out of the cave and onto a road. The car gains speed. You genuinely feel like you're cruising down a forest highway in Germany at night, especially with the wind brushing against your hair. Herr Altman comes in via the radio once more .
"You're now approaching the site of the highest number of reported Nachzehrer sightings in the entire country! Keep a watchful eye around the bereich, yeah? Luckily, you won't have to worry about any little hirsche running about. There hasn't been a deer in these parts for—" His voice is cut off by the incredibly loud sound of the car's horn. The headlights flash ahead revealing a deer on the road! Your car is forced off the road and down a cliff! You hang on for "deer" life as the vehicle tumbles down the hill.
You scream as your car barely dodges tree after tree, the strong scent of pine filling the air. You barely notice this, however, because your car has landed at the foot of the hill you just tumbled down from. The car stalls for a moment, and you hear the engine whining for a moment. The sound of the engine signifies that the car has failed altogether. The headlights die out completely. Darkness. Suddenly, a man emerges from behind a large tree trunk, waving a flashlight; his face is barely visible. You notice the detail on the animatronic's face. For a split second, you thought he was real! "H-hello? Is there anyone out there!" Oh my…Jane! There's someone here to rescue us!" With that, a woman emerges from inside the tree trunk. "No, Karl! It's a trick! Get back in the trunk or he'll see us!" The man waves his flashlight at you. "No, Jane! They're from the lodge! Hey! Hey, you! Herr Altman sent you, yeah? Please, you must listen carefully. If you have a radio, send out a distress signal. Tell Herr Altman we found the—" He is cut short by the horrifying roar of an unspeakable creature. The man and woman scream, forced back into their hiding place. You gasp for air as you hear the engine on your car attempt to restart. The creature looks straight at your car, and moves toward it, but at last, the car manages to start and you move away from the trunk. The lights, however, do not come back on.
It seems like you're taking your chance at finding your way through the forest than dealing with the creature as the car's engine growls loudly. An accompanying musical track accentuates the course through the trees. You hear the sound of screaming in the distance as the vehicle moves up a hill, the engine growling profusely. You reach the end of the hill. Before you can go over, however, a strange creature emerges from the trees. You hear the sound of brakes slam as the creature waves its arms at you threateningly. The car stops and vibrates for a moment.
Then, without warning, the creature waves his arms higher into the air, ducks, and presumably watches as the vehicle is lifted into the air by a hidden lift mechanism, similar to 'Cobra's Curse.' You watch in amazement (and horror) as your car rocks back and forth in the air. Even in the near-absence of light, you can see the peaks of the forest trees around you. You hear the creature laugh as your car speeds forward, flying down a relatively-steep drop and then through a banked curve past a tree of bats. Unbeknownst to you, this is the exclusive coaster section of the ride, lasting a full minute.
Your car glides through the trees, dipping and diving past large rock formations, at one point speeding past a rushing waterfall, its mist splashing your face for a moment. Your car dives through treacherous, mist-filled caverns, one of which flashes a bright light at you, a ride picture, of course. The car lurches upward and then down the steepest drop in the ride, straight into the trees. You look around as if to contemplate whether or not you didn't happen to die during the ride. Your car travels through a large, hollow tree trunk and out toward another campsite, where the man and woman from earlier are apparently making their way back to the lodge. The two wave their flashlights at you. "Everyone alright? The lodge received your distress signal. We won't be coming back to this place. With the deer still gone, I don't think anyone will need hunting licenses anytime soon. Not with that…thing still out there anyway. Send Herr Altman our regards." The car approaches the exit dock, and you proceed to exit, your heart pounding. You find your friends waiting for you at the ride picture gallery. The three of them are in the same car, their hands covering their eyes. You gaze at your picture. Oh, you're surprised alright. You're terrified on the inside, but the outside doesn't show it in the slightest. As you laugh at your friends, the four of you find yourselves back at the ride's familiar entrance. "What did you think" They ask you. You respond: "We're coming back to EPCOT tomorrow."
Now we just need Team Mist to reference Busch Gardens Tampa also to complete the unplanned theme of this round!
MANEATINGWREATH
Well-Known Member
Obviously, we are still waiting on a contribution from Team Mist. Tiki and I are in the midst of discussion in regards to our next step forward.
Unfortunately, our podcast has been cancelled for the evening. I've fallen ill - again - and cannot stay awake much longer. It isn't fun working busy nights and having to deal with a lack of vocal cords and nausea.
Fortunately, I was able to score Team Cap's project yesterday, and was able to read through Team Younger's a moment ago. That being said, these reviews won't be complete, but I can reveal scores for the time being. My apologies for the inconvenience. Both projects thus far are absolutely spectacular.
Team Cap: 46/50
Team Younger: 46/50
Detailed thoughts to follow.
Unfortunately, our podcast has been cancelled for the evening. I've fallen ill - again - and cannot stay awake much longer. It isn't fun working busy nights and having to deal with a lack of vocal cords and nausea.
Fortunately, I was able to score Team Cap's project yesterday, and was able to read through Team Younger's a moment ago. That being said, these reviews won't be complete, but I can reveal scores for the time being. My apologies for the inconvenience. Both projects thus far are absolutely spectacular.
Team Cap: 46/50
Team Younger: 46/50
Detailed thoughts to follow.
MEW and I will do a podcast as soon as possible, and I'll write out detailed thoughts on the concepts in the morning. In the meantime, I just got back from a Kong: Skull Island screening after a long workday so I'm just going to cut to the chase...Team Mist is obviously the losing team this project for failing to turn anything in. That being said, I can't in good conscious eliminate anyone from that team at this juncture for the following reasons...
Jokers - Has carried Team Mist from the start and continues to be one of the most active in the game
DisneyManOne - Still in possession of a Diamond PoMVP
Mickeyfan - Contributed a lot to the brainstorming
Snoopy - Wrote out a significant chunk of what would have been posted.
Normally in this situation, DisneyMan would be the one eliminated. Because of the loophole of the Diamond PoMVP and my failure to ask him if he wanted to use it or not, this round is a NON-ELIMINATION. That means all 12 of you move on to the next prompt. Using the mystical powers of Random.org, it's time for the FINAL team swap before the merge...
Team Mist
@IAmNotAHufflepuff
@kmbmw777
@Snoopy
@mickeyfan5534
@Magic Feather (Diamond PoMVP Holder)
@TrevorA
Team Younger
@Basketbuddy101
@JokersWild
@mharrington
@DisneyManOne (Diamond PoMVP Holder)
@ThatGuyFromFlorida
@Pionmycake
With that in mind, let's get to the next prompt.
Project Six: Theater Geeks
Based on Jagfkb's Sleeping Beauty Musical from Season Two
Jagfkb's Sleeping Beauty Musical in the final project of season two cemented Jag as a legendary winner and that project and concept as hands down the best entertainment-based project we've ever seen. Now is your chance to top it! This prompt is deceptively simple. Teams simply must design an hour-long musical for any Disney park based off of any Disney animated film...but here's the catch...The animated film you choose CANNOT have been adapted into a Disney theatrical in any form. No Broadway shows, no theme park shows, no Disney Cruise Line shows. That definitely limits your options and forces you to get creative.
@ThatGuyFromFlorida was in posession of the key to Walt's Vault this round but chose not to open the Vault. Had he opened it, he would have been able to hand-pick which animated film the opposing team which would have probably led to hilarious results. With the vault not open, both teams have selection of whatever film they want so long as it fits the guidelines.
Good luck teams. This project is due Thursday, March 16th at 11:59 PM Eastern
And one more thing...Since this last round was non elimination, this current round will be a DOUBLE elimination for the loosing team. You've all lasted through over half the cast. Work hard to make sure you're not one of the ones cut before heading into the merge!
Jokers - Has carried Team Mist from the start and continues to be one of the most active in the game
DisneyManOne - Still in possession of a Diamond PoMVP
Mickeyfan - Contributed a lot to the brainstorming
Snoopy - Wrote out a significant chunk of what would have been posted.
Normally in this situation, DisneyMan would be the one eliminated. Because of the loophole of the Diamond PoMVP and my failure to ask him if he wanted to use it or not, this round is a NON-ELIMINATION. That means all 12 of you move on to the next prompt. Using the mystical powers of Random.org, it's time for the FINAL team swap before the merge...
Team Mist
@IAmNotAHufflepuff
@kmbmw777
@Snoopy
@mickeyfan5534
@Magic Feather (Diamond PoMVP Holder)
@TrevorA
Team Younger
@Basketbuddy101
@JokersWild
@mharrington
@DisneyManOne (Diamond PoMVP Holder)
@ThatGuyFromFlorida
@Pionmycake
With that in mind, let's get to the next prompt.
Project Six: Theater Geeks
Based on Jagfkb's Sleeping Beauty Musical from Season Two
Jagfkb's Sleeping Beauty Musical in the final project of season two cemented Jag as a legendary winner and that project and concept as hands down the best entertainment-based project we've ever seen. Now is your chance to top it! This prompt is deceptively simple. Teams simply must design an hour-long musical for any Disney park based off of any Disney animated film...but here's the catch...The animated film you choose CANNOT have been adapted into a Disney theatrical in any form. No Broadway shows, no theme park shows, no Disney Cruise Line shows. That definitely limits your options and forces you to get creative.
@ThatGuyFromFlorida was in posession of the key to Walt's Vault this round but chose not to open the Vault. Had he opened it, he would have been able to hand-pick which animated film the opposing team which would have probably led to hilarious results. With the vault not open, both teams have selection of whatever film they want so long as it fits the guidelines.
Good luck teams. This project is due Thursday, March 16th at 11:59 PM Eastern
And one more thing...Since this last round was non elimination, this current round will be a DOUBLE elimination for the loosing team. You've all lasted through over half the cast. Work hard to make sure you're not one of the ones cut before heading into the merge!
As always, see my avatar for an incredibly vague tease at the next project.
kmbmw777
Well-Known Member
Are these still on the way?
MANEATINGWREATH
Well-Known Member
Yes. Currently combating my second major sickness of the year/month. -_- And people said 2016 sucked...
While I won't dive into the specific categories of the grading process, I will elaborate as to why either team that turned in a project received a solid 46/50... Obviously, Team Mist received a 0/50 for not turning anything in, but I understand that there were issues with the brainstorming and such. While I don't want to see this happen again in a future round, I will partially take the fall for this as we've never had a season with such tiny teams before. It was an unsuccessful experiment in this aspect, and I apologize to Team Mist for the inconvenience. I would like to thank Team Cap and Team Younger, however, for turning in some really stellar work.
First off, Team Cap. It is undeniable that the partnership between Pionmycake, TrevorA and kmbw777 is a powerful one. It really is a shame that this successful trio had to come to a close with the merge into larger teams. ThatGuyFromFlorida also proves to be a welcome addition to SYWTBAI and a worthy contender moving forward. In my book, the collaboration of Pi, Trev and km is rather iconic to the ongoing history of the game, right up there with the still-unconfirmed legacy of Season Seven's "Treacherous Trio." I'm sure @TheOriginalTiki would agree with me on this.
From the start of the project, I felt completely immersed and thrown into this world. The perfect presentation and fanciful introduction sold the idea from the get-go. Given that most of you would be unfamiliar with Legend of the Lost Army, the project in which this prompt was derived, it is almost astounding how similar in quality and tone yours is to it.
While I wish there were more to the written description of the Museum, the pictures and writing that were present did it enough justice for the most part. The ride itself was a solid E-Ticket in the spirit of Indiana Jones Adventure, my old home. The idea and content to the attraction was realistic, detailed and well-done. Everything was solid. My only gripe would be a different choice for the design of the EMV. I understand the theme of a jeep tour, but having it be a jeep might be a little too similar to Indy and Dinosaur... Just my opinion, though.
Team Younger... Wow. This one had me at a loss initially. To start, this is perhaps one of the most original prompts for a Disney Park I have ever seen in the lines of armchair Imagineering. Not only was this an unexpected project, it was a dark and "spooky" attraction that has long-since left WDW since the loss of Alien Encounter. I wish I had more feedback to give, but honestly, everything was wonderful. I do wish that the presentation had been a bit cleaner or "good-looking," but there is nothing wrong with an old-fashioned post in the main thread. Heck, that's what I did all last season.
Both teams did a spectacular job with this assignment. I am most proud and pleased with the result. Give yourselves a round of applause. I'm sure Tiki's thoughts will follow.
MANEATINGWREATH
Well-Known Member
Alright, tonight's the night! We will announce the results, eliminations, and such in the hour or two following. There is a chance I will be seeing a musical tonight, but my feedback will still follow. Stay tuned!
Pi on my Cake
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
Team Younger Proudly Presents:
-Intro-
Pinocchio is, if I'm not mistaken, the only Walt Disney animated movie to have a perfect 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It's is a bonafide classic through and through. Yet, there is next to no representation for Pinocchio in the Florida parks. Well, all I that is about to change with...
Pinocchio: A Fanciful Musical!
Taking the place of the Beauty and the Beast stage show in Hollywood Studios, this will be a lavish, Broadway style retelling of the classic tale of the brave little puppet dreaming of becoming a real boy.
The show will be roughly an hour long, so very little will need to be cut from the original. Small changes will be made to create a better flow as a stage show (ex. Having nearly the entirety of Pleasure Island be one extended song), but the story stays mostly the same.
-Theater Remodel-
The Theater of the Stars will be renovated in order to house the new show! Not only will the stage be expanded to allow for bigger and better sets, but the theater will be enclosed! The enclosure of the theater allows for more exciting lighting and special effects as well as air conditioning for the hot Florida Summers. The curtains on each side are specifically for projection mapping (a new addition to the theater!). The stage space is expanded toward the front. New air conditioning system installed. New walkway space below stage to allow for additional performers or puppets. The stage mostly takes a Stromboli's theater motif, but with some modifications in lighting, can be themed to Pleasure Island and the inside of Monstro.
-Art Design-
The art design of this musical has been designed to both look familiar as a Disney product, while also differentiating and updating to fit the look of modern stage musicals. Though the sets are mostly cut-outs, they have been designed to have great depth and look far larger than they actually are. All of the props, puppets, and sets will have a rustic, almost folk art-y look, similar to some of the visuals evoked in the films of Wes Anderson. In terms of costume design, the human characters look very similar to how they do in the animated feature. Gepetto is very recognizably Gepetto, just as Stromboli is very recognizably Stromboli. The non-human characters, however, have been altered slightly. Both Honest John, and Gideon have been designed to have almost a Wes Anderson look. Their designs are not dissimilar to the characters in Anderson's film "Fantastic Mr. Fox." Jiminy Cricket will have a naturally similar look.
Pinocchio, for the bulk of the show, will be represented by a puppet, similarly to Olaf in the Frozen musical, or the main characters of the Finding Nemo musical currently playing in Animal Kingdom. The puppet will be operated live on stage by the actual actor, dressed in black. Pinocchio will look very close to how he looks in the animated feature. At the end of the show, when Pinocchio becomes a real boy, the actor will physically portray the character as well.
-Scene Example-
Below is a sample of the script for the show. This scene would be the prologue/opening of the show.
D
You can live out your dreams
D_______Cm___Eb
On Pleasure Island
Gm
So much to do, so much to see
Gm_____Bb____D7
On Pleasure Island
D
But nothing is really as it seems
D______Cm____Eb
On Pleasure Island
-Intro-
Pinocchio is, if I'm not mistaken, the only Walt Disney animated movie to have a perfect 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It's is a bonafide classic through and through. Yet, there is next to no representation for Pinocchio in the Florida parks. Well, all I that is about to change with...
Pinocchio: A Fanciful Musical!
Taking the place of the Beauty and the Beast stage show in Hollywood Studios, this will be a lavish, Broadway style retelling of the classic tale of the brave little puppet dreaming of becoming a real boy.
The show will be roughly an hour long, so very little will need to be cut from the original. Small changes will be made to create a better flow as a stage show (ex. Having nearly the entirety of Pleasure Island be one extended song), but the story stays mostly the same.
-Theater Remodel-
The Theater of the Stars will be renovated in order to house the new show! Not only will the stage be expanded to allow for bigger and better sets, but the theater will be enclosed! The enclosure of the theater allows for more exciting lighting and special effects as well as air conditioning for the hot Florida Summers. The curtains on each side are specifically for projection mapping (a new addition to the theater!). The stage space is expanded toward the front. New air conditioning system installed. New walkway space below stage to allow for additional performers or puppets. The stage mostly takes a Stromboli's theater motif, but with some modifications in lighting, can be themed to Pleasure Island and the inside of Monstro.
-Art Design-
The art design of this musical has been designed to both look familiar as a Disney product, while also differentiating and updating to fit the look of modern stage musicals. Though the sets are mostly cut-outs, they have been designed to have great depth and look far larger than they actually are. All of the props, puppets, and sets will have a rustic, almost folk art-y look, similar to some of the visuals evoked in the films of Wes Anderson. In terms of costume design, the human characters look very similar to how they do in the animated feature. Gepetto is very recognizably Gepetto, just as Stromboli is very recognizably Stromboli. The non-human characters, however, have been altered slightly. Both Honest John, and Gideon have been designed to have almost a Wes Anderson look. Their designs are not dissimilar to the characters in Anderson's film "Fantastic Mr. Fox." Jiminy Cricket will have a naturally similar look.
Pinocchio, for the bulk of the show, will be represented by a puppet, similarly to Olaf in the Frozen musical, or the main characters of the Finding Nemo musical currently playing in Animal Kingdom. The puppet will be operated live on stage by the actual actor, dressed in black. Pinocchio will look very close to how he looks in the animated feature. At the end of the show, when Pinocchio becomes a real boy, the actor will physically portray the character as well.
-Scene Example-
Below is a sample of the script for the show. This scene would be the prologue/opening of the show.
PROLOGUE
(House lights dim. In the darkness, we hear chimes tinkle in the distance, as if sending magic before us. The chimes swell into a full orchestrated overture, leading into a VOICE singing in the dark…)
VOICE.
WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR
MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHO YOU ARE
ANYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES
WILL COME TO YOU.
IF YOUR HEART IS IN YOUR DREAM
NO REQUEST IS TOO EXTREME
WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR
AS DREAMERS DO.
FATE IS KIND,
SHE BRINGS TO THOSE WHO LOVE
THE SWEET FULFILLMENT OF
THEIR SECRET LONGING.
(A spotlight picks up the voice’s origin—JIMINY CRICKET, our narrator. He is dressed smartly in a top hat and tuxedo, and carries an umbrella in his hand.)
JIMINY (cont’d).
LIKE A BOLT OUT OF THE BLUE
FATE STEPS IN AND SEES YOU THROUGH
WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR
YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE.
Pretty, huh? I'll bet a lot of you folks don't believe that. About a wish coming true, do you? Well, I didn't, either. Of course, I'm just a cricket singing my way from hearth to hearth, but let me tell you what made me change my mind.
(The curtain opens on…
SCENE 1: GEPPETTO’S WORKSHOP
A large set piece made to look like an old homestead, filled to the brim with clocks, toys and other wooden works of art sits center stage, behind a large projection screen, depicting an Italian town at night. Prominently displayed on a bench is an unfinished marionette, made to look like a little boy.)
JIMINY (cont’d). One night a long time ago, my travels took me to a quaint little village. It was a beautiful night. The stars were shining like diamonds high above the roofs of that sleepy old town. As I wandered along the crooked streets, there wasn't a soul to be seen. The only sign of life was a lighted window in the shop of a woodcarver named Geppetto. So, I hopped over, and looked in. It was a shame to see a nice, cheerful fire goin' to waste. So what do I do? I go in. (JIMINY enters the homestead, and crouches carefully behind a bench.) I looked around. Of course, being in a strange place like that, I didn't know what to expect. A cricket can't be too careful, you know. As soon as I saw there was no one about, I made myself at home. (JIMINY tiptoes over towards a stove, making heat.) As I stood there warming my (he notices that his rear end is closest to the stove. He stops, choosing his words carefully) ... myself, I took a look around. Well, sir, you never saw such a place... the most fantastic clocks you ever laid your eyes on, and all carved out of wood. And cute, little music boxes... each one a work of art. And shelf after shelf of toys and...and then something else caught my eye...a puppet. You know... one of those marionette things. All strings and joints. Cute little fella.
(GEPPETTO himself enters with new paints, and sets to work completing the marionette.)
GEPPETTO.
Oh, it won’t take too much longer. Just a little more paint, and you’ll be all finished. I think you’ll be quite alright… (he paints a smile on the marionette.) A warm, welcoming smile. That makes a big difference. Very good. Now, I have just the name for you…Pinocchio! Do you like it? (He moves the strings; the puppet’s head nods ‘yes’.) That settles it! Pinocchio, it is! Come on, now! We'll try you out. Music, Professor!
(GEPPETTO winds up one of his music boxes; and prances the marionette around, singing as he goes.)
LITTLE WOODEN HEAD, GO PLAY YOUR PART.
BRING A LITTLE JOY TO EVERY HEART.
