So, You Want to be an Imagineer Season 15: Uniting Universal (Official Hub Thread)

[spacemt354]

 

[MonorailRed]

Ugh! I hate doing this .

"Australia" is misspelled.

Fixed!

 

[D Hulk]

Winnie ther Pooh?

I expect more of you, Tokyo.

 

[Suchomimus]

 

[spacemt354]

View attachment 235311
Winnie ther Pooh?

I expect more of you, Tokyo.

Indeed -- at least make it funny and misspell Pooh

 

[Suchomimus]

Indeed -- at least make it funny and misspell Pooh

 

[spacemt354]

 

[Suchomimus]

 

[spacemt354]

All kidding aside - thanks so much @MonorailRed for the logos! They're all amazing and are great intros to the projects themselves, really grasping the attention of the readers for each section.

 

[spacemt354]

Going to try and finish up Seinfeld and The Office (got caught up with Chemistry today - though for a good cause) but will hopefully get them out tonight!

 

[spacemt354]

Monks Cafe
(A restaurant about nothing!)

On the street corner of a New York City production block, step into Monks Cafe, made famousby the hit NBC show Seinfeld. As you walk into the small cafe, you'll notice that the 'set' is exactly identical to the show - with the comfy booths located right as you walk in, to the bar area in the back, to the stools and chairs as you meander to the right hand side of the Cafe. Sitting down in this restaurant is almost like any other cafe. A novice to the show probably wouldn't understand why everyone else is glamoring over the authenticity to the cafe, as it looks like a typical NYC cafe - and that's the point - it's a restaurant about nothing!

Nothing that is until we reach the menu - which dives into Seinfeld references galore and ensures that any fan of the show will be satisfied. Adjacent to the Cafe and up towards the 3rd floor of the apartment building across the street, guests can also walk through a replica of Jerry and Kramer's apartments - equipped with several gags and references to episodes of the show within the apartments - including Jerry's famous Superman action figure in the back shelf.

Nevertheless, the menu to Monks Cafe is scattered in a variety of references to the show. The restaurant serves Lunch and Dinner - and a sample of the Lunch menu is provided below.

Bread Served
Marble Rye

Appetizers/Snacks
The Big Salad - $7.99
Junior Mints - $2.99
Pez Dispenser candy - $3.99
Mango Fruit Medley - $4.99
Jumbo Shrimp (the ocean called they're running out of shrimp) - $6.99
Pretzels - they're making me thirsty! - $4.99

Soups (from the Soup Nazi) - $5.99

Turkey Chili Soup
Jambalaya Soup
Lima Bean Soup
Crab Bisque

Entrees/Sandwiches
The Calzone - $10.99
George's Kung Pao Chicken - $12.99
The Gyro - $11.99
The Wiz Sandwich - $10.99

Desserts
Muffin Tops - $4.99
Black and White Cookie - $3.99
Chocolate Bobka - $5.99
Trash Eclaire - $4.99
Ice Cream with Bosco Sauce - $4.99
Twix Bar - $2.99

Drinks
Snapple - $2.99
Bottled Water - $1.99
Soda - $2.99
Coffee - $1.99
Shot of Hennigan's Scotch - $8.99

 

[spacemt354]

The Office
An American Workplace - Live

Most of the millennial generation has tended to grasp onto the 2005-2013 NBC show 'The Office' as their version of a Seinfeld or Odd Couple, or other classic television show. Harolded as the superior to the original British version, the American version of The Office takes a documentary style approach to the show, with no laugh track, as if you're actually there with the characters rather than passively watching them perform. This type of viewing process and connectivity with the characters on the show is a prime target to be adapted into an attraction at Universal Studios Australia - namely, a live show where guests can play the parts of the characters on the show and act out famous scenes from the episodes.

Similar to shows such as Doug: Live and the American Idol Experience in Disney's Hollywood Studios, this will be almost an entire day event for fans of the show and theater/acting enthusiasts in general to audition for roles the day before - and then the next day, act out the scene in front of a live audience. The entire show is recorded and filmed, which allows the actors to be able to take an edited copy of their scenes home with them as souvenirs of an amazing experience.

