Friday, May 22, 2009

Universal Studios Hollywood Queue

Set it apart from Disneyland and other theme parks' queue.

Place movie props, costumes, sketches, and vehicles in the queue for guests to admire as they wait in line for the appropriate movie-themed attraction. The Universal Experience display that replaced "I Love Lucy Tribute" is a good example. This idea would go especially well with Terminator, Jurassic Park, and Mummy.

uWink

http://www.tapcode.net/

uWink is an "entertainment dining experience" involving interactive screens to order food and beverage and also play games from computer screens. I'm not too sure if the dining experience could be met in Tomorrowland with Pizza Port and TLT. But the interactive game screens could be a fun addition. This would also evoke that sort of "Starcade" experience I suppose. Perhaps Disney can close the Starcade area and name the video consoles as "Starcade Screens" or something.

Toontown Trolley

Why should this only be shown for "Toontown Morning Madness"? I would like to see this in person as a regular day guest. The music is amazing. Although I would think it's because of the crowded walkways, perhaps having this during non-peak season and in the morning would be best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g7gvE4U0Ro

The Trolley would only be used to bring out characters for the short street show and to do meet and greets. Guests may not ride the Trolleys.

This is similar to the Universal Studios Hollywood Character Trolley.

Goofy, Donald, and Chip 'n' Dale

I need to put all three of these ideas together because they all work together. Instead of "Mickey's Neighborhood", renamed "Uptown Toontown" in contrast to "Downtown Toontown" reflecting the loss of a "neighborhood" in this reimagining.

1) Goofy's Plane Crazy

Inspired by "Goofy's Glider", "Goofy's Barnstormer", and Mickey's "Plane Crazy" short. Lift by "toony" mechanism and zooms by Mt. Toon-more, above Toon Lagoon, through Harbor Tower, and over Chip 'n' Dale's queue.

Maintenance bay similar to current setup to backstage.

Goofy's Glider


Mickey's Plane Crazy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCZPzHg0h80

2) Donald's Tugboat



Inspired by "Mickey's Tugboat"

Location: Expanded Toon Lagoon. Taking out Donald's Boat permantly. Using some props from that boat inside Goofy's House. Goofy's House renamed Harbor Control/Tower/House and sawing off Goofy's green hat from the top.

Nautical themes inside house such as stern wheel & compass, blow horn, hammock, Daisy bow mast, flags/hanging laundry, raincoat hanger, nets, photos, etc. Queue from front door, porch, enter house from the back, then outside against cliff to Donald's Boat, but redirected back along house to new docking port to tugboats. Maintenance port on westside backstage like for the roller coaster. Perhaps just need enough room to take out and put back one or two boats. Then boats relocated to maintenance building.

Flume track runs in Toon Lagoon directly under roller coaster tracks to "Goofy's Plane Crazy". Small boats designed after tugboats and serve similar purpose to Fantasyland's extinct "Motorboat Cruise". Obviously the vehicles had a long front, which would not be good for Toon Lagoon's compact size.

Mickey's Tugboat


The Whalers


Boat Builders


3) Chip n Dale's Nuts n Bolts



Using the similar tech to LEGOLAND's Kid Power Tower. Located in Goofy's Playhouse (more specifically the backyard playground). This is redressed as the Toontown Community Garden. Gadget (from the Rescue Rangers) is an inventor and friend to Chip n Dale. They asked her to help build a nut collector. She invented this mechanism to help collectors lift into the trees and thus gather nuts. The queue will consist of the current garden gags as well as those seen at Magic Kingdom's Toontown Fair. The Goofy clothes line will need to go, perhaps for the Mickey Dark Ride.

Here's a concept for a "spider-type" ride. Arms themed as branches and vehicles themed as acorns?
http://www.fallingpixel.com/3d-models/11936

Guests enter where they now enter for the Playhouse. And circle the perimeter of the playground. The playground itself will be the site for the power towers. The exit will be alongside Goofy's house. The queue will be covered by a breezeway covered with vines and grape. At night, the grapes will light up. The breezeway doubles as the circling coaster track to "Goofy's Plane Crazy". There will be two power towers to accomodate capacity. I'm not sure if there can be a third, perhaps if need be, use the space from Toon Park.

Chip n Dale Treehouse


Rescue Rangers


If and when maintenance required, use backstage doors beside Minnie's House.

