The Sorcerer's Apprentice Season 4: Homecoming Edition

[spacemt354]

 

[Voxel]

FADE IN

Location: Inside the Walt Disney Imagineering Future Design Headquarters, Glendale, CA

There was a gentle knock on the door as the sharply dressed FedEx driver gently placed a small crate at the front of the office. Being the prudent employee he is, Space quickly went to the door signing for the crate. Picking up the small package, Space carried it into the nearest conference room while calling out, "Tcool! Red! It looks like we have a delivery!"

Gathering around the package, Tcool pulled out his constantly handy crowbar and forced the crate open. On top laid a freshly typed letter. As Red grabbed the letter to read aloud, a small blue binder saw the light of day. "Let's start with the letter," Red said rationally as Space tried to quickly pull out the binders.

"I guess.." Tcool and Space said redundantly.

"Dear WDI Future Management" Red began reading. "Enclosed is Team Brava's proposal for the Epcot Development effort. Besides this letter, there should be a blue notebook containing the details for a new Microverse Pavilion and a red notebook containing details for the new Turkey Pavilion. Finally, to assist in providing relevant project information, we have enclosed a VHS with songs, scenery, and inspiration for these project. We hope you select our proposals for implementation and hope to treat you all Dole Whip in the near future."

As Red finished reading the letter, Space place the two notebooks on the conference table as Tcool popped the VHS into the Conference Room's television.

Microverse - Future World

Turkey Pavilion

Epcot Reference VHS


FADE OUT

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

As everyone disembarks from their Spaceship Earth time machine after one last ride, @spacemt354 and @MonorailRed reminisce over the incredible week they've had here in EPCOT Center, 1985. "How incredible was it to be able to spend this week here?!" "Tell me about it, there's nothing quite as charming as classic EPCOT Center!" As @tcool123 catches up with them after tripping stepping out of the vehicle onto the moving walkway and making awkward eye contact with the Cast Member who told him to watch his step, he sees Team Verde up ahead. "Hey, space and red, let's go see what they've been up to!"
Team Verde is standing by the Worldkey Stations in the post-show. "Perfect timing, hosts!" says an excited @TheOriginalTiki. "We just finished our project! Go ahead and use these Worldkeys to explore and learn all about them for yourselves!"



LINKS
INDIA --- THE DEPTHS​

 

[DisneyFan18]

Stanza II: The Pavilion Symphony
A Team Castle Production

"Hey Pi! Could you tell us what we have here?" Said @DisneyFan18 with excitement clear in his voice.

"Well... Definitely not the India or Spain Pavilion, as those ships sinked as soon as they sailed." Laughed @Pionmycake in a gentle tone, clearly excited for what they're about to unveil.

"Also not the Arts Pavilion, I still think that it was an interesting idea, such a shame it stood as so." @DisneyFan18 pointed out, with a tint of nervousness in his voice. "Pi, I give hand you the honor"

"Get ready to explore the sky and what lies Beyond it in the world above a new Pavilion coming to Epcot future world. And explore the ancient world of Greece. A land where Legends and myths live! Featuring original characters, original ride Concepts, and even an original song. This project will be one of the most Innovative and impressive Disney imagineering has ever pulled off." Admitted finally @Pionmycake, from his voice one could hear how proud he was about this project.​

 

[spacemt354]

Thank you to all three teams for your passion, persistence, and purpose in pursuing your pavilions!

Reviews from me will be coming shortly. @MonorailRed 's reviews will be posted in the morning, @tcool123 's reviews will also be coming as well as the individual team reviewers all before 8:30 PM EST tomorrow when the results will come out and Stanza III will begin!

There will also be some announcements as well coming soon - for folks going to sleep you might wake up with a surprise!

For now - sit back and relax (you've earned it!) Thanks again! ​

 

[spacemt354]

spacemt354's Stanza II Reviews (Part 1)

Out of the three teams I think Brava once again had the best flashes of brilliant teamwork and budding friendships -- however I still think there is room to improve. First off, if you keep up this rush at the finish some of you are going to need oxygen by next round.

Every project so far has ended with comments like 'I'm dead' or 'ugh I'm done'. I can understand that more when you get to the later challenges and the teams have thinned out and you're one of a few players on the team, but to be consecutively drained two projects in a row on a team of 7 after each project...it will catch up with you.

And based on observations I think it comes down to the fact that there is such great chemistry with a select few... that others tend to coast off of their work and don't contribute the same amount of effort. Now, is every round going to be an even distribution of content, of course not -- but it shouldn't be the same people each round having to do a majority of the work while others reap the rewards along the way. My advice would be that this team (like all teams) have the talent to have different people step up and be the leader(s) taking on more work so that...as a team...you can maintain excellence throughout the season...not crash halfway through.

While the flashes of teamwork shine through, I do think, somewhat shockingly, that Castle and Verde both have you beat in the work distribution department. That is not to say that people should stop trying to push the boundaries...but it's a wake up call to some on the team who need to step up their games so that people can focus on their assignments and not have to work about doing many multiple assignments per project. Nobody is going to win Sorcerer's Apprentice by coasting off others, regardless of whether your team ultimately wins or not.

Think about it -- if someone takes on presentation, artwork, exterior design, E-Ticket descriptions, and organization...and you have only a small restaurant or shop, don't you think it would better the team project as a whole if you either a) helped out with a few of the above components by fleshing out/proofreading descriptions. or b) helped organize the project once finished content comes in? Not just to sit back and do nothing more.

That is what separates good teams from great teams.

Good teams have strong leaders who push the boundaries.
Great teams have strong leaders who push the boundaries and confident and engaged role players who fill in where needed. They sacrifice for each other towards common goal.

I believe the players on this team have the ability to go from a good team, to a great team, in the coming challenges with these adjustments.

Now that my mini-motivational speech is over...let's get into the project
-----------

- Before beginning it should be noted that the PM for this round was switched from englanddg to Voxel. I should have made a mention of that in the main thread, so my bad, but ...now everyone knows.

- Irrelevant but why do you have to keep making me search for your team logo and don't include it in the post *sad face*

- The intro and VHS tape were both great nods to the 80s and the comp as a whole...nice touch!

- As with both of these projects the fact that this team wanted to troll the comp by changing their avatars to Switzerland...not because of the country...but because of the proposal format, was hilarious.

