So, You Want to be an Imagineer Season 16: Purists vs. Innovators (Official Hub Thread!)

TheOriginalTiki

Well-Known Member
Original Poster

Pi on my Cake

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Going live in about 15 minutes!

So, I can't fully explain the purple wall because I don't understand the appeal myself lol

BUT I can verify that it is a surprisingly a big thing with locals. A lot of pictures taken in front of the plain wall. It is just a plain, purple wall on the side of the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor on the side of the walkway between the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant and Tomorrowland proper.

Here is an instagram of submitted purple wall photos




It is perhaps the single most baffling thing I learned about during my time as a cast member. Why is it not just a thing with locals, but a kinda BIG thing with locals?
 
Last edited:

Pi on my Cake

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
So, I can't fully explain the purple wall because I don't understand the appeal myself lol

BUT I can verify that it is a surprisingly a big thing with locals. A lot of pictures taken in front of the plain wall. It is just a plain, purple wall on the side of the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor on the side of the walkway between the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant and Tomorrowland proper.

Here is an instagram of submitted purple wall photos




It is perhaps the single most baffling thing I learned about during my program. Why is it not just a thing with locals, but a BIG thing with locals?

Here is someone's Purple Wall Picture they took while Disney Bounding as a Purple Wall Picture
1518341751845.png
 

D Hulk

Well-Known Member
Purists
25432427757_dd880a7f3b_z_d.jpg

MYSTERYLAND
“Where the Paranormal is Normal”

The American frontier tells the tale of civilization battling untamed wilderness. To walk along the Rivers of America, you see this story told geographically and chronologically, from bustling New Orleans Square to dusty Frontierland, where westward expansion abuts against the unknown. Let us now continue further west, past the furthest outposts of civilization, into the unexplored mists of Mysteryland…

Welcome to an accursed region many call the Pacific Triangle. The dense, mossy forests of the Pacific Northwest hide a realm where myth and folklore still live – as though all of Fantasy Americana has been driven west by the continued expansion of Man. From the ghosts of Roanoke to Spanish galleons lost in inland seas, America’s secrets dwell in Mysteryland. Here is a haunted hinterland where the laws of physics barely apply. Where bizarre creatures hide just out of sight. Where lost worlds and legendary treasures tempt foolhardy explorers.

Few have entered Mysteryland and returned with their sanity intact. Some remain; others simply disappear. Journals tell of “roaring underground noises, menacing blue orbs, shape-shifting beasts.” Undeterred by these rumors, the Society of Explorers and Adventurers financed by Big Thunder’s gold magnate Barnabas T. Bullion – now leads a scientific expedition into the Pacific Triangle. “Mysteryland” is the pet name given to this region by S.E.A.’s expedition leads, Dr. J.L. Baterista and Ryan Q. Stone. Come with us now as a member of their party as we delve into the eerie, unknown phenomena of Mysteryland.

39406160885_8fd817a35d_z_d.jpg

LAND OVERVIEW

The year is 1901. A rail line leads along Big Thunder Trail, through sandstone caves under the Disneyland Railroad, to the edge of the known world. The tracks abruptly end, smashed underneath boulders, marked by an ominous “END OF THE LINE” sign. Weathered posters along the entry announce S.E.A.’s expedition. “VOLUNTEERS WANTED,” they declare. Who are we to say no?

The hot deserts of Frontierland transition into thick deciduous woods inspired by Olympic National Forest and Mt. Shasta. Already, strange sights abound. Last vestiges of desert rocks grow more alien and spindly. A boulder spins atop a butte, compelled by a strange magnetism. A sea of psychedelic-hued cacti dots the crags. At night, these succulents glow in unearthly bioluminescence, against all reason.

2012629153737_DocPatti2037.jpg

Proceeding into the ever-thicker forest, the scent of pine carries along a howling wind. The only evidence of human influence is S.E.A.’s basecamp itself, set in a clearing along the timberline. There are complexes made of canvas tents. Exploration jalopies bring in supply crates. More “permanent” structures are hastily made from the region’s logs, like a turn-of-the-century logging camp.



It is here in the basecamp where guests find most of Mysteryland’s dining and retail. Overgrown trails beyond the camp’s safety lead to attractions. The land’s music, such as it is, is crackled honkytonk which comes directly from tintype record players. The ambient sounds of Mysteryland – the eerie winds, the cackles of beastly wildlife – threaten to overwhelm this music. Like the faded jazz soundtrack of Adventureland, it is enough to make guests feel removed from civilization.

Psychics and spiritualists call this place a Cosmic Power Spot, a vortex of energies. Trails surrounding the basecamp, though not attractions in their own right, boast an abundance of otherworldly sights, giving this land life. Lake Cosmic, connected to the Rivers of America via caverns, is home to a lake monster seen gliding under its surface. Rivers run uphill away from this lake. Rocks roll around on their own. Trees in the slopes along Forbidden Mountain all lie uprooted in the same direction, toppled as if by some Tunguska Event. Pathways wind directly through enormous hollow logs. At night, the forests are lit by eerie ball lightning and swamp gas. Here in Mysteryland, the strangest stories of the American wilderness come true.

ATTRACTIONS

Reed-Flute-Cave-2.jpg

HOLLOW EARTH EXPEDITIONS
E-ticket water coaster

Ryan Q. Stone, S.E.A.’s expedition co-lead, is a geologist fascinated with Mysteryland’s strange mineral qualities. Hidden throughout the jagged rocks are precious metals like gold, silver and quartz. Whole lost cities have risen and fallen fighting over these minerals. Stone hypothesizes that these riches must share a common source, a mythical Hollow Earth deep beneath the Earth’s crust. Tall tales surround the Hollow Earth, said to be home to Lemurian lizard people, subterranean jungles, and other unreal wonders.

Stone is convinced that a passage to the Hollow Earth lies along the glacial rivers of the Forbidden Mountain. Guests must board flimsy wooden boats and ascend to these waterways along Stone’s makeshift timber lift hill. An eerily quiet voyage through the canyons is soon shattered by an earthquake. A rocky dead-end collapses, and boats plummet deep underground and into the bizarre Hollow Earth!

chris-dien-underground-city-dien.jpg

Riders drift through rainbow caverns inspired by Carlsbad and Mammoth. The subterranean river meanders past increasingly awesome, alien sights – enormous glimmering crystals, forests of oversized ferns patrolled by dinosaur-sized insects, magma cisterns, even the ancient buried ruins of Lemuria where lizard-like humanoids roam. At last the waters boil red with volcanic activity, lifting boats up vertically through a seismic shaft. (Two parallel elevator “lift hills” increase ride throughput.) Boats burst forth violently from the steaming vents atop the Forbidden Mountain and hurtle down a hair-raising Mack Rides water coaster course before a climactic splashdown in Lake Cosmic.

e8d688d8-16a6-11df-be33-001cc4c002e0.image.jpg

FEARSOME CRITTERS SNAPSHOT SAFARIS
D-ticket interactive dark ride

Stone’s colleague, cryptozoologist Dr. J.L. Baterista, specializes in studying Mysteryland’s bizarre fauna. Cryptids – legendary creatures many think cannot exist – drive his research. What Baterista needs is photographic evidence. That’s where we come in. Aboard a rickety convoy of jalopies, we are to venture into a forest of perpetual nighttime and photograph whatever strange creatures we encounter. Queued in Baterista’s workshop, scientific sketches establish these fabled “Fearsome Critters.”

Jack+1+taller+format.png

There is a whimsical, magical tone to this attraction. As an original Disney attraction (based on real folklore), the Fearsome Critters are adorable…and easily merchandisable. They include the Cactus Cat, the Axe-Handle Hound, the famed Jackalope, Snipe, Skunk Ape, Hodag, Hide-Behind, the Hoop Snake and the Fur-Bearing Trout. And many more!

Aboard jalopies equipped with vintage cameras, guests photograph these comical animatronic creations, triggering amusing reactions. Like Monsters Inc. Ride ‘n’ Go-Seek, this is a family-friendly interactive adventure, a shooter-style ride without the violence or the competition. Better still, pictures taken on-ride are stored to guests’ PhotoPasses, which may be printed up as a souvenir journal in the land’s main shop.

GOPR1281-Medium.jpg

LOST MYSTERY TRAILS
C-ticket walkthrough

Guests follow trails along an enchanted river which overflows with golden treasures from a lost city upstream. Along the way, they’ll see assorted mysterious sights. They’ll walk through a grounded Spanish galleon. They’ll pass living, speaking totem poles. Interact with geysers spurting colored water. Glimpse an abandoned Conestoga wagon crushed under redwood roots. All throughout, eyes observe guests from the underbrush, and attentive explorers might even spy a Sasquatch. These and other sights might seem disparate and random, but notes left behind by earlier explorers tie everything together into a single unified conspiracy theory…and hint at greater mysteries.

Around Halloween, the Mysteryland Nights event transforms the Mystery Trails into a scarifying haunted trail, complete with “scareactors” portraying the most horrific sights from American folklore, sights like the Wendigo or “Weird West” ghost riders. It’s a scare maze done Disney-style, mixing the frightful and the festive in the grand (Guignol) tradition of Haunted Mansion.

latest

SQUIRTIN’ SQUONK
B-ticket water playground

The Squonk is the most melancholy of all Fearsome Critters. Embarrassed by its own ugliness, the Squonk never stops weeping. Alongside his Snapshot Safari (and very near to Critter Country, natch), Dr. Baterista has a live Squonk on display for all to see. The poor hippo-like beast cries endlessly, transforming this simple display into an interactive water playground ideal for our youngest guests.

rusticfirst.jpg

STREETMOSPHERE & WALKAROUND CHARACTERS

The S.E.A. basecamp overflows with life. To entertain researchers and maintain their sanity, vaudeville-style medicine shows take place regularly on a stage alongside Dr. Fiendish’s Snake Oil Wagon (see Retail). These shows abound with musical escapades, including live jug bands and singing.

Dr. Baterista oversees the land’s walkaround characters – a costumed cast of American monsters who caper and jest with guests. Beasts like Jersey Devil, Moth Man and the Chupacabra appear for photo ops, all of them “original” creations in the charming Disney-style much like Figment or Mystic Manor’s Albert.

kbf-mysterylodge-banner.jpg

At night, grizzled explorers gather around the basecamp’s campfire circle. They tell tall tales of their Mysteryland misadventures. From the campfire, they might conjure forth forgotten American spirits realized with projection mapping. Fleshing out the land’s backstory, many distinct characters are here among the “Citizens,” from an insane old mountain hermit to a telekinetic psychic to a mystic palm reader.

