The Imaginarium - Competition Thread [Complete]

spacemt354

spacemt354

Chili's
Space's Feedback

One of the big questions to answer for this prompt was -- where to put it? As there are many viable options at hand, one of them being Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. Based on the options, I would have leaned towards Disney's Boardwalk Resort replacing ESPN Zone, not only to plus the thematic consistency (and the design of the building already looks like a circus tent) but it could have restored that end of the Boardwalk which recently lost Ample Hills to be replaced with the generic Boardwalk Ice Cream. The argument that Boardwalk already has too many restaurants to me is offset by the fact that a stone's throw away from Saratoga Springs is Disney Springs which has dozens of eateries so the number of restaurants to me I think offset given the location of both of those resorts. Nevertheless, I digress as Saratoga was a fine choice.

The first thing that stood out to me was it seems there's a stark transition from a stable exterior to a Canfield Casino ballroom interior. Why not theme everything to the ornate ballroom setting? Especially since it mentioned you were trying to offset the more rustic, darker interior of Turf Club.

Secondly, I loved loved loved the Saratoga Six, but if you're sitting outside, are you missing out on this experience inside? I also loved the Saratoga Players too, but since they're outside, are you not able to see them on the inside? I feel like these descriptions could have been crafted with a little more cohesion, and that primarily stems from the last-minute nature of some of the content which is understandable. I think there's a winning (pardon the pun) idea here, but with some TLC can be something great. For instance, what about a multi-level Hoop-de-doo style interior, with balcony outdoor seating to gaze down at the Saratoga Players in the gardens?
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I say this mostly because the potential behind this concept is there and halfway through the week I wish I could have jumped in to help. Anyway let's continue.

I don't have an Apple device, but reading the menu this is a very well-crafted eclectic menu - enough to satisfy folks with niche pallets but also simple enough for the typical family vacation. The Crab-stuffed Rainbow Trout would be my go-to! The bar is also a nice realistic touch.

Overall, this project has a lot of potential and steps foot in a resort not typically seen in these imagineering comps which makes this project stand out among the rest - best of luck to those remaining and all the best @PerGron !
 
tcool123

tcool123

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Immunity Challenge 7: Marvelous Menus

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During the main challenge your team was asked to create a new dining experience for a Walt Disney World Resort. However, there is more to dining than the resorts, after all there is theme park dining. Disney's Hollywood Studios in particular is panned for having some of the weakest dinning options out of any Disney park around the world. For this immunity challenge, if you chose to complete it, pitch a new item for any menu at any restaurant at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The goal of the menu item is to elevate any of the restaurants within the park with something that will drive guests to that location, and say "WOW this is the best thing I have ever tasted". It can be an immersive themed dish for something like Oga's Cantina or something more generic yet equally yummy for Catalina Eddie's. There is no limit on what dining location you choose and no limit to what that menu offering is. Let your taste buds be your guide!

This immunity challenge is completely optional, and if you choose to submit something it must be done in a private message set up with @tcool123.

The immunity challenge is due on Wednesday, November 17th at 10 PM EST.​
 
tcool123

tcool123

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Tcool's Reviews

I'd like to start off by saying you all did great work for creating this concept. While there was a lot of discussion early on for where to place this experience, I think in the end targeting Saratoga was a good choice. To me personally I can usually think of at least one dining location or menu offering at most of the resorts, but Saratoga? That draws a blank so giving it that star restaurant is much appreciated.

The exterior sounds lovely and in my opinion is a great way to tie into the overall naturalistic feel that the resort seems to permeate especially with things such as the treehouse villas. The geyser outside was a nice touch, and a great way to tie into the spring part of the Saratoga Springs name. Although the transition from rustic barn to elegant ballroom was a bit of a surprise given the stark contrast between the two. However I do think that both on their own are great, and would be wonderful additions to the resort's lineup of dining options. Looking past that I do think a restaurant taking over the stables is neat, and the little details such all of the horses from the Magic Kingdom being honoured was nice. Once again the bar reinforces that repurposed barn aesthetic, and I am here for it! It has a rustic charm to it that just lends itself to the more naturalistic feeling of the resort.

