Periodically on the WDWMagic.com Imagineering Forum, there is a "One Sentence Competition." The most recent once happened in the days leading up to Christmas. There were 5 rounds. Each submission can be 1-2 sentences (not strictly "1 sentence," and each "sentence" is more like a run-on sentence from Saint Paul) and can include an image. My submissions are shown below in the order in which the prompts came up. Going into the final prompt, I was tied for 2nd (out of 20 people who have had at least 1 submission). Holiday Ride: Gran Fiesta Tour--Feliz Navidad! Join The Three Caballeros as they explore Mexico at Christmas time. Enjoy Christmas songs (like Feliz Navidad and Las Pasadas) as you witness the San Angel Inn Restaurante and the Mayan temple adorned with Christmas lights, stockings for The Three Caballeros, little figures dressed up like Mary and Joseph for Las Posadas in the Fiesta scene, and Christmas trees and garlands accenting the video scenes. Holiday Show: Buddy the Elf’s Christmas Sing-a-Long (2nd Place) For the first time at “Six Flags Holiday in the Park” at Six Flags Great Adventure and Safari, join your favorite characters Buddy and Jovie in spreading Christmas cheer in “Buddy the Elf’s Christmas Sing-a-Long”! The happiest Christmas show outside of the North Pole (which includes all of the best Christmas carols like “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”) is located in Buddy’s beloved Candy Lane Forest–a holiday re-theming of Fantasy Forest. [IP note: The movie Elf is owned by New Line Cinema, which is under the umbrella company Warner Bros. Discovery, which in the U.S. has theme park rights at Six Flags parks.] New Restaurant for CityWalk: Boston to Beijing--Asian Fusion (2nd Place) Filling the unmet need for table service Asian food at CityWalk Orlando, Boston to Beijing takes everyone’s favorite Asian dishes and gives them an American twist—try the Korean Bulgogi Burger (with fries), Mac and Cheese with Hibachi Chicken and Veggies, or the Tempura Shrimp Tacos. The decor of the restaurant also brings together the diverse cultures with some parts American (including the dining tables as well as pictures of American inventions in Asian markets) and some parts Asian (including the lighting as wells as pictures of people in Boston’s Chinatown, Asian neighborhoods in Queens, and Los Angeles’ Koreatown). Dessert (winner received a bonus point): No need for food coloring in the restaurant’s special Christmas dessert—Red Bean Cheesecake, which is the perfect fusion of nutritious and sweet. For your listening pleasure, see the video below. New Christmas Special: The Wise Men Who Found Christmas “The Wise Men Who Found Christmas” is the animated version of the children’s book by Raymond Arroyo, which brings together the true meaning of Christmas with the latest historical discoveries (including the probability that the wise men were from Arabia and not Persia). Learn the true identities of the mystery men–Balthasaar, Melchoir, and Caspar–who followed the royal Christmas star from their homeland all the way to Bethlehem, the town of King David in Israel, to bring special gifts to the baby Jesus. New Holiday Land: North Pole Land at Six Flags Over Texas
Guests to Six Flags Over Texas during “Holiday in the Park” can travel the North Pole by riding on The Polar Express (normally the Six Flags and Texas Railroad steam locomotives; the only original ride from the 1961 opening of the park) from the Texas Depot to the North Pole Depot with narration by the movie’s Conductor (voiced by Tom Hanks). At the North Pole (which is an overlay of Boomtown land), guests can joyfully experience the following: a ride on Santa’s Sleigh (a re-theme of the Runaway Mine Train), Elves’ Sled (a re-theme of the Mini Mine Train), The Christmas Tree (a re-theme of Gunslinger swings ride), and a Santa Meet and Greet. [IP note: The movie The Polar Express is owned by Warner Bros. Pictures, which is under the umbrella company Warner Bros. Discovery, which in the U.S. has theme park rights at Six Flags parks.]
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With Argentina winning the World Cup, I thought it would be important to finish this series with a look at Argentina.
Argentina (Parque de la Costa): This park in Tigre has at least 30 rides including two roller coasters. El Desafío is a Vekoma SLC Standard floorless coaster that reaches speeds of 50 mph. England (Alton Towers): There is some debate as to the best theme park in England, but a strong argument could be made for Alton Towers. It is the most proper theme park in the country, and it also has 9 roller coasters for adults. "Th13teen" is "the world's first vertical freefall drop roller coaster, on which the track and train freefall approximately 15 feet in darkness. The park also has dark rides including Gangsta Granny (seen below) and Duel - The Haunted House Strikes Back. Germany (Europa-Park): Typically ranked #2 in annual attendance for European theme parks, Europa-Park has over 100 attractions. Much of its theming is country-specific, which makes it similar to Busch Gardens Williamsburg with some nods to Epcot, especially with its own geodesic dome. The park is known for its coasters, but it also has some dark rides. Most notable of these is ARTHUR (2014), which, along with Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (Magic Kingdom, 2014), set the benchmark for story-telling coasters. France (Disneyland Paris): Disneyland Paris is a bit different than the the three Disney castle parks that preceded it. It is a beautiful park, especially in winter (which is when I was able to visit). It is full of details including walk-through exhibits including the dragon beneath the castle. Its Frontierland and Discoveryland (essentially its Tomorrowland, but based more on Jules Vernes' vision of the future). Big Thunder Mountain, which whisks people under the river to an island, is probably the best version in the world. Phantom Manor takes more of a western feel compared with the similar Haunted Mansion rides throughout the world. And Space Mountain includes an outdoor launch and indoor inversions, which makes it rather thrilling, especially for a Disney park. South Korea (Lotte World): Ahnyeong haseo! When I spent a month in Korea in summer 2012, it was prior to theme parks becoming a huge passion for me. Needless to say, I did not visit any theme parks while I was over there. Anyways, Lotte World has both an indoor section ("Adventure," which was the world's largest indoor theme park until Warner Bros. World in Abu Dhabi surpassed it in 2019) and an outdoor section ("Magic Island"). It even contains a castle that is reminiscent of Disney parks. As I understand, many people wear school uniforms (even buying them) to go to the park. The park has a mix of family rides as well as roller coasters. Pharaoh's Fury is a dark ride similar to Indiana Jones. Denmark (Tivoli Gardens): Walt Disney was partially inspired by Tivoli Gardens when he was designing Disneyland. From what I understand, the beauty of the park rivals most other parks worldwide. The park boasts of a 1914 coaster called Rutschebanen that relies on an operator to provide the braking on it. Demon, which opened in 2004, is a floorless coaster that includes an Immelmann loop, a vertical loop, and a zero-G roll and provides a VR experience as an option.
The title of Jesus as King is alluded to in various passages in the Bible. In the Catholic Church, a feast of Jesus King of the Universe is celebrated on the last Sunday of the liturgical year in late November or early December. King Jesus rules from Heaven. Sometimes Heaven is thought of as a castle or a mansion, so it’s fitting that the main park icon would be associated with Heaven.
Cinderella’s Castle would be transformed at Miracle Kingdom in several ways. The blue accents on the Castle would become gold–a main color associated with Christ and His Kingship. The rest of the stonework would take on an Ivory color, which is sometimes associated with natural light. The 6 mosaics in the Castle would be re-themed to key moments in Jesus’ ministry: His Birth, the start of His Public Ministry, His Death, His Resurrection, His Ascension, and His Heavenly Coronation. |
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