Mickey Mouse Dark Ride and Meet & Greet

There has been the consistent outcry for remodels of Disney's California Adventure, Tomorrowland, and Mickey's Toontown. Here is one of about five solutions. A Mickey Mouse Dark Ride.

Toontown:


Minnie's House will be demolished to make way for Mickey's Movie Barn queue and load station structure. The complex will evoke a similar experience when inside Mickey's House for the meet and greet starting from the Movie Barn exterior to the movie screening room. The gardening, carrot/gopher, and chicken gags will be relocated from the original plans of this structure. The old photo-op sets for Steamboat Mickey, The Band Concert, and Sorcerer Mickey will be redesigned in this queue. The movie that is currently shown may have to add scenes like a safety video similar to "Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Eye". But Indy has more motion than this attraction will have.

Minnie's House:


Minnie's Backyard:


Minnie's Microwave from Florida:


Mickey's House will still be intended for Meet and Greets. The path inside Mickey's House after the laundry room will be redirected to Mickey's garage. The garage will relocate closer to the streetside making less driveway space. When guests walk from the laundry room towards the garage, the garden theme will resume with the gardening, carrot/gopher, and chicken gags. Guests enter Mickey's Garage and await their turn inside his Movie Trailer to meet the mouse himself in his dressing room. The space inside the garage between the trailer and garden will determine the number capacity of people in groups entering the trailer. Once the meet n greet is over, the guests will walk out past the garage and back into the street. Mickey's House kinda acts as a weenie into that part of Toontown, Mickey's Neighborhood.

Mickey's House:


The dark ride itself will occupy the rest of the Mickey House building behind and under the Toontown hills and signage. Chip n Dale's acorn pit and treehouse will be demolished and used for the new dark ride. Perhaps as a maintenance bay.

The dark ride system will be recycled from Critter Country's "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh". That ride system evokes a "bounce" which would contrast to Roger Rabbit's spins. The ride system is also able to perform tight turns especially at the load station, so I don't believe space is much of an issue. A problem with that attraction now is that it takes up too much space for its own good. The unused queue space for that attraction I think will have a similar size in Toontown and will be used more.

Disneyland's Winnie the Pooh:


The attraction will also SLIGHTLY evoke DCA's Superstar Limo:
YouTube Video by ParkHopper

The plot for the dark ride is (Peg Leg) Pete has stolen the film reels from Mickey's/the Disney vault and intends to change history by putting himself in Mickey's famous film roles so he himself can be the hero and get all the fame, fortune, and public affection. Guests ride in either limos, movie trucks that carry equipment to different locations, or toon cars designed for either Mickey, Donald, or Goofy. Pete blasts your car tires which explain why you keep wobbling along.

Guests will ride through Steamboat Willie, The Band Concert, The Brave Little Tailor, and Sorcerer Mickey. Then we jump out of the film reels and crash into Minnie's house (relocated gags like dishwasher, stove, oven, and self-opening fridge. We ruined her pie as it is now all over her new dress), Donald's house (Donald is in his famous fighting pose yelling and Pete says "What did he say?"), and Goofy's house (he gets knocked over and falls into a pit screaming his famous yodel). We finally crash back into Mickey's Movie Barn with Pete wrapped up in film strips. Mickey explains that Pete made everyone a star. Without his help, the gang wouldn't be where they are today. Pete is grateful.

The Disney character Audio-animatronic will use the same model as Tokyo DisneySea's Sinbad's Seven Voyages.

Ride exit between the current Mickey and Minnie House.

EDIT: Mickey's Neighborhood renamed "Uptown Toontown" to reflect "Downtown Toontown" of the major changes.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Gravity Railroad and Rack Railway

This is based on the rumor about a sort of "Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland" type of attraction around the Grizzly Peak. Rumors also say it is physically impossible due to the mountain's initial construction. I still have full confidence a train ride is possible.

Mine Train Thru Nature's Wonderland:


Links to explain the gravity railroad and rack railway for Disney's California Adventure Grizzly Recreation.

Gravity Railroad:


Ride the Cog!:


First, I think a functional Rack Railway would be out of the question. But I strongly believe it can be used as decor along with a water tower on the mountain alongside the parade route between the grapevine and waterfall.