LITTLE DO YOU KNOW, AND YET IT’S TRUE,
THAT I’M MIGHTY PROUD OF YOU.
LITTLE WOODEN FEET, AND BEST OF ALL,
LITTLE WOODEN SEAT, IN CASE YOU FALL
(GEPPETTO deliberately trips the puppet, causing it to fall on its rear.)
Oh, how graceful!
MY LITTLE WOODEN HEAD.
HAPPY LITTLE CHAP WITH A FEATHER IN YOUR CAP,
THOUGH I MADE YOU OF WOOD, YOU NEVER GIVE A RAP.
ALWAYS DOING GOOD, LIKE A LITTLE PUPPET SHOULD,
CHASING EACH GLOOMY DAY AWAY…
LITTLE WOODEN HEAD WITH EYES THAT SHINE
LITTLE WOODEN HEAD THAT’S MADE OF PINE.
IN A WEARY WORLD, YOU DO YOUR SHARE
SPREADING LAUGHTER EVERYWHERE.
LITTLE WOODEN FEET, AND BEST OF ALL,
LITTLE WOODEN SEAT, IN CASE YOU FALL,
NEVER LET A SINGLE TEAR BE SHED,
MY LITTLE WOODEN HEAD.
NEVER LET A SINGLE TEAR BE SHED,
MY LITTLE WOODEN...
(All of a sudden, every clock in the workshop chimes in a massive cacophony.)
Oh goodness, I had no idea it was that late! Come now—we go to bed. (He places the marionette back onto the workbench.) Good night, Pinocchio. (As he settles into bed, he notices something outside the window.) Oh! A wishing star!
Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I make tonight. I wish that my little Pinocchio might be a real boy! Wouldn't that be nice? Just think - a real boy.
JIMINY. (himself settling in nearby the stove; to us) Do you hear that? A real boy. A very lovely thought—but not at all practical.
(House lights dim. In the darkness, we hear chimes tinkle in the distance, as if sending magic before us. The chimes swell into a full orchestrated overture, leading into a VOICE singing in the dark…)
VOICE.
WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR
MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHO YOU ARE
ANYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES
WILL COME TO YOU.
IF YOUR HEART IS IN YOUR DREAM
NO REQUEST IS TOO EXTREME
WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR
AS DREAMERS DO.
FATE IS KIND,
SHE BRINGS TO THOSE WHO LOVE
THE SWEET FULFILLMENT OF
THEIR SECRET LONGING.
(A spotlight picks up the voice’s origin—JIMINY CRICKET, our narrator. He is dressed smartly in a top hat and tuxedo, and carries an umbrella in his hand.)
JIMINY (cont’d).
LIKE A BOLT OUT OF THE BLUE
FATE STEPS IN AND SEES YOU THROUGH
WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR
YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE.
Pretty, huh? I'll bet a lot of you folks don't believe that. About a wish coming true, do you? Well, I didn't, either. Of course, I'm just a cricket singing my way from hearth to hearth, but let me tell you what made me change my mind.
(The curtain opens on…
SCENE 1: GEPPETTO’S WORKSHOP
A large set piece made to look like an old homestead, filled to the brim with clocks, toys and other wooden works of art sits center stage, behind a large projection screen, depicting an Italian town at night. Prominently displayed on a bench is an unfinished marionette, made to look like a little boy.)
JIMINY (cont’d). One night a long time ago, my travels took me to a quaint little village. It was a beautiful night. The stars were shining like diamonds high above the roofs of that sleepy old town. As I wandered along the crooked streets, there wasn't a soul to be seen. The only sign of life was a lighted window in the shop of a woodcarver named Geppetto. So, I hopped over, and looked in. It was a shame to see a nice, cheerful fire goin' to waste. So what do I do? I go in. (JIMINY enters the homestead, and crouches carefully behind a bench.) I looked around. Of course, being in a strange place like that, I didn't know what to expect. A cricket can't be too careful, you know. As soon as I saw there was no one about, I made myself at home. (JIMINY tiptoes over towards a stove, making heat.) As I stood there warming my (he notices that his rear end is closest to the stove. He stops, choosing his words carefully) ... myself, I took a look around. Well, sir, you never saw such a place... the most fantastic clocks you ever laid your eyes on, and all carved out of wood. And cute, little music boxes... each one a work of art. And shelf after shelf of toys and...and then something else caught my eye...a puppet. You know... one of those marionette things. All strings and joints. Cute little fella.
(GEPPETTO himself enters with new paints, and sets to work completing the marionette.)
GEPPETTO.
Oh, it won’t take too much longer. Just a little more paint, and you’ll be all finished. I think you’ll be quite alright… (he paints a smile on the marionette.) A warm, welcoming smile. That makes a big difference. Very good. Now, I have just the name for you…Pinocchio! Do you like it? (He moves the strings; the puppet’s head nods ‘yes’.) That settles it! Pinocchio, it is! Come on, now! We'll try you out. Music, Professor!
(GEPPETTO winds up one of his music boxes; and prances the marionette around, singing as he goes.)
LITTLE WOODEN HEAD, GO PLAY YOUR PART.
BRING A LITTLE JOY TO EVERY HEART.
LITTLE DO YOU KNOW, AND YET IT’S TRUE,
THAT I’M MIGHTY PROUD OF YOU.
LITTLE WOODEN FEET, AND BEST OF ALL,
LITTLE WOODEN SEAT, IN CASE YOU FALL
(GEPPETTO deliberately trips the puppet, causing it to fall on its rear.)
Oh, how graceful!
MY LITTLE WOODEN HEAD.
HAPPY LITTLE CHAP WITH A FEATHER IN YOUR CAP,
THOUGH I MADE YOU OF WOOD, YOU NEVER GIVE A RAP.
ALWAYS DOING GOOD, LIKE A LITTLE PUPPET SHOULD,
CHASING EACH GLOOMY DAY AWAY…
LITTLE WOODEN HEAD WITH EYES THAT SHINE
LITTLE WOODEN HEAD THAT’S MADE OF PINE.
IN A WEARY WORLD, YOU DO YOUR SHARE
SPREADING LAUGHTER EVERYWHERE.
LITTLE WOODEN FEET, AND BEST OF ALL,
LITTLE WOODEN SEAT, IN CASE YOU FALL,
NEVER LET A SINGLE TEAR BE SHED,
MY LITTLE WOODEN HEAD.
NEVER LET A SINGLE TEAR BE SHED,
MY LITTLE WOODEN...
(All of a sudden, every clock in the workshop chimes in a massive cacophony.)
Oh goodness, I had no idea it was that late! Come now—we go to bed. (He places the marionette back onto the workbench.) Good night, Pinocchio. (As he settles into bed, he notices something outside the window.) Oh! A wishing star!
Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I make tonight. I wish that my little Pinocchio might be a real boy! Wouldn't that be nice? Just think - a real boy.
JIMINY. (himself settling in nearby the stove; to us) Do you hear that? A real boy. A very lovely thought—but not at all practical.
-Original Song-
Team Younger has written (parts of) an original song to be added into the musical! It is called "Welcome to Pleasure Island" and the choruses are sung by the Coachman while the verses are sung by the kids on Pleasure Island. The Coachman sings like a sleazy night club owner prasing his own establishment while the kids do large choreographed dance numbers. Midway through, there will be a short scene where kids start turning into donkeys before the song resumes in a much more sinister style.
Team Younger has written (parts of) an original song to be added into the musical! It is called "Welcome to Pleasure Island" and the choruses are sung by the Coachman while the verses are sung by the kids on Pleasure Island. The Coachman sings like a sleazy night club owner prasing his own establishment while the kids do large choreographed dance numbers. Midway through, there will be a short scene where kids start turning into donkeys before the song resumes in a much more sinister style.
Gm
Welcome, welcome, welcome
Gm_____Bb___D7
To Pleasure IslandWelcome, welcome, welcome
Gm_____Bb___D7
D
You can live out your dreams
D_______Cm___Eb
On Pleasure Island
Gm
So much to do, so much to see
Gm_____Bb____D7
On Pleasure Island
D
But nothing is really as it seems
D______Cm____Eb
On Pleasure Island
Here is the instrumental music for the choruses:
-Chorus 1
Welcome welcome welcome to Pleasure Island!
You can live out your dreams on Pleasure Island!
So much to do so much to see on Pleasure Island!
But nothing is really as it seems on Pleasure Island!
Pleasure Island!
La da da daa
da da daa da
La da da daa
*Verse 1*
-Chorus 2
Welcome welcome welcome to Pleasure Island!
we've got fun and games on Pleasure Island!
There are no rules, no saying no on Pleasure Island!
And you leave you won't be the same after Pleasure Island!
Pleasure Island!
La da da daa
da da daa da
La da da daa
*Verse 2*
*Scene where donkey transformation starts*
*Verse 3*
-Chorus 3
Welcome welcome welcome to Pleasure Island!
you have all brought me wealth on Pleasure Island!
now get in the cage it's time to leave Pleasure Island!
you've made a donkey of yourself on pleasure Island
Pleasure Island!
Pleasure Island!
Pleasure Island!
Pleasure Island!
*laughter* the pleasure's all mine
Welcome welcome welcome to Pleasure Island!
You can live out your dreams on Pleasure Island!
So much to do so much to see on Pleasure Island!
But nothing is really as it seems on Pleasure Island!
Pleasure Island!
La da da daa
da da daa da
La da da daa
*Verse 1*
-Chorus 2
Welcome welcome welcome to Pleasure Island!
we've got fun and games on Pleasure Island!
There are no rules, no saying no on Pleasure Island!
And you leave you won't be the same after Pleasure Island!
Pleasure Island!
La da da daa
da da daa da
La da da daa
*Verse 2*
*Scene where donkey transformation starts*
*Verse 3*
-Chorus 3
Welcome welcome welcome to Pleasure Island!
you have all brought me wealth on Pleasure Island!
now get in the cage it's time to leave Pleasure Island!
you've made a donkey of yourself on pleasure Island
Pleasure Island!
Pleasure Island!
Pleasure Island!
Pleasure Island!
*laughter* the pleasure's all mine
(During an instrumental break, JIMINY approaches PINOCCHIO and LAMPWICK.)
JIMINY. There you are! So, this is where I find you! How do you ever expect to be a real boy? Look at yourself! Come on, we’re going home right this minute!
LAMPWICK. Say, who’s the beetle?
PINOCCHIO. He's my conscience. He tells me what's right from wrong.
LAMPWICK. What?! You mean to tell me you oughtta take orders from a grasshopper?
JIMINY. Grasshopper? Look here, you...you impudent young pup! It wouldn't hurt you to take orders from your grasshopper...um...uh...your conscience, if you have one.
PINOCCHIO. Oh, please don't shout at him, Jiminy. He's my best friend.
JIMINY. (Hurt) …Your best friend? And what am I? Just your conscience. (angered) OK! That settles it!
PINOCCHIO. But, Jiminy...
JIMINY. You buttered your bread, now sleep in it! Go on, laugh! Make a jackass outta yourself! I'm through! This is the end!
(He storms off.)
LAMPWICK. Heh! To hear that beetle talk, you'd think something was going to happen to us. (LAMPWICK suddenly sprouts donkey ears.) Conscience. Ah, phooey! (strikes a ball and grows a donkey tail, as a shocked PINOCCHIO then throws away his cigar) Where does he get that stuff? "How do you ever expect to be a real boy?" (His head turns into that of a donkey’s) What's he think I look like? A jackass?
PINOCCHIO. Sure do!
JIMINY. There you are! So, this is where I find you! How do you ever expect to be a real boy? Look at yourself! Come on, we’re going home right this minute!
LAMPWICK. Say, who’s the beetle?
PINOCCHIO. He's my conscience. He tells me what's right from wrong.
LAMPWICK. What?! You mean to tell me you oughtta take orders from a grasshopper?
JIMINY. Grasshopper? Look here, you...you impudent young pup! It wouldn't hurt you to take orders from your grasshopper...um...uh...your conscience, if you have one.
PINOCCHIO. Oh, please don't shout at him, Jiminy. He's my best friend.
JIMINY. (Hurt) …Your best friend? And what am I? Just your conscience. (angered) OK! That settles it!
PINOCCHIO. But, Jiminy...
JIMINY. You buttered your bread, now sleep in it! Go on, laugh! Make a jackass outta yourself! I'm through! This is the end!
(He storms off.)
LAMPWICK. Heh! To hear that beetle talk, you'd think something was going to happen to us. (LAMPWICK suddenly sprouts donkey ears.) Conscience. Ah, phooey! (strikes a ball and grows a donkey tail, as a shocked PINOCCHIO then throws away his cigar) Where does he get that stuff? "How do you ever expect to be a real boy?" (His head turns into that of a donkey’s) What's he think I look like? A jackass?
PINOCCHIO. Sure do!
Here is the lyrics of the choruses sung out:
(Sorry for my rough singing voice lol)
-Conclusion-
Overall, this lavish stage show will be the type of attraction a great movie like Pinocchio deserves and a truly incredible experience. Be sure to catch one of its 3 (4 during peak seasons) daily performances soon at Hollywood Studios!
Thank you for reading and for you consideration.
One final treat:
THE FULL SCRIPT OF THE SHOW!!!
(Sorry for my rough singing voice lol)
-Conclusion-
Overall, this lavish stage show will be the type of attraction a great movie like Pinocchio deserves and a truly incredible experience. Be sure to catch one of its 3 (4 during peak seasons) daily performances soon at Hollywood Studios!
Thank you for reading and for you consideration.
One final treat:
THE FULL SCRIPT OF THE SHOW!!!
PROLOGUE
(House lights dim. In the darkness, we hear chimes tinkle in the distance, as if sending magic before us. The chimes swell into a full orchestrated overture, leading into a VOICE singing in the dark…)
VOICE.
WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR
MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHO YOU ARE
ANYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES
WILL COME TO YOU.
IF YOUR HEART IS IN YOUR DREAM
NO REQUEST IS TOO EXTREME
WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR
AS DREAMERS DO.
FATE IS KIND,
SHE BRINGS TO THOSE WHO LOVE
THE SWEET FULFILLMENT OF
THEIR SECRET LONGING.
(A spotlight picks up the voice’s origin—JIMINY CRICKET, our narrator. He is dressed smartly in a top hat and tuxedo, and carries an umbrella in his hand.)
JIMINY (cont’d).
LIKE A BOLT OUT OF THE BLUE
FATE STEPS IN AND SEES YOU THROUGH
WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR
YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE.
Pretty, huh? I'll bet a lot of you folks don't believe that. About a wish coming true, do you? Well, I didn't, either. Of course, I'm just a cricket singing my way from hearth to hearth, but let me tell you what made me change my mind.
(The curtain opens on…
SCENE 1: GEPPETTO’S WORKSHOP
A large set piece made to look like an old homestead, filled to the brim with clocks, toys and other wooden works of art sits center stage, behind a large projection screen, depicting an Italian town at night. Prominently displayed on a bench is an unfinished marionette, made to look like a little boy.)
One night a long time ago, my travels took me to a quaint little village. It was a beautiful night. The stars were shining like diamonds high above the roofs of that sleepy old town. Pretty as a picture. As I wandered along the crooked streets, there wasn't a soul to be seen. The only sign of life was a lighted window in the shop of a woodcarver named Geppetto. So, I hopped over, and looked in. It was a shame to see a nice, cheerful fire goin' to waste. So what do I do? I go in. (JIMINY enters the homestead, and crouches carefully behind a bench.) I looked around. Of course, being in a strange place like that, I didn't know what to expect. A cricket can't be too careful, you know. Soon as I saw there was no one about, I made myself at home. (JIMINY tiptoes over towards a stove, making heat.) As I stood there warming my (he notices that his rear end is closest to the stove. He stops, choosing his words carefully) ... myself, I took a look around. Well, sir, you never saw such a place... the most fantastic clocks you ever laid your eyes on, and all carved out of wood. And cute, little music boxes... each one a work of art. And shelf after shelf of toys and...and then something else caught my eye...a puppet. You know... one of those marionette things. All strings and joints. Cute little fella.
(GEPPETTO himself enters with new paints, and sets to work completing the marionette.)
GEPPETTO. Oh, it won’t take too much longer. Just a little more paint, and you’ll be all finished. I think you’ll be quite alright… (he paints a smile on the marionette.) A warm, welcoming smile. That makes a big difference. Very good. Now, I have just the name for you…Pinocchio! Do you like it? (He moves the strings; the puppet’s head nods ‘yes’.) That settles it! Pinocchio, it is! Come on, now! We'll try you out. Music, Professor!
(GEPPETTO winds up one of his music boxes; and prances the marionette around, singing as he goes.)
LITTLE WOODEN HEAD, GO PLAY YOUR PART.
BRING A LITTLE JOY TO EVERY HEART.
LITTLE DO YOU KNOW, AND YET IT’S TRUE,
THAT I’M MIGHTY PROUD OF YOU.
LITTLE WOODEN FEET, AND BEST OF ALL,
LITTLE WOODEN SEAT, IN CASE YOU FALL
(GEPPETTO deliberately trips the puppet, causing it to fall on its rear.)
Oh, how graceful!
MY LITTLE WOODEN HEAD.
HAPPY LITTLE CHAP WITH A FEATHER IN YOUR CAP,
THOUGH I MADE YOU OF WOOD, YOU NEVER GIVE A RAP.
ALWAYS DOING GOOD, LIKE A LITTLE PUPPET SHOULD,
CHASING EACH GLOOMY DAY AWAY…
LITTLE WOODEN HEAD WITH EYES THAT SHINE
LITTLE WOODEN HEAD THAT’S MADE OF PINE.
IN A WEARY WORLD, YOU DO YOUR SHARE
SPREADING LAUGHTER EVERYWHERE.
LITTLE WOODEN FEET, AND BEST OF ALL,
LITTLE WOODEN SEAT, IN CASE YOU FALL,
NEVER LET A SINGLE TEAR BE SHED,
MY LITTLE WOODEN HEAD.
NEVER LET A SINGLE TEAR BE SHED,
MY LITTLE WOODEN...
(All of a sudden, every clock in the workshop chimes in a massive cacophony.)
Oh goodness, I had no idea it was that late! Come now—we go to bed. (He places the marionette back onto the workbench.) Good night, Pinocchio, my little funny face. (As he settles into bed, he notices something outside the window.) Oh, look! A wishing star! Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I make tonight. Figaro, you know what I wished for? I wished that my little Pinocchio might be a real boy! Wouldn't that be nice? Just think - a real boy.
JIMINY. (himself settling in nearby the stove; to us) Do you hear that? A real boy. A very lovely thought—but not at all practical.
(JIMINY and GEPPETTO both doze off. Suddenly, the room illuminates as a brightly-glowing, dazzling star in the sky moves toward the woodcarver's window, filling it with a white glow. JIMINY is startled awake.)
Hey, what’s goin’ on?
(The light fades to reveal a beautiful, golden-haired, glamorous fairy with wings and a wand, and wearing a sparkling whitish-blue dress.)
Well! As I live and breathe…a fairy!
(The FAIRY turns to the sleeping GEPPETTO.)
FAIRY. Good Geppetto, you have given so much happiness to others. You deserve to have your wish come true.
(She moves over to the workbench, where the marionette sits, and taps it with her wand.)
Little puppet made of pine...wake. The gift of life is thine.
(A great burst of light fills the stage. When it clears, the marionette has been replaced by PINOCCHIO, portrayed here as an actual puppet, in the same vein as Olaf in DCA’s Frozen show or Timon in the Broadway adaptation of The Lion King.)
JIMINY. What they can’t do these days…
(After a moment, PINOCCHIO blinks, then turns his head around and moves its arms in astonishment.)
PINOCCHIO. I can move! (He places his hands over his mouth.) I can talk! (Shakily, he gets himself onto his feet and walks around.) I can walk!
FAIRY. Yes, Pinocchio. I've given you life.
PINOCCHIO. Why?
FAIRY. Because tonight, Geppetto wished for a real boy.
PINOCCHIO. Am I a real boy?
FAIRY. No, Pinocchio. To make Geppetto's wish come true will be entirely up to you.
PINOCCHIO. Up to me?
FAIRY. Prove yourself brave, truthful and unselfish, and someday you will be a real boy.
JIMINY. That won’t be easy.
FAIRY. You must learn to choose between right and wrong.
PINOCCHIO. (looking at his two hands as alternatives, puzzling) Right - and wrong? But how will I know?
FAIRY. Your conscience will tell you.
PINOCCHIO. (naively) What are conscience?
JIMINY. I’ll tell you. (hopping over to PINOCCHIO’s side) A conscience is that still, small voice that people won't listen to. That's just the trouble with the world today.
PINOCCHIO. Are you my conscience?
JIMINY. Who, me?
FAIRY. Would you like to be Pinocchio’s conscience?
JIMINY. Well…all right.
FAIRY. Very well. What is your name?
JIMINY. Cricket’s the name. Jiminy Cricket.
FAIRY. Kneel, Mr. Cricket.
JIMINY. Huh? No tricks, now. (He kneels. The FAIRY uses her wand as if to knight him.)
