Disney Warrior
Well-Known Member
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The Sorcerer's Apprentice Season 8: Magic Journeys
- Thread starter spacemt354
- Start date
BOOK IV REVIEWS
Similar to Book II with the Epcot prompt, this also elicited the various ways the houses went about the project. House Akuades chose the classic MGM-Studios style attraction, Heimlichen chose to insert a novel IP from the time period into the park, and Tintirrino went with a cultural selection for locals. No "Disney Adventures" yet in this season!
THE HILLS
Teamwork:
This team came together toward the end of the brainstorming session and I'm glad to say for the best. While there were many ideas, I was getting concerned that they seemed to be a bit disconnected from each other and it seemed like a few on the team did not want to overstep the other when it came to what the main project would be about. Eventually I think everyone came to a nice compromise and the project's quality speaks for itself.
The Project:
Love the map and logo to start! Really appreciate when people who may not be 'pros' at artwork take their try at it. I think it helps add originality to the project and shows you the players that it's not as hard as it looks!
As mentioned the approach to this project was classic Hollywood, which was what MGM-Studios originally was designed to encapsulate - the Hollywood that never was and always will be.
Lost in the Movies was such a unique experience. The overview sets up the attraction as sort of a mix between the Haunted Mansion and the Tower of Terror. I like how the queue continues this eerie vibe with the fresh grass surrounding the older mansion. Having the projector 'trap' the viewer was a classic 90s trope of Disney attractions as the catalyst for the action, and going scene by scene, while on one hand I do like how each of the scenes is kept vague as it could be any movie, I wonder how it would have been written if it was labeled with actual films vs generic scenes.
The Perfect Shot is another unique dark ride experience that would add more classic 90s attraction styles to the park - in the form of an interactive experience. This almost feels like a Great Movie Ride style attraction with the interactivity of a Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. This compliments Lost in the Movies well and does encapsulate the Hollywood Hills theme that the land is going for.
Tour of the Stars feels like a (better) version of SuperStar Limo. It features a variety of celebrity houses and gives guests a tour like they would get in the real Hollywood Hills. You also picked more timeless celebrities as well for this experience which I think would be beneficial as time goes on.
The Critical Darling as the stage show was a nice way to round out the area. I like how all of the individual components of Hollywood Hills complement each other so well. The character descriptions and Musical Numbers were very well described. Naturally I would have loved to have heard some of the music for the show but understanding that time is limited is acceptable.
The dining aspect could have been a little more detailed, but I think for what it is, it serves the job well. And I did remember the Potpourri Pizza from SA7 so nice touch there with the callback to MGM studios.
Overall, I think there was a lot to like about this project. Some of the things I would have liked to see to perhaps tie the area a bit more together was how/why this was chosen for MGM-Studios Europe. Was there any consideration to making the park lands more distinct by going for a more European feel to the land? Was there any thought to how this land would fit in with the surrounding areas of the park? I think in a vacuum this land hits all the high marks of an MGM Studios type park, and I like the dark ride emphasis as well, but we will see how it stacks up the rest of the competition!
DINOHATTAN SQUARE
Teamwork:
A bold entry and something that I definitely wasn't expecting from this round. If Tintin can be in the SAU, so can these properties. Again, this team far and away had the most amount of brainstorming pages. I think that speaks to how much of a passion project this was for some/all on the team. While it still did answer the prompt objectives, the brainstorming process made it feel to me that after the first few rounds, you all deserved a round where you could essentially just do what you want. I'm glad you did because having fun and doing what you're passionate about is what these games are all about.
The Project:
First off the custom website is incredible! From the starry background to the moving parts to the look and feel of it - feels like something you'd have found on the web in the 90s to promote a park. Now in regard to the Mario inclusion, while it definitely wouldn't have been my first choice for this land and wasn't a property I was anticipating for this round, I'm glad this team found something they wanted to do, even admitting it was a bit niche of a topic, and went for it because those passion projects can develop into some of the best projects on the forum.
I appreciate the map on this one labeling everything. And trying to draw the statue of Mario Brothers side by side was commendable. And to start off I will say I haven't seen this film, so most of the review will be based on the descriptions/content vs prior knowledge of the film.
Super Mario Bros: Koopa's Revenge being a version of the Tower of Terror would be quite the visual spectacle in the land I think overall it would be a fun attraction for families together with thrill seekers.
Super Mario Bros: Devolution was probably my favorite aspect of it as I feel like a MGM Studios park would benefit from a Roger Rabbit Car Toon Spin style attraction, and this one compliments Koopa's so well. While some of the references may go over my head, the ride is described so well that I can follow what is happening, and I think visually this could be some of the most unique dark ride scenes in a Disney attraction ever!
