The Sorcerer's Apprentice Season 4: Homecoming Edition

[MonorailRed]

MonorailRed Reviews
Part I - @D Hindley 's Submission

The Myth of Zorro​

Your post was an excellent way to dive into your proposal. Amazing artwork as usual. The way you used your artwork to coax people into the project really stood out. It sort of reminded me of an attraction poster that you would see in the train tunnels at Disneyland or Magic Kingdom. Completely Sold the First Impression!

I’m not a fan of Google Docs usually, because sometimes lengthening projects on chapters can really add extra notes to a project that aren’t needed. – That said. I really enjoyed how you handled Google Docs. Easily to navigate, nothing “extra” to the project layout.

Setting the Stage - ALTA PUEBLO – Was a very wise choice for DCA. Why there’s very little Spanish representation in DCA I’ll never know – I think this addresses that. I think the idea of bringing the past concepts of a “New Spain” area is fantastic. The detail is perfect to the point of a perfect visual description of the atmosphere, without an overindulgent use of unneeded detail. Loved how you described the transition from Carsland to this new area. Great work.

The map seemed fantastic to help set the stage on where things would be within the area. Dimensions seemed appropriate for DCA.

Nice little shop summaries. This area reminds me more of New Orleans Square than anything at DCA – and I really enjoy that.

Nice mention of Coco being an expansion – totally appropriate for DCA and the land. Ain’t no Party like a Pixar Party.

The Myth of Zorro - Ride information. I do question when the last time a 14 minute E-Ticket was last dished out. I feel like the realism is a little lost on that note. However, Navi River Journey was supposed to be 12, but had cutbacks. If TDLR saw the need for a 12-minute attraction, they’d do it. Honestly, if any of the Disney Resorts around the world would do a classic attraction like this – it’d be DLR, and DLR only. Eh, I’m overall indifferent about it now.

Queue – Yes for gigantic capacity. Love that. Oh, and the details sound wonderful. Very quaint, very DLR. Music was a nice touch.

Ride Visuals were amazing. 10/10.

Ride description truly reminded me of Western River. – And I’m a fan of Western River, so I’m all for this. Speaking of Western River, great nod in Scene 5 to the stagecoach robbery.

I think what was the most interesting about the attraction, was when it feels like it should end… it keeps going. Scenes 12-14 seemed a bit of a story overdose for me, personally. Then again, I think story overdose is a DLR thing. Pirates is longer and just when you think it ends from my WDW standard, boom – giant cannon finale.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this project. Amazing work! Very impressed as I’ve never seen someone go this route for DCA.​

 

[spacemt354]

spacemt354's Finale Reviews
Part 2
@mickeyfan5534 - Fantasia Miniland​

An inspired choice for a finale project for what was essentially a Fantasia themed competition! I admire the enthusiasm and diligence to pursue through what was a tough brainstorm this round and still be able to put out a project in advance! Goes to show your passion for imagineering - especially for attractions in Fantasyland! For a transition into the Fantasyland Forest - I do think this is an interesting placemark. Some of the fireworks fallout space is in this section of the park, but that could always be moved if entirely necessary, especially for an attraction such as this. While your fellow finalist prior might have gone underbudget - I must give you credit for budgeting high - if not a little overbudget - $425 Million for one ride is bonkers! Though that is not unreasonable for this day in age Disney if they went all out with the attraction.

Symphony Dining Hall was nice - and I think a good addition to the Magic Kingdom which needs more sit down themed restaurant such as Be Our Guest. This would take some of the heat off of that for sure. The attraction itself is quite long and would be a great people-eater capacity wise. Something the Magic Kingdom needs. At 14 minutes this would be something stunning. The RCT3 also provides a custom layout which is commended along with the ride facts. I do wish someone other than Mickey was the host, unless Philhar goes by the wayside with this expansion. Given the reliance on the Sorcerer's Hat - I think you could go through this entire attraction without even needed The Sorcerer's Apprentice segment, but including it isn't the end of the world. The entire attraction sounds wonderful on paper - as a visual person though I would have liked to have seen some pictures illustrating the scenes. Fantasia is mostly visuals - so something like that would be very impressive to see and not just read! The time-stamps for each scene is a nice job of keeping things realistic and focused. And like I was saying while each scene doesn't have to be incredibly detailed, some pictures could have helped round it out!

Overall though, you've been one of the most resourceful and cunning imagineers we've had since Stanza I, mickeyfan - and through hardships and tough times - you stuck with this competition and we are thankful for your efforts and passions, great job!

 

[spacemt354]

spacemt354's Finale Reviews
Part 3
@kmbmw777 - Avengers Assemble​

I will first start off by saying that going with Marvel in DCA is one of the more realistic options you could go with for this project given the recent announcements! And secondly, I really like how you used patents and real world unused technology as the basis for your attraction as a whole. What I did not like off the bat was the red background that kind of burned my retinas For future projects I would stray away from such a bright background and go for something more toned down a dark blue, or darker shade of red even, sort of like the Ultron title cards, would have been easier on the eyes.

The other thing I noticed, but don't hold against you because their website is down and it's tough to find, but Team Air in Season 2 did Howard Park with what they called an Avengers Unite attraction - I prefer the title Avengers Assemble and you would have gotten brownie points if you threw in a little reference to its SAU counterpart in Paris - but no harm done. It's interesting to also see the use of first person - a bold move, but I think that's your patented imagineering style. Everyone has a different writing style. If I tried that or someone else tried it, the writing might feel forced, but you have a very naturalistic first-person writing style so it fits and is unique!