Onto what makes or breaks many restaurants: the menu. In my opinion this is the most important part of an entire restaurant, and if a strong menu isn't there then what's the point? The AR menu is was very neat and a great implementation of technology into an imagineering presentation, it was very wow and high tech. However I won't lie when I say I wish a more traditional menu was presented on the Slides as well in an enlarged font making it easier to read for those on a non Apple. I think the menu sounds delightful and I would love the Chicken Parmesan, and hopefully the fries are steak fries (or potato wedges)! A slight nitpick but is there no dessert for the restaurant? I can't comment on the drinks menu as the USA's drinking age is 21, but they all sound refreshing!

I think the outdoor dining sounds beautiful with plenty of beautiful areas to look at, and the improved ambience goes beyond the restaurant as it improves the general look of the resort so five stars there! On a nice Florida day I'm sure this would be a lovely experience. I will note that entertainment seems to be spread throughout the restaurant, with the Saratoga Six inside and with the folk musicians at the outdoor pavilion (I assume are The Saratoga Players), that patrons should have a great time no matter where they are seated with some great choices for live entertainment.

Sounds like y'all cooked up a must see dining experience! The utilization of the barn as a restaurant and bar were stellar in my opinion, and the way you all went about incorporating the little details tying it back into the barn was the cherry on top. However I won't lie the description of the interior of the barn as a grand hall was a tad bit jarring. The menu was versatile and had plenty of options to satisfy many different guests, but the oversight on dessert was a bit disappointing as I'm sure it was going to sound delicious!
​

The Bottom Three

A bottom three has been selected by @TheOriginalTiki . The bottom three will include the following:

@TheOriginalTiki

@D Hulk

@Disney Dad 3000
​
 
ThemeParkPriest

ThemeParkPriest

Well-Known Member
ThemeParkPriest's Review
Tcool asked me to be a guest judge for this project. I accepted his invitation (at least in part), because I see myself as an amateur foodie.

In some ways the brainstorming to figure out which resort to focus on is less of an issue with a restaurant than with attraction prompts. I think we all know some restaurants that are just awesome in many respects. A mega resort like WDW is going to be constantly changing restaurants that aren’t ranked at the top of guests’ lists so that they can continue to improve the guests’ experiences. Waffles and, to some extent, Hulk were both at a disadvantage in this project because of their lack of experience at WDW.

So you want to choose a resort that inspires the team, so I think you did well to choose Saratoga Springs. I experienced the Boardwalk for the first time about a year ago; if I was choosing a resort where money was no object, I would choose to lodge there. But you were right to decide that there’s already a lot going on there. The French Quarters at Port Orleans would have been interesting (I’ve stayed at Riverside and gone to the pool at the French Quarters); I’m sure @mickeyfan5534 would have been very interested to see what you would do to one of his places of employment! With Saratoga Springs, I really didn’t know what the resort’s theme was before Jokers enlightened us. Like many of you, I’m not all that familiar with DVC resorts, but that’s fine.

Onto the presentation, it would have been good to have had a few more details on the Google Earth view map. I knew where it was but others wouldn’t if they weren’t involved in the brainstorming. Also, the Exterior Page would have benefited from a picture, especially since it would supposedly make “a big impression” on guests. The layout and interior of the restaurant sounds like guests would get the experience of being at a racing stable. It sounds like the biggest table is for 4 people (which sounds small); I assume the staff could move tables if there are groups of say 8 people?

The menu sounds really good on the whole with the signature Saratoga Springs dishes. If my only suggestion is that you could price the Club Sandwich and Fish Tacos higher, then I think Hulk did fine!

If anything, the outside dining sounds rather extravagant with all the fountains, etc., but perhaps Disney would be willing to go that route since it is a Deluxe resort. There’s a nice vibe to The Saratoga Players music that I’m sure many guests will enjoy.

So overall, I’d say, great job on the project! I know it’s been a bit of a marathon, so sad to see PerGron leave. It will be hard for whoever comes out on the Bottom Three to leave; you’ve all played great so far!
 
tcool123

tcool123

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Voting Results

Team Creators we're gathered here today to see which one of your players will be leaving the Imaginarium, and who will be staying.

Let the reveal of the votes commence!

@TheOriginalTiki

@D Hulk

@TheOriginalTiki

@D Hulk

@TheOriginalTiki

Who won immunity the immunity challenge this challenge?
The winner for this challenge is...
@Disney Dad 3000 !

@TheOriginalTiki I am sorry to say this but your time at the Imaginarium has come to an end, we thank you for your dedication to the competition. I hope that you continue to stay and involved and follow along with the Imaginarium, and that you continue your involvement in the forum as we celebrate the 20th anniversary!
​
 
tcool123

tcool123

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
- Chapter Four: Rest, Relaxation & Libations -
Challenge Ten: Back to Basics - WED99's Think Different Challenge REDUX

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Well Team Creators I think it's time for a different approach to this rest and relaxation theme we have got going on. For much of this competition many pitched attractions have been high tech and very modern, but for this challenge we're relaxing a bit with the modern day ways and travelling back to a simpler era. Picture this it's 1953 with planning for Disneyland well on its way, when suddenly Walt Disney walks up to you asking you for an idea for a dark ride within his Disneyland project. He states it can be a dark ride for any of the lands set for opening day Disneyland, but he needs your help specifically! This is the Back to Basics challenge from WED99's Think Different, and the REDUX aspect is actually that in keeping with the basic theme the project must be posted as a forum post. You can use any of the features that WDWMagic's forum post editor allows you except the hyperlinking function to another site for your presentation. We are fully embracing the back to basics motif here as it can be quite relaxing to do it old school.


Team Creators, your task is to create a new dark ride for opening day Disneyland. In addition you must submit your project as a classic WDWMagic forum post.

Guest Judges & More
@Outbound
@Disney Warrior
@Sharon&Susan
@Honey Bee (Rebooted) - the Funny Woman
@mickeyfan5534 - the Mentor
@spacemt354 - the Observer
@Pi on my Cake - the Pi on the Wall

Team Creators' Chief Imagineer
@JokersWild

Challenge Ten: Back to Basics - WED99's Think Different Challenge REDUX is due on Friday, November 26th at 10 PM EST.​
 
tcool123

tcool123

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
tcool123 said:
- Chapter Four: Rest, Relaxation & Libations -
Challenge Ten: Back to Basics - WED99's Think Different Challenge REDUX

View attachment 601344

Well Team Creators I think it's time for a different approach to this rest and relaxation theme we have got going on. For much of this competition many pitched attractions have been high tech and very modern, but for this challenge we're relaxing a bit with the modern day ways and travelling back to a simpler era. Picture this it's 1953 with planning for Disneyland well on its way, when suddenly Walt Disney walks up to you asking you for an idea for a dark ride within his Disneyland project. He states it can be a dark ride for any of the lands set for opening day Disneyland, but he needs your help specifically! This is the Back to Basics challenge from WED99's Think Different, and the REDUX aspect is actually that in keeping with the basic theme the project must be posted as a forum post. You can use any of the features that WDWMagic's forum post editor allows you except the hyperlinking function to another site for your presentation. We are fully embracing the back to basics motif here as it can be quite relaxing to do it old school.


Team Creators, your task is to create a new dark ride for opening day Disneyland. In addition you must submit your project as a classic WDWMagic forum post.

Guest Judges & More
@Outbound
@Disney Warrior
@Sharon&Susan
@Honey Bee (Rebooted) - the Funny Woman
@mickeyfan5534 - the Mentor
@spacemt354 - the Observer
@Pi on my Cake - the Pi on the Wall

Team Creators' Chief Imagineer
@JokersWild

Challenge Ten: Back to Basics - WED99's Think Different Challenge REDUX is due on Friday, November 26th at 10 PM EST.​
Click to expand...
The PM has been sent out if you're not present within it please let me know :)
 
TheOriginalTiki

TheOriginalTiki

Well-Known Member
I'm so sorry the rest of you had to put up with me all season. I'm total scum. I don't know why I suddenly became target number one but it's CLEAR nobody wants me around so I might as well just off and die now.
 
TheOriginalTiki

TheOriginalTiki

Well-Known Member
I'm done. I'm getting older and if I didn't win this one I'm NEVER going to win. I'll still host from time to time, but I feel like I completely worked my butt off this game and because I'm Autistic there's literally NOTHING I could have done once my name was up. I suck at the social game. I'm sure I made all my team mates completely MISERABLE every round I was in. I don't deserve to be here. I don't deserve to be here.
 
TheOriginalTiki

TheOriginalTiki

Well-Known Member
And for the record I was one of like four active players in SYWTBAI12. That is NOT a badge of honor. It would have been hard for me to not win that season by default.
 
MickeyWaffleCo.

MickeyWaffleCo.

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Attraction Poster.jpg


~ Team Creators Proudly Presents ~
THE WORLD BENEATH US
presented by Richfield Oil
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While most of Tomorrowland on opening day took you to outer space, The World Beneath Us took you into the earth. Behind the rather unassuming façade reading "The World Beneath Us: Presented by Richfield Oil" lies one of the park's most unique experiences. As you enter Richfield’s Hall of Geology you are only be left with one thought: This place rocks!

A simple switchback queue in the open space gives you ample time to study the geology lab into which you have walked. Earth diagrams, a large mural and well-placed Richfield Oil advertisements cover the available wall space, with the queue pacing back and forth around a line of lab tables.

Queue 1.JPG

Queue 1.JPG

Click to view the rest of the queue gallery.

Before exiting the queue into the load area, you can get a bit of background on the lab’s messy inhabitant and your guide for the day, Professor George E. Orchard (called Professor Geo by his counterparts). Depicted as a static figure approaching the load area, the small-statured and comic-looking professor tells you all you need to know about your adventure.
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Professor Geo.jpeg

Professor Geo​

A voiceover from the professor plays, thanking you for your visit to the Hall of Geology and for taking a journey beneath the earth’s crust in his new experimental mining machine. New, experimental and oil roll off the tongue easy enough.

The ride vehicles themselves are patterned after the standard two row bus bar vehicles found over in Fantasyland, though not quite as fanciful. These cars have a more industrial look, in keeping with the experimental and natural element of the ride. Needing to successfully traverse the earth’s crust, these futuristic mining machines (as depicted in a schematic on the wall), are a little boxy in nature, with accents designed to appear to be treads for moving, drilling tool in front and a few miscellaneous items around the back. A large mural of the Earth’s crust dominates the back wall of the loading platform, depicting part of the adventure ahead.
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Early attraction map.​

Exiting the load area, the mining vehicles are greeted once again by a static Professor Geo giving a few seconds of instruction to prepare to enter the Earth’s crust. Do not be alarmed, he says.

Before entering the Earth, your mining vehicle takes a short jaunt past an oil field. The normally rather crude setting is in this case very stylized, thanks to the talents of Mary Blair. All the simple set pieces, from the derricks to the Richfield oil trucks and everything in between, maintain a clean look.

Audio from the professor comes on: “Ever wonder where our oil comes from? Let us journey to the world beneath us!”

Leaving the surface behind, the track transitions into a rocky setting as your vehicle has entered the first layer of the Earth’s crust. As will be consistent throughout the attraction, Blair style backgrounds mix with painted flat sets and smaller set pieces to set the scene.

Darkness slowly comes into focus as the mining vehicles enter a cave filled with stalactites and stalagmites. Simple lighting illuminates the space as the track weaves in and out of these unique features. The rocky formations of the stalactites and stalagmites leads to a colorfully illuminated space. A deposit of various gemstones is embedded in the rockwork creating a kaleidoscope of colors and reflections. A light purplish geode, three times the size of the vehicles themselves, provides one final relaxing viewpoint before moving on.

After another brief transition through darkness, the mining vehicles enter a rockslide catacomb. The previously cool colors of Blair’s artwork start to take on warmer hues here. An earthquake is underway! Professor Geo warns you: “It’s an underground earthquake! You’d better watch your footing.”

The flat painted rock set pieces in the walls spiral and shake and twist about. A loud rumbling reverberates throughout the space. Your vehicle soon passes over uneven floorboards, creating a surprisingly effective earthquake sensation. This basic effect is similar to one felt on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, where cars rumble while driving over the wooden floors of a dock.

Instead of another dark transition, your vehicle smashes through a pair of boulder-shaped crash doors and immediately enter a vibrantly glowing room of molten reds and oranges. “Uh oh!” comments Professor Geo, “You’ve entered the inside of a volcano!”

You next pass by magma spouts, which are realized with simple water fountains and theatrical red lighting. Hidden heaters add to the volcanic effect. To escape the imminent eruption, your vehicle plows zigzagging through a swift sequence of rockwork crash doors.

You then escape into an unexpected underground oasis. This large centerpiece room is a hidden “Lost World” beneath the Earth’s surface. Warmth from the nearby volcano allows tropical jungle foliage to thrive. More surprising, this realm is populated by living, breathing dinosaurs! Imagineering realizes these prehistoric beasts with largely static figures, simple limited motion, and sound effects.

“Dinosaurs,” explains Professor Geo, “the source of our oil today.” Amazed, you witness a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a Stegosaurus, a Triceratops, and a Pteranodon. The World Beneath Us would face some mild criticism in later years for its paleontological inaccuracies, which dinosaurs chosen for their popularity first and foremost.

The vehicle reenters a stone wall depicting the Earth’s layers. This final apparent ascent carries guests back to the surface. Dinosaur skeletons appear in similar locations to their living counterparts. Crude oil deposits in the walls envelop the skeletons. “Over millions of years, dinosaurs became the oil we use today.” A final painted crash door shows off a beautiful oil slick rainbow, which like everything else on the ride realized with Mary Blair’s characteristic charm.

You unload in the same hall where you boarded. The exit pathway leads you to a post-ride scientific exhibit, sponsored by Richfield Oil. The World Beneath Us was initially conceived as a basic exhibit space, like so much of opening day Tomorrowland, and many of those plans survived the attraction’s transformation into a dark ride.

Here, you find cutaway dioramas depicting the earth’s layers. A cutaway model volcano, familiar to so many science fair projects, show you the science behind eruptions. Cases display a wide array of precious deep earth gemstones. All throughout, cutouts of Professor Geo provides descriptions connecting Richfield Oil to these wonders. Early Tomorrowland, despite its utopian ambitions, could sometimes be a mere showcase for corporate propaganda which would now seem outdated.
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Attraction Poster.jpg

The World Beneath Us Attraction Poster.​

The World Beneath Us was one of the most popular attractions in Tomorrowland’s history, rivaling Adventure Thru Inner Space.

Not much is known about The World Beneath Us when it first opened, but it does appear on the earliest park maps and souvenir books. Interestingly, while every other occurrence of the attraction's name in print lists it as either "The World Beneath Us" or "Richfield Oil Presents: The World Beneath Us", the 1966 souvenir map lists the attraction as "Beneath Our World."

Little is known about the attraction in its first three months of operation. Several retired Imagineers have stated that the attraction was added to the plans for Tomorrowland less than a year before the park's opening. Originally proposed as a simple exhibit, The World Beneath Us morphed into a full dark ride at Roy Disney’s behest. The new dark ride would require a bigger sponsor, an excellent idea to financially-minded Roy.

The dark ride would use a bigger area of Tomorrowland real estate than the proposed exhibit it replaced. The expansion of the World Beneath Us concept also resulted in the plans for a simulated view of America from space being scrapped.

Unfortunately, the company was unable to find an adequate sponsor before the park's opening. However, three months after the opening of the park, Richfield Oil agreed to sponsor the attraction.

The World Beneath Us pre-sponsorship differed slightly from the attraction that guests experienced from October 1955 onwards. The pre-sponsorship attraction featured an entirely different soundtrack from the sponsored attraction, and lacked the iconic Sherman Brothers tune familiar to many guests. The only record of the original attraction on the internet today is a grainy recording of a single show scene.

The World Beneath Us experienced a three-month refurbishment in the spring of 1968 that added several new effects, such as shaking ride vehicles during the earthquake scene, in addition to several new animatronics to replace the old static figures.

Richfield Oil ended their sponsorship of the attraction in 1975, and The World Beneath Us finally closed in 1982 after years of poor maintenance and declining popularity with guests. The building stayed closed until 1998, when it was converted into a queue for the newly-opened Rocket Rods.​
 

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