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

[DisneyManOne]

@DisneyManOne really solid mix of "What-If" concepts. Unfortunately, part of the requirements for this project were that you couldn't use films that already had gotten the dark ride treatment, so I'm going to have to take a point off for creativity for you and everyone else who used films with pre-existing rides in either the Purist or Innovators prompts. With that in mind, your Pinocchio attraction is creepy as hell and I love it! To me it's just sort of weird as it's basically a larger version of Pinocchio's Daring Journey with extra intense scenes. The puppet show in particular is fascinating and turning it into a Pinocchio musical number in the refurb makes a lot of sense. I also love how this is supposed to be an old hold-over from the 1st person POV era of dark rides.

Sword in the Stone was probably my least favorite of the bunch. The ending was rather abrupt and the setting reminds me of Tony Baxter's philosophy on why he never made a Robin Hood dark ride...it's a bunch of stone walls and trees! Cinderella on the other hand is FANTASTIC and definitely my favorite of the bunch. You did a wonderful job translating the artistic streak of the film to the dark ride genre. As an adult Cinderella is a film that eludes me with its haunting isolation when it comes to the setting. The kingdom is like the world's most beautiful prison in a really interesting, symbolic way. You translated those moods brilliantly. Great job!

Creativity: 7/10 - Taking one point off for the use of Pinocchio, but overall a very solid, well rounded assortment of dark rides that do a great job of recreating different flavors of the genre.

Realism: 9/10 - There's a bit of a wonky "Butterfly Effect" thing going on with Pinocchio's refurb (how could it turn into an attraction that would have been inspired by it to begin with...the time travel physics make my head hurt ) but other than that silly loophole the realism is pretty much flawless.

Detail: 8/10 - Very well written and thought out, though Sword in the Stone's ending could use a little work. It's a bit clunky how it transitions from the magic duel to "Hey, I found a sword!" "long live the king!"

Presentation: 9/10 - Another excellent example of using limited resources to your advantage with the numbered maps, and a great use of music references to help set the tone.

Total: 35/40

I guess I skipped over that part of the requirements. But then again, it could be plausible, because in this timeline, Pinocchio's Daring Journey wouldn't open for another 12 years. I guess I thought you referred to "films that weren't turned into dark rides as of 1971" (Snow White, Peter Pan, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad and Alice in Wonderland).

I was running low on space for Sword, and I guess I just rushed ahead of things. In hindsight, I could've cut the squirrel scene and expanded the climax.

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Love the podcast! They just give this competition such a cool feel that few others have.

 

[spacemt354]

Love the podcast! They just give this competition such a cool feel that few others have.

Agreed! We'll have to continue them for Sorcerer's!

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Team Purists brainstorming thread
Team Innovators Brainstorming Thread

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

If you missed it on the podcast, here's how the finals and scoring will go down.

What you all are competing for is a spot in the Elite Eight. Those who have been around long enough will know what that's a reference to. The Elite Eight are simply the eight highest scoring players through the game's first eight projects. How do you score? It's not as simple as adding up all of the combined scores from Jacob and I. It has more to do with placement. You'll receive one point for each person you beat in the rankings each round. For example there were ten people in project two so @spacemt354 gets 10 points towards his Leaderboard score, @ACE Astro gets 9 points...so on and so fourth. This system is a way to reward beating out rounds with more people participating and also a way to potentially even the scales for folks who may miss rounds from time to time by not just relying on combined totals. The Elite Eight will then moved on to three tiered rounds to determined the winner.

 

[AceAstro]

If you missed it on the podcast, here's how the finals and scoring will go down.

What you all are competing for is a spot in the Elite Eight. Those who have been around long enough will know what that's a reference to. The Elite Eight are simply the eight highest scoring players through the game's first eight projects. How do you score? It's not as simple as adding up all of the combined scores from Jacob and I. It has more to do with placement. You'll receive one point for each person you beat in the rankings each round. For example there were ten people in project two so @spacemt354 gets 10 points towards his Leaderboard score, @ACE Astro gets 9 points...so on and so fourth. This system is a way to reward beating out rounds with more people participating and also a way to potentially even the scales for folks who may miss rounds from time to time by not just relying on combined totals. The Elite Eight will then moved on to three tiered rounds to determined the winner.

