Welcome friends, parishioners and judges to my portfolio from Sorcerer's Apprentice Season 7. For those who don't know, I have been involved in a team imagineering competition for the last few months. For more info on the competition, check out my previous post team-imagineering-and-a-competition.html. As you can see, I try to connect people from my life to the imagineering that I have taken-up as a hobby (so if I'm chosen for the playoffs, there will be some outside the WDWMagic forums that will be watching). As this is my first imagineering competition on the Imagineering Forums, my plan was to just enjoy the game and get used to imagineering. As my portfolio will show, though, I have contributed much to the game and thus, I believe, deserve a spot in the playoffs. Here is a listing of all my teams' projects (along with the results): 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) 1. What did you feel were your Top 5 contributions to the game and why? Stanza 7 (Hanna-Barbera Arcade)—as an avid fan of Hanna-Barbera cartoons, I decided to take responsibility for developing two of the main attractions for our arcade. One was the Secret Squirrel escape room. I thought through logic puzzles and tasks for the guests to do in that room in order to escape. I also designed the Wacky Racing augmented reality attraction. I only became familiar with some of the other AR racing technologies from what my teammates had mentioned in the brainstorming. I even designed a custom race track that would be used in the attraction. Both attractions were well-received and almost helped my team to a victory. Stanza 10 (“Trial of Terror” Musical)—our team needed a Project Manager when the one who had been assigned said he needed to step down. The timing seemed right for me to volunteer to do it, especially as some of my teammates (who are generally pretty active in the game) were busy that week. Although it could have been done in summary fashion, I ended up writing most of the script and some of the song lyrics for the musical. I also was the one who suggested the playbill format for our final product. Below is an illustration I put together focusing on the 8 "puppet" jurors (who would be joined by 4 audience jurors). Stanza 12 (“The World Above” Pavilion)--my availability was a little limited for this stanza (as I was at a conference), so I took one of the minor attractions at our air/aviation pavilion--a film and walk-through exhibit of aviation history called “The Sky was Their Limit.” Relying on my transportation background, I specified the content of the film and exhibit giving extra detail to an airport design area (see below for the Runway Design example), which enters into more of the edutainment focus of EPCOT Center. At my teammates’ suggestion, the film and exhibit was revised in 1996 to feature the character of Ludwig Von Drake and make the airport design stations interactive (through the use of kiosks). Although we missed out on first place, my part was praised by the judges as being the best fit for EPCOT. Stanza 8 (LEGO Hidden Side Ride and ‘Boostro’)--This was my first attempt at drawing a map for an attraction queue. I used a base map that Outbound put together. I think it turned-out as professional as some of the maps of the veterans, so it shows the technical ability to make maps. Although we did not put together a map for the attraction itself (as there was some miscommunication), we did enough on our project to get the victory. I also helped to create the backstory for the attraction by creating visual aids that were used in the queue. Brainstorming--Starting with Stanza 4 (following my retreat), my team was very successful with victories in Stanzas 4, 6, 8, 9, and 10 (with results TBD in 13) as well as close losses in Stanza 7 and 12. I think that is the best track record for any of the competitors (at least those not named Teegan). I think my biggest regular team contribution is in the brainstorming PMs. Besides offering my own suggestions (like the winning idea for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in Stanza 9; see below for the the candy squid tank that was found in the ride) or the setting for our Stanza 13 land in a Blue Sky Disneyland), I also focused on how to best work with my teammates. I would especially track the messages and work of 1st-time teammates so that I can know how they operate (and help them to succeed if they needed some help with their tasks). I typically defer to others when assigning roles, because I believe the weakest part of the project is the one that gets overlooked. While I was on Team Time, I usually paired-up with Sharon&Susan knowing that my interest in dark rides plus his strengths in map-making and being detail-oriented would work well together. 2. Which project did you struggle with the most and what (if anything) did you learn from it? Stanza 2 (Narnia and Nightmare Before Christmas)--Besides the bad team dynamics we had that round (e.g. moving the brainstorming to Discord app for a short time even though not everyone had access to it), we were rather unbalanced with the tasks. Many of us newbies ended up with designing Narnia, whereas the Nightmare Before Christmas section had several veterans. I learned that the success of a team project requires that work loads are balanced as to the skills and availabilities of the teammates. Although something seemed wrong about our narrow approach to Narnia (i.e. having everything in the land including the two rides set to the story of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe), I couldn’t quite convince my teammates to broaden the scope of the land. I learned that I should try to anticipate the critiques of the judges and those who would be reading the project later This was my first time designing attractions in the game, and I realized afterwards that I needed to provide more details in my descriptions. I also was frustrated by my lack of technical skills, although I made progress by creating a drawing (first by hand and then aided by Paint on the computer). As my teammates changed the name of the shop a couple of times near the deadline, my drawing was cut from the presentation. I returned to the competition in Stanza 4 with more ideas of how to use Paint and Microsoft Word photo editing to get graphic designs that I wanted. FYI, due to being on retreat, I missed Stanza 3 (The Meme) and most of Stanza 4 (Indiana Jones Coaster). 3. If you were to advance, do you anticipate any exams/trips/work in your way that would take precedence over the game?
