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The Sorcerer's Apprentice Season 5 - ENDGAME
- Thread starter D Hulk
- Start date
Disney Dad 3000
Well-Known Member
on behalf of our esteemed leader @Evilgidgit who is preparing for a trip to Iceland (man i'm jealous)
Presents...
NOVUS HARBOR
Reading Music
Read all about it in this special summer 2035 edition of the Mickey Monitor!
http://online.fliphtml5.com/hrwzy/ufic/
Presents...
NOVUS HARBOR
Reading Music
Read all about it in this special summer 2035 edition of the Mickey Monitor!
http://online.fliphtml5.com/hrwzy/ufic/
NateD1226
Well-Known Member
Pi on my Cake
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
Hey, maybe it's just me or because I'm on mobile, but it keeps saying "file trashed by owner" when I try to click the link
Outbound
Well-Known Member
Huh. Don’t know why it said that. Well I fixed it.
Team Warrior's Rainier Ridge
From the title alone I could tell this was going to be a good one! Love the alliteration! It just sounds "Disney". Same goes for many of the attractions featured. What a great idea for a land! The concept doesn't beat you on the head with overused tropes and stereotypical themes usually associated with Native Americans and Pioneering/American folklore. Team Warriors brought there "A-Game" by providing greater detail about their rides and by explaining how everything visually looks; an improvement over the last challenge. That said, there were some spelling/grammatical errors -- I'm sure Bob Iger doesn't mind. Stanza II Presentation was a bit lacking compared to Team Princes swanky flip magazine presentation but the content and idea of Rainier Ridge, I feel is the better land mainly because it themes lend a peaceful vibe. This is a great leisurely park. A place I'd visit to get away from the typical Disney crowds and just take in the sights and experiences at my own pace. If I want some thrills I'll hop on over to Timber Run or Spirit Flight. Looking to relax... I'll explore the cabin or ride The Wheel, my favorite addition to this land; a Ferris Wheel themed to a water wheel. Great, simple concept even if it's purpose in the land isn't fully explained (was hoping it would be tied to Tahoma Timber Company) Food options are plentiful. And the Shaman show has a fun edutainment component that would make Rainier Ridge the ideal park for Mrs. Parker's 5th grade class to schedule a visit.
A well-rounded park with 1) a looming mountain ride 2) rides for all ages 3) a leisurely vibe 4) unique themes 5) edutainment
What more could you ask for?
I think more effort could have been spent making sure every ride/attraction/etc was unified through a greater backstory but leaving that up to one's imagination is also OK. I won't expand too much on my opinions on the folklore and Bigfoot ride additions except to say that I was hoping again for a more unity though storytelling, possibly using a creature as legendary as Big Foot but one unique to Rainier Ridge. To offset, I would have personally liked to see MORE edutainment to balance it out. But, overall...
This is a nice park!
From the title alone I could tell this was going to be a good one! Love the alliteration! It just sounds "Disney". Same goes for many of the attractions featured. What a great idea for a land! The concept doesn't beat you on the head with overused tropes and stereotypical themes usually associated with Native Americans and Pioneering/American folklore. Team Warriors brought there "A-Game" by providing greater detail about their rides and by explaining how everything visually looks; an improvement over the last challenge. That said, there were some spelling/grammatical errors -- I'm sure Bob Iger doesn't mind. Stanza II Presentation was a bit lacking compared to Team Princes swanky flip magazine presentation but the content and idea of Rainier Ridge, I feel is the better land mainly because it themes lend a peaceful vibe. This is a great leisurely park. A place I'd visit to get away from the typical Disney crowds and just take in the sights and experiences at my own pace. If I want some thrills I'll hop on over to Timber Run or Spirit Flight. Looking to relax... I'll explore the cabin or ride The Wheel, my favorite addition to this land; a Ferris Wheel themed to a water wheel. Great, simple concept even if it's purpose in the land isn't fully explained (was hoping it would be tied to Tahoma Timber Company) Food options are plentiful. And the Shaman show has a fun edutainment component that would make Rainier Ridge the ideal park for Mrs. Parker's 5th grade class to schedule a visit.
A well-rounded park with 1) a looming mountain ride 2) rides for all ages 3) a leisurely vibe 4) unique themes 5) edutainment
What more could you ask for?
I think more effort could have been spent making sure every ride/attraction/etc was unified through a greater backstory but leaving that up to one's imagination is also OK. I won't expand too much on my opinions on the folklore and Bigfoot ride additions except to say that I was hoping again for a more unity though storytelling, possibly using a creature as legendary as Big Foot but one unique to Rainier Ridge. To offset, I would have personally liked to see MORE edutainment to balance it out. But, overall...
This is a nice park!
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El_Tomato
Well-Known Member
First of all, I loved this magazine-like presentation of the project. It’s not only intuituve, but also very easy and nice to read. You nailed this.
Now onto the actual project. Making a Renaissance-themed village the park’s entrance was a very smart move, nicely tying the discovery and exploration/myths and legends themes together. Thus, SEA was an obvious choice, but a very nice one nonetheless - about SEA, I would be extra careful with its intricate backstory and characters. I could be wrong, but there seemed to be some contradictions in the presentation about the group’s origins.
Now, my biggest criticism has to do with the arrangement of this new land. I don’t really understand why Bibliotheca Novus and Limite’s Flying Machine are so far away from the main entrance “avenue”, in the middle of the woods. That doesn’t really say “small Mediterranean town” to me. Maybe the land could’ve been arranged better, with more plazas and small alleys.