FAIRY. I dub you Pinocchio's conscience, Lord High Keeper of the knowledge of right and wrong, counsellor in moments of temptation, and guide along the straight and narrow path. Arise, Sir Jiminy Cricket.
JIMINY. (Excited about his title) Well! My, my! Say, that's pretty swell! Gee, thanks. But don't I get a badge or somethin'?
FAIRY. Well, we'll see.
JIMINY. You mean maybe I will?
FAIRY. I shouldn't wonder.
JIMINY. Make it a gold one?
FAIRY. Maybe. Now, remember, Pinocchio, be a good boy. And always let your conscience be your guide.
(The FAIRY disappears in another burst of light. From outside the window, we see the star from whence she came sparkle.)
JIMINY. All right-y, Pinoke. Maybe you and I had better have a little heart-to-heart talk.
PINOCCHIO. Why?
JIMINY. Well, you wanna be a real boy, don't you? (PINOCCHIO nods his head.) Sit down, son. (He drops down on the bench.) Now, you see, the world is full of temptations.
PINOCCHIO. Temptations?
JIMINY. Yep, temptations. They're the wrong things that seem right at the time, but, uh.... even though the right things may seem wrong, sometimes, or sometimes, the wrong things may be right at the wrong time, or vice-versa. Understand?
PINOCCHIO. (shaking his head) Uh-uh. (JIMINY facepalms.) But I'm gonna do right.
JIMINY. Attaboy, Pinoke! And I'm gonna help ya. Now if you need me at anytime, just whistle. Like this. (He whistles.)
PINOCCHIO. Like this? (He tries to whistle, but all he does is just blow air.)
JIMINY. Here, let me help. Just pucker your lips…and gently blow. (He whistles.)
PINOCCHIO. Like this? (He once again attempts to whistle…and results in a loud, shrill sound! This sudden noise wakes GEPPETTO. In the dark, he addresses the noise.)
GEPPETTO. Ah! What’s happening? Who’s here?
PINOCCHIO. It’s me!
GEPPETTO. It’s you, eh? How did you get here?
PINOCCHIO. I whistled.
GEPPETTO. Oh, you did, hmm?
(During the above, GEPPETTO has been searching for a lantern. He picks it up and finds himself face-to-face with a living PINOCCHIO.)
Oh! You are talking!
PINOCCHIO. Uh-huh.
GEPPETTO. No!
PINOCCHIO. Yes! And I can move, too!
GEPPETTO. No, no, no! You can't! I'm dreaming in my sleep! Wake me up! Wake me up! (He picks up a mug of water and splashes it in his face.) Now we see who's dreaming. Go on... say something.
PINOCCHIO. (giggling) Gee, you're funny. Do it again!
GEPPETTO. You do talk!
PINOCCHIO. Yes! The blue fairy came...
GEPPETTO. The blue fairy?
PINOCCHIO. And I got a conscience!
GEPPETTO. A conscience?
PINOCCHIO. And someday, I'm gonna be a real boy!
GEPPETTO. A real boy! It's my wish! It's come true! Oh, well, I think we’ve had too much excitement for one night. Come, Pinocchio, let’s go to sleep.
PINOCCHIO. Why?
GEPPETTO. Oh, everybody has to sleep, and besides, tomorrow you've got to go to school.
PINOCCHIO. Why?
GEPPETTO. Oh, to learn things and...and get smart.
PINOCCHIO. Why?
GEPPETTO. …Because.
PINOCCHIO. Oh.
(Lights fade on the workshop. A scrim, much as in the old days of Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage, flies in, depicting the streets of the village. It is morning. Church bells sound in the distance.)
SCENE 2: THE STREETS
(PINOCCHIO runs out, eager to go to school. GEPPETTO follows behind.)
GEPPETTO. Wait a minute, Pinocchio! Stay still! I forgot to give you something. Here, here is your book, and an apple to give your teacher. Very good, now run along.
PINOCCHIO. Goodbye, Father!
GEPPETTO. Goodbye, son! Hurry back!
(GEPPETTO leaves. PINOCCHIO skips off towards school. As he leaves, two shady characters enter: one—a fox, “HONEST” JOHN, and the other—his accomplice, GIDEON.)
HONEST JOHN. Gideon, listen... the merry laughter of little, innocent children wending their way to school. Thirsty little minds rushing to the fountain of knowledge. School... a noble institution. What would this stupid world be without... (His poetic waxings are interrupted by him noticing a poster for STROMBOLI’s puppet show.) Well, well, well! So that old rascal's back in town, eh? Remember, Giddy, the time I tied strings on you and passed you off as a puppet? We nearly put one over on that old gypsy that time.
(PINOCCHIO skips past. GIDEON tugs on HONEST JOHN’s shoulder to alert him of the stringless puppet parading past.)
What is it, Gideon? Gasp! A wooden boy! It's amazing! A live puppet without strings. A thing like that ought to be worth a fortune to someone. That's it... Stromboli! If we play our cards right, we'll be on Easy Street, or my name isn't Honest John! (He deliberately places himself so PINOCCHIO will bump into him.) I’m terrible sorry, young lad. I do hope you’re not injured. Why, look, Gideon—he’s a scholar!
PINOCCHIO. Yes, sir. I’m going to school!
HONEST JOHN. School? Well, then, my dear boy, you haven't heard of the easy road to success.
PINOCCHIO. What’s that?
HONEST JOHN. The theatre! Bright lights! Music! Applause! Fame! And with that personality, that profile, that physique, why, he's a natural-born actor, eh, Giddy? Why, I can see your name in lights...lights six feet high... What is your name?
PINOCCHIO. Pinocchio.
HONEST JOHN. Pinocchio! P-i-n......u-o...P-i...We're wasting precious time. Come. On to the theatre!
HI-DIDDLE-DEE-DEE
AN ACTOR’S LIFE FOR ME!
A HIGH SILK HAT AND A SILVER CANE
A WATCH OF GOLD WITH A DIAMOND CHAIN
HI-DIDDLE-DEE-DOO
YOU SLEEP TILL AFTER TWO
IT’S GREAT TO BE A CELEBRITY
AN ACTOR’S LIFE FOR ME!
(As they lead PINOCCHIO off, JIMINY runs on.)
JIMINY. Fine conscience I turned out to be. Late the first day! Oh, well. He can't get in much trouble between here and school. (He hears singing in the distance, and sees the shadow of people marching past.) Oh, boy! A parade!
(It’s HONEST JOHN and GIDEON leading PINOCCHIO off to the theater.)
HONEST JOHN.
HI-DIDDLE-DEE-DUM,
AN ACTOR'S LIFE IS FUN!
WITH CLOTHES THAT COME FROM THE FINEST SHOP
AND LOTS OF PEANUTS AND SODA POP
HI-DIDDLE-DEE-DOO
YOU SLEEP TILL AFTER TWO.
IT'S GREAT TO BE A CELEBRITY
AN ACTOR'S LIFE FOR ME!
(As he sings, JIMINY dances along, only to stop short that PINOCCHIO is following them!)
JIMINY. It’s Pinoke! Hey! Wait up! Where are you going?!
(Noticing JIMINY, PINOCCHIO stops and eagerly waves to him.)
PINOCCHIO. Jiminy! Oh, Jiminy, guess what? I’m gonna be an actor!
JIMINY. Take it easy, now. Remember what I said about temptation? (pointing to HONEST JOHN) Well, that’s him.
PINOCCHIO. Oh, no, Jiminy! That's Mr. Honest John.
JIMINY. Honest John?! Alright, then. Here's what we'll tell 'em...you can't go to the theatre. Say thank you just the same. You're sorry, but you've got to go to school.
(HONEST JOHN and GIDEON, who have just realized that PINOCCHIO is not with them, come back to get him.)
Here they come, Pinoke. Now, you tell 'em.
HONEST JOHN. There you are! Oh, where were we? Yes. On to the theatre!
(PINOCCHIO is once again lured away.)
PINOCCHIO. Goodbye, Jiminy! Goodbye!
JIMINY. Goodbye? Huh?! Wait!
HONEST JOHN & PINOCCHIO.
HI-DIDDLE-DEE-DEE
AN ACTOR’S LIFE FOR ME!
A HIGH SILK HAT AND A SILVER CANE
A WATCH OF GOLD AND A DIAMOND CHAIN
JIMINY. Oh, what'll I do? I'll run and tell his father. No. That would be snitchy. I'll go after him myself.
(JIMINY hurries off after them. The curtain closes.)
SCENE 3: STROMBOLI’S PUPPET SHOW
(An Italian showman, the “great” STROMBOLI, enters in front of the curtain and introduces his latest act.)
STROMBOLI. Ladies and gentlemen, to conclude the performance of this great show, Stromboli the Master Showman...that's me...and by special permission of the management...that's me, too...is presenting to you something you will absolutely refuse to believe.
(JIMINY enters through the audience.)
JIMINY. Well, looks like a sellout.
(He finds a spot to watch somewhere in the audience.)
STROMBOLI. Introducing...the only marionette who can sing and dance absolutely without the aids of strings! The one-and-only Pinocchio!
JIMINY. (to himself, or, if possible, to an audience member) Hmm, what a build-up.
(Trumpets blare from uniformed band puppets. STROMBOLI conducts an unseen band in front of the stage and the curtain opens, with a spotlight on the central character (PINOCCHIO) on stage, standing at the top of a short set of steps. He struts down the steps.)
PINOCCHIO.
I’VE GOT NO STRINGS TO HOLD ME DOWN
TO MAKE ME FRET OR MAKE ME FROWN
I HAD STRINGS, BUT NOW I’M FREE
THERE ARE NO STRINGS ON ME!
HI-HO, THE MERRY-O,
THAT’S THE ONLY WAY TO BE.
I WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW
NOTHING EVER WORRIES ME!
I’VE GOT NO STRINGS, SO I HAVE FUN
I’M NOT TIED UP TO ANYONE.
THEY HAVE STRINGS, BUT YOU CAN SEE
THERE ARE NO STRINGS ON ME!
(Dance break. PINOCCHIO dances with ease. JIMINY is not amused.)
JIMINY. (Shouting out to him from the audience) Go ahead, make a fool of yourself…then maybe you’ll listen to your conscience!
(The show continues. A scrim lowers, with a crudely-drawn Dutch scene. A DUTCH GIRL enters.)
DUTCH GIRL.
YOU HAVE NO STRINGS, YOUR ARMS IS FREE
TO LOVE ME BY THE ZUIDER-ZEE
YA YA YA, IF YOU WOULD WOO
I’D BUST MY STRINGS FOR YOU!
(A DUTCH ENSEMBLE comes out and dances. Then, a crudely-drawn French scene appears on another scrim. A FRENCH GIRL enters.)
FRENCH GIRL.
YOU HAVE NO STRINGS, COMME CI, COMME CA
YOUR SAVOIR FAIRE IS OO LA LA
I’VE GOT STRINGS, BUT ENTRE NOUS
I’D CUT MY STRINGS FOR YOU!
(Can-can. JIMINY, who has been watching disinterested, perks up when he sees how high those legs go. At the conclusion of the can-can, a crudely-drawn Russian scrim is lowered. A RUSSIAN GIRL enters.)
RUSSIAN GIRL.
DOWN WHERE THE VOLGA FLOWS
THERE’S A RUSSIAN RENDEZVOUS
WHERE ME AND IVAN GO
BUT I’D RATHER GO WITH YOU! HEY!
(Wild Cossack dance break. A bevy of RUSSIAN SOLDIER PUPPETS do the squat thing. PINOCCHIO tries to mimic them.)
PINOCCHIO.
THERE ARE NO STRINGS ON ME!
(Wild applause. STROMBOLI and PINOCCHIO take bows.)
JIMINY. Huh? They like him. He’s a success. Gosh! Maybe I was wrong. Well, guess he won’t need me anymore. What does an actor want with a conscience anyway? (He exits through the back of the theater.)
PINOCCHIO. Gee whiz, they really like me!
STROMBOLI. Yes! You are sensational! You are colossal!
PINOCCHIO. Does that mean I’m an actor?
STROMBOLI. Sure! I will push you in the public’s eye your face, she will be on everybody’s tongue.
PINOCCHIO. Wow! I’ll run right home and tell my father.
STROMBOLI. (coughing) Home? Oh sure. Going home to your father. Oh, ha-ha-ha. Oh that is very “comeecal”. But, that is not an option. To me… you are belonging. We will tour the world. Paris, London, Monte Carlo, “Constantinopolee”…
PINOCCHIO. No, no!
STROMBOLI. Yes! We start tonight! Mmmm. You will make lots of money… for me! And when you are growing much too old you will make good firewood! (STROMBOLI drags PINOCCHIO off.)
PINOCCHIO. No! (Desperately, he whistles.) Jiminy! Jiminy, where are you? Help!
(JIMINY enters, hearing PINOCCHIO. He runs off after STROMBOLI.)
SCENE 4: STROMBOLI’S CARAVAN
(Inside a wooden caravan, PINOCCHIO sits locked in a cage. JIMINY enters.)
PINOCCHIO. Jiminy! Gee, I’m glad to see ya!
JIMINY. Pinocchio, what’s happened? What did he do to ya?
PINOCCHIO. Oh, he was mad. He said he was gonna push my face in everybody’s eye.
JIMINY. Yeah?
PINOCCHIO. And just ‘cause I’m a goldbrick he’s gonna chop me into firewood!
JIMINY. A fine conscience I turned out to be.
PINOCCHIO. (crying) I should've listened to you, Jiminy.
JIMINY. No, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have walked out on you.
PINOCCHIO. Guess I’ll never see my father again.
JIMINY. Oh, buck up, son. It could be worse. Be cheerful… like me! Aw, take it easy son. Come on, blow. Atta boy. Oh well, it stopped raining anyway. Hey, that star again! The lady! The Fairy! (The light of the FAIRY’s star shines bright.)
PINOCCHIO. What’ll she say? What’ll I tell her?
JIMINY. You might tell her the truth.
(The FAIRY appears.)
FAIRY. Why, Pinocchio!
PINOCCHIO. Uh… hello!
FAIRY. Sir Jiminy!
JIMINY. Well! Excuse me. This is a pleasant surprise! Ha-ha!
FAIRY. Pinocchio, why didn't you go to school?
PINOCCHIO. School? Well, I...
JIMINY. Go ahead. Tell her.
PINOCCHIO. I was going to school till I met somebody.
FAIRY. Met somebody?
PINOCCHIO. Yeah, uh...two big monsters with big, green eyes!
(Suddenly, PINOCCHIO’s wooden nose begins to grow.)
Why, I... I...
FAIRY. Monsters? Weren't you afraid?
PINOCCHIO. No, ma'am, but they tied me in a big sack.
(His nose grows a little more and sprouts leaves.)
FAIRY. You don't say. And where was Sir Jiminy?
PINOCCHIO. Huh? Oh, Jiminy. Um... Uh...
JIMINY. Psst! Leave me out of this.
PINOCCHIO. They put him in a little sack.
(The nose grows even more.)
FAIRY. No!
PINOCCHIO. Yeah!
(His nose sprouts flowers!)
FAIRY. How did you escape?
PINOCCHIO. I didn't. They chopped me into firewood!
(His nose grows again, and a nest with baby birds sprouts at the end of it!)
Oh, look! My nose! What's happened?
FAIRY. Perhaps you haven't been telling the truth, Pinocchio.
JIMINY. Perhaps?
PINOCCHIO. Oh, but I have! Every single word!
(The branch his nose has grown into withers.)
Oh, please help me! I'm awful sorry!
FAIRY. You see, Pinocchio, a lie keeps growing and growing, until it's as plain as a nose on your face.
JIMINY. She's right, Pinoke. You better come clean.
PINOCCHIO. I'll never lie again! Honest, I won't!
JIMINY. Please, your honor...uh...I mean, Miss Fairy, give him another chance, for mother's sake. Will you? Huh?
FAIRY. I'll forgive you this once. But remember, Pinocchio. A boy who won't be good, might just as well be made of wood.
PINOCCHIO & JIMINY. (in unison) We'll be good, won't we?
FAIRY. Very well. But, this is the last time I can help you.
(The FAIRY touches the birdcage with her magic wand, and then disappears; PINOCCHIO's nose turns back to normal, and the birdcage door opens, as the padlock destroys while on the birdcage door.)
PINOCCHIO. Gee, look, Jiminy! My nose!
JIMINY. Hey! We're free! Come on, Pinoke!
(They sneak out of the caravan and arrive back on the streets.)
SCENE 5: BACK ON THE STREETS
JIMINY. Toodle-oo, Stromboli!
PINOCCHIO. Goodbye, Mr. Strombo...
JIMINY. Shhh! Quiet. Let's get out of here before something else happens.
(They rush home to the village.)
PINOCCHIO. Oh, Jiminy! Nothing can stop me now! I'll make good this time!
JIMINY. You'd better!
PINOCCHIO. I will. I'm going to school!
JIMINY. That's the stuff, Pinoke!
PINOCCHIO. I'd rather be smart than be an actor!
JIMINY. Now you're talkin'! C'mon, slowpoke! I'll race you home!
(They race back to GEPPETTO's workshop until HONEST JOHN grabs PINOCCHIO by the back of his overalls with his cane.)
HONEST JOHN. Well, well, Pinocchio! What's your rush?
PINOCCHIO. I gotta beat Jiminy home. Oh, hello.
HONEST JOHN. Well, how was the great actor?
PINOCCHIO. I don't wanna be an actor! Stromboli was terrible!
HONEST JOHN. He was?!
PINOCCHIO. Yeah! He locked me in a birdcage!
HONEST JOHN. He did?!
PINOCCHIO. Uh-huh, and I learned my lesson. I'm goin'...
HONEST JOHN. To Pleasure Island! (He winks at GIDEON.)
PINOCCHIO. Pleasure Island?
HONEST JOHN. Yes! That happy land of carefree boys where everyday's a holiday! It’s a perfect way to cure your blues!
PINOCCHIO. But I can't go. I--
HONEST JOHN. Why, of course you can go! I'm giving you my ticket! (He produces a playing card in his hand and gives it to PINOCCHIO) Here!
PINOCCHIO. Thanks, but I'm...
HONEST JOHN. Oh, tut, tut, tut! I insist! Come! The coach departs at midnight! (He and GIDEON once again lead PINOCCHIO off.)
JIMINY. Pinoke! Oh, Pinoke! Now where do you suppose he- Huh!? Oh, no! Not those two again! Pinocchio! Hey! Come back here!
SCENE 6: THE COACH/PLEASURE ISLAND
(A coach, driven by a sinister-looking COACHMAN. A bunch of YOUNG BOYS, are chatting and laughing. JIMINY hides behind the coach. PINOCCHIO and one of the BOYS are striking up a conversation.)
JIMINY. Here we go again…
LAMPWICK. My name's Lampwick. What's yours?
PINOCCHIO. Pinocchio!
LAMPWICK. Have you ever been to Pleasure Island?
PINOCCHIO. Uh-uh.
LAMPWICK. Me, neither, but they say that it's a swell joint! No school, no cops. You can tear the joint apart. And nobody says a word. Goof around, plenty to eat, plenty to drink. And it's all free! Boy, that's the place. I can hardly wait!
(The coach stops. When it leaves the stage, the projection screens reveal Pleasure Island itself. It basically looks like a large amusement park. There are rides, games, food, the works.)
COACHMAN, BARKERS & CARNIES.
WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME TO PLEASURE ISLAND!
YOU CAN LIVE OUT YOUR DREAMS ON PLEASURE ISLAND!
SO MUCH TO DO, SO MUCH TO SEE ON PLEASURE ISLAND!
BUT NOTHING IS REALLY AS IT SEEMS ON PLEASURE ISLAND!
PLEASURE ISLAND!
LA DA DA DAA
DA DA DAA DA
LA DA DA DAA
COACHMAN.
WELCOME TO A WORLD YOU’VE ONLY SEEN IN DREAMS
ENGORGE YOURSELF ON CAKE AND PIE AND ICE CREAMS
STUFF YOURSELVES UNTIL YOU’RE SPENT
AND BEST OF ALL—IT WON’T COST A CENT!
COACHMAN, BARKERS & CARNIES.
WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME TO PLEASURE ISLAND!
WE'VE GOT FUN AND GAMES ON PLEASURE ISLAND!
THERE ARE NO RULES, NO SAYING NO ON PLEASURE ISLAND!
WHEN YOU LEAVE, YOU WON'T BE THE SAME ON PLEASURE ISLAND!
PLEASURE ISLAND!
LA DA DA DAA
DA DA DAA DA
LA DA DA DAA
BARKERS & CARNIES.
PICK FIGHTS, KNOCK OUT LIGHTS, FIGHT TILL YOU DROP
BREAK EVERYTHING—NO ONE’LL TELL YOU TO STOP
YOU WON’T HAVE TO WORRY BOUT MOM OR DAD
‘CAUSE THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE IT’S GOOD TO BE BAD!
