#armchair imagineering

[nonsensology]

Sometimes I like to daydream about my ideal Disneyland, which would feature a Mysteryland that includes a Gravity Falls area, an attraction based on Great Mouse Detective, and a 1920s murder mystery version of Haunted Mansion. More details about Mysteryland (and links to the rest of my ideal Disneyland) can be found here.

Mood Music: "Grim Grinning Ghosts" (Dance Party version) and "Are You Brave Enough (for Halloween)?"

[alex-the-nonsensologist]

Disney Dreamland - Part 6: Discoveryland

Here it is, the final part! This area follows in the footsteps of Discoveryland in Paris, allowing more creative freedom than the traditional Tomorrowland. The land would be divided into two major “time periods”, one based on Victorian era / Belle Époque steampunk, and the other based on a high-tech modern day digital era that would evolve from said steampunk era.  There would be a decent amount of greenery in the land, none of those lifeless metal tree sculptures. Trees could be in their natural form in the steampunk half, while in the modern day half they could be trimmed into neat geometric shapes.

Timeless Square

This area serves as the entry point from the hub. It is in-between the two major time periods of the land, bridging them. Would feature a detailed astronomical clock tower landmark. 

“Discoveryland Thru the Years”: Successor to Carousel of Progress / Progressland, one of the four New York World���s Fair attractions. Tells the land’s “history” progression from the turn of the 20th century to the modern day, and ends with an optimistic hope for the future. I didn’t call it a carousel to avoid confusion with the other actual carousels I put in the park, but it is still a rotating theater.

Discoveryland PeopleMover: Successor to Ford Magic Skyway, one of the four New York World’s Fair attractions. A relaxing classic ride that weaves all throughout Discoveryland, including through various attraction buildings. The only challenge would be creating a vehicle that matches the aesthetics of both time periods of the land. 

Discovery Academy

The steampunk-inspired half of the land. While the theming uses elements of British Victorian steampunk, the architecture would mostly be modeled after Art Nouveau / Belle Époque Paris. I want the vibe of the area to be similar to a college campus or museum, but a really fancy inviting one, not a cold imposing one. In the center of the building is the Automaton Courtyard, a garden courtyard to rest and relax, but also part-walkthrough attraction. Would feature lots of fancy automatons and 3D zoetropes that guests can activate. Includes:

Butai Karakuri theater: Performances by Japanese automatons. 

Steampunk Carousel: In the center of the garden. Animals could be artistic sculptures made of metal and gears.

Gift shop that sells mini wind-up automaton toys, and features coin-activated booths for drawing automata that produce souvenir pictures.

This area also includes:

Escher Exhibit & Mathmagic Land: Walkthrough attraction inspired by the artwork of M. C. Escher, particularly the multi-dimensional maze of “Relativity”. Guests can also view optical illusion sculptures such as the Penrose triangle and the Impossible trident.  Alternatively, I wouldn’t mind an attraction based on “Donald in Mathmagic Land” either. Giant numbers and “square root” trees would dominate the landscape. Interactive geometric shapes and puzzles.

Astronomical Orbiter: This indoor version features a planetarium ceiling that projects the stars and colorful galaxies so guests can actually feel like they’re flying through space. Diverting for both riders and guests still waiting in the queue. Inspired by the Chamber of Planets in Fortress Explorations from Tokyo DisneySea. 

The Time Machine: Dark ride inspired by EPCOT’s Spaceship Earth. Travel through various time periods from the age of dinosaurs to the start of the Victorian era (so as not to conflict with the fictional history of the land).

Cafeteria: British, French, and Indian cuisine. Buffet.

“Paris Métro” station: As mentioned previously, this is probably not feasible idea, but I think it’s very neat. Provides underground transport between Discoveryland and Mysteryland (the Mysteryland is themed to the London Underground). The tunnels could contain zoetropes for guests to view during the ride, which tease the theme of the destination land.

Explorer’s Landing

Technically part of the Academy, but features attractions that are “off campus”. Inspired by the original concept of Discovery Mountain for Paris. Features a lagoon for the submarines, and a mountain range for the other rides to blend into; would somewhat resemble the Mysterious Island from Tokyo DisneySea.