There are roughly 5 shows per day - each running about 15-20 minutes, with mostly all of the scenes taking place in the Dunder-Mifflin Office. After the show is over, the guests watching the show get a walkthrough of the set, including photo-ops as you walk around and relive the moments you cherish from the show.

The Audition Process
Guests wishing to partake in the show must be 18 years or older to join, and must be willing to sit through an audition process in order to be in the show.

Roles in which guests can sign up to audition for include: Michael Scott, Dwight Schrute, Jim Halpert, Pam Beesly, Angela Martin, Ryan Howard, Daryl Philbin, Andy Bernard, Erin Hannon, Kelly Kapoor, Stanley Hudson, Phylis Vans, Oscar Martinez, Kevin Malone, Creed Bratton, Meredith Palmer, Gabe Lewis, Toby Flenderson, Holly Flax, Various Extras

After the audition process is over, the guests are told which roles they are given. If there is overflow, guests are placed on a waiting list. The selected guests will be given a script to look over the night before (though most fans of the show will be able to recognize and have the lines of their characters memorized before the show even begins)

Some example scenes that are performed include:

The CPR Training Scene


Prison Mike


Among many others than involve mostly the entire cast in the work area, or the conference room production room is wheeled into position for the scene performances inside there. Since the scenes are performed live, there may be various bloopers or ad libs throughout the show - which add to the humor and are in the spirit of the show since The Office tends to have some of the best and funniest outtake reels of any show.


Overall, The Office Live should be an incredibly unique experience that will offer guests an interactive attraction they won't get anywhere else! You'll even get a group photo of you and your Dunder-Mifflin team - and even if you don't smile - Michael will take care of it.

 

[spacemt354]

Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon

Facade

Compared to the Universal Studios Florida counterpart - Race Through New York will have an updated and more regal facade akin to that of Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. The art deco design encompasses you as you reach the area - with the queue beginning in the 30 Rock building, which also acts as a weenie in the park. The sprawling 75 foot tall forced perspective Comcast building, doubles as both an icon of Production Plaza, as well as Universal's headquarters in New York. Production Plaza brings everything full circle to immerse you in not only the stories of NBC sitcom shows among others, but also their Late Night talk shows and Saturday Night Live, which are all located in Rockefeller Center. Similar to the design of Rockefeller Center, there is a skating area in front of 30 Rock, which in the winter, if temperatures drop enough, is converted into an ice skating rink, like the famous rink in Rockefeller Center. During Christmas, similar to its New York counterpart - the Rockefeller Christmas Tree will rise high into the sky in front of the Comcast building, bringing joy and spirit to all. In warm times of the year, it is converted into quick service seating, and a gateway for cast members to access the underground tunnels that encircle the park to allow cast to move freely throughout the park without having to worry about mixing themes.

Queue Description

The attraction is housed inside a replica of 30 Rock. As you walk into the 'no line' queue - which allows guests to walk freely throughout the area until it's their time to ride, the hallways are themed to two floors of NBC Studios. Guests are given an NBC ticket to The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, with a time stamp on it to return for their ride. As guests wait - you can walk around and learn about the 62 year history of The Tonight Show, and look at past hosts such as Johnny Carson, Jay Leno, or Conan O'Brien, old props from the shows, and as you venture into the upper level of the queue - you can see memorabilia of Jimmy Fallon's time as host. A live performance from The Ragtime Gals barbershop quartet onstage, with screens showing Jimmy's monologues, History of Rap and Lip Sync Battle In addition, guests can sit at interactive desks and play Tonight Show inspired video games, send Jimmy notes in New York, as well as have a meet and greet with Hashtag the Panda. Once it is your time to ride - guests travel towards the pre-show in Studio 6B.