(During an instrumental break, JIMINY approaches PINOCCHIO and LAMPWICK.)
JIMINY. There you are! So, this is where I find you! How do you ever expect to be a real boy? Look at yourself! Come on, we’re going home right this minute!
LAMPWICK. Say, who’s the beetle?
PINOCCHIO. He's my conscience. He tells me what's right from wrong.
LAMPWICK. What?! You mean to tell me you oughtta take orders from a grasshopper?
JIMINY. Grasshopper? Look here, you...you impudent young pup! It wouldn't hurt you to take orders from your grasshopper...um...uh...your conscience, if you have one.
PINOCCHIO. Oh, please don't shout at him, Jiminy. He's my best friend.
JIMINY. (Hurt) …Your best friend? And what am I? Just your conscience. (angered) OK! That settles it!
PINOCCHIO. But, Jiminy...
JIMINY. You buttered your bread, now sleep in it! Go ahead! Make a jackass outta yourself! I'm through! This is the end!
(He storms off.)
LAMPWICK. Heh! To hear that beetle talk, you'd think something was going to happen to us. (LAMPWICK suddenly sprouts donkey ears.) Conscience. Ah, phooey! (strikes a ball and grows a donkey tail, as a shocked PINOCCHIO then throws away his cigar) Where does he get that stuff? "How do you ever expect to be a real boy?" (His head turns into that of a donkey’s) What's he think I look like? A jackass?
PINOCCHIO. (laughing hysterically) Sure do!
(LAMPWICK feels his face, realizing he has a muzzle. And the, he feels his donkey ears from bottom to top.)
LAMPWICK. Oh, no! I've been double-crossed! Help! Help! Somebody, help! I've been framed!
COACHMAN. Oh, I see you’ve found our little secret. You see, once you step foot on Pleasure Island, you never come back…as BOYS!!!
BEHOLD, BEHOLD, HOW THE MIGHTY DO FALL
LET THIS BE A LESSON TO YOU ALL:
YOUR FATE IS SEALED, YOU DON’T HAVE A SAY IN IT:
YOU’VE HAD YOUR FUN—
NOW PAY FOR IT!
WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME TO PLEASURE ISLAND!
YOU HAVE ALL BROUGHT ME WEALTH ON PLEASURE ISLAND!
NOW, GET IN THE CAGE, IT'S TIME TO LEAVE PLEASURE ISLAND!
YOU'VE MADE A DONKEY OF YOURSELF ON PLEASURE ISLAND
COACHMAN, BARKERS & CARNIES.
PLEASURE ISLAND!
PLEASURE ISLAND!
PLEASURE ISLAND!
PLEASURE ISLAND!
(The last note of the song turns into wicked laughter.)
COACHMAN. The pleasure’s all mine.
(Chaos. The BOYS/DONKEYS run about in fear. PINOCCHIO notices he too is sprouting ears and a tail.)
PINOCCHIO. What’s happening? What’s happening?!
(JIMINY runs on.)
JIMINY. Pinocchio! I saw everything! Come on, we gotta get you outta here before things get any worse!
(PINOCCHIO and JIMINY make a break for it.)
SCENE 7: THE STREETS, AGAIN
(JIMINY and PINOCCHIO run on.)
PINOCCHIO. Father, I’m home!
JIMINY. We’re home, Mr. Geppetto! Home again!
PINOCCHIO. Father? Father, it’s me!
JIMINY. (noticing something) Pinoke, come here Look! He ain’t here!
PINOCCHIO. He--- he’s gone. Maybe something awful happened to him.
JIMINY. Don’t worry son. He probably hasn’t gone far (a magic dove gives them a letter) Hey! It’s a message!
PINOCCHIO. What’s it say?
JIMINY. It’s about your father.
PINOCCHIO. Where is he?
JIMINY. Why, uh, uh, it says here he, he went looking for you and was swallowed by a whale.
PINOCCHIO. Swallowed by a whale?
JIMINY. Yeah, uh-huh. A whale! A whale named Monstro! But wait! He’s alive!
PINOCCHIO. Alive! Where?
JIMINY. Inside the whale at the bottom of the sea.
PINOCCHIO. Bottom of the sea?
(With newfound determination, PINOCCHIO sets off to find him.)
JIMINY. Hey, where are ya goin'?
PINOCCHIO. I'm going to find him!
JIMINY. But, Pinoke, are you crazy? Don't you realize that he's inside a whale?
PINOCCHIO. I gotta go to him!
JIMINY. Hey, Pinoke! Wait! Listen here! I've heard of this Monstro; he's a whale of a whale! Why, he swallows whole ships alive!
PINOCCHIO. Good-bye, Jiminy.
JIMINY. Good-bye? I may be live bait down there, but I'm with ya!
(JIMINY and PINOCCHIO rush off. In the darkness, we hear the splash of something entering the water.)
SCENE 8: MONSTRO
(Inside Monstro’s massive belly, GEPPETTO’s raft sits center stage. GEPPETTO uses a makeshift fishing net to find anything to cook. PINOCCHIO and JIMINY leap aboard the raft.)
PINOCCHIO. Father!
GEPPETTO. Pinocchio? Oh, Pinocchio, my boy! (They embrace.) I'm so happy to see you!
PINOCCHIO. Me, too, Father.
GEPPETTO. At last, we’re together again. Oh, you are soaking wet. You shouldn't have come down here.
PINOCCHIO. But, Father...
GEPPETTO. But I'm awfully glad to see you. Let me take your hat. (PINOCCHIO’s hat is taken off to reveal the donkey ears.) Gasp! Those ears! What's happened to you?
PINOCCHIO. Well, I... I... I...
GEPPETTO. Oh, never mind now. Old Geppetto has his little wooden head back. Nothing else matters.
PINOCCHIO. Father, we’ve gotta get outta here!
GEPPETTO. Get out? Oh, no, no, son. I have tried every way. Why, I even built a raft.
PINOCCHIO. A raft? That's it! We'll take the raft. And when the whale opens his mouth...
GEPPETTO. No, no, no, no. Now listen, son. He only opens his mouth when he's eating. Then everything comes in; nothing goes out. It's hopeless, Pinocchio. Come, we'll make a nice fire and we cook some of the fish.
PINOCCHIO. A fire? That's it!
GEPPETTO. Yes, and then we'll all eat again.
PINOCCHIO. A great big fire; lots of smoke!
GEPPETTO. Smoke? Oh, yes, sure. Smoked fish will taste good.
PINOCCHIO. Quick, some wood! (PINOCCHIO grabs some pieces of wood and a wooden chair and places the wood in GEPPETTO’s arms.)
GEPPETTO. Pinocchio, not the chair!
PINOCCHIO. Hurry, Father, more wood! (PINOCCHIO smashes the chair over a wooden barrel while Geppetto adds the wood pieces.)
GEPPETTO. But what'll we sit on?
PINOCCHIO. We won't need it. We're getting out!
He grabs a lit lantern and smashes it over the pile of wood, causing a fire to start. He then adds a blanket to create smoke then promptly starts blowing and fanning on the smoke to force it up. The smoke curls upward toward the whale’s blowhole.)
GEPPETTO. Getting out? But how?
PINOCCHIO. We'll make him sneeze!
GEPPETTO. Make him sneeze? Oh, that will make him mad!
PINOCCHIO. Hurry, Father!
GEPPETTO. We’ll never get by those teeth!
PINOCCHIO. Oh, yes, we will!
(A deep rumbling is heard. The whale sneezes, and through the magic of projection screens, the raft sails out of the whale and onto the ocean.)
JIMINY. Gesundheit.
(Suddenly, the whale rises from the deep.)
GEPPETTO. Look! I told you he’d be furious! Paddle, son!
(GEPPETTO, JIMINY and PINOCCHIO paddle as fast as possible; at a crucial juncture, the whale lunges at them, but they jump off the raft just in time. At this point, members of the ENSEMBLE enter with large sheets to represent water. GEPPETTO begins to drown, but PINOCCHIO attempts to drags him over to shore.)
Pinocchio, swim for shore. Swim for shore. Save... yourself. Pinocchio... save yourself. Don't mind me, son. Save yourself... Pinocchio.
(After a moment, the ENSEMBLE leaves. GEPPETTO and JIMINY gasp for air, but PINOCCHIO…his puppeteer is gone, and the puppet is lying lifeless on the shore. GEPPETTO slowly picks up the puppet and he and JIMINY head off.)
SCENE 9: FINALE
(We’re back in GEPPETTO’s workshop. GEPPETTO lies the puppet on the bed and sobs at its side. JIMINY removes his hat. Suddenly, a bright light surrounds the puppet.)
FAIRY (v.o.). Prove yourself brave, truthful, and unselfish, and someday you will be a real boy. Awake, Pinocchio. Awake.
(When the light recedes, the puppet is gone…and there is his puppeteer, now dressed as PINOCCHIO. This symbolizes that PINOCCHIO has become a real boy. He notices GEPPETTO.)
PINOCCHIO. Father, whatcha cryin’ for?
GEPPETTO. You’re dead, Pinocchio.
PINOCCHIO. No, I’m not!
GEPPETTO. Yes, yes you are. Now lie down.
PINOCCHIO. But father, I'm alive. See? (He looks himself over.) And... and I'm... I'm real. I'm a real boy!
(THAT makes GEPPETTO and JIMINY look up.)
GEPPETTO. You're alive! And... and you are a real boy!
JIMINY. Whoopee!
GEPPETTO. This calls for a celebration! Professor! Lots of music!
(As the music boxes play a joyous rendition of “When You Wish Upon a Star”, PINOCCHIO and GEPPETTO dance. JIMINY watches.)
JIMINY. Well! This is practically where I came in.
(After a moment, the music boxes fade out to a soft orchestral rendition of the song. He faces us, and speaks to something in the distance.)
Thank you, milady. He deserved to be a real boy. And it sure was nice of you to...
(Suddenly, an ENSEMBLE MEMBER, now wearing a light-emblazoned suit, similar to those worn in ‘Mary Poppins’…
…places a golden badge on JIMINY’s lapel.)
Well, I'll be! My, my! Solid gold, too. Oh, I think it's swell!
FATE IS KIND
SHE BRINGS TO THOSE WHO LOVE
THE SWEET FULFILLMENT OF
THEIR SECRET LONGING
(GEPPETTO’s workshop fades away to reveal a gorgeous night sky. The FULL CAST comes out to close the show in song.)
FULL CAST.
LIKE A BOLT OUT OF THE BLUE
FATE STEPS IN AND SEES YOU THROUGH
WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR
YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE
YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!
(Blackout.)
(To an instrumental of “Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee”, the CAST takes their bows, in this order: Ensemble, Coachman & Lampwick, Stromboli, Honest John & Gideon, The Blue Fairy, Geppetto, Jiminy and Pinocchio. All come together for one last bow.
Curtain close
(House lights dim. In the darkness, we hear chimes tinkle in the distance, as if sending magic before us. The chimes swell into a full orchestrated overture, leading into a VOICE singing in the dark…)
VOICE.
WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR
MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHO YOU ARE
ANYTHING YOUR HEART DESIRES
WILL COME TO YOU.
IF YOUR HEART IS IN YOUR DREAM
NO REQUEST IS TOO EXTREME
WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR
AS DREAMERS DO.
FATE IS KIND,
SHE BRINGS TO THOSE WHO LOVE
THE SWEET FULFILLMENT OF
THEIR SECRET LONGING.
(A spotlight picks up the voice’s origin—JIMINY CRICKET, our narrator. He is dressed smartly in a top hat and tuxedo, and carries an umbrella in his hand.)
JIMINY (cont’d).
LIKE A BOLT OUT OF THE BLUE
FATE STEPS IN AND SEES YOU THROUGH
WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR
YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE.
Pretty, huh? I'll bet a lot of you folks don't believe that. About a wish coming true, do you? Well, I didn't, either. Of course, I'm just a cricket singing my way from hearth to hearth, but let me tell you what made me change my mind.
(The curtain opens on…
SCENE 1: GEPPETTO’S WORKSHOP
A large set piece made to look like an old homestead, filled to the brim with clocks, toys and other wooden works of art sits center stage, behind a large projection screen, depicting an Italian town at night. Prominently displayed on a bench is an unfinished marionette, made to look like a little boy.)
One night a long time ago, my travels took me to a quaint little village. It was a beautiful night. The stars were shining like diamonds high above the roofs of that sleepy old town. Pretty as a picture. As I wandered along the crooked streets, there wasn't a soul to be seen. The only sign of life was a lighted window in the shop of a woodcarver named Geppetto. So, I hopped over, and looked in. It was a shame to see a nice, cheerful fire goin' to waste. So what do I do? I go in. (JIMINY enters the homestead, and crouches carefully behind a bench.) I looked around. Of course, being in a strange place like that, I didn't know what to expect. A cricket can't be too careful, you know. Soon as I saw there was no one about, I made myself at home. (JIMINY tiptoes over towards a stove, making heat.) As I stood there warming my (he notices that his rear end is closest to the stove. He stops, choosing his words carefully) ... myself, I took a look around. Well, sir, you never saw such a place... the most fantastic clocks you ever laid your eyes on, and all carved out of wood. And cute, little music boxes... each one a work of art. And shelf after shelf of toys and...and then something else caught my eye...a puppet. You know... one of those marionette things. All strings and joints. Cute little fella.
(GEPPETTO himself enters with new paints, and sets to work completing the marionette.)
GEPPETTO. Oh, it won’t take too much longer. Just a little more paint, and you’ll be all finished. I think you’ll be quite alright… (he paints a smile on the marionette.) A warm, welcoming smile. That makes a big difference. Very good. Now, I have just the name for you…Pinocchio! Do you like it? (He moves the strings; the puppet’s head nods ‘yes’.) That settles it! Pinocchio, it is! Come on, now! We'll try you out. Music, Professor!
(GEPPETTO winds up one of his music boxes; and prances the marionette around, singing as he goes.)
LITTLE WOODEN HEAD, GO PLAY YOUR PART.
BRING A LITTLE JOY TO EVERY HEART.
LITTLE DO YOU KNOW, AND YET IT’S TRUE,
THAT I’M MIGHTY PROUD OF YOU.
LITTLE WOODEN FEET, AND BEST OF ALL,
LITTLE WOODEN SEAT, IN CASE YOU FALL
(GEPPETTO deliberately trips the puppet, causing it to fall on its rear.)
Oh, how graceful!
MY LITTLE WOODEN HEAD.
HAPPY LITTLE CHAP WITH A FEATHER IN YOUR CAP,
THOUGH I MADE YOU OF WOOD, YOU NEVER GIVE A RAP.
ALWAYS DOING GOOD, LIKE A LITTLE PUPPET SHOULD,
CHASING EACH GLOOMY DAY AWAY…
LITTLE WOODEN HEAD WITH EYES THAT SHINE
LITTLE WOODEN HEAD THAT’S MADE OF PINE.
IN A WEARY WORLD, YOU DO YOUR SHARE
SPREADING LAUGHTER EVERYWHERE.
LITTLE WOODEN FEET, AND BEST OF ALL,
LITTLE WOODEN SEAT, IN CASE YOU FALL,
NEVER LET A SINGLE TEAR BE SHED,
MY LITTLE WOODEN HEAD.
NEVER LET A SINGLE TEAR BE SHED,
MY LITTLE WOODEN...
(All of a sudden, every clock in the workshop chimes in a massive cacophony.)
Oh goodness, I had no idea it was that late! Come now—we go to bed. (He places the marionette back onto the workbench.) Good night, Pinocchio, my little funny face. (As he settles into bed, he notices something outside the window.) Oh, look! A wishing star! Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I make tonight. Figaro, you know what I wished for? I wished that my little Pinocchio might be a real boy! Wouldn't that be nice? Just think - a real boy.
JIMINY. (himself settling in nearby the stove; to us) Do you hear that? A real boy. A very lovely thought—but not at all practical.
(JIMINY and GEPPETTO both doze off. Suddenly, the room illuminates as a brightly-glowing, dazzling star in the sky moves toward the woodcarver's window, filling it with a white glow. JIMINY is startled awake.)
Hey, what’s goin’ on?
(The light fades to reveal a beautiful, golden-haired, glamorous fairy with wings and a wand, and wearing a sparkling whitish-blue dress.)
Well! As I live and breathe…a fairy!
(The FAIRY turns to the sleeping GEPPETTO.)
FAIRY. Good Geppetto, you have given so much happiness to others. You deserve to have your wish come true.
(She moves over to the workbench, where the marionette sits, and taps it with her wand.)
Little puppet made of pine...wake. The gift of life is thine.
(A great burst of light fills the stage. When it clears, the marionette has been replaced by PINOCCHIO, portrayed here as an actual puppet, in the same vein as Olaf in DCA’s Frozen show or Timon in the Broadway adaptation of The Lion King.)
JIMINY. What they can’t do these days…
(After a moment, PINOCCHIO blinks, then turns his head around and moves its arms in astonishment.)
PINOCCHIO. I can move! (He places his hands over his mouth.) I can talk! (Shakily, he gets himself onto his feet and walks around.) I can walk!
FAIRY. Yes, Pinocchio. I've given you life.
PINOCCHIO. Why?
FAIRY. Because tonight, Geppetto wished for a real boy.
PINOCCHIO. Am I a real boy?
FAIRY. No, Pinocchio. To make Geppetto's wish come true will be entirely up to you.
PINOCCHIO. Up to me?
FAIRY. Prove yourself brave, truthful and unselfish, and someday you will be a real boy.
JIMINY. That won’t be easy.
FAIRY. You must learn to choose between right and wrong.
PINOCCHIO. (looking at his two hands as alternatives, puzzling) Right - and wrong? But how will I know?
FAIRY. Your conscience will tell you.
PINOCCHIO. (naively) What are conscience?
JIMINY. I’ll tell you. (hopping over to PINOCCHIO’s side) A conscience is that still, small voice that people won't listen to. That's just the trouble with the world today.
PINOCCHIO. Are you my conscience?
JIMINY. Who, me?
FAIRY. Would you like to be Pinocchio’s conscience?
JIMINY. Well…all right.
FAIRY. Very well. What is your name?
JIMINY. Cricket’s the name. Jiminy Cricket.
FAIRY. Kneel, Mr. Cricket.
JIMINY. Huh? No tricks, now. (He kneels. The FAIRY uses her wand as if to knight him.)
FAIRY. I dub you Pinocchio's conscience, Lord High Keeper of the knowledge of right and wrong, counsellor in moments of temptation, and guide along the straight and narrow path. Arise, Sir Jiminy Cricket.
JIMINY. (Excited about his title) Well! My, my! Say, that's pretty swell! Gee, thanks. But don't I get a badge or somethin'?
FAIRY. Well, we'll see.
JIMINY. You mean maybe I will?
FAIRY. I shouldn't wonder.
JIMINY. Make it a gold one?
FAIRY. Maybe. Now, remember, Pinocchio, be a good boy. And always let your conscience be your guide.
(The FAIRY disappears in another burst of light. From outside the window, we see the star from whence she came sparkle.)
JIMINY. All right-y, Pinoke. Maybe you and I had better have a little heart-to-heart talk.
PINOCCHIO. Why?
JIMINY. Well, you wanna be a real boy, don't you? (PINOCCHIO nods his head.) Sit down, son. (He drops down on the bench.) Now, you see, the world is full of temptations.
PINOCCHIO. Temptations?
JIMINY. Yep, temptations. They're the wrong things that seem right at the time, but, uh.... even though the right things may seem wrong, sometimes, or sometimes, the wrong things may be right at the wrong time, or vice-versa. Understand?
PINOCCHIO. (shaking his head) Uh-uh. (JIMINY facepalms.) But I'm gonna do right.
JIMINY. Attaboy, Pinoke! And I'm gonna help ya. Now if you need me at anytime, just whistle. Like this. (He whistles.)
PINOCCHIO. Like this? (He tries to whistle, but all he does is just blow air.)
JIMINY. Here, let me help. Just pucker your lips…and gently blow. (He whistles.)
PINOCCHIO. Like this? (He once again attempts to whistle…and results in a loud, shrill sound! This sudden noise wakes GEPPETTO. In the dark, he addresses the noise.)
GEPPETTO. Ah! What’s happening? Who’s here?
PINOCCHIO. It’s me!
GEPPETTO. It’s you, eh? How did you get here?
PINOCCHIO. I whistled.
GEPPETTO. Oh, you did, hmm?
(During the above, GEPPETTO has been searching for a lantern. He picks it up and finds himself face-to-face with a living PINOCCHIO.)
Oh! You are talking!
PINOCCHIO. Uh-huh.
GEPPETTO. No!
PINOCCHIO. Yes! And I can move, too!
GEPPETTO. No, no, no! You can't! I'm dreaming in my sleep! Wake me up! Wake me up! (He picks up a mug of water and splashes it in his face.) Now we see who's dreaming. Go on... say something.
PINOCCHIO. (giggling) Gee, you're funny. Do it again!
GEPPETTO. You do talk!
PINOCCHIO. Yes! The blue fairy came...