Soaring Skies / Weather Kites: Airships are a core part of steampunk, but I wasn’t sure where to put such a ride in my park that didn’t disrupt sightlines. I eventually settled on a version of Soaring. I love Tokyo’s iteration, but sadly, my version of the ride does without the fantasy aspects and GORGEOUS fantasy artwork, but the queue will still feature neat “history of flight” and weather exhibits. Ride vehicles would of course fit the steampunk aesthetic. Most important of all, I want the ride movie to focus on skyscapes and natural landscapes, not famous landmarks (I personally don’t mind the landmarks version, I think it was balanced out nicely with some nice landscapes, but now all the ride movies are the same which is boring). I want winding rivers through forest valleys, fluffy white clouds over mountain peaks with machines blowing clouds on the guests, golden sunsets over the sea, lightning storms with thunder and actual wind blowing and rain spraying the guests, and a starry night sky with a brilliant rainbow Aurora Borealis over a snowy tundra. The building exterior and queue could resemble a giant air zeppelin in an air hangar, similar to the Hyperion in Paris, based on the unbuilt Discovery Bay concept. In hindsight, this area probably has too many rides, so this attraction could also be moved to the Wild Western Frontier area in Adventureland, and be rethemed to environments of the American West, the Rocky Mountains, and the Pacific Northwest. 

Journey to the Center of the Earth: I absolutely love Tokyo DisneySea’s version. It's one of the best rides out of Imagineering, but in my park, this would follow the original drop tower concept for Paris.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea / Expedition Atlantis: Suspension ride like the one in Tokyo DisneySea, with water filled windows that bubble to create the illusion of being underwater. Could either be another take on Jules Verne’s novel, or based on the Atlantis movie. Either one works.

The Nautilus underwater restaurant: Seafood dishes. Table service. 

Lunar Mountain: Based on Paris’s original De la Terre à la Lune incarnation of Space Mountain. I love the idea of a giant cannon firing guests into space, and I especially love the cannon’s design with the classical illustrations of the sun and the moon on it. I also prefer the look of Paris’s more secure seats. I’ve only ridden Tokyo and Orlando’s versions, and as fun as they are, I always get an irrational gut feeling I’m going to be decapitated during the ride. 

Journey to Treasure Planet / Journey to Mars: Omnimover dark ride. To sell the idea of blasting off into space, guests would ride in a “rocket elevator” prior to boarding, similar to the entry performance for the Space 220 Restaurant in EPCOT. Treasure Planet is another movie that deserves more recognition, but due to it taking place in another universe with its own separate world-building, I am also okay with this ride having an original story instead. Perhaps a trip to Mars with a secret civilization living under the planet’s surface. For reference, I’m thinking of something inspired by the Castle in the Stars graphic novel series by Alex Alice. The building facade could resemble an observatory. 

“Planetarium restaurant”: Would feature international dishes not available in the Small World buffet. Table service. The Space 220 Restaurant was really neat (if a little overpriced), and I would love a steampunk version in my park. 

Disney Dreamland Railroad Discoveryland station: Art Nouveau steampunk style.

Discovery Institute

The modern digital half of the land. Discoveryland opens a new campus dedicated to computer sciences. I do not want this area to look sterile like the current Tomorrowlands, though I might be okay with it resembling Shanghai’s version of Tomorrowland; I have heard their glass structures described as “organic” and I quite agree. I want the architecture of the area to be a believable evolution from the Art Nouveau steampunk, with the curves of Nouveau transforming into the curves of something resembling what Tokyo has planned for their renovation of Space Mountain. 

Visions of Tomorrowland: Based on an idea I once had of a version of Tomorrowland that represents alternate timeline futures. This ride could show different “what if” scenes of different Discoverylands.  There could be a main story featuring a scientist as our host, the inventor of a multiverse portal, showcasing his invention to guests, and along the way we run into alternate versions of the scientist from the other realities. One version could be a classic mad scientist from a dystopian world, bent on conquering other dimensions and exploiting their resources, and our host has to fight them off. I guess you could describe this as a much more immersive sci-fi version of the Jungle Cruise. While I would prefer this to be a ride, I guess it could also work as a stage show.

Adventure Thru Inner Space: I have heard nice things about this ride and would have loved to experience it. Shout-out to @disneylanddilettante.

Robot Showcase: Omnimover dark ride. This ride is basically just an excuse to show off high-quality animatronics. Animatronics for days! Could include Baymax, Wall-E, and Lil Bulb as cameos in the ride. 

“Robot Cafe”: Based on the unbuilt concept for The Great Gonzo's Pandemonium Pizza Parlor. This restaurant would have robot animatronics deliver guests’ food by way of an overhead "train track" system.

Cyberspace Arcade

Technically an area within the Discovery Institute, but significantly different enough to require its own description. The entire area would be indoors.   Guests are “digitally transported” into Cyberspace. For visual reference, I’m thinking of the concept art for the (maybe canceled?) Play! Pavilion at EPCOT, but without the Ralph Breaks the Internet branding (I LOVE Wreck-It Ralph, but the sequel not so much) and without all the Disney IP spam (I’m already putting in three movie based rides, so the IP quota has been met). I want the area to feel more like a representation of a private server, or at least a single website, instead of the broader Internet (the Internet is a very scary family-UNfriendly place). The "sky" would have cool graphic projections, similar to how Mamoru Hosoda visually portrayed the Internet in Summer Wars and Digimon Adventure: Our War Game! As for the three movie based rides, I want the explanation to be that the scientists wanted to be able to travel into their favorite video game worlds, and here is the result. The entrances to each attraction could look like a giant icon you can click on. There could also be an actual arcade area, for guests to just relax and chill. That area would feature actual working console games of Fix-It Felix Jr, Sugar Rush, and Hero’s Duty.