How will points be decided in ties?

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

How will points be decided in ties?

Tied people will each get the same amount of points as the number of people each of them beat, NOT counting each other.

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Keep up the good work everyone and remember that the projects will be due tomorrow at midnight eastern time.
@Pionmycake will be going live with our second "Uniting Universal" podcast covering the Worlds of Wonder park in just a few minutes!

 

[tcool123]

Virtually Magic Kingdoms - Innovators

To all who come to this happy place – welcome. The Magic Kingdom is your digital playground. Here time washes away, and dreams take flight. The Magic Kingdom is dedicated to not only your beloved characters, but to keeping the world safe from nightmares. We hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all.

The Magic Kingdom

This project was brought to you by @Pionmycake , @D Hindley , @DisneyManOne , @kmbmw777 , and @tcool123 .​

 

[spacemt354]

PURISTS CHALLENGE FOUR

INTRODUCTION​

Just a few years prior, Tomorrowland 1994 debuted in Walt Disney World. It brought classics like The Timekeeper to us while giving the rest of Tomorrowland a new look and feel to it. The next year brought the controversial ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter attraction. To counter that controversy, we are proposing the addition of a new E-ticket attraction to be located nearby.

This new attraction will be based around Tron. Tron was released in 1982 and subsequently became a fairly big cult classic. Using the theme of the grid, Tron fits perfectly within Tomorrowland.

ATTRACTION LOCATION

To make room for this new attraction, the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway will be closed and the track torn up. The new show building will take up most of the space, but leave a small area at the back to allow for a future Fantasyland expansion.

The map above is taken from an aerial snapshot of the Magic Kingdom circa 2002, yet maintains the same layout that would have been seen in 1998 (minus the Skyway which was removed in 1999) The inclusion and enclosure of Tron simultaneously creates a more cohesive Tomorrowland while separating itself from Mickey's Toontown Fair to the north and Fantasyland to the northwest.

EXTERIOR FACADE

Walking up to the show building, the first thing you notice is the large Tomorrowland spires on either side that go high into the air. Across the top, Tron: Escape the Grid appears in large letters that have a blue, digital accent to them. To either side of the entrance, guests see large screens that delve into the look and feel of the digital age.

QUEUE

Entering the Tomorrowland Power Grid complex, you embark on a tour of the facility which is owned and operated by a company called ENCOM, who initially impresses you with their technologically advanced structure. You continue through switchbacks into the main computer room where it is discovered that a virus has entered the system mainframe, overtaken the Grid, and threatened to shut down the entire Tomorrowland Power Grid.

You are then transported into ENCOM's software in order to extract and stop the virus via teams gliding through the grid on LightRacers. As you progress through the queue, you can look onto the horizon and see the virus itself overtaking the maze of digital wires and programming throughout the Power Grid.

Arriving at the main 'grid' for the system - you step out onto a balcony where you can view the lightracer teams (colored blue and orange) racing around the grid attempting to stop the virus. This perspective hypes the guests up for their adventure down below as you walk further towards the starting line to begin your journey. a dizzying display of neon lights surround you as you become fully immersed in the world of Tron and the digital realm.

Upon reaching the ground floor and the loading area in sight, safety warnings as well as instructional videos on how the gameplay dynamic works in this attraction are within sight.

ATTRACTION SAFETY SIGN

THE GAMEPLAY DYNAMIC​

In this one-of-a-kind attraction, TRON: Escape the Grid, guests will have the chance to take the helm of a LightRacer and collect power from others identity discs using identity discs. Upon sitting down, guests will be fronted with a Disc Launcher and a Power display. The Disc Launcher will be made entirely of steel, but lit with orange or blue hues, depending on your team. Each launcher has a LaunchPort and large button shaped like an identity disc.

Guests will pivot these devices on a central mount in order to aim, and push the button to fire. Upon firing, a fanned laser appears, making it look as if you have just shot an identity disc and are seeing its trail. These laser fans will shoot at targets both found in the grid, but also on the opposing teams car. These targets look like identity discs on a black base.