Speaking of Bibliotheca Novus, I’m not sure what I think of it. Having a ride showcasing myths, gods, heroes and legends from all around the world seems like a perfect fit for this park, but in the end, it felt mostly like a succession of random scenes. The idea behind it is great, its execution, not so much. Still a nice ride, though. And omnimovers are great people eaters, so thumbs up!
Apart from this, I loved everything else. The Astronomer’s Lounge seems like a great restaurant, and the addition of the Adventurer’s Club was a brilliant one, IMO. The water parade is also a very cool concept, and I am crazy hungry for a gelaffle.
The stores and streetmosphere all fit very well.
And although I know this didn’t make it into the final project, I really liked the Midsummer Night’s Dream expansion plan developed for the Celtic Forest area of the park.
I hope I didn’t seem too harsh, because in the end you guys did a wonderful job. Congrats all!
kmbmw777
Well-Known Member
Let’s begin this review session by talking about your brainstorming process. Overall, it was awesome. Everyone was supportive of one another, and it was the perfect representative of what this competition should be.
As for the project itself, I loved your original Midsummer Night’s idea, because it felt so unique. Originally, I was slightly disappointed by the choice to use S.E.A. It felt like a cop-out, such an overused concept in the world of armchair imagineering. Then, you guys seemed more focused on the park than the land, which made me nervous. That being said, your final product shifted my opinions in favor your land and the idea of using S.E.A. So your execution made your idea great.
The next thing I want to talk about before jumping into the details of your land is the presentation. Overall, it is amazing. The magazine immersed me in the land and made it all feel so real. The ads were hilarious (Now in 2033, Marvel can be used in Disney parks, so that is canon), and added to this immersion.
As for the land itself, I loved it. I never thought the Bifrost felt right for an entry land - Norse mythology is awesome and filled with so many rich creatures. To have it wasted in a land with no immersion never felt right. This land doesn’t focus on mythology like the rest of the park, but rather the study of it. It really works and fits the park better.
Your page diorama introducing us to the diverse characters around the land was cute and I appreciated it. I kind of wish we got a recap of the S.E.A. cinematic universe that you guys mentioned. I’m a sucker for creating movies - and am actually working on a screenplay. I feel like this universe would affect the land in grand ways - it would change how the common theme park goer thinks about the society.
Next thing is the BiblioTecha Novus. This attraction was the grand part of your proposal, and for the most part, it worked well. I thought there was way too heavy of a focus on the Greeks, considering it seemed like every scene mentioned them. I understand what you were trying to do - give an overview of various mythologies - but the attraction just felt so Greek heavy.
Your dining and shops all fit the criteria for an entry land (though I feel like Silas’ should be bigger on the map, as it is essentially the Emporium of this park). The astronomy based restaurant seemed beautiful and delicious. Those food pictures made me so hungry so now I’m going to eat lunch and write Warriors review later
Final note, normally flat rides do not not work in an immersive land. But given the slightly sci-fi theme of the idea, it works well. It seems like it may be too scary for young children, so the target audience is definitely something that should have mentioned once.
Overall, great work. The land definitely impressed me and I loved your teamwork and communication throughout the round.
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kmbmw777
Well-Known Member
Let’s begin with talking about the team dynamic. While in round one, you guys were constantly rushing to get in so many pages per day, this time you guys would have days were there was no activity. This was because you were working on your own parts, but it was still much different than expected.
Onto the presentation. I was a huge fan of it round one, but in round two, it just feels slightly cheap to do it again. If I ignore the fact that it is very similar to your round one presentation though, I still love it. The signatures add that extra spice, and your headings in the document are elegant and professional.
Next, let’s talk about one of your headliner attractions. The first gripe I have is when you said the legend of Bigfoot has no Fastpass. This is confusing, because as of right now everything has Fastpass+. The second gripe is the ride itself. While its cute and immersive, the real life story of Bigfoot is boring. He’s someone who wanders through the woods that will attack campers while they sleep. Campers are terrified of him. Your ride reflects this, but takes out the violence. Which leaves us with one emotion - fear. But we don’t know what we are scared of, so that fear is minimal. Overall, this ride is representative of the actual legends, just not in the right ways.
Spirit flight is great. It works so well with the land and seems like a natural addition. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realize that it is essentially a clone of Flight of Passage down to the aesthetics and storyline. While using the same ride system is not bad, the fact that the stories are so similar really detracts from the experience, as these two rides would be fighting with one another. However, I would like to commend whoever wrote the description for this ride as it was beautifully written.
Tahoma Timber Run is another example of a great attraction that clones another ride system. This time, however, it works so much better. This ride feels so much different than its competitor Splash Mountain that it can easily differentiate itself. This is aided by the whole Bobsled-hybrid thing, but I think even if it didn’t have that it would stile incredible. With it, this is the highlight of the whole proposal, perhaps even the round.
Finally, your streepmosphere was perfect. Everything was deliberate and added to the immersion. Your land’s atmosphere was incredible, and I know that my mom would love the berry stand. Great work, Warriors!
mickeyfan5534
Well-Known Member
I like this. I feel like it's a more appropriate opening land for Inventus. Ok that's out of the way, this was the easy route. I understand that you explained the backstory change but would Mediterranean Harbor get the change too? With that out of the way, my single question is this. Why did you not do Midsummer Forest? I think it was the more interesting, the more in theme, and the more creative option. You know I love me some entertainment, so the atmosphere and water parade were really nice touches. In fact, I wish there were more detail on that parade. Even a simple run-through of the floats and one or two more concept pieces would have been a really nice addition. Never doubt the power of a simple Paint image in doing rough concept art for parades. The ride I don't really have an opinion on either way. It feels like a mythological Spaceship Earth. The teamwork here was phenomenal. This might be a golden team and could really sweep the competition but... the ideas. The safety of the idea hurt the spectacular execution. Someone even mentioned in your PM that the idea might be really safe and that the Midsummer Forest land might have been a far bigger risk for a massive reward. It's just kind of... dull, I guess.