“Cyberspace Playground”:  Guests can physically change the environment by interacting with it. If anyone has watched Infinity Train, think of something like the first episode’s Grid Car, but on a grander scale. Could utilize interactive projection mapping.

Videopolis: Stage for live entertainment and dance parties. Just an excuse to have a specific area dedicated to the 80s / 90s. …I just really miss the 90s, okay? I also think the retro music would add the perfect energy to the area.

Star Command Astro Blasters: I honestly just put this here to help balance queue wait times with the other two major rides, and to have at least one thing based on retro space aesthetics. Between this and Toy Story Mania, at least this has physical sets and is less rushed. There would still be plenty of kinetic energy on the ride (not at all like the embarrassingly lifeless and static Ant-Man and Wasp update in Hong Kong). I would only change the animatronic Buzz to at least have a real face though. And maybe at the end of the ride, everyone could get free stickers or postcards or some other physical reward so that it feels like the points earned meant something. I would also emphasize that the context here is Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, NOT Andy’s Buzz from Toy Story. 

TRON Lightcycle Run: I have no personal attachment to Tron, but my friend @mewtwowarrior loves Tron, so this indoor coaster is included just for her. Shout-out to @pureimagineering for the idea of two different colored tracks that wind around each other in twists and turns as the two groups of guests race against each other. At the end of the ride, the unloading dock would flash the colors of the track that wins.

Sugar Rush Speedway: Wreck-It Ralph is my top favorite Disney movie. While the movie’s themes of mid-life crisis, rejection by society, and found family would be difficult to adapt into an attraction, this ride can at least embody the “love-letter to video games” aspect, and recreates one of the most visually stunning worlds Disney has ever designed. Sadly this ride makes no references to Ralph, King Candy/Turbo, or non-Princess Vanellope (which includes her glitch, hoodie outfit, and the kart she and Ralph made together), as those aspects are specific to the console in Litwak’s Arcade, and adding them to this ride would have sad implications that Mr. Litwak gave up his console and thereby separated the Sugar Rush characters from their community in Game Central. Alternatively, having the entire Arcade be themed as Litwak’s could fix that, but then would raise questions of why Mr. Litwak let a research team experiment on his games and interrupt his business. So it’s best that this Sugar Rush is a “generic” console to make things simple. That said, I have no issues if the candy shop makes reference to the movie’s events, or with having Ralph and Vanellope as walk around characters (we can say they’re visiting this Arcade via the Internet). When thinking about the queue, I considered it could wind through the candy box grandstands, so that guests that are still waiting for their ride could double as a cheering audience for the guests before them. The theme song by AKB48 would of course play on a loop. On the ride, guests would “race” through rich environments such as Gumball Gorge, Cherry Bomb Cakeway, the Frosty Rally ice cream mountains, and Diet Cola Mountain. To make it feel like a video game, there could be “power-ups” located throughout the ride. The guest that “claims” the power-up first (perhaps by pushing a timed button in their vehicles) gets the advantage. Power-ups can cause some karts to speed up or opponents slow down, or activate obstacles and surprises. Would it be a hazard to shoot “sprinkle” confetti at the guests? Alternatively, this ride could also possibly use virtual reality headsets to enhance the experience with visual effects and make the ride feel like even more of a game, as demonstrated by the Mario Kart ride at Universal Studios, a ride with gorgeous physical sets that is maximized by the VR (again, emphasizing that VR should not be a replacement for good physical sets and effects). The guest who wins the race could receive a free framed souvenir snapshot of their victory.

Finish Line Sweet Treats: Candy shop, bakery, and ice cream parlor. Based on Vanellope’s Sweets & Treats on the Disney Dream cruise ship. Guests could make their own kart cake at the Kart Bakery. Sundaes are served in trophy cups and replicas of Vanellope’s kart like the ones on the cruise ship. The Ralph-in-a-cupcake red velvet cupcake is a must. Would also feature a selection of Japanese sweets such as konpeito and mochi. Giant cotton candy like the kind you’d find in Harajuku.

Closing thoughts:

There was a lot I wanted to include, but couldn't think of solutions for, such as attractions based on Zootopia and Monsters Inc. But I'm quite happy with this end result. (I say this like it's actually being built, and not an elaborate daydream in my mind, lol.)