- Getting into the format...personal preference, I like Google Slides over docs. Docs provides an easier way for players to organize the project, but it's the same format as a forum post. Slides offer a unique presentation yet with a new style different from the forum making it appear a bit more unique.

The Microverse
Sponsored by The Mosanto Company​

- Amazing concept for a Future World pavilion. Sure, I might have been and still am a student of molecular biology and chemistry...so I may have more of an attachment to these fields of science than others, but field aside I think from the concept art (I mean D Hindley literally photoshopped the pavilion into the EPCOT Center map) to the Planet Coaster (yes I watched that), to the Sketch-Up...there was heart and soul put into this pavilion in ways that I wasn't even anticipating. A passion project for sure!
- Love the backstory of Mosanto...makes a lot of sense as sponsors like GE, General Motors, etc all came over from past Disney projects. It combined real world events with a bit of personal fiction, good job.
- I like the upside down pyramid design, it was mentioned as a contrast to Horizons but I see it as a fitting to contrast Imagination on the opposite wing of Future World West and The Land to extends...perhaps I'm looking a bit too far into it...but with The Land and Imagination -- it's pointing to what is 'above' (ie brain/imagination and the earth) but The Microverse is pointing to what is 'within' (ie molecules and cells) If that was unintentional then so be it haha
- Like the water as it blends in nicely with the naturalistic Future World West designs. The DNA Helix is a nice touch as well (a bit similar to Wonders of Life)
- What is the BGM for this? I'll count the Powers of Ten and some of the music tossed in the VHS tape but I didn't see a dedicated playlist.

Particle Accelerator​

- I like the thrill concept for this, simple story (kinda Tron-ish which would be popular in the 80s)
- The name is just okay, nothing really inspirational like 'Horizons'
- That is a very advanced computer in the queue laboratory for the 1980s.
- One of the things that's tough with doing thrill attractions and particles is that in order to make it pop...you have to shrink down, always, in order for it to be an impressive subatomic landscape. A bit repetitive in that regard but overall I thought the coaster experience was great. Planet Coaster served this concept well...otherwise I don't think I would have had enough of a handle on it to like it to be honest. It would have fallen a bit flat.
- Also while I do like the VHS tape I'm not sure whether I'm supposed to be watching that while reading or waiting for the link to watch it? It's a little confusing. Probably could have been separate videos

Powers of Ten​

- Symbiosis part 2 is the vibe I get from this. I'm not too big of a fan that it's basically the same thing that already existed. I do like the backstory of how the attraction came to be though.
- I also like that it's a next gen upgrade of Mission to Mars, nice realism touch there I could see that -- and with the traveling theater in the Universe of Energy, having another advancement in 'theater tech' would fit right in.
- Sigourney Weaver as the narrator, nice 80s touch. And Sterling Holloway gesh with the the deep cuts.
- As always it is expertly written in terms of diction and flow. D Hindley has always done a masterful job of that. RMichael21 and D Hindley are some of the best writers on the forums it sometimes goes overlooked so I'm gonna call it out.
- Ah...but I'm also going to call out a medical nitpick. 10^-4 we are entering a capillary of red blood cells and then we enter a white blood cell. I'm glad we didn't enter a red blood cell because they do not have a nucleus! So the next sentence wouldn't have made sense. However the reference photo could have been of red blood cells and white blood cells in the capillary to help transition better. Small nitpick.
- Overall I thought the rest of the attraction was well done!

The Hall of Small​

- You're killing me Smalls! Okay nitpick but it says Factors of Ten and I'm assuming it meant to say Powers of Ten.
- Like the touch screen kiosks...pivotal for EPCOT Center. It was way ahead of its time in that regard, nice research.
- Nice playground for kids...and the easter egg to Adventures Thru Inner Space

Curie's​

- Iffy on physicists being on Future World West...I would have stuck to chemistry and biology. Mixing physics on the more naturalistic Future World West is a combo I'm not a fan of. Will mention that in more depth in another team's review. That being said there are various equations and constants that are used in both Physics and Chemistry such as...
- Gibbs Free Energy - ha 'Gibbs' as an option as well as other chemistry names were great touches. Kitchty. Like Kitchen Kabaret...shows the pavilion has a little humor and isn't dry science.

Periodic Tables​

- I'll say it -- my favorite restaurant name for EPCOT Center It's perfect.

At the end I really appreciate the details of the project schedule, the statistics, as well as other various items that help round out the perspective on the pavilion -- and above all - immerse the reader and make it feel real!

Oh...and thank you for including a VIP Lounge! Every EPCOT Center sponsored pavilion had one. Great touch to end on.

Turkey​

Once again fantastic concept art - beautiful.
I will admit at first I was not a fan of Turkey at all.


However, the notions of increased tourism in the late 80s, as well as something unique for World Showcase other than just another traditional country like a Brazil or a Spain or ....Switzerland...I warmed up to it as the days went on.
- Once again great presentation...literally putting Turkey on the map.
- Like the backstory as well and project overview...again reinforcing why you think this pavilion fits. You also included the source for tourism figures from the Library of Congress. Great job. Easy reference point to show the reasons behind it
- Istanbul is a good choice if you're going to do Turkey - makes the most sense to me. It's designed very well (similar to the realism of other World Showcase Pavilions) and easy to see from the illustration where everything is.
- Grand Bazaar is nice...fits...not much more to say on it. If I picture a Turkey Pavilion I would expect to see one of these.
- Like the details on the entertainment, as a slight nitpick again I keep going back and forth between the video I wish there was a better way to do that.

The Maiden's Cafe/Bosporus Restoran​

- Nice quick service area on the water -- love those in World Showcase! Not too much revealed about the menu but it gets the job done. Would probably go for the Menemen.
- Seafood place for BR, nice choice there...rounds out that side of Future World with a new option that isn't a buffet (Norway/Germany) and has a central focus.