Gravity railroad I'm still having a hard time imagining this working as it was designed on the mountain. So I will reply on the "train engine in the back" configuration as seen in Disney's Animal Kingdom's Expedition Everest. Especially the steam effect at the load station.

Approaching Station:


Dispatching from Station:


The lift mechanism I would like to see something unique. I will suggest a spiral lift hill to be located between Grizzly River Run's lift hill and the newly opened San Francisco restrooms.

Six Flags' Whizzer Spiral Lift:


After the lift, the train will become a "gravity railroad" and gently glide back down making its way graciously to the load station. That load station is to be at the large area between the Grizzly River Run's finale drop turn and the main walkway.

I am also thinking of Disneyland's Fantasyland Casey Jr. Train. That has a real engine that pulls the train, yet has that one chain lift near the middle of the ride. But I think a Linear Synchronous Design (LSM) will work just as good rather than Linear Induction Motor (LIM) system along the track from station to spiral chain lift will work just as fine. The Paris version seems to run under this type of system with a real conductor at the front engine. Although the next videos show the trains going at a good speed, that is not my intention. It will be will as fast as an Omnimover system.

Disneyland's Casey Junior Circus Train:


Disneyland Paris' Casey Jr. Le Petit Train de Cirque:

Sky Roller

I stumbled onto this and my first thought was the Tomorrowland rumor. Sending Astro Orbitor to yesterland and bring a rocket jetpack attraction to the former Rocket Jets tower over Peoplemover.

Spinning Roller Coaster

PROJECT NAME: Echo Mine Carts
RIDE TYPE: Spinning Roller Coaster with Vertical Lift
INSPIRATION: Echo Mine Chase scene from "Home on the Range".
LOCATION: Currently planned Sally Cone Motel for Carsland.

The mountain itself will contain most of the tracks. The facade and part of the queue should look like an adobe and cliff-dwelling. The vertical lift will be themed as a mine elevator shaft. At the top an explosion sends the carts down the tracks. This attraction evokes "Big Thunder Mountain Railroad". The indoor caverns will be similar to the film "Home on the Range" with brightly-lit colors. These types of attractions also feature an on-ride video for purchase.

Gerstlauer Amusement Rides

Six Flags' Tony Hawk's Big Spin:
(These are the vehicle designs I favor with riders facing each other)


Six Flags' Mr. Six Pandominium:


Galaxy Spinner:


MACK Rides

Knott's Berry Farm's Sierra Sidewinder:
(Focus here is the attached cars to increase hourly capacity)


Home on the Range - Echo Mine:
(The focus here is on the production design)


Dollywood's Mystery Mine:
(Although not a spinning coaster, there's a part where it has the dynamite explosion I like)

Ball Coaster

http://www.intaminworldwide.com/iag/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=47&Itemid=32

I know there has been some that looked into the flying coaster for a "The Rocketeer" attraction. Examples of flying coasters are Six Flags' Tatsu, SeaWorld's Manta, and Paramount's Tomb Raider. But this takes up a lot of real estate and most likely be exposed as a steel roller coaster. I have another suggestion: The Ball Coaster.

Ball Coaster:


Six Flags' Tatsu:


Paramount's Tomb Raider:


This "The Rocketeer: Stunt Pilot" Ball Coaster is to be located between Radiator Springs Racers and Tower of Terror. Either multiple or a longer version of this will need to be designed for higher hourly capacity and/or a longer ride time experience.

The seats will be designed like Rocket Jetpacks and "Peevy" Peabody would be the host for the attraction. The mechanic character guides your flight by radio communication. The facade would be themed as Bigalow's airplane hanger storage. The rest of the attraction is hidden behind a desert mountain range. Props from the film would be decorated outdoors including the billboard from the film's opening. The cast members are dressed as flight crew mechanics.

Golden State Plaza Fountain

Hong Kong Disneyland's entrance has a really neat water fountain feature. But I'm not still not sure how classic Disney characters spoke "beach fun" in China. I think the fountain fits more into Disney's California Adventure. It would be nice to have these statues. I would only approve of the Mickey and whale water feature. The water, music, and light show aspect should remain with Hong Kong. World of Color is coming and the original fountain looks to be quite big. This would be a good contrast to Disneyland's Central Plaza mini-Disney character statues that surround the Partners Statue.



Still photos from niallkennedy:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/niallkennedy/sets/72157605416166233/

The Partners Statue will already have the planned statue of younger Walt and Mickey in Walt Disney Plaza.