TEAM PRINCES
NOVUS HARBOR
Out of the gate I must apologize for any confusion you guys had with this challenge. We were aware that the original Inventus proposal was underdeveloped, but we didn’t foresee it being an issue. Nonetheless, the way you responded to that extra difficulty by relocating the entry, and adding things like a water parade and a park icon and a “thesis statement” attraction…okay, in general you all used Novus Harbor to benefit the entirety of Inventus, which is bold and brilliant and I salute it.
This boldness terrified me during the brainstorming phase, when it seemed there wasn’t enough focus on the land itself. It took a good half week to settle on an idea (Warriors had a concept pretty much from Day 1), but in the end it paid off. I’d have loved to see a few rejected concepts fleshed out more – Midsummer Night’s Dream, or something based on a hypothetical Atlantis: The Lost Empire remake – but every round has its “what could have been” ideas.
A great entry land contextualizes the whole park to come, and Novus Harbor does that. I’m reminded of how Buena Vista Street transformed DCA from Six Flags over Anaheim into Magic Kingdom 2.0, and this is similar. There’s a LOT of Mediterranean Harbor here…too much in my opinion. While all your other choices were quite bold, you went safe there.
That’s your land’s biggest flaw.
I mean, I adore Mediterranean Harbor. I’ve spent countless hours exploring its nooks and crannies. I've slept there. It’s maybe the best Disney land I’ve visited. I would genuinely love Novus Harbor for the same reason. It just feels like a clone. Doing a S.E.A. headquarters is solid (and I like how this “cinematic universe” version justifies changes from DisneySea). Maybe giving your village a different setting and era entirely would have helped. Or maybe…doing the entire land indoors as a great monumental library – that would’ve been another bold stroke!
Onto the nitty gritty. The presentation is extremely solid. The visual formatting nicely delineates different types of info. The S.E.A. bio page, if presented poorly, could feel like a huge chunk of text, so your approach is perfect. Reading on laptop, I had to zoom in to read small fonts, but that’s the only real complaint.
Biblioteca Novus is a neat “thesis statement” attraction. It feels a bit derivative of Spaceship Earth, from the edutainment tone down to the layout (omnimovers spiraling upwards, then descending). The setup had me expecting a fusion of Spaceship Earth with Mystic Manor, and especially with 2035 ride advances I think a more distinctive ride style would be warranted. And I’m not sure about the location waaaaay off in that corner. Could this have fit in the “weenie” location?
Adventurer’s Club is a big win. I first tried reading this segment on mobile last night while screaming "Uh-Oa!" at Trader Sam’s, so I’m 100% on board. Placing it on the entry border is brilliant. Not sure how an Asian temple fits in this Italian land, but otherwise genius.
Astronomer’s Lounge is someplace else I would greatly enjoy in real life. I’m all for fine dining in a planetarium! This feels entirely too similar to DisneySea’s Magellan’s restaurant, however.
Flying Machines and Explorer’s Workshop are decent filler. I don’t see the latter on the map.
Fibonacci Café. No spiral staircase?! This is the sort of great minor stuff which makes a land feel complete.
Silas’ Goods and Novus Relics combined feel like a pair of minor shops. There needs to be an Emporium equivalent (made with the same loving care as an E-ticket), and more effort could have gone into your shops. Maybe in Stanza III…?
The Voyage of Wonders Water Parade will do a whole lot for injecting life into Inventus. While I’m reminded of Mediterranean Harbor’s water parades, your central canal brings good variety. This would be a truly unique daytime extravaganza!
Stuff like the streetmosphere and snacks flesh out the land nicely. The gelaffle (“gel awful?”) is the best thing in the entire presentation. It’s like Tokyo’s flavored popcorn. @Pi on my Cake brought me one yesterday, and it was delicious.
So overall you went big and bold with your project, inviting certain risks by doing so but also reaching greater heights as a result. I personally wish you could’ve strayed a little further from Mediterranean Harbor, though realistically most Disney World guests won’t see the similarities and will love Novus Harbor for the same reasons I love Japan’s Italy. Stay bold, Princes!
TEAM WARRIORS
RAINIER RIDGE
Your out-of-the-gate brainstorming was extremely strong! You started with a systematic analysis of Inventus’ needs, and you responded accordingly.
Up front, @James G. was your MVP. He pitched a Pacific Northwest land with a tremendous combo of passion and knowledge, and then he took the lead in creating an E-ticket and informing what else could be done. And he did all this promptly, knowing his work schedule would keep him inactive later on. That’s a very smart approach to scheduling issues.
Compared to Team Princes, yours is a very conservative proposal. There’re pluses and minuses to that approach. If I recall, there was talk about connecting Rainier Ridge to Wilderness Lodge via boat transport. That would be a clever way to embrace your land’s inevitable similarities to Wilderness Lodge (both teams rejected Polynesian lands early on due to the Poly). It would’ve been a bold step to match Princes.
(EDIT: I now see that you DID include a brief mention of a Wilderness Lodge pathway. Apologies, I try to read thoroughly but also quickly, and things can get lost. This is a big enough "plus" to your project that I think more could have been made of it beyond a single throwaway sentence.)