Balon over Turkey (Balloon Over Turkey?)​

- Unless Balon is a Turkish word haha
- Again I appreciate the backstory and research that went into knowing that ballooning was just starting out in Turkey and that the apparatus was taking from Baxter's original design of the Land attraction - makes sense to reuse it similar to another team reusing America Sings tech!
- Overall -- out of all the World Showcase attractions - this one was probably my favorite. Not only was it sort of a stepping stone to Soarin' it also facilitated a new attraction on the East side of World Showcase, that wasn't a walk-through or a boat ride. It's a new attraction! And detailed to the nines.
- Like how you sneak a custom artwork piece in there as well and thought I wouldn't notice. Nice! Always try that's the only way you get better at art!

Sidenote to anyone reading from any team...take strong artists for example like D Hindley...while yes a scribbled Microsoft Paint image won't get the same 'wow' as D Hindley, if you keep trying you will eventually graduate from that Paint doc, to Paint.NET, or Powerpoint, or Adobe, or hand-drawn and get better and better each time...Honestly that's all I'd want to see, custom art goes a long way for me...doesn't really matter how good it is...it matters how much effort you put into it and tried to improve.

- Lastly enjoy the stats at the end here too. Restoom urinal numbers dang that is specific.

What a way to end the project content with the photoshop of 'coming soon' from the 80s World Showcase signs.

Overall, another strong outing from Team Brava. Despite some hiccups here and there you should be proud of your designs!
--------------------
Team Verde is up next
Team Castle is on deck

 

[spacemt354]

spacemt354's Stanza II Reviews (Part 2)

I think I have found out why this team every week is so challenging for me to review and it's just something that I'll have to get used to with this team dynamic since I haven't heard any complaints about it from folks on the team. What I'm talking about is if anyone has worked with me or judged when I'm on a team, you'll know that I try to promote very active brainstorming.

The more pages, the more effort, the more dedication (is my perspective) however that's not the 'right' perspective on how to brainstorm -- it's just my own way of viewing it. So when viewing teams like Brava and Castle use that brainstorming dynamic, and then to see Verde with significantly less brainstorming pages, to me it throws up some alarm bells regarding whether or not this team can be sustainable. Because from my personal experience in these games when there are two teams chatting a lot and then one team that doesn't as much, from past comps that tends to be a sign of a team that struggles coming together for the finished product.

However...upon viewing the final product, I can say that I must open myself up to a new form of brainstorming --which I'll dub the 'business' dynamic In a way, you're not wrong as sometimes those tangents can lead to disorganization, and if that's not your thing then you shouldn't do it purposefully because I might be used to something else (that's on me to adjust). That being said I do think there are some tweaks that can be made to this team going forward to help make the projects even better.

For instance, I noticed more of the same when it came to the early brainstorming. Why are ideas again being shut down on day 1 of a 10 day challenge? And why are final pavilion votes taking place on midday Saturday March 31st (less than 48 hours into the challenge) when the project isn't due till April 8th?

I'm assuming those decisions are being made in order to pump content out early and then flesh it out throughout the week sure, (and to extents, that's how Skipper was able to pump out all of that amazing concept art.) However, a majority of the content (more important than artwork) was not completed until the final days of the project. So why the rush to decide on something then spend a week doing basically nothing team conversation wise except watching Skip post artwork? Why the rush to shut down unique EPCOT Center ideas such as the United Nations pavilion, or the peoplemover expansion, or the Arts Pavilion, etc?

That time during the week could have been spent discussing making absolutely sure that The Depths and India were the right directions to take, making sure they fit the prompt objectives, and that they fit into EPCOT Center the best.

I'll end on the notion that Marc Davis may not have cared for Big Thunder Mountain because he was passionate about Western River Expedition...but that doesn't make Big Thunder Mountain a bad attraction. What I mean by that is...someone may propose something you don't personally care for, but that doesn't mean it won't be good. And I think I can also use that analogy on myself that I may personally prefer working in a more communicative brainstorming environment, but that doesn't mean the less communicative 'business' dynamic is bad.

So take the advice for what you will - let's get into the project!
---------------------------------------------------

Before going further - the Wix site was expertly done by IDI! Great visual and organized clearly. Plus...the font is probably the closest thing to the original EPCOT Center font (unless you actually downloaded the EPCOT font in which case double bonus!)

In addition - while pithy, the intro video is a great touch and I thought the beginning paragraph was really funny and clever! Love seeing that kind of stuff in the projects.

The Depths
Sponsored by _Insert Sponsor Here_​

- From the start I wasn't too big of a fan of this concept for a pavilion. A subterranean pavilion feels too similar to The Land.
- For example, as you enter The Land, if you look at the walls to your left and right, it is designed to elicit the notion that you are entering the earth's crust. The brown, red, orange color patterns are intended to portray the earth, and in The Depths entrance you are also displaying Earth's rock as you enter reminiscent of its neighboring pavilion.
- Yet, when the direction when more toward a new riff on the 'Seas' - I was much more intrigued!
- This will sound minor, but it's extremely important. The main science areas here are clearly marine biology and oceanography, and...geology? If you specifically said marine geology, especially in the Expedition from the Deep attraction, it would have been much more cohesive. Geology is broad and most of Geology deals with, The Land, which to a reader, who already had doubts about Subterranean, should have been more clarified.
- On the bright side once again the BGM is incredibly chosen! That sounds like it could have been in EPCOT Center - amazing!
- And I really liked the lobby being open and dynamic, along with the restaurant as well!

Expedition from the Deep​

- Very well-written, mixed beautiful artwork and renderings for this attraction. I do like the emphasis in the opening paragraph on 'edutainment' - that is what an EPCOT Center E-Ticket is supposed to represent!
- Marine Geologist or Undersea Geologist Dr. Eisenlore. Yes, it's a word, but a word that really helps build a cohesive environment with the rest of the 'Seas'
- Where I'm not to sure on this attraction though is the premise of going to the center of the earth. It's not even so much that it feels like a mix of Jules Verne and Dinosaur, I don't mind that as much, but more that it takes a trope that a lot of 90s Disney attractions do...the 'something goes wrong' trope.
- Original EPCOT Center attractions were more geared towards inspiration, passive narration, and/or discovery. Rarely did an attraction take guests on a mission where they have to find something and bring it back, and halfway through something goes wrong and sends them on the adventure thrill portion. Body Wars in 1989 was the first real 'something goes wrong' attraction, so in a way this is a few years ahead of its time for EPCOT. It's not a big knock, more that this feels like an expansion to The Land Pavilion which originally was intended to have a drilling attraction in one of the early designs, as well as the previously mentioned entrance facade colors representing walking into the 'earth'.
- I wish the reference to Revenge of the Mummy ride vehicles was taken out. Even if it is...that ride opened in 2004 and we are in the mid-80s...if you drew a simple sketch (15 mins tops) of just what the ride vehicle looked like (even if it drew inspiration from RotM) I would not have noticed
- I do think going with a thrill ride is unique (and somewhat needed in EPCOT), I just feel like I wouldn't walk out of this attraction 'inspired' as I would on Horizons or Spaceship Earth. I would come out of it saying, that was a neat attraction, but it wouldn't drive me to learn more about it.