DINING

7450a485855897b78909783417c0ce4a--flight-club-abandoned-amusement-parks.jpg

EXPLORERS CLUB
Table service restaurant

Mysteryland’s citizens also regularly frequent Explorers Club, a fine-dining lounge which teems with theatrics and theming. Created by Ryan Stone, Explorers Club is an attempt to recreate in the wilderness the jaunty fineries of distant Discovery Bay – seen in photographs throughout the establishment. Everywhere on display are artifacts from S.E.A.’s worldwide adventures, like ancient statues and masks and tapestries.

Truthfully, Explorers Club is an homage to Disney’s long-lost Adventurers Club, with the same cheeky interactions between guests and cast members. Set within a theme park (and minus Pleasure Island’s disruptive drunkenness), this revitalized concept should flourish. A fine steakhouse-style menu completes the picture. Reservations are highly recommended for this one-of-a-kind dining experience.

lumberjacks-having-dinner-1800s-5883991.jpg

SASQUATCH CANTEEN
Counter service restaurant

Time-pressed guests are better off feasting in the basecamp’s Sasquatch Canteen mess hall. Here, S.E.A. combats Mysteryland’s eeriness with flippant jokiness, very much a woodsy version of the tropical Skippers Canteen. For décor, the Canteen features woodcarvings of the local myths created by researchers, mixed in with Northwestern native artifacts. The menu is much like you’d expect from a period lumberjack camp, with flapjacks served for breakfast and hearty comfort food the rest of the day – most notably, our signature chicken ‘n’ waffles! Explore a taste of the unknown in the Geology Room, the Cryptid Room, or in the main Uncanny Galley.

ghs_lumberjackparty_8.jpg

FLAPJACK SNACK SHACK
Quick service cart

For explorers on-the-go, grab a beastly bite alongside the Canteen at the Flapjack Snack Shack. Barbecued treats are seen cooked in a griddle atop a geyser vent, or rotisseried within a repurposed old locomotive engine. Nearby seating overlooks Lake Cosmic and the Hollow Earth splashdowns.

RETAIL

MuseumoftheWeird.jpg

WAREHOUSE OF THE WEIRD
Land emporium and post-ride shop

Located equidistant between the land’s two rides, Warehouse of the Weird serves as a temporary storage station for Mysteryland’s many cursed artifacts. With time it has become a popular tourist trap much in the vein of Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Madame Tussaud’s…or indeed, Rolly Crump’s fabled Museum of the Weird. Amongst land-appropriate merchandise (including Fearsome Critter plushes and toys) guests will find “living” furniture, haunted mirrors, dowsing rods, volcano bats, the Fiji Mermaid, and other oddities.

ceb63b7005da2b1ea73dcdbadb71eaad--johnny-seed-a-snake.jpg

PROF. FIENDISH’S SNAKE OIL WAGON
Merchandise cart

Even in Mysteryland, you can never escape Old West hucksters. Here the self-appointed Professor Fiendish sells his elixirs, panaceas, and other quackeries (plus theme park souvenirs). Medicine shows are a common sight, as described under “Streetmosphere,” as Professor Fiendish touts his wares and entertains the explorers.

***
Mysteryland explores the strange American myths, folktales and mysteries which are always there, just under the surface. Here, pseudoscience and occultism are taken seriously. This is a classic form of Fantasy Americana, one which balances the disparate elements of nearby Fantasyland, Frontierland and Critter Country. Mysteryland follows in the grand Disney tradition of original characters, animatronic-heavy rides, and a unique setting. And while Mysteryland is technically a separate land, it – like the proposed Discovery Bay before it – is in many regards an extension of nearby Frontierland, expanding on its themes of wilderness and exploration for a new generation of guests!

Enter into the unknown!
 
Last edited:

Suchomimus

Well-Known Member
Purists
W O R K I N P R O G R E S S

MYSTERYLAND
“Where the Paranormal is Normal”

The American frontier tells the tale of civilization battling untamed wilderness. To walk along the Rivers of America, you see this story told geographically and chronologically, from bustling New Orleans Square to dusty Frontierland, where westward expansion abuts against the unknown. Let us now continue further west, past the furthest outposts of civilization, into the unexplored mists of Mysteryland…

Welcome to an accursed region many call the Pacific Triangle. The dense, mossy forests of the Pacific Northwest hide a realm where myth and folklore still live – as though all of Fantasy Americana has been driven west by the continued expansion of Man. From the ghosts of Roanoke to Spanish galleons lost in inland seas, America’s secrets dwell in Mysteryland. Here is a haunted hinterland where the laws of physics barely apply. Where bizarre creatures hide just out of sight. Where lost worlds and legendary treasures tempt foolhardy explorers.

Few have entered Mysteryland and returned with their sanity intact. Some remain; others simply disappear. Journals tell of “roaring underground noises, menacing blue orbs, shape-shifting beasts.” Undeterred by these rumors, the Society of Explorers and Adventurers financed by Big Thunder’s gold magnate Barnabas T. Bullion – now leads a scientific expedition into the Pacific Triangle. “Mysteryland” is the pet name given to this region by S.E.A.’s expedition leads, Dr. J.L. Baterista and Ryan Q. Stone. Come with us now as a member of their party as we delve into the eerie, unknown phenomena of Mysteryland.

LAND OVERVIEW

The year is 1901. A rail line leads along Big Thunder Trail, through sandstone caves under the Disneyland Railroad, to the edge of the known world. The tracks abruptly end, smashed underneath boulders, marked by an ominous “END OF THE LINE” sign. Weathered posters along the entry announce S.E.A.’s expedition. “VOLUNTEERS WANTED,” they declare. Who are we to say no?

The hot deserts of Frontierland transition into thick deciduous woods inspired by Olympic National Forest and Mt. Shasta. Already, strange sights abound. Last vestiges of desert rocks grow more alien and spindly. A boulder spins atop a butte, compelled by a strange magnetism. A sea of psychedelic-hued cacti dots the crags. At night, these succulents glow in unearthly bioluminescence, against all reason.

2012629153737_DocPatti2037.jpg

Proceeding into the ever-thicker forest, the scent of pine carries along a howling wind. The only evidence of human influence is S.E.A.’s basecamp itself, set in a clearing along the timberline. There are complexes made of canvas tents. Exploration jalopies bring in supply crates. More “permanent” structures are hastily made from the region’s logs, like a turn-of-the-century logging camp.



It is here in the basecamp where guests find most of Mysteryland’s dining and retail. Overgrown trails beyond the camp’s safety lead to attractions. The land’s music, such as it is, is crackled honkytonk which comes directly from tintype record players. The ambient sounds of Mysteryland – the eerie winds, the cackles of beastly wildlife – threaten to overwhelm this music. Like the faded jazz soundtrack of Adventureland, it is enough to make guests feel removed from civilization.

Psychics and spiritualists call this place a Cosmic Power Spot, a vortex of energies. Trails surrounding the basecamp, though not attractions in their own right, boast an abundance of otherworldly sights, giving this land life. Lake Cosmic, connected to the Rivers of America via caverns, is home to a lake monster seen gliding under its surface. Rivers run uphill away from this lake. Rocks roll around on their own. Trees in the slopes along Forbidden Mountain all lie uprooted in the same direction, toppled as if by some Tunguska Event. Pathways wind directly through enormous hollow logs. At night, the forests are lit by eerie ball lightning and swamp gas. Here in Mysteryland, the strangest stories of the American wilderness come true.

ATTRACTIONS

Reed-Flute-Cave-2.jpg

HOLLOW EARTH EXPEDITIONS
E-ticket water coaster

Ryan Q. Stone, S.E.A.’s expedition co-lead, is a geologist fascinated with Mysteryland’s strange mineral qualities. Hidden throughout the jagged rocks are precious metals like gold, silver and quartz. Whole lost cities have risen and fallen fighting over these minerals. Stone hypothesizes that these riches must share a common source, a mythical Hollow Earth deep beneath the Earth’s crust. Tall tales surround the Hollow Earth, said to be home to Lemurian lizard people, subterranean jungles, and other unreal wonders.

Stone is convinced that a passage to the Hollow Earth lies along the glacial rivers of the Forbidden Mountain. Guests must board flimsy wooden boats and ascend to these waterways along Stone’s makeshift timber lift hill. An eerily quiet voyage through the canyons is soon shattered by an earthquake. A rocky dead-end collapses, and boats plummet deep underground and into the bizarre Hollow Earth!

chris-dien-underground-city-dien.jpg

Riders drift through rainbow caverns inspired by Carlsbad and Mammoth. The subterranean river meanders past increasingly awesome, alien sights – enormous glimmering crystals, forests of oversized ferns patrolled by dinosaur-sized insects, magma cisterns, even the ancient buried ruins of Lemuria where lizard-like humanoids roam. At last the waters boil red with volcanic activity, lifting boats up vertically through a seismic shaft. (Two parallel elevator “lift hills” increase ride throughput.) Boats burst forth violently from the steaming vents atop the Forbidden Mountain and hurtle down a hair-raising Mack Rides water coaster course before a climactic splashdown in Lake Cosmic.

e8d688d8-16a6-11df-be33-001cc4c002e0.image.jpg

FEARSOME CRITTERS SNAPSHOT SAFARIS
D-ticket interactive dark ride

Stone’s colleague, cryptozoologist Dr. J.L. Baterista, specializes in studying Mysteryland’s bizarre fauna. Cryptids – legendary creatures many think cannot exist – drive his research. What Baterista needs is photographic evidence. That’s where we come in. Aboard a rickety convoy of jalopies, we are to venture into a forest of perpetual nighttime and photograph whatever strange creatures we encounter. Queued in Baterista’s workshop, scientific sketches establish these fabled “Fearsome Critters.”

Jack+1+taller+format.png

There is a whimsical, magical tone to this attraction. As an original Disney attraction (based on real folklore), the Fearsome Critters are adorable…and easily merchandisable. They include the Cactus Cat, the Axe-Handle Hound, the famed Jackalope, Snipe, Skunk Ape, Hodag, Hide-Behind, the Hoop Snake and the Fur-Bearing Trout. And many more!

Aboard jalopies equipped with vintage cameras, guests photograph these comical animatronic creations, triggering amusing reactions. Like Monsters Inc. Ride ‘n’ Go-Seek, this is a family-friendly interactive adventure, a shooter-style ride without the violence or the competition. Better still, pictures taken on-ride are stored to guests’ PhotoPasses, which may be printed up as a souvenir journal in the land’s main shop.

GOPR1281-Medium.jpg

LOST MYSTERY TRAILS
C-ticket walkthrough

Guests follow trails along an enchanted river which overflows with golden treasures from a lost city upstream. Along the way, they’ll see assorted mysterious sights. They’ll walk through a grounded Spanish galleon. They’ll pass living, speaking totem poles. Interact with geysers spurting colored water. Glimpse an abandoned Conestoga wagon crushed under redwood roots. All throughout, eyes observe guests from the underbrush, and attentive explorers might even spy a Sasquatch. These and other sights might seem disparate and random, but notes left behind by earlier explorers tie everything together into a single unified conspiracy theory…and hint at greater mysteries.

