REVIEWS
In this challenge, our teams had to develop an entire Animal Kingdom land without the use of IP. Both teams took quite different approaches to this task.
The Southern Hemisphere gets some much needed attention in this round, as Team Rogue chose to base their project on Oceana, while Team Phoenix took us all the way to Antarctica.
Beginning with
Team Rogue, and is it really any surprise that the Marlu Outback Trail is the headlining experience here? I was about 2/3rds of the way through that section of the presentation when I realized that I was also more than half way through the entire Google doc! Obviously these exhibits were well thought out and approached with a tremendous level of care and detail. Everything from the makeup of the enclosures themselves, to the well being of the creatures that reside in them was meticulously planned. And I also learned a lot while reading this section. Bravo,
@PerGron - you delivered, above and beyond!
Jumpin’ Joeys and The Laughing Kookaburra are perfect supplementary additions to this land. They offer fun-for-all-ages experiences that the entire family can enjoy together. Those small but significant details are what takes a good theme park land and makes it a great one.
Before reading this I had no idea what a Bunyip was. But the artwork makes it look cute to me. I was cheering for the Bunyip while reading the attraction. Can I have an alternate ending? This was a great addition as I’m glad you pulled from the realm of fantasy/mythology for portions of the project. And what land isn’t improved by a mildly thrilling water based attraction?! This definitely feels like it would be this park’s answer to Pirates of the Caribbean, and I appreciate that.
Then we have the biggest thrill ride in the project, Surfin’ for the Great Barrier Reef. I get the feeling that guests in this universe would take to simply calling it “Surfin,” making it a spiritual sibling to Soarin’. The vertical lift hill inside an aquarium is a detail that is worth the price of admission by itself! I love that you had the audacity to turn a dive coaster into an educational ride. And the concept art is fun and colorful, which I very much enjoy!
The Didgeri-Dudes (fantastic name!!) feel something out of the classic imagineering playbook, and I love them. You’ve got some fantastic dining options here as well. Hopefully I can get some fresh veggie skewers on the Barbie!
Overall this is a fantastic project! Team Rogue graced us with a full lineup of attractions and offerings that will appeal to a wide range of guests. And I really appreciate the added effort of the Australian twang in the presentation. That was a fun touch. Excellent job!!
Team Phoenix, by contrast, chose to go with a one two punch of heavy hitting attractions. But we’ll get to that.
Major kudos for having the gumption to go for Antarctica. Out of all the environments you could have chosen, this one stands out as the most visually distinct when compared to the rest of the park. I also think it was likely the most challenging region to bring into a theme park setting in an exciting way. Spoilers, you nailed it.
I love the atmosphere you created. A lot of effort was put into making guests feel like they are truly in another biome. That’s no easy task. I really appreciate all the effort that went into those tiny, but sufficient details. And having the guests traverse the land with a series of catwalks?! Unreal! Is it practical? Probably not? Is it cool? YES!
Ultimately I just love how gargantuan and imposing everything feels here. And that map! It’s absolutely gorgeous!!
So. This is probably my favorite sentence from any presentation ever.
We have a massive polar bear exhibit at our zoo here in Motown, so I can definitely get the vibe of the penguin exhibit.
But the Cambrian exhibit might be my favorite part of the project. This is a geologic era that doesn’t really get a ton of attention, but there are some truly fascinating creatures and other forms of life present during this time. And their inclusion here is a nice way of padding out the animal presence in your land.
On to Penguin Odyssey and once again
@Mr. Sullivan overdelivers. This is a boat ride about going to look at penguins, and it has a preshow and ride tech worthy of the next generation’s Pirates of the Caribbean. You always put so much thought into every little detail of every project, and that shines through here as well. I love the care put into each scene and it really makes this attraction feel special in a way not many other imagineers could pull off. Well done!
Then there is Expedition 46. Holy wow!
First of all I appreciate the nods to Dinoland. Disney often pays tribute to past attractions when they build new ones so this feels very accurate and earned. Setting this adventure in the Ice Age was another clever way of expanding the species count for your chosen region. The ride itself would likely be the most technologically complex attraction in Florida, save for perhaps Rise of the Resistance. I love that the ride is slightly different for riders depending on which side of the combined vehicle they are seated in. And I think this would instantly become the most popular attraction in Animal Kingdom. Fantastic job!
And now we come to the difficult part; determining a winner. Part of why it took me so long to post reviews is because I kept going back and forth on who won this round.
Both teams had strong concepts. Both teams chose interesting geographical regions that lend themselves well to a theme park land, and offer plenty of opportunity for future expansion. Both teams also showed that IP isn’t necessary to create a truly awesome theme park land, and I was happy to see so many creative muscles flexed during this prompt.