If I was to advance, I have no time away until after the finals. As the start day of the Quarterfinals is Easter Sunday, I will be pretty busy that day (between ministry at church and time with family), although I should be able to get the stanza prompt and check-in with my team a little bit. As Lent (the 40 days before Easter) is typically the busiest time of year for priests. Therefore, I should be at least as available (if not more available) for the playoffs as I was in the regular season. I would say that I am pretty invested in the game as evidenced by this teams and results page I kept in my journal (had I known better how team swaps were to take place, I would have designed the page differently).
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In 2008, Marquette played in the NCAA tournament at the Honda Center in Anaheim. As a member of the Pep Band, I was there for the games. The first game was on Holy Thursday and the second game was on Holy Saturday. With the Team and Pep Band flying back early in the morning of Easter Sunday, we only had Good Friday to sightsee.
Most of the Pep Band (including me) wanted to spend the day at Disneyland with some of those bandos getting park hopper passes so they could also go to the best attractions at Disney’s California Adventure. Due to the fact that I was a frugal college student as well as that I had been to DCA shortly after it opened, I decided to stick to just Disneyland. Now before I talk about Good Friday, I do want to mention that several of us did do something related to Holy Week on Holy Thursday (after our game). We attended a bilingual Mass of the Lord’s Supper at a parish near our hotel. We also visited the Crystal Cathedral (which is now the Catholic Cathedral for the Diocese of Orange). Being at Disneyland on Good Friday does not really dispense one from the Good Friday regulations, namely abstaining from meat and fasting (one regular meal and two others that don’t add up to another meal). I can’t speak for my fellow bandos, but the only “food” I ordered at Disneyland was a root beer float. I don’t think I would be able to eat so minimally now with all the energy I use at a theme park. At one point in the day, there were about 17 of us bandos hanging out. The group wanted to ride Autopia—a ride where you get to drive a car on a track. Not having a strong desire to ride it (I rarely pass on a ride), everyone gave me their tickets so that I could get FastPasses for Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. After I returned, I also was able to take pictures of the other bandos on the ride. A couple of personal highs for me were riding Matterhorn Bobsleds and Indiana Jones Adventure for the first time. The Matterhorn always seemed to be closed whenever my family visited Disneyland. It was a great ride...I’m sure it would be neat to ride at night! I think the one time my family was at Disneyland after Indiana Jones Adventure debuted the ride was closed, too. The only other Disney ride that uses the EMV style ride system is Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom, and this one was a cut above! Anyways, although I enjoyed my time at Disneyland on Good Friday, I would not encourage others to go there on that holy day. If it was the only option (like it was for us), then maybe it’s okay. But as one of the holiest (and penitential) days of the year, praying and having a simplified day would be the way to go (and maybe commit to returning to Disneyland again soon). The book Faith and the Magic Kingdom by Randy Crane is a delightful book in the niche genre of Disney theme park devotionals. I received this book as a Christmas gift (after putting it on my Christmas list). The book focuses on the original Disneyland park, which I last visited on Good Friday in 2008 (I will plan to recap that trip soon). As you may know, Disneyland has been shut-down since the start of the pandemic (whereas Walt Disney World reopened in July 2020). So besides watching ride videos on YouTube, the best way a person can experience Disneyland right now is through books. And a book like this one can also help to see the rides and sights of Disneyland through the eyes of faith.