GEPPETTO. The blue fairy?
PINOCCHIO. And I got a conscience!
GEPPETTO. A conscience?
PINOCCHIO. And someday, I'm gonna be a real boy!
GEPPETTO. A real boy! It's my wish! It's come true! Oh, well, I think we’ve had too much excitement for one night. Come, Pinocchio, let’s go to sleep.
PINOCCHIO. Why?
GEPPETTO. Oh, everybody has to sleep, and besides, tomorrow you've got to go to school.
PINOCCHIO. Why?
GEPPETTO. Oh, to learn things and...and get smart.
PINOCCHIO. Why?
GEPPETTO. …Because.
PINOCCHIO. Oh.
(Lights fade on the workshop. A scrim, much as in the old days of Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage, flies in, depicting the streets of the village. It is morning. Church bells sound in the distance.)
SCENE 2: THE STREETS
(PINOCCHIO runs out, eager to go to school. GEPPETTO follows behind.)
GEPPETTO. Wait a minute, Pinocchio! Stay still! I forgot to give you something. Here, here is your book, and an apple to give your teacher. Very good, now run along.
PINOCCHIO. Goodbye, Father!
GEPPETTO. Goodbye, son! Hurry back!
(GEPPETTO leaves. PINOCCHIO skips off towards school. As he leaves, two shady characters enter: one—a fox, “HONEST” JOHN, and the other—his accomplice, GIDEON.)
HONEST JOHN. Gideon, listen... the merry laughter of little, innocent children wending their way to school. Thirsty little minds rushing to the fountain of knowledge. School... a noble institution. What would this stupid world be without... (His poetic waxings are interrupted by him noticing a poster for STROMBOLI’s puppet show.) Well, well, well! So that old rascal's back in town, eh? Remember, Giddy, the time I tied strings on you and passed you off as a puppet? We nearly put one over on that old gypsy that time.
(PINOCCHIO skips past. GIDEON tugs on HONEST JOHN’s shoulder to alert him of the stringless puppet parading past.)
What is it, Gideon? Gasp! A wooden boy! It's amazing! A live puppet without strings. A thing like that ought to be worth a fortune to someone. That's it... Stromboli! If we play our cards right, we'll be on Easy Street, or my name isn't Honest John! (He deliberately places himself so PINOCCHIO will bump into him.) I’m terrible sorry, young lad. I do hope you’re not injured. Why, look, Gideon—he’s a scholar!
PINOCCHIO. Yes, sir. I’m going to school!
HONEST JOHN. School? Well, then, my dear boy, you haven't heard of the easy road to success.
PINOCCHIO. What’s that?
HONEST JOHN. The theatre! Bright lights! Music! Applause! Fame! And with that personality, that profile, that physique, why, he's a natural-born actor, eh, Giddy? Why, I can see your name in lights...lights six feet high... What is your name?
PINOCCHIO. Pinocchio.
HONEST JOHN. Pinocchio! P-i-n......u-o...P-i...We're wasting precious time. Come. On to the theatre!
HI-DIDDLE-DEE-DEE
AN ACTOR’S LIFE FOR ME!
A HIGH SILK HAT AND A SILVER CANE
A WATCH OF GOLD WITH A DIAMOND CHAIN
HI-DIDDLE-DEE-DOO
YOU SLEEP TILL AFTER TWO
IT’S GREAT TO BE A CELEBRITY
AN ACTOR’S LIFE FOR ME!
(As they lead PINOCCHIO off, JIMINY runs on.)
JIMINY. Fine conscience I turned out to be. Late the first day! Oh, well. He can't get in much trouble between here and school. (He hears singing in the distance, and sees the shadow of people marching past.) Oh, boy! A parade!
(It’s HONEST JOHN and GIDEON leading PINOCCHIO off to the theater.)
HONEST JOHN.
HI-DIDDLE-DEE-DUM,
AN ACTOR'S LIFE IS FUN!
WITH CLOTHES THAT COME FROM THE FINEST SHOP
AND LOTS OF PEANUTS AND SODA POP
HI-DIDDLE-DEE-DOO
YOU SLEEP TILL AFTER TWO.
IT'S GREAT TO BE A CELEBRITY
AN ACTOR'S LIFE FOR ME!
(As he sings, JIMINY dances along, only to stop short that PINOCCHIO is following them!)
JIMINY. It’s Pinoke! Hey! Wait up! Where are you going?!
(Noticing JIMINY, PINOCCHIO stops and eagerly waves to him.)
PINOCCHIO. Jiminy! Oh, Jiminy, guess what? I’m gonna be an actor!
JIMINY. Take it easy, now. Remember what I said about temptation? (pointing to HONEST JOHN) Well, that’s him.
PINOCCHIO. Oh, no, Jiminy! That's Mr. Honest John.
JIMINY. Honest John?! Alright, then. Here's what we'll tell 'em...you can't go to the theatre. Say thank you just the same. You're sorry, but you've got to go to school.
(HONEST JOHN and GIDEON, who have just realized that PINOCCHIO is not with them, come back to get him.)
Here they come, Pinoke. Now, you tell 'em.
HONEST JOHN. There you are! Oh, where were we? Yes. On to the theatre!
(PINOCCHIO is once again lured away.)
PINOCCHIO. Goodbye, Jiminy! Goodbye!
JIMINY. Goodbye? Huh?! Wait!
HONEST JOHN & PINOCCHIO.
HI-DIDDLE-DEE-DEE
AN ACTOR’S LIFE FOR ME!
A HIGH SILK HAT AND A SILVER CANE
A WATCH OF GOLD AND A DIAMOND CHAIN
JIMINY. Oh, what'll I do? I'll run and tell his father. No. That would be snitchy. I'll go after him myself.
(JIMINY hurries off after them. The curtain closes.)
SCENE 3: STROMBOLI’S PUPPET SHOW
(An Italian showman, the “great” STROMBOLI, enters in front of the curtain and introduces his latest act.)
STROMBOLI. Ladies and gentlemen, to conclude the performance of this great show, Stromboli the Master Showman...that's me...and by special permission of the management...that's me, too...is presenting to you something you will absolutely refuse to believe.
(JIMINY enters through the audience.)
JIMINY. Well, looks like a sellout.
(He finds a spot to watch somewhere in the audience.)
STROMBOLI. Introducing...the only marionette who can sing and dance absolutely without the aids of strings! The one-and-only Pinocchio!
JIMINY. (to himself, or, if possible, to an audience member) Hmm, what a build-up.
(Trumpets blare from uniformed band puppets. STROMBOLI conducts an unseen band in front of the stage and the curtain opens, with a spotlight on the central character (PINOCCHIO) on stage, standing at the top of a short set of steps. He struts down the steps.)
PINOCCHIO.
I’VE GOT NO STRINGS TO HOLD ME DOWN
TO MAKE ME FRET OR MAKE ME FROWN
I HAD STRINGS, BUT NOW I’M FREE
THERE ARE NO STRINGS ON ME!
HI-HO, THE MERRY-O,
THAT’S THE ONLY WAY TO BE.
I WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW
NOTHING EVER WORRIES ME!
I’VE GOT NO STRINGS, SO I HAVE FUN
I’M NOT TIED UP TO ANYONE.
THEY HAVE STRINGS, BUT YOU CAN SEE
THERE ARE NO STRINGS ON ME!
(Dance break. PINOCCHIO dances with ease. JIMINY is not amused.)
JIMINY. (Shouting out to him from the audience) Go ahead, make a fool of yourself…then maybe you’ll listen to your conscience!
(The show continues. A scrim lowers, with a crudely-drawn Dutch scene. A DUTCH GIRL enters.)
DUTCH GIRL.
YOU HAVE NO STRINGS, YOUR ARMS IS FREE
TO LOVE ME BY THE ZUIDER-ZEE
YA YA YA, IF YOU WOULD WOO
I’D BUST MY STRINGS FOR YOU!
(A DUTCH ENSEMBLE comes out and dances. Then, a crudely-drawn French scene appears on another scrim. A FRENCH GIRL enters.)
FRENCH GIRL.
YOU HAVE NO STRINGS, COMME CI, COMME CA
YOUR SAVOIR FAIRE IS OO LA LA
I’VE GOT STRINGS, BUT ENTRE NOUS
I’D CUT MY STRINGS FOR YOU!
(Can-can. JIMINY, who has been watching disinterested, perks up when he sees how high those legs go. At the conclusion of the can-can, a crudely-drawn Russian scrim is lowered. A RUSSIAN GIRL enters.)
RUSSIAN GIRL.
DOWN WHERE THE VOLGA FLOWS
THERE’S A RUSSIAN RENDEZVOUS
WHERE ME AND IVAN GO
BUT I’D RATHER GO WITH YOU! HEY!
(Wild Cossack dance break. A bevy of RUSSIAN SOLDIER PUPPETS do the squat thing. PINOCCHIO tries to mimic them.)
PINOCCHIO.
THERE ARE NO STRINGS ON ME!
(Wild applause. STROMBOLI and PINOCCHIO take bows.)
JIMINY. Huh? They like him. He’s a success. Gosh! Maybe I was wrong. Well, guess he won’t need me anymore. What does an actor want with a conscience anyway? (He exits through the back of the theater.)
PINOCCHIO. Gee whiz, they really like me!
STROMBOLI. Yes! You are sensational! You are colossal!
PINOCCHIO. Does that mean I’m an actor?
STROMBOLI. Sure! I will push you in the public’s eye your face, she will be on everybody’s tongue.
PINOCCHIO. Wow! I’ll run right home and tell my father.
STROMBOLI. (coughing) Home? Oh sure. Going home to your father. Oh, ha-ha-ha. Oh that is very “comeecal”. But, that is not an option. To me… you are belonging. We will tour the world. Paris, London, Monte Carlo, “Constantinopolee”…
PINOCCHIO. No, no!
STROMBOLI. Yes! We start tonight! Mmmm. You will make lots of money… for me! And when you are growing much too old you will make good firewood! (STROMBOLI drags PINOCCHIO off.)
PINOCCHIO. No! (Desperately, he whistles.) Jiminy! Jiminy, where are you? Help!
(JIMINY enters, hearing PINOCCHIO. He runs off after STROMBOLI.)
SCENE 4: STROMBOLI’S CARAVAN
(Inside a wooden caravan, PINOCCHIO sits locked in a cage. JIMINY enters.)
PINOCCHIO. Jiminy! Gee, I’m glad to see ya!
JIMINY. Pinocchio, what’s happened? What did he do to ya?
PINOCCHIO. Oh, he was mad. He said he was gonna push my face in everybody’s eye.
JIMINY. Yeah?
PINOCCHIO. And just ‘cause I’m a goldbrick he’s gonna chop me into firewood!
JIMINY. A fine conscience I turned out to be.
PINOCCHIO. (crying) I should've listened to you, Jiminy.
JIMINY. No, it was my fault. I shouldn’t have walked out on you.
PINOCCHIO. Guess I’ll never see my father again.
JIMINY. Oh, buck up, son. It could be worse. Be cheerful… like me! Aw, take it easy son. Come on, blow. Atta boy. Oh well, it stopped raining anyway. Hey, that star again! The lady! The Fairy! (The light of the FAIRY’s star shines bright.)
PINOCCHIO. What’ll she say? What’ll I tell her?
JIMINY. You might tell her the truth.
(The FAIRY appears.)
FAIRY. Why, Pinocchio!
PINOCCHIO. Uh… hello!
FAIRY. Sir Jiminy!
JIMINY. Well! Excuse me. This is a pleasant surprise! Ha-ha!
FAIRY. Pinocchio, why didn't you go to school?
PINOCCHIO. School? Well, I...
JIMINY. Go ahead. Tell her.
PINOCCHIO. I was going to school till I met somebody.
FAIRY. Met somebody?
PINOCCHIO. Yeah, uh...two big monsters with big, green eyes!
(Suddenly, PINOCCHIO’s wooden nose begins to grow.)
Why, I... I...
FAIRY. Monsters? Weren't you afraid?
PINOCCHIO. No, ma'am, but they tied me in a big sack.
(His nose grows a little more and sprouts leaves.)
FAIRY. You don't say. And where was Sir Jiminy?
PINOCCHIO. Huh? Oh, Jiminy. Um... Uh...
JIMINY. Psst! Leave me out of this.
PINOCCHIO. They put him in a little sack.
(The nose grows even more.)
FAIRY. No!
PINOCCHIO. Yeah!
(His nose sprouts flowers!)
FAIRY. How did you escape?
PINOCCHIO. I didn't. They chopped me into firewood!
(His nose grows again, and a nest with baby birds sprouts at the end of it!)
Oh, look! My nose! What's happened?
FAIRY. Perhaps you haven't been telling the truth, Pinocchio.
JIMINY. Perhaps?
PINOCCHIO. Oh, but I have! Every single word!
(The branch his nose has grown into withers.)
Oh, please help me! I'm awful sorry!
FAIRY. You see, Pinocchio, a lie keeps growing and growing, until it's as plain as a nose on your face.
JIMINY. She's right, Pinoke. You better come clean.
PINOCCHIO. I'll never lie again! Honest, I won't!
JIMINY. Please, your honor...uh...I mean, Miss Fairy, give him another chance, for mother's sake. Will you? Huh?
FAIRY. I'll forgive you this once. But remember, Pinocchio. A boy who won't be good, might just as well be made of wood.
PINOCCHIO & JIMINY. (in unison) We'll be good, won't we?
FAIRY. Very well. But, this is the last time I can help you.
(The FAIRY touches the birdcage with her magic wand, and then disappears; PINOCCHIO's nose turns back to normal, and the birdcage door opens, as the padlock destroys while on the birdcage door.)
PINOCCHIO. Gee, look, Jiminy! My nose!
JIMINY. Hey! We're free! Come on, Pinoke!
(They sneak out of the caravan and arrive back on the streets.)
SCENE 5: BACK ON THE STREETS
JIMINY. Toodle-oo, Stromboli!
PINOCCHIO. Goodbye, Mr. Strombo...
JIMINY. Shhh! Quiet. Let's get out of here before something else happens.
(They rush home to the village.)
PINOCCHIO. Oh, Jiminy! Nothing can stop me now! I'll make good this time!
JIMINY. You'd better!
PINOCCHIO. I will. I'm going to school!
JIMINY. That's the stuff, Pinoke!
PINOCCHIO. I'd rather be smart than be an actor!
JIMINY. Now you're talkin'! C'mon, slowpoke! I'll race you home!
(They race back to GEPPETTO's workshop until HONEST JOHN grabs PINOCCHIO by the back of his overalls with his cane.)
HONEST JOHN. Well, well, Pinocchio! What's your rush?
PINOCCHIO. I gotta beat Jiminy home. Oh, hello.
HONEST JOHN. Well, how was the great actor?
PINOCCHIO. I don't wanna be an actor! Stromboli was terrible!
HONEST JOHN. He was?!
PINOCCHIO. Yeah! He locked me in a birdcage!
HONEST JOHN. He did?!
PINOCCHIO. Uh-huh, and I learned my lesson. I'm goin'...
HONEST JOHN. To Pleasure Island! (He winks at GIDEON.)
PINOCCHIO. Pleasure Island?
HONEST JOHN. Yes! That happy land of carefree boys where everyday's a holiday! It’s a perfect way to cure your blues!
PINOCCHIO. But I can't go. I--
HONEST JOHN. Why, of course you can go! I'm giving you my ticket! (He produces a playing card in his hand and gives it to PINOCCHIO) Here!
PINOCCHIO. Thanks, but I'm...
HONEST JOHN. Oh, tut, tut, tut! I insist! Come! The coach departs at midnight! (He and GIDEON once again lead PINOCCHIO off.)
JIMINY. Pinoke! Oh, Pinoke! Now where do you suppose he- Huh!? Oh, no! Not those two again! Pinocchio! Hey! Come back here!
SCENE 6: THE COACH/PLEASURE ISLAND
(A coach, driven by a sinister-looking COACHMAN. A bunch of YOUNG BOYS, are chatting and laughing. JIMINY hides behind the coach. PINOCCHIO and one of the BOYS are striking up a conversation.)
JIMINY. Here we go again…
LAMPWICK. My name's Lampwick. What's yours?
PINOCCHIO. Pinocchio!
LAMPWICK. Have you ever been to Pleasure Island?
PINOCCHIO. Uh-uh.
LAMPWICK. Me, neither, but they say that it's a swell joint! No school, no cops. You can tear the joint apart. And nobody says a word. Goof around, plenty to eat, plenty to drink. And it's all free! Boy, that's the place. I can hardly wait!
(The coach stops. When it leaves the stage, the projection screens reveal Pleasure Island itself. It basically looks like a large amusement park. There are rides, games, food, the works.)
COACHMAN, BARKERS & CARNIES.
WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME TO PLEASURE ISLAND!
YOU CAN LIVE OUT YOUR DREAMS ON PLEASURE ISLAND!
SO MUCH TO DO, SO MUCH TO SEE ON PLEASURE ISLAND!
BUT NOTHING IS REALLY AS IT SEEMS ON PLEASURE ISLAND!
PLEASURE ISLAND!
LA DA DA DAA
DA DA DAA DA
LA DA DA DAA
COACHMAN.
WELCOME TO A WORLD YOU’VE ONLY SEEN IN DREAMS
ENGORGE YOURSELF ON CAKE AND PIE AND ICE CREAMS
STUFF YOURSELVES UNTIL YOU’RE SPENT
AND BEST OF ALL—IT WON’T COST A CENT!
COACHMAN, BARKERS & CARNIES.
WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME TO PLEASURE ISLAND!
WE'VE GOT FUN AND GAMES ON PLEASURE ISLAND!
THERE ARE NO RULES, NO SAYING NO ON PLEASURE ISLAND!
WHEN YOU LEAVE, YOU WON'T BE THE SAME ON PLEASURE ISLAND!
PLEASURE ISLAND!
LA DA DA DAA
DA DA DAA DA
LA DA DA DAA
BARKERS & CARNIES.
PICK FIGHTS, KNOCK OUT LIGHTS, FIGHT TILL YOU DROP
BREAK EVERYTHING—NO ONE’LL TELL YOU TO STOP
YOU WON’T HAVE TO WORRY BOUT MOM OR DAD
‘CAUSE THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE IT’S GOOD TO BE BAD!
(During an instrumental break, JIMINY approaches PINOCCHIO and LAMPWICK.)
JIMINY. There you are! So, this is where I find you! How do you ever expect to be a real boy? Look at yourself! Come on, we’re going home right this minute!
LAMPWICK. Say, who’s the beetle?
PINOCCHIO. He's my conscience. He tells me what's right from wrong.
LAMPWICK. What?! You mean to tell me you oughtta take orders from a grasshopper?
JIMINY. Grasshopper? Look here, you...you impudent young pup! It wouldn't hurt you to take orders from your grasshopper...um...uh...your conscience, if you have one.
PINOCCHIO. Oh, please don't shout at him, Jiminy. He's my best friend.
JIMINY. (Hurt) …Your best friend? And what am I? Just your conscience. (angered) OK! That settles it!
PINOCCHIO. But, Jiminy...
JIMINY. You buttered your bread, now sleep in it! Go ahead! Make a jackass outta yourself! I'm through! This is the end!
(He storms off.)
LAMPWICK. Heh! To hear that beetle talk, you'd think something was going to happen to us. (LAMPWICK suddenly sprouts donkey ears.) Conscience. Ah, phooey! (strikes a ball and grows a donkey tail, as a shocked PINOCCHIO then throws away his cigar) Where does he get that stuff? "How do you ever expect to be a real boy?" (His head turns into that of a donkey’s) What's he think I look like? A jackass?
PINOCCHIO. (laughing hysterically) Sure do!
(LAMPWICK feels his face, realizing he has a muzzle. And the, he feels his donkey ears from bottom to top.)
LAMPWICK. Oh, no! I've been double-crossed! Help! Help! Somebody, help! I've been framed!
COACHMAN. Oh, I see you’ve found our little secret. You see, once you step foot on Pleasure Island, you never come back…as BOYS!!!
BEHOLD, BEHOLD, HOW THE MIGHTY DO FALL
LET THIS BE A LESSON TO YOU ALL:
YOUR FATE IS SEALED, YOU DON’T HAVE A SAY IN IT:
YOU’VE HAD YOUR FUN—
NOW PAY FOR IT!
WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME TO PLEASURE ISLAND!
YOU HAVE ALL BROUGHT ME WEALTH ON PLEASURE ISLAND!
NOW, GET IN THE CAGE, IT'S TIME TO LEAVE PLEASURE ISLAND!
YOU'VE MADE A DONKEY OF YOURSELF ON PLEASURE ISLAND
COACHMAN, BARKERS & CARNIES.
PLEASURE ISLAND!
PLEASURE ISLAND!
PLEASURE ISLAND!
PLEASURE ISLAND!
(The last note of the song turns into wicked laughter.)
COACHMAN. The pleasure’s all mine.
(Chaos. The BOYS/DONKEYS run about in fear. PINOCCHIO notices he too is sprouting ears and a tail.)