The Great Seas​

- Once again amazing artwork, don't care if I sound like a broken record all of these should be commended!
- Judi Dench (before it was cool). Okay fair enough haha
- My one criticism with the original sea-cabs is that it was kinda bland. And even the Nemo ride, it has some cool effects, but I always felt that an ocean based omnimover as an E-Ticket could have been an amazing addition to EPCOT Center...I was kinda hoping that this would have been the E-Ticket.
- This one out of the two I would probably lean towards as my favorite because while it touches on similar notes to the sea-cabs it does it in a more expansive way.
- As I believe was mentioned in your brainstorming PM, there's so much of the ocean left to be explored, fish and other creatures thousands of years old, not just myths but real! This I feel could have been done on a more epic scale, but for the C-Ticket, The Great Seas is well...great!

The Living Seas Theater Experience​

- This goes well with 'The Great Seas' though the name is a bit repetitive. Not much more to say on it really. It's nice, I like the wave projection as a stepping stone to Voyage of the Little Mermaid and the edutainment.

India​

- The music is immediately immersive, incredible BGM loop choice - reading this while putting headphones on combined with Skipper's artwork instantly transports me as a reader into the India Pavilion. Great work!
- The concept art is also incredibly detailed and immersive. A realistic plaza meshed well with its surrounding buildings.

Tall Tales​

- Not really a fan of the name, sounds too much like Frontierland. I would have preferred something with a Bengali translation or culturally unique to India. Tall Tales can apply to many things.
- The first sentence should have been removed or re-worded. Twilight Zone references took me out of it after I just got so enveloped with the BGM loop and the images.
- separated*... 'losing' not 'loosing'* ...typos there's some more but I won't slam it, minor stuff.
- America Sings designs...will the butterfly effect impact Splash Mountain?! kidding haha...though it's an interesting direction to take. I like it!
- I also like the queue design, resembles a typical 80s World Showcase queue similar to Maelstrom. Good realism.
- Hmm, a boat ride is a safe pick, though I'd worry that we now have 3 boat rides all on the same side of World Showcase with nothing on the other side except Circle-Vision (attraction wise)
- The Himalayas may not have been the best choice for the main location of India's main attraction, especially next to the China Pavilion due to their tumultuous history.
https://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/shooting-straight/competitive-conflict-in-the-himalayas/

​

- Conflicts aside, the general outline of this attraction is quite good, and reminiscent of classic Epcot edutainment attractions, getting into cultural fables and aspects like that.

The Restaurants/Shops​

- Maharajah's Palace sounds amazing! A great mix to go along with Morocco's more eclectic menu on World Showcase West.
- I understand India's history but as a pavilion it might not want not have a British flag hanging in Bay of Bengal. Other than that I think the Coffee Shop was a nice round out - I would spend some time in there for sure!

Utsav Theatre - Festival of Wonder​

- This probably could have been the pavilion's sole attraction given its unique flavor on World Showcase East as an elaborate show. It fits India very well and I think ties in better with the surroundings of the pavilion.
- Nice map, descriptive and gets the job done. I also appreciate the details on cast/guest flow. Easy to understand.

Overall Thoughts​

- The pavilion as a whole has a lot of potential to be a fantastic addition to World Showcase. There are some aspects that I think could have been better researched for compatibility with World Showcase and the time period. Despite that, this was a very professional pavilion proposal (say that 5 times fast)

-----------
Ultimately, I think this team hit some highs and some lows with both of these pavilions. And it should be noted that this team has been down a member since the beginning, so despite that you still came together very well!

 

[spacemt354]

spacemt354's Stanza II Reviews (Part 3)

I'd first like to say that I really applaud this team's resiliency when it comes to just some tough luck personal schedule wise and conflicts. Despite a sprained wrist, a promposal, an exhausting work schedule, and hours in the library for exams, this team never gave up.

While I do think this team still has not reached their peak potential, it's early. And the fact that you pulled together such a good proposal in spite of all the distractions shows that this team, I'm sure of it, will be dangerous later in the game at full strength and once the kinks are worked out.

Speaking of the kinks, picking MA Screamin' as the project manager in retrospect probably wasn't good timing for him personally, with AP Exams and other stuff going on. I think his absence in the early days hindered the team from having a leader, as ideas swelled...nobody wanted to overstep. And that's not a knock on MA, he was chosen for Project Manager specifically because of his brilliant work in the Walt Disney World 1966 EPCOT portion a few years ago, timing just wasn't in his favor. I think (as Team Brava did) picking a new Project Manager when you had an option to do so probably should have been selected by the team. Choosing to stick with MA despite arriving later, it seemed was a cause (along with outside work) in leading to the due date creeping up on the team, and several aspects of the project as a whole all over the place. Nevertheless, others stepped up and spearheaded the progress in the final days.

This team has loads of talent, and that can't be stressed enough -- for the future, similar to the advice from Stanza I, this team needs some more structure. Structure in the sense of you need to figure out everyone's strengths and weaknesses -- and then apply them to help the team.

Tom Brady is an immense talent but his talent is not being used efficiently if he is playing wide-receiver, eh? Super Bowl nightmares. The same analogy can apply here...each person on this team needs to figure out their strengths and use it to the team's advantage.

Is your strength organization? Then be the organizer! Is one of your strength artwork or sketches? Then work on that for the project...don't worry about having everyone chime in it each component of the project...there should be a better division of labor so to speak -- that is the structure that this team needs to embrace. So with that --- let's see the project...

Overview​

- I'm sorry but 27 pages is not enough detail. How do you expect me to get a grasp of your proposal with so little text? Winning projects are around 84 pages at minimum if not 100 pages!