The BARF tech along with tying in alternatives for Avengers 4 were nice touches, I never thought of using the tech to 'practice' for battles ala Mission: SPACE - however, like that attraction, I fear these battles will become repetitive. I would have preferred to see something that is more akin to Star Tours for variety sake. While there are three battles, maybe the BARF could have been used to travel into the 14 million whatever many alternate futures to take on Thanos with all the Avengers! That way every ride experience is something different rather than 3 things we've already experienced in New York, Ultron, and Wakanda.

Using Tony as face of the attraction though was a good move - allows a bit of humor involved which is Marvel's strong point. And the level of detail you went into with the blueprint as well as the various rooms and effects was very well done. And like I said I do like the training aspect, I just wish there was potentially a bit more variety. But since you used practical effects, it would be tough to make it into variety - it'd have to involve the infamous screenz for that to happen

Overall, I thought this was a bit of a step up from Flight of Passage, a worthy finale proposal from someone who has grown throughout the time both as an imagineer and as a teammate - who will (in a coming announcement) be one of the main faces of the next season - so thank you Kevin for all you've done and great work!

 

[spacemt354]

spacemt354's Finale Reviews
Part 4
@DisneyFan18 - Journey to the Mysterious Island​

I like how we start off with your Attraction cards that you began in Stanza II - a nice tie in to an original concept you started with the EPCOT Center Pavilions! Nice intro backstory to hype up the why, when, what you're doing and why you're placing it in the Magic Kingdom. It absolutely needs another E-Ticket, in particular on the west side of the park with TRON coming to the east side. Probably would have preferred a different name than Mysterious Island given its popularity at Tokyo DisneySea. I could see guests saying "which Mysterious Island?" especially international ones, something more original could have helped it stand out a bit more - but if the name works, it works! It fits the Adventureland feel and utilizes the expansion pad well.

At first when you said that the S.E.A. characters didn't have a large role at WDW - I thought of Bullion at BTMR, and Mary Oceaneer at Miss Adventure, and Dr. Albert Falls in Skipper Canteen/Jungle Cruise, but in another sense you are right that those are more hints at characters rather than Mystic Manor or Hightower Hotel that have them front and center. While most imagineering projects end up going the route of creating a new S.E.A. character - it was actually more interesting to see an Avengers S.E.A. type attraction - combining them all together!

In that same sense though, while the queue sets up an experience of suspense and awe - especially divided up into the three sections, I think for a team-up of characters that are specified in different areas, there should have been an Expedition Everest-style museum or S.E.A. outpost of sorts that showed the five characters on adventures in the past - so it didn't just seem like they were all randomly on the island. I think you tried to do that in the Volcanic Vaults with the pre-show by Mary, but I think with S.E.A. they tell their stories through letters and props, especially in the BTMR queue - so something of that nature I think would have been even more impressive than it was.

As for the attraction - the SFX style was great, a new and innovative ride system for Disney and I think it works well with what the attraction contained - a Crystal Grotto to start, I could see this being such a mesmorizing opening scene. Followed up by exotic paradise scenes, as well as other adventurous settings - it feels like something that would be unlike any attraction currently in the Magic Kingdom. A nice change of pace. Scene 6 - watch your language! I was a bit mixed on the references to Moana, Tarzan, and such - but I think you did it organically enough where it wouldn't be so distracting from the attraction - more easter eggs for people who have paid attention.

And I hadn't mentioned yet - but I loved the style of this presentation. While Google Docs have been used throughout the season - what you did with this doc was impressive with the WDI logo and your name flanking the title lines, felt like a real proposal - great effort there!

The attraction had a solid ending as well - concluding on a satisfying Disney-esque note. In the end, the Rookie of the Year winner and most improved imagineer for the Homecoming Awards has continued to grow and develop throughout the season - if you pinned the first few attraction write-ups from Stanza I against the write-ups in Stanza XIV you'd notice such a distinct improvement and that's really what this is all about - congrats, DisneyFan and thank you for all your efforts!

 

[spacemt354]

spacemt354's Finale Reviews
Part 5
@AceAstro - The Enchanted Frozen Palace​

*Opens link*....well you have my attention!

Seriously though, what a creative idea for presentation to take it to such a level of realism and inventiveness. From the related posts articles, to the new episode of OSC articles, to the bizarre yet humorous self-promotion of sexiest muppet fan alive, not going any further than that I think this was an excellent way to begin a presentation. It definitely makes it stand out among the crowd! While presentation was not a necessity, you definitely used it to your advantage with how to take an idea like Frozen (which in imagineering circles might not be the most well-received IP for originality off the bat) and make the reader almost forget about that based on the authenticity of the custom presentation.

I like the sort of prologue on the welcome page giving a brief synopsis of what you'll find when you click on each option - and the organization of your custom site truly does help make the presentation feel more interactive in its nature, and less like a linear, traditional post.

The history and reasoning contributing their factors to the attraction's designation as 'timeless' was very interesting - using the old Marc Davis concept that was very similar to Frozen! With so many other Frozen attractions in pre-prep design stages, I can't help but this your attraction would help re-direct some of those projects to blend in moreso with EFP.

Losing Toontown and all the subtle gags, stores, and attractions for this did initially strike me as a bit of an interesting bargain. As part of me hoped that Toontown would be able to ride out the wave, there was another part of me that understands. I do wish more emphasis was placed on the why in this segment. It seemed like the site itself was self-aware that this might be a negative of the project and tried to rush passed it and onto more positive notes I do think it will contribute to a more well-manicured section of the park. While Toontown can be tacky and deliberately, well, cartoony, Arendelle blends in much better with the surrounding European areas, and I love the idea of snow off the train-tracks above, and much props for showing how the castle will look from other areas of the park! Great details!