Scapelli's Shop N' Swap is a nice addition as well, fits with the film as well. I like the different named paints, other than that I don't have much else to add. Dinohattan Power Co - A nice simple flat ride to round out the land.
And while like I said I don't have much nostalgia or affiliation with the show, I do like how this land rounds out with a variety of smaller experiences. The Jumpman Pizzeria is a great addition and I love the song choices for it as well. And the meet and greets, both of Mario/Luigi and Wario's Casino are both very well detailed in their own right.
As was mentioned even in the PM, this team had a lot of fun trying something outside the box and I'm so glad you did it because that's what the game is all about as long as you have fun and contribute that's all that matters to me. So in that sense, great job!
TINTIN'S COLLECTION OF SYLDAVIAN ADVENTURES
Teamwork:
While this team may not be the most vocal, what this team does emphasize is quality over quantity when it comes to posts in the PM. The brainstorming carries along with great additions with each post that flows through the work in a seamless matter. Many on the team chipped in to do research for Tintin and it paid off in spectacular style. The one thing I will say and this is not to call out @Architectural Guinea Pig in a negative way, but even going back to Cirtus Dreamin' I have noticed that your Achilles Heels in these games is leaving things till the last minute and then being at the mercy of technological issues. While computer problems are outside of your control, what is in your control is communicating with your team and ensuring that you're not leaving too much till the last minute in case of these types of issues. I say it too because you shouldn't feel that bad about it, as the project was essentially finished, but just be mindful that these things can happen and we don't want to see that continuously become a thing, because while I won't take off for lateness this time, I will if this happens again. Don't want to dwell on it, but also don't want to write the review without addressing it - anyways, onward and upward!
The Project:
From the moment this team mentioned Tintin as an option, there was definitely potential there for this to be a great compliment to the Tintin attraction in Disneyland Paris. This team did the research and ensured that this addition was something entirely different and one that complimented rather than copied the version at Disneyland Paris. And it's nice to see House Tintirrino take on Tintin for synergy sake!
Starting with the first book, Return to Syldavia, I love the comic and the 3D map! Both are absolutely incredible. And then as we turn the page age see the land map, it really goes above and beyond to give a visual depiction of the land we are entering.
Tintin Et Le Sceptre Des Rios - the main attraction of this land is an incredible piece of imagineering. From the premise of it being St. Vladimir's Day, to the incredible vehicle description layout, to the queue aesthetics approaching King Muskar XII's castle and the pre-show adding to the immersion in the world, this is classic armchair imagineering in the SAU. The dueling ride tracks as well from the Tintin track to the Thomson and Thompson track provide novel experiences for the guests as well which adds to the attractions re-rideability.
Voyagers to the Moon showcases another form of presentation with new maps, new characters, and new storylines for guests to experience in this world. Ironically also utilizing a similar system to Tower of Terror, I do like how this is slightly scaled down to not overpower the remainder of the land.
The Side Adventures in Syldavia are also a treat - the Caravan Campfire Grill offered a great eclectic menu. The Klow Old Market Street as well as post-show areas as well as the meet and greets and adventures throughout the land all add to the ambiance and lore. Honestly I was so impressed with this team. There really isn't a lot more to say. Everyone put forth an effort to do research, checking in with each other to show their progress. It was such a pleasure to see and I'm glad everyone had fun doing it.
Similar to Book II with the Epcot prompt, this also elicited the various ways the houses went about the project. House Akuades chose the classic MGM-Studios style attraction, Heimlichen chose to insert a novel IP from the time period into the park, and Tintirrino went with a cultural selection for locals. No "Disney Adventures" yet in this season!
THE HILLS
Teamwork:
This team came together toward the end of the brainstorming session and I'm glad to say for the best. While there were many ideas, I was getting concerned that they seemed to be a bit disconnected from each other and it seemed like a few on the team did not want to overstep the other when it came to what the main project would be about. Eventually I think everyone came to a nice compromise and the project's quality speaks for itself.
The Project:
Love the map and logo to start! Really appreciate when people who may not be 'pros' at artwork take their try at it. I think it helps add originality to the project and shows you the players that it's not as hard as it looks!
As mentioned the approach to this project was classic Hollywood, which was what MGM-Studios originally was designed to encapsulate - the Hollywood that never was and always will be.