Spoiler

- The team photos at the beginning won't get old. It's awesome however why am I on the team in the 2nd photo?! *insert old eek emoji*
- Fresh Prince references in the mid-80s? Eh?

The World Above
sponsored by Boeing
(sidenote I could not find this until the end of the proposal and if I wasn't watching your PM I would have probably said you didn't have a sponsor...should have been more apparent) ​

- Nice touch with the date - EPCOT's 5 year anniversary!
- Name choice I'm iffy on, considering there is already another 'world' titled pavilion 'World of Motion'
- I'm getting a Cranium Command vibe from this
- Astro, Celcia, and Nimbus (2000?) I like the names, interesting to see how this meshes into an entire pavilion when the facade photo does not seem to evoke the same 'kid friendly' atmosphere that the characters do. Darker, chromatic...contrasted to the lighter color designs of Imagination for example. Seems like an odd design choice.
- I really like the comparison to 80s Disney cartoon designs and Figment as well...and to be honest this is highly needed in the 80s to draw more younger kids to EPCOT Center.
- Head in the Clouds is an incredible Sherman Bros-esque original score! Major points there. It takes guts to sing. I could care less whether it's America's Got Talent level, the fact that you do it is all that counts for me.
- Towards the Splendid City...kmb... Amazing BGM loop.
- I think some sort of overlying connection between weather and space should have been better established. For instance are Astro and Celcia part of a science-based organization (like NASA for kids) studying the world above? Because without that it feels like you couldn't decide between weather and space, so let's just put them both in there and make the characters brother and sister. I'm not seeing a connection other than that to tie everything together. That being said there isn't much tying Kitchen Kabaret to Living with the Land, so I'll chalk it up to a personal preference and keep going.

Storm Chasers​

- Really enjoy the touch of the title cards in each of these attractions and for the WS pavilion. Nice job! Gives a great overview and sets the tone for the reader regarding what to expect.
- Mixed on this one to be honest. I like taking advantage of the SAU tactic, cool easter egg, but the ride as a whole doesn't evoke edutainment to me. Weather spirits? Feels like something that would fit in Imagination better.

Wonders of Beyond​

- I like the reverse hydrolators with the grand elevators. I know they aren't actually hydrolators but given the placement in The Living Seas plot whether intentional or not was a nice touch.
- So far so good - I like the Observaship...actually more than I thought I would. Surprisingly it fits EPCOT Center. Centorium, Observaship, fits.
- I don't have much to nitpick on this one -- I really like it a lot as an attraction

SkyFrontier Expo​

- Photopass?!?!

- Most of this area I like. Some of it I feel veers too far off into what should be in Future World East. And what I mean by that is...Future World East tends to deal with physical sciences (mechanical engineering, physics, aeronautical engineering), which is also represented in the geometric path patterns of the walkways at sharp angles. Future World West is more natural sciences (ecology, psychology, biology, marine biology -- ie less 'math based') which is seen in the wavy curved paths, water, and trees. So I fear some of these exhibits may throw off that balance.

Chef Nimbus'​

- Not much to say on it, a solid quick service option.

The Hangar and Sky Candy​

- Hangar I'm mixed on - maybe it's the reference photo but the old wooden facade represented doesn't seem to fit the pavilion. The interior offerings do though. Like Sky Candy though - I think that plays in great with the more kid-friendly vibe.

Greece​

- It's funny how everyone chose the exact same location, and I have to be honest, Greece is my favorite selection (as a nation) for a pavilion. I think it has such untapped potential for a pavilion! Perhaps it's because I took 4 semesters of Greek in college and have an affinity for the culture and cuisine? Perhaps haha but let's get into the content.

The Labyrinth​

- That's well done. The World Above is geared towards kids and Greece is geared towards adults. Good job there, something I didn't even think of but it provides an incredible balance.
- Getting a Maelstrom vibe from the mythology but like that it's a walk-through. Much of World Showcase should be explored!

Legends of Olympus​

- I like the theater show as the option of World Showcase East to not overflood (pardon the pun) the side with boat rides as could have easily been done here.
- Nice historical points all around. I think it might actually get a little bit too wrapped up in the names and the shrines but nice details, appreciate the research!

Museum of Man​

- Another walk-through, not as impressive as the first, but it would get the job done. I'm actually surprised that The School of Athens wasn't the theater show. A debate between Plato, Aristotle, Socrates would have been a great tie in with Spaceship Earth and truly evoke Greece's academic history more than just its mythology.

The Library of Pantainos​

- Wish I had more to say on it but it's kind of self explanatory -- it's good! I don't have much to complain about other than it might need to be trimmed down a bit out of blue sky when it finally gets built

Actually that's what I'm going to nitpick about -- this needs a map...badly. A picture could have helped the reader so much to show where everything is rather than having to visualize it in my head. That applies to The World Above as well.

Piraeus Estiatorio, Odyssey Food Market, Ambrosia of Olympus​

I like Estiatorio a lot, and I think a Gyro stand is fantastic along with a drink stand (decent) nothing to flashy, but fills out the pavilion nicely.

Budget - is that going to be a theme of this team? Nicely done.

Lastly, the Alternate Timeline was fun, I like SpaceX sponsoring the pavilion too.
--------------------

Overall, I am impressed with how much this team was able to contribute and propose despite all of the set-backs. Great job, Team Castle!

 

[spacemt354]

Announcements

First, for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, have a look at The Board Room for Stanza II
A bittersweet Board Room but nevertheless an understandable one, and one that should make everyone less stressed about the reviews this round and who is going where.

Secondly, Sorcerer's Apprentice is always about players first. Without competitors, there would be no competition...so we want to be proactive in ensuring everyone has the ability to go above and beyond in projects, but also not burn out too soon. And we have gotten some word that some folks are running on E. (in other words, tired)
In one way that's great because everyone truly cares, but we also have to factor in sustainability. The goal is to create an environment that attempts to enable the best of both those worlds, and the best way we've decided to do that is to merge into 2 teams for the remainder of the competition until the finale!

What are those two teams? They are...