Instrumental music selection:
"By the Beautiful Sea" - For Me and My Gal: The Musical
"Beautiful Briny Sea" - Bebknobs & Broomsticks
"Candle on the Water" - Pete's Dragon
"Beyond the Sea" - Finding Nemo
"Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" - Lilo & Stitch
"Jolly Holiday" - Mary Poppins
"Just Around the Riverbend" - Pocahontas
"Whale of a Tale" - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
"Under the Sea" - The Little Mermaid
"Fathoms Below" - The Little Mermaid
"Sailor's Hornpipe" - Folk Music
"Row Row Row Your Boat" - Nursery Rhyme
"Sailing, Sailing" - Folk Music
"By the Sea" - Sweeney Todd

I have to assume there will be more "The Little Mermaid" music around the Meet & Greet and Ariel's Adventure.

By the Beautiful Sea (Mickey's Fun Songs):


Sailor's Hornpipe:


Whale of a Tale:


Although not a "sea" song, it fits with the era I think: "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"

Electric Railway

This is a solution counterpart to Disneyland's Steam Trains and Tomorrowland's Peoplemover for Disney's California Adventure's lack of any transportation and kinetic energy.

Tokyo DisneySea's Electric Railway.


From my understanding, if Tokyo's trains have more than two station stops, then it must fall under "transportation" guidelines instead of as an "attraction". This goes the same for Tokyo Disneyland's Steam Trains only making round-trips.

Instead of what is currently seen with the station stops merging into one track and the rest of the track length having double paths, for DCA, it should be the opposite. The stations will have double tracks and the track length will be one. In this pattern, the center island at the stations will have guests choose in which direction of the train they will like to go. The trains will be going in opposite directions from each other. This will contrast from the Steam Trains and Peoplemover only going in one direction.

One station stop will be in Paradise Pier over where "Corn Dog Castle" is now. This area will also be a transportation hub where ground vehicles may turn around back to Walt Disney Plaza as another transportation option from the park entrance like Disneyland's gasoline vehicles. The path winds out of DCA between Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Disney Way. Then it will replace the Monorail pathway through the hotel. There will NOT be a station stop in the Hotel because guests already have their own private entrance to the park.

The second stop will be over "Soarin's Over California" in a wooden structure above that attraction's exit ramp, replacing the rocket engine mister, and preparing for Condor Flats' transformation to a new Grizzly Recreation theme.

The third stop will be over "Monsters, Inc.: Mike and Sulley to the Rescue". It will occupy the very unused extended queue for that attraction. The path will wind around between The Hollywood Backlot Stage/ Disney Animation Buildings and Hyperion Theater and over that street. The overhead track will hug the HBS and DA side leaving Hyperion alone as well as for the future remodel of that buliding towards Tower of Terror.

The maintenance facility for the Electric Railway will be in the newly enclosed Hyperion Theater lobby/ waiting area. The cars may also use the backstage area on the east side for further maintenance.

The overhead path will continue above Tower of Terror's Fastpass Distribution and squeeze between Tower of Terror and Flik's Fun Fair. Future plans have rumors that the backstage gates between the Fun Fair and Tower will be opened up to allow easier park access.

The track will wind around hugging Flik's Fun Fair until it makes a final stop before Bountiful Valley Farmers Market and over that deserted red barn stage where "The Ugly Bug Ball" used to play. This is the fourth and final stop.

Pacific Electric Red Car

The plan is to bring the Pacific Electric Red Car back and run them on the streets of Disney's California Adventure's new Walt Disney Plaza and Hollywoodland. I love the idea. Many relate to the film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". But it is also very important historically speaking. Many had worries of Mylar balloons hitting the overhead power lines. It is no problem with today's technology.

Old Time Venice & Pacific Electric:


Who Killed the Electric Street Car?:
(HINT: It's not Cloverfield Industries)

Basically GM not only screwed up public transportation, but Flint, Michigan as well...

The Americana Glendale's Trolley by Gomaco Trolley Company:




Inductive Power Transfer System (or IPT) is the most likely power source for the trolleys. Walt Disney Imagineering would only really have to add faux overhead powerlines to complete the historical accuracy, nostalgia, and atmosphere. A balance is brought from Disneyland's horse-drawn cars and gasoline vehicles.