PINOCCHIO. What’s happening? What’s happening?!
(JIMINY runs on.)
JIMINY. Pinocchio! I saw everything! Come on, we gotta get you outta here before things get any worse!
(PINOCCHIO and JIMINY make a break for it.)
SCENE 7: THE STREETS, AGAIN
(JIMINY and PINOCCHIO run on.)
PINOCCHIO. Father, I’m home!
JIMINY. We’re home, Mr. Geppetto! Home again!
PINOCCHIO. Father? Father, it’s me!
JIMINY. (noticing something) Pinoke, come here Look! He ain’t here!
PINOCCHIO. He--- he’s gone. Maybe something awful happened to him.
JIMINY. Don’t worry son. He probably hasn’t gone far (a magic dove gives them a letter) Hey! It’s a message!
PINOCCHIO. What’s it say?
JIMINY. It’s about your father.
PINOCCHIO. Where is he?
JIMINY. Why, uh, uh, it says here he, he went looking for you and was swallowed by a whale.
PINOCCHIO. Swallowed by a whale?
JIMINY. Yeah, uh-huh. A whale! A whale named Monstro! But wait! He’s alive!
PINOCCHIO. Alive! Where?
JIMINY. Inside the whale at the bottom of the sea.
PINOCCHIO. Bottom of the sea?
(With newfound determination, PINOCCHIO sets off to find him.)
JIMINY. Hey, where are ya goin'?
PINOCCHIO. I'm going to find him!
JIMINY. But, Pinoke, are you crazy? Don't you realize that he's inside a whale?
PINOCCHIO. I gotta go to him!
JIMINY. Hey, Pinoke! Wait! Listen here! I've heard of this Monstro; he's a whale of a whale! Why, he swallows whole ships alive!
PINOCCHIO. Good-bye, Jiminy.
JIMINY. Good-bye? I may be live bait down there, but I'm with ya!
(JIMINY and PINOCCHIO rush off. In the darkness, we hear the splash of something entering the water.)
SCENE 8: MONSTRO
(Inside Monstro’s massive belly, GEPPETTO’s raft sits center stage. GEPPETTO uses a makeshift fishing net to find anything to cook. PINOCCHIO and JIMINY leap aboard the raft.)
PINOCCHIO. Father!
GEPPETTO. Pinocchio? Oh, Pinocchio, my boy! (They embrace.) I'm so happy to see you!
PINOCCHIO. Me, too, Father.
GEPPETTO. At last, we’re together again. Oh, you are soaking wet. You shouldn't have come down here.
PINOCCHIO. But, Father...
GEPPETTO. But I'm awfully glad to see you. Let me take your hat. (PINOCCHIO’s hat is taken off to reveal the donkey ears.) Gasp! Those ears! What's happened to you?
PINOCCHIO. Well, I... I... I...
GEPPETTO. Oh, never mind now. Old Geppetto has his little wooden head back. Nothing else matters.
PINOCCHIO. Father, we’ve gotta get outta here!
GEPPETTO. Get out? Oh, no, no, son. I have tried every way. Why, I even built a raft.
PINOCCHIO. A raft? That's it! We'll take the raft. And when the whale opens his mouth...
GEPPETTO. No, no, no, no. Now listen, son. He only opens his mouth when he's eating. Then everything comes in; nothing goes out. It's hopeless, Pinocchio. Come, we'll make a nice fire and we cook some of the fish.
PINOCCHIO. A fire? That's it!
GEPPETTO. Yes, and then we'll all eat again.
PINOCCHIO. A great big fire; lots of smoke!
GEPPETTO. Smoke? Oh, yes, sure. Smoked fish will taste good.
PINOCCHIO. Quick, some wood! (PINOCCHIO grabs some pieces of wood and a wooden chair and places the wood in GEPPETTO’s arms.)
GEPPETTO. Pinocchio, not the chair!
PINOCCHIO. Hurry, Father, more wood! (PINOCCHIO smashes the chair over a wooden barrel while Geppetto adds the wood pieces.)
GEPPETTO. But what'll we sit on?
PINOCCHIO. We won't need it. We're getting out!
He grabs a lit lantern and smashes it over the pile of wood, causing a fire to start. He then adds a blanket to create smoke then promptly starts blowing and fanning on the smoke to force it up. The smoke curls upward toward the whale’s blowhole.)
GEPPETTO. Getting out? But how?
PINOCCHIO. We'll make him sneeze!
GEPPETTO. Make him sneeze? Oh, that will make him mad!
PINOCCHIO. Hurry, Father!
GEPPETTO. We’ll never get by those teeth!
PINOCCHIO. Oh, yes, we will!
(A deep rumbling is heard. The whale sneezes, and through the magic of projection screens, the raft sails out of the whale and onto the ocean.)
JIMINY. Gesundheit.
(Suddenly, the whale rises from the deep.)
GEPPETTO. Look! I told you he’d be furious! Paddle, son!
(GEPPETTO, JIMINY and PINOCCHIO paddle as fast as possible; at a crucial juncture, the whale lunges at them, but they jump off the raft just in time. At this point, members of the ENSEMBLE enter with large sheets to represent water. GEPPETTO begins to drown, but PINOCCHIO attempts to drags him over to shore.)
Pinocchio, swim for shore. Swim for shore. Save... yourself. Pinocchio... save yourself. Don't mind me, son. Save yourself... Pinocchio.
(After a moment, the ENSEMBLE leaves. GEPPETTO and JIMINY gasp for air, but PINOCCHIO…his puppeteer is gone, and the puppet is lying lifeless on the shore. GEPPETTO slowly picks up the puppet and he and JIMINY head off.)
SCENE 9: FINALE
(We’re back in GEPPETTO’s workshop. GEPPETTO lies the puppet on the bed and sobs at its side. JIMINY removes his hat. Suddenly, a bright light surrounds the puppet.)
FAIRY (v.o.). Prove yourself brave, truthful, and unselfish, and someday you will be a real boy. Awake, Pinocchio. Awake.
(When the light recedes, the puppet is gone…and there is his puppeteer, now dressed as PINOCCHIO. This symbolizes that PINOCCHIO has become a real boy. He notices GEPPETTO.)
PINOCCHIO. Father, whatcha cryin’ for?
GEPPETTO. You’re dead, Pinocchio.
PINOCCHIO. No, I’m not!
GEPPETTO. Yes, yes you are. Now lie down.
PINOCCHIO. But father, I'm alive. See? (He looks himself over.) And... and I'm... I'm real. I'm a real boy!
(THAT makes GEPPETTO and JIMINY look up.)
GEPPETTO. You're alive! And... and you are a real boy!
JIMINY. Whoopee!
GEPPETTO. This calls for a celebration! Professor! Lots of music!
(As the music boxes play a joyous rendition of “When You Wish Upon a Star”, PINOCCHIO and GEPPETTO dance. JIMINY watches.)
JIMINY. Well! This is practically where I came in.
(After a moment, the music boxes fade out to a soft orchestral rendition of the song. He faces us, and speaks to something in the distance.)
Thank you, milady. He deserved to be a real boy. And it sure was nice of you to...
(Suddenly, an ENSEMBLE MEMBER, now wearing a light-emblazoned suit, similar to those worn in ‘Mary Poppins’…
…places a golden badge on JIMINY’s lapel.)
Well, I'll be! My, my! Solid gold, too. Oh, I think it's swell!
FATE IS KIND
SHE BRINGS TO THOSE WHO LOVE
THE SWEET FULFILLMENT OF
THEIR SECRET LONGING
(GEPPETTO’s workshop fades away to reveal a gorgeous night sky. The FULL CAST comes out to close the show in song.)
FULL CAST.
LIKE A BOLT OUT OF THE BLUE
FATE STEPS IN AND SEES YOU THROUGH
WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR
YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE
YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!
(Blackout.)
(To an instrumental of “Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee”, the CAST takes their bows, in this order: Ensemble, Coachman & Lampwick, Stromboli, Honest John & Gideon, The Blue Fairy, Geppetto, Jiminy and Pinocchio. All come together for one last bow.
Curtain close
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mickeyfan5534
Well-Known Member
Team Mist proudly presents, in a new way of presenting here, Fantasia at the Menken Theatre in DIsney's Hollywood Studios!
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...g-soon-a-swytbai-project-by-team-mist.925213/
http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/...g-soon-a-swytbai-project-by-team-mist.925213/
MANEATINGWREATH
Well-Known Member
This one was a close call, guys. Sure, Tiki is in the midst of a debate and has yet to post his results - not a problem - but for me, this one was most certainly a close call.
To start, Team Younger - this was a spectacular script and project. Yes, it was a very close lift of the original film, but still, it worked for the show's placement (in DHS) and felt like an actual stage production. I applaud the creation of an entire script in just a few days, not to mention the clean presentation and solid details surrounding the idea. As a whole, your team worked well together and designed a product that ultimately worked well. The concept art and script really made the presentation shine.
One thing that had me curious was the actor portraying Pinocchio. Would you have an actual child puppeteer and perform? Or would you go down the route of a short, female actress? Just curious. It'd be odd to have a large man with a somewhat high-pitch voice playing Pinocchio... Lol. I did, however like the idea of having the puppeteer transform into the "real boy" at the end of the show.
I don't have much else to say, being honest. This was an altogether solid project from start to finish. 45/50.
Team Mist... This one was incredibly intriguing. The idea of hyping the project as a real-world rumor and project was brilliant. This is something that I've never seen done in the lines of SYWTBAI. Seriously, this one had me hooked from the get-go. The fake thread and "pitch" were well-done and wonderful. Likewise, the idea of an upcharge is not a bad one. I'd be willing to level with this if Disney were to provide quality, multi-hour musicals of a Broadway caliber. Something of the sort would do well in a Downtown Disney-type setting.
That being said, that's all there was to the project - hype. Yes, there were facts and there was a general description, but in this instance, I would have preferred a more thorough and detailed look at the show. Heck, it could have been "leaked." This is what makes it such a close call. I love the idea behind the musical, the project, the pitch, I just wish that there had been a more in-depth look into the show itself.
But, seeing as I simply adored what you did create and what was displayed, I'm going to award you folks with a 45/50.
Tiki, you are the tie-breaker. May the odds be ever in your favor.
To start, Team Younger - this was a spectacular script and project. Yes, it was a very close lift of the original film, but still, it worked for the show's placement (in DHS) and felt like an actual stage production. I applaud the creation of an entire script in just a few days, not to mention the clean presentation and solid details surrounding the idea. As a whole, your team worked well together and designed a product that ultimately worked well. The concept art and script really made the presentation shine.
One thing that had me curious was the actor portraying Pinocchio. Would you have an actual child puppeteer and perform? Or would you go down the route of a short, female actress? Just curious. It'd be odd to have a large man with a somewhat high-pitch voice playing Pinocchio... Lol. I did, however like the idea of having the puppeteer transform into the "real boy" at the end of the show.
I don't have much else to say, being honest. This was an altogether solid project from start to finish. 45/50.
Team Mist... This one was incredibly intriguing. The idea of hyping the project as a real-world rumor and project was brilliant. This is something that I've never seen done in the lines of SYWTBAI. Seriously, this one had me hooked from the get-go. The fake thread and "pitch" were well-done and wonderful. Likewise, the idea of an upcharge is not a bad one. I'd be willing to level with this if Disney were to provide quality, multi-hour musicals of a Broadway caliber. Something of the sort would do well in a Downtown Disney-type setting.
That being said, that's all there was to the project - hype. Yes, there were facts and there was a general description, but in this instance, I would have preferred a more thorough and detailed look at the show. Heck, it could have been "leaked."
This is what makes it such a close call. I love the idea behind the musical, the project, the pitch, I just wish that there had been a more in-depth look into the show itself.But, seeing as I simply adored what you did create and what was displayed, I'm going to award you folks with a 45/50.
Tiki, you are the tie-breaker. May the odds be ever in your favor.
Going to do this bit by bit to build suspense. I'll start with Team Younger. This was an incredibly professional presentation that very much called to mind the spirit of Jag's Sleeping Beauty Musical. The descriptions of the sets were spot-on, especially using the Wes Anderson comparison. That's something that speaks right to my sensibilities. Wes Anderson Pinocchio movie...Schwartzman as Pinocchio, Bill Murray as Gepetto...Jimminy Cricket...Rolling Stones...sorry, getting off track.
Pi's music was phenomenal! I love how free-form the piece about the Pleasure Island song was. It called to mind classic footage of Walt and the Sherman Brothers talking through how they came up with the ideas for various songs. This added a very good level of depth to your presentation and really made it pop! In addition to Basketbuddy's incredibly realistic concept art as always. As a team I feel like you were very successful in quickly coming up with a solid idea and sticking through to landing. The script like MEW said stuck close to the original, but that wasn't a bad thing. Very much calling to mind Jag's Sleeping Beauty Musical by incorporating a traditional script built upon innovative stage design.
Also, I'd like to highlight a classic "BigDisneyFan" play by @mharrington who stuck to his roots of going with traditional Disney over the riskier but intriguing James and the Giant Peach idea. That was a pivotal moment in the brainstorming that led to some really good results and a glowing comparison to the project in which this prompt was based.
Creativity: 8/10
Realism: 9/10
Presentation: 9/10
Group Work: 8.5/10
Detail: 9/10
Total: 43.5/50
On to Team Mist. As MEW stated, the creativity in the presentation of the project is something I absolutely love about this game in general. It's a great step forward in the natural evolution of how to present a project. While there were some chinks in the armor as there would be with any prototype, it was a really interesting concept that made for a highly enjoyable read! I'm actually listening to the Fantasia soundtrack as I type this. Which you can buy a deluxe version of if you visit the store at the Walt Disney Family Museum...located in the Presidio district of San Francisco. And while you're there be sure to pick up your specialty limited edition Mary Blair pins. Only 300 exist per design, so don't miss your chance to own an incredibly exclusive piece of historic Disney art work in pin form.
Sorry, getting off track again.
Echoing what MEW said, I do wish there was a little bit more detail in the actual write-up of the presentation. Reading through it did give me some nostalgia of my old MouseInfo days waaaaaay back in 2002 when the name "Tiki" came into my life. I vividly remember reading descriptions of stuff like Space Mountain 2005, DCA's Tower of Terror, and rabidly following the development of both Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and Cars Land. This hit home on that kind of level. I do think there was an over-use of the Sorcerer and not enough of a selection of shorts. I feel like some scenes were left on the cutting room floor editing-wise while others got too much focus. Props for the Pastoral Symphony though. That's the most challenging number in Fantasia and you pulled it off very well. All together an outside-the-box presentation that didn't match up to the Sleeping Beauty Musical but might have been even more creative in an entirely different kind of way. All together both teams should be proud. I think it's fair to say this has been the BEST round of the season so far. Why do you keep putting me in these impossible situations, MEW
Creativity: 9/10
Realism: 8/10
Detail: 7.5/10
Group Work: 8/10
Presentation: 8.5/10
Total: 40/50
So by a mere three points, that makes Team Younger the victors!
Now we get to the really hard part. This is probably going to be one of the most dramatic eliminations in the history of the game.
The three nominees were @TrevorA, @IAmNotAHufflepuff, and @Magic Feather
However, @Magic Feather played her Diamond PoMVP and saved herself from elimination. In her place she named @Snoopy as the replacement nominee. Trevor, Snoopy, Puff...For two of you the game comes to an end right now. By a vote of 2 to zero...I'm very sorry Puff, but you have been eliminated from So You Want to be an Imagineer in 12th Place.
Both players voted for Puff for elimination who weren't on the block , leaving Trevor and Snoopy as the two remaining candidates for elimination that must now be decided by the judges. While Trevor and Snoopy had a fairly equal hand in the brainstorming, it's pretty clear that Snoopy contributed more to the overall finished product of the presentation. This is BY FAR one of the saddest eliminations I've ever had to make, and Trevor make no mistake about it I think this was probably the strongest you've played the game thus far in the grand scheme, but for now you have been eliminated from So You Want to be an Imagineer in 11th Place. This is truly a heart-breaking, Tony Vlachos eliminated early in Game-Changers level event here people and proof that from this point on EVERYONE in the cast is in it to win it. With that in mind here are our two teams going into the Final Ten.
Team Mist
@Snoopy
@mickeyfan5534
@Magic Feather
@kmbmw777
@Pionmycake (Diamond PoMVP Holder)
Team Younger
@JokersWild
@ThatGuyFromFlorida
@mharrington
@Basketbuddy101
@DisneyManOne (Diamond PoMVP Holder)
@Pionmycake has been granted the key to Walt's Vault for this round. As part of opening it, he has been swapped over to Team Mist to even out the numbers. This will be the FINAL round before the merge, and also the final elimination before the jury. This is a monumental turning point in the game, so I'm expecting everyone to step up with their best effort. With that in mind, let's get to the next prompt.
Project Seven: Lord of the Rings'd
Based on the Season Five "Middle Earth River Adventure" semi-finals project
Out of all the prompts this season, this one might be the one I'm the most excited about. A truly legendary moment in the game and one that coined a catchphrase happened in the semifinals of season five. It was this event alone that has made me defend the merits of the fairly maligned season. MEW was a powerhouse through most of season five and was on track to take home the most obvious victory the game had seen up to that point in a season that was rocky from the start and got worse thanks to the radical idea of adding Universal projects into the mix (oh how far we've come )
Enter "Lord of the Rings". While eventual winner Romanarms and runner-up CoastaFreak delivered solid projects that stuck fairly close to Peter Jackson's epic film trilogy, MEW went a more unconventional route and did a boat ride based on the Rankin/Bass animated Hobbit film. This caused his elimination mostly because the prompt specifically called for something based around the Peter Jackson movies. And thus the frontrunner of the season was cut down in his tracks. Not the first time this had happened...I'm sure @Basketbuddy101 can speak to getting eliminated in 4th Place over CostaFreak in season one...but this was certainly the most dramatic fall from grace.
In this project the teams must recreate both elements of the original project. Team Younger will be creating an E-Ticket Lord of the Rings ride for any Universal park that can take inspiration from anything in Peter Jackson's LOTR and Hobbit trilogies. Team Mist on the other hand will take a cue from ManEatingWreath thanks to the twisty powers of the Vault and Pi opening it..and go in a different direction.Team Mist must design an E Ticket attraction for any DISNEY park that must take its cues specifically from Rankin/Bass's "The Hobbit" and "The Return of the King" as well as Ralph Bashki's classic 70's animated opus "The Lord of the Rings" (which confusingly featured two thirds of book trilogy's plot...filled in by the VERY tonally different Rankin/Bass Return of the King. This is a much more challenging prompt, but with the minor security blanket of being able to work it into a Disney park thanks to a hypothetical legal loophole.
I absolutely cannot wait to see the results of this one. After such a dramatic double elimination, the rest of the season is bound to be amazing! Good luck teams. This project is due Saturday, March 25th at 11:59 PM Eastern/8:59 PM Pacific.
Pi's music was phenomenal! I love how free-form the piece about the Pleasure Island song was. It called to mind classic footage of Walt and the Sherman Brothers talking through how they came up with the ideas for various songs. This added a very good level of depth to your presentation and really made it pop! In addition to Basketbuddy's incredibly realistic concept art as always. As a team I feel like you were very successful in quickly coming up with a solid idea and sticking through to landing. The script like MEW said stuck close to the original, but that wasn't a bad thing. Very much calling to mind Jag's Sleeping Beauty Musical by incorporating a traditional script built upon innovative stage design.
Also, I'd like to highlight a classic "BigDisneyFan" play by @mharrington who stuck to his roots of going with traditional Disney over the riskier but intriguing James and the Giant Peach idea. That was a pivotal moment in the brainstorming that led to some really good results and a glowing comparison to the project in which this prompt was based.
Creativity: 8/10
Realism: 9/10
Presentation: 9/10
Group Work: 8.5/10
Detail: 9/10
Total: 43.5/50
On to Team Mist. As MEW stated, the creativity in the presentation of the project is something I absolutely love about this game in general. It's a great step forward in the natural evolution of how to present a project. While there were some chinks in the armor as there would be with any prototype, it was a really interesting concept that made for a highly enjoyable read! I'm actually listening to the Fantasia soundtrack as I type this. Which you can buy a deluxe version of if you visit the store at the Walt Disney Family Museum...located in the Presidio district of San Francisco. And while you're there be sure to pick up your specialty limited edition Mary Blair pins. Only 300 exist per design, so don't miss your chance to own an incredibly exclusive piece of historic Disney art work in pin form.
Sorry, getting off track again.