AceAstro
Anlavaro
D Hindley
Disney Dad 3000
DisneyFan18
Flippin'Flounder
kmbmw777
Skipper2
Voxel

Brer Oswald
DisneyManOne
IDInstitute
Magic Feather
MA Screamin'
mickeyfan5534
Pionmycake
RMichael21
TheOriginalTiki
TwilightZone

And where will they be staying for Stanza III - VI?

Team Brava will be staying at the Disneyland Hotel

And Team Castle will be staying at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa

And where will any eliminated players stay you ask?

The Best Western Plus on Harbor Blvd

Adjacent to the awesome Denny's!

------------------------

Thanks for reading. We will continue with the reviews and results for Stanza II into tomorrow and till 8:30 PM EST as originally scheduled, followed by Stanza III

A note that Stanza I and II have been some of the best imagineering I've seen in a long time. Both Stanzas will be considered in later rounds when people face more competitive Board Room settings...your resume of the first two challenges will not go unnoticed. In fact, they will be very valuable so the results for Stanza II still matter (you just don't have to worry about eliminations) (for now)

Any questions, comments, feel free to post them in your new Team PMs! Which will be sent promptly!​

 

[v_k]

v_k's review for Team Brava​

Overall Impressions
First of all, you really outdid yourselves on the overall presentation of this project! You really captured vintage EPCOT with all the art, and the 'VHS' was a really nice touch. Good work. I particularly liked the numbers you included with this project; it really lent an air of realism to the proceedings.

Microverse
One thing that bothered me is that I feel like this pavilion would fit better on the other side of Future World. That aside, I really enjoyed exploring this pavilion! The overall design of the building is great, really fits in with the other Future World pavilions. Monsanto is also a great choice as corporate sponsor.

• Particle Accelerator - this seems like a cool ride; in keeping with the theme, but still fun. I appreciated the Planet Coaster ride through you made for it. I could see this being a fan favourite as the first proper thrill ride in EPCOT.
• Powers of Ten - this was the star of the show for me. just the right mix of entertaining and educational.
• Hall of the Small - another good addition, and definitely needed for a Future World pavilion.
• Curie's - what a great name for a restaurant! This reminded me of The Fat Duck Restaurant in the UK, run by Heston Blumenthal. It would be a great experience, although it would also be ridiculously expensive, so definitely an exclusive, signature dining option.
• Periodic Tables - this is possibly the most perfect name for a chemistry themed restaurant, and I love the chemistry inspired names. "Pasteur's" is also a great name for an ice cream place.

Turkey

• I loved the 'project overview' section at the beginning, along with the tourism figures. Turkey is not really a 'go to' choice when people are thinking of countries to add to the world showcase, so adding in the numbers to justify your decision was a great touch
• The pavilion as a whole looks great
• Grand Bazaar - I prefer to window shop to actually buying, and this sounds like a great place to explore even for the non-shoppers.
• Entertainment - The Whirling Dervishes are a great addition and would probably be a 'must see' for me. I find it a bit odd that Turkish Dondurma is under the 'Entertainment' section, but ice cream is always good.
• Maiden's Café and Bosporus Restoran - a pair of good dining options. The Bosporus Restoran in particular sounds like it would be a good place to view the fireworks. I appreciate the focus on seafood, as that's something a bit different from a lot of the other restaurants on the world showcase.
• Balloon Over Turkey - I assume you meant 'Balloon' rather than 'Balon' (the Turkish for 'Ball')? That aside, I think this would be my favourite ride on the World Showcase. Thrilling without being a 'thrill ride', with a chance to see some gorgeous scenery in something that isn't a boat.

 

[MonorailRed]

MonorailRed's Stanza II Reviews

• Overall, a good amount of the team was very on point with this project from beginning to end, while others helped midway.
• That being said, I also feel like this led to frustration with the team when some were very eager throughout the project, and others being more of a cheerleader.
• Though england relinquished his Project Manager duties, @Voxel did a spectacular job being Project Manager this round, picking up the duties of Project Manager midway and leading the project until the end.
• @D Hindley produced amazing artwork as usual. The Microverse concept reminded me of the old World of Motion concept art
• The VHS tape along with the intro was great, though a bit long and having to keep going back and forth between slides and videos felt cluttered
• Both Particle Accelerator and Powers of Ten fit The Microverse well! Though no real background music was a bit of a disappointment.
• The detail of Planet Coaster and Sketch-Up really is what makes this shine...it's clear there is so much effort and thought put into this pavilion's design, it washes away some of the nitpicks I've had. Awesome work! One of the highlights of the project was just how much effort was put into it.
• 
• The Turkey Pavilion concept reminded me of the Russia Pavilion concept a bit in design! Although with Turkey, I do wonder if the height of the pillars were supposed to over impose World Showcase’s skyline like in the concept – or be more of a forced perspective effect.
• Be sure to add something about that next time! It’ll give so much clarity to how the artwork is perceived by the judges. Don’t get me wrong – It’s absolutely phenomenal artwork – but I was a little confused on the forced perspective/creative design/realism effect you were going for in the Turkey artwork.
• @Disney Dad 3000 's work throughout the project really helped round it out. The presentation style seemed to fit everything together!
• The Balloon ride was amazingly done! And the adjacent restaurants and shops rounded it out well.
• It seemed the past two rounds, some people were coasting off of the other players, which was kinda sad – because I know you all can handle spectacular content. I wish everyone was more involved rather than taking assignments and then completing them last minute for others on the team to stuff into the presentation. Next round if you get it done ahead of time, it’ll help the team as a whole forward.
• The goal is to win each challenge so you don't have to worry about the Board Room, but this season even if your team wins, if you don't contribute as much or just do something small, there is a chance you will be nominated to the Board Room. Because we want everyone to do well, never get burnt out, and produce amazing content each stanza. But that only happens when everyone on the team works together to help each other out and try to make the best project possible.
• Basically...don't hide, you're on the team for a reason...and we see you.
  