Lost in the Movies was such a unique experience. The overview sets up the attraction as sort of a mix between the Haunted Mansion and the Tower of Terror. I like how the queue continues this eerie vibe with the fresh grass surrounding the older mansion. Having the projector 'trap' the viewer was a classic 90s trope of Disney attractions as the catalyst for the action, and going scene by scene, while on one hand I do like how each of the scenes is kept vague as it could be any movie, I wonder how it would have been written if it was labeled with actual films vs generic scenes.
The Perfect Shot is another unique dark ride experience that would add more classic 90s attraction styles to the park - in the form of an interactive experience. This almost feels like a Great Movie Ride style attraction with the interactivity of a Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. This compliments Lost in the Movies well and does encapsulate the Hollywood Hills theme that the land is going for.
Tour of the Stars feels like a (better) version of SuperStar Limo. It features a variety of celebrity houses and gives guests a tour like they would get in the real Hollywood Hills. You also picked more timeless celebrities as well for this experience which I think would be beneficial as time goes on.
The Critical Darling as the stage show was a nice way to round out the area. I like how all of the individual components of Hollywood Hills complement each other so well. The character descriptions and Musical Numbers were very well described. Naturally I would have loved to have heard some of the music for the show but understanding that time is limited is acceptable.
The dining aspect could have been a little more detailed, but I think for what it is, it serves the job well. And I did remember the Potpourri Pizza from SA7 so nice touch there with the callback to MGM studios.
Overall, I think there was a lot to like about this project. Some of the things I would have liked to see to perhaps tie the area a bit more together was how/why this was chosen for MGM-Studios Europe. Was there any consideration to making the park lands more distinct by going for a more European feel to the land? Was there any thought to how this land would fit in with the surrounding areas of the park? I think in a vacuum this land hits all the high marks of an MGM Studios type park, and I like the dark ride emphasis as well, but we will see how it stacks up the rest of the competition!
DINOHATTAN SQUARE
Teamwork:
A bold entry and something that I definitely wasn't expecting from this round. If Tintin can be in the SAU, so can these properties. Again, this team far and away had the most amount of brainstorming pages. I think that speaks to how much of a passion project this was for some/all on the team. While it still did answer the prompt objectives, the brainstorming process made it feel to me that after the first few rounds, you all deserved a round where you could essentially just do what you want. I'm glad you did because having fun and doing what you're passionate about is what these games are all about.
The Project:
First off the custom website is incredible! From the starry background to the moving parts to the look and feel of it - feels like something you'd have found on the web in the 90s to promote a park. Now in regard to the Mario inclusion, while it definitely wouldn't have been my first choice for this land and wasn't a property I was anticipating for this round, I'm glad this team found something they wanted to do, even admitting it was a bit niche of a topic, and went for it because those passion projects can develop into some of the best projects on the forum.
I appreciate the map on this one labeling everything. And trying to draw the statue of Mario Brothers side by side was commendable. And to start off I will say I haven't seen this film, so most of the review will be based on the descriptions/content vs prior knowledge of the film.
Super Mario Bros: Koopa's Revenge being a version of the Tower of Terror would be quite the visual spectacle in the land I think overall it would be a fun attraction for families together with thrill seekers.
Super Mario Bros: Devolution was probably my favorite aspect of it as I feel like a MGM Studios park would benefit from a Roger Rabbit Car Toon Spin style attraction, and this one compliments Koopa's so well. While some of the references may go over my head, the ride is described so well that I can follow what is happening, and I think visually this could be some of the most unique dark ride scenes in a Disney attraction ever!
Scapelli's Shop N' Swap is a nice addition as well, fits with the film as well. I like the different named paints, other than that I don't have much else to add. Dinohattan Power Co - A nice simple flat ride to round out the land.
And while like I said I don't have much nostalgia or affiliation with the show, I do like how this land rounds out with a variety of smaller experiences. The Jumpman Pizzeria is a great addition and I love the song choices for it as well. And the meet and greets, both of Mario/Luigi and Wario's Casino are both very well detailed in their own right.
As was mentioned even in the PM, this team had a lot of fun trying something outside the box and I'm so glad you did it because that's what the game is all about as long as you have fun and contribute that's all that matters to me. So in that sense, great job!
TINTIN'S COLLECTION OF SYLDAVIAN ADVENTURES
Teamwork:
While this team may not be the most vocal, what this team does emphasize is quality over quantity when it comes to posts in the PM. The brainstorming carries along with great additions with each post that flows through the work in a seamless matter. Many on the team chipped in to do research for Tintin and it paid off in spectacular style. The one thing I will say and this is not to call out @Architectural Guinea Pig in a negative way, but even going back to Cirtus Dreamin' I have noticed that your Achilles Heels in these games is leaving things till the last minute and then being at the mercy of technological issues. While computer problems are outside of your control, what is in your control is communicating with your team and ensuring that you're not leaving too much till the last minute in case of these types of issues. I say it too because you shouldn't feel that bad about it, as the project was essentially finished, but just be mindful that these things can happen and we don't want to see that continuously become a thing, because while I won't take off for lateness this time, I will if this happens again. Don't want to dwell on it, but also don't want to write the review without addressing it - anyways, onward and upward!