Around Halloween, the Mysteryland Nights event transforms the Mystery Trails into a scarifying haunted trail, complete with “scareactors” portraying the most horrific sights from American folklore, sights like the Wendigo or “Weird West” ghost riders. It’s a scare maze done Disney-style, mixing the frightful and the festive in the grand (Guignol) tradition of Haunted Mansion.

latest

SQUIRTIN’ SQUONK
B-ticket water playground

The Squonk is the most melancholy of all Fearsome Critters. Embarrassed by its own ugliness, the Squonk never stops weeping. Alongside his Snapshot Safari (and very near to Critter Country, natch), Dr. Baterista has a live Squonk on display for all to see. The poor hippo-like beast cries endlessly, transforming this simple display into an interactive water playground ideal for our youngest guests.

rusticfirst.jpg

STREETMOSPHERE & WALKAROUND CHARACTERS

The S.E.A. basecamp overflows with life. To entertain researchers and maintain their sanity, vaudeville-style medicine shows take place regularly on a stage alongside Dr. Fiendish’s Snake Oil Wagon (see Retail). These shows abound with musical escapades, including live jug bands and singing.

Dr. Baterista oversees the land’s walkaround characters – a costumed cast of American monsters who caper and jest with guests. Beasts like Jersey Devil, Moth Man and the Chupacabra appear for photo ops, all of them “original” creations in the charming Disney-style much like Figment or Mystic Manor’s Albert.

kbf-mysterylodge-banner.jpg

At night, grizzled explorers gather around the basecamp’s campfire circle. They tell tall tales of their Mysteryland misadventures. From the campfire, they might conjure forth forgotten American spirits realized with projection mapping. Fleshing out the land’s backstory, many distinct characters are here among the “Citizens,” from an insane old mountain hermit to a telekinetic psychic to a mystic palm reader.

DINING

7450a485855897b78909783417c0ce4a--flight-club-abandoned-amusement-parks.jpg

EXPLORERS CLUB
Table service restaurant

Mysteryland’s citizens also regularly frequent Explorers Club, a fine-dining lounge which teems with theatrics and theming. Created by Ryan Stone, Explorers Club is an attempt to recreate in the wilderness the jaunty fineries of distant Discovery Bay – seen in photographs throughout the establishment. Everywhere on display are artifacts from S.E.A.’s worldwide adventures, like ancient statues and masks and tapestries.

Truthfully, Explorers Club is an homage to Disney’s long-lost Adventurers Club, with the same cheeky interactions between guests and cast members. Set within a theme park (and minus Pleasure Island’s disruptive drunkenness), this revitalized concept should flourish. A fine steakhouse-style menu completes the picture. Reservations are highly recommended for this one-of-a-kind dining experience.

lumberjacks-having-dinner-1800s-5883991.jpg

SASQUATCH CANTEEN
Counter service restaurant

Time-pressed guests are better off feasting in the basecamp’s Sasquatch Canteen mess hall. Here, S.E.A. combats Mysteryland’s eeriness with flippant jokiness, very much a woodsy version of the tropical Skippers Canteen. For décor, the Canteen features woodcarvings of the local myths created by researchers, mixed in with Northwestern native artifacts. The menu is much like you’d expect from a period lumberjack camp, with flapjacks served for breakfast and hearty comfort food the rest of the day – most notably, our signature chicken ‘n’ waffles! Explore a taste of the unknown in the Geology Room, the Cryptid Room, or in the main Uncanny Galley.

ghs_lumberjackparty_8.jpg

FLAPJACK SNACK SHACK
Quick service cart

For explorers on-the-go, grab a beastly bite alongside the Canteen at the Flapjack Snack Shack. Barbecued treats are seen cooked in a griddle atop a geyser vent, or rotisseried within a repurposed old locomotive engine. Nearby seating overlooks Lake Cosmic and the Hollow Earth splashdowns.

RETAIL

MuseumoftheWeird.jpg

WAREHOUSE OF THE WEIRD
Land emporium and post-ride shop

Located equidistant between the land’s two rides, Warehouse of the Weird serves as a temporary storage station for Mysteryland’s many cursed artifacts. With time it has become a popular tourist trap much in the vein of Ripley’s Believe It or Not, Madame Tussaud’s…or indeed, Rolly Crump’s fabled Museum of the Weird. Amongst land-appropriate merchandise (including Fearsome Critter plushes and toys) guests will find “living” furniture, haunted mirrors, dowsing rods, volcano bats, the Fiji Mermaid, and other oddities.

ceb63b7005da2b1ea73dcdbadb71eaad--johnny-seed-a-snake.jpg

PROF. FIENDISH’S SNAKE OIL WAGON
Merchandise cart

Even in Mysteryland, you can never escape Old West hucksters. Here the self-appointed Professor Fiendish sells his elixirs, panaceas, and other quackeries (plus theme park souvenirs). Medicine shows are a common sight, as described under “Streetmosphere,” as Professor Fiendish touts his wares and entertains the explorers.

***
Mysteryland explores the strange American myths, folktales and mysteries which are always there, just under the surface. Here, pseudoscience and occultism are taken seriously. This is a classic form of Fantasy Americana, one which balances the disparate elements of nearby Fantasyland, Frontierland and Critter Country. Mysteryland follows in the grand Disney tradition of original characters, animatronic-heavy rides, and a unique setting. And while Mysteryland is technically a separate land, it – like the proposed Discovery Bay before it – is in many regards an extension of nearby Frontierland, expanding on its themes of wilderness and exploration for a new generation of guests!

Enter into the unknown!

I didn’t remember until know that you have an interest for folklore. It was really great that you took lesser known cryptids like the Hidebehind and Squonk, and put them under the spotlight*.
*Do not put actual cryptids under spotlights. The intense light may spook, agitate, irritate, or blind some of our more nocturnal, skidding and aggressive critters.
 

TheOriginalTiki

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Be sure to get the projects in by tonight. Really looking forward to what comes out of this prompt! Based on the actual number of people submitting this round, it's possible I might scale back the Elite Eight into the Sensational Six...simply because I don't want to run into a situation where someone who isn't actively engaged in the game right now gets into the Elite Eight and takes up a spot. I'll give you guys confirmation on that one way or another during tomorrow's podcast.
 

AceAstro

Well-Known Member
Be sure to get the projects in by tonight. Really looking forward to what comes out of this prompt! Based on the actual number of people submitting this round, it's possible I might scale back the Elite Eight into the Sensational Six...simply because I don't want to run into a situation where someone who isn't actively engaged in the game right now gets into the Elite Eight and takes up a spot. I'll give you guys confirmation on that one way or another during tomorrow's podcast.
Thank you for the reminder! Definitely thought this was due tomorrow. Guess I better get working on this!!
 

Pi on my Cake

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
Pionmycake presents an Innovators Proposal:

-Woody’s Wild West Rescue!-

1518820918940.png


An all new top spin/simulator hybrid starring Woody and the Roundup Gang will be coming to Frontierland in Walt Disney World! This never-before used in a Disney park ride system will take themed thrill rides to the next level while still being gentle enough for younger guests. Not only will this attraction be pioneering technology new to Disney parks and resorts, but it will also be stage one in perhaps the largest expansion of the Magic Kingdom in the park’s history.

-Location-

1518820999988.png


This ride will be placed past Walt Disney World's Thunder Mountain in a new expansion to the park. A new path will be built along the side of Thunder Mountain known as Thunder Trail. Additional themeing elements will be added as well as meet and greets with Woody and the Roundup Gang to help make Thunder Trail not feel empty (as there wouldn’t really be enough space for a full attraction here).

Guests then will cross a bridge into Jackelope Junction. A small ghost town subsection of Frontierland. Despite the heavy presence of Woody, the area is built like a more realistic ghost town addition to Frontierland. This is not a cowboy Toon Town. It’s a cowboy town with Woody and friends in it.

There will be a new quick service restaurant called the Jackelope Saloon. It will distinguish itself from the diamond Horseshoe Saloon by being a more rustic, Wild West aesthetic. This small restaurant will be little more than a food stand. Roughly the size of Gaston’s tavern. It will be the only place to get the new park exclusive drink: The Snake in my Boot. A sour grape based drink served in either a Woody themed cowboy boot cup or a Jackelope Junction themed beer mug. The drink itself is non-alcoholic of course. You can also order bowls of the fictional Cowboy Crunchies cereal to eat here. Woody’s favorite cereal!

A staged, outdoor gunfight between a sheriff and a bandit will happen as a streetmosphere show throughout the day. There will also be a store (which doubles as the exit to the ride) known as The Roundup Shop: Sponsored by Cowboy Crunchies. The outside of the store looks like a simple Wild West mercantile. More on the inside of the store later.

The highlight of Jackelope Junction is the new E-ticket attraction: Woody’s Wild West Rescue!

-Façade-

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The entrance to the attraction is themed as a barn (like the one seen in the theme to Woody’s Roundup). Of course, the barn is given a more realistic look to fit in with Jackelope Junction. Guests can see rockwork behind the barn. The rock work is very orange and colorful to fit in with the nearby Thunder mountain. This hides the actual show building (and the train tracks). Observant guests might notice that part of the queue winds its way up and over to cross a bridge disguised as rock work over the train tracks to enter the show building, but most guests will be fooled into thinking the whole attraction magically fits in this barn.

-Queue-

As mentioned, guests start their journey by entering into the barn. This first part of the queue is themed as, you guessed it, a barn. Hay bales, farming equipment, horseshoes hanging on the wall. This looks like a barn that might actually have been seen on the frontier. At the end of this section is a staircase. A sign near the staircase reads “Woody’s Roundup Museum on 2nd Floor.” Along the walls of the stairwell are paintings of Woody, Jessie, Bullseye, and Stinky Pete. These serve as a reminder to those less familiar with Toy Story 2 of who the members of the roundup gang are.

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Upstairs is a room full of “genuine” merchandise and memorabilia from Woody’s Roundup. Even some “sets” and “puppets” from the show. Staged to look almost like a roadside attraction museum someone set up in their barn, this section of the queue will be a delight to fans of Toy Story and make people start to question whether Woody’s old TV show was actually real or not. Part of this museum is a bridge over the train tracks connecting to the main show building. Guests then exit the museum into a “cave” which has a sloping path down into the waiting area to be let into the ride itself.