As you might have noticed, my park does not feature Marvel or Star Wars in any capacity. While there are some Marvel shows I like, I do not consider myself a Marvel fan, and I have little interest in Star Wars. And quite frankly, I think that visually, they clash horribly with most Disney aesthetics.

There are a lot of minor things I forgot to mention, like there would be plenty of benches and sitting areas with shade, plenty of restrooms, the food would have effort and quality put into it to be worth theme park prices, and backstage would have plenty of space and comfortable break rooms for Cast Members. Not related to the park itself, but I would also like to imagine the Cast Members here are paid and treated well, and have a good amount of free benefits, like park tickets and room and board for out-of-town residents and interns.  

I realize that in order to accommodate everything I want, this park would have to be MASSIVE, at least the size of Shanghai Disneyland. I just like far too many things. I realize it would have been smarter to break off some parts for a second park, but I'm just too fond of the idea of having everything all in one place.

As I mentioned, I REALLY love carousels and could not resist putting so many themed carousels in my park. They might not be exciting rides, but I legitimately think they are GORGEOUS works of art that add perfect visual beauty and musical atmosphere.

Much like Walt's initial sentiment, I don't think my ideal park will stay this way forever. Who knows, in a few years I might update this. We'll see. Thanks for taking the time to read these. :)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The rest of the park:

World Galleria

Adventureland

Mysteryland

Fantasyland

Create-It-Land

[veryfancyrat]

So, if you follow theme park news, you may have heard that Disney is going to be ripping out the classic ride Dinosaur from their Animal Kingdom park, and replacing it with an Indiana Jones ride, likely similar to those in Anaheim and Tokyo.

Sorry, Aladar, you're getting evicted.

It seems that most theme park fans would like to see a new Indy ride, but some are upset about losing the dinosaurs.

The thing is... I think you can have both! There are plenty of pulpy adventure stories about a lost world of dinosaurs. In fact, I figured out one way they could do it efficiently... it's what I would do if I were in charge of Imagineering, anyway. You'll recognize most of these effects from other rides (and even some which are just left in place from Dinosaur.) I give you...

Indiana Jones and the Hollow Earth!

The experience begins just like Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye (the ride out in California): We wind our way through the elaborately-themed queue as it passes through a jungle and into the shade of ancient ruins.

On the cool stone walls, we see Peruvian carvings depicting an enormous cave, where giant humanoid figures offer gifts to much smaller supplicants. But as we go deeper into the ruins, the carvings also begin to depict fearsome reptilian monsters. We come across artifacts which seem to be much too large to be made by regular humans: five-foot-long sandals, for instance, or a cracked soup bowl big enough to sit in. (These could make for good photo ops!)

Eventually, we end up in the safety briefing room, where Sallah informs us (via pre-recorded video) that while Indiana Jones was exploring this temple, he found an entrance to a vast system of subterranean caverns, full of larger-than-life plants and animals, seemingly forgotten by time itself! They go so deep that the researchers have begun joking that the planet must actually be hollow inside. Last week, Indy went in deeper than anyone has gone before, seeking evidence of the Staff of Giants: An artifact that, according to local legend, was forged by the mythically large people who once lived in the caverns, and holds the power to tame the mightiest beast. Unfortunately, Indy never returned from his expedition. Sallah is sure he's fine... wherever he is! But if we should happen to see Indy on our *very safe* private jeep tour of the pre-explored parts of the "Hollow Earth," we'll help him out, won't we?

We board the jeeps, which pass into a carved stone hallway, the walls lit by unnaturally large fluorescent fungi. Freshly-painted signs point out the tour route.

Suddenly, the vehicle shakes violently, and and the floor seems to crumble under us! The lights blink out as we lurch downward--and then out into a large natural cavern, where Indy stands spotlighted on a rock. He tells us that the floor caved in, and now we're all trapped in the Hollow Earth. We need to find a way out, and fast... the wildlife is BIG down here!

We roll from cavern to cavern, menaced by various threats. Enormous glowing bugs jump on rocks, and drop down on us from the branches of ancient trees. A carnotaurus lunges from behind a bush, defending its kill. A huge snake--perhaps a Titanoboa--threatens to strike at the jeep. A giant human skeleton lies sprawled in a clearing, its boney fingers still clutching an ornate silver staff. Its tip seems to crackle with electricity. "It's the Staff of Giants!" we hear Indy yell.

But beasts are not the only threat. Through the trees, in a quiet moment, we see the glimmering of a vast ocean, overshadowed by roiling clouds. Before we can wonder at the impossibility of a storm underground, the clouds begin to flash with lightning. Suddenly, a lightning bolt strikes the cliff next to the jeep, and boulders above us teeter menacingly.