Faith and the Magic Kingdom has many references to Sacred Scripture, usually several quotes in each devotional. In fact, the book could be viewed as more of a Christian devotional first and foremost centered on the theme of things found in Disneyland. Randy has visited Disneyland many, many times—both personally and professionally (i.e. leading a tour through the park). His experiences and knowledge of the park are peppered into the devotionals, which gives the book a very personal feel to it. Randy chooses to focus on some things that are (at least for me) easy to pass over when I am at a Disney park. For example, he has a devotional about the “berm”—basically a hill that surrounds the park so it is more difficult to see outside of Disneyland. The conclusion of that devotional is that we (as Christians) sometimes need to change our perspective so that we have a Christian worldview. Some other parts of the park that he gives several devotions for are outside the park entrance, in Main Street U.S.A., and on Storybook Land Canal Boats. One devotional that stands out to me is the Pirates of the Caribbean one that he titles “Dead Man (Used to) Tell Tales” (a take from a line at the beginning of the ride). A ride scene had been modified n 1997 so that the pirates were chasing food (rather than women). Randy points out that all of the 7 Deadly Sins used to be on display in the ride, although many of them still are. The moral of the ride is that sin ultimately leads to death. If you or someone you know is a fan of Disneyland, this book might be a good “stocking stuffer.” More importantly, though, it might be an evangelistic resource for someone who is open to hearing more about God and Christian faith (but might not know where to start in a Bible). I connected with Randy via e-mail. He used to have a blog and a podcast. The main ways now to find out more of what he is doing is by checking out his speaker pages: https://www.christianspeaker.net/listing/randy-crane/ https://www.speakermatch.com/profile/speaker/randycrane/ My favorite ride for the last 5 years at Disney parks has been Splash Mountain. When I was at Walt Disney World in October, I lucked out a little bit (the ride was down for part of the morning, and I only had 3 hours to spend at the Magic Kingdom). I was able to ride Splash Mountain one last time before they convert it into a ride for The Princess and the Frog. Splash Mountain is tied to Disney’s movie The Song of the South, which remains locked in the Disney Vault due to its negative portrayal of African Americans in the character Uncle Remus. After George Floyd’s death, Disney made it a priority to finally give The Princess and the Frog her very own attraction. I am only a little disappointed to see my favorite attraction changed. I really like Splash Mountain for the thrill of the drop, the story that is told through so many animal audio-animatronics, the catchy music, and the lengthy duration of the ride. I am hopeful that Disney will build a fun new ride with the new story. For my Bible World park, I wanted to carefully choose which Old Testament story (since we are in the left side of the park) would be the best one to use the Splash Mountain log flume. Although Noah was an obvious option, I didn’t see part of the story could be used for the giant drop (so instead I placed it in The Pirates of the Caribbean space as I have described in an earlier post). Jonah getting swallowed by the large fish (or whale depending on the translation) seemed like it could fit the bill for the thrill. A Pinocchio water ride had been in development for Disney that would have had guests ride through the whale Monstro before going out of his mouth down a slide. That ride was never built, although a different Pinocchio dark ride was. Although Jonah’s story could focus on him preaching in Nineveh, the location of the drop about two-thirds through the ride suggests that most of the focus should be on Jonah fleeing to Tarshish. An opening scene could be focusing on Jonah’s home right before God calls him. The next scene would be the voice of God calling him to preach to Nineveh but Jonah is disbelieving (after all, it’s an ancient sin city). Outside of his house is a sign with Nineveh one direction and Tarshish the other; Jonah goes the way of Tarshish. When he arrives in Tarshish, he finds some salty mariners to take him on board their ship. While out at sea, a heavy storm whips up, but Jonah is asleep in his room (seen by the riders). The mariners wake up Jonah, and they determine that his decision to flee from his God is the cause of the storm. As riders climb the lift hill, Jonah tells the mariners to throw him into the sea. As they drop him, riders go down the drop and into the mouth of a whale. The music found in the queue to the opening scene is cheery, folk music. When Jonah is on the ship, the colors of the set are darker and the music becomes more frenetic, especially when the storm hits. The music gets louder and reaches its peak at the drop. At the top of the drop would be part of the boat. The whale is curved (following the track of the ride). His tail touches a rocky cliff, which contains the end section of the ride. In this part, we see Jonah coming to his senses that he had disobeyed God. He prays that he would live to see another day on land. God listens to his request, and the whale spits Jonah out (this effect would probably need to come about through a reconfiguring of the track—maybe a conveyor belt that speeds up the logs plus mist and sound to make it seem like they are being spit out). A final scene is Jonah choosing to go to Nineveh (rather than Tarshish). My Bible World “blue sky” ideas focus on stories from the Bible (maybe that’s obvious), and therefore are overtly Judeo-Christian. Perhaps, though, a Christian fictional story might be the best chance of getting Christian faith and morals into a theme park ride.
In Stanza 2 of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice imagineering competition, I had the opportunity to help create the world of Narnia in theme park form (in what is now Disney’s Hollywood Studios Park; see https://sites.google.com/view/team-power-stanza-ii/world-of-narnia). The Chronicles of Narnia are a 7-book children’s series written by the Christian writer C.S. Lewis. Although Lewis typically wrote for adults, the Narnia books were probably his most popular writings. He uses the veiled form of allegory to tell the truths of Christianity. For example, the character of Aslan the talking lion is supposed to be a figure who stands for Christ (he dies on an altar and later is resurrected). Disney (in perhaps a move to compete with Harry Potter) made three box office movies of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe; Prince Caspian; and The Dawn Treader. Harry Potter was turned into theme park lands at Universal’s parks (including the Hogwarts Express train ride that spans its two Orlando parks). Narnia, on the other hand, has only been shortly found in Disney’s Hollywood Studios through a simple, walk-through exhibit of the particular movies. With all of the beloved Narnia characters like the Pervensie children, Mr. Tumnus, and Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, I think Disney would have been rewarded had they bet on a substantial Narnia theme park attraction. |
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