-Ride System-

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As mentioned earlier, the basis for the ride system is a modified version of the Top Spin carnival ride. The main arms can swing full 360 around and the cabin can be spun independently. Real life versions tend to go for more extreme rides with inversions. The Woody ride, while technically capable of being more extreme with inversions, will not use that. It will be toned down (removing inversions and not building to its top speed capabilities) to be more family friendly, but not too toned down to no longer be fun. Even with being toned down, this will stand out as one of the (of not the) biggest thrills in Magic kingdom.

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Woody’s West Rescue will also use a larger version. It will feature a higher capacity and longer arms allowing for bigger motions. This will be a very similar model to the one once used for Tomb Raider the ride in King’s dominion. Tomb Raider was the first real attempt to combine a Top Spin with dark ride elements and was well received (for a non-Disney park). It would be there still today if it wasn’t treated so poorly with retheming and updating when Paramount (and with it tomb Raider) left the park.

Interested parties who want a bit more background on the Top Spin ride system and tomb Raider the Ride should watch the attached video by Defunctland.



Woody’s Wild West Rescue will further change up how the ride system is used with the implementation of a simulator element.

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In the front of the room will be a large, domed projection screen. The Top Spin will be able to swing guests so that they are practically going inside the screen. Also, there will be two theaters to increase capacity. Space will be saved for a third if demand is high enough, but there are enough other attractions in Magic Kingdom that this should not be needed (unlike the third track/theater in Toy Story Mania and Soarin’ as those parks both have a much smaller number of attractions).

Think Soarin’, meets Star Tours, meets a carnival ride and you have a basic understanding of exactly how this will operate.

-Ride Experience-

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When it is their turn, guests are ushered into the ride room to board the vehicle (which holds 75 people at once) as the previous group is leaving. The high capacity of the vehicle should make up for potentially longer load/unload times. The theater itself is themed to feel as if you are in a cave. The screen is covered up. To guests, it will look like a large boarded up portion of the cave. In actuality, it is a thin, textured wall that acts as a curtain. The mechanical arms of the ride system are textured and decorated to look like they are made of stone themselves. The ride vehicle is made to look like an exceptionally very wide stage coach.

After they are loaded in a voice can be heard. It is a cheesy over the top narrator in the style of Jay Ward cartoons like Dudley Do Right.

On today’s episode of Woody’s Roundup, the dastardly Dusty Dan has captured the unsuspecting tourists in a cave as bait to try to trap the dashing hero of our tale, Woody, the rootinest tootinest cowboy in the wild wild west. Please keep your hands and arms inside the nefarious death trap at all times.

Luckily, the Roundup Gang has arrived to try to save the tourists, who are reminded to avoid using flash photography. But will they be able to escape the cruel clutches of Dusty Dan?

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The ride vehicle then begins to slowly lurch up/forward. It is an almost jerky movement as if being pulled by ropes. Woody and the Round up gang can be heard on the other side of the wooden “wall” but cannot be seen yet.

Woody: Jessie, you got the other lasso on them, right?

Jessie: Darn Tooting!

Woody: Bullseye, are you ready for a quick exit?

Bullseye: *Whinnies in agreement*

Woody: Stinky Pete, you have the stick of dynamite to blow open the cave, right?

Stinky Pete: A stick? I thought you said a barrel.

Woody: A Barrel!?!?!?

A big blast of sound and flash of light happens! The ride vehicle (which had worked its way to almost touching the wooden “wall”) is blasted back to the complete other side of the cave. The cabin is angled in a way that guests cannot see the “wall” as it is slid out of the way.

Woody: Jessie, grab the rope!

The vehicle stops fling backwards, guests are treated to a bit of hang time here before being pulled back towards the screen.

Woody: Ride like the wind Bullseye!!!

The vehicle swings rapidly towards the screen which shows Woody and co. riding Bullseye. Woody and Jessie are both holding ropes that go off opposite sides of the screen. This makes it look like the ropes are connected to the ride vehicle explaining how you are being pulled along by the heroes. The ride vehicle settles at roughly the middle of its rotation as far into the dome of the screen as possible. The cabin itself can shake as well as the arm bounce to simulate movement as the “wagon” we are in is dragged by Bullseye. Exciting sequences including Dusty Dan trying to throw dynamite or drop rocks on guests/Woody fill the scene with adventure.

At times, things that happen on screen cause the cabin to tilt or swing around the theater. 4-D effects like water/air spurts will help further immerse guests.

Anytime the cabin is swinging around the theater and therefore is not inside the domed screen, the characters in the film are either in another cave or underneath an archway of stone. Some lighting effect and willing suspicion of disbelief will transform the theater into whatever rocky areas guests are supposed to be swinging around according to the film.

Visually speaking, the film is the vibrant, colorful style seen in the opening to Toy Story 3. More stylistic touches are added to the animation to help make the canyon/desert come to life.

After roughly three minutes of thrilling swings/spins mixed with fun (but comparatively more relaxed so guests are given a chance to catch their breath) simulator segments, we reach the climax of our adventure!

Dusty Dan is chasing guests and catching up! There’s only one hope! We have to jump Cactus Gorge! Bullseye leaps into the air over the impossibly long gorge! The ride arm swings us up to about the peak height we can go and still be in the dome of the screen! Will we make it?

Suddenly the screen begins to transform into a black &white style. Woody and the Roundup gang transform into old school puppets. The scene is transformed into the Woody’s Roundup visual style. The voice from the start of the ride pops on again as text highlighting what he says appears on screen and the ride vehicle begins to return to its starting position.

Will our heroes survive their jump across Cactus Gorge?

Will Dusty Dan continue to cause chaos?

Will the tourists buy enough merchandise to justify this ride’s existence to Disney executives?

Find out next week on Woody’s Roundup!

The wooden “wall” then slides back into place as the restraints are opened. Guests can exit the theater as the next group comes in.

-Exit Gift Shop-

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The exit involves a similar sloped path to a bridge across the train tracks as the entrance did. Instead of a museum, the exit features murals of Woody and the Roundup gang enjoying delicious bowls of Cowboy Crunchies and using other cheesy fake sponsor products. This exits into the Roundup Shop: Sponsored by Cowboy Crunchies.

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Guests can purchase all kinds of merchandise themed to the attraction and Woody’s Roundup (Including a couple recreations of toys and memorabilia seen in toy Story 2/the queue line). Merchandise from the Toy Story franchise as a whole can be purchased here, but the focus is very heavily on Woody based merchandise. General Toy Story stuff can be bought in Toy Story Land. General Jackelope Junction/Frontierland merchandise can be bought here as well.

More fake ads featuring the Roundup gang with various sponsors decorate the shop. The Cowboy Crunchies ad is, of course, the biggest. Boxes of the cereal can actually be purchased to take home with you as well as special bowls and spoons!

-Changes to Walt Disney World Related to this Attraction-

First off, let’s address the elephant in the room. Toy Story already has a presence in Disney World between Toy Story Land and the Buzz Lightyear ride. Some changes will be coming either in the lead up to this ride opening or not long after this ride opens.

First off, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin will be closed. It will be getting a relatively cheap and simple retheme that will reuse the same ride system. Rumors persist of either Stitch (reusing the animatronics from Great Escape) or more Tron. In actuality, the replacement will be Hero’s Duty. Inspired by the sci-fi action game from Wreck-it-Ralph. Animatronic Sargent Calhoun will replace the animatronic Buzz. The aliens in the ride will get a more insect like makeover. This is seen by many Disney fans to be both a poor use of Wreck-it-Ralph and of the space, but it is a crowd pleaser that is tied to the release of Wreck-it-Ralph 2. Plus, the cheap retheme saves money for the large expansions coming to the Magic Kingdom.

Second off, Toy Story Mania will be altered. Woody and Jessie will still be featured, but their section will be reduced while Buzz Lightyear’s will be expanded to be the climax of that ride. This will be simple as all it will take is a redo of the animation. This will help avoid overuse of Woody and the Roundup Gang in the parks and soften the blow of losing the Buzz ride for Star Command fans.

“Why use Toy Story at all?”

Good Question! Two reasons.

One: Toy Story is seen as a safe bet as far as IPs go. It is very malleable and can be fit in a lot of themes. For this first of its kind attraction, a safe bet attraction was desired to help guarantee a return on investment if the attraction itself is difficult to sell to the general public considering its unique nature.

Two: Toy Story has a presence in the parks already. So, there won’t be huge disappointments if technical issues with the innovative ride system cause the ride to close frequently. Ride is closed and there is a crying child? Well they can still go ride toy Story Mania to see Woody and the gang! Or meet them along Thunder Trail! No worries! You couldn’t do that if this was an anchor attraction for a new land or the first ride for a new property like Dr. Strange or Coco.

“What about that Magic Kingdom expansion you off-handedly mentioned earlier?”

Another good question! You get 10/10 for question asking. That is my review of you!

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The Magic Kingdom is going to start to expand to encircle the Rivers of America.

Phase One will be an extension of Liberty Square with the Haunted Gardens walk through (similar to the Gardens of Wonder in Hong Kong Disneyland) and a currently unknown flat ride (Rumors point to a clone of Luigi’s Rollicking roadsters themed to a ghostly dance at a garden party). Also part of phase one will be the extension of Frontierland with Jackelope Junction and Woody’s Wild West Rescue! Work to reshape and shorten the unpopular Tom Sawyer Island as well as expanding out the loop of the train and alterations to backstage areas will all take place during phase one to accommodate the expansion.

Phase Two will involve a whole new land that will connect Tumbleweed Junction to Liberty Square around the back of Tom Sawyer Island. Details are scarce right now. Some rumors point to a new Toon town. Perhaps a Wakanda themed land utilizing a loophole in the Marvel theme park contract. Land of the Dead themed to Coco/Mexican culture is being looked at since the hispanic themes can blend well with Fronteirland and the death themes can blend well with Haunted Mansion allowing for smooth transitions.

Honestly, at this point even Disney doesn’t have a fully solid idea of what will go there. A lot of things have been proposed and are waiting for the execs to green light one. One thing that is known, part of this new land will have to be completely indoors due to the proximity to the fireworks launch site.

Phase Three will involve either expansions to the new land and Fantasyland to connect the two of them or another completely new land connecting the two. What this new land (or land extensions) will be as well as exactly what will have to be changed with the current Fantasyland to accommodate the expansion will be decided later.

Assuming the popularity and success of the ride system, clones of the Woody ride and/or new Top Spin Simulators will be added to parks all around the resort.​
 
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Disney Dad 3000

Well-Known Member
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Hudson Creek, one of the last great frontier, and forgotten towns of the 19th century built at the far western reaches of Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom. Unlike its neighbor Tumbleweed, 3 days hard ride to the east, Hudson Creek managed to avoid some of the pitfalls that befell many other western towns of the day. Sure there were bandits and coyotes and all sort of other miscreants about, but the town had become fairly reputable, well as reputable as could be expected anyway.