Echoing what MEW said, I do wish there was a little bit more detail in the actual write-up of the presentation. Reading through it did give me some nostalgia of my old MouseInfo days waaaaaay back in 2002 when the name "Tiki" came into my life. I vividly remember reading descriptions of stuff like Space Mountain 2005, DCA's Tower of Terror, and rabidly following the development of both Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage and Cars Land. This hit home on that kind of level. I do think there was an over-use of the Sorcerer and not enough of a selection of shorts. I feel like some scenes were left on the cutting room floor editing-wise while others got too much focus. Props for the Pastoral Symphony though. That's the most challenging number in Fantasia and you pulled it off very well. All together an outside-the-box presentation that didn't match up to the Sleeping Beauty Musical but might have been even more creative in an entirely different kind of way. All together both teams should be proud. I think it's fair to say this has been the BEST round of the season so far. Why do you keep putting me in these impossible situations, MEW
Creativity: 9/10
Realism: 8/10
Detail: 7.5/10
Group Work: 8/10
Presentation: 8.5/10
Total: 40/50
So by a mere three points, that makes Team Younger the victors!
Now we get to the really hard part. This is probably going to be one of the most dramatic eliminations in the history of the game.
The three nominees were @TrevorA, @IAmNotAHufflepuff, and @Magic Feather
However, @Magic Feather played her Diamond PoMVP and saved herself from elimination. In her place she named @Snoopy as the replacement nominee. Trevor, Snoopy, Puff...For two of you the game comes to an end right now. By a vote of 2 to zero...I'm very sorry Puff, but you have been eliminated from So You Want to be an Imagineer in 12th Place.
Both players voted for Puff for elimination who weren't on the block , leaving Trevor and Snoopy as the two remaining candidates for elimination that must now be decided by the judges. While Trevor and Snoopy had a fairly equal hand in the brainstorming, it's pretty clear that Snoopy contributed more to the overall finished product of the presentation. This is BY FAR one of the saddest eliminations I've ever had to make, and Trevor make no mistake about it I think this was probably the strongest you've played the game thus far in the grand scheme, but for now you have been eliminated from So You Want to be an Imagineer in 11th Place. This is truly a heart-breaking, Tony Vlachos eliminated early in Game-Changers level event here people and proof that from this point on EVERYONE in the cast is in it to win it. With that in mind here are our two teams going into the Final Ten.
Team Mist
@Snoopy
@mickeyfan5534
@Magic Feather
@kmbmw777
@Pionmycake (Diamond PoMVP Holder)
Team Younger
@JokersWild
@ThatGuyFromFlorida
@mharrington
@Basketbuddy101
@DisneyManOne (Diamond PoMVP Holder)
@Pionmycake has been granted the key to Walt's Vault for this round. As part of opening it, he has been swapped over to Team Mist to even out the numbers. This will be the FINAL round before the merge, and also the final elimination before the jury. This is a monumental turning point in the game, so I'm expecting everyone to step up with their best effort. With that in mind, let's get to the next prompt.
Project Seven: Lord of the Rings'd
Based on the Season Five "Middle Earth River Adventure" semi-finals project
Out of all the prompts this season, this one might be the one I'm the most excited about. A truly legendary moment in the game and one that coined a catchphrase happened in the semifinals of season five. It was this event alone that has made me defend the merits of the fairly maligned season. MEW was a powerhouse through most of season five and was on track to take home the most obvious victory the game had seen up to that point in a season that was rocky from the start and got worse thanks to the radical idea of adding Universal projects into the mix (oh how far we've come
)Enter "Lord of the Rings". While eventual winner Romanarms and runner-up CoastaFreak delivered solid projects that stuck fairly close to Peter Jackson's epic film trilogy, MEW went a more unconventional route and did a boat ride based on the Rankin/Bass animated Hobbit film. This caused his elimination mostly because the prompt specifically called for something based around the Peter Jackson movies. And thus the frontrunner of the season was cut down in his tracks. Not the first time this had happened...I'm sure @Basketbuddy101 can speak to getting eliminated in 4th Place over CostaFreak in season one...but this was certainly the most dramatic fall from grace.
In this project the teams must recreate both elements of the original project. Team Younger will be creating an E-Ticket Lord of the Rings ride for any Universal park that can take inspiration from anything in Peter Jackson's LOTR and Hobbit trilogies. Team Mist on the other hand will take a cue from ManEatingWreath thanks to the twisty powers of the Vault and Pi opening it..and go in a different direction.Team Mist must design an E Ticket attraction for any DISNEY park that must take its cues specifically from Rankin/Bass's "The Hobbit" and "The Return of the King" as well as Ralph Bashki's classic 70's animated opus "The Lord of the Rings" (which confusingly featured two thirds of book trilogy's plot...filled in by the VERY tonally different Rankin/Bass Return of the King. This is a much more challenging prompt, but with the minor security blanket of being able to work it into a Disney park thanks to a hypothetical legal loophole.
I absolutely cannot wait to see the results of this one. After such a dramatic double elimination, the rest of the season is bound to be amazing! Good luck teams. This project is due Saturday, March 25th at 11:59 PM Eastern/8:59 PM Pacific.
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See my avatar for a hint at this season's ever-important MERGE project. It's a lot less vague than other hints have been in the past if you know your game history. Also, here's the full picture of my last avatar...The poster for Ralph Bashki's "Wizards" which very vaguely teased at the Lord of the Rings theme of this current prompt.
@DisneyManOne has been granted the PoMVP for this round and cannot be nominated for elimination.
Don't forget, projects are due TONIGHT at 11:59 PM Eastern/8:59 PM Pacific. I'm dying with anticipation to find out who's going to make it through to the merge and who will be the unlucky person eliminated right before the jury phase of the game. I'm still reeling from the dramatic loss of @TrevorA last round and have a feeling things are only going to get more dramatic from here.
Snoopy
Well-Known Member
In the mid 1980s
there was a big change
Disney's bosses, as it happened
needed a rearrange.
The movies were flopping
while EPCOT drained money,
the talent was leaving,
it just wasn't funny.
Ron Miller, it seemed,
was not up to the task
so Roy Disney stepped back
and started to ask
"Is there anyone out there
who can turn us around?
Miller's theme park experiments
just haven't been sound,
His dark and grim movies
really haven't worked out
and hemorrhaging talent
isn't what we're about."
From the Paramount lot
two men heard the call
and another from Warner Bros.
said "Yeah, he dropped the ball."
These three men got together
Eisner, Katzenberg and Wells
and joined with Roy Disney
to sound the death knells
Of the old Disney guard
who fled in disgrace
as our dynamic quartet
began to shake up the place.
The first call to action
was promoting IP
for a new generation
of viewers to see.
The old stuff was great
but the new didn't click
and, to the dream team,
they needed things that would stick.
They of course succeeded
but naturally, to be fair,
there were some strange stops
before they got there.
Take for example
our tale for today
one of Rankin and Bass
and ol' Gandalf the Grey.
In obtaining IP
Eisner knew it to be true
that he really needed things
from out of the blue.
Star Wars was a boon,
Michael Jackson was grand
and The Muppets helped out
as only they themselves can
But something just as big
Like a famous children's story
something Disney hadn't done
that wasn't too gory
Would be a big boost
and help out all around
while Disney Animation
regained its feet on the ground.
Now the Florida Project
was looking quite bleak
but with Universal giving chase
there was no time to be meek.
The Disney-MGM Studios
was well underway
and Eisner wanted something
that would make people say
"This place is stupendous!"
and so, with his might,
went to the Tolkien estate
to acquire the rights
To build theme park rides
off the Middle-earth books
but Eisner was turned down
though he was not shook.
He instead found a loophole
to add Bilbo and the rest:
a movie adaptation
(and a cartoon, no less!).
As it turns out The Hobbit,
a Rankin/Bass flick, you see,
had its soundtrack releases
all produced by Disney;
No, really. It did.
This was enough for Eisner
when arguing his point
to qualify the film
as a semi-Disney joint.
(This helped quell the purists
who felt it the truth
that these acquired IPs
took Disney from its roots.)
The ride would be of the movie
and not of the novel
And there would be no begging
or having to grovel
To the Tolkien estate
over money and rights,
only to Rankin/Bass
who wouldn't put up fights.
At Warner Bros. corporate
he called Wells' old contacts
and within a few weeks
drew up a few contracts.
The plans were created
the groundwork was laid
and Rankin and Bass
found their royalties well-paid.
The result of this pitch
in nineteen eighty nine
opened to the public
and was dubbed "Mighty fine!"
A centerpiece attraction!
That was undoubtedly true
and now, if you will,
we shall share it with you...
Team Mist Presents
The Hobbit: Smaug's Vengeance
As we enter the queue, The Hobbit: Smaug's Vengeance
the sign for the ride
hanging over us,
we're able to eye
Esgaroth upon the Long Lake,
otherwise known as
Lake-town. This
poor trading town has
been constructed
entirely of wood
and sits upon Long Lake.
As we pass through, one should
Notice things like
the inn, a general store,
the trading post, the docks,
And a grand dance floor.
After that we head
into the heart
of the Lonely Mountain
where old Dwarves carts
From the mines
filled with glistening gold
and gems like rubies
Which you can behold
There are interesting effects
like shaking rocks,
false falling roofs,
Doors behind golden locks,
and the ever present snore
of the sleeping dragon
Smaug, which leads us
to where the preshow is in.
The preshow of this attraction
brings guests into a valley,
enclosed on all sides
by tall rocks, forming an alley.
The voices of dwarves can
be heard from the distance.
"That keyhole in the wall. It just appeared."
"As if by magic." "Or hard work and persistence."
"We are going to be so rich."
"The gold! I can't wait."
"I'll make a thousand rings!"
"Or a new chest plate!"
Finally, the voices quiet down
"Bilbo sure has been in there a long time."
"Oh, no is he okay?"
"Someone should make a climb
And find him.
A dwarf up tall
comes to face us
He says, "You all!
I am Thorin Oakenshield,
Leader of these Dwarves.
Our burglar has gone missing.
It would help all our nerves
If you went to the mountain
Assured he is okay
Report back to us
Then we'll call it a day.
So head through this passage
and load on the boats,
We'll follow you behind
and make sure you are afloat.
Do not be scared
There is no threat"
Quietly he adds, "Except maybe
A dragon with a fiery breath."
Guests are then
ushered to the docks
where they load their boats
stealthily as a fox.
As we load our boats,
for out grand adventure
in the Lonely Mountain,
a dwarf warns us to "keep hands, feets, legs, and beards inside the vehicle at all times. Oh! And watch the little dwarves are behaving their best!"
The dock we are in
lies inside of a cave.
The river leads straight
to an unknown, we will have to brave.
Gold doubloons lay
at the bottom of our lagoon.
And on the stone walls
stories of adventure and treasure are told by Dwarvish runes.
As our boat sets out with thud
The new halls of our passage are lined with blood
Smaug must be close
There is no doubt
Bilbo is still missing
No doubt wandering about.
The room we enter
is a Dwarves bar.
So Thorin and others
do something bizarre.
They sit at the bar,
pour themselves some rum,
hurl some at us passersby,
evidently trying to give us some.
They pray to their gods
and ancestors too.
Hoping for a successful mission
while admiring the view
of the Lonely mountain.
That is no longer theirs.
This next scene takes guests
from the bar to the throne
Where the dwarves marvel
at the statues of stone.
Thorin sits on the throne
and exclaims with glee
"I know the way from here!
Follow me!"
While the dwarves Marvel
at the treasures of past.
They look brightly towards
the goals of their last.
Now we arrive
in a room of gold
where Bilbo stands center
as an object of Scorn
"What were you doing?"
"We were worried sick."
"We thought you may have died."
"Or maybe have tried to pull a trick
On us!" Bilbo replied, "Oh no.
I would never. I started at this gold
And couldn't decide what to pick.
After all, a hobbit like me can only hold
So little." Next, Thorin exclaimed,
"Fools! Be quiet! Look around that corner."
The wall of the room projects
the shadow of the stronger
Dragon Smaug.
Our boat comes to a stop in the center of the room.
As the track behind us silently ships,
Smaug's voice loudly booms,
"Who dare disturb my slumber!
You cowardly yous!
You'll pay for your crimes!
Every single one of who!"
Fire erupts the room
And our boat launches backward
to our doom.
Our boat lands in a room full of smoke.
Several other splashes are heard.
The dwarves are besides us.
"The dragon has stirred.
He'll seek his wrath
On the town of Lakeview."
Says Thorin. The dwarves can be seen
besides us in boats of new.
Our vehicles are
inside of a dome
Smaug is projected
onto the ceiling above.
He flies towards the city
that can be seen in the distance
The town erupts in fire.
These effects are created with the assistance
of forced perspective and projections.
Thorin guides us towards the quake.
But a burst of fire
Lights up the lake.
We are redirected
into a hidden from eye tunnel
which seems to take us
to the city via runnel.
We are now in
the heart of the battle.
A man with a bow
comes to us rattled.
He orders the dwarves
to help him in his quest.
The dwarves agree
and order us back to the dragon's nest.
(If one was
to look at the sky.
They would see Smaug has been shot
which leads to his demise.)
As we maneuver
through the burning streets
Smaug is in our path
and has been beat.
An arrow in his chest
did the trick
He moans and whimpers
but dies really quick.
The town shouts
and exclaims with glee
"You did it Mr. Bard
Now we are free!"
Our boat returns
to the Lonely Mountain
via a quick passage.
Thorin stands at the fountain
and exclaims to his guests
"The Lonely Mountain
is now reopened for business!"
Gift Shop
After the fantastic ride,
There's one thing left to do.
The wonderful Lake-town Market
Is what you must pass through.
This is not your usual gift shop,
Not traditional at all.
It's an open air market
With multiple interesting stalls.
One to sell shirts hats and clothing,
And one to sell a variety of toys.
Another to sell expensive collectibles,
There's things for all the girls and boys.
Perhaps a snack is more your fancy.
A variety seafood dishes are perfect,
For second breakfast, elevensies, or afternoon tea.
The show building so grand
The orange is the entrance
Where families will hold hands
On purple is the façade
Of a majestic mountain
Off its wall will roll waterfalls
That look like fountains
That new grey patch
on the left, you see
Is a new service entrance for CMs,
Not you or me.
Guests will enter at the corner
That is painted green,
And they will exit at the red
Where Backlot Express is seen.
-----
As the years took their toll
and the ride grew outdated
Disney made some changes
to make it less antiquated.
Let's fast forward to the early 2000s,
And the hit Lord of the Rings movies.
The Peter Jackson films were huge!
And they made all the moneys.
Disney wanted to capitalize,
On the worldwide phenomenon.
Everyone expected more Hobbit rides
To be announced at Comic-Con.
When Disney looked at Hobbit expansion,
They measured its monetary worth.
The timing for that expense wasn't right,
With the upcoming Happiest Celebration of Earth.
The 2005 festival was more important,
And where Disney spent their money.
No new Smaug animatronic,
Just a fancy new yeti.
Some small updates were made,
New paint and not too much more
They updated the rides music,
To sound suspiciously like the New movie's score.
Let's fast forward again,
To 2013 in May.
A Peter Jackson Hobbit
Had released the previous Christmas day.
Legal issues arose with rights,
They squashed Disney's plan,
Of turning the area around the ride,
Into a full Middle Earth Land.
Instead just another update,
To the main Hobbit ride.
New animatronics and projections,
Made it even more grand inside.
It made the ride feel new again,
This was far from filler.
Brings it one step closer,
To being Disney's Potter killer.
Just a few more short years,
and Hollywood Studios will be,
The home of Tolkien and Star Wars.
Truly the place to be.
And that, my friends,
is the end of our tale.
But not the end for the Hobbits
whose legacy will not fail.
But now I must go
please don't be too annoyed
there's not much left to say
except I hope you enjoyed
This story of executives,
dragons and mystery -
our team's Tolkien venture
into alternate history.
Last edited:
Basketbuddy101
Well-Known Member
Ladies and gentlemen, Team Younger proudly presents…
Flight of the Elves: A Middle Earth Adventure
Attraction Premise: It is the Third Age. Sometime before Thorin and Company embark on a quest to take back the Lonely Mountain from the dragon, Smaug, Lord Elrond sends a group of his most trusted scouts aboard the backs of the Great Eagles to track the position of an oncoming army of goblins from the Misty Mountains. When the goblins disrupt the eagles' flight, however, guests are sent tumbling into the depths of the Misty Mountains, where they are sure to come across a few surprises…
Location, Location, Location:
'The Lost Continent' of Universal's 'Islands of Adventure' park has, since the opening of the 'Wizarding World of Harry Potter' in 2010, grown somewhat stale for visitors of the ever-growing theme park. Thus, Universal Creative has decided to once again partner with Peter Jackson to bring the world of Middle Earth to life in fully-realized, three-dimensional form. 'Rivendell,' the memorable home of the elves from the film, will serve as the gateway to a new and exciting 'E-Ticket' attraction known as 'Flight of the Elves: A Middle Earth Adventure.' This hybrid attraction will seamlessly fuse a motion simulator with a roller coaster and a dark ride to boot. To accommodate the large space required for this attraction, a significant chunk of the 'Lost Continent' area of the park will be removed and replaced, signaling the beginning of the end for the land in general, ultimately becoming "Middle Earth." The attraction represents the first step in this major expansion. Guests begin their own adventure by crossing a large stone bridge where the entrance of 'The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad' used to stand.
Rivendell:
Towering above guests are the magnificent roofs and spires of Rivendell, the home of Elrond, its lord. Its structures are embedded in the massive, moss-covered cliff, the foot of which contains a tunnel that leads guests into Immortal Sanctuary, a beautiful garden surrounded by lush landscaping.
To get to this initial segment of the queue, guests cross over a large stone bridge; there they see the attraction's marquee. After continuing through the tunnel and along the edge of a stone staircase presumably leading to the upper levels of Rivendell, guests find themselves in Elrond's Library, a decadent, two story room layered with shelves upon shelves of dusty books. The library, held by thin stone pillars and lit by faintly-glowing lanterns, is furnished by hand-carved wooden desks and chairs. The ceiling is embellished by intricately-laced patterns of gold and silver, the translucent windows allowing guests to peer slightly into the outside world. Guests continue past the library and down a hallway of many doors, one of which is almost fully open, revealing an elegant guest room, complete with stone pillars molded in the image of elves, a curved wooden roof, and a balcony hovering over the trees, barely visible from the stained glass windows that cover the archways surrounding it.
Guests continue down the hallway and into Elrond's Chamber, one of the more iconic areas in the film. This room, a near-identical copy of the film, sends guests weaving along the stone pillars via a switchback queue, admiring the many Elvish trinkets and ornaments adoring the lightly-textured walls. A stone staircase leads guests to the second floor of the chamber, where they see the painting depicting Isildur in his defeat of Sauron. Sharp-eyed guests will notice Isildur's sword, Andúril, resting on a stone table nearby.
On the other side of the balcony, Lord Elrond himself watches as guests admire their surroundings. Elrond appears to guests via 'musion' screen, much like Dumbledore in the 'Forbidden Journey' queue.The kind-faced elf is there to acquaint guests with the basic premise of the attraction. "On your way then. Yes, right, move along. My friends, your presence is much appreciated, though I wish it were on a less grievous occasion that I would greet my most trusted scouts. I'm afraid we're engaged in a great conflict with the goblins of the Misty Mountains. I've been informed that their leader, the Great Goblin King, wishes to expand his territory dangerously-close to Rivendell. At this very moment, his forces are moving toward us, which is why I implore you, my most trusted scouts, to venture toward the Misty Mountains and track the position of their army; this will give us a competitive edge. The Great Eagles have agreed to aid our cause. They await you near the grounds of the White Council Chamber. Be swift, and trust in each other. On your way then. Yes, right, move along. My friends your presence is…"
Guests continue through a doorway and "outside" at the edge of a large balcony, a dome structure visible to them in the distance below. This is the largest room in the queue, utilizing lighting to simulate dusk. After curving along the edge of a great, seemingly-endless cliff, guests enter through the arches of a stone structure to meet a large Great Eagle presented as an animatronic. The magnificent creature is perched at the center of a large stone platform. The advanced animatronic is capable of a multitude of movements, including quickly and gracefully flapping its wings, opening its beak, and moving its head. Attached to the Great Eagle's back is a harness made of Elvish rope, a thin yet incredibly sturdy, pure material that fans of the film will instantly recognize. Guests proceed into the loading area, which is a dark, moonlit courtyard overlooking a glowing night sky. The vehicles move in conveyer belt fashion, much like the 'benches' from 'Forbidden Journey.' These vehicles utilize the same 'KUKA' ride system, with some added functionalities. Guests look overhead to see that the vehicles are modeled after Elrond's throne, complete with pointed spires and a smooth wood finish. A faux harness is apparently tied to the back of the thrones, the vehicles themselves being propelled by a system of ropes and gears that appear to be of Elvish make. Guests board the vehicles and proceed down the conveyer belt along a series of stone columns; the adventure begins.
The Ride:
Practical:
The sounds of pulling ropes accompany a quick ascent into the upper levels of Rivendell. A Great Eagle figure can be seen for a moment, rising along with the vehicle. Guests look upward as two large eagle talons seem to 'clip' to the top of the vehicles. The Great Eagle carrying the vehicle lets out a loud cry as guests are thrust into the air, soaring past a wide digital landscape of Rivendell and toward a dome screen utilizing 4K projection.
