The Tip-Top Club: Sorcerer's Apprentice Boardroom

[Homemade Imagineering]

Here are my top 5 things from my time with this amazing game!

1. Flower Street as a whole, was just a collaboration of amazing ideas, and I really think it flourished on the amount of unique aspects it contained, along with its general sense of simplicity any Disney Park Main Street should contain. With that said, I of course contributed my animatronic Dinosaur to the Stanza, which was something I felt to be very proud of, as animatronics have always been my expertise.

2. The second contribution that I felt very proud of, was being able to include my animatronic singing monster character into the project, as I had spent 7 months building him from design to finish, using various materials for the process, and I was generally satisfied with how he came out in the end. It was my best animatronic work to date.

3. For one of the Stanzas, I was able to recreate, or rather create some music in the style of the former WoL pavilion BGM, which has always been one of my favorite BGM tracks in any of the parks.

4. Another thing I was very proud of, was how flexible I made myself, in terms of re-programming my animatronic in favor of different Stanzas which required a mock up of sorts for an animatronic show.

5. Finally, I'm proud of myself for being able to communicate with Team Members when needed, and I always tried my best to make myself available whenever they needed something from me, even if School interfered multiple times.

Main struggles:

I found myself struggling in many ways with multiple of the Stanzas, generally due to the immense amount of Schoolwork I had to complete during that time, though I felt that being a PM for the first time, especially during a pandemic with so much Schoolwork was very much an extra stress I had to worry about, rightfully so. Though, I'm glad I was able to challenge myself, being a PM and working on Schoolwork simultaneously, as I really taught myself some great time management skills.

What's next?:

Sadly, with the immense amount of Schoolwork I will have in the next couple months, I will not be able to continue on, though with that said, I cannot be more grateful to have such a supportive community surrounding me on this board, one which always offers support whenever support is needed, and so I want to thank everyone here for being amazing! I also have a huge restoration project I will be undertaking for the rest of the year, as I am restoring an original Mr. Munch animatronic (which I picked up today) from Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theater, so I will be focusing on learning about animatronics as the year progresses, and if I'm able to return next year, I will use that expertise to better myself when working with animatronic projects. Thanks everyone for an amazing experience, and good luck to all of you for whatever the future may bring. This is Homemade Imagineering, signing off...

 

[Tegan pilots a chicken]

Here are my top 5 things from my time with this amazing game!

1. Flower Street as a whole, was just a collaboration of amazing ideas, and I really think it flourished on the amount of unique aspects it contained, along with its general sense of simplicity any Disney Park Main Street should contain. With that said, I of course contributed my animatronic Dinosaur to the Stanza, which was something I felt to be very proud of, as animatronics have always been my expertise.

2. The second contribution that I felt very proud of, was being able to include my animatronic singing monster character into the project, as I had spent 7 months building him from design to finish, using various materials for the process, and I was generally satisfied with how he came out in the end. It was my best animatronic work to date.

3. For one of the Stanzas, I was able to recreate, or rather create some music in the style of the former WoL pavilion BGM, which has always been one of my favorite BGM tracks in any of the parks.

4. Another thing I was very proud of, was how flexible I made myself, in terms of re-programming my animatronic in favor of different Stanzas which required a mock up of sorts for an animatronic show.

5. Finally, I'm proud of myself for being able to communicate with Team Members when needed, and I always tried my best to make myself available whenever they needed something from me, even if School interfered multiple times.

Main struggles:

I found myself struggling in many ways with multiple of the Stanzas, generally due to the immense amount of Schoolwork I had to complete during that time, though I felt that being a PM for the first time, especially during a pandemic with so much Schoolwork was very much an extra stress I had to worry about, rightfully so. Though, I'm glad I was able to challenge myself, being a PM and working on Schoolwork simultaneously, as I really taught myself some great time management skills.