We careen deeper and deeper into the caverns, until finally we come face to face with the carnotaurus again. Indy is there too, waving the staff we saw earlier, trying desperately to scare the carnotaurus away from the jeep. Suddenly, just as all seems lost, a bolt of electricity arcs from the staff and strikes the carnotaurus right on the nose. It rears back and roars in pain as we barrel past it to freedom.

Triumphant music plays as we enter the final cavern, only to see... a whole tribe of giants, accompanied by their pet dinosaurs! Indy is handing the staff to one of them, who gratefully receives the lost weapon. Happy giant children offer up crates of silver jewelry and dinosaur eggs in reward. One last giant strikes the cavern wall with his own staff, and mystical energy swirls, causing a door to open and release you back into the loading area, safe at last. Over the jeep radio, Indy says, "The folks back home will NEVER believe this one!"

Then you exit into the gift shop, where you can buy plushies of the "baby dinosaurs" you received from the giants.

No stealing the merch!

So... what do YOU think is going to be the plot of the new Indiana Jones adventure? I want to see who can come the closest to what we actually get!

[laffiteslanding]

The Pixar Park Pitch

In response to the question about a Pixar park going around, I agree that as a brand its fairly disparate now in its catalogue and themes, but I also think that if you play around with its concepts a bit you could come up with some fun ideas.

If I were creating a Pixar park, I’d actually start by dropping the Pixar name and overall theme to instead focus the park around the theme of family. There’s plenty of Pixar properties that use this motif so there would be plenty of IPs to draw from.

Next, I’d create a hub land with a similar layout to the one Universal is creating for Epic Universe. Supposedly Uni has a large space-themed hub with different “portals” leading to each land. For Pixar, I’d theme this hub area to Monsters Inc. This hub area would be largely if not entirely indoors/under cover, and take inspiration from the film’s scream and laugh factory. There would be several attractions, shops, dining options, and character spots spaced throughout the area. As we explore the hub land, we learn about the park’s backstory, indicating that the monsters’ door tech is glitching and opening up portals to places no one has ever seen before, and they’re not sure why. We are invited to investigate these newly opened realms to discover the answer for ourselves.

These glitchy doors that we can enter lead to the realms of Coco, The Incredibles, Onward, Turning Red, Soul, Brave, Inside Out, and Wall-E. Note that each of these films are quite underutilized in current Disney parks, and IP such as Toy Story, Cars, Ratatouille, and Finding Nemo aren’t present as they already have dedicated areas in existing parks.

Each land would then focus on their respective film’s world building to create really engaging and unique environments to explore. Additionally, each land would have a variety of attractions to appeal to family members of all ages. The Soul land, for example, would feature a sensory garden based on The Great Before for young children, as well as a jazz club for older audiences. Each area would have its own pace and thrill level to make each one feel unique and worth visiting for guests. The Incredibles area could be very thrilling and action packed, while Brave might be more exploratory with the Will o’ Wisps. I haven’t sorted attractions at the moment but rest assured there would be a healthy mix of dark rides, thrill rides, shows, play areas, and more.

Importantly, each of these lands would play into the larger theme of family in various ways, and explore beyond the scope of the films where suitable to enhance this theme. Inside Out might look at family through a more personal lens, while Turning Red might look at found family and Wall-E at how humanity and even nature is our family, too.

In the evening, a large nighttime spectacular would take place at the end of the hub area in an external stadium similar to Hollywood Studios’ Fantasmic! setup. The World of Color like-show would be hosted by Mike, Sully, and Boo and feature projected scenes from Pixar’s stories interspersed with on-ride pictures of families having fun on attractions throughout the park that day. Guests and monsters alike would realize that the doors have been glitching to help teach us the importance of family, no matter what it looks like or where we come from.

And that’s it! Let me know if you have any thoughts on the idea. I’d love to hear them!

[a-land-of-shadow-and-substance]

Just for fun...

Do you think there's any chance whatsoever to get an Omnicoaster attraction at West Coast Disneyland? And if so, what theme could it possibly be?

I understand that space is SUPER limited and Omnicoasters are big, but I feel like there's a lot of empty space around the Hollywood Backlot area Disney could sacrifice to expand Avengers Campus if it were still Marvel themed. Maybe THAT could be the Avengers E-ticket that keeps getting promised but will likely never happen?

I'd love it if they put Mission Breakout out of its misery (it's not just that I hate the ride, it's that it was in REALLY bad shape when I last saw it, to the point I was actually concerned about the base functioning safety of it) to convert that area to be part of a Cosmic Rewind clone instead, but I think the Hyperion ruins that possibility--to say nothing about the city of Anaheim whining about how the skyline would look with a giant square show building on one of the most visible park corners.