Carthay Circle Theater

http://disneyandmore.blogspot.com/2008/01/disney-california-adventure-placemaking.html

This blog has lots of concept art posted of the Disney's California Adventure remodel.

I wanted to focus on the future of the park's new icon, the Carthay Circle Theater. Rumors said it would have a new movie attraction about Walt Disney, Mickey's Philharmagic, Golden Dreams, and then nothing at all due to space issues and be used for special events. Golden Dreams was to feature Audio-animatronics like EPCOT's The American Adventure.

1937 Snow White Premiere:


I have a different proposal. This should reflect the function now current in Disneyland's Main Street Opera house. The "lobby" should have concept art, models, and videos of the development for DCA similar to Blue Sky Cellar. In the next area, shift the Disney Animation here in this more compact space. It should essentially be similar but tightened up. From concept and aerial photos, it looks as if the Circle Theater will have as much space between the Opera House and Playhouse Disney LIVE space.

Animation Lobby:


I know many people such as myself really do enjoy the video loop in the lobby. The new lobby inside the Circle Theater should still have that circular/ horseshoe presentations along the outer rim/ perimeter of all those projected images like it is now. But there should be two levels so as to save on space. The first ground level should have the return of the live-action/animation stage show "Drawn to Animation", "Animation Academy" to learn to draw characters, and the "Character Close-up" exhibit of sketches, concept art, maquettes, and zoetrope. There should also be a rotational exhibit to accommodate anniversaries of feature films such as Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.

Drawn to Animation:


To access the second level, a grand stairway should be constructed. And for handicap guests, a dublicate of the Genie elevator from DisneyQuest.

Cybrolator:


"Sorcerer's Workshop" should be kept intact on the second level along with creating animation, which character you are in Beast's Library, and lend your voice to Ursula's Grotto. A new section will have "Ludwig Van Drake's Color Spectrum" where Drake will periodically sing the song along with Alice in Wonderland's Queen's painter playing cards.

Spectrum Song:


The room will be similar to Disney Cruise's Animator's Palate. The whole room changing from back and white to color and back again.


Essentially what is happening here is guests will have kiosks to work on adding digital colors to characters and backgrounds. Paint brush and other tools will be used as decor. In the center of the various kiosks will have Van Drake and painter plaing cards Audio-animatronics popping up and singing the Spectrum Song.

The next new area will be Sound Stage to record sound effects for animation. Essentailly this will be an automated Foley Stage. There is already one set up for a "Disney: The Music Behind the Magic" exhibit. The current one is of "The Band Concert" and about four people are able to be in the studio at once. I suggest probably making others to accommodate capacity and variety based on shorts and features. And also using different tools to accomplish the task. Along the walls should have behind-the-scenes video and glass display cases of old foley tools.

Casey Junior Foley Session:


Transition from sound effects to music would be "Bambi". "Bambi" used music to convey sound effects.

The last new area will be for Disney music. This will be hosted by an old Audio-Animatronic figure called Professor Owl. This is also to convey the feeling brought from the old "Disney Sing Along Songs" but focused on music like in "Toot, Whistle, Pluck, and Boom". Ursula's Grotto makes good use of sing-alongs anyways.

Disney Sing Along:


Disneyland Owl:
(Although the presentation is about animals, you get the general idea)


The obvious crown jewel would be "Fantastia" mixing Disney Animation and classical music. In fact, "Fantasia 2000" reminds me of the Disney Animation lobby alot.

Mega Whip

http://www.gordonrides.com/products.html

This company features a Mega Whip ride concept. It's a next generation of the classic "Whip" flat ride. It's very likely going into Disney's California Adventure's Carsland for Tow Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. A concept such as this has been hinted in concept art, Blue Sky Cellar's video loop of John Lasseter in a parking lot, and YouTube videos of "The Whip".