Hallway #1

Hallway #2

Interactive Game

Pre-Show Description
The show begins with its intro and music played by The Roots, and Steve Higgins announcing the guests for this episode, which is you -- "and featuring the Legendary Roots Crew". The video cuts to Questlove screaming "Universal Studios!" followed by Higgins introducing Jimmy Fallon. As Jimmy emerges from the curtains, studio applause lights flash, telling the guests in the pre-show to applaude and the show begins with a brief monologue from Jimmy, in addition to showing the guests all the sights they will see on their race through NYC. Roots vocalist Tariq Trotter to rap about the safety precautions of the ride, instead of reciting them because it's claimed "that's boring".

After the applause lights flash again for The Roots, Sara and her stepdad, Gary, make an appearance as the only people in the studio audience, who later leave the studio for the ride's gift shop. After they leave, Fallon ushers guests to step inside Studio 6B to begin the race, as he returns backstage through the curtains he emerged from to board his vehicle, "The Tonight Rider".

Ride-Through Video

 

[themazethinker]

 

[spacemt354]

Kenny Rogers Roasters
\
The chain chicken location makes its way onto Production Plaza as the infamous chicken restaurant made popular on the show, Seinfeld. Similar to most chicken quick service restaurants, the menu serves packages of chicken in family variety packs, individual meals, among other options.

Central Perk

On the hit show, Friends, the 6 friends typically spend their conversation time at a coffee shop called Central Perk. here at Production Plaza, not only will you be able to walk-through a replica of the set, but the set doubles as an actual coffee shop, with a similar layout and design to it. While not a sit down quick service or table service restaurant, similar to a Starbucks, Central Perk specializes in coffee but also has some small pastries and sandwiches for sitting down or to go.

Concourse Square

(changed location from the original map)
Concourse Square will be located 'below ground' on the 'first level' of the theme park - on the same level as the underground tunnel system. The quick service venue will be seasonal, mostly open in the spring and fall months, before being transformed into an ice skating rink in the winter if weather permits. Since in Australia - Christmas occurs in the summer months and the seasons are flipped, for the month of December, the rink resembles an ice-skating rink to go along with the tree in the center of Rockefeller Plaza. Concourse Square features a more traditional menu (compared to Production Plaza's other specialized eateries) with a variety of sandwiches, salads, soups, and burgers to go along with the beautiful ambiance of being in New York City.

Mom and Pop Store
A quaint gift shop (inspired by the Seinfeld store) which sells antique NBC merchandise and artifacts for discounted prices.

Rockefeller
A 30 Rock themed gift shop, with merchandise not only for the exit to Race Through New York but also for various other NBC productions such as Saturday Night Live.

The Big Apple
A New York themed gift shop with a production studio set. Step inside and it is as if you are selecting through wardrobes of various shows, for merchandise clothing, apparel, and more for both men and women.

NBC Production Central
The 'Emporium' of the Production Plaza, which features merchandise from The Today Show, among all NBC events, such as Sunday Night Football, The Thanksgiving Day Parade, and more.
-----------
Production Park

Themed after a city park - this wide open green space beyond Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon - not only hides the show building of that attraction, but is also a transition to the various other lands of the park. The trees, green grass, and plentiful benches provide a relaxing center of the park, and the various pathways allow guests to travel either to the Isla Nublar Monorail to Jurassic World, walk over the Pacific into Hong Kong for an action packed land, or flow into Cartoon Corner, which offers guests a visceral experience inside cartoons they know and love.

 

[spacemt354]

Now off to complete Hong Kong!

 

[Disney Dad 3000]

Sorry to be awol the last few days. Trying to catch up on posts/status.

Nice work on the logos @MonorailRed . Typos be damned. it's why we hate you are so busy these days we don't get to see work like that more often.

I can work on replacing that AML land art with the correct shining facade @spacemt354. With IT staying looks fairly fleshed out. Using both Bates Motel and the Norman house I assume and then will need restaurant/shopping areas sprinkled in?

Looks like you are trying to work on some HK stuff so if you wanna bounce ideas let me know.

Was thinking while this project picked up steam in the last few weeks it would be cool to have a Universal vacation/park announcement commercial of some sort when all is said and done to promote the park as an extra. I can try and be thinking about that as well as this rounds out more.