I really like the underlying concept of your land. I feel you could’ve gone further with it! There are so, so many American legends I can see being added to your mixture of Fearsome Critters and Bigfoot . Give every restaurant and shop a distinct mythic foundation! Jackalope, Turtle Island, the trickster legends of Coyote! Your conversation fell off as the challenge progressed, and with continual back-and-forth I think you could’ve really “plussed” what you have with more and more and more (and more).
The presentation is solid and readable if a little uninspired. The reference photos throughout are evocative. I’m a big fan of your map – not necessarily the pixel art (though “A” for effort), but rather for the meandering Animal Kingdom-style layout. It truly communicates a thick forest atmosphere.
The land’s components feel randomly ordered in the PDF. Perhaps next time lead with your E-ticket instead of your playground. Go in descending order of importance, and end with something like nighttime shows if possible so it still feels like we’ve come to a climax.
Adventure Zone is cute. A good use of the Fearsome Critters, who I feel would be a natural fit as “original park characters.” Disney needs more of those.
Sal’s Berry Stand (heh) is a good eatery. Honestly, each individual part of your project is well done. I’m simply left wondering at times what connection these smaller elements have to any larger legendary story.
Water Wheel is like that too. It fits the lumberjack setting, and it is a lovely little concept, but it seems divorced from the land’s myths (apart from a token Fearsome Critters reference). But on its own it’s great. I’m curious about its scale. Is this larger than that adorable former Ferris wheel in Paris’s Fantasyland (which had really bad capacity)? Is it smaller than Mickey’s Terror Wheel in DCA (which visually dominates its park)?
Backwoods Shack is nice. It utilizes a different myth (Bigfoot) in a way which isn’t redundant with Everest’s Yeti. This enriches the land.
Which is why Legend of Bigfoot seems a bit unnecessary. If you’re doing this, I could see something like Wendigo fitting the same ride. (Ignoring for now if Wendigo fits the Pacific Northwest region, I just want to see more variety of beasties!) On its own this is a very solidly told dark ride. However Inventus is already stuffed with Fantasyland-style dark rides – something you all acknowledged on Day 1 – so I’m surprised that you wound up making another.
The Longhouse fills the table service needs nicely. I love your menu items – they sound delicious and fit the land to a tee. And yet…
Spirit Flight opens up with a longhouse queue. Two longhouses in one land? With more back-and-forth conversation, your team could avoid overlapping ideas like this. Spirit Flight was completed very early too, so everyone else should use that as a guideline for your components.
Now, as “bad cop” I need to find something wrong with Spirit Flight itself. When I Google that name, I get this:
The ride itself reminds me of Knott’s Mystery Lodge, mixed with a bit of Shanghai’s Soaring. That version has a similar vision quest premise. There are a few things I’d like to see added to what’s there now, like a flight through the Aurora Borealis or more animatronic totem poles in the pre-show. This is a strong, awe-inspiring attraction, maybe a little similar to Pandora, but transcendent and respectful and ideal for Rainier Ridge.
The Cabin Supply: Nice shop.
Tahoma Timber Run again reminds me of Knott’s (which is a good thing), this time of Timber Mountain Log Ride. Your Project Manager was in Knott's yesterday! You’ve taken the classic log flume concept and really and truly plussed it. A funicular pre-show? Bobsled coaster hybrid sections? I love all of these touches! I think the ride could better incorporate mythic concepts, however. Everything in the queue and pre-show is centered around logging, and it’s only once the ride is underway that the Fearsome Critters become a thing. In your team’s early brainstorming I saw some linked articles about Mt. Rainier’s mythology – how going above the snow line means certain doom, how the volcanic activity is a vengeful goddess. Story elements like that added to your very solid framework would make this already-awesome Disney mountain even better!
So overall this is a very lovely land with no really glaring flaws beyond a slight lack of cohesion. I do find myself wanting more, feeling like there’s untapped potential. And I think you guys are capable of achieving that with just a bit more continual conversation. Share your in-progress projects throughout the week. The seed of greatness is there.
******
Lastly, I’d like to commend both teams for your quality and care. Both teams used the extended challenge time for a final day of proofreading and presentation work. Wisely done! Some exceedingly minor typos remain in both presentations, but they’re rare. Both teams are working at a very high level, and the competition is pretty evenly matched. A loss in this round is nothing to be ashamed of.
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GlacierGlacier
Well-Known Member
I'm a guest judge with no fancy images
Judging Team Warriors
Apologies for the delay on this.
I'm an engineering student taking elective classes in themed experience design, so my critiques will mostly focus on attractions and their use of storytelling.
I personally love the concepts and history associated with American wilderness - I feel as a whole American mythology is something that is under-represented in media.
As for the project itself, there's a few things that I really appreciate.
Legend of Bigfoot
With any attraction, the story, theme, and setting should be augmented by the ride system and show style. In video games, the concept of Ludonarrative Dissonance describes when a story and the actions a viewer or player takes aren't logically connected. This is also used somewhat in the themed entertainment field to describe attractions whose ride system doesn't associate with the story being told. Fast & Furious: Supercharged is an example of a ride where the system (a slow moving "party bus" in screen tunnels) doesn't connect to the nature of the property (high-speed car chases), and the attraction suffers as a whole for it.
