AdvBlueDude: Now here's a guy with a story. He came on in Fans Vs. Favorites to become the last Fan standing, being the last eliminated before the final showdown between Mater and KingMickey that season. In Season Eight, Adv played a near flawless game. Under the radar when he had to be, ready to be in a leadership position, and always pumping out quality material. Adv once again got eliminated RIGHT before the finals, rarely getting beaten by Monkey for a chance at the Final Three. Now, Adv is back and more determined than ever to get to the Finals. He's basically turned into a prototype for what all new players should strive to be. He's outgoing, hard working, and always comes out with something creative. He'll be one of the main people to root for this season.
BasketBuddy101: I never thought we'd get this guy back. He DOMINATED literally all of the first four seasons of the game. His elimination in Season One is still one of the most talked about eliminations of all time, and he went on to steamroll into the Final Two twice and finally winning in Season Four. Since then, he's been in hibernation, but he's finally returned for another go. The game has evolved a lot since Basketbuddy has played. The big question will be rather or not he can adapt to the more pronounced social elements of the game. I KNOW he's going to be a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the creative side of the game. I think BB is going to be another main character in the fabric of the season, and one of the BIG questions will be...can he win twice? It's a daunting question, and one I can't wait to see the answer to. At this point, if I had to throw my money on any one person, I'd throw it on Basketbuddy.
CostaFreak: Oh, good old fashion CostaFreak. It really wouldn't be a true season of So, You Want to be an Imagineer without him showing up. This guy has played the game more times than anyone, and has gotten eliminated really early due to unfortunate circumstance most of those times. He's had three really strong performances though. He got all the way to the semi-finals in Season One, and made it to the final project in Season Five. When he returned in Season Eight, he turned out to be one of that season's most memorable storylines and characters, despite only coming in eight place. CostaFreak is a HUGE personality, and you know he's got a few tricks up his sleeve. Do I think he can win...honestly, he's going to have a tough time with this crowd...but it's always a blast to see him try!
DisneyParksFanatic: I really don't know what to make of this guy. He's been around the boards for a while, but hasn't really shown much of an interest in the game until now. Kind of a surprise of a sign up, if you ask me. Honestly, I really don't know what to say about him. He's got some experience under his belt, but none in the actual game. I think only time will tell how he fares. One of the biggest question marks in the cast.
Disneyson1: Disneyson1 is bar-none one of the most powerful people to ever play this game, and he's only been in a few projects. He had such a dominant hold over the early rounds of All Stars vs. Wild Cards that EVERYONE knew he'd be in the finals if I hadn't taken him out with the infamous Staflos Power. Well...he's back, and he's more determined than ever to run this game in a big way. Disneyson is a polarizing character. He could be your greatest asset and your biggest competition at the same time. He's not afraid to voice his opinion, and his level of detail reaches levels once seen only by someone like Basketbuddy. Disneyson coming back into this game is definitely one of the headlining events of this season, and has been since before this season's planning even really started to take form. He's got the power of a Team Leader again, the only question is, what is he going to do about the inevitable huge target that will be on his back?
DWorld: DWorld was one of the headlining forces of Festival of Imagination before shockingly dropping out at the semi-finals (along with Disneyson and MEW) Having said that, in his rounds playing the complimