The One Sentence Competition Retrospectives: Seasons 1-8

[Brer Panther]

I have this idea for a slide where you're blasted out of a giant iceberg and land in the pool below... I'm not sure how to describe it.

 

[Miru]

Typhoon Lagoon gets a toboggan slide that’s themed to the now defunct River Country, a case where pieces of what was once River Country had blown over to Typhoon Lagoon and formed a new shape due to the curse of the lagoon, this slide featuring themed dioramas on the lift hill before the big drop, creating an eerie atmosphere.

 

[cdunlap]

Typhoon Lagoon gets a slide taking guests through ancient Mesoamerica. Guests queue through a jungle before boarding inflatable rafts with a Mesoamerican aesthetic. The guests drop downhill from the load and float through a skeleton-filled cave only to drop down a steep slope as they are sent back in time to ancient Mesoamerica. Guests pass through scenes depicting the monuments and people of the following civilizations, each with a small drop in between: the Olmecs, Teotihuacan, the Classic Maya, the Cholula, the Toltecs, the Aztecs, the Moche, the Chimú, and the Inca before witnessing the Spanish conquest. It all concludes with a very steep drop down a vibrantly-painted statue depicting the Feathered Serpent that spews guests out of its mouth and into a pool themed to a lost Spanish shipwreck near the Mesoamerican ruins.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

A Moana-themed slide into a cave where an animatronic Tamatoa comes after you as you circle around, before splashing down into the peaceful village.

 

[Pi on my Cake]

How about some sort of trapdoor slide themed to a snowstorm (or another mountain) at blizzard beach?

I adore the Disney Waterparks but they are woefully out of date in terms of modern water parks and a trap door slide would help a LOT to make it not feel so stuck in the 90s

I have this idea for a slide where you're blasted out of a giant iceberg and land in the pool below... I'm not sure how to describe it.

Giant Iceberg would be perfect! Give an excuse for another themed slide without needing to build another whole mountain. I like it!

Typhoon Lagoon gets a toboggan slide that’s themed to the now defunct River Country, a case where pieces of what was once River Country had blown over to Typhoon Lagoon and formed a new shape due to the curse of the lagoon, this slide featuring themed dioramas on the lift hill before the big drop, creating an eerie atmosphere.

River Country would be really fun and this would be a fun way to both incorporate a bit of it smoothly into Typhoon Lagoon AND to lean into the eerie vibes of the now infamous urban explorer videos and Abandoned by Disney type urban legends

Typhoon Lagoon gets a slide taking guests through ancient Mesoamerica. Guests queue through a jungle before boarding inflatable rafts with a Mesoamerican aesthetic. The guests drop downhill from the load and float through a skeleton-filled cave only to drop down a steep slope as they are sent back in time to ancient Mesoamerica. Guests pass through scenes depicting the monuments and people of the following civilizations, each with a small drop in between: the Olmecs, Teotihuacan, the Classic Maya, the Cholula, the Toltecs, the Aztecs, the Moche, the Chimú, and the Inca before witnessing the Spanish conquest. It all concludes with a very steep drop down a vibrantly-painted statue depicting the Feathered Serpent that spews guests out of its mouth and into a pool themed to a lost Spanish shipwreck near the Mesoamerican ruins.

Does not really fit into the "Old Florida Resort Town turned Surfers Paradise" theme, BUT this sounds absolutely awesome and I would love to see it even if they need to restructure the parks theming a little bit. I love the idea of incorporating these very simple show scenes into a water slide!

A Moana-themed slide into a cave where an animatronic Tamatoa comes after you as you circle around, before splashing down into the peaceful village.

Moana again doesn't reeeeaaallly fit the theme of Typhoon, but this is again a super fun idea and I'd love to see it! Showscenes on water rides are such a fun concept to me!

 

[cdunlap]

Does not really fit into the "Old Florida Resort Town turned Surfers Paradise" theme, BUT this sounds absolutely awesome and I would love to see it even if they need to restructure the parks theming a little bit. I love the idea of incorporating these very simple show scenes into a water slide!