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Built along the creek of the same name, guests into town are welcomed by the typical signage of the day indicating your arrival in town.​
Unless you got an early appointment with the Sheriff (Fastpass), you'll need to take some time and check out the sights. Before entering Hudson Creek, there will be a small series of outdoor switchbacks intertwined among some trees, the town water pump and the rudimentary makings of the town cemetery.

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Your first stop in town will be the livery stables. Nice, right? Any frontiersman worth their weight has got a stead, so you can drop yours off here. As far as stables go, it's not too bad. You've likely smelled worse. Before you venture into town, this is where you'll enter the first of 2 showrooms where you'll meet a grizzled old prospector, Arnie (animatronic), the unofficial town greeter.

"Well hello folks and welcome to Hudson Creek. What brings you to our fine town?"

"Eh, not much of a talker are ye? No matter, we don't get many new faces on this part of the frontier. I seen the direction you coming from. You weren't poking around Tumbleweed or the falls were ya?"

"Strange business over at them places. People sayin they seen ghosts and talking animals in them parts, so if yer smart, you'll steer clear. Weird stuff I tell ya."

"oooohhhh. Dang nabbit that hurts. Sorry folks, my dern rheumatiz actin up on me again."

"No mind, well you can show yerself around. There's a right many fine establishments in town if yer game. Make sure you stop in to see the Sheriff though before you git too fer along. He likes to officially welcome any strangers to town."

"Well don't let me keep ya. I know you didn't come here to hear some old man ramble old. Mosey on!"

With that entertaining welcome to Hudson Creek, you'll make your way out of the stable and onto the covered porch that rings the structures on either side of the main road. {One side of town will be façade only for decoration purposes and will house the exit path, backstage, etc. while the other side will be interior queue for the attraction. Note that from the entry and town sign, the main road and structures appear to curve around a bend and continue on, when in reality, this is just done for setting purposes and the street actually ends shortly after where the large show building for the ride is situated.}

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You'll be wantin to get a few supplies while in town, so your next stop will be the General Store. At this point guests will leave the covered porch and make their way inside. If you can't find it here, you won't find it anywhere in Hudson Creek. Taters, tools, lady things, you name it, it's got it.

What's that noise I hear? Oh yes, they must be cranking up next door at the saloon. Lets go take a gander. Moving on from a side door in the store, you'll enter the No Name Saloon. Card playin, fightin, dancin and no shortage of characters in this place. That strange lookin fella in the corner sure is keepin a watchful eye on your group. Best be movin on to see the Sheriff.

Sheriff's Office Showroom
Guest file their way into the town jail, greeted by one of the deputies (castmember) outside. After making their way inside they are greeted by the large boom of the door slamming behind them. Taking in their surroundings, the 2 dank cells at the back of the room, one home to Willie the town drunk, wanted posters lining the walls, the old stove with 3 day old coffee warmed just to the Sheriff's liking and the mammoth old wood desk with the black leather chair; its back to the room.

The chair slowly turns, creaking ever so slightly and everyone gets their first look at the mountain of a man, Sheriff Jim Potter (full blown animatronic like the Shaman from NRJ).

"Who in tarnation are you?" he booms.

Suddenly the lifeless form in the corner (castmember) comes to life, well partially anyway. "these are those volunteers you wanted Sheriff" mumbles the half asleep deputy.

"These are the volunteers!" the Sherriff says incredulously. "I thought I said I wanted tough as nails cowhands. You bring me this group? Why that one in the back doesn't even look tall enough to ride a horse"

The Sheriff slumps back in his chair muttering to himself.

"No matter, you folks will have to do. We don't got time to be picky at this point." Slowly he rises out of his chair and addresses the room "Everyone raise your right and say, I will." Pauses briefly while the room reciprocates.

"Congratulations, you are all now official Hudson Creek deputies. That's about all the time we got for officialness we got as you've got a job to do"

"We've been having a tough time getting a coach through to Capital City with the town's receipts and gold for the central bank. We've lost a number of mighty good men and coaches the last 2 months. This shipment has to get through and apparently you are all we got. You sure aint no Pony Express"

"Be on the lookout. You might get visitors as soon as you hit the outskirts of town. Heck might be in town now. Word is 4 Finger Pete and his gang are the ones hitting the stage the last few months. there's some mighty rough terrain out there too so keep your heads up for man and beast."

"We don't have anymore coaches, so you're gonna have to take one of the wagons. Aint much to look at, but it should stay in one piece. One of my regular deputies will drive you."

"Any questions?" and without pausing for response "Good, then you better get going. It'll be getting dark soon and your ride is waiting for you out back."

With that the rear door to the Sheriff's office opens into the final queue and load area.
{note that in the event the Sheriff AA is not functioning properly, an alternate audio track will play in the showroom and the Sheriff will keep his back to the guests in the room with slight chair movement only. The Deputy castmember in these cases will have a few more lines to move the story along}

Ride Vehicle
As the Sheriff said, it aint much to look at, but for the purposes of the job and attraction it will do just fine. Built using EMV technology, the vehicle will be constructed to resemble an old frontier wagon. 3 rows of seating will accommodate up to 4 guests each.
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The shell of the wagon tent remains, but only tatters of the awning are left. Up in front, a small bench for the sheriff's deputy (Simple decorated mannequin) to serve as your driver and audio guide during the adventure.

Similar to Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom, the height requirement will be 40". While the land could use a zero height restriction attraction, using this style system will help accomplish adding both an E ticket in the land, but also utilize a height requirement that still allows riders as young as 3-4 to potentially partake in the attraction with their family.

With the EMV wagon, the ride can also factor into the experience the bumpy terrain, start/stop action, and give the true sense of transportation in the frontier.

Ride Through and Scenes

Stepping into the "outdoors", guests will be funneled into one of two paths from the back alley behind the jail. There will be duel loading zones to help with capacity. Using the 2 paths, the loading zones, while next to each other will appear to be separate with only 1 wagon. Though riders will catch a brief glimpse of another wagon heading off behind them.

Building upon the sound work done on the Na'vi River Journey, many of the scenes will incorporate a blending of large set pieces with background screens, and the remainder set pieces with AA.

Scene 1
After leaving the boarding area, the wagon slowly rolls out of town and into the countryside. This will be the tamest part of the journey, so enjoy it while it lasts.

(track gradually gains elevation from Scenes 2-6 into the 2nd story of the show building but unbeknownst to guests)

Scene 2
You'll have time to take in the quiet surroundings including the creek the town is named after. A large herd of cattle grazes in the not too far distance. As the scene ends, a lone dark figure on horseback lurks beyond the cattle......A piercing gunshot breaks the silence.....

Scene 3
The lazing herd has suddenly become much more than scenery and the thundering of their hooves reverberates all around the wagon. Luckily your driver comes to his senses proclaiming "Tarnation, somebody riled up the cattle!. Yah! Yah!" he cries urging the wagon faster. The ride picks up pace considerably as you race through trees with the cattle stampeding on either side of you.
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Scene 4
"Up ahead, i'm going to make a run for that canyon!". While the driver exclaims this, large rock formations appear in the distance. As the wagon speeds on, it is steered adeptly into the canyon. The canyon quickly narrows and has formed into a cave as the riders find themselves in complete darkness. The wagon slows back down, safely out of danger from the herd.

Scene 5
"Hahaha. It seems you've found yourself in a tight spot" bellows a gruff voice from behind, the wagon slowly moving through the cave. "Me and my boys will be happy to assist you with your belongings if you know what's good for you". Your driver yells back "We aint stopping Pete, you'll have to catch us first" and with that your wagon moves on.

Scene 6
At the front of the wagon, the deputy has managed to get a lantern lit to provide some light to the situation. "We can't go back, we'll have to see where this goes and hope there's another way out" he says. As the wagon treks on, you start to notice a few extra pair of eyes have joined the darkness, accompanied by heavier and heavier panting. Out of nowhere several wolves immerge from the darkness.

Scene 7
Once again the wagon picks up the pace has the deputy weaves you through cavern, the wolves hot on your trail. "Up ahead, I see some light!" as a faint light ahead gathers your attention. Throwing caution to the wind the wagon speeds towards the light ahead.

Scene 8
As you burst out of the cave, your senses go haywire from the sudden blast of sunlight but you have little time to adjust as the wagon takes an immediate hard right, almost seeming as if it will tip over any second. In your haste you've wound up on mountain pass and nearly driven off the cliff. As the deputy fights hard to keep you up right, the wagon careens around the side of the mountain, the other side perched perilously above the steep ravine below.
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Scene 9
"I know this path" the deputy exclaims. "This is a pretty straight shot down the mountain". With that the wagon lurches forward, speeding down the mountain trail.

Scene 10
As the wagon nears the base of the mountain, riders quickly realize they are in an unenviable position. One way down has led them on this path with higher ground all around them. Bang! Bang! Gunfire rings out along the canyon floor. 4 Finger Pete and members of his gang pop up from the rocks all around.

Scene 11
The wagon weaves back and forth, looping around large boulders both out of necessity and for cover from the bandits above. The terrain quickly changes back to countryside as you've made it safely out of the canyon and maybe you're home free? A sign for Capital City 2 miles ahead pops up and a sense of relief washes over all aboard.

Scene 12
"Whew, that was close. You all did great" shouts the deputy the wagon rolling on. "I can only imagine how mad ol Pete and his gang are that we got away. Though he'd been mighty mad if he'd caught us and realized we weren't carryin nothing but corn. Haha. The other wagon should be safely in Capital City by now". Everyone looks around realizing they were merely bait but they don't have much time to sulk. Riders on horseback coming fast suddenly flash into view among the trees.

Scene 13
"Don't worry folks. We got a trap for ol Pete if we were to make it this far". As the wagon comes thundering into Capital City, the streets are eerily empty. The wagon is making a beeline for the bank ahead and an open doorway. Why isn't the driver slowing down? The wagon bursts through the bank's doors though riders quickly realize this is no bank. Inside is the innards of a large barn and lawmen are lined up everywhere. As the wagon rolls on out the back, you can hear the startled surprise of Pete and his gang to encounter all of these marshalls and deputies.

Scene 14
As the wagon slows concluding the ride, guests will ride through one final scene, the town jail. You finally come face to face with 4 finger Pete and his gang, looking much humbler now, all of them crammed into the cells. Sheriff Potter greets you thanking for your service and you are welcome to come back anytime to help on the Express.
 

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spacemt354

Chili's
Challenge 7 - New Frontiers

This was a tough one. Not only having done a lot of Frontierland expansion projects in the past few years, but also currently doing two other comps, helping out with a few other personal projects, and doing a lot of behind the scenes prep-work for Sorcerer's Apprentice...I'm a bit creatively taxed right now haha

That being said, I already took a round off and I don't want to take another off...so I'll submit something, which I always feel is better than nothing.