Gearing towards the queue - the joystick controlled trolls seemed a bit forced tech, while it fits on Space Mountain, that's more tech based than something set in a medieval ice castle. I can't imagine they'd have joysticks or TVs - instead I think a more naturalistic queue along with the instrumental music you had really set a nice tone and with some things to read and see, maybe even touch, it could have a similar interactive tone to something akin to the Expedition Everest queue. And in Disneyland, interactive queues are less needed than in WDW, or at least are less common the last time I visited. Oh this let it go piano song you have in the background on a playlist is very 'cool'

Using the Shanghai pirates tech along with the various ride stats is a strong element of the project - it allows a lot of flexibility with your attraction as well as something new that isn't the classic Pirates or Splash that Disneyland already has for boat rides. It would also be different than Small World right next door.

The map is well done and oriented, the duel loading system will also help for speed and flow of capacity. This attraction could have easily turned into a book report of the film, but I was happy to see some variety - while you incorporated the songs from the film - it was in a more unique fashion, with a different non-linear story arc.

In the end, this was a very impressive final project and one that I think rivals some of the best work you've ever done, Ace - great job and thanks for all your work throughout the Season and into the next!

 

[spacemt354]

spacemt354's Finale Reviews
Part 6
@Voxel - Project Mars Pavilion​

The Homecoming King's project! With all the stuff you have going on I have no idea how you have time to keep this going but you've now completed an entire season of SA despite all of work. Haha that is pretty remarkable. I like how you pointed out despite all the changes we still haven't touched the Wonders of Life Pavilion. Combining both WoL and Mission: SPACE is an interesting idea - making Mission: SPACE almost like a 'pre-attraction' in and of itself to the bigger Project Mars Pavilion. It reminds me of the Sea Cabs in The Living Seas, but on a much grander scale!

It makes use of an unused pavilion that they really don't know what to do with too - and somehow integrates the space theme of Guardians in 2021 to actually fit relatively in with the space travel section of the park. I will take it that the rover attraction is the main attraction of the project - I think you even said you went big with this one ha, well it shows but I think a lot of that description was necessary for what you were intending to do. Having an EMV Mars attraction would be super cool, I would ride that in a heartbeat and implementing that ride system in EPCOT would actually be needed. Remember we have The Microverse and The Wetch, both coasters on the west side of the park, Test Track and Guardians on the East Side - so an EMV dark ride style attraction could be the perfect match to compliment the other coasters.

The ride through was solid - did Matt Damon have a name or does it just say Matt Damon when he shows up? If his name is Buzzy that would be the ultimate easter egg (I will pretend his name is that) Getting back to that though I would have for the ride through liked to have seen some more images or at least a basic ride map as we went through the scene descriptions. While the dialogue was pretty realistic for an EMV attraction, some accompanying images could have helped further elaborate it - or maybe even a background loop for the queue or lobby, something to continue to immerse into the story of Project Mars.

Disembarking the ride, the Lab 75 was a nice reference to Starport 75 and The NASA future of humanity attraction would be pretty cool to see - a nice post-show area attraction to explore.

Overall - it's fitting your first project manager role was with EPCOT Center, and you end on EPCOT Center - everyone thanks you so much for all your efforts throughout the season since the beginning back in March and you've shown you still 'got it!' as an imagineer and one of the best we have - thanks, Vox and great job!

 

[mickeyfan5534]

spacemt354's Finale Reviews
Part 2
@mickeyfan5534 - Fantasia Miniland​

An inspired choice for a finale project for what was essentially a Fantasia themed competition! I admire the enthusiasm and diligence to pursue through what was a tough brainstorm this round and still be able to put out a project in advance! Goes to show your passion for imagineering - especially for attractions in Fantasyland! For a transition into the Fantasyland Forest - I do think this is an interesting placemark. Some of the fireworks fallout space is in this section of the park, but that could always be moved if entirely necessary, especially for an attraction such as this. While your fellow finalist prior might have gone underbudget - I must give you credit for budgeting high - if not a little overbudget - $425 Million for one ride is bonkers! Though that is not unreasonable for this day in age Disney if they went all out with the attraction.

Symphony Dining Hall was nice - and I think a good addition to the Magic Kingdom which needs more sit down themed restaurant such as Be Our Guest. This would take some of the heat off of that for sure. The attraction itself is quite long and would be a great people-eater capacity wise. Something the Magic Kingdom needs. At 14 minutes this would be something stunning. The RCT3 also provides a custom layout which is commended along with the ride facts. I do wish someone other than Mickey was the host, unless Philhar goes by the wayside with this expansion. Given the reliance on the Sorcerer's Hat - I think you could go through this entire attraction without even needed The Sorcerer's Apprentice segment, but including it isn't the end of the world. The entire attraction sounds wonderful on paper - as a visual person though I would have liked to have seen some pictures illustrating the scenes. Fantasia is mostly visuals - so something like that would be very impressive to see and not just read! The time-stamps for each scene is a nice job of keeping things realistic and focused. And like I was saying while each scene doesn't have to be incredibly detailed, some pictures could have helped round it out!

Overall though, you've been one of the most resourceful and cunning imagineers we've had since Stanza I, mickeyfan - and through hardships and tough times - you stuck with this competition and we are thankful for your efforts and passions, great job!