I feel that Legend of Bigfoot suffers from this same issue, where the ride system (classic bus-bar through painted flats) doesn't associate with the narrative being told (trek through nature and woods with rumors of Bigfoot about). There's possible solutions for this, either by changing the story or the engineering, but seeing as the focus was a ride-system looking for a story, I'd change the former. Painted flats are something that could be thematically hand-made by a mad woodsman, trying to document his age long search for the mythical beast. A simple bus-bar vehicle could be jerry-rigged by a particularly skilled craftsman to guide guests through their "museum". You could even maintain the element of ambiguity by having the "proof" be something guests could clearly see as dubious.
I like the outdoor/indoor alternate track for poor weather. That's a neat touch.
Spirit Flight
This attraction is a proper example of ludonarrative consistency. Telling the stories of the relationship between native tribes and the world around them through their native spirits is a great match for a flying simulator attraction. A full pre-show explaining what the guest is about to undertake, the narrative-less flight, entirely diagetic audio, it's a great attraction concept.
I'm not quite sure what you all mean by "headset-free virtual reality," but this is a competition based in "what ifs" and imagination, not constrained by current technology, so it doesn't matter at all.
Tahoma Timber Run
This is an amazing concept. A whole adventure through three different modes of transportation (funicular, bobsled/canoe), varied landscapes, and stories. Showcasing native culture and mythology is a great idea for the story/experience. The use of historical log flumes to show how logs actually were moved is an amazing idea. My only concern is that there's a bit much. Ranging from natural history and native culture to mythology (both native and semi-modern), there's a lot to cover. Instead of feeling like a singular concept with a unified story or theme to tell, it's more like a really cool boat tour with various concepts and stories along the side. Not to mention the existence of Bigfoot in this attraction alongside bigfoot's ambiguous nature in the other attraction is a bit conflicting.
It's amazing, but could've done with some trimming.
Overall, the main attractions were quite interesting. This whole project was a great concept and the two attractions (Tahoma and Flight) are things I'd like to see implemented almost exactly as they are in the real world.
Judging Team Warriors
Apologies for the delay on this.
I'm an engineering student taking elective classes in themed experience design, so my critiques will mostly focus on attractions and their use of storytelling.
I personally love the concepts and history associated with American wilderness - I feel as a whole American mythology is something that is under-represented in media.
As for the project itself, there's a few things that I really appreciate.
Legend of Bigfoot
With any attraction, the story, theme, and setting should be augmented by the ride system and show style. In video games, the concept of Ludonarrative Dissonance describes when a story and the actions a viewer or player takes aren't logically connected. This is also used somewhat in the themed entertainment field to describe attractions whose ride system doesn't associate with the story being told. Fast & Furious: Supercharged is an example of a ride where the system (a slow moving "party bus" in screen tunnels) doesn't connect to the nature of the property (high-speed car chases), and the attraction suffers as a whole for it.
I feel that Legend of Bigfoot suffers from this same issue, where the ride system (classic bus-bar through painted flats) doesn't associate with the narrative being told (trek through nature and woods with rumors of Bigfoot about). There's possible solutions for this, either by changing the story or the engineering, but seeing as the focus was a ride-system looking for a story, I'd change the former. Painted flats are something that could be thematically hand-made by a mad woodsman, trying to document his age long search for the mythical beast. A simple bus-bar vehicle could be jerry-rigged by a particularly skilled craftsman to guide guests through their "museum". You could even maintain the element of ambiguity by having the "proof" be something guests could clearly see as dubious.
I like the outdoor/indoor alternate track for poor weather. That's a neat touch.
Spirit Flight
This attraction is a proper example of ludonarrative consistency. Telling the stories of the relationship between native tribes and the world around them through their native spirits is a great match for a flying simulator attraction. A full pre-show explaining what the guest is about to undertake, the narrative-less flight, entirely diagetic audio, it's a great attraction concept.
I'm not quite sure what you all mean by "headset-free virtual reality," but this is a competition based in "what ifs" and imagination, not constrained by current technology, so it doesn't matter at all.
Tahoma Timber Run
This is an amazing concept. A whole adventure through three different modes of transportation (funicular, bobsled/canoe), varied landscapes, and stories. Showcasing native culture and mythology is a great idea for the story/experience. The use of historical log flumes to show how logs actually were moved is an amazing idea. My only concern is that there's a bit much. Ranging from natural history and native culture to mythology (both native and semi-modern), there's a lot to cover. Instead of feeling like a singular concept with a unified story or theme to tell, it's more like a really cool boat tour with various concepts and stories along the side. Not to mention the existence of Bigfoot in this attraction alongside bigfoot's ambiguous nature in the other attraction is a bit conflicting.
It's amazing, but could've done with some trimming.
Overall, the main attractions were quite interesting. This whole project was a great concept and the two attractions (Tahoma and Flight) are things I'd like to see implemented almost exactly as they are in the real world.
AceAstro
Well-Known Member
Team Princes
First off, I really like the inclusion of reading music! Opening up the link I LOVE the look of the magazine. It looks very nice and professional.
I think the sidebar on the first is definitely a fun way to start off the project with both a quick overview of the project as well as little jokes such as how early MNSSHP starts (should just be year-round at this point ).
I think the idea of building this whole new background for S.E.A. with the movie and fictional location was a very bold choice but I think it worked perfectly here. It gave a logical reason to change around so much of the park. I still feel like S.E.A. is an easy route to go in Armchair Imagineering but in this sense, it was done very well and felt like more of a bonus feature (in the park I think it fits the most in) than it being used as a crutch.