 

[D Hulk]

Now off to complete Hong Kong!

What a coincidence, I've just completed my own little Hong Kong project ! That part of the trip report is finished!

Really like all the 30 Rock stuff! A good entry land.

 

[spacemt354]

As you enter an abandoned car warehouse in the seedy street corner of Hong Kong, you meander around a garage until you see a black Dodge Charger which turns its lights on. Dom Toretto is seen on a screen to your left and tells you that you have to meet him and his crew as you the guests have been tracked to the warehouse by Owen Shaw and you need to help Dom escape from his wrath. Dom provides you with a new type of vehicle he has been testing - a turbo drift Dodge - which guests can then see in the garage. The turbo drift Dodge has no roof and is capable of going 0-70 in less than 3 seconds. As you listen to Dom lend over the video to Hobbs as he explains the safety procedures, you then enter the load area where you proceed into your vehicles.

The ride mechanism is very similar to one seen in Spider-Man or Transformers, two of Universal's other attractions in their various theme parks - which involves a mix of 3D screens and physical motion to create a more visceral ride experience than simply a 3D screen.


As you enter your vehicles, they travel out of the abandoned warehouse. You then feel a rumbling and a propeller outside the container that you are in - and the music - Speakerbox by Bassnectar, begins. A sense of unease overcomes the vehicle until you see the door in front of you open and a rush of wind flows into the room. You discover you're actually in a plane thousands of feet above the ground...and as the beat drops, your vehicle drifts out of the plane and descends through the clouds.

With the music jamming behind you, a parachute extends out of your vehicle and you float down into a car chase led by Dom in order to capture Owen Shaw. The cars smash into each other and your car weaves in and out of the chase, as you see people flying in between the various vehicles, gun fire raining from every area, and suddenly, Hobbs is driving a massive tank which comes out of nowhere and fires at Owen's car - sending it flying over the edge.

Somehow though, Owen is able to escape into another vehicle, and as you approach a bridge, he is able to take control of another vehicle, forcing the tank to divert into the side rail, flipping it on its side and crashing into your vehicle, sending it spinning around the guard rails.

Dom leaps over the gap in between the highways, and at breakneck speeds, somehow saves his family and lands on your hood.

"Nice save" - he tells you "now let's hit that Turbo Drift"

Suddenly your vehicle launches forward, weaving in and out of traffic before you reach Hong Kong and soar through the streets dodging fire from Owen and his crew as you go into a neon tunnel and careen through the immense traffic.

Once you escape the tunnel, you turn into a construction elevator on the side of a building, which takes off into the skies As you begin to ascend, you can see Owen Shaw and his crew following you up the side of the building with jet propulsion on their cars (hey...it's Fast and Furious...anything happens)

As the jet propulsion on their vehicles rockets them to your level...Dom yells out to hit the turbo drift once again -- boosting you off the elevator on the side of the building and suspending you in mid-air, as everything becomes slow motion. As you're flying through the air in slow motion, a rocket bazooka is launched at the back of your vehicle, but rather than blowing it up, it actually reacts with the turbo drift fuel and propels you further - launching you to safety in the other building.

In the other building you drift to a halt, and you see Owen and his crew attempt to use their jet propulsion to extend themselves over to the other building, but they end up running out of fuel and descend into the ground below. Just when you think you're out of harm's way...your vehicle begins to drift out the window of the other side of the building on a slant. As you fall out the window and begin to descend with gravity, Hobbs flies a propeller plane above you and attaches a hook onto the back of your vehicle rescuing it before you reach the ground. You then travel back to the warehouse but not before the tracking devices are disabled and you are safe to exit. Dom thanks you for your loyalty and tells you that you are now a part of his family.

 

[spacemt354]

A disclaimer -- I know very little about the Fast and Furious franchise (only the little bit I researched and the song which sounded like it fit really well with the high octane attraction.) I also know that these movies started out semi-realistic and are now basically fantasy action superhero movies haha -- so I used that to my advantage in the ride through