Mickeynerd17
Well-Known Member
This has got to be the longest post without a ton of pictures I've ever seen.A GUEST REVIEW OF STANZA 1, TEAM POWER> The opening photo made by Doug is extremely professional looking! It looks like it was actually a part of the original map! The only thing that gave it away is some of the increase in quality of linework, which is actually a good thing if anything, and the lightness in some of the fonts. Overall, as always, Doug did an amazing job with the opening photo of Team Power, and I hope he keeps up the good work in the future! It's always a pleasure to see your art on a project!
Heya! Tux here. I'm going to review all of the results for Stanza 1 around now, and hopefully my feedback helps everyone! I'm pretty sure that I'm only supposed to review one team, and I hope that these results aren't too late to post. So, here I go!
TEAM POWER
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> I love how the website and the framing device of this project is inspired after Yesterland! It's such a clever way to handle the presentation of the project, mainly because of how Yesterland focuses on the history of the parks, and of course, the prompt focuses on creating a historical part of the parks. I also like how it winds up making the project as a whole easier to navigate and how it helps to balance the amount of information contained in the project. Mainly since Yesterland manages to contain many details about an attraction, a restaurant, a shop, or parts of lands in only a few paragraphs. This winds up creating a format that's simplistic yet detailed, and I think it works very well with the project!
> The web design itself is very crisp looking, and very easy to navigate. Overall, it's a good setup! I also like that the website doesn't entirely try to replicate the Yesterland website, it does have it's own different navigation bars and sidebars that are overall different compared to Yesterland's.
> Meanwhile, for the project's thematic connection to Main Street, I think it winds up combining very well with Main Street! I really like how it ties back into the origin of Main Street and the overall theme of it being a nostalgic look back on Walt's childhood and his nostalgic views on America. This then ties into Little Mexico and Chinatown, which reflect the international communities of California. While one could say there's a bit of a disconnect due to Main Street being primarily based on Marceline, Missouri, Main Street also takes inspiration from other places in the U.S as well. Therefore, the ideas of Chinatown and Little Mexico still fit in. I will say, I do like the idea of focusing on these two because of the amount of creativity that can be done with it, and using Little Mexico and Chinatown was a very creative idea, although plenty of the other ideas for the expansions in the chat were also excellent! I think I arguably like this one the most out of the ones you picked, since it just feels really tied to the idea of Main Street, and I feel like it makes the expansion feel more whole.
> I liked how the home page explained the main concepts behind Little Mexico and Chinatown, and how they connect with Main Street thematically! I also liked how the home page connected the project to some of the other attractions that were released during the Walt Era. I also thought the posters were a really nice addition that added an extra layer of immersion to this project.
> Okay, as for the Chinatown Introduction! For the things I do like, I did like the overall aesthetic that was done with the introduction to Chinatown! The way the coloring is consistent between photos and the videos sampling the entrance, and some of the smaller details is a very nice touch which creates an image that's very aesthetically pleasing to think about! I also like how they join together with the description to create a vivid image of the overall environment that's a bustling neighborhood. I also thought that the short area music samples were a nice addition as well that helped to boost the overall immersion of the area and to create a bigger picture! The musical composition was excellent, and the tracks sounded professional!
> I like how the primary colors are used throughout the area with their respective meanings throughout the area, and I like how you provided this information with this project! It really shows that you care about being accurate to the culture! I also enjoyed all of the small little details that helped to make the area feel even more grounded. Mainly by mentioning the Chinese text still being on the signs, the species of bush, the mentions of the architecture, the trash can and bench designs, and much more. It winds up creating a nice, vivid image of the area without having the text become to overwhelming! The edited trashcans are also an extremely nice touch that's added to give further immersion!
> At first, I thought that the archway was a bit too sudden of an entry point for China Town, but after looking a bit deeper at some reference pictures provided and comparing them a bit better to actual urban areas, I realized that the Arches were actually fitted perfectly. So, I have to say that I also liked how the entry ways wind up blending in the urban neighborhood of main street, and how it actually feels like a Chinatown neighborhood. The only issue I may actually have is that the pathing system may become cluttered with the way the pathways are organized, but that's really about it. Overall, the introduction segments are excellent.