Moving on to the next page wow @spacemt354 you made the map look the exact same, nice work! Small disclaimer to Team Warriors in that we had Space well before the season make us an updated Inventus map but he knew nothing more than that so Team Princes did not have any sort of advantage there. I think the map of the expansion is laid out very nicely and cleanly making it easy to tell what everything is. One thing I am slightly confused about is the canals. It provides a new way to enter the park? How? That wasn't really described and I see that a water parade also uses that area so is that entrance way cut off at certain times of day?
I love the "Meet the Society" page. Nice way to introduce all the characters. Small things here and there make this page weaker than it should've been (weird word spacing on some of the characters such as Conoscenza, visibly less info about Limite than everyone else, etc.) but overall was a solid page.
Wow, the Bibliotheca Novus is stunning. This place is absolutely massive. I like the detailed queue elements of the Scholars' Cavern as they feel perfectly in line with the rest of the building while fitting quite nicely as the queue. I think an omnimover is definitely the best way to go about the Librariots as it works without feeling forced. One small thing in the initial narrator dialogue that stuck out to me was that he called it a "chariot" instead of a "Librariot" which is just a simple miss while writing up the project. You also have your "With that, you begin your ride" paragraph twice at the bottom of one page and the start of the next page. A small typo in the narrator paragraph about how Rhea "his from him" instead of "hid from him". Overall, the page was done very well but a couple of mistakes here or there really stood out.
I really like the Place of the Pantheons as it covers many Gods from around the world and not just Zeus. It's probably my favourite part of the attraction. The Journey of Heroes page was also done very well as it also focused on many heroes instead of the common ones that are talked about.
The Monster of Myth pages are laid out very nicely. The "Danger" part of the headline is a bit hard to make out on the Unicorn. I quite enjoy the "Insider Info" section as it's a nice break in the reading to immerse you into the land even more. I need to go read this field guide
An "odd" formatting choice that was made here is that the beasts are all talked about on the left page but then the images of them are on the right page. I feel like either the text or the images should've been flipped. Again with the beasts, I enjoy how more than just the traditional European focus on the Unicorn and Dragon were looked at.
Hitting the end of the attraction. There is some weird spacing including the T from the third paragraph being in the second paragraph. I think some of the spacing problems came from trying to out the "exclusive interview" that took up space making the rest of the page slightly awkward in space.
Overall, I think the attraction is a lot of fun and fits perfectly in the land. I also enjoy the ad for both MMNSSHP and Marvel Amphibion (Amphibian?). I just want to know where this attraction will go!!
Moving on to the Adventurers Club, I felt like it worked here better than Pleasure Island and was a nice way to "revive" it. I like the inclusion of a way to enter the park through Adventurer's Club as that is not something you see often. Enjoy the mini-menu of the drink options.
I enjoy the Astronomers Lounge as well. It sounds like a very beautiful restaurant with some nice aspects such as the roof. I would quite enjoy eating here if it were real.
Both the flying machines and workshop are nice ways to fill out the land with a mix of attractions.
Like the prices detail for the Fibonacci Cafe. Nice minor details like this really help!
I really like the idea of The Voyage of Wonders Water Parade as it's a nice way to use the lake to your advantage. Seems like a good parade that I would definitely watch.
Overall, I was slightly worried at the beginning of the project as I felt you were going to complex for what was wanted but it was quickly re-aligned and I think you knocked the project out of the park!!
First off, I really like the inclusion of reading music! Opening up the link I LOVE the look of the magazine. It looks very nice and professional.
I think the sidebar on the first is definitely a fun way to start off the project with both a quick overview of the project as well as little jokes such as how early MNSSHP starts (should just be year-round at this point
).I think the idea of building this whole new background for S.E.A. with the movie and fictional location was a very bold choice but I think it worked perfectly here. It gave a logical reason to change around so much of the park. I still feel like S.E.A. is an easy route to go in Armchair Imagineering but in this sense, it was done very well and felt like more of a bonus feature (in the park I think it fits the most in) than it being used as a crutch.
Moving on to the next page wow @spacemt354 you made the map look the exact same, nice work
! Small disclaimer to Team Warriors in that we had Space well before the season make us an updated Inventus map but he knew nothing more than that so Team Princes did not have any sort of advantage there. I think the map of the expansion is laid out very nicely and cleanly making it easy to tell what everything is. One thing I am slightly confused about is the canals. It provides a new way to enter the park? How? That wasn't really described and I see that a water parade also uses that area so is that entrance way cut off at certain times of day?I love the "Meet the Society" page. Nice way to introduce all the characters. Small things here and there make this page weaker than it should've been (weird word spacing on some of the characters such as Conoscenza, visibly less info about Limite than everyone else, etc.) but overall was a solid page.
Wow, the Bibliotheca Novus is stunning. This place is absolutely massive. I like the detailed queue elements of the Scholars' Cavern as they feel perfectly in line with the rest of the building while fitting quite nicely as the queue. I think an omnimover is definitely the best way to go about the Librariots as it works without feeling forced. One small thing in the initial narrator dialogue that stuck out to me was that he called it a "chariot" instead of a "Librariot" which is just a simple miss while writing up the project. You also have your "With that, you begin your ride" paragraph twice at the bottom of one page and the start of the next page. A small typo in the narrator paragraph about how Rhea "his from him" instead of "hid from him". Overall, the page was done very well but a couple of mistakes here or there really stood out.
I really like the Place of the Pantheons as it covers many Gods from around the world and not just Zeus. It's probably my favourite part of the attraction. The Journey of Heroes page was also done very well as it also focused on many heroes instead of the common ones that are talked about.