Maybe it, like Miru's River Country idea, was mysteriously blown to Florida. This would also explain why cultures from Mexico and Peru are this close. I do have an idea for this redesigned Typhoon Lagoon. Laguna Del Tifon (Typhoon Lagoon in Spanish) is a water park themed to an old Yucatán Peninsula resort town that turned into a surfer's paradise after a freak hurricane struck it in 1989. Nothing really changes with the exception of the old Shark Reef, which is replaced with the Mesoamerica slide.

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Maybe it, like Miru's River Country idea, was mysteriously blown to Florida. This would also explain why cultures from Mexico and Peru are this close.

Works for me! The theme for Typhoon is loose enough that even if it's a stretch it can be made to work

 

[Pi on my Cake]

1SC Retrospective
Season 5, Episode 2 - The Disney Decades

(Original Logo seems to have been lost to time)

Hosted by: @D Hulk
Started on: December 23rd, 2019
Won by: @Tux

Season 5 was returned to as part of a way to re-energize the forum after a quiet 2019.

This episode was hosted by @D Hulk returning again. He did something entirely unprecedented for the One Sentence Competition.

He made it so people only got one sentence.

Actually just a single sentence for the first time in One Sentence Comp history!

Ground breaking and revolutionary!!!!!

The theme was Disney Decades. Each round took place in a different decade. Starting with a practice prompt in the 1940s and going all the way to a finale in the 2020s (boy, were we wrong predicting what this year would be like in the parks! None of our final proposals included a global pandemic. Points off for lack of realism)

Like I said, this Episode had prompts limited to just 1 Sentences. A single picture was allowed too. No bonuses though.

The key was simplicity. The competition was stripped to the bare bones. As simple and accessible as possible. @D Hulk did a great job keeping the prompts simple enough that it never felt too limiting. All while being very fun and creative prompts. It was exactly what both the forum and the one sentence comp needed at the time. Even the number of prompts was scaled back to only 8 instead of the 10-12 that was common throughout Seasons 3 and 4.

This was part of a bit of a larger plan by a shadowy group of powerful and dangerous figures the hosts of Sorcerer's Apprentice Season 6 and the previous seasons of that game to try to revitalize the forum a bit heading into the new year and the 6th season of SA. There was end of the year awards to serve as a look back and celebration to get people excited about the past. A casual open brainstorming prompt a day thread throughout the month of december. And then the 1SC coming back starting on Christmas Day and heading right up until around the start of SAVI. But the 1SC was much more than just a prologue to a different game. It was a fun competition in its own right!

Throughout it's history, this game has served an important role in this forum. It is an easy entry point for new players. A simple way for veterans and other people with busy lives to stay connected to imagineering. Something that can be kept going pretty constantly so the forum doesn't get too quiet. And it's just pure fun! The 1SC does a lot for this forum. All by just being a simple, fun game that is accessible to everyone.

This Episode shows how sometimes simple is better. Keeping things small scale doesn't have to feel limiting if you design the game right. I might be planning to go back to 1-3 sentences, but the focus on simplicity is definitely being kept in mind as we head into the future.

Check out the 2nd Episode of the 5th Season here!

As a Discussion Question for today, let's look at my favorite prompt from Season 5, Episode 2!

"CHALLENGE 7: 2010s - Propose something new Disney could do with Magic Bands (and/or Magic Band+)"​

 

[Miru]

Have a daily raffle for special discounts, rebates, and other such deals using MagicBands to enter and receive the rewards, such as deluxe rooms.

 

[Disney Warrior]

"CHALLENGE 7: 2010s - Propose something new Disney could do with Magic Bands (and/or Magic Band+)"

Maybe some sort of interactive game that you could play on the watch while waiting in line?

 

[Brer Panther]

"CHALLENGE 7: 2010s - Propose something new Disney could do with Magic Bands (and/or Magic Band+)"​

Has somebody already suggested having them blast laser beams?

 

[cdunlap]

Has somebody already suggested having them blast laser beams?

I can one up this. Have them shoot fire!

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

"CHALLENGE 7: 2010s - Propose something new Disney could do with Magic Bands (and/or Magic Band+)"

On an attraction that plunges you into complete darkness, the Magic Bands light up to show the way...

 

[Pi on my Cake]

Have a daily raffle for special discounts, rebates, and other such deals using MagicBands to enter and receive the rewards, such as deluxe rooms.

Reminds me a lot of the Year of a Million Dreams promotion but taken into the modern era

Maybe some sort of interactive game that you could play on the watch while waiting in line?