While not the most creative choice, from a practicality standpoint, Ornament Valley would be an incredible backdrop to Big Thunder Mountain. From Liberty Square and the Haunted Mansion (which represents upstate New York mansions) you would gaze across the Mississippi River and now look not only at the canyons of Utah, but the canyons of Arizona and Route 66. Moreover, Cars Land would bring a proven success to the Magic Kingdom - which seems content on bringing over pre-determined successes to the parks, along the lines of the Tron: Lightcycle Power Run from Shanghai Disneyland coming to Tomorrowland in 2021.

Similar to Star Wars Galaxy's Edge (which is 14 acres and snugly fits in the northwest corner of Disneyland), Cars Land is 12 acres and will snugly fit in the northwest corner of the Magic Kingdom!

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The adjustments will be made mostly to the Walt Disney World Railroad - which in fact descends from the Frontierland Station to the northern most area of the park backstage, before chugging uphill again after the Fantasyland Station and heading towards Main Street U.S.A. (thank you Behind the Steam Train Tour for that info;))

To compensate for the new land - the train will be raised and continue on without descending, creating a 15 foot bridge that guests travel under to transport you into the town of Radiator Springs from the tiny town of Tumbleweed.

From there, guests can experience all of the magic and wonder that Cars Land has to offer, the only changes being that both Luigi's and Mater's have a canopy over them - similar to what the new Alien Swirling Saucers will look like - and this is mainly due to the Florida summer rain storms. Radiator Springs however will still remain outdoors, as other attractions in Frontierland such as Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain all have outdoor portions.

Flo's and Cozy Cone made the trip east into Frontierland to complete the unique western landscape of Ornament Valley as well. Overall, this would be a natural fit in the Magic Kingdom, be one of the most realistic expansions to the park, and bring over some incredible attractions that will not only expand the Magic Kingdom's E-ticket echelon, but also add much needed capacity and usage to that northwest corner of the park.
 

pixie_princess

Well-Known Member
INNOVATORS

Aside from the (very sad) Kali River Rapids, Disney World is greatly lacking a raft ride. In all 4 parks there is just the one and lets be honest, there is a 50/50 chance you come off dry as a bone. Seeing as Florida gets crazy hot this seems like a real let down. So for my proposal I am bringing a Rainbow Ridge inspired story to the east coast with a new raft ride.

Rainbow Ridge Rapids

Rainbow Ridge. A majestic sight to see. With beautiful luminescent caverns, babbling brooks that catch the sun just right, and a paleontologists dream field of bones, S.E.A. member Olivia Stone is obsessed. Recent college graduate and duel major in geology and paleontology she quickly heard about Rainbow Ridge from the society. Wildly curious about this worldly wonder she set up camp in order to study the reasons behind the colorful land as well as hunt down some bones. However, university debt is catching up to her and she doesn't quite have enough contacts to make this work. So, setting up a lovely river raft ride in this beautiful land to bring in tourists and fund her exploration? Piece of cake.

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The Queue

This raft exploration ride is a unique indoor/outdoor experience that fully immerses riders into the otherworldly magic that is Rainbow Ridge. The queue takes you through Olivia's base camp. Tons of archaeology tools and a mini laboratory sit beside a modest tent where guests can sometimes hear the static filled radio playing songs and sometimes incoming reports from other S.E.A. members around the globe. Also throughout the queue are scattered pictures Olivia has taken of the landscape, and sometimes selfies with her dino buddy, aptly named Buddy. As guests enter the loading area we can hear Olivia herself give a very important safety spiel; she worked this hard to get here, she can not risk a lawsuit on top of student debt.

The Ride

The ride starts on a slow moving path that takes you into the first cave. Here the ride works almost like Pirates of the Caribbean except spinning slowly due to the circular raft. Guests will meander through the beautiful sights inside these caves. Stalagmites and stalactites fill the caves with a soft bioluminescent glow in a full rainbow of colors. In some areas keen eyes can see some of Olivia's science thing-a-ma-bobs from where she left off studying. Looking down, the bottom of the water is filled with glowing smooth stones that some will swear change color before your very eyes. After a nice liesurely ride through the first cave, the raft gets caught by a conveyor belt and taken up up up as the waters start to get a bit rough.

We then hear Olivia reminding us once again to hold on over our walkie talkie that she left in one of the backpacks, because this is where the waters get rough. Suddenly a moderate sized drop and the ride is out of the cave and rushing past beautiful rock formations and... rainbow geysers???

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Yeah... rainbow geysers. Olivia wasn't joking about this weird land. However we don't get to think about that long as we rush down a trio of smaller drops and pick up some speed as we head for yet another cave. Inside here we slow down again once more and take in the beautiful Triceratops fossil half uncovered set into the cave wall. This must be Olivia's friend Buddy. However like most things in Rainbow Ridge, observant guests will notice under the high powered lights set up by Olivia, the dinosaur seems to almost shimmer with color.

[Redacted]

Sadly Olivia is worried about her scientific arch nemesis Chad James finding out about Buddy, so all pictures stay on site until she is documented and credited.

After guests exit the second cave they are taken on a wild ride once again down another small duo drops and around one last geyser... that despite Olivia reassuring everyone that the geysers are inactive, EXPLODES and gives anyone who might be feeling a little dry some love. Guests then head back to the camp, get apologized to furiously by Olivia over the walkie, reminded to keep all pictures away from Chad James, and thanked greatly for their donation to the sciences.

The Area Around

This ride will sit past the exit of Big Thunder Mountain as we cut into some space around Tom Sawyers Island. There will also be a cheesy homemade drink stand selling magic potions** made from the rainbow water** in a whole set of colors and packaged in science beakers. Olivia in no way condones this drink stand, however her undergrad assistant and best friend Haley assures her than its a good idea, and the drinks are tasty enough Olivia pretends she doesn't notice. Plus the extra money is nice.

**Note: not actually made from rainbow rapids water. Also not magic. Instead very sweet and you get to keep the tiny beakers.​
 
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Pi on my Cake

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
@TheOriginalTiki if you’re still accepting projects slightly late I’ll post mine when I get to the hotel.

The airline lost my luggage so my day has been a bit hectic :rolleyes:
I mean, I'm not tiki so I can't say for certain, but I'm sure he'll gladly accept it considering the circumstances as long as you get it in before he starts doing all the reviews tomorrow afternoon.

Hope everything works out ok for you!
 

TheOriginalTiki

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Project Eight: The Promise of Progress City
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Disney attractions have an interesting way of their world-building connecting to each other and in some examples almost becoming sequels in their own right. Big Thunder Mountain uses the mining town of Rainbow Ridge from Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland as Disneyland's backdrop, Body Wars put a thrilling twist on Adventure Thru Inner Space's shrinking storyline, Indiana Jones Adventure and Dinosaur use identical ride systems and track layouts to accomplish very differently themed experiences. The list goes on. Arguably though, the most famed spiritual sucessor and perhaps the one that was the truest "Sequel" to a Disney attraction, it's gotta be Horizons being a stunning follow-up to the iconic Carousel of Progress. For this project, we look to these two inspirational and forward thinking landmark attractions as the theme for the last round this season before the semi finals.

Purists: Your goal will be to develop a top to bottom overall of Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress at the Magic Kingdom. This should keep the spirit and formula of the original show while updating it for a new generation.

Innovators: It's no secret Mission: Space is a pretty big black mark on Disney's E Ticket track record, and the fanbase for Horizons is very well documented. For this project you must demolish Mission Space and in its place put in an attraction to serve as a modern day Horizons. This shouldn't be just plopping down the old attraction but instead reimagining it for today's audiences.

Good luck folks, this project is due Friday, February 23rd at 11:59PM. Remember, this is your last chance to earn a coveted spot in the Elite Eight, so be sure to give this one your all!
 

DisneyManOne

Well-Known Member
Well, I already drafted this for my "To Infinity and Beyond" thread, so I might as well share it here, as my "Purists" submission for this round.
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Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress is one of the most beloved attractions in the park. First opening with the World's Fair in 1964, it went on to play an engagement at Disneyland, before setting up shop here at the Magic Kingdom, where it has continued to run ever since. However, the elephant is in the room. The show hasn't been updated since the 90s. This means, that even in our modern world of amazing technological breakthroughs, the Carousel still sings the praises of "car phones" and "laser discs". Well, I say we go all-in and give this ride the break-through it so righteously deserves.

First of all, with the new look for the back-half, the Carousel will lose its 70s "Saarinesque" look and be given a make-over similar to its original 1964 version (The dome they use here looks very similar to the design of the canopy).

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As for the show itself, instead of making 20-year jumps; we'll make 50-year jumps. We'll begin, as always, with the turn-of-the-century, then jump to the 50s, then to the 2000s, and then to the distant future of the 2050s. So, without further ado, let's begin.

(As we wait for our show to begin, we watch a video loop in the queue. It's the same loop as before, showing clips of Walt detailing the ride before it went to the World's Fair.


At last, the theater rotates around and the doors open, letting us in.)


PROLOGUE
(Once all are seated and the Cast Member has given his/her spiel; the lights dim and the curtain opens. An instrumental version of "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow", as our narrator, John (voiced here by Rex Allen, Jr.--who I've heard sounds just like his dad), welcomes us to the show.)

JOHN: Hello, folks, and welcome to Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress. You're in for a real treat today. You see, most carousels just go around and around without getting anywhere. But on this one, at every turn, we'll be making progress. And progress is not just moving ahead. Progress is dreaming and working and building a better way of life. Progress is a commitment to people. A commitment of making today and tomorrow the best time of your life. It wasn't always easy. At every turn in our history there was always someone saying "Turn back. Turn back." But there is no turning back. Not for us. Not for our carousel. The challenge always lies ahead. Although our show changes, we still revolve around the same theme: namely, progress. And as long as man dreams and works and builds together, every day will always bring a great big beautiful tomorrow. May the century begin.

(Then, we hear Rex Allen's original voice sing that iconic song...)

"There's a great big beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of every day.
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, and tomorrow is just a dream away.
Man has a dream, and that's the start.
He follows his dream with mind and heart.
And when it becomes a reality,
It's a dream come true for you and me.
So there's a great big beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of every day.
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow, just a dream away!"

(As a chorus picks up the song, our theater turns towards the first theater.)

ACT ONE: THE 1900s
(Our first stop is an average home of the 1900s. The family patriarch, John, is sitting in a rocker, wearing a smoking jacket and holding a pipe and newspaper. The dog, Rover, lies faithfully by his side. John joins in on the singing as the chorus fades out. The song ends, but plays on as background music in quiet violin form. Through the windows the audience see that it's a bright sunny day outside. Birds are chirping in the springtime air. John notices the sound of the birds and begins to address the crowd.)