Projection Dome:
Guests fly high over Rivendell, leaving it behind as they swoop and glide over various hills, feeling a quick blast of water as they fly through a roaring waterfall near a cliff. Gentle blasts of wind supplement the sensation of flight as the Eagles, one of which is being ridden by none other than Radagast the Brown, fly over a large lake, the Misty Mountains in the distance. Radagast's eagle flies directly below guests; Radagast turns around to greet them. "How are we? Enjoying the view? We'd best be on the lookout, my friends. I expect we might run into that goblin army Lord Elrond spoke of in a minute or—" Before he can finish speaking, however, the Eagles seem to retreat, calling to each other in an alerting fashion. Guests look below to see a moderately-sized army of goblins, the lot of them marching in the opposite direction, presumably toward Rivendell. The army chants in unison, releasing a wave of flaming arrows into the air. The Eagles let out a cry as blasts of red light flash across the screens. Guests "dodge" the arrows, which are presented as quick gusts of air, similar to the "dart" effect in the 'Indiana Jones Adventure.' "It's an ambush!" Radagast cries. The Eagles split up ahead, but before guests themselves can escape the attack, the eagle "carrying" the vehicle lets out a loud cry, sending guests tumbling at great speed into the very heart of the Misty Mountains.
Practical:
Darkness. The vehicle slows for a moment, only for guests to be met with the roar of a great beast hidden in the dark. The sound of several goblins laughing at a new catch fills the dark room, which becomes lit by glowing, red torchlight. Guests see the vehicle being seized by the beast, a large cave troll presented in full animatronic form. With careful precision and synchronization, guests feel as if the troll is lifting the vehicle.
He glares at guests, "sneezes" at them (water), and, with a single arm, carries them away. Guests look in every direction. Swarms of goblin animatronics laugh at the scene, most of them singing to the tune of "Down in Goblin Town," which appeared in 'The Hobbit.' The troll picks up speed as guests admire the fully-immersive world of Goblin Town, a network of branching caves and tunnels stretching from the High Pass in the Northern part of the Misty Mountains. A series of wooden beams and creaky bridges line the seemingly-endless edges of the massive caverns. Guests watch as the cave troll swings its loose arm, grumbling to itself, only to "trip" on a loose wooden beam and send the vehicle "flying" into the air. Guests laugh as they swing a great distance in an arc motion, only to fall at the feet of a disgustingly-detailed, massive animatronic: The Great Goblin King, complete with a slimy, textured complexion and silvery strings of hair. The King is sitting on his throne. Guests watch as the animatronic figure stares at them blankly. "What've we here?" The goblins around him laugh. The King stops for a moment, examining the vehicle. He quickly lets out a roar. "Elves! Disgusting elf spies! Kill them before they return to their miserable masters!" The King uses his bone staff to bash the vehicle from the side, sending guests tumbling even further into the depths of Goblin Town and into more darkness. At this point, the vehicle quickly positions itself into a switching track, sending it toward the "roller coaster" segment of the attraction.
Roller Coaster:
This segment of the attraction is very similar to the roller coaster section of 'Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts,' except instead of lasting only about 10 seconds, the sequence lasts for a solid 35 seconds. The roller coaster section constitutes about 1/3 of the show building's space, utilizing tight twists and overlapping turns to make use of the space. Rather than facing sideways, the vehicle faces straight forward, a deviation from Universal's traditional use of the KUKA. For all intents and purposes, this unprecedented use of the KUKA system in a Universal Park is not terribly difficult to achieve, and has in fact been tried and tested in other theme parks. Guests speed through the dimly-lit depths of Goblin Town. The sound of crushing wooden beams is heard all around as the vehicle seems to "skate" down the many suspended bridges and pathways in the cavern. During one sequence, guests apparently "run over" a goblin animatronic, who, for a split moment, emerges from a gap in the wooden bridge ahead, yelling madly. Guests hear the goblin whimper as the vehicle "hits" him at full speed, rising up and down for a moment, and then ultimately being knocked off course by a loose beam ahead.
Projection Dome:
Guests tumble into darkness yet again, only to land in a large, subterranean cave. Guests feel a cool splash of water as the vehicle dips into the lake halfway and then upward. During this sequence, guests get the impression that the vehicle is "floating" above the surface of the lake, driven by a current in the water. Guests feel a cold breeze on their legs; this effect is used to simulate their legs being submerged underneath the lake. Along with dripping stalactites, a high-pitched mumble can be heard in nearby, constantly switching tones from sounding confused to angry and often referencing his “precious”. Guests continue floating deeper into the heart of the lake and toward a small island of rock. Suddenly, a hunched-over, gray-skinned creature with eyes bulging out of his head slowly and dramatically rises from a rock above. Guests circle around the island as the creature climbs on the rocks above like a spider. “They stands talls, their ears are pointy like the rocks, my precious. Yes…yes, my precious: elveses, they are. Yes indeed. But elveses don't likes the dark places, do they, precious?" Gollum exclaims, moving toward guests. Before he can reach them, however, a goblin can be seen falling from the top of the cave toward the rocks below; it lands with a loud thud on a platform on the other side of the cave near the edge of the water. The gray-skinned creature eyes guests for a moment, but instead of going after them, chooses to investigate the site of his latest discovery. The vehicle floats away from the island and toward the site of the goblin's landing.
Practical:
Guests float along the edge of the water, passing a small rock, where the gray-skinned creature, well-known by even the most casual of 'Lord of the Rings' fans, mutters to himself about his latest catch, as it pulls on the hair of the goblin who fell into the lake. Sharpe-eyed guests will recognize the goblin as the one they "ran over" just a few moments ago. The creature is clearly dead, but its gleaming yellow eyes are still wide open, a gruesome but admittedly-humorous sight. The tortured, gray-skinned creature eyes guests cautiously. "Mustn't get too close to them, precious. Armed with nasty elf bladeses, they might be. We caughts a nice goblins though, didn't we, my love? Feasts…feasts on them we will, yes."
Though it's hard to notice at first, the creature is actually carrying a small, glowing golden ring on his side, but even the sharpest of guests will likely miss it due to the low lighting in the cave. Guests continue along the current, noticing a large crevice on the wall revealing light from the outside world. Suddenly, the sound of an eagle's cry echoes through the walls as a large eagle animatronic, complete with Radagast aboard, emerges from the crevice. "We found them! Send word to Lord Elrond! We've got a battle to win." The eagle "flies" above as guests are sent into darkness. Suddenly, they feel the vehicle being grasped by the eagle, and are then sent flying upwards into the air.
Projection Dome:
Guests are lifted at high speed upward, passing several small caves and rock formations until suddenly emerging from the caverns of the Misty Mountains and toward the outer peaks. The sun is visible in the distance as the rest of the Eagles lead the way back to Rivendell. After flying over a few peaks, guests look downward at the sight of a battle between the army of Goblin Town and the army of Rivendell. Guests swoop in from above, flying low and knocking over several dozens of goblins in the process. The surrounding elves cheer as guests fly upward and back downward, repeating the attack. Guests hear the elves nearby scream "Victory! We have victory" as the other eagles pick up the goblins and send them tumbling downward to their presumable deaths. At one point, one of these goblins hits the vehicle for a moment, screaming in pain, its voice high-pitched and comedic. The vehicle flies downward once more. Guests watch as Radagast flies low himself, battering goblins about with his staff as his Eagle knocks down several lines of goblins. "Wait till ol' grey beard hears about…" He bashes a goblin from behind. "This!"
Finally, the Eagles get in formation as the music swells; guests sail across the landscape, returning home to Rivendell. As the vehicles prepare to land on a nearby platform of rock, a group of familiar elves from the film, beam at guests. Lord Elrond nods his head in approval. "You've defended Rivendell well, but we must remain vigilant, for the battle for Middle Earth has yet to cease." The vehicles return to the familiar loading area as guests' 'Middle Earth Adventure' comes to a satisfying end.
Flight of the Elves: A Middle Earth Adventure
Attraction Premise: It is the Third Age. Sometime before Thorin and Company embark on a quest to take back the Lonely Mountain from the dragon, Smaug, Lord Elrond sends a group of his most trusted scouts aboard the backs of the Great Eagles to track the position of an oncoming army of goblins from the Misty Mountains. When the goblins disrupt the eagles' flight, however, guests are sent tumbling into the depths of the Misty Mountains, where they are sure to come across a few surprises…
Location, Location, Location:
'The Lost Continent' of Universal's 'Islands of Adventure' park has, since the opening of the 'Wizarding World of Harry Potter' in 2010, grown somewhat stale for visitors of the ever-growing theme park. Thus, Universal Creative has decided to once again partner with Peter Jackson to bring the world of Middle Earth to life in fully-realized, three-dimensional form. 'Rivendell,' the memorable home of the elves from the film, will serve as the gateway to a new and exciting 'E-Ticket' attraction known as 'Flight of the Elves: A Middle Earth Adventure.' This hybrid attraction will seamlessly fuse a motion simulator with a roller coaster and a dark ride to boot. To accommodate the large space required for this attraction, a significant chunk of the 'Lost Continent' area of the park will be removed and replaced, signaling the beginning of the end for the land in general, ultimately becoming "Middle Earth." The attraction represents the first step in this major expansion. Guests begin their own adventure by crossing a large stone bridge where the entrance of 'The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad' used to stand.
Rivendell:
Towering above guests are the magnificent roofs and spires of Rivendell, the home of Elrond, its lord. Its structures are embedded in the massive, moss-covered cliff, the foot of which contains a tunnel that leads guests into Immortal Sanctuary, a beautiful garden surrounded by lush landscaping.
To get to this initial segment of the queue, guests cross over a large stone bridge; there they see the attraction's marquee. After continuing through the tunnel and along the edge of a stone staircase presumably leading to the upper levels of Rivendell, guests find themselves in Elrond's Library, a decadent, two story room layered with shelves upon shelves of dusty books. The library, held by thin stone pillars and lit by faintly-glowing lanterns, is furnished by hand-carved wooden desks and chairs. The ceiling is embellished by intricately-laced patterns of gold and silver, the translucent windows allowing guests to peer slightly into the outside world. Guests continue past the library and down a hallway of many doors, one of which is almost fully open, revealing an elegant guest room, complete with stone pillars molded in the image of elves, a curved wooden roof, and a balcony hovering over the trees, barely visible from the stained glass windows that cover the archways surrounding it.
Guests continue down the hallway and into Elrond's Chamber, one of the more iconic areas in the film. This room, a near-identical copy of the film, sends guests weaving along the stone pillars via a switchback queue, admiring the many Elvish trinkets and ornaments adoring the lightly-textured walls. A stone staircase leads guests to the second floor of the chamber, where they see the painting depicting Isildur in his defeat of Sauron. Sharp-eyed guests will notice Isildur's sword, Andúril, resting on a stone table nearby.
On the other side of the balcony, Lord Elrond himself watches as guests admire their surroundings. Elrond appears to guests via 'musion' screen, much like Dumbledore in the 'Forbidden Journey' queue.The kind-faced elf is there to acquaint guests with the basic premise of the attraction. "On your way then. Yes, right, move along. My friends, your presence is much appreciated, though I wish it were on a less grievous occasion that I would greet my most trusted scouts. I'm afraid we're engaged in a great conflict with the goblins of the Misty Mountains. I've been informed that their leader, the Great Goblin King, wishes to expand his territory dangerously-close to Rivendell. At this very moment, his forces are moving toward us, which is why I implore you, my most trusted scouts, to venture toward the Misty Mountains and track the position of their army; this will give us a competitive edge. The Great Eagles have agreed to aid our cause. They await you near the grounds of the White Council Chamber. Be swift, and trust in each other. On your way then. Yes, right, move along. My friends your presence is…"
Guests continue through a doorway and "outside" at the edge of a large balcony, a dome structure visible to them in the distance below. This is the largest room in the queue, utilizing lighting to simulate dusk. After curving along the edge of a great, seemingly-endless cliff, guests enter through the arches of a stone structure to meet a large Great Eagle presented as an animatronic. The magnificent creature is perched at the center of a large stone platform. The advanced animatronic is capable of a multitude of movements, including quickly and gracefully flapping its wings, opening its beak, and moving its head. Attached to the Great Eagle's back is a harness made of Elvish rope, a thin yet incredibly sturdy, pure material that fans of the film will instantly recognize. Guests proceed into the loading area, which is a dark, moonlit courtyard overlooking a glowing night sky. The vehicles move in conveyer belt fashion, much like the 'benches' from 'Forbidden Journey.' These vehicles utilize the same 'KUKA' ride system, with some added functionalities. Guests look overhead to see that the vehicles are modeled after Elrond's throne, complete with pointed spires and a smooth wood finish. A faux harness is apparently tied to the back of the thrones, the vehicles themselves being propelled by a system of ropes and gears that appear to be of Elvish make. Guests board the vehicles and proceed down the conveyer belt along a series of stone columns; the adventure begins.
The Ride:
Practical:
The sounds of pulling ropes accompany a quick ascent into the upper levels of Rivendell. A Great Eagle figure can be seen for a moment, rising along with the vehicle. Guests look upward as two large eagle talons seem to 'clip' to the top of the vehicles. The Great Eagle carrying the vehicle lets out a loud cry as guests are thrust into the air, soaring past a wide digital landscape of Rivendell and toward a dome screen utilizing 4K projection.
Projection Dome:
Guests fly high over Rivendell, leaving it behind as they swoop and glide over various hills, feeling a quick blast of water as they fly through a roaring waterfall near a cliff. Gentle blasts of wind supplement the sensation of flight as the Eagles, one of which is being ridden by none other than Radagast the Brown, fly over a large lake, the Misty Mountains in the distance. Radagast's eagle flies directly below guests; Radagast turns around to greet them. "How are we? Enjoying the view? We'd best be on the lookout, my friends. I expect we might run into that goblin army Lord Elrond spoke of in a minute or—" Before he can finish speaking, however, the Eagles seem to retreat, calling to each other in an alerting fashion. Guests look below to see a moderately-sized army of goblins, the lot of them marching in the opposite direction, presumably toward Rivendell. The army chants in unison, releasing a wave of flaming arrows into the air. The Eagles let out a cry as blasts of red light flash across the screens. Guests "dodge" the arrows, which are presented as quick gusts of air, similar to the "dart" effect in the 'Indiana Jones Adventure.' "It's an ambush!" Radagast cries. The Eagles split up ahead, but before guests themselves can escape the attack, the eagle "carrying" the vehicle lets out a loud cry, sending guests tumbling at great speed into the very heart of the Misty Mountains.
Practical:
Darkness. The vehicle slows for a moment, only for guests to be met with the roar of a great beast hidden in the dark. The sound of several goblins laughing at a new catch fills the dark room, which becomes lit by glowing, red torchlight. Guests see the vehicle being seized by the beast, a large cave troll presented in full animatronic form. With careful precision and synchronization, guests feel as if the troll is lifting the vehicle.
He glares at guests, "sneezes" at them (water), and, with a single arm, carries them away. Guests look in every direction. Swarms of goblin animatronics laugh at the scene, most of them singing to the tune of "Down in Goblin Town," which appeared in 'The Hobbit.' The troll picks up speed as guests admire the fully-immersive world of Goblin Town, a network of branching caves and tunnels stretching from the High Pass in the Northern part of the Misty Mountains. A series of wooden beams and creaky bridges line the seemingly-endless edges of the massive caverns. Guests watch as the cave troll swings its loose arm, grumbling to itself, only to "trip" on a loose wooden beam and send the vehicle "flying" into the air. Guests laugh as they swing a great distance in an arc motion, only to fall at the feet of a disgustingly-detailed, massive animatronic: The Great Goblin King, complete with a slimy, textured complexion and silvery strings of hair. The King is sitting on his throne. Guests watch as the animatronic figure stares at them blankly. "What've we here?" The goblins around him laugh. The King stops for a moment, examining the vehicle. He quickly lets out a roar. "Elves! Disgusting elf spies! Kill them before they return to their miserable masters!" The King uses his bone staff to bash the vehicle from the side, sending guests tumbling even further into the depths of Goblin Town and into more darkness. At this point, the vehicle quickly positions itself into a switching track, sending it toward the "roller coaster" segment of the attraction.
Roller Coaster:
This segment of the attraction is very similar to the roller coaster section of 'Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts,' except instead of lasting only about 10 seconds, the sequence lasts for a solid 35 seconds. The roller coaster section constitutes about 1/3 of the show building's space, utilizing tight twists and overlapping turns to make use of the space. Rather than facing sideways, the vehicle faces straight forward, a deviation from Universal's traditional use of the KUKA. For all intents and purposes, this unprecedented use of the KUKA system in a Universal Park is not terribly difficult to achieve, and has in fact been tried and tested in other theme parks. Guests speed through the dimly-lit depths of Goblin Town. The sound of crushing wooden beams is heard all around as the vehicle seems to "skate" down the many suspended bridges and pathways in the cavern. During one sequence, guests apparently "run over" a goblin animatronic, who, for a split moment, emerges from a gap in the wooden bridge ahead, yelling madly. Guests hear the goblin whimper as the vehicle "hits" him at full speed, rising up and down for a moment, and then ultimately being knocked off course by a loose beam ahead.
Projection Dome:
Guests tumble into darkness yet again, only to land in a large, subterranean cave. Guests feel a cool splash of water as the vehicle dips into the lake halfway and then upward. During this sequence, guests get the impression that the vehicle is "floating" above the surface of the lake, driven by a current in the water. Guests feel a cold breeze on their legs; this effect is used to simulate their legs being submerged underneath the lake. Along with dripping stalactites, a high-pitched mumble can be heard in nearby, constantly switching tones from sounding confused to angry and often referencing his “precious”. Guests continue floating deeper into the heart of the lake and toward a small island of rock. Suddenly, a hunched-over, gray-skinned creature with eyes bulging out of his head slowly and dramatically rises from a rock above. Guests circle around the island as the creature climbs on the rocks above like a spider. “They stands talls, their ears are pointy like the rocks, my precious. Yes…yes, my precious: elveses, they are. Yes indeed. But elveses don't likes the dark places, do they, precious?" Gollum exclaims, moving toward guests. Before he can reach them, however, a goblin can be seen falling from the top of the cave toward the rocks below; it lands with a loud thud on a platform on the other side of the cave near the edge of the water. The gray-skinned creature eyes guests for a moment, but instead of going after them, chooses to investigate the site of his latest discovery. The vehicle floats away from the island and toward the site of the goblin's landing.
Practical:
Guests float along the edge of the water, passing a small rock, where the gray-skinned creature, well-known by even the most casual of 'Lord of the Rings' fans, mutters to himself about his latest catch, as it pulls on the hair of the goblin who fell into the lake. Sharpe-eyed guests will recognize the goblin as the one they "ran over" just a few moments ago. The creature is clearly dead, but its gleaming yellow eyes are still wide open, a gruesome but admittedly-humorous sight. The tortured, gray-skinned creature eyes guests cautiously. "Mustn't get too close to them, precious. Armed with nasty elf bladeses, they might be. We caughts a nice goblins though, didn't we, my love? Feasts…feasts on them we will, yes."
Though it's hard to notice at first, the creature is actually carrying a small, glowing golden ring on his side, but even the sharpest of guests will likely miss it due to the low lighting in the cave. Guests continue along the current, noticing a large crevice on the wall revealing light from the outside world. Suddenly, the sound of an eagle's cry echoes through the walls as a large eagle animatronic, complete with Radagast aboard, emerges from the crevice. "We found them! Send word to Lord Elrond! We've got a battle to win." The eagle "flies" above as guests are sent into darkness. Suddenly, they feel the vehicle being grasped by the eagle, and are then sent flying upwards into the air.
Projection Dome:
Guests are lifted at high speed upward, passing several small caves and rock formations until suddenly emerging from the caverns of the Misty Mountains and toward the outer peaks. The sun is visible in the distance as the rest of the Eagles lead the way back to Rivendell. After flying over a few peaks, guests look downward at the sight of a battle between the army of Goblin Town and the army of Rivendell. Guests swoop in from above, flying low and knocking over several dozens of goblins in the process. The surrounding elves cheer as guests fly upward and back downward, repeating the attack. Guests hear the elves nearby scream "Victory! We have victory" as the other eagles pick up the goblins and send them tumbling downward to their presumable deaths. At one point, one of these goblins hits the vehicle for a moment, screaming in pain, its voice high-pitched and comedic. The vehicle flies downward once more. Guests watch as Radagast flies low himself, battering goblins about with his staff as his Eagle knocks down several lines of goblins. "Wait till ol' grey beard hears about…" He bashes a goblin from behind. "This!"
Finally, the Eagles get in formation as the music swells; guests sail across the landscape, returning home to Rivendell. As the vehicles prepare to land on a nearby platform of rock, a group of familiar elves from the film, beam at guests. Lord Elrond nods his head in approval. "You've defended Rivendell well, but we must remain vigilant, for the battle for Middle Earth has yet to cease." The vehicles return to the familiar loading area as guests' 'Middle Earth Adventure' comes to a satisfying end.
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