I would love the next edition of Magic Band to have a screen that could play games. Integrate the Play Disney App and maybe some simple smart watch tech. Features like that could really make it worth it!

Has somebody already suggested having them blast laser beams?

I can one up this. Have them shoot fire!

On an attraction that plunges you into complete darkness, the Magic Bands light up to show the way...

That would be a really fun implementation and be a very unique experience. Let the guests control the show lighting, a real crazy twist

 

[Pi on my Cake]

1SC Retrospective
Season 5, Episode 3 - Castle Parks

(Original logo has once again been lost to the sands of time)

Hosted by: @D Hulk
Started on: July 31st, 2020
Won by: @InspectorSpacetime

Season 5 was returned to once again to fully relaunch the game!

This episode was hosted by @D Hulk returning again. He continued to keep the game simple and charming, but added a bit more flourishes and creative twists this time.

The theme was Castle Parks! Every prompt took place in a castle park, but which one was never specified. It was up to the players to decide which castle park! Even having the option to do your projects in a dream park rather than in a real one. A lot of freedom so players could do what they like best!

The development of this season was a bit unusual.

I had teased a vague something with a post that just said "1" and came back to post "1" or a Pitch Meeting meme or something like that (Something that probably sounds familiar if you've been following this thread since it started lol). It was just goofing off there with things related to the 1 sentence comp but acting like it was a big mysterious secret. My plan was to start after a couple people were eliminated from SYWTBAI on August 1st. What I didn't know is that I wasn't the only one with secret plans.

The day before I was gonna post an actual announcement, @D Hulk noticed my "1" meme/teaser thread and messaged me. He had his own full episode planned out already too! So, we talked with each other, bounced ideas of each other, shared our plans and suggested changes. His Episode felt like a perfect cap off to Season 5 and great way to smoothly bring the game back in a fun and simple way. Whereas mine worked better as a start to a new season and good expansion on what he was doing. So, we agreed he should go first, but with some ideas to get involved with each other's episodes a bit.

Once again, these prompts were all 1 Sentence and 1 Picture. @D Hulk was originally planning to start adding in 1 sentence bonuses half way into the season to slowly expand the game as it goes, but we worked out something a little different because of the behind the scenes shenanigans where we were helping give each other feedback. I'd "prank" his episode by adding bonuses, and he'd "prank" my episode too! But practically speaking, this didn't really change anything from his original plan. The bonuses still started about half way through. And mostly they were the ones D already had planned out. Biggest change was that I reviewed the bonuses so he just had to focus on the main prompts.

Again, the key was simplicity and fun prompts. There was some twists like extra bonuses for the finale or the "Fastpass" round (it was a bit longer, but had multiple very small scale prompts going at the same time). But even the twists were kept simple and light-hearted. It brought @D Hulk's trademark comedy/creativity and kept things very concentrated to a small scope.

This Episode shows how often the most important part of the One Sentence Competition is having fun with a great community. And that is definitely being kept in mind as we head into the future.

Check out the 3rd Episode of the 5th Season here!

As a Discussion Question for today, let's look at my favorite prompt from Season 5, Episode 3!

"CHALLENGE 9: Write a Jungle Cruise Joke"​

 

[Tony the Tigger]

1SC Retrospective
Season 5, Episode 1 - The Anti-Park

Hosted by: @FireMountain
Started on: April 6th, 2019
Won by: N/A

Season 5 started in a bit of an awkward way.

This episode was hosted by @FireMountain. With a few guest reviews by @Evilgidgit.

The theme was Anti-Park. Which meant that everything was going to take place in WDW, but not inside any of the four theme parks. The Episode returned to just 1-3 Sentences, 1 picture, 1 sentence bonus for every round.

This episode kind of failed to launch.

The awkward end to season 4 wound up breaking the rhythm that the game had going. Since there wasn't the usual passing of the torch at the end of an episode, there wasn't really a plan for starting the game back up. Instead of starting in (or near) January like Seasons 2, 3, and 4 did, Season 5 started in April. There was a few false starts and multiple people saying they wanted to relaunch the game but then no one doing it to avoid stepping on each other's toes. As I mentioned before, activity on the forums was low for much of 2019 and the activity we did have was pretty focused on Sorcerer's Apprentice Endgame, so 1SC just kind of fell by the way side.