My other idea would be to commit to an entire Tomorrowland overhaul, taking over the Innoventions, Autopia, and Submarines area. Not sure what IP they'd slap onto it there, but since this is the realm of imagination I can dream they'd actually come up with an original concept for it.

I really think the Omnicoaster is Disney's best ride vehicle achievement in decades, and want to see it Anaheim. Anyone have further ideas on where it could go/what it would be?

[flowersandfashion]

the fact that Jeremy Brett played both Dorian Gray and Basil Hallward AND both John Watson and Sherlock Holmes throughout his career. he has the range.

[prismatic-ink]

when the humor so good people think you have a mood disorder

[fantasticalleigh]

Drew's Mcintyre's No Good Very Bad day

[lostsoulofdragon]

regarding this post;

THE REST OF THE BOYS(ft. The Star Sanses, Error & Cross)!!! (In alphabetical order) (under the cut)

Blue:

Origami & writing amateur comedic theater scripts because it keeps him occupied and he likes to learn new things, like new paper figures, and new (character-) tropes for the scripts

Cross:

Model building because I think it reminds him of the home AU he lost (maybe that’s a bit dark, but I think that could be how he copes with it.)

Beading, because it might give him a sense of organization he rarely experienced. Like- being able to clearly control which color follows which, and where which color is stored.

Dream:

embroidery/lettering because it’s something that can be so very pretty, just like the childhood he remembers , and it requires a calm hand which he needs for his archery. (And I head canon he’s kind of insecure about his wonky natural handwriting)

Collecting stickers from every AU he’s been to, as a small token of his accomplishments.

Dust:

I think he would he makes candles because the light bulbs in his room would be to bright for his eyes (I headcanon the LV strains his energy/makes him feel overwhelmed).

Maybe that even causes sensory issues. That’s why I though to him making soaps, because that way, he can control if the soap is feeling rough, soft, chunky, and so on.

Error:

So we know Error is into making dolls by sewing - but what if we add crocheting to that? I think that’d fit him

Floristy- he likes cute things, and hey, flowers are supposed to be cute. No but seriously, it’s just relaxing seeing the colors come together.

Horror:

Fishing because it’s so calm and peaceful, and he is actually really smart so he memorized, like, every single fish.

And carpentry because he can blow of steam if he’s agitated by making furniture to fill Nightmares endless rooms(no, seriously, WHATS IN THERE?)

Ink (ngl I struggled with him):

Sewing because idk he likes outfit changes

poetry. no explanation.

Nightmare:

I headcanon him to have lost some of his senses when he corrupted. Especially his sense of taste. So what if he makes cocktails because he can regulate what he tastes? Fuck, who would dare touch HIS liquor cabinet? Exactly, no one. He can make the drinks as strong as he wants as long as he knows how to handle his alcohol.

Book binding. Not only does he own many books he wrote himself over the 500 years he lived, but it’s also productive as it makes sure SOMEONE can repair the fucking books in his many libraries.

[tmntkiseki]

Lazy Don doodle

[xxplastic-cubexx]

what is your favorite thing about charles and your favorite thing about erik? separately, as in what you like most about their characters :]

a devious question this one is, my friend!!! it's hard enough for me to explain my thoughts cohesively, but having to pick ONE thing i particularly love is difficult. with characters like charles and erik, theres been so much done with their characters over the decades and so they have so many components to them that make them so interesting and fun to observe. BUT I TRY FOR YOU TODAY. under the cut i kinda ramble and the size of this text box makin me anxious

i think if i were to be simple and broad, what i enjoy most about charles is his determination to help others, even if he isn't really thanked and/or if people don't even like him. ofc, this isn't to say he hasn't done wrong- to be honest, the fact he does wrong/questionable things at times is another aspect of him i really enjoy, maybe because- broadly speaking- he's meant to be altruistic (intent vs outcome and all that). i don't know if that's super exciting to most people, but it is for me

as for erik, my reason for liking him is easier to explain tbh. To Be Simple And Broad, his progression from villain to antihero over the decades has been fun to observe (as much as i have so far anyhow) and analyze. i think to be a bit more specific, him using his rage and pain as justifications for his villainous actions is definitely what compels me the most: hurt people hurt and the sort, an idea i've always found interesting (something something vicious cycles and the like). yet now, he recognizes this wasn't really. A Just Thing To Do and is beginning to change that, which i enjoy

[hajimedics]

welcome back, asuka langley soryu

[alex-the-nonsensologist]

Disney Dreamland - Part 1: World Galleria

I posted about my idea of a Mysteryland a while back and decided to finally post the rest of my ideas for my personal Disney Park (nicknamed Disney Dreamland; may change the name later, who knows). This outline is a mix of ideas and random commentary related to each idea (I tend to blab a lot in my writing. Sorry in advance). Some ideas are half-baked as I only have an idea how I want them to look and feel rather than function, other ideas are intentionally left vague because they are dependent on experts on the subjects (which I am not). Also, I had trouble coming up with nice-sounding names, so that's why you’ll see a lot of names that are just basic descriptions in quotation marks. Would love some feedback wherever possible!