• It seemed you guys similar issue of the advice we gave in the previous review. Though many ideas were given that were absolutely brilliant in the beginning – cough – United Nations – cough – Arts – cough – and was a bit sad to see Subterranean was chosen...and so quickly!
• 
• I would have liked to see more emphasis put on why this direction was taken. I might have liked it more if there was more reasoning behind it.
• It seemed like there was a bit of a back and forth, and then day 2 the vote went up with some on the team not as motivated with it. Not that everyone has to agree, but it's good to make sure to hear out all opinions, especially when the project is 10 days long. I’ll get into why Subterranean isn’t my favorite later on.
• It should also be pointed out that while page numbers aren’t the ultimate deciding factor they are at most times an indicator of communication – once again this team had the least amount of brainstorming…which goes back to the previous point that this team shuts down ideas too early in the process. This project was 10 days and final directions were being made less than 2 days in. That to me is a bit quick especially since write-ups and content wasn’t being fleshed out until a few days left…leading to multiple days of basically Skipper just posting concept art. Amazing concept art! But no real in-depth communication.
• On another note, I was happy @IDInstitute created the WorldKey – I enjoyed the additions of the audio on the webpage and retro fonts. Great presentation style!
• 
• I think Expedition from the Deep is a great attraction! Though I don’t think it fit the theme or vision of a 1980s EPCOT attraction. You have to remember – EPCOT was never “mission” based attractions until the very late 80s and into the 1990s. It was all about exploring something and learning about it. I feel like think was really steering away from that vision and time period. If this took place in the 1990s with Ellen’s Energy Adventure (’96) or even Body Wars (‘89), I would truly have enjoyed this project much more. Sadly, the prompt's focus on the original EPCOT Center intentions rather than Epcot really steered me away from this.
• The India Pavilion seemed immersive, though controversial for the time period in some respects. Tall Tales taking place in the Himalayas when that's militarized and disputed territory between India and China probably wasn't the best design choice...especially since this is right next to the China Pavilion.
• I liked the theater show and the restaurants/shops! Those were fantastic!
• And Skipper's artwork really sells this...it brings it to a whole new level of immersion from different angles of maps, bird's eye views, and first person perspectives in Sketch-Up.
• That really sums up how this project felt to me...amazing individual ideas! But....some could have been fine tuned with more research into EPCOT Center at the time.

• Similar to last week, this team has had a very binding group dynamic. I truly think this group dynamic is my favorite. High energy, motivated, and ready to think big!
• 
• However, the group this week seemed to have issues on creating the presentation last minute, and that seemed to create a bit more chaos in putting the project together and assigning content.
• I truly enjoyed the “head in the clouds” music – awesome work on that!
• Disney has a term called “ACEs in places”– it pretty much means you wouldn’t put someone who’s really good at a cash register in the kitchen during busy times. You put them where they excel for their location. For the Location of Castle, I think the best thing moving forward would be to have ACEs in places. If someone is really good at art – now’s the time. Same with content. Same with music. Whatever that player excels at let them do – and the projects will be a major threat in this competition.
• Our goal with the new team dynamic in Stanza III was based around that 'ACEs in places' motto...so hopefully it will help going forward!
• The World Above is a mixed bag to me though...space and weather, I REALLY like how you centered it around kids...but I feel like you should have just gone with weather...meterorology, rather than try to combine physics and space travel into a pavilion on the west side of Future World.
• I also think if you went with weather you could have made the pavilion a bit more bright and kid friendly on the exterior.
• Sky Candy was great!
• 
• Greece was another fantastic choice! To me though there was a lot going on with the pavilion...it could have used some sort of reference point or guide map.
• There's a lot of history to Greece and I'm not sure how well it would translate to have so many time periods of "ancient" Greece history centered around. Most World Showcase pavilions either pick one time period, or similar to the U.K. pavilion, have the different styles and time periods more subtly transition with one another.
• I do love the idea of a walk-through though and the theater show!
• The shops and restaurants were great, again maybe it is just the lack of a map...but this feels big for a World Showcase pavilion.
• Alternate timeline in an alternate timeline project! Nice one
• Overall I think this team took some good steps in the creativity department...could use a bit more focus on the organizational department from the start! Which we've said enough, it was a rough week...it happens with personal schedules, don't worry about it! What you still had was very well done!

Congratulations to all 3 teams on your hard work!

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

I really dropped the ball this round. If you guys want to eliminate me along with Ctax, I probably deserve it. EVERY bad decision was mine...voting early, cutting the United Nations pavilion, the mess that was the India dark ride (I had a good concept but kept getting delayed with the actual execution). I was an utterly TERRIBLE team leader this round and don't deserve to go on in the competition if it means I'm going to just drag other teams down with me. I just kept making mistake after mistake and I can't apologize to my team enough for that.

 

[spacemt354]

I really dropped the ball this round. If you guys want to eliminate me along with Ctax, I probably deserve it. EVERY bad decision was mine...voting early, cutting the United Nations pavilion, the mess that was the India dark ride (I had a good concept but kept getting delayed with the actual execution). I was an utterly TERRIBLE team leader this round and don't deserve to go on in the competition if it means I'm going to just drag other teams down with me. I just kept making mistake after mistake and I can't apologize to my team enough for that.

First, the Board Room is already underway. You are not in it and frankly never were intended to go. Secondly, please stop. It's project 2...we are not in the business of sending people to the board room left and right, especially this early.

The whole point of this season is to learn and grow! If you read...every team made mistakes and every team had their high points. All you do is take the advice for what it is...and try to improve next time!

I'm not going to get involved with a pity party though, so please stop saying you're terrible because nobody said that or thinks that.

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

First, the Board Room is already underway. You are not in it and frankly never were intended to go. Secondly, please stop. It's project 2...we are not in the business of sending people to the board room left and right, especially this early.

The whole point of this season is to learn and grow! If you read...every team made mistakes and every team had their high points. All you do is take the advice for what it is...and try to improve next time!

I'm not going to get involved with a pity party though, so please stop saying you're terrible because nobody said that or thinks that.

I'm not trying to throw a pity party, just pointing out that literally every bad decision made this project was entirely on me. It doesn't matter if other people were inactive. I deserve to be in that boardroom since I exhibited INCREDIBLY poor leadership skills in almost every department that caused my team to basically get dissolved. Literally every complaint about the project is my fault. I honestly have no idea how I'll be able to turn that around.

 

[spacemt354]

I'm not trying to throw a pity party, just pointing out that literally every bad decision made this project was entirely on me. It doesn't matter if other people were inactive. I deserve to be in that boardroom since I exhibited INCREDIBLY poor leadership skills in almost every department that caused my team to basically get dissolved. Literally every complaint about the project is my fault. I honestly have no idea how I'll be able to turn that around.