The Project:
From the moment this team mentioned Tintin as an option, there was definitely potential there for this to be a great compliment to the Tintin attraction in Disneyland Paris. This team did the research and ensured that this addition was something entirely different and one that complimented rather than copied the version at Disneyland Paris. And it's nice to see House Tintirrino take on Tintin for synergy sake!
Starting with the first book, Return to Syldavia, I love the comic and the 3D map! Both are absolutely incredible. And then as we turn the page age see the land map, it really goes above and beyond to give a visual depiction of the land we are entering.
Tintin Et Le Sceptre Des Rios - the main attraction of this land is an incredible piece of imagineering. From the premise of it being St. Vladimir's Day, to the incredible vehicle description layout, to the queue aesthetics approaching King Muskar XII's castle and the pre-show adding to the immersion in the world, this is classic armchair imagineering in the SAU. The dueling ride tracks as well from the Tintin track to the Thomson and Thompson track provide novel experiences for the guests as well which adds to the attractions re-rideability.
Voyagers to the Moon showcases another form of presentation with new maps, new characters, and new storylines for guests to experience in this world. Ironically also utilizing a similar system to Tower of Terror, I do like how this is slightly scaled down to not overpower the remainder of the land.
The Side Adventures in Syldavia are also a treat - the Caravan Campfire Grill offered a great eclectic menu. The Klow Old Market Street as well as post-show areas as well as the meet and greets and adventures throughout the land all add to the ambiance and lore. Honestly I was so impressed with this team. There really isn't a lot more to say. Everyone put forth an effort to do research, checking in with each other to show their progress. It was such a pleasure to see and I'm glad everyone had fun doing it.
I know lol that's on me, these last few weeks have been so arduous at work, I've been pulling upwards of 100 hours per week and I'm on night shift so when I come home I just crash. I wanted to be on the podcast last Saturday but I slept through it into the next day lol The good news is starting at the end of next week I go back to normal. There's still many things in the game that I haven't been able to implement yet so it will only go up from here!
Good news - everyone is staying for (at least) one more Book! And on the same teams!
CookieMouse
Well-Known Member
Oh? What caused the switchup?
Because if everyone is having a good time and contributing to the teams than I don't want to mess with that. As every season goes on there eventually becomes a point where the cast needs to be narrowed down, but not if everyone is still having a good time and the teams are getting along well.
BOOK IV RESULTS
House Akuades and House Heimlichen
These projects were polar opposites of one another in terms of direction but both had passion behind them, in these early rounds it was too challenging to separate them out. While if push came to shove, I may have given the slight edge to Heimlichen if stakes were on the line, that is not to discount the incredibly novel concepts from Akuades and how you all really banded together to come up with this concept that truly fit MGM Studios-Europe probably the best out of the 3 projects in terms of style choice. I just felt one house went above and beyond both passion and positional purpose to produce one of the best projects this game has seen yet...
These projects were polar opposites of one another in terms of direction but both had passion behind them, in these early rounds it was too challenging to separate them out. While if push came to shove, I may have given the slight edge to Heimlichen if stakes were on the line, that is not to discount the incredibly novel concepts from Akuades and how you all really banded together to come up with this concept that truly fit MGM Studios-Europe probably the best out of the 3 projects in terms of style choice. I just felt one house went above and beyond both passion and positional purpose to produce one of the best projects this game has seen yet...
House Tintirrino
Tintin must be the secret formula in the SAU. This could have easily been a 'gimmick' project - knowing how embedded in the SAU lore Tintin has become, it could have been something that on the surface was cool, but deep down was mailed in. That couldn't be further from the truth for this team - the research, the communication throughout the week, the challenge for each other, the critiques, all leading to an incredible project that wasn't even posted at full potential given the computer snafu. All in all - congrats on your first team win! Well-earned!
Tintin must be the secret formula in the SAU. This could have easily been a 'gimmick' project - knowing how embedded in the SAU lore Tintin has become, it could have been something that on the surface was cool, but deep down was mailed in. That couldn't be further from the truth for this team - the research, the communication throughout the week, the challenge for each other, the critiques, all leading to an incredible project that wasn't even posted at full potential given the computer snafu. All in all - congrats on your first team win! Well-earned!