JOHN: Ah, just listen to that sound. When you hear the chirp of a robin, you know spring is in the air. What year is it? Oh, just around the turn of the century. And no doubt about it, things couldn't be any better than they are today. Yes, sir, buildings in the city are towering twenty stories or more and moving pictures are flickering up on a screen. We call them picture shows. Also, we have about some 8,000 automobiles in this country and we can travel from coast to coast by train in no less than a week. I even heard tell of two brothers named Wright who are working on some newfangled flying machine. (He chuckles to himself) It'll never work. Meanwhile, around the home, we have the latest and greatest: gas lamps, a telephone and the latest design in cast iron stoves. Also, that reservoir keeps five gallons of water hot all day on just three buckets of coal. Yep, sure beats chopping wood. And isn't our new icebox a beauty? Get a load of that. Holds 50 pounds of ice. (The icebox opens, revealing ice, bread and milk) Milk doesn't sour as quick as it used to. Also, our dog Rover here keeps the water in the drip pan from overflowing. It wasn't too long ago we had to carry water from a well. But now, thanks to progress, we have a pump right here in the kitchen. (The pump handle on the sink magically moves and water starts to flow) Of course, we keep a bucket of water handy to prime it with. Yes, sir, we have everything to make life easier. (John looks over to his right, the audience's left, where the first of the rotating dioramas appears. A woman, the mother whose name is Sarah, dressed in an apron, is ironing a shirt, while her young daughter works beside her. In the background is a large pantry with bags of food.) Say, Mother!

SARAH: What is it?

JOHN: I was reading about a fellow named Tom Edison, who's working on an idea for some kind of snap-on electric light.

SARAH: Electric lights, huh? Sounds like quite the breakthrough. Imagine--no more having to deal with kerosene and gas.

JOHN: This is my wife, Sarah. (chuckles) She sure can get to the core of the apple.

SARAH: But now that we have this new washday marvel, it takes only five hours to do the wash. Imagine! Used to take two days at least.

JOHN: That's right, folks. Now Mother has time to do other things, like...

SARAH: Like canning and freshening up the oven and the stove?

JOHN: (chuckles) Yes, Mother.

SARAH: Ovens don't clean themselves, you know.

JOHN: I know. (chuckles) And they probably never will. But no one can improve on nature for drying clothes.

SARAH: Excuse me, please, while I go get the wash off the line. It looks like it's about to rain cats and dogs.

(Rover barks at the comment and the diorama disappears.)

JOHN: Oh, don't worry, Rover, she didn't mean real cats and dogs. Besides, it's not going to rain today. How can it rain if my lumbago isn't acting up?

(Lightning flashes and the audience hears thunder while the lights dim for a few seconds. Rain starts to fall outside.)

SARAH: (sing-song; offstage) I told you so!

(Lights come back on.)

JOHN: My, my, just listen to it come down out there. Oh, well, the cistern was low on rainwater anyway. Now, around our home, entertainment is improving as well. For example, with the advent of the stereoscope, my son, James, and I can now see and learn all about the latest events in the world. But he'll have to ask permission first if he wants to look at it alone.

(The diorama on the audience's right lights up to display a young boy, John's aforementioned son, James, using a stereoscope beside an oil lamp.)

JAMES: Wowee! Look at that!

JOHN: Now look here, young man, if I told you once, I told you a thousand times, ask my permission to look at my expensive stereoscope. That's not a toy, you know!

JAMES: Ooh! Is that Little Egypt doing the hoochie-koochie, Dad?

JOHN: Oh, yeah, that's one thing I forgot to mention. She's the main attraction at the World's Fair out in St. Louis. (clears throat) Now, James, please put that away this minute before your mother finds it and get back to your homework, okay?

JAMES: But Dad...

JOHN: This minute! (The diorama disappears) Now, where was I? Oh, yes. We don't have an opera house in town, but we do have the next best thing: one of those new talking machines. What a beauty! It plays music right here in our home.

(The left diorama opens again, this time displaying Grandma sitting in a rocker, listening to music on a phonograph machine. A parrot is sitting on a perch beside her. The record plays "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" in an operatic style.)

PARROT: (squawks) She keeps that thing going all day. That tenor's driving me nuts. (Squawks again) Progress!

(The diorama disappears.)

JOHN: Of course, there are times when the younger people have their own ideas of fun and entertainment, too. (The right diorama reopens, revealing John's daughter, Jane. She's sitting at a vanity, fixing her hair. She's only wearing her undergarments, but in the 1900s, the undergarments were more modest than today's outer garments, so the scene isn't--nor should it be--offensive. Flowery, feminine music comes on for the daughter.) Take my teenage daughter, Jane, for instance. She's getting ready to go to a dance at the other end of town on one of those new electric trolleys.

JANE: Oh, Papa.

JOHN: What is it, Jane?

JANE: All these people! I'm indecent!

JOHN: Don't worry, they're friends!

JANE: Well, thanks for letting me go, Papa.

JOHN: Okay. But you be home by 9:00 sharp, daughter. Understand?

(The flowery music dies for obvious reasons.)

JANE: (dejectedly) Yes, Papa.

(The diorama disappears.)

JOHN: You know, all this talk about progress has made me work up quite a thirst. I think I'll take a trolley across town myself and meet the boys at the drug store soda fountain for a cold sarsaparilla. Oops, sorry, I forgot. We're drinking root beer now. Same drink, different name. Well, I guess that's progress for you. Which reminds me...

(The song starts up again and we rotate to...)

ACT 2: THE 1950s
(Now, we're in a more modern kitchen. John is sitting a booth set up against the kitchen wall, holding a Niagara Falls fan. Rover is on the floor in front of him. The overall decor is now very 50s-like. Basically, this is the 40s set, re-used. I've heard there wasn't much different in house design between the 40s and 50s. Can anyone correct me if I'm wrong? There are fewer exposed electric wires, due to the fact that they are well hidden.)

JOHN: Whew, boy! Hottest summer we've had in years! Well, we sure have come a long way since the turn of the century some fifty-plus years ago. Yep, we're at the halfway point of this century, and life couldn't be any more easier. Thanks to progress, we have a lot more luxury in our home and our daily lives. Television came into our lives around the time the 40s ended, and it's quite fun. In fact, we're one of the few people in town to have a color television. That means when we watch, it's not all in black-and-white. TV has become such a fad now a days, they've even invented something called a TV diner. Fast, ready to go meals that we put into this new device called, a microwave oven. (A microwave oven, with a TV dinner inside it, lights up and spins around.) Oh, yeah, you know something else that's new? A new term on the radio. Fellow says, we've got something now called the "rat race". Did you ever hear that one? It sure describes my life. I'm involved with something now called commuting. I drive into the city for work all day, and then turn right around and drive all the way back. And the highway is crowded with other rats doing the same thing.

SARAH: (from off-stage; condescending) That's why it's called progress, dear.

JOHN: (to Sarah) Yeah, I guess you're right. (back to us) Oh, and have you heard these rumors? The Russians may be sending a satellite up into space; and I've heard our country may try to one-up them by walking on the moon. (Chuckles) That's never gonna happen. And if it does, well, I'd much rather be here on solid ground. Say, Jimmy?

(James appears behind left scrim, watching a television broadcast of the New York Yankees.)

JAMES: Yeah, Pop? What is it? Dang, the Yanks are taking it to the Cardinals. Mickey Mantle is just unstoppable.

JOHN: Son, have you helped your mother with the picnic basket?

SARAH: No, he hasn't.

(Sarah appears behind the right scrim, packing the bags.)

JOHN: Oh, I nearly forgot. It's such a beautiful day out, that Sarah's decided to take the family out for a picnic in the park.

SARAH: It's going to be a real nice time...that is, if someone helps me out here.

JAMES: But mom, the game's almost over...

SARAH: Well, I may just forget to pack those Jell-O packs you like so much, or I may replace your soda with a diet No-Cal soda.

JAMES: Ugh, I'm coming! Gosh, why can't Jane help?

JOHN: (to James) James, now don't bother your sister. (to us) She's preparing for her date to the drive-in theater, I guess she's too good for us now....

(Rover barks. Jane appears behind the left scrim, talking on the phone)

JANE: Oh, that Dan, he's such a show-off. Leave it to the hot-rodders, am I right? Are you going to the movies with him tonight? Yeah, ain't that a bite? I'd be peeved to be seen in public with him, too.

JOHN: Sounds like Jane's having boyfriend troubles in the fabulous 50s. With all these hot rod cars these kids drive around these days, it's easy to be impressed, but it's hard to find the right one. Something wrong, Jane?

JANE: It's nothing, Dad. Steve just he thinks he's Elvis and he doesn't want to chip in the 50 cents for the movies.

JOHN: (Chuckles) Well, darling, the best advice I can give you is look for the quiet and humble ones. After all, that's what your mother looked for.

SARAH: (from off-stage) Now, John, you weren't so quiet yourself...you always had to be right.

(Rover barks.)

JOHN: Rover, don't interrupt while Sarah's interrupting. I guess I don't remember that part of our courtship.

(Lights up on James, watching "Dateline Disneyland" on the TV.)

JAMES: Hey, look at this!

WALT DISNEY: To all who come to this happy place, welcome, Disneyland is your land"

JOHN: How about that? Ol' Walt's opening up a theme park. Let me tell you folks, that fella Walt has some good pictures out as of late in the theaters. And he's constantly pushing the limits of progress, and heading into tomorrow. Well, I guess that's something we both have in common: a bright outlook for the future ahead. After all...

(The song starts again and we rotate to...)

ACT 3: THE 2000s
(We are in a home found in the early 2000s. It's a beautiful fall day.)

JOHN: Welcome to Autumn here in the new millennium! I never thought I'd live to see the day when our planet celebrates being here for 2,000 years, but yet, here we are. And let me tell you: the world has changed a lot. Heck, just in the last few decades alone, progress has reshaped basically every part of our life. Everything is automated these days. Even....

(From off-stage, we hear a toilet flush, followed by a very familiar voice.)

ORVILLE: No privacy at all around this place!

JOHN: (to Orville) Sorry, Orville. (to us) Yeah, that's our perennial houseguest, old Uncle Orville. Drifts in here from time to time. Takes our hospitality for granted. (whispering) Too bad he's not looking at the "Help Wanted" ads. (normal voice) And speaking of taking things for granted, it's amazing to see how much we do just that. There's lots of things in life to celebrate. The Red Sox finally broke the Curse of the Bambino and beat my old Cardinals in the World Series. Now if only the Cubs can win. (Chuckles) But that'll never happen, anyways. We have these new movie screens called "IMAX". The screen is so big and real that it almost feels like you're in the movie! And with the 3D glasses, it makes it even more amazing! And that's not even touching all the ways that our home has seen progress since this century began. The World Wide Web has brought so much innovation into our home. Heck there's even these search engines, where you can look up anything in the world, and in just seconds you get information on it. I doubt if they can sustain it. Yeah, we're living on easy street these days. And the world is growing in population each and every day. We may even hit 7 billion people on this planet, and now, we can communicate from anywhere in the world. Here, just watch. Say, Sarah...