Upon hitting an identity disc of your color, you receive 250 Power. Upon hitting a disc of the other team's color, you receive 500 power. When the target is hit, it retracts into its base, until the next pair of racers returns. If a target on the other LightRacer is hit, they will lose 500 power, while you gain the 500 power. In this game, power is proportionate to speed, so, the higher your power, the faster you go. At first thought, this would be an issue if an empty car was running in front of a sharp shooter, but this is fixed through a new technology called a HypeRV, meaning a Hyper Ride Vehicle. What this is, is a range of track that is 8 feet in front of and behind a moving point on the track. This point moves at a slowly increasing rate to account for the increase in speed produced by point accumulation.

Any car in this HypeRV (two, one on each track) can not leave this 16 foot range, but can go anywhere in between the two edges. If a car speeds up enough to be at the front of the range, then it would gradually slow down at a rate imperceptible to the rider, while still having the distance advantage over the other team. Likewise, if a car was lagging, it could not fall behind that point, still imperceptible to the rider. Finally, should the disc not be fired within the first 30 seconds, the car will travel at the center point of the HypeRV, since that would mean that it is an empty car. Finally, two HypeRVs can not overlap, preventing these cars from crashing into one another and providing guests with some isolation, making it seem as if they are in a race, just between them and the other team.

RIDE SYSTEM​

Tron: Escape the Grid will feature a somewhat unique ride system. Our team has taken the classic powered coaster concept and turned it on its’ head, allowing for a unique interactive and competitive experience.

The LightRacer is not dissimilar to Space Mountain’s rockets. Guests will be seated in a single row of four toboggan style. However, the LightRacers are a bit longer than Space Mountain’s rockets, allowing for the extra seat and added legroom for comfortability. Our attraction is able to feasibly accommodate a longer ride vehicle through the ride’s lack of sudden drops and sharp turns. As with other powered coasters, each LightRacer is essentially a personal monorail. Electricity is picked up by the racer from the track, allowing them to speed up or slow down depending on points earned on its’ course.

Of course, at the core of our attraction is the competition. Each LightRacer will come equipped with an Identity Disc Launcher (IDL,) on the right side of the blue racers, and on the left side of the orange racers. The front seat of each LightRacer will be equipped with a front-mounted IDL.

As for the integration of the IDL, as targets are hit, the LightRacer will begin to speed up. Guests may also shoot at the opposite LightRacer, slowing them down in the process. Of course, one LightRacer won’t be allowed to get too far ahead. A LightRacer may only reach a max speed of about 15mph. Our HypeRV system will ensure that LightRacers stay close enough to each other to keep it a race and far enough away from other racers that it doesn’t become a hazard.

GAMEPLAY DEMO AND IN-RIDE VIEW

​

VEHICLE DESIGN​

The LightRacers feature a similar aesthetic to the iconic LightCycles seen in the film. The LightRacers are primarily black, accented by neon strips of orange or blue light to bring out certain design features. Interestingly, there doesn't appear to be a front wheel to the LightRacers - only a large back wheel, which somehow keeps the front suspended and aerodynamic.

Though the rounded nose and curved tail of the LightRacers are made of a hard black plastic, featuring neon lights that outline the racers' large back wheel and converge at the center of the nose, the sides are totally open. Three bars seemingly made entirely of light connect the nose and the tail on either side of the racers keep guests safely secured within their vehicle. The side of each vehicle facing load lift to allow guests to board.

SAMPLE RIDE-THROUGH

As Guests exit the station, they pass a screen of the MCP and Sark as they taunt you with information, “If you think you are all getting out of here, then you are in for quite the realization! Welcome to the grid, where one can emerge victorious. Will it be you?”