"The Whip":


Los Angeles Times article: http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/best-of-2007-disneys-1149/

Next Generation Water Slides

Splash Encounters:


Splash Encounters POV:


ProSlide Tornado by ElectroWorks Inc:


Movie Water Slide:


Water Slide:
(Reminds me of Space Mountain)

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Time Travel Voyage

PROJECT NAME: Voyage Thru Time
LOCATION: Pizza Oom Mow Mow at Disney's California Adventure. Wide area where street and grass area is on Southwest corner of this block. Ride buliding can also act as visual bearer as parades go in and out of nearby parade gate.
INSPIRATION: SeaWorld's "Journey to Atlantis", "JimHillMedia's article on the never-built concept for Discovery Bay (http://jimhillmedia.com/blogs/jim_hill/archive/2006/08/17/5118.aspx)

Universal Studios Hollywood's Jurassic Park-River Adventure:
(Mostly admiring the opening and multi-levels. I am currently more interested in altered ending for a compact splashdown breaking system.)


SeaWorld Orlando's Journey to Atlantis:


SeaWorld San Diego's Journey to Atlantis:


SeaWorld San Antonio Journey to Atlantis:


Efteling's De Vliegende Hollander (The Flying Dutchman):
(In the splashdown, the tracks hide in the water)


Europa Park's Poseidon:


Busch Gardens Williamsburg's Escape From Pompeii:
(For the cool fire effects)


Pilgrims Plunge:
(Vertical lift looked interesting)

Considering how much real estate a flume roller coaster takes up, a lift device such as this and experienced from SeaWorld San Diego's Atlantis would be most beneficial and an extra thrill to guests.

[I need to flesh out my ideas for this as well]

CONCEPT: The beginning of the flume starts out like a tribute to "The Tunnel of Love". But the local scientist wanted to use the boats as time vessels for his experiments. The coaster portions are themed as "time-circuit warps". The brake zones will be themed as "time tunnels" so as to explain why the vessels slow down. These will be themed like the tunnel entrance to "Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin"'s Power Plant scene. Various scenes will include The Ice Age, Dawn of the Dinosaurs, and Prehistoric Cavemen. The Ice Age will feature Mammoths, Saber Tooth Tiger, Wooly Rhino, etc. Dawn of the Dinosaurs features Dino audio-animatronics from Disney's Animal Kingdom's DINOSAUR attraction. Prehistoric Cavemen has people writing on caves, creating fire, inventing the wheel, etc. The scientist finally gets the guests back, except he landed them on top of a hill ready to splash down into Paradise Bay. Original intent was to go down where S.S. Rustworthy was and inbetween Orange Stinger and Golden Zephyr. Passageway to be under the parade route/ walkway so as not to disrupt and place any aerial obstacles over parade route to future parade entertainment productions.

Ride building designed to look like San Francisco's (Second) Cliff House restaurant of (1896): http://www.cliffhouse.com/

Villains Dark Ride

PROJECT NAME: Disney Villains Spook House; Villains' Hideout; Villains' Lair; House of Villainy
RIDE TYPE: Next generation Wild Mouse roller coaster.
LOCATION: Mulholland Madness at Disney's California Adventure.
INSPIRATION: Unbuilt "Bald Mountain" concept, "Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster", "Dante's Inferno" and "The Dark Knight" Six Flags coaster.

NEED: A new overlay theme to the current Wild Mouse roller coaster offering at DCA. The proposed "Goofy Sky School" is only a temporary overlay to begin with. This will also cover attraction to Disney's Grand Californian Hotel guest balcony into Paradise Pier. A rumor proposal has Disney Villains themed on CA Screamin'. I do not agree with what I have read and seen.
GOAL: Offer guests a more unique coaster offering at the same time paying tribute to classic haunted house dark rides of the boardwalk.
OBJECTIVE: 1) Unique dark ride experience inspired by animated Disney Villains.
2) Short thrills and chills of visual and physical attributes.
3) Detailed homage to seaside haunted house amusement dark rides with the Disney twist.

This indoor MACK-style wild mouse coaster will have dark ride portions, sudden stops, sharp turns, and backward motion. Inspired by the Spook House darkrides of the amusement park pier rides...

Here's "Scooby Doo Spooky Coaster":


Here's "Dante's Inferno":

Imagine this entrance with Chernabog billowing down smoke at guests:

Here's the current "Mulholland Madness":


Six Flags' The Dark Knight Coaster:

(Looked like the flaux fire effect was behind the windows instead a facade building. Kind of a next step forward to Pirates of the Caribbean's billowing fire effect)

Faux Fire:
(Also seen in USH's Revenge of the Mummy)


Second Video of The Dark Knight Coaster:


[I need to organize and flesh out the second portion of this. It was from a previous post I made.]

