THE CHOICE: CHALLENGE 7:
@RMichael21 Proudly Presents...
Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Progress... Presented By General Electric
50 years ago, the WED team, led by Walt Disney, opened four attractions that used new technologies and innovations that had millions of guests picking their dropped jaws off of the floor. From the classic “it’s a small world” and Carousel of Progress attractions to the groundbreaking Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln audio-animatronic show and to the Ford sponsored Magic Skyway, these attractions were able to push the boundaries in theme park entertainment.
The whole point of the World’s Fair is to showcase progress. Whether that is substantial in science or industry, companies from around the world were able to showcase their innovations to a global audience. For the 2015 New York World’s Fair, Walt Disney Imagineering was tasked with creating an all new attraction that once again pushes the boundaries of innovation and celebrates progress in the modern world.
Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Progress will take the basic ideas and themes created with Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress and build off of them, focusing on the future rather than the past. Using innovative technologies and effects, this attraction will enlighten its guests with meaning while still keeping famous touches of Disney magic.
While Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Progress does not have a direct connection to the Walt Disney Company's creations, I have decided to add Walt's name in the title as an allusion to the original 1964 Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress.
Sponsor:
I chose General Electric as my sponsor because of their original sponsorship for the 1964 World's Fair and that we could see change in progress in their company along with this attraction that's focused so much about progress.
Theme:
Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Progress will take guests deep into the heart of the progress of man kind. Those who visit the attraction will be immersed in a modern, yet classical look throughout the attraction as they travel through the decades.
Inspired by the original Carousel of Progress, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Progress will take the original idea to a whole new level.
Disneyland's Original Carousel of Progress:
Backstory:
Every Disney attraction would not be complete without a story. While Disney’s World’s Fair attractions have traditionally lacked backstories, Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Progress will play host to the Disney Brothers Institute of Progress. This fictional university will inspire the attraction along with its façade, queue and ride vehicles. The story goes that guests will take part in a one of a kind experiment. They will be the first to test the Progressinator, a time machine that allows guests to travel anywhere on a timeline and view man’s progress first hand.
Façade:
The façade of this attraction will be very reminiscent of the Disneyland’s “it’s a small world” attraction. Featuring a modern Mary Blair inspired façade, Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color will use these architectural styles to set the scene for the attraction.
Queue:
The queue of Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Progress will take guests on a guided tour through the Disney Brothers Institute of Progress. At the end of the queue, guests will experience a pre-show that will have the head engineer and technician of the Progressinator explain the institute and the attraction’s background.
Ride Vehicles:
Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Progress will allow guests to experience a one of a kind attraction in completely unique vehicles. This attraction will combine a KUKA arm with a trackless vehicle to create an amazing experience for guests of the attraction. Due to the fact that KUKA’s lease with Universal has expired, Walt Disney Imagineering now has access to this amazing technology. On a typical trackless base, the KUKA two arms will sit.
Then, the vehicle will be attached to the KUKA arms. The two KUKA arms underneath the vehicle will allow for guests to tip forward, backwards and side to side and rise higher or lower. In addition, these KUKA arms can completely retract, allowing the vehicle to sit almost on top of the trackless base. This can be useful for when there are multiple vehicles in the same room. All of this, added onto the trackless vehicle base will create an out of this world experience.
The vehicles that guests sit in themselves will be themed to the Progressinator, a futuristic and modern time machine. In front of every guest will be a small screen. Each vehicle can seat 12 (3 rows of 4).
Ride Experience:
Guests will begin the attraction at the loading area, themed to the laboratory of the institute. Once guests have boarded the attraction, they will hear a safety spiel and be off on their journey. Five vehicles can be loaded and leave the loading area at one single time.
Scene 1:
Once guests leave the loading area they will find that they are in a square room. Here, one their personal small screens, the guests will see the head engineer of the Progressinator. He explains that as the first test subjects of the Progressinator, there are risks. But, he then tells him that we’ll be going back in time first, to the invention of the very first computer. The room is filled with bright light (and then darkness) as the vehicles use their KUKA arms to being lift up the Progressinator. This will give the illusion that guests are floating.