Eventually, @FireMountain took up the reigns and had some good ideas set up! @Evilgidgit couldn't commit to either hosting or cohosting at the time, but was going to do some guest reviews here or there to stay involved and support the game.

They had a great host, great plan, great prompts, a great theme. Was set up to be a great Episode!

Unfortunately, the one thing that was lacking was time.

Fire wound up getting very busy irl and that lead to some gaps between the ends of rounds and reviews and the next round being posted, throwing off the flow of the game and making it tough to keep up with. Players were busy with finals starting which lead to lower turn out. The Forum as a whole was also having some technical issues where notifications weren't going out.

No one submitted anything for the second prompt. Partly because not many people knew it had even been posted thanks to the inconsistent schedule and the lack of notifications from the site. It's tough for a host to correct course when players don't even know new things were posted. And so, the Episode had a sudden end. A vague promise to return soon, but schedules never cleared up and that seemed to be it for the 1SC in 2019.

This Episode shows how important it is to have at last the next couple prompts pre-written keep the rhythm of the game going even if the host gets busy. Rhythm really is key to these kinds of games. Things to keep in mind as we head into the future.

Check out the 1st Episode of the 5th Season here!

As a Discussion Question for today, let's look at my favorite prompt from Season 5, Episode 1!

"CHALLENGE 2: Create a new slide for the Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach Water Parks"​

A little late, but let’s upset some IP purists right off the bat:

Blizzard Beach was formed after a freak snowstorm - but what could cause such a snowstorm?

The (Grand) Mother of all that is Frozen.

That’s right, Anna & Elsa’s grandmother, with powers just like Elsa, caused that famous blizzard in the 1970s when she was learning to control her gift.

In present day, on Frozen Blizzard, when you slide through tunnels, Elsa provides such a cold blast that a fine mist inside becomes frozen as you pass through.

 

[Disney Warrior]

"CHALLENGE 9: Write a Jungle Cruise Joke"

“I was told I have to say a joke somewhere, but I forgot it. Maybe those animals had something to do with it?”

 

[Lord Fozzinator]

Why don’t animals play cards in the wild

Because there are too many cheetahs

 

[cdunlap]

"CHALLENGE 9: Write a Jungle Cruise Joke"

Skipper: Here's the greatest joke of them all! My life. My very existence. Me.
Riders: Laughing

 

[Tony the Tigger]

1SC Retrospective
Season 5, Episode 2 - The Disney Decades

(Original Logo seems to have been lost to time)

Hosted by: @D Hulk
Started on: December 23rd, 2019
Won by: @Tux

Season 5 was returned to as part of a way to re-energize the forum after a quiet 2019.

This episode was hosted by @D Hulk returning again. He did something entirely unprecedented for the One Sentence Competition.

He made it so people only got one sentence.

Actually just a single sentence for the first time in One Sentence Comp history!

Ground breaking and revolutionary!!!!!

The theme was Disney Decades. Each round took place in a different decade. Starting with a practice prompt in the 1940s and going all the way to a finale in the 2020s (boy, were we wrong predicting what this year would be like in the parks! None of our final proposals included a global pandemic. Points off for lack of realism)

Like I said, this Episode had prompts limited to just 1 Sentences. A single picture was allowed too. No bonuses though.

The key was simplicity. The competition was stripped to the bare bones. As simple and accessible as possible. @D Hulk did a great job keeping the prompts simple enough that it never felt too limiting. All while being very fun and creative prompts. It was exactly what both the forum and the one sentence comp needed at the time. Even the number of prompts was scaled back to only 8 instead of the 10-12 that was common throughout Seasons 3 and 4.

This was part of a bit of a larger plan by a shadowy group of powerful and dangerous figures the hosts of Sorcerer's Apprentice Season 6 and the previous seasons of that game to try to revitalize the forum a bit heading into the new year and the 6th season of SA. There was end of the year awards to serve as a look back and celebration to get people excited about the past. A casual open brainstorming prompt a day thread throughout the month of december. And then the 1SC coming back starting on Christmas Day and heading right up until around the start of SAVI. But the 1SC was much more than just a prologue to a different game. It was a fun competition in its own right!