If I may comment, the budget was astronomical, but with the number of complex AAs in the ride, including Chernabog which is designed to be one of the largest AAs ever and the multiple complex Spring Sprites, it only made sense for such a large budget. Yes, something that should have been in the project but there's a lot of hindsight in the presentation that I'd do different.

 

[spacemt354]

spacemt354's Finale Reviews
Part 7
@FigmentPigments - Invasion of the Heartless​

I am glad I took your advice and waiting till the morning to read this one! It took a while to wrap my head around this concept because I'm not too big into video games. I've heard of Kingdom Hearts, played it a few times, but not in depth enough to understand who the Heartless, were what the objectives are, etc. The choice of Tokyo Disneyland was inspired - it's something different that really nobody else so far chose - and includes an attraction that would blend in very nicely with the video game prowess in Japan.

Your location choice was good as well and I'm assuming that this is changing a bit of the Tokyo Disneyland expansion project (completely allowed in the SAU) though I would have liked to see more of a reference to that rather than just saying the plans have changed, nevertheless though kudos for mentioning it, and taking advantage of that option. Having the town be fulling enclosed was a bold move - not sure I would have done that, however with Tokyo's weather patterns, and already enclosed Main Street, you make a strong argument for it. And how you keep the aesthetics of the night sky and everything in the enclosed setting could be very interesting (and well separated from the rest of the park so you don't have to worry about transitions)

Some backstory was effective at describing what the guests are getting into - though to a novice like myself I'm assuming that this will be in the form of a plaque or entrance sign of some sorts, reworded a bit but as an overview of the area to familiarize people. The Invasion of the Heartless E-Ticket now -- very impressed with the custom safety sign - I really appreciate those (and from our own past attractions like the Galactic Bounty Hunter project a few years ago that was were we first started including those safety signs!)

The idea of a cavalcade of characters is also another bold move! Similar to one of the earlier projects, Tokyo Disneyland also has a PhilharMagic which delves into some of these character's stories such as The Sorcerer's Apprentice scene, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and so one. I would have (personally) like to have seen a reference to what would happen to that attraction as some of the characters would have repeat exposure. That being said, others, such as Hercules, are getting the lime light for the first time. The ride vehicles using the (what I'll call) Simba tech (SMVBBOOA) was a nice choice! I had never heard of that tech before and it was a great implementation of it. I would have liked to know what the attraction capacity was especially since each vehicle can only hold 2 guests, I can only imagine this would be a popular attraction and might need some more capacity per vehicle.

The attraction itself was very well written and original with the health bars going down each segment to designate how you're doing in the attraction. For a brand new interactive component to an attraction - this is something that intrigues me a lot! The re-rideability factor plays a big role in that as well...as guests can continue to go back on again and again and have a different experience each time, though concluding in the final boss battle at the end.

In the end, this was a very unique proposal and one that really pushed the boundaries for an E-Ticket. When you go bold some aspects might work better than others but overall this was something to be proud of and I sincerely thank you Figment for all your work in this Season - coming back after basically a year off, jumping right back into the swing of things, and really blending in well on Brava and with everyone in the playoffs - thank you and wonderful job!

 

[MonorailRed]

MonorailRed Reviews
Part II - @mickeyfan5534 's Submission


Fantasia Miniland ​

I think using Fantasia as a project theme truly evoked the Sorcerer’s Apprentice theme – and a great way to post a finale project for the comp!

Nice introduction. The budget was realistic and helpful, as was the map.

I thought it was an interesting choice to expand Fantasyland, since it recently was given an expansion. I’m a little unsure about the fireworks fallout zone, since the cast lot would be the next usable space? I mean technically you could use the northwest area of the part, but it would really center off the fireworks, and in turn, center off the views from deluxe resort rooms. I’m also interested how this would affect the railroad. Wishes was still going on in '15, and had more fireworks in place that Happily.

Symphony Dining hall seems to address the issue at Magic Kingdom Everyone knows to well – Quick Service Capacity. This takes place in 2015, which means the Cosmic Ray’s expansion hasn’t happened and BOG is crazy wait times. Perfect info amount on menu, it doesn’t distract from the attraction. Greek/French cuisine would fill a need in Magic Kingdom at the time. Excellent work!

The track you designed was amazing! I think it was your best illustration this season!

In this timeline, this is the first Mickey related attraction on property – rather than the railway. The AA amount sounded realistic – but I highly doubt TDO would ever make a 14-minute attraction in 2015. In fact, TDO diminishing Navi River from the original 12 minutes worries me on that note. The aide, the story and plot sounded like it would fit perfectly in Fantasyland.

The queue sounded like a fantastic explosion of Fantasia’s artistic side, which I truly enjoyed. I wish more artwork or pictures were included to convey your concept overall. It would have truly bumped up the presentation.

Pre-Show sounded nice, it reminded me of a mixture of enchanted tales and TSMM’s queue. Very nice.

The Scenes were wonderful, and truly fit the movie. I do think Scene 2 was a bit out of Landscape in line with the other scenes. Since the opposite scenes were about outdoor landscapes, it seemed odd to go into an indoor environment and then an outdoor environment for the rest of the attraction.

Overall, excellent work Mickeyfan! I liked this project! It established needs Magic Kingdom had within the time period, and overall brought more capacity to Fantasyland while keeping the land’s charm.​

 

[spacemt354]

spacemt354's Finale Reviews
Part 8
@Pionmycake - Modern Times on Main Street USA​

What I do like about these individual projects is that each person is able to evoke his or her own style in a way that might seen jarring as part of a team. D Hindley with his SAT vocab descriptions, mickeyfan with his classic Disney charm, Kevin with his first person writing style, DisneyFan adding in his title attraction cards, Ace being meticulous to the details of the prompt, Vox going with a space/Mars EPCOT project, Figment with her passion to write thoroughly and delve into new concepts - and now Pi with his humor and enthusiasm that permeates throughout the project!