> Also, the Chinatown poster is absolutely stunning, I absolutely adore it! It's amazing, and I like how it creates an overall brief image of what the entryway would theoretically look like if it existed.
> On the first hand, I really enjoy the Celestial Carousel. It's simple, it's sweet, it's kinda fitting considered Disneyland was inspired by a carousel in a park, and it really fits with the concept of this segment of the expansion. A carousel based on Chinese zodiacs is a really cool idea, and I think it was executed very well in this case! I like how you went into detail about the number of mounts, the size, and the coloration of the carousel, which gives a better picture of what it looks like! I also like how you tied the Chinese zodiacs back to space, and used that to help fill out the rest of the carousel. I think if implemented to the parks, it would obviously be superior to prince charming's/king Arthurs', and could very easily take it's place in the park's history, albeit in Main Street!
> Also, Brer Panther's artwork is always a plus, and I really like the patterns seen across the mounts, as well as the consistent colorization! So good job on this! I also liked how the numbers were kept consistent across the zodiacs, and using Snakes as the chariot was a good idea overall! Mainly since it would be a bit difficult to convert them to a mount format.
> Meanwhile, the Monkey King is a bit mixed, but mostly pretty good for the most part. On one hand, an attraction of this caliber in Main Street is a really exciting concept, mainly since a boat attraction in Main Street is an idea not commonly explored in imagineering circles, and it's certainly a unique one! It's also nice to have an attraction of this length in Main Street, considering the closest thing to an attraction of this length Main Street has ever touched is the scrapped idea for the Haunted Mansion to reside there. It also really pays off in this regard, and I think it does extremely well with what it does. For what it ultimately is, it's an absolutely charming attraction. That being said, I still have some issues with the ride. Mainly the lack of focus on the overall mechanics on how the ride works and how. At first when reading the Monkey King, I got confused about the drops because previously It's A Small World was used as a frame of reference for the ride itself, and It's A Small World doesn't have drops that steep. Then I eventually was able to POTC as a frame of reference to get what you guys were getting at, but I was still a bit confused. I also think you guys could've gone deeper into depth on how certain pieces of the set design functions. How are AAs utilized in the ride? What technical effects are used to achieve the motion of the stone egg rolling? How is the giant size of the monkey achieved?
> That being said, outside of some technical confusion, the ride itself is pretty well constructed! I mainly really liked how the folklore was given a different interpretation throughout the ride, and I thought it was overall pretty creative. Not to mention, it helped the ride to stand out in comparison to some other iterations of the same story in ride form! Also, as much as the technical limitations are kind of confusing in the sense that the technology isn't fully explained here, I think it adds a smudge of charm to the overall attraction. Mainly in the sense that the era and the overall space given helped to shape the ride into becoming what it was, which makes it feel more individual than before. The multiple ride layouts provided help to show exactly how the attraction fits into it's space, and how it exactly plays out. The video was also a big treat, and it was a great idea overall to include it! It helped to diversify the presentation, it helped to explain certain physical characteristics of the rides without writing entire paragraphs, it shows how the ride's sequences connect to each other, and overall it's just a very creative and cool idea. It's an excellent presentation format, and I think you killed it in that regard.
> The Emperor's Tea House had a lot of thought put into it for just one restaurant, and it really helps to paint a vivid image of what the restaurant looks like, how it ties into the expansion, and how it functions. I like how the restaurant takes inspiration from the Imperial Court and it's gardens. Mainly because of how it ties back into the basis of the restaurant, which is in reference to the Emperor Of The Nightingale, as well as the designs of fancy Chinatown restaurants. I really appreciate the amount of detail and attention paid to the gardens and the entryway to the restaurant, it paints a really beautiful picture. I also enjoy the subtle feature of the cracks to try and paint the picture that while this restaurant is inspired by the Ming Dynasty and the Imperial Court, it's still a part of Chinatown. The details of the flora and the fauna within the garden gives a sense of Livelihood to the entryway, and the oriental lanterns are guardian lions at the entry point of the restaurant are nice details as well!
> The only real criticism I might've had was the size and scale of the restaurant, but then again, it is the only restaurant in this part of the expansion, and the restaurants it's based off of tend to be the same approximate size of this. So overall, I think it's pretty well warranted for it to be this big, and I like how big the restaurant is overall since it probably would look and be pretty cool physically!