What's next?:

Sadly, with the immense amount of Schoolwork I will have in the next couple months, I will not be able to continue on, though with that said, I cannot be more grateful to have such a supportive community surrounding me on this board, one which always offers support whenever support is needed, and so I want to thank everyone here for being amazing! I also have a huge restoration project I will be undertaking for the rest of the year, as I am restoring an original Mr. Munch animatronic (which I picked up today) from Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theater, so I will be focusing on learning about animatronics as the year progresses, and if I'm able to return next year, I will use that expertise to better myself when working with animatronic projects. Thanks everyone for an amazing experience, and good luck to all of you for whatever the future may bring. This is Homemade Imagineering, signing off...

Don’t forget to stop by every now and then in the mean time!! It’s been fun working with you!! I’m really looking forward to seeing your future animatronic work!!

 

[Pi on my Cake]

I am restoring an original Mr. Munch animatronic (which I picked up today) from Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theater

We all know where this is going...

Seriously though, that sounds so cool!

 

[Miru]

1. My best contributions were probably the original character I did for the post apocalyptic land. Also the Magic Car walkthrough for the baseball/subway land for the alternate DL.
2. My biggest challenge was remembering things and arriving on time. It was often that I felt I was too late to do anything significant or to add much.

 

[montydysquith-navarro]

Seeing as we're upping the ante here with our boardroom reviews...

---

After @Honey Bee gave their statement to the jury, they then join the others at the bar who have already given their boardroom reviews. "Did you see that old-timey looking guy?" asks @Sharon&Susan, subtly gesturing to an elderly man holding an important-looking dossier and dressed in an outfit that screams "scholar": long coat, long-sleeved shirt, sweater vest, all the works. He looks slightly out of place with the younger population currently up and about the old Tip Top Club. "I don't think he's one of us", they say as they manage to open an old wine bottle they found on the bar, which they then proceed to pour into (newly cleaned-ish) wine glasses to serve to those waiting.

"What makes you say that?" asks @DashHaber. "Well for starters, I don't recognize him." "Neither do I," says @ThemeParkPriest. The other players look at him strangely, as he just refused a glass and instead brought out his water container to drink water from. "It's Holy Week." he simply explains and shrugs.

"Next!" @AceAstro shouts from the jury table. The man then begins to walk up to the table, when @D Hulk suddenly lept on the table, surprising everyone with a well-executed box jump. "HULK SEE STRANGE MAN! HULK WANT TO SMASH STRANGE MAN!" "Down, Hulk," chides Ace as he squirts Hulk with a water gun, "We don't smash potential friends." The slightly bemused man begins to introduce himself. "I am Oliver Knight from the National Archives of the United Kingdom. I am here today to personally deliver something to the 'Boardroom', whatever that means.", says Mr. Knight.

"That's us!" says @Outbound. "HULK GETS PRESENT?" a suddenly restrained Hulk asks. "Seeing as you wanted to 'smash' him on sight, I think not." "AW." Ace then gestures to the bulky-looking folder that Mr. Knight is holding. "Who is it from, Mr. Knight?" Ace asks. "The Highhurst Estate, one of the oldest houses in England, has made an arrangement with the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts to have this dossier presented to you three." "Highhurst? That sounds familiar." Outbound chimes in, "It's like Downton Abbey right?" "Well, yes, but Highhurst is not fictional. It is a real estate."

Mr. Knight continues. "What is peculiar about this dossier is that it was specifically instructed to be delivered and opened on this specific day at this specific time, despite it being created in the early 20th century" "That's curious," says Outbound. "We've never had a letter, let alone a dossier, from the past before." The archivist then hands Ace a pair of latex gloves, who then put it on before getting handed the dossier. "The dossier was created by Montague, the Ninth Earl of Highhurst. Perhaps it is related to your little competition that you are holding here?"

