Before jumping into the project itself, I wanted to backtrack to
@Disney Dad 3000 and give a final shout-out for his work in NickToon Landing. Earlier in the week I read through the project again and I have to say Cartoon Chaos was far and away the most well-written and detailed entry in the entire land. When we have the 2023 Imagineering Awards, I feel like that ride has to be in its own category. I hope all is well and welcome to the chillzone.
Spooky Spaghetti Review
As someone who really isn't a fan of most Creepypasta content, from the get go this wasn't one that I would have been psyched for. It's mostly the disturbing images that, well, 'creep' me out, which I only realized by like slide 5 there is an eerie face as the background of the slides. However, the type of horror I enjoy is psychological and I think this project really honed in on that aspect which was awesome!
Starting with the presentation, I think the intro set the groundwork well. I know what Lagoon is, but I think for a novice it might have helped to give an extra slide or two to orient the reader. I do think the intro did a great job of setting up the horror aspect however, especially the part about the fear definition - that combined with the background music just gives off such an ominous first impression.
Getting to The Backrooms - this was so well-written. This type of maze would be right up my alley as it's so simple yet so disturbing. These images evoke a sense of familiarity but at the same time feel like a bad dream you had as a child. I really like how you're able to explore the maze a bit, trying doors, having spooky sounds elevate your anxiety. Felt like something out of the Shining. I also loved the old-time music in such an eerie way! And the mirror effect was by far my favorite part - so unsettling and the fact that you're basically alone with no cell signal makes it even worse.
Since I'm now on the judging side, I have to criticize any form of climbing (kidding) though I do feel that perhaps there should be a warning sign about the need to climb the ladder. Other that that, spoiler alert this was my favorite maze but that's not to say the others weren't great too, just this is the one I'd be most into!
Btw - there was some sort of video that I need to request access to - if it was a jump scare I will not be requesting access, thanks lol
The Experiments - what I liked about this one was how it delved into the horrors and paranoia of the Cold War setting. That is such a bold choice for an amusement park and one that I think would really make it stand out. I also appreciate the artwork of the maze here. While in a way I think the Backrooms benefits from not having a map, this one definitely helps. I was trying to figure out if OS-08-10 had any correlation to OS-U? Overall, this maze had more of an evil lab feel to it, creepy seeing the experiments and walking through the morgue, yet also makes you ponder all the war-time experiments that were real at the same time. Historical horror points!
For Slenderman this was short and sweet, just like most entries of the game I used to play in college with floormates. It would always end in us turning around and blam, Slender Man in the woods. So it gets the job done well. As for Scooby Doo I definitely enjoy the effort put into this script as this is for sure a unique walk-through. I wasn't anticipating Scooby Doo to be Creepypasta but a brief search there is a youtube video about it by the librarian. I haven't watched it, but it checks out in my book - great job on that one and I like the artwork at the end offering a more kid-friendly option amid the other horror.
The Crimson Carnival Scarezone is a nice complementary piece to the rest of the offerings and I really like the unsettling clown artwork - nice work there! The write-up does a great job giving a visual combined with the background music as well. Same with Candle Cove, I think it rounds out the area with more eclectic things to do vs just mazes. The Skin-Taker sounds very disturbing as does the audience interaction and that would be sure to be a highlight of the trip.
The food elements offer a solid conclusion to the project, and I appreciate how it continues to tie into the Creepypasta element with the Borrasca factor.
In the end despite having a 'free' round, you're all coming off a huge project and then are thrust into a shorter week with a fast turnaround with something I would assume was a bit niche for folks, yet still produced this incredibly well-structured project! Great job to all!