> The interior's aesthetics are also pretty fitting as well, and I like how you specified from which era the interior architecture came from, while also providing pictures to give exact examples of what the interior would look like! I like how you also specified on how certain features come into play like the vases, the rugs, the woodworks, the tamarind branches, and the flowers as well. The one thing I am quite curious about though is how the moth effect winds up working and how it's produced. I like the detail, and I wish you would've gone into a better depth of how it works.
> I appreciate you guys leaving the story of The Emperor's Nightingale by Hans Christian Anderson in with the details of the restaurant, since it adds the full context of the story and shows how that context winds up applying to the restaurant. It's also neat for anyone who may have not heard of the folklore before and needed the context to understand how it applies. It's just a very convenient piece of information to have there, and I'm happy about it being there!
> The Nightingale Figure really adds to the experience and it helps the restaurant to stand out more overall in the context of the experience. I like how the nightingale figure connects with the myth, the overall theme of the restaurant, and how the figure winds up interacting with it's surroundings in an enchanted tiki room type fashion. I feel like the inclusion of the figure helps to make the restaurant feel overall more lifelike and to add more to the experience. Also, thank you for talking about how the Nightingale Figure works, how the mechanics surrounding it work, and how it's show usually goes, as it winds up giving more information that adds to the experience overall, and helps the images surrounding it feel more complete in a sense. Also, the reference to the former chinese flag with the four dragon ornaments is a really neat detail overall.
> As for the content of the food on the menu, I like how you specifically outlined and were sure to make it so that the contents of the menu were a mix of English and Chinese food, as it goes back to the idea of Chinatown, and how this specific restaurant is supposed to reflect a fancy Chinese restaurant in Chinatown, as well as how Chinese American food is different partially from actual Chinese food. Sorry if I went on a ramble there, I just wanted to add more to the context of why I thought it was great that you guys pointed that out. Overall, the menu is very solid, there's a nice balance between the amount of dishes available which seems to indicate that the restaurant focuses more on creating quality in terms of dishes than a high quantity, and I like how you outlined specifically what parts were modified to meet American standards.
> Starting off with the Slideshow, I do think that there could be a bit more context added to each of the slides, although you could match them up just by comparing the wares of the shops to the slide, via subtitles, but overall, the slideshow is very aesthetically pleasing, and it does a great job of creating an overview of some of the accessories available throughout the stores in Chinatown. However, please do correct me if it's impossible to create subtitles in this case for each slide, in which please do ignore my criticism.
> For Empress Shi, I like how it explores multiple aspects of Chinese Culture through the history of Silk in China, and through the wares of several silk based constructs and apparel. I mainly like how it tries to be informative about how these silk items were and still are made, and how it does so in a very creative fashion via banners laden throughout the shop.
> As for the Eastern Lanterns shop, I love how much thought you put into the overall concept! Mainly with how the Chinese lanterns function, and how they use helium like regular balloons, but are reusable in the sense that they're also lanterns that can be lit up like traditional ones as well. I also liked how the lanterns come in many different diverse forms, since it helps the shop feel more in depth, and essentially feel less like a stretched out concept to something that warrants a shop. I also liked how you brought up the history behind the lanterns, although I'm confused on how large the plaque is and how noticeable it is to guests, seeing as it's a big part of the themes of the shops orientating around the history of Ancient China.
> I also liked how Pottery Atlas reflects on and represents the different eras and dynasties of Ancient China to explore it's history in a very creative fashion. I also think the arrangements provided by the shop appear to be very interesting, and I like how you made the point to outline the amount of variety in the shop. I also like how the shop follows patterns similar to other art oriented shops at the park, and how that's reflected in it's careful design, and by the top image included with the text.
> Meanwhile, Harmony Flower Market is arguably my favorite of all of the shops. I like how it acts as a transition area and a bridge between the two parts of the expansion through a shop that shows some of the similarities between the customs of the two cultures, and I think that's a very brilliant way to tackle the transition between the two parts. I also like how it represents the bonds between the cultures of these areas, which fits into the overall theme throughout this expansion of unity between cultures in America. I also appreciate how the presentation goes into depth with the flower symbolism throughout their holidays, and flower symbolism within the flowers sold at the shop and what they would represent. I also like how the orange colors from some of the flowers seem to play further into the orange motif of Little Mexico seen throughout the expansion. I also enjoy how the seasons and their correlations with certain flowers create seasonal sales of certain flowers during certain periods of time to create exclusive flowers, which helps the shop stand out and to be more unique.