Throughout it's history, this game has served an important role in this forum. It is an easy entry point for new players. A simple way for veterans and other people with busy lives to stay connected to imagineering. Something that can be kept going pretty constantly so the forum doesn't get too quiet. And it's just pure fun! The 1SC does a lot for this forum. All by just being a simple, fun game that is accessible to everyone.

This Episode shows how sometimes simple is better. Keeping things small scale doesn't have to feel limiting if you design the game right. I might be planning to go back to 1-3 sentences, but the focus on simplicity is definitely being kept in mind as we head into the future.

Check out the 2nd Episode of the 5th Season here!

As a Discussion Question for today, let's look at my favorite prompt from Season 5, Episode 2!

"CHALLENGE 7: 2010s - Propose something new Disney could do with Magic Bands (and/or Magic Band+)"​

Nothing fancy, just simple and practical. (This was before Genie+ so…)

Second Chance Magic

You may choose to opt in to Second Chance Magic. When something previously booked up becomes available, you’ll be notified and able to grab that FP or dining reservation.

You may choose attractions only, dining only, choose by specific attraction or restaurant, or - everything!

Example: you can’t book a FP for Mine Train. You enter SCM for Mine Train on your phone. Later, if you’re in Magic Kingdom and a FP becomes available, your MB lights up a special way to alert you to check your phone and confirm or decline your pass.

1SC Retrospective
Season 5, Episode 3 - Castle Parks

(Original logo has once again been lost to the sands of time)

Hosted by: @D Hulk
Started on: July 31st, 2020
Won by: @InspectorSpacetime

Season 5 was returned to once again to fully relaunch the game!

This episode was hosted by @D Hulk returning again. He continued to keep the game simple and charming, but added a bit more flourishes and creative twists this time.

The theme was Castle Parks! Every prompt took place in a castle park, but which one was never specified. It was up to the players to decide which castle park! Even having the option to do your projects in a dream park rather than in a real one. A lot of freedom so players could do what they like best!

The development of this season was a bit unusual.

I had teased a vague something with a post that just said "1" and came back to post "1" or a Pitch Meeting meme or something like that (Something that probably sounds familiar if you've been following this thread since it started lol). It was just goofing off there with things related to the 1 sentence comp but acting like it was a big mysterious secret. My plan was to start after a couple people were eliminated from SYWTBAI on August 1st. What I didn't know is that I wasn't the only one with secret plans.

The day before I was gonna post an actual announcement, @D Hulk noticed my "1" meme/teaser thread and messaged me. He had his own full episode planned out already too! So, we talked with each other, bounced ideas of each other, shared our plans and suggested changes. His Episode felt like a perfect cap off to Season 5 and great way to smoothly bring the game back in a fun and simple way. Whereas mine worked better as a start to a new season and good expansion on what he was doing. So, we agreed he should go first, but with some ideas to get involved with each other's episodes a bit.

Once again, these prompts were all 1 Sentence and 1 Picture. @D Hulk was originally planning to start adding in 1 sentence bonuses half way into the season to slowly expand the game as it goes, but we worked out something a little different because of the behind the scenes shenanigans where we were helping give each other feedback. I'd "prank" his episode by adding bonuses, and he'd "prank" my episode too! But practically speaking, this didn't really change anything from his original plan. The bonuses still started about half way through. And mostly they were the ones D already had planned out. Biggest change was that I reviewed the bonuses so he just had to focus on the main prompts.

Again, the key was simplicity and fun prompts. There was some twists like extra bonuses for the finale or the "Fastpass" round (it was a bit longer, but had multiple very small scale prompts going at the same time). But even the twists were kept simple and light-hearted. It brought @D Hulk's trademark comedy/creativity and kept things very concentrated to a small scope.

This Episode shows how often the most important part of the One Sentence Competition is having fun with a great community. And that is definitely being kept in mind as we head into the future.

Check out the 3rd Episode of the 5th Season here!

As a Discussion Question for today, let's look at my favorite prompt from Season 5, Episode 3!

"CHALLENGE 9: Write a Jungle Cruise Joke"​

During the Jingle Cruise overlay, approaching the zebra…

All this zebra wanted for Christmas was a massage…a deep tissue massage…and when you go to the lions’ den for a deep tissue massage…it’s to die for!