The car then turns to be faced with the vastness of the grid, created through a series of black light and laser effects. As you begin into the seeming void, Tron comes over the on-board audio, “Use your disc launcher to hit other discs and gain power. If you get enough powe, you may be able to gain enough speed to escape the grid”

Guests swerve into an area full of illuminated power discs. Using their launchers, guests can increase their speed. Currently, the targets are not year illuminated, meaning that speed can only increase. As guests continue, they slow down near the edge of the grid, where Sara is seen overhead. “You can launch at each other, you fools! One one gets out, and you don’t want the other to ruin that chance, do you?”

The cars speed away into another region surrounded by energy discs, as Sarc’s laugh haunts you. This time, your opponents’ LightRacer discs illuminate, allowing you to slow the other team by depleting their power. This then turns into a section full of recognizers, as your vehicles swerve under and around seven, full size recognizers.

After nearly being run over, you notice other light cycles projected on the horizon. They are slowly creating a wall around you.

Suddenly, in front of you, a wall causes you to swerve to the right. You hear TRON claim “I will handle him. Follow my lead and escape when you can. _______ Team (Insert Team with More power,) you have more power, so I need to give more to (Team with Less Points) to allow them to escape. They will become a member of your team. Follow me!”

Suddenly the losing team’s color changes as you watch Tron make another racer break the wall, creating a gap (accomplished through a door in the wall, projection light cycle and physical, blacklight trail). Your trains steer through this gap, through a desensitizing laser, and to unload, as we have Escaped the Grid!

GIFT SHOP​

Upon exiting the ride, guests will enter into a replica of Flynn’s arcade. Along one wall guests will find a series of classic arcade games including Tron and Space Paranoids. The rest of the area will feature classic gift shop items including items related to the film and ride.

​

CONCLUSION​

By removing the Speedway, Tron: Escape the Grid brings in a new E-ticket attraction that will add new life the Tomorrowland 1994 update. This attraction will bring a new flagship attraction that they were hoping would come with ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter.

 

[AceAstro]

No pressure here @TheOriginalTiki but what are the odds we get the next challenge tonight? With school in full swing, the more time I have for a project, the better!

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

No pressure here @TheOriginalTiki but what are the odds we get the next challenge tonight? With school in full swing, the more time I have for a project, the better!

Apologies, I meant to get this out sooner but my computer entered automatic update hell for an extended period of time...

Project Four: Roadside Attractions

Purists: The goal for this project will be to look back to the very roots of Disney, before there was even a Disneyland. You must pitch a hypothetical roadside attraction created by Walt Disney himself used as a testing ground for the concepts that would eventually work their way into the Magic Kingdom. This is essentially deconstruction in Imagineering form, working from the very beginnings...the first sparks of what Disneyland would become. Scale this back to the bare minimum but still have it be in the spirit of something designed by Walt in his heyday. Random fun fact! The tracks of the Lilly Belle were curved in the tunnel to make the tunnel appear longer. It's that sort of forward thinking thematic touch that I'm looking for.

Innovators: With DisneyQuest shuddering its doors as a failure, even more so with the embarassing Chicago branch of the once promising chain, Disney has enlisted you to create the next big thing. Your goal is to create Disney's version of a Family Fun Center. Something that has the Disney magic but can be experienced on a budget, and something that can be cloned at major cities around the country. For some context on how Disney has failed in this concept in the past, see this video from the incredible BrightSunFilms.


This round we'll be going back to every-man-for-himself style which means everyone submits an individual project. Good luck folks. This project is due Sunday, January 28th at 11:59PM Eastern.

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

I'm very sorry I forgot to mention this, but for the leaderboards I'm going to need a list of people who contributed content to the projects...either written, art, or just brainstorming for them to get credit. I simply don't have the time to comb through the entire thread especially on the Innovators side of things I'm leaving to go see a movie soon so my written feedback will be broken up between that, but for now let's get to the Purists.

VERY solid presentation! I must admit at first I was a little thrown back that there wasn't as much text as I was expecting, but clicking around the website it was very clear this was meant to be a different kind of presentation. I wish I could give 20/10 Presentation points because this is just outstanding! The music is incredibly well placed at the layout of the website as well as the concept art do an impeccable job of mimicking the style of an old strategy guide.