> As for Little Mexico's Introduction, I don't have really much to say here that I didn't already say for the Chinese Introduction -- The graphics are excellent, the color palettes are extremely pleasant to look at, and the area music is absolutely gorgeous sounding as always. Some things I do want to note is that I like how you guys mentioned and brought up the exact forced perspective to give a better image of what the buildings looked like. I'm still happy with you guys mentioning the materials used for the construction of the architecture across the land, as it allows for a better visualization. I love how there are consistent trends with the colors used in the palettes across the land, which helps the overall area feel more connected and cohesive when connected to the rest of Main Street. I also just really like how soothing the area music is, it's an absolute pleasure to listen to, and I think it really adds to the introduction.
> As for The Three Caballeros Present: Fiesta De Mexico, I think it turned out really well when it comes to the attraction parts of this project, although I do have some small nitpicks that kinda come with it. But overall, I think it's execution for this attraction was excellent even if arguably The Monkey King was more thrilling or arguably the larger attraction. I really liked the way the film itself wound up playing out, it really reminded me of those old educational shorts that Disney would make around those time periods, and I feel like it perfectly winds up representing those tones in a way that matches up with the originals. I enjoy how Walt wound up playing into the attraction, and I liked the contrast between how he's treated today and how this attraction treats him because he's still alive and in power at this point. So, he's treated less like a hopeful figure representing the certain ideals of the company and more like an actual person who was the founder of the company. I also really enjoyed how the film discusses Cinco De Mayo, while also including the antics of Jose, Panchito, and Donald, and given the wording, I'm assuming it wouldn't entirely disrupt the narrator's discussion of the event, it's just that the discussion gets derailed towards the end. I liked how Panchito, Jose, and Donald were utilized in this case, since they're practically perfect for this specific attraction given it's topic, and I like how their interactions throughout the short are unique compared to some of their behavior in the films while also still sticking to their characters.
> I also thought it was excellent that you included some more of Mexico's history throughout the queue, mainly by the queue discussing the Salsa Dances, Mariachi Band, and some famous Mexican musicians before the ride gets derailed later. The only complaint here is that this feels a little disconnected from the film, but then again they do show up later, it's just that the text focuses more on Panchito, Jose, and Donald interfering. Sorry, it just kinda feels awkward to have that kind of setup and have it be displaced a bit later on in the ride. I will say that I also appreciated the technology being used in the ride being discussed once again with how the theater works, and by comparing the mechanics to other rides, which once again helps to create a better image of what happens.
> The exit and the gift shop are pretty simple, pretty sweet. I like how it references Donald's Birthday, which I don't really see get mentioned a lot. Overall nothing too special there, but it's a nice little thing towards the end of the ride.
> I know this is a really dumb piece of positive feedback, but for the first sentence of Plaza De Los Angeles, I don't why, but the first sentence just feels like a really good introductory statement. I feel like it does a good job introducing the overall vibe and concepts around the restaurant, and I would like to see more sentences like it to introduce certain things in the future. I also appreciate you guys putting down the architectural style, and automatically giving another sentence to describe what exactly the restaurant in question is supposed to feel like and the emotions it's supposed to give off from visiting there.
> I LOVE THE DESCRIPTION OF THE HOUSE. I love the amount of thought that went into all of the details regarding the house, and how these little details make up a nice big picture. You guys did excellent in that regard! I love all the references to Mexican culture and history, mainly through the coat of arms, the explanation of all the tiny, little details regarding the coat of arms, and how the house is constructed out of Coquina.
> I also really like how there's a whole dedicated set of closed off areas in Little Mexico, and I like how these nonexistent houses, shops, and the likes have their own dedicated backstories to breathe some more life into the land, and to make it more immersive overall. I also love all of the descriptions you gave for the overall area, and how colorful and beautiful the area is with the colorful tiles and the fountain. I also really liked how the murals help to make the place look even nicer, and I like how even some of them refer back to Mexico's history throughout their contents and Mexico's culture, like in the case of the Frida Kahlo mural. I also love how you mentioned the banners once much and the hanging accouterments, which line up well with the pictures below to sort of create an overall big image by kind of combining the text with the images in a way. Also, the twinkling lanterns are always a nice thing to haveand they could function as a bit of a callback to Chinatown.