As soon as I opened up the document I was like - yes, this is a Pi Project On a more serious note though, at first I was concerned about the fit of an omnimover on Main Street, or a big attraction in general, but going through the points it really began to sell me (and that's why I've stressed how important the 'why' factor is to these projects!) You're right - adding an IP attraction or something of that intensive nature will just attract more and more people into the Magic Kingdom, whereas you took the approach of adding something relatively simple to design with an omnimover, 'scratching the itch' as you said for more omnimovers, and made it more non-IP. This isn't an attraction that you'd see placed on the park maps or on commercials telling people to come on down to the Magic Kingdom - but then again, neither are some of the timeless attractions throughout Walt Disney World.

Progress Avenue and the World's Fair of 1901 was an interesting way to tie in different 'Waltisms' into Main Street. The ornate entrance and queue were very well described. The demo pictures did the job well for what you were going for. And then I see you have @pixie_princess and yourself in the TSMM cars haha nice touch! (As well as the intro post as well with everyone in the dresses) along with the background music loop which I must say is a great fit to listen to along with reading the project. Pineapple Rag is my favorite!

I liked the description for Professor Marvelous, a bit derivative of Dreamfinder and Professor Marvel, but he fits this attraction well. I would like to have seen a picture of him though as that would have helped give him more depth and a face to go with the name. There looks to be an image there but it's a little blurry.

Getting to the attraction I think you did a wonderful job and eliciting what makes timeless attractions, well...timeless - the atmosphere! A focus on the atmosphere helps this attraction a lot and being inspired by the humor of World of Motion - you have my attention! While I know you were rushed for time, maybe if you ever revisited this project, what I think could be a neat way to explore the ride through, is through a video of your doodles, that is reminiscent of a flip book that you'd look into at an exposition hall or something. Kind of like what they have at Disney's Boardwalk in the lobby - have your doodles change with small descriptions underneath - because if the focus is on atmosphere the best way to get that across is by showing rather than telling! Combine that with Pineapple Rag in the background and you'd have such a visceral presentation! That being said, the transitions described from scene to scene were very well done - and while it would have been nice to hear Modern Times with your vocals, the thought put into the lyrics is appreciated. I can imagine it. Progress Avenue and the updates to Carousel of Progress were something that I didn't even realize until now how close CoP was to your attraction - very cool! I also like the realism of cutting some budgetary stuff at the end, and the hilarity of the conclusion. Where's the visual of that Iger sequence!? And 84 pages! Completed the Grand Circle Tour of Season 4.

Overall, as the ragtime music continues to play in the background - this was a very well thought out project for someone who self-admitted to being busy this week. It tied in nicely with your 'home' of The Plaza (which I just tried a few weeks ago for the first time and was amazing) and added a timeless attraction to Main Street USA, something a bit unexpected but refreshing, and thank you for all your efforts and passion throughout the Season since Stanza I - great job!

 

[Pi on my Cake]

spacemt354's Finale Reviews
Part 8
@Pionmycake - Modern Times on Main Street USA

What I do like about these individual projects is that each person is able to evoke his or her own style in a way that might seen jarring as part of a team. D Hindley with his SAT vocab descriptions, mickeyfan with his classic Disney charm, Kevin with his first person writing style, DisneyFan adding in his title attraction cards, Ace being meticulous to the details of the prompt, Vox going with a space/Mars EPCOT project, Figment with her passion to write thoroughly and delve into new concepts - and now Pi with his humor and enthusiasm that permeates throughout the project!

As soon as I opened up the document I was like - yes, this is a Pi Project On a more serious note though, at first I was concerned about the fit of an omnimover on Main Street, or a big attraction in general, but going through the points it really began to sell me (and that's why I've stressed how important the 'why' factor is to these projects!) You're right - adding an IP attraction or something of that intensive nature will just attract more and more people into the Magic Kingdom, whereas you took the approach of adding something relatively simple to design with an omnimover, 'scratching the itch' as you said for more omnimovers, and made it more non-IP. This isn't an attraction that you'd see placed on the park maps or on commercials telling people to come on down to the Magic Kingdom - but then again, neither are some of the timeless attractions throughout Walt Disney World.

Progress Avenue and the World's Fair of 1901 was an interesting way to tie in different 'Waltisms' into Main Street. The ornate entrance and queue were very well described. The demo pictures did the job well for what you were going for. And then I see you have @pixie_princess and yourself in the TSMM cars haha nice touch! (As well as the intro post as well with everyone in the dresses) along with the background music loop which I must say is a great fit to listen to along with reading the project. Pineapple Rag is my favorite!

I liked the description for Professor Marvelous, a bit derivative of Dreamfinder and Professor Marvel, but he fits this attraction well. I would like to have seen a picture of him though as that would have helped give him more depth and a face to go with the name. There looks to be an image there but it's a little blurry.