The Monster of Myth pages are laid out very nicely. The "Danger" part of the headline is a bit hard to make out on the Unicorn. I quite enjoy the "Insider Info" section as it's a nice break in the reading to immerse you into the land even more. I need to go read this field guide
An "odd" formatting choice that was made here is that the beasts are all talked about on the left page but then the images of them are on the right page. I feel like either the text or the images should've been flipped. Again with the beasts, I enjoy how more than just the traditional European focus on the Unicorn and Dragon were looked at.Hitting the end of the attraction. There is some weird spacing including the T from the third paragraph being in the second paragraph. I think some of the spacing problems came from trying to out the "exclusive interview" that took up space making the rest of the page slightly awkward in space.
Overall, I think the attraction is a lot of fun and fits perfectly in the land. I also enjoy the ad for both MMNSSHP and Marvel Amphibion (Amphibian?). I just want to know where this attraction will go!!
Moving on to the Adventurers Club, I felt like it worked here better than Pleasure Island and was a nice way to "revive" it. I like the inclusion of a way to enter the park through Adventurer's Club as that is not something you see often. Enjoy the mini-menu of the drink options.
I enjoy the Astronomers Lounge as well. It sounds like a very beautiful restaurant with some nice aspects such as the roof. I would quite enjoy eating here if it were real.
Both the flying machines and workshop are nice ways to fill out the land with a mix of attractions.
Like the prices detail for the Fibonacci Cafe. Nice minor details like this really help!
I really like the idea of The Voyage of Wonders Water Parade as it's a nice way to use the lake to your advantage. Seems like a good parade that I would definitely watch.
Overall, I was slightly worried at the beginning of the project as I felt you were going to complex for what was wanted but it was quickly re-aligned and I think you knocked the project out of the park!!
AceAstro
Well-Known Member
Team Warriors
To start off, the communication greatly improved this round over last. There wasn’t organized chaos this round and it was clear what was happening and nobody got lost along the way which is huge compared to last round.
I enjoy the various music that goes along with the project. It’s clear where it fits so I can listen when I read.
I see you went with the PDF from a Google Doc. While it works, I was kind of hoping for something new. Team Princes has done a website and a magazine for the first two stanzas to keep it fresh. Just something to note for Stanza III.
That being said, I really like this idea. I think the Pacific Northwest fits perfectly in the park and is a very underrated area that should be in some park.
I really like the map as it is super clear on where everything is without being super complicated.
I think Mt. Rainier works as a perfect weenie for the land as it would stand out from everywhere. Gives the park a nice mountain as well.
Makes sense to connect it to the Wilderness Lodge as it allows a fun exclusive entrance that we don’t yet have and thematically connects that whole area together.
The Adventure Zone is a nice way to use the Fearsome Critters. Would be a great way to implement some walk around/ Meet and Greet characters out of this attraction! Cactus Cat is definitely the best!
Sal’s Berry Stand is a nice quick service place with a lot of options. While I am not a big berry fan myself, I could see this being very successful.
I like the water wheel attraction. While I would be curious to know more information about it (such as capacity), I was quite surprised that there is no Ferris Wheel in WDW so think this is a good addition.
The Backwoods Shack is a good take on the Bigfoot. I enjoy the meal options mentioned in the menu as well as the inclusion of the children menu.
Moving on to Legend of the Bigfoot, I think the biggest thing that stands out at the start is the lack of Fastpasses. If something like Magic Carpets of Aladdin has a Fastpass, this would. The one aspect I REALLY like is the outdoor aspect of the first scene. It’s something I feel like we don’t see very often anymore (only one I can think of off the top of my head is Alice in Wonderland in DLR). In the end, though, I wanted more. Even scene 8 mentioned that with “Guess we will never know”. It had a lot of potential and then I feel like it just missed.
While I do like the Longhouse dining option (and I LOVE that menu, it all looks soooo good), it feels weird to me to not be side-by-side with Spirit flight in another Long House. I feel like both would be fine but they’d need to be the same style and without a path going in between them.
With that, let’s get into Spirit Flight. Much like D Hindley, being in the aviation industry (specifically the ULCC aviation industry) I also think of Spirit Airlines with this attraction. I know there was no intention with this but I definitely had a chuckle reading it. Moving past that, I really liked the attraction. It felt like a perfect attraction for this land!
Moving on to the big attraction, Tahoma Timber Run. I like the addition of the funicular trains to the ride experience. With more news coming out about Rise of the Resistance being a whole “ride experience” instead of just an attraction I could see this happening more or more so it’s nice to see you went this route. From there the attraction only gets better! A hybrid log flume-bobsled coaster? I didn’t even know I wanted that until right now! Overall, this attraction was a hit from start to finish and my favourite part of the whole project!
All in all, I think the project was very good but through an uninspiring presentation style and a couple of odd quirks here and there it knocked it down a bit.
To start off, the communication greatly improved this round over last. There wasn’t organized chaos this round and it was clear what was happening and nobody got lost along the way which is huge compared to last round.
I enjoy the various music that goes along with the project. It’s clear where it fits so I can listen when I read.
I see you went with the PDF from a Google Doc. While it works, I was kind of hoping for something new. Team Princes has done a website and a magazine for the first two stanzas to keep it fresh. Just something to note for Stanza III.
That being said, I really like this idea. I think the Pacific Northwest fits perfectly in the park and is a very underrated area that should be in some park.
I really like the map as it is super clear on where everything is without being super complicated.
I think Mt. Rainier works as a perfect weenie for the land as it would stand out from everywhere. Gives the park a nice mountain as well.