> As for the interior of the restaurant itself, I like how the interior of the restaurant winds up reflecting on the customs of Mexican Culture as well by taking Siestas into mind, and as a result, the interior is made to be darkened in order to reflect that it's not likely for restaurants to be open around the times when it's light out. I think it's pretty clever how artificial lighting was used to essentially try and reflect on the customs, and I think it's pretty creative as well, since it adds more character to the restaurant as a whole. I also thought the rotating Mariachi Band throughout the restaurant is also a very clever idea, and I like how it winds up making the restaurant feel more alive by having live entertainment take place within the restaurant as well, and also having that entertainment actively move throughout the restaurant.
> As for the menu, I do appreciate that the menu is supposed to reflect onto the traditional foods of Mexico, and how it's purely supposed to be based on the authentic versions and not some alternative recipes. Not much for me to talk about here, but good job with the research and thank you for the effort!
> Starting with the shops, we have Chocolate Carte, and I remember going in the chat for Team Power, and watching the idea being created in the first place, and overall, it turned out great! I think my favorite thing about this shop is that not only does it go over traditional recipes, but it also goes over the many different types of Mexican chocolates and their varieties, which I think helps to make the shop stand out even more in the sense that it actively shows how diverse the chocolate recipes in Mexico happen to be, and all the different types of variants that are used across different occasions. I also like how the shop also shows a brief bit of the history behind the chocolate via the Aztec painting. Overall, it's just a very cool shop, and I think it really fits in with the overall land expansion
> Then you have Las Artes, and I really like how invested this particular shop is with the history around Mexico, with the art throughout the shop being used to show the history of the Spanish Conquest and how it effected Mexico. I think it's one of the most effective ways to show the history behind these cultures so far because in a way, it kind of functions as a unique sort of walkthrough. I really like that kind of approach, and I hope that it could be utilized more in the future. I also like the themes of duality and symmetry being explored throughout the shop, since it is a major part of art and I like how it divides the shop into night and day parts, which only stands to make the shop stand out more. I once again also appreciate seasonal gifts being taken into mind with the ornaments, and how you guys gave a bunch of examples on the many kinds of artwork being sold in the shop.
> As for El Shop De Luminares (I actually think it's luminarias oops), I like how this shop is more subtle in how it connects to Mexican culture compared to some of the others due to how the candle shop is based on holidays, which includes Los Dias De Muertos and the likes which also ties into Mexican culture as well. Once again, I also appreciate you guys going into detail about the varieties of candles when it comes to material, shape, smell, and other features, which helps to also highlight the wares stored throughout the store. I think it's really fitting overall, a candle shop.
> As for the respective street entertainment, once again, I like the variation between the two different types of Street Entertainment, and I like how Chinatown only has short music based performances with traditional instruments while Little Mexico has more long winded performances, I think it really helps them stand out when compared to each other. I also liked how you guys took into consideration about how loud the Mariachi bands might be and intentionally pointed out that the volume would be lowered so that guests don't need to shout. I also appreciate you guys clarifying the schedule for the events.
> Meanwhile as for the parades, their descriptions are very short and they definitely could've gone into greater detail. That being said, it's understandable seeing as the ideas for the parades came later on compared to the rest of the entertainment. So for what it is, I do like the parades, I think the lantern parade is a very cute idea, and while I feel like maybe more could be done with the idea in general, the overall concept and ideas behind it still stand and overall are still very pleasing. Meanwhile, Little Mexico is a bit better in my personal opinion, but they're both equally good in terms of quality outside of my opinion. I mainly really like how the parades are unique enough from each other to stand out, with Chinatown's consisting of lantern floats, and Little Mexico's consisting of Human Performers and Traditional Floats.
> Overall, keep up the hard work! This turned out extremely well in my book, the only real critique I can give is to be a bit more specific in some areas like the mechanics on how the rides work, but other than that? I don't really have much negative criticism. This turned out extremely well in my opinion for Stanza 1. Go Team!
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