Getting to the attraction I think you did a wonderful job and eliciting what makes timeless attractions, well...timeless - the atmosphere! A focus on the atmosphere helps this attraction a lot and being inspired by the humor of World of Motion - you have my attention! While I know you were rushed for time, maybe if you ever revisited this project, what I think could be a neat way to explore the ride through, is through a video of your doodles, that is reminiscent of a flip book that you'd look into at an exposition hall or something. Kind of like what they have at Disney's Boardwalk in the lobby - have your doodles change with small descriptions underneath - because if the focus is on atmosphere the best way to get that across is by showing rather than telling! Combine that with Pineapple Rag in the background and you'd have such a visceral presentation! That being said, the transitions described from scene to scene were very well done - and while it would have been nice to hear Modern Times with your vocals, the thought put into the lyrics is appreciated. I can imagine it. Progress Avenue and the updates to Carousel of Progress were something that I didn't even realize until now how close CoP was to your attraction - very cool! I also like the realism of cutting some budgetary stuff at the end, and the hilarity of the conclusion. Where's the visual of that Iger sequence!? And 84 pages! Completed the Grand Circle Tour of Season 4.

Overall, as the ragtime music continues to play in the background - this was a very well thought out project for someone who self-admitted to being busy this week. It tied in nicely with your 'home' of The Plaza (which I just tried a few weeks ago for the first time and was amazing) and added a timeless attraction to Main Street USA, something a bit unexpected but refreshing, and thank you for all your efforts and passion throughout the Season since Stanza I - great job!

Funny story, I actually wanted to do a video slideshow of the doodles as a way to help sell the atmosphere like you suggested, but I wound up with work and all not having enough time to do more than the two.

That's actually why they are the very simple, stylistically cartoony doodles because I was trying to make them look almost like story boards!

Anyways, glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for an amazing season!

 

[MonorailRed]

MonorailRed's Reviews
Part III

@kmbmw777 's Submission

Avengers Assemble​

I like how you used immersion to start off your presentation, and I enjoyed your use of Google Docs. I like that you used the bright red to catch the attention of the intro slide, but I do question the bright red used for all the slides within the presentation.

Nice Intro. Sold the ride and short summary of attraction - hit all the points. Very nice title for the attraction.

Map was enough to detect where things were in the project – I do with an actual font was used in it though to convey ideas, I think it would have made it more professional.

The queue was simple and concise – excellent work on it! It really immersed me into the attraction.

It was great how you addressed the Avengers timeline issues by using the B.A.R.F. technology. I also loved the idea of Tony being the “leader” of the attraction.

The attraction was amazing – but the highlight of the entire attraction was absolutely the way you used the flying coaster patent. Excellent work finding that!

Overall, an amazing final project! Spectacular job!

@DisneyFan18 's Submission

Journey to the Mysterious Island
​

Nice use of Google Docs. The small little details made it feel more like a WDI document sent, rather than a WDWMagic project.

Premise – I like how you addressed guest dispersion issues in the park right off the bat. I think it was very wise to keep that in mind while planning your E-Ticket. SEA was a nice answer for the mish-mash that is Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland. I think SEA’s variety works well with Adventureland’s variety.

I was a little saddened that you recycled characters from SEA, however. Just because I feel that it doesn’t necessarily strengthen the SEA story as much as adds to it. I wish there was some new people within this attraction, as it seems a bit repetitive with Big Thunder and Skipper Canteen across the way.

SFX Coaster was a brilliant move! Love the capacity and the ride vehicle design. Timeline sounded realistic.

Set Up – Your map was fantastic! I think it showed the layout of the attraction perfectly! Awesome work integrating google maps in as well.

Adding Tarzan and Moana references sort of made it feel like too many cooks in the kitchen. I wish if you were going the SEA route it went in total immersion of the land in its own sense, rather than Moana and Tarzan.

I also wish there were more visuals to depict your vision of architecture. I sort of get the concept of using Atlantis as a guideline for the shop, but I wish there was some sort of more descriptive detail.

Queue – I really enjoyed the concept of the Mysterious island and the MagicBand integration. Though I was a bit lost with the Cave of Wonders reference.

Attraction – I’ll say it again – I love SFX style with this! Overall nice attraction, with a wild finale. The Treasure Chamber reminded me a bit of the Spaceship Earth scene, which was a nice touch in my opinion. I think it also plays off of the bookshelves in Skipper Canteen.

Overall, Great Work this season!

@AceAstro 's Submission

The Enchanted Frozen Palace​

Intro – Amazing Intro! Such a creative presentation concept. 10/10 on that.

The Welcome Page helps immensely with navigation and introduction to the website.

Introduction – I love that you chose the Enchanted Snow Palace. Along with WRE, I think this concept had a lot of potential if done correctly. The way you integrated Snow Palace’s history with today’s DLR issues was phenomenal.

Land Overview – I think this could get mixed reviews from guests, but I enjoy the decision of Toontown’s removal. The train tracks lead to a great transitional piece you set up

Queue – I like that you kept sightlines in mind when doing this project. I think you were one of the very few that did this challenge.

I thought the joystick as a means for queue entertainment was a bit odd…. Though I did like the trolls theme! The indoor element of the queue was spectacular.

Ride Details – Using Shanghai’s boat system from pirates was a brilliant move for this! 10/10 in my book!

Ride – I really enjoyed this attraction! It seemed very Disneyland-esque. Dark ride mixed with big entertainment. Very nice!

Overall spectacular work!

 

[MonorailRed]

MonorailRed's Reviews
Part IV​

@Voxel 's Submission

Project Mars Pavilion​

I was wondering if you would do an EPCOT project! This is something that is big! Maybe a little too big, but gives Mission: Space a more important purpose than what it is today.

That's what I like about this project, it adds purpose to Future World East, and makes the Wonders of life relevant again.