A bit of background, I originally envisioned this park as a Disneyland in New York (it's one of my favorite self-indulgent daydreams), and that led to my park being a sort of homage to the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair by featuring some iteration of all four of the attractions that debuted there, as well as my version of Main Street being a sort of mini World’s Fair. 

Shout-out to @disneylanddilettante , I was inspired to write this after reading her ideal version of Disneyland.

World Galleria

My version of Main Street would be under a lovely glass roof to shield from the weather, and resemble a Victorian arcade. Inspired by Tokyo’s World Bazaar (their equivalent of Main Street), and in homage to similar places throughout Europe’s history, such as The Great Exhibition of 1851, Passage des Panoramas in Paris, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Italy, etc. 

The architecture would be mostly Victorian with a bit of Turn of the 20th Century. To help carry the theme of “World’s Fair”, international restaurants would be featured here; their building exteriors would follow the Victorian look, but their signage, window displays, and interiors would fully reflect their respective cultures (for example, see Restaurant Hokusai in Tokyo’s World Bazaar).

The entire place would have plenty of ventilation, especially in the summer, to prevent it from feeling like a greenhouse. To help traffic flow, the street would have crossroad branches in the middle like Tokyo does, leading out into Adventureland on the left, and Discoveryland on the right. The parade does not run down this route (more on that later). This allows the center crossroads space to have special decorations for seasonal events, again just like Tokyo does. 

The entire avenue would have accessible second stories to make space for everything. I would also love to have at least one little alcove or mini-courtyard somewhere to relax, containing a small garden with a decorative fountain. 

Disney Dreamland Railroad main station: Victorian style with partial glass ceilings. Other stations will be in each of the five lands, all appropriately themed, and with dioramas in the tunnels teasing each land’s theme / attractions. I also think it would be really neat if the park’s entrance ticket booths were underneath this station.

Great Moments in Storytelling: Successor to Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, one of the four New York World’s Fair attractions. Due to personal reasons, I’m not entirely comfortable making any President, past or present, shown as a celebrity or a friendly buddy. So I decided, how about famous authors instead? Perhaps Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, or all three and more? There would also be a narrative or discussion of some kind, so it’s not just them spouting random popular quotes from their works.

“Mini Disneyland model” : The models of the Storybook Land Canal Boats are a very neat idea, but I personally prefer taking my time to see models up close, not in the blink of an eye from afar. I think it would be really cool to have a scale model of the original Disneyland as an homage, and a learning exhibit.

“Galleria Cinema”: Showcases old Disney shorts, including Steamboat Willie, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and the Alice Comedies. Maybe on special occasions it could even showcase foreign films, like The Red Balloon.

Penny Arcade: Mutoscopes and other coin-operated games. 

World Emporium shop.

"Snack tin shop": In Asia the parks sell snacks in these absolutely GORGEOUS decorative tins. This shop could sell a variety of international snacks with unique Disney art themed to each region / culture on the tin. 

Wishing You Were Here: Stationary shop and post office. Send postcards to your loved ones. Yearly calendar with exclusive artwork available here (Tokyo’s calendar artwork is ASTOUNDING). 

For restaurants, I would include restaurants with the following cuisines: 

Japanese, as a nod to Tokyo Disney Resort (French and Chinese cuisine will be elsewhere in the park).

Norwegian, Moroccan, and Canadian, as a nod to the remaining countries of EPCOT that won’t have restaurants elsewhere in the park.

Thai, as a nod to Amphibia without specifically being IP themed, though there could be a few hidden references to the show in the decor and menu.

Greek. Interior could be themed to mythology and have a few hidden references in the decor to the animated Hercules.

There won’t be any American cuisine in this area as they can already be found elsewhere in the park.

‘‘ it’s a small world ’’

One of the four New York World’s Fair attractions. In place of the classic Disney castle, here I put "it’s a small world" as my park’s icon. If you think about it, Small World is in its own way a kind of castle, it certainly looks like one, but also a small city. I think it neatly adds on to the theming of World Galleria.  Shout-out to @pureimagineering , who also imagined Small World as a park icon, but for different reasons.