Scene 2:
Guests have just entered a scene where a massive computer is in front of them. The setting is the early 19th century. Here, Charles Babbage (the inventor of the first computer) will explain to them the creation of his invention. However, in the middle of his spiel, the head engineer pops back up onto the screen and explains that an important event is going on in the future and that we have to catch it. Therefore, the room goes light and then dark once again and the vehicles rise up to travel to 1990, when the World Wide Web was first invented.
Scene 3:
Scene 3 will follow a similar pattern to Scene 2. Here, Tim Berners-Lee will explain the invention of the Internet before being interrupted once again by the head engineer. However, this time he says that they’ll be traveling to the future, in 2064. The vehicles rise up, and the guests now travel into the future.
Scene 4:
“Oh no, something’s wrong.” This is what the guests will hear in the middle of the darkness. The KUKA arms give the illusion that guests are floating a turbulent (the vehicle is also spinning slowly) ride through the air. They are told that they have been trapped in a time riff directly at the present day and that they must all use the backup energy stored in the vehicles to escape. Eventually, the sound of a whirring machine begins and the vehicles tip up and an elevator mechanism lifts the five vehicles 20 feet up to a second level.
Scene 5:
On the second level, the five vehicles move in a single line facing the same direction. They face a “window” which is actually a live feed outside of the New York World’s Fair. But soon, these windows begin to change and evolve. In a time lapse sort of way, we see the present landscape build up into a futuristic city (similar in style and scale to Tomorrowland from the film “Tomorrowland”).
We hear the engineer describe how the guests must of taken a separate route to the future.
Scene 6:
Suddenly, guests begin to fall rapidly. In total, guests will descend a whopping 50 feet in this elevator. Using another elevator mechanism, guests will move to the lower level of the attraction. This level is in fact mainly underground due to the size and scope of the next scene. This scene is the largest scene in the attraction. In addition, scene 6 serves as a transitional scene, using LED lights to create a time travel feel.
Due to the elevator’s sheer height, a rotation of the elevators in the shaft will allow for constant loading. This can be compared to Walt Disney World’s Tower of Terror.
Scene 7:
After emerging from the elevator, guests enter a MASSIVE show scene. Made of practical sets that are 50 feet high (the show building for this section of the attraction rises 20 feet about ground level). Guests have arrived in the future. Guests can see energy efficient transportation and homes, futuristic hologram projections on the side of buildings and a central area that features dancing fountains. This is our vision of what a futuristic city will be. While most of this scene will put to use practical sets, screens are used to create a background behind these large buildings.
Trackless rides are often known for their one room where the vehicles scramble around each other. Here, the five vehicles in the one group mix with the group in front of them and once the group from behind them arrives, the front group will leave. This will allow for 10 vehicles to be in this one room at once.
In this scene, the futuristic city will provide a glimpse at mankind’s future. In addition, while this scene may seem slightly unrealistic, that’s what progress is all about, breaking the mold and doing something that has never been seen before. Once guests have spent about 4 minutes in the futuristic city, they exit into a building on the far end of the scene. Each vehicle in the original group will enter the same building but a separate elevator.
Scene 8:
Guests will board this final elevator and rise the 30 feet back to ground level. While they make their ascent, the head engineer will thank them for testing out the Progressinator. He then invites them to exit the Progressinator at the future time and explore the future’s technology and life-style. He explains that a stationary Progressinator will be waiting for them once they are willing to return to the present. This lift will use a similar cycle elevator mechanism as the 50 foot lift.
Guests arrive at the unloading area, which is themed to the futuristic city. They disembark into the post-show.
Post Show:
Guests can have the opportunity to test out futuristic gadgets and technologies in an Innoventions style expo. This is similar to many of Epcot’s post-shows. Once guests have had their fill, they can travel through a “progressinator tunnel”, which uses a moving walkway and lighting effects, and back to the present.
Guests who are not able to ride (such as small toddlers, pregnant women or those with heart of back problems) are able to enter directly into the post-show.
Attraction Statistics:
Ride Type: Dark Ride (E-Ticket)
Vehicle Type: Trackless/KUKA Arm
Capacity: 3,400 Riders Per Hour
Height Restriction: 32 Inches
Thanks for reading!