Your detail and descriptions have really improved over the course of the season, brilliant! I know you're busy but at full strength it would have been awesome to see some Sketch-up work to go with this project. To me that's what it really needed to push it over the top! A great idea, that needs some added elements to be more custom. Some of the images, especially of just the old WoL, didn't do as good of a job as say the Microverse at immersing me in the setting.

An EMV at Epcot is neat! And I like the SpaceX tie in, I think you separated yourself enough from Dinosaur for it co-exist as well. The Matt Damon cameo was pretty good, though in the end I don't think he served as much of a purpose as he could have.

The ambition in this one was the standout. While it might be too big, you did what you're passionate about and that's all that we could ask for! It would be a welcome addition to the current day park for sure!

And the extra bonus areas within the Wonders of Life do a great service to an otherwise empty building. Great job!

@FigmentPigments 's Submission

Invasion of the Heartless​

I think Kingdom Hearts is a brilliant choice for Tokyo Disneyland! I think it fits incredibly well.

The site choice was wonderful. I would have liked to see how this changed the future Tokyo Disneyland Expansions, rather than a short mention. Consuming the Traverse town setting indoors was a brilliant move – completely needed for Tokyo’s weather. I like how you used that to your advantage, such as the night sky effects.

The attraction alone has a wonderful storyline in tied in magnificently with the game. I think the interactive component really set it over the edge, and I can truly see this as a way TDLR would try to compete with Nintendoland.

I loved the Keyblade shop! I think that was absolutely brilliant!

Overall, the unique aspects took me to this being a “new” classic for the TDLR crowd, as it centers itself in contemporary interactive features of a “new classic” videogame storyline.

@Pionmycake 's Submission

Modern Times on Main Street USA
​

This project really felt like it was your project through and through. Haha and I have to congratulate you for the forum’s top troll job for a proposal! As soon as I opened it, I was completely in fear of opening and dissecting an 84-page project.

Professor Marvelous seemed like a true Disney Parks character in all aspects. Personally, an artistic drawing of him would have helped further his description more immensely in the presentation. Some of the illustrations were nice, but some sort of similar picture would have been nice visuals.

I truly enjoyed the attraction – I think it evoked Main Street incredibly well and used the bypass to its full potential (to add even more capacity on New Year’s Eve).

Music was in the forefront of this presentation as well, I really enjoyed that element of the project.

Overall, this project was, well thought out, or in Disney U terms, very intentional. Everything in this concept had a purpose, and expanded the lore of Main Street much more than it has in any Disney Park in the past. Amazing work!

 

[spacemt354]

The Finale

After the finalists completed and submitted their projects in Stanza XIV - they reunited once again with Yen Sid, Figment, and Dreamfinder - as well as the entire cast from Homecoming Edition.

For a special finale celebration, the 24 person cast assembled around the World Showcase Lagoon at dusk for a commemorative event, taking a look back at past accomplishments throughout the season - Reflections of Homecoming



A special thanks to all who competed throughout this season
@AceAstro @Anlavaro @Brer Oswald @ctxak98 @D Hindley @Disney Dad 3000 @DisneyFan18 @DisneyManOne @englanddg @FigmentPigments @Flippin'Flounder @IDInstitute @kmbmw777 @Magic Feather @MA Screamin' @mickeyfan5534 @Pionmycake @pixie_princess @Poe Dameron @RMichael21 @Skipper2 @TheOriginalTiki @TwilightZone and @Voxel

And to all the main judges and guest judges for their helpful feedback and contributions
Main Judge: @tcool123
Guest Judges: @FireMountain @Fox&Hound @michmousefan @pixie_princess @P_Radden @Poe Dameron @Sam4D23 @v_k @WEDImagineering @WowFactor

Afterwards...they proceeded on to the final night showing of Fantasmic! at the newly re-named, Disney-MGM Studios...​

 

[spacemt354]

The Finale - Results

As the players gathered around for the beginning of Fantasmic - they listened to a few announcements from the hosts MonorailRed and spacemt354, about the thought process that went into each and every ranking. This finale was one of the best pure imagineering Stanzas not only of this Season, but arguably of all-time. Eight projects of creativity, passion, and prowess put on display all for one position as the next Sorcerer's Apprentice.

Throughout the season there have been shining moments for each one of these finalists - moments to be proud of and look to as examples of their imagineering talents, especially when at full strength. A timed project such as this when there are several variables to take into account is a built-in dynamic to all of these imagineering games. That being said - those that rise above get rewarded, as we have not only crowned the next Sorcerer's Apprentice, but have divided up the results into:

Honorable Mentions
Projects that we truly enjoyed - and that deserve recognition of achievement in spite of the very competitive field of imagineering that surrounded them. These projects might not have gone as in-depth as others, could have used some extra visuals to entice the reader more, but nevertheless were very good projects in and of themselves.

Bronze Mickey
(3rd Place)
Projects that stood out for their bold moves, creative thinking, and design. These projects took a unique approach, were well-detailed and organized, yet in the field of strong competition, could have used something to push it over the top - whether it be additional custom artwork, or a more unique presentation to truly immerse the project in the prompt's goal of a 'timeless' E-Ticket. Added correlations could have helped, but still these were such amazing designs on their own and are definitely worth being proud of and recognized as such.

Silver Mickey
(2nd Place)
This project identified with the prompt's main objective, focusing on atmosphere, theme, and classic ambiance of a Disney E-Ticket. The reasoning was also well off, like the Honorable Mentions and Bronze, but took it to another level to ensure that the reader knew exactly why this was being built, what the purpose was, and so on. That being said, it was a step below the upper tier projects for this round in the sense of total immersion whether it be through diction or style. With that, a Silver is a medal of success.