This version’s facade would be castle-sized. Color scheme could be either pastels, or white with various shades of blue, and touches of gold. Entrance and queue would be on the back of the building to leave the front free for live entertainment, and nighttime fireworks and projection shows. The main central garden plaza hub would at least be the size of Tokyo’s, but nowhere near as big as Shanghai's, who only gets away with it because their castle is so dang huge. The hub would be surrounded by a river making it an island, much like Orlando’s hub. Features include a structure inspired by Tower of the Four Winds, and fun topiaries. For my park, the parade would follow a similar route to Tokyo and Shanghai, originating from the west and wrapping around the central hub before exiting eastward. 

There would also be a back garden plaza behind the ride building, with plenty of topiaries, flower gardens, and a little river running through the garden with lovely bridges crossing over it. This area transitions into Fantasyland. There would be an international buffet restaurant and a gift shop placed on the second floor of Small World, above the ride, with the entrance also on the back of the building. The classic clock tower would of course be in front, but there’d also be a smaller version in the back for the people in the queue and the restaurant.

A World of Tastes: International buffet. Interior architecture would resemble the finale room of the ride. Buffet would feature a little bit of something from every single country featured in the ride, with emphasis on cuisine not already featured anywhere else in the park.

‘‘it’s a small world’’ Toy Shop: Does anyone remember the singing Small World Animators’ Dolls that Disney Store released back in 2013 / 2014? I would love to have this store re-release them, as well as mini playset versions (non-singing). The store can of course also sell other Disney character plush, and plush keychains in unique outfits like the ones sold in Tokyo.

The Ride Itself:

I definitely want to have a queue designed by Joey Chou like the one he did for Tokyo’s version’s 2018 renovation. He is pretty much this generation’s Mary Blair. I just love all the kinetic sculptures, the delightful murals, and star-shaped lights dangling from the ceiling. It’s all so adorable and colorful!

For the ride itself, there would be more countries added. For example, Europe could have a few more Eastern European / Slavic countries at the end to transition into Asia. Similar to Hong Kong’s version, the Asia room would also have more dolls and scenes, but rearranged so that the Middle East is in the back to better flow into the Africa room. I would also definitely add the Mandarin and Cantonese versions of the song to Asia’s audio. It would be great if there were more countries represented in Africa, or at least a portion added for the savanna, a marketplace scene, and Mount Kilimanjaro. Maybe also include audio of the song in Swahili and Zulu. I’m not opposed to a North America room, so long as there is decent representation of various Native American tribes, and Canada.

For the ride music, I’d love a version that closely resembled the soundtrack that Paris used to have. I think the instrumentation and vocals from that version is simply top tier joy-inducing. For the finale room I’d use the EPIC orchestral rendition from the Small World finale unit in Tokyo’s Electrical Parade Dreamlights.

While I myself have no problems with the dolls, I am willing for the dolls’ faces to be redesigned to be slightly more cartoony to reduce any uncanny valley.

Controversial opinion, I personally have little issue with most of the Disney character cameos that are in the Hong Kong, California, and Tokyo versions of the ride. Since most of the human characters are portrayed in doll form, and the non-humans match the stylized look of the animals throughout the ride, they tend to blend in rather well and make for a fun Easter Egg game. I will admit, some characters stand out too much, like the Toy Story gang, or had unnecessarily extravagant sets added just for their sake, like Rapunzel who had her whole tower added in Tokyo. As a middle ground, for my version of Small World, I narrowed down the Disney cameos to only 4 specific groups in homage to the movies that Mary Blair had a heavy influence on. 

Alice in Wonderland: I’m a little biased as Lewis Carroll’s Alice is my favorite book. Alice and the White Rabbit fit in well at their current location next to the UK chessboard, and are fine to leave as is. 

Peter Pan: Peter and TinkerBell flying above the audience works just fine as they are decently hidden out of view most of the time. While I think Wendy sitting on the moon is a very cute image, I’ll leave her out to keep the cameos to a minimum.

Cinderella: The current versions stand out a little too much, especially Hong Kong’s where she and Prince Charming have the castle added behind them. For my version, I would only have Gus and Jaq tucked away on the Eiffel Tower (where Mary’s cameo is hanging out), but I would also have the Eiffel Tower rendered in white, blue, and silver in the style of Cinderella Castle.

The Three Caballeros: While Donald, José, and Panchito stand out the most of the four cameos I’ve picked, they were part of a genuine cultural movement as a result of the Good Neighbor policy, not to mention warmly received by Latin America, so they’re perfectly in the spirit of Small World, and I think they’re fine to leave as is.

Starting in the hub, the five themed genre lands of the park, going clockwise, are:

Adventureland

Mysteryland

Fantasyland

Create-It-Land

Discoveryland

[rotzaprachim]

fundamentally at odds with any us based franchise that fandomizes war as a money maker

[maze-of-tones]

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