Hello folks. The reason why you haven't seen a blog post for the past project is because, like last time, these two projects kind of run together. I'm saving it for a big commentary where I'll talk about the final outcome of the first half of the season, Fans vs. Favorites, and move on to the second half, where we are now split into three teams. The storyline could go anywhere from here.
Keep in mind, in a way, this is still very much Fans vs. Favorites. Team Elias is made up of all Fans, while Team WestCot is made up of a trio of Favorites. Team Technicolor, on the other hand, kind of fits its namesake well, because we have two HUGE characters on the former Favorites Team (That would be Mater and KingMickey, for anyone whose not keeping score) are teamed up with former Fan MouseketeerCole, who had previously established himself as a power player on his previous team. Like I said people, ANYTHING can happen.
Anyways, enough commentary, the real reason I'm here is to introduce a new series into the So, You Want to be an Imagineer Blog (Along with other series Top 10 and Project Commentary) called Sky Blue Imagineering. Sky Blue Imagineering is basically me just throwing any and all ideas out in the air. Now that we've got that concept established, let's move on to the actual attraction I want to show you today.
The attraction is called AquaTopia. It's a brand new Autopia/Water Coaster hybrid, built for Team Communicore's Tomorrowland for the League of Dreamers competition. This is the redesigned attraction challenge.
So anyways, the concept of AquaTopia is this: World famous Car Manufacturer/Deep Sea Explore Pete Siden (Get it...Posiden?) has invented a new kind of car that has the ability to travel underwater. To demonstrate this new technology, he's invited you to the Tomorrowland Living Seas Laboratories. The name an obvious homage to the famous Epcot pavilion. So basically, here's the general idea for the ride. Yes, I think a technology would be possible to travel rides through underwater through scenes in PeopleMover like (AquaMobiles) that are basically PeopleMovers with glass domes instead of open awnings. Add a Steampunk element, and the fact that guests control how fast they go down the track, and I hope you get the idea. Sorry I couldn't draw something up...I'm really bad at art.
Anyways, here we go...
Exterior:
The exterior of the ride will be a huge, three story watchtower, painted in pure gold. The watchtower will be looming on a cliff, with gaping holes on both sides. Every 90 seconds or so, a wave from the back of the exterior crashes down the holes, creating a waterfall like effect. The watchtower is in a Steampunk style and shaped kind of like a smaller scale Carousel theater. The queue begins with guests winding their way up a ramp on the street level of Tomorrowland, and traveling three stories into the actual watchtower.
Queue:
When we get inside the tower, we discover almost immediately that the whole thing is a front for the top secret Living Seas Labs. The rest of the queue winds its way past various experiments in water of various consistencies, regions, and temperature. The room with the safety video, which also serves to set up the plot, is a Steampunk garage, with an AquaMobile front and center, and screens on the four corners of the room.
The video lays out the story of Dr. Pete Siden, who believed that a great way to solve man's reliance on fossil fuels would be to develop automobiles that could actually travel underwater. The result is the AquaMobile.
Okay, here's the story with the Aquamobile. It doesn't actually travel underwater. Much like the proposed Little Mermaid dark ride, this ride will feature a Dry/Wet effect. Simulating being underwater without ACTUALLY being underwater. Of course, the vehicle will have to have a domed top to complete the effect, after all people would obviously know they weren't really underwater if they were exposed to the effect. But fear not, the glass dome will actually increase the enjoyment of the ride. Basically, each car is a four person vehicle. In the middle of the car, there is a joystick, push it forward to speed up, backwards to slow down. There will be four tracks. Each track will essentially have the same route. The reason why there are so many is to increase capacity. Basically, were looking at four tracks with 12 Aquamobiles a piece. Each getting launched 90 seconds apart from each other. Obviously, there will be a strict no bumping rule.
Sorry I can't get into more detail about the following show scenes. This is a Blue Sky concept after all though, so what can I say. As of now, this idea is kind of up in the air, but I do have a general idea of the show scenes. Basically, first of all they will all be relatively large in scale. Let's say, each show scene will be AT LEAST as big as the Burning Village set of Pirates. The four rooms will each be themed to one of the four oceans, and the entire ride will be described as a Test Track style simulation of the various underwater climates these AquaMobiles will have to face.
Anyways, in order of appearance, we have.
Pacific Ocean:
The Pacific Ocean will be highlighted by two things, underwater volcanoes and an underwater earthquake. The first part of the scene will be a valley of underwater volcanoes. Beautiful, potentially deadly, and bubbling. We round a corner, and suddenly, the room is shaking. We then see the ocean floor literally getting torn in half. We round a corner and go on towards the next ocean.
Atlantic Ocean:
Much like the West Coast has to deal with earthquakes, the East Coast has to deal with hurricanes. So, to start off the Atlantic Ocean set piece, we'll have a showcase of all the exotic sea life of places such as the Caribbean and the Florida Keys. Highlights including giant turtles and jellyfish. These will all be presented as Audio Animatronics, but in a very realistic way. The second half of the building finds your entire car spinning. This is because your AquaMobile actually includes technology that spins the cars body at certain points along the route. Anyways, the spinning of course is meant to simulate a hurricane. Quickly, we escape amidst an effect of bubbles swirling all around us and head into the next track.
Indian Ocean:
This is the part of the ride I have the roughest idea about. Basically, I want to have some kind of a scene involving a cave and a dangerous sea creature, then something about a tsunami or tidal wave which will involve the AquaMobile shaking due to more EMV technology. (Really, the AquaMobile will perhaps be the most technologically advanced ride vehicle Disney has ever done.) Finally, we enter our fourth and final show scene.
Arctic Ocean:
The Arctic Ocean set piece takes place in the icy depths surrounding Antarctica. First of all, the temperature in this room will be FREEZING to give the scene a startling sense of urgency. In yet another moment of playing around with the AquaMobile, at one point your AquaMobile will become stalled, and even eventually start to freeze over. You are saved at the last minute by the AquaMobile's "Built in state of the art emergency defrost technology." The grand finale of the ride takes place in an erupting underwater volcano. Amidst all the ice, the lava will give the scene a startling dangerous beauty. After Rounding one last corner, you find yourself back in the garage. You then exit down another ramp, back through the front cliffs and watchtower, and into the futuristic world of Tomorrowland, after having experienced a little piece of what the future of automobiles might have in store.
AquaTopia is a mix of classic Disney E Ticket dark ride, Autopia car rides, and just a dash of Steampunk. It also fits perfectly into the realm of Tomorrowland by delivering an optimistic view of what the future of automobile technology might be like. I hope you guys liked it. Remember, this is my submission for Team Communicore's Autopia re-imagining for the League of Dreamers contest.
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