High Honor Silver Medal
(2nd Place)
While not the winning project, this place deserved a separate category for attention to design, detail, and diction, that surpassed the others in our minds through and through. It was truly one of the stand out projects in an incredible competitive field. It identified with its park, resonated with the timeless E-Ticket categories of kinetic energy, ambiance, and music, as well as provided great visuals and stunning detail to depict exactly how the attraction would unfold. Nevertheless, one project stood out to us as something that truly identified with our goals and aspirations of Homecoming Edition

The Sorcerer's Apprentice
(1st Place)
When we started the season, even from the inception of it brainstorming in January, our goal was to have an environment that enabled everyone to not be afraid to try new things. An environment that encouraged attention to detail, asking questions, delved into the details, and learning from the past to apply for the future. This project exemplied the season as a whole, and is a fitting reminder that if you can dream it, you can do it!

And now - we present - The Finale Results
​

Space: "Well we're almost back from the future"
Red: "Oh it went by so quickly"
Space: Yes but one of the nice things about traveling into the future is that the journey's just beginning
Red: "That's right"
Space: And I'll tell you something, if we can dream it, we really can do it - and that's the most exciting part.

From all of us, thanks for exploring The Sorcerer's Apprentice Universe!​

 

[DisneyFan18]

The Finale - Results

As the players gathered around for the beginning of Fantasmic - they listened to a few announcements from the hosts MonorailRed and spacemt354, about the thought process that went into each and every ranking. This finale was one of the best pure imagineering Stanzas not only of this Season, but arguably of all-time. Eight projects of creativity, passion, and prowess put on display all for one position as the next Sorcerer's Apprentice.

Throughout the season there have been shining moments for each one of these finalists - moments to be proud of and look to as examples of their imagineering talents, especially when at full strength. A timed project such as this when there are several variables to take into account is a built-in dynamic to all of these imagineering games. That being said - those that rise above get rewarded, as we have not only crowned the next Sorcerer's Apprentice, but have divided up the results into:

Honorable Mentions
Projects that we truly enjoyed - and that deserve recognition of achievement in spite of the very competitive field of imagineering that surrounded them. These projects might not have gone as in-depth as others, could have used some extra visuals to entice the reader more, but nevertheless were very good projects in and of themselves.

Bronze Mickey
(3rd Place)
Projects that stood out for their bold moves, creative thinking, and design. These projects took a unique approach, were well-detailed and organized, yet in the field of strong competition, could have used something to push it over the top - whether it be additional custom artwork, or a more unique presentation to truly immerse the project in the prompt's goal of a 'timeless' E-Ticket. Added correlations could have helped, but still these were such amazing designs on their own and are definitely worth being proud of and recognized as such.

Silver Mickey
(2nd Place)
This project identified with the prompt's main objective, focusing on atmosphere, theme, and classic ambiance of a Disney E-Ticket. The reasoning was also well off, like the Honorable Mentions and Bronze, but took it to another level to ensure that the reader knew exactly why this was being built, what the purpose was, and so on. That being said, it was a step below the upper tier projects for this round in the sense of total immersion whether it be through diction or style. With that, a Silver is a medal of success.

High Honor Silver Medal
(2nd Place)
While not the winning project, this place deserved a separate category for attention to design, detail, and diction, that surpassed the others in our minds through and through. It was truly one of the stand out projects in an incredible competitive field. It identified with its park, resonated with the timeless E-Ticket categories of kinetic energy, ambiance, and music, as well as provided great visuals and stunning detail to depict exactly how the attraction would unfold. Nevertheless, one project stood out to us as something that truly identified with our goals and aspirations of Homecoming Edition

The Sorcerer's Apprentice
(1st Place)
When we started the season, even from the inception of it brainstorming in January, our goal was to have an environment that enabled everyone to not be afraid to try new things. An environment that encouraged attention to detail, asking questions, delved into the details, and learning from the past to apply for the future. This project exemplied the season as a whole, and is a fitting reminder that if you can dream it, you can do it!

And now - we present - The Finale Results
​

Space: "Well we're almost back from the future"
Red: "Oh it went by so quickly"
Space: Yes but one of the nice things about traveling into the future is that the journey's just beginning
Red: "That's right"
Space: And I'll tell you something, if we can dream it, we really can do it - and that's the most exciting part.

From all of us, thanks for exploring The Sorcerer's Apprentice Universe!​

Thank you Red & Space for such an amazing competition it was really fun, and I really enjoyed it! Congratulations to all the finalists, and to the winner, the Sorcerer Apprentice, Ace!

 

[D Hulk]

Congratulations @AceAstro!

 

[AceAstro]

Thank you Red & Space for such an amazing competition it was really fun, and I really enjoyed it! Congratulations to all the finalists, and to the winner, the Sorcerer Apprentice, Ace!

Congratulations @AceAstro!

Thank you both!! I am just speechless right now!

 

[AceAstro]

Now that I have "recovered" slightly,

Thank you Red & Space for such an amazing competition it was really fun, and I really enjoyed it! Congratulations to all the finalists, and to the winner, the Sorcerer Apprentice, Ace!

Thank you! I agree that this was an incredible season by everyone! Also, congrats on 3rd place! I loved your project!

 

[AceAstro]

Congratulations @AceAstro!

Thank you! I can't believe it. I honestly thought you had it in the bag and the rest of us were fighting for second. You definitely made me work harder for it