"Montague, as in Monty?!" the trio says in unison. "You seem familiar to him, based on your reactions," Mr. Knight replies with a single eyebrow raised. "Well yes, I was literally in the same team with him in the last stanza," said Outbound. "Are you implying he managed to go through all thirteen stanzas while living in the 20th century?" "Perhaps he did. Perhaps the answers you seek will be in this document." Mr. Knight then begins to leave. "I trust that document will be in your care, sirs." Thunder then claps, and the room is briefly plunged into darkness as the power goes out.

"He's gone!" yells @Tegan pilots a chicken as the lights in the bar flicker back on. "No, he's not. He's over there waiting for the elevator." quips Sharon. Mr. Knight then waves goodbye, as he steps into the elevator and leaves. "Geez, I hope he doesn't get stuck in here..." mutters @TwilightZone to themself.

"Well then, let's get to the bottom of this, shall we?" says Ace, as he flips open the dossier.

TO BE CONTINUED...​

Since the playoffs are already starting, might as well post the final installment...

---

"Well that went longer than it should." says @Tegan pilots a chicken. "Stop being meta, Tegan!" shouts @MickeyWaffleCo. from the old hotel bar piano that he's been trying to play for the last couple of hours with no success.

"HULK WANTS TO READ LETTER!" an impatient @D Hulk yells as he hits the table and almost breaks it into two. "Stop hitting things first!" @AceAstro shots back as he squirts Hulk once again with his water gun. "Now, where were we?" He then proceeds to open the dossier, which contains the following letter:
​

FROM THE DESK OF LORD MONTAGUE, EARL OF HIGHHURST​ 10 April 1910 Gentlemen of the Jury: By the time you would have read these words, I would have been long gone. Seeing as you are from the 21st century (my, how much things would have changed!) and I the 20th, our paths will not have crossed if not for a common acquaintance. I believe he calls himself The Timekeeper?

"Wait, Timekeeper has been updating Monty?" says @Outbound in surprise. "@tcool123?" The man looks up from nursing his drink and mutters something about talking to The Timekeeper for meddling with the delicate fabric of time. The trio continues reading out loud for everyone to hear.
​

No matter, through our continued acquaintance with the man, I should be able to continue on with the competition. I am part-Navarro after all, and as my dear friend Mrs. Lionel Holland once said, it is the part of me that has always been stubborn. I believe I have three questions to answer to proceed in this competition, which I will endeavour to answer truthfully. For the question about my favourite projects, below is a bulleted list answering that. You may notice a running theme in my selections. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril (Team Power, Stanza IV) - This project is near and dear to me since it was the first (and only, might I add) time I led the team. Things may have gotten out of hand timeline-wise, but the end product was beautiful. From @Sharon&Susan's intricate queue, @D Hulk's masterful ride design and storyline, to @SplashZander's amazing recreation on Planet Coaster, everything just fell into place. I wish I could mention everyone's wonderful work here, but I have to be brief! I remember watching everything come together in awe of everyone. Of course, it was Team Power's first first-place win, and to help usher that in was the cherry on top of the cake. James Bond: Escape from SPECTRE (Team Time, Stanza XI) - I've done rides before in SYWTBAI (Animaniacs Studio Spin comes to mind), but that is nothing compared to this. Creating a ride and all of its facets in a competition is nerve-wracking, more so if you end up doing the defining E-ticket for the land. I admit I thought I bit off more than what I could chew most of the time, but with @DashHaber and Ace gently guiding me along the way, we managed to create something that is authentically James Bond: an exhilarating adventure through the canals of Venice! The Emperor's Teahouse and Plaza de Los Ángeles (Team Power, Stanza I) - This project was the first time I tackled dining in my armchair Imagineering career, which kickstarted my go-to assignment of doing restaurants in the succeeding prompts so it was worth listing. The research for the interiors and the menu was intense since @orlando678- and I agreed that we wanted it to be authentic to the time period but respectful to the two cultures as well. I remember scouring through dozens of menus from Chinese and Mexican restaurants from the 1930s to 1950s for it! New Pavilion Logo for Wreck-It Ralph's Database (Team Time, Stanza XIII) - Throughout the course of the competition, I have designed some materials here and there when needed. This one, in particular, stood out to me since it was an original idea and didn't piggyback off existing materials (e.g.: Indiana Jones, Hidden Side, etc.). We all know how timeless the EPCOT pavilion logos are, and I wanted to recreate that for the new pavilion logo. It could be tied to the old pavilion theme of computers (three rings = three centuries of the computer), or the new theme of the Internet (web-like formation), hence proving its timelessness. Halloween Town Map and Entrance (Team Power, Stanza II) - Another first for me: creating land entrances, layouts, and maps! Splash kickstarted the design for the map, and I merely followed suit. It was a challenge to condense the entire Halloween Town into a small piece of land while taking into consideration many things (sightlines, entryways, placements, etc.), so to see it being commended by the judges was a huge sigh of relief