Makes sense to connect it to the Wilderness Lodge as it allows a fun exclusive entrance that we don’t yet have and thematically connects that whole area together.
The Adventure Zone is a nice way to use the Fearsome Critters. Would be a great way to implement some walk around/ Meet and Greet characters out of this attraction! Cactus Cat is definitely the best!
Sal’s Berry Stand is a nice quick service place with a lot of options. While I am not a big berry fan myself, I could see this being very successful.
I like the water wheel attraction. While I would be curious to know more information about it (such as capacity), I was quite surprised that there is no Ferris Wheel in WDW so think this is a good addition.
The Backwoods Shack is a good take on the Bigfoot. I enjoy the meal options mentioned in the menu as well as the inclusion of the children menu.
Moving on to Legend of the Bigfoot, I think the biggest thing that stands out at the start is the lack of Fastpasses. If something like Magic Carpets of Aladdin has a Fastpass, this would. The one aspect I REALLY like is the outdoor aspect of the first scene. It’s something I feel like we don’t see very often anymore (only one I can think of off the top of my head is Alice in Wonderland in DLR). In the end, though, I wanted more. Even scene 8 mentioned that with “Guess we will never know”. It had a lot of potential and then I feel like it just missed.
While I do like the Longhouse dining option (and I LOVE that menu, it all looks soooo good), it feels weird to me to not be side-by-side with Spirit flight in another Long House. I feel like both would be fine but they’d need to be the same style and without a path going in between them.
With that, let’s get into Spirit Flight. Much like D Hindley, being in the aviation industry (specifically the ULCC aviation industry) I also think of Spirit Airlines with this attraction. I know there was no intention with this but I definitely had a chuckle reading it. Moving past that, I really liked the attraction. It felt like a perfect attraction for this land!
Moving on to the big attraction, Tahoma Timber Run. I like the addition of the funicular trains to the ride experience. With more news coming out about Rise of the Resistance being a whole “ride experience” instead of just an attraction I could see this happening more or more so it’s nice to see you went this route. From there the attraction only gets better! A hybrid log flume-bobsled coaster? I didn’t even know I wanted that until right now! Overall, this attraction was a hit from start to finish and my favourite part of the whole project!
All in all, I think the project was very good but through an uninspiring presentation style and a couple of odd quirks here and there it knocked it down a bit.
Final results for this stanza will be posted at 11:59 EST. This allows our Guest Reviewers more time to create reviews.
At that time, the losing team will see a few of its members sent into the Cursed Courtroom where they will have 24 hours to respond to judges' questions before facing potential elimination. The winning team will receive their Stanza III prompt sooner, tomorrow at noon EST, 12 hours before it goes public for everyone.
Congratulations to both Team Warriors and Team Princes for a fantastic round!
At that time, the losing team will see a few of its members sent into the Cursed Courtroom where they will have 24 hours to respond to judges' questions before facing potential elimination. The winning team will receive their Stanza III prompt sooner, tomorrow at noon EST, 12 hours before it goes public for everyone.
Congratulations to both Team Warriors and Team Princes for a fantastic round!
Magic Feather
Well-Known Member
Team Princes Review
I want to preface this review by saying that I really enjoyed reading through this project. In fact, this may have been my favorite project presentation-wise. It was such a clever and novel concept. However, one of my biggest fears for this project came true. To quote myself in a separate PM discussing the team’s progress:
Regardless of the nitpicks and lack of originality on the micro scale, you still were very original in the macro scale with your entrance overhaul, which was a stroke of genius. A risk that paid off. Hopefully this compliment Gelaffle wasn’t too awful, but if there is one take away from this review, let it be this. When you are inspired by something, figure out how you want it to serve. A heavily modified clone? A sequel? Set in a similar Anthology? Great! Just try to avoid it from becoming a template.
I want to preface this review by saying that I really enjoyed reading through this project. In fact, this may have been my favorite project presentation-wise. It was such a clever and novel concept. However, one of my biggest fears for this project came true. To quote myself in a separate PM discussing the team’s progress:
Unfortunately, both of my fears came to fruition. With the exception of a lack of an inordinate amount of Italian restaurants, this felt like Mediterranean Harbour with an oddly Oriental Adventurer’s Club. You have your E-Ticket tucked away to the side (Library Ride and upcoming Soaring), a fun C-Ticket diversion (gondolas and flying), an interactive walkthrough of SEA Headquarters (Fortress Explorations), a fancy restaurant with views of the stars (Magellan’s/Astronomer’s Lounge), and a parade on the water. Let alone that, even smaller aspects felt unoriginal. For instance, the Gelaffle was taken from another restaurant (although this is one that I let slide due to the overall greatness of it in context), Bibliotheca Novus was SSE:Redux, and the Astronomer’s Lounge roaming character was not merely inspired by Penelope Toothsome, but used her picture which irked me, but I digress.
Regardless of the nitpicks and lack of originality on the micro scale, you still were very original in the macro scale with your entrance overhaul, which was a stroke of genius. A risk that paid off. Hopefully this compliment Gelaffle wasn’t too awful, but if there is one take away from this review, let it be this. When you are inspired by something, figure out how you want it to serve. A heavily modified clone? A sequel? Set in a similar Anthology? Great! Just try to avoid it from becoming a template.
Pi on my Cake
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
Astronomer’s Lounge is someplace else I would greatly enjoy in real life. I’m all for fine dining in a planetarium! This feels entirely too similar to DisneySea’s Magellan’s restaurant, however.
Oh, shoot! I totally just remade Magellan's! Thats what I get for not researching more of Mediterranean Harbor lol