As I said, I wish there was a bit more detail from land to land. I remember at one point in the brainstorming seeing a detailed list of the boss fights and how they would go down. It would have been nice to chart the flow a bit more than just what's there to do in each area. With that in mind you did a solid job in the intro page of setting up everything from the game mechanics to the plot so I guess you don't really need a ton of detail when it comes to something like this. Video games are a bold new direction for SYWTBAI so I applaud the Innovators for all their hard work and dedication to making this project shine. Where can I buy my copy?!?!

Creativity: 8.5/10 - In my own mind there's more of an Epic Mickey quality to what this game would look like. For example there would be a Tower of Terror on Main Street. I feel like there was a bit of a lack of bold, world-changing choices in your kingdom layout. That's the one nitpick though. Overall very well thought out.

Realism: 9.5/10 - As a proud Switch owner I can say this is very impressive from top to bottom. I especially love the Odyssey style collectibles that all have different purposes. Also very well done visually speaking.

Detail: 7/10 Would have liked to have seen more written up from land to land beyond just lists.

Presentation: 10/10 - Thank you sir, may I have another?!? Among the most visually striking presentations we've ever seen.

Total: 35/40

 

[spacemt354]

@TheOriginalTiki they gave you the list

This project was brought to you by @Pionmycake , @D Hindley , @DisneyManOne , @kmbmw777 , and @tcool123 .​

For the Pursits team while we're here - AceAstro, Magic Feather, Disney Dad 3000, JokersWild, myself.

 

[Magic Feather]

@TheOriginalTiki :

Write-Ups
Introduction - Ace
Brief Backstory - Jokers*
Entrance Facade - Ace
Queue Description - spacemt
The Gameplay Dynamic - Magic Feather
Ride System - Jokers
Ride Through - Magic Feather
Gift Shop - Ace
Conclusion - Ace

Artwork
Attraction Poster - Disney Dad*
Location Map - spacemt
Queue - spacemt
Ride Safety Sign - spacemt
Ride Vehicles - spacemt
Ride Through Map - spacemt
The Ride Through - spacemt

Here is specifically who did what (or at least who was supposed to), although i at least had to change the ride-through art to space. Not sure if there were any other changes.

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Team Purists...An absolutely fantastic proposal! This is a clear case of just because the number of pages in the brainstorming thread is smaller doesn't mean the actual project is inferior. I will admit the prompt on the purists side simply wasn't as engaging as the open world video game idea, so I give everyone props for working with it and creating something really cool!

What I love most about this is the actual ride system. I know there was some back and forth in the brainstorming about what to do, and I think everyone reached a perfect compromise. This feels like live action Rocket League in a crazy good way. I love how the competition is the main focus of the attraction. It takes the whole idea of an "Arena" dark ride like Indiana Jones to a whole new level. I'm in love with the section of queue that overlooks the arena. Makes me want to go there right now!

I will admit, TRON isn't the most outside the box choice in IP especially for something that would require game design...but by that same token (hah...gaming humor...) I really can't see an IP fit better into the requirements of the prompt. There's a lot of moving parts to the ride system and some bold risks at play that I'm not sure would have paid off in 1998, but overall this was a stellar presentation.

Creativity: 8/10 TRON isn't the most creative IP choice, but it's by far the best fit for the prompt
Realism: 8/10 You made some bold choices in design which I really respect. My one concern is the possibility for this to be another Flying Saucers where the complications of the ride system overtake the fun factor.
Detail: 10/10 Very well thought out. Every corner is covered and accounted for.
Presentation: 9/10 Fantastic reference photos and concept art!
Total: 35/40

And thus, the teams are tied on my scores. The true mark of a great round! Stay tuned for the podcast coming up at the top of the hour! I'll post a link once we have everything set up.

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Going live in about 10 minutes!

 

[spacemt354]

For the Tron art -- it's not chalk haha I actually explained in the workshop thread this morning how I did it with instructions so folks can try it if they want in the future!
https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/the-imagineers-workshop.888709/page-6#post-8043865

 

[JokersWild]

Semantic question. Does a roadside attraction technically HAVE to be a classic roadside attraction on the actual side of the road, or could we get a way with a properly small and kitschy attraction?