Many people like theme parks. Many people also like natural parks. They are very different experiences. Theme parks are about being immersed in a story and riding rides that leave you in amazement over how they were able to do that. Natural parks are about getting out in God’s creation, seeing majestic views, and being left in amazement at nature.
Is one better than the other? I went to Glacier with my Dad and brother in July. I also went to Walt Disney World with a friend in October. They were both delightful trips. I got in a lot of walking (or hiking) on each trip. They are very different experiences, so it is difficult to compare the two. I do both types of trips so that I can enjoy both rides and nature. I guess that’s why a theme park like Animal Kingdom has a lot of appeal. The caretakers really cares about the animals (it is a certified zoo), and there are also great rides there. Perhaps Kilimanjaro Safaris is the best example of an animal-focused ride. The areas for the animals were designed with both safety and guest viewing opportunities in mind. You may not know but Disney came close to developing a ski resort in California—the first attempt was Mammoth Mountain, the second was Mineral King. Neither of them worked out, but it would have been interesting to see what Disney would have done in the recreational sector. A proposal for an audio-animatronic singing bear show for a restaurant ended up becoming Country Bear Jamboree at Disney parks. I think it is important for children to experience both theme parks and natural parks. Then as they age, they can figure out which one is more of their hobby.
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Well you might have realized that my posts have tapered off a little bit. I was on retreat last week...it’s a great thing that I’m required to take one every year! I have also gotten busy, but not just with ministry. In my free time, I have been involved in an imagineering competition. So this post describes that competition (but first, I have to briefly describe the term “team imagineering”).
Team imagineering refers to a group that designs (and builds) a section of a (Disney) theme park together. It is what Disney imagineers do all the time, because one of their projects needs the expertise and gifts of many people to bring about a great project. I wasn’t aware that there was a real opportunity to do this sort of Imagineering work as a hobby until I discovered the WDW Magic Imagineering Forum this fall. The others on the forum are as big of Disney theme park nerds as I am (if not bigger)! Most of the members are from the U.S., but we also have some international members. And they are all very creative and talented people. The Imagineering Forum has many competitions throughout the year. The current one is called “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” (the name is based on the short from the movie Fantasia). This is the seventh season of it. There are three teams (Power, Soul, and Mind). I’m on Team Power, although I’m not sure why I (the priest) wasn’t put on Team Soul! Each team has about 11 players. There are 14 “stanzas” (basically a round), each lasting 2 to 8 (or maybe more) days. Although it is a team competition early on, eventually it will turn into an individual competition with one winner. We even have a member who does a live podcast on Youtube for 5 members to discuss what their thoughts are on the finished projects. As this is my first competition on the Imagineering Forum, I have to temper my performance expectations a bit. Many of the other members have been in many of these competitions. They also have a lot more technical capabilities (like drawing maps and using Photoshop). I am not aiming for 1st place this year; however, a Top 10 finish (or “Sweet 16”) is a bit of a reach goal for me (Top 10 on Survivor is like making it to the Tribal Council, which is pretty good). In a previous post, I discussed how I could have been an Imagineer. But some of these fellow competitors could actually be an imagineer some day. It’s my prayer that at least one of them will follow their dream and make it to the big time! My dream is that some of the Bible stories get picked up as theme park attractions. I think one of my next posts will discuss why The Chronicles of Narnia would be a good IP (ie Intellectual Property) for a theme park (despite my team coming in last place in that stanza). Although I probably won’t be posting regularly about the Imagineering Forum competitions, I thought it would be good to at least share with some friends the work that we have put together so far. For everything related to the competition, you can check out the thread summary for Sorcerer’s Apprentice Season 7. Stanza 1 Addition of Little Mexico and Chinatown to Disneyland’s Main Street USA on opening day (result: tied for 2nd) Stanza 2 Changing the Disney MGM Studios Backlot Tour to Narnia and Nightmare Before Christmas (result: 3rd) Stanza 3 Memes (result: 1st...and I was on retreat) Stanza 4 Re-imagining of Indiana Jones: Temple of Doom coaster at DLP (result: 1st) Stanza 5 Design a Land for a Park Focused on Video Games (result: 3rd) Stanza 6 Design a Land for a 20th Century Studios Park in Dubai (result: 1st) Stanza 7 Design an Arcade (and Pinball Machine) for a Theme Park in Dubai (result: 2nd) Stanza 8 Design an Attraction with a Restaurant for a Theme Park in Dubai (result: 1st) Stanza 9 Design an Attraction to replace Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast (result: 1st) Stanza 10 Design a Musical to replace Hercules & Xena Show (Project Manager; result: 1st) Stanza 11 Design a Land to replace Harry Potter at USF (result: 3rd) Stanza 12 Design a Pavilion at EPCOT Center that changes over the years (result: 2nd) Stanza 13 Design a different Frontierland for a Blue Sky Disneyland (result: TBD) Playoffs (15 players advance to Stanzas 14-16) |
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