Will post Book V - which will now be the last book of Act 1, later tonight! (Give me like 3 hours or so) For now continue to enjoy the time off
For those that won the awards after Book I, they will still be valid into Act 2 since they haven't had impact yet. During Act 2, other minor awards will be given as well, but more on that later.
So far we've gone to Mumbai, WDW, Las Vegas, and Paris...for Book V, we will be staying in Europe, but visiting some parks we haven't experienced before in the SAU! Stay tuned!
For those that won the awards after Book I, they will still be valid into Act 2 since they haven't had impact yet. During Act 2, other minor awards will be given as well, but more on that later.
So far we've gone to Mumbai, WDW, Las Vegas, and Paris...for Book V, we will be staying in Europe, but visiting some parks we haven't experienced before in the SAU! Stay tuned!
cdunlap
Well-Known Member
My guesses are Efteling, Europa Park, and Phantasialand!Will post Book V - which will now be the last book of Act 1, later tonight! (Give me like 3 hours or so) For now continue to enjoy the time off
For those that won the awards after Book I, they will still be valid into Act 2 since they haven't had impact yet. During Act 2, other minor awards will be given as well, but more on that later.
So far we've gone to Mumbai, WDW, Las Vegas, and Paris...for Book V, we will be staying in Europe, but visiting some parks we haven't experienced before in the SAU! Stay tuned!
The teams said farewell to Tintin's Adventures (now in both Disneyland Paris and Disney MGM-Studios Europe) and time traveled back to present day. But...because the imagineers altered the timeline of the Disneyland Paris Resort, erasing the Walt Disney Studios Park from existence, some other things began to change in the surrounding area.
Parks like Europa Park, PortAventura, Phantasialand were some of the most popular parks in the world, with endless expansions and thrills entertaining the masses of Europe.
After the adjustments to Disneyland Paris, suddenly a splurge of independent parks have populated around Europe and expanded over the last 20+ years until the present day.
When the imagineers return, they are greeted by several independent parks vying for their talents.
"Well...avoiding Disney parks may keep us off the trail of the Horned King" @NateD1226 suggested "Maybe we should take this offer"
"This will be something new for me!" @WaltWiz1901 exclaimed "I don't think I've every worked much in these parks."
"A first time for everything" @Mr. Sullivan stated as they approached the three owners of three separate parks in Europe.
"We need you to help revitalize our 3 parks" one of the owners stated "we have happened upon a generous new investment at the level of Disney/Universal/and other larger corporations, and we want to be put on the map, can these Houses help us?"
"May the best proposal win.." @OSUPhantom said and the Houses took the challenge...
After a successful Paris trip, the houses were assigned a new project, something they may have not encountered before. A non-Disney/Universal Park with a newfound elevated budget, looking to eclipse their European park competitors in both scale and offerings. Three park options were selected:
Kolmården Wildlife Park, Kolmården, Sweden
Plopsaland De Panne, De Panne, Belgium
Energylandia, Zatar, Poland
Your task is to design a 5-year expansion plan for one of these parks
As the winner of Book IV: House Tintirrino will be able to select which park they would like to expand first, followed by House Heimlichen (having won 2/3 projects), and then House Akuades
- This round may involve some added research to get acclimated with your park, but I will post several guides throughout the night to assist you all.
- Think of this as a D23 announcement for the park, consider a 'big' budget proposal!
Project Managers
House Tintirrino: @D Hulk
House Heimlichen: @PerGron
House Akuades: @WaltWiz1901
This Book will be due Sunday August 4th at 11:59PM PST
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House Tintirrino will have up to 24 hours to decide (however they are actively deciding now)
Once all Houses have their park, Project Managers will be assigned. Thanks and enjoy!
Once all Houses have their park, Project Managers will be assigned. Thanks and enjoy!
House Tintirrino has chosen...Energylandia!
House Heimlichen will be assigned their second choice, Kolmården
House Akuades will be assigned Plopsaland De Panne
The Project Managers for Book V will be:
House Tintirrino: @D Hulk
House Heimlichen: @PerGron
House Akuades: @WaltWiz1901
House Heimlichen will be assigned their second choice, Kolmården
House Akuades will be assigned Plopsaland De Panne
The Project Managers for Book V will be:
House Tintirrino: @D Hulk
House Heimlichen: @PerGron
House Akuades: @WaltWiz1901
PerGron
Well-Known Member
Pi on my Cake
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- Yes
The accidental post was up for 30 seconds or less and yet it was still caught lolNo animal themes from Heimlichen...
AceAstro
Well-Known Member
Architectural Guinea Pig
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
PerGron
Well-Known Member