"Oh that's nice, he remembered us, @DashHaber!" yells Ace. Dash raises his glass in salute as he remembers how Team Time won first place in that stanza. "HULK WANTS TO READ NEXT PART!" says Hulk. "Not without gloves you're not," Outbound says, who for some reason now has latex gloves as well. He takes the letter while Hulk sulks off to try and look for XXXXL size gloves. Outbound continues reading the letter, while Ace runs off to chase Hulk away from the shadowy corners of the Fifth Dimension.
​

For the question about which project I struggled in the most, I admit the stanzas wherein I am unfamiliar with the chosen IP were a struggle, especially the Dubai ones...

"Welp, thank God Hulk isn't here to hear that," says Outbound with a sigh of relief. "Yeah, but I am," says @Disney Dad 3000, sitting in the corner and sipping his drink. The mood in the bar suddenly becomes awkward as everyone slowly realizes what just happened. Outbound recognizes this, and after clearing his throat, continues reading on. "Maybe Monty will provide more context as to why..." he mutters.
​

For the question about which project I struggled in the most, I admit the stanzas wherein I am unfamiliar with the chosen IP were a struggle, especially the Dubai ones. My normal process was disrupted by additional background research which took a long amount of time than I would like it to, which affected how I do my assignments. That is why in those particular stanzas, I limited myself to supporting roles: doing the restaurant, retail, even placemaking; anything that would allow me to not be as immersed in the IP as much as possible. I would only break this pattern in Stanza XI when I worked on the James Bond E-Ticket for Venice, and even that had its challenges since I was designing everything from the ground up. Without the trust and help of Dash and Ace, I would not have taken that leap of faith. If there is anything I learned, it is to "always find something that clicks with you." Even if it is a small, insignificant thing, hold on to that especially when times get rough.

"We're ba-ack!" yells Ace as he and a still gloveless Hulk emerge from the elevator, breaking the reflective mood in the bar. "We almost got sucked into a different part of the Fifth Dimension, but some little girl blocked our way and pointed us back to the elevator. So, what did we miss?" Everyone in the room looks at each other and says in unison "Ehm, not much!" "We're about to wrap up reading Monty's letter anyway, so come on in," says Outbound.​

As for my availability for the remaining part of the competition, the estate is currently not open for visitations so everything is less hectic these days. I should be free to move forward in the competition, should the jury agree to allow me to do so, barring any unforeseen circumstances. I look forward to working with everyone once everything is up and running again. What exciting times we live in! Until then, dear friends, I remain, Monty D'Ysquith - Navarro

"Well, I take it that our resident earl will be available for the rest of the competition, ey?" says Ace. Outbound nods in assent. "HULK WANTS TO READ WHAT HE MISSED!" says Hulk, who for some reason now has latex gloves. "Oh look, someone's about to come up. Maybe next time!" Outbound hurriedly says as he quickly shuts the dossier and frantically gestures for the next contestant to take their spot and give their boardroom review.​

 

[MickeyWaffleCo.]

"Stop being meta, Tegan!" shouts @MickeyWaffleCo. from the old hotel bar piano that he's been trying to play for the last couple of hours with no success.

That’s me, alright.