SARAH: Yes, John?

JOHN: How about we check in and see how Jane's doing in college?

SARAH: She's doing fine. In fact, I was just about to talk with her.

(Lights up to reveal Jane in her dorm on the left side of the stage. Her computer is equipped with a real camera, making her appear on Sarah's computer.)

JANE: (annoyed) Honestly, dad, why can't you just text me, instead of calling all the time?

JOHN: (chuckles) Calm down, Jane. I'm just showing our friends here the power of the inter-webs.

JANE: Dad, it's called the internet. I thought you were supposed to be up-to-date on progress?

JOHN: I am, but it's moving faster than ever nowadays, and I'm having trouble catching up!

JANE: (chuckles) Looks like when I go on winter break, I'm gonna have to show you how to use e-mail...for the third time, might I add.

SARAH: (chuckling as well) Your father and your e-mail...

JOHN: (defending himself) Hey now, who's the guy who set up that automatic voice-mail contraption, huh?

SARAH: John, for the last time, the voice comes with the answering machine. I asked you to record your voice, remember? You certainly like to talk a lot...

JOHN: You're not helping my case, Sarah. (to us) You know, it's not just communications that have been improved with progress. The games we play are also improving, as Jimmy could probably tell you...

(Jimmy is revealed stage right, playing his video games on an old PlayStation.)

JOHN: Say Jimmy, how are you liking your "video games"?

JAMES: Oh, they're awesome, Dad. They're certainly better than that old dinosaur "Pong".

JOHN: Hey now, Pong is better than the junk currently sold on the shelves. And besides, all you do is sit inside playing those games. Whatever happened to going outside?

JAMES: Aw, Dad, I still get outside. I can still beat you in basketball, you know.

JOHN: You got me there, champ. (to us) Oh, and I almost forgot: these days, it's much easier to keep in touch with your friends and family, thanks to something called "social media".

SARAH: I just love that "Facebook" site. It's how I was able to find my night job, remember?

JOHN: Yes, dear. I remember. How come nobody likes my posts, anyway?

GRANDMA: (from off-stage) Because you post about progress by the time everyone already knows about it! What really sells are these funny cats videos that I post.

JOHN: Gosh, I guess I never keep up with the times. Well as we head on into the 21st century, in this technological age, progress is moving faster than ever. We're going to have a lot of visionaries in the 21st century, that's for sure, and everything and anything we could imagine, is just a dream away. Come on, you know the words. Let's sing further into the 21st century!

(The song starts. We rotate.)

ACT IV: THE FUTURE (2050s)
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(We find ourselves in a "house of the future", with the distant silhouette of Progress City behind it. The entire family: John, Sarah, Jane, James, Rover, Grandma and Grandpa are here. It's Christmastime; and snow is falling in the background. For the most part, this should look like the current scene (pictured above), only more "futuristic.")

FATHER: "If we can dream it, we can do it." That's the motto that I've stuck to as we head towards the future, and by golly, it still rings true. We're approaching a bold new era of new innovations and discoveries that'll make our lives even easier than before; but until then, we're just enjoying a nice family Christmas.

JAMES: Hey, I've got an idea for the future: a way to make Grandma give me back my virtual reality headset.

SARAH: Now James, don't you start up again.

JAMES: She's had it for hours, Mom!

JOHN: Your mother's right, Jimmy. Let your grandma have fun with it.

JAMES: I wonder what she's doing with it?

SARAH: Well, plug it into the TV and we'll find out.

(The TV reveals a space simulator.)

GRANDMA: I've always wanted to know what space looks like. When I was a little girl, I used to dream of being an astronaut. Did I ever tell you about the time I got to go on the International Space Station?

JOHN: You sure did, Grandma, and it keeps getting better every time!

JANE: (sitting with a guitar (as in the early days of the WDW Carousel), plunking out the melody of "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow") Is it any wonder why I plan to become an astronaut like you?

GRANDPA: You know something, you kids sure do got it easy these days. Not only do we have these wireless communications, but transportation is getting so much better. That PeopleMover sure is something else. (chuckles) Say John, remember when we used to be part of the "rat race"?

JOHN: (chuckles) Like it was yesterday, Pop. In fact, that's a relic we still have to this day. Not even progress can stop traffic jams!

GRANDPA: Y'know, while we're sitting here, warm and cozy, I can't help but feel mighty sorry for all those people out there that bucking traffic and those crowds; trying to get home for the holidays. Y'know, every city should have a PeopleMover in it. Who knows? If enough come by, traffic jams could be a thing of the past.

JAMES: Say Dad, when's your specialty gonna get done cooking?

JOHN: Calm down, you two. It takes a lot of time for me to patent my omelettes superb avec jambon.

JANE: Known in other circles as "ham and eggs".

(Rover barks.)

JOHN: Watch your mouth, Rover. And as for you two, whatever happened to respect for your elders?

GRANDMA: (to John) I was thinking the same thing when you were growing up.

(James and Jane laugh at Grandma's comeback.)

JANE: Say, Mom, would you mind turning the TV back to satellite? I want to see the New Years celebrations.

JAMES: Is it that time already?

JANE: Well of course! Matter of fact, it's past that time in half the world.

JAMES: Wow, the awesome things they teach these children nowadays.

JANE: Very funny, James.

(Various news channels play in succession.)

VARIOUS NEWSCASTERS: Celebrating the New Year here in London, a large crowd has gathered. (Channel changes.) Tremendous pace as happy Parisians welcome the New Year- (Channel changes.) A happy holiday spirit fills the evening. We still have several hours before midnight here in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World but already people from all over the world are celebrating-

GRANDMA: Oh my goodness! Look at that.

EVERYONE: (Ad lib reactions) Wow! Sensational! That's great!

JOHN: You know, I feel like sending up some fireworks myself.

SARAH: We really do have a lot to celebrate, and not just things, either.

JOHN: It's the whole quality of our lives.

JAMES: Hey, it's great you two feel that way.

SARAH: Why shouldn't we?

JAMES: The world is getting more complex.

JANE: Really?

GRANDPA: Well, today is always more complex than yesterday. Always has been.

JOHN: But it's more exciting too. We have so many more choices.

SARAH: I think that's the best part.

JAMES: In fact, I just heard that that colony on Mars is almost complete! Who knows? Maybe we'll find a new planet to settle on someday.

JOHN: And that's the really exciting part. You never know what's on the horizon. And it goes to show you that progress only happens when we dream big, inspire others, and dedicate ourselves to our goals. The future is bright and it's just a dream away.

(The timer dings.)

SARAH: Oh, speaking of good things, sounds like it's time for our omelette superb avec jambon.

(Rover barks.)

JOHN: See, even Rover's enthusiastic about the future! Alright fella, I get the message. And yes dear, you're right. Progress is always there; ready to guide us to new horizons. (to us) Say, how about we show you what may be in store? Just give us a few minutes; and we'll give you a guided tour of our hometown: Progress City.

(As the song starts up again; we rotate towards what used to be the Unloading theater. Now, as in the old days of the World's Fair; what was once a blank stage has turned into a staircase leading up towards...)

EPILOGUE: PROGRESS CITY
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(For the first time in years, the full, uncut Progress City model is here for us to view. We head up the staircase and head inside the dome at the top of the Carousel building. In fact, the blueprint above should give you an idea for what I'm looking for here. From above a railing, we see it: Progress City; a world inviting, wonderful, and full of hope for the future. Our Carousel family is not here with us physically, but we hear their voices narrating this epilogue. An instrumental of "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" plays underneath this epilogue.)

JOHN: As you can see, folks, every time it seems that we've gone as far as we can, progress always finds new ways to surprise us.
Now our whole community goes to work at the click of a switch. Honestly, it seems like that "great big beautiful tomorrow" we keep singing about is here and now!

SARAH: Everything you see in Progress City is possible today in any city, even where you live. We have all the latest ideas to help cities look better, and to make them better places to live and work in.

JOHN: Remember when we talked about transportation? Well, in addition to our PeopleMover, we also have own transporters. Flying cars have become the norm here; and they're quite a wild ride. And we have other sorts of vehicles, too. In fact the heart of Progress City's transportation is our rapid transit system that's controlled by computers. I get to work in half the time on a high-speed monorail. Sure beats traffic jams.

(Rover barks.)

JOHN: Easy, Rover. He's complaining because electric vehicles are so quiet. He misses being able to bark at passing cars.

JANE: And going out for a day on the town is also more convenient. And getting there is only half the fun. Today, our whole downtown is completely enclosed. Whatever the weather is outside, it's always dry and comfortable inside.

JAMES: Yeah, they call it a climate controlled environment.

SARAH: Say, do you see that building far off to your right? That's our power plant. Here in Progress City, we're always trying to find new and efficient ways to use energy. We're using all sorts of energy: solar, wind, hydroelectric, you name it. It sure beats burning fossil fuels.

GRANDMA: And next door, is Industrial Park which really looks more like an attractive city park, thanks to beautiful lighting and landscaping.

GRANDPA: And speaking of parks, outdoor lighting has added hours to our recreation time. We have night lighted stadiums, ball fields, and golf courses. Ah, I just love to slice the old five-iron. I'm in the 80s, myself...my golf score, that is.

JOHN: And on top of all that, we even have our own amusement park! It's not exactly Disneyland or anything, but it is clean and bright and lots of fun.

JAMES: Look! A plane's about to leave the airport!

JOHN: Just look at it go! And imagine how convenient air travel will be in the future.

JANE: I've always wanted to see the world. Maybe in the future, air travel will be so quick, we can travel from one end of the world to another in just minutes.

GRANDMA: I always did love world traveling.

JOHN: No kidding, Grandma. In one year, you managed to travel around the world, take up tennis, and even organize your high school reunion. Incredible!

GRANDPA: Who knows, champ? Maybe we'll all take a flight ourselves.

(Rover barks.)

JOHN: Now calm down, Rover. We'll always come back to Progress City. And we hope you folks will come back too. But right now, it's time to go.

SARAH: But remember, everything you've seen here in Progress City is possible today. So if you know any cities looking for a fresh new look, tell them about ours.

JOHN: Well, folks, we certainly hope you've enjoyed your time here on Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress. Please gather all your personal belongings and exit through the doors located to the left. Have a great big beautiful day, and remember, tomorrow is just a dream away.

("There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" plays as we exit through the doors, and walk down a ramp leading down the side of the theater, similar to the blueprint seen above.)
 

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