There was a never built concept called "Bald Mountain" which was to have Disney Villains chasing riders. The story could be riders stumble into a Disney Villains headquarters and must get out before they are discovered (hence dark ride portion). Riders enter a vertical lift thinking they are near freedom. But at the top of the lift you confront the villains who push you backwards. Then they spin you around trying to confuse you. Riders go through a maze (zig zag portion) and confront a main Disney villain at each corner and must make a sharp turn to avoid them. Riders set off a booby trap that sends them into more chaos (coaster hills, etc) and experiencing close encounters. Finally you find an exit and try to get out before the villains find you... .

The facade would look like a rundown Victorian pier structure version compared to the nice, clean themeing that will be represent on Toy Story Midway Mania & The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Adventure. May also have bits of rockwork & briar patch parts. I was thinking the vehicles could be themed to look like The Horn King from "The Black Cauldron". He's a Disney Villain but probably not well-known enough to be featured in the attraction. This would be a nice subtle nod to a great looking villain.

Individual villain show elements in the maze/zig-zag portion (not in any special order but effects may interchange so a different character is present & makes the ride more repeatable)

1) Capt. Hook/Ratcliffe shooting a cannon at you (smoke ring effect)
2) Hades/Frollo setting the walls ablaze (flaux fire effect)
3) Cruella/Medusa about to smash her car into you (blinding headlights & sound effects)
4) Kaa/Jafar transforms to a snake & in the dark he spits water venom at riders
5) Enter Maleificent dragon's mouth into green smoke & glowing yellow eyes
6) Orge and other minions shoot airblast arrows and spears
6.5) OR Big Bad Wolf blows air at you and/or from behind you (blasts of air)
7) Chernabog is at the end of the maze to send riders into a whirlwind of evil spirits (coaster section in darkness with spirits projected moving around)
8) Perhaps Ursula has tentacles descending upon you (although she would also be represented in TLM ride...
9) Maybe Queen of Hearts hurtles a ball at riders/Headless Horseman hurtles pumpkin.

Maybe instead of a vertical lift in a creeky cage, Maleificent finds you and sends you up in her yellow/green flame like in the movie when see transforms into a dragon.

OH, one of the best parts is we can have an excuse for a Disney Villains store!! So long Sunglass Shack!!

Some more villain appearances:

1) Magic Mirror could be your host. Kind of like how he was the narrator in the Fantasyland Snow White show. He'll mostly pop in the beginning and end of the ride. Hopefully similarities to Universal Studios Hollywood's Shrek 4D will not be compared.

2) A room could be themed to rocks... and either Shere Khan or Scar pops up from the end of the room to pounce on you. They interchange to make this room different.

3) Witched Witch/Old Hag can pop-up however like in Snow White's Scary Adventure... I mean come one, she's scary looking and still freaks me out in that Fantasyland ride!!

4) Another interchangable room switches between Gaston and Clayton holding a hunting gun.

5) Ride exit into Villains store.

6) A snack shop nearby themed to Gaston's Tavern or Yzma's Fruity Potions.

7) I would prefer to not use a vertical lift because it doesn't seem to give off a "scary" tone. Other than the thrill of going vertical. A standard lift can give off a tense feeling as seen in Splash Mountain.

Europa Park's Matterhorn Blitz:


Welcome One and All

Welcome all to SoCalThemeParkConcepts blog.

MISSION: Express my thoughts, feelings, and research regarding ideas, improvements, and solutions to issues mostly regarding the Southern California theme parks of The Disneyland Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood.

VISION: To communicate to the public my views, responses, and reactions to news and rumors of Southern California theme parks especially to The Disneyland Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood.

NEED: I need to create a dedicated blog about theme park designs for the purpose of concentrating the various thoughts I have of theme park design concepts into one public location.

GOAL: To hopefully one day be recognized for the growing observation and realistic theme park concepts and be offered a position in theme park creative design.

OBJECTIVE: 1) Showcase videos of theme park entertainment
2) Showcase photographs of theme park entertainment
3) Showcase theme park designs
4) Showcase original theme park design artwork to illustrate proposed concepts

QUALIFICATIONS: I am a student of Cal State Northridge in the Multimedia Production. I have been interested in Walt Disney and his company since freshman year of high school but have also had Disney on my mind since childhood. I have done some freelance videography, artistic talent, and expressed my interest in theme park designs.