Actually...it does matter if someone else was inactive because the whole point of this game is to promote activity and team participation...That's why the Board Room decision was already made.

It's not to throw people in after a mistake or two, otherwise half the cast would be in The Board Room this round. That's not the intention of it nor the game as a whole. It's a learning and growing experience.

If you truly think you need to be in the Board Room then go for it, but I think that is an incredibly quick knee-jerk reaction to feedback and would be a let down to your brand new team in which you were placed on specifically to be one of the strong, experienced voices going forward.

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Actually...it does matter if someone else was inactive because the whole point of this game is to promote activity and team participation...That's why the Board Room decision was already made.

It's not to throw people in after a mistake or two, otherwise half the cast would be in The Board Room this round. That's not the intention of it nor the game as a whole. It's a learning and growing experience.

If you truly think you need to be in the Board Room then go for it, but I think that is an incredibly quick knee-jerk reaction to feedback and would be a let down to your brand new team in which you were placed on specifically to be one of the strong, experienced voices going forward.

I'm not saying eliminate me, but I do think it's pretty obvious I'm the main one to blame for my team's loss besides Ctax being inactive so do what you will. Apologies for dragging negativity into this. You guys are doing an awesome job hosting and I'm just a bit sour continually being on the loosing team especially considering the last time I played a WDWMagic game was the infamous Creator Games 2 where famously the teams were SO lopsided it resulted in the entire game being cancelled haha. This team swap should DEFINITELY move things in the right direction. Keep up the good work management and don't take my emo ramblings personally. Just my own bizarro way of striving to do better, as unhealthy as it seems

 

[spacemt354]

I'm not saying eliminate me, but I do think it's pretty obvious I'm the main one to blame for my team's loss besides Ctax being inactive so do what you will. Apologies for dragging negativity into this. You guys are doing an awesome job hosting and I'm just a bit sour continually being on the loosing team especially considering the last time I played a WDWMagic game was the infamous Creator Games 2 where famously the teams were SO lopsided it resulted in the entire game being cancelled haha. This team swap should DEFINITELY move things in the right direction. Keep up the good work management and don't take my emo ramblings personally. Just my own bizarro way of striving to do better, as unhealthy as it seems

I don't remember posting the results saying that you lost?

Idk why you keep saying you lost. The decision hasn't been made yet since all the reviews are not in. I thank you for the encouragement and hopefully we can let the other reviewers chime in with their thoughts before the results come in at 8:30 PM EST

The Haunted Board Room has 999 happy haunts, there is always room for one more, but really I don't think that is necessary at this point in time in the competition. If someone participates in the early rounds, I really don't like eliminations unless they volunteer or are inactive with no reasons. Everyone deserves some time to get used to the game dynamics and dust off the cobwebs of imagineering so to speak if they haven't done it in a while.

 

[Poe Dameron]

I really dropped the ball this round. If you guys want to eliminate me along with Ctax, I probably deserve it. EVERY bad decision was mine...voting early, cutting the United Nations pavilion, the mess that was the India dark ride (I had a good concept but kept getting delayed with the actual execution). I was an utterly TERRIBLE team leader this round and don't deserve to go on in the competition if it means I'm going to just drag other teams down with me. I just kept making mistake after mistake and I can't apologize to my team enough for that.

Tiki, if I may, I would not say that. While only observing Team Verde, I liked the team, but I can see that all the reviews so far have mentioned good things and things to improve on to all teams. I didn't read anything to be taken as you were a terrible team leader.

I was planning to do the same format with my review, so I hope you do not take any criticism the wrong way.

Poe Dameron's Team Verde Review

What I liked
I liked The Depths, I thought that was an original concept on the Seas, though in some respects the entrance could have been more oceanic rather than close to the land. I can see similarities there, but it didn't bother me too much. The Great Seas was also a home run for me as well as the theater show. And the art was amazing. It made the whole pavilion feel like it was in the park. In terms of the World Showcase Pavilion, I liked the choice of India, and the Tall Tales was a fun Marc Davis boat ride. Maybe some more research could have been done, but as a stand-alone attraction it worked. The website as a whole was very well put together and the music set the mood well.

What I didn't like
The Expedition from the Deep felt like a new Journey to the Center of the Earth, I don't know how well that fits in Epcot. Great ride, but not sure on the placement.

What could be improved
Some more research into the pavilions could have made them stand out a bit more. I liked them both, but I didn't see much passion behind it. Maybe some more detail behind the restaurants and shops. Those felt like afterthoughts to me. But this was a wonderful project and I might like it better than your first one. Great project team!

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

Tiki, if I may, I would not say that. While only observing Team Verde, I liked the team, but I can see that all the reviews so far have mentioned good things and things to improve on to all teams. I didn't read anything to be taken as you were a terrible team leader.

I was planning to do the same format with my review, so I hope you do not take any criticism the wrong way.

No, you're absolutely right. I jumped the gun on the criticisms and for that I'm truly sorry. I do still feel like I'm to blame for a lot of the shortcomings my team suffered from, mainly the lack of passion since I was the one who rushed out the decision making, but by all means I do NOT want the judges to feel like they have to walk on eggshells when dolling out criticism and I'm sorry my actions have caused it to get to that point. By all means I welcome any and all constructive criticism. I think I was just being a bit extra hard on myself bearing the weight of being the team leader.

 

[MonorailRed]

No, you're absolutely right. I jumped the gun on the criticisms and for that I'm truly sorry. I do still feel like I'm to blame for a lot of the shortcomings my team suffered from, mainly the lack of passion since I was the one who rushed out the decision making, but by all means I do NOT want the judges to feel like they have to walk on eggshells when dolling out criticism and I'm sorry my actions have caused it to get to that point. By all means I welcome any and all constructive criticism. I think I was just being a bit extra hard on myself bearing the weight of being the team leader.

This is a Team challenge...you win as a team and you lose as a team.

Season 2 I was on Team Sea and lost 3 out of the first 4 challenges (last place out of 3 teams) but we learned from it and got better and better until a brick wall in the semi-finals @Voxel

This game is competitive, but that's what makes it special! Regardless of ranking by the end of the game if you enjoy it and strive to do new things, everyone improves as an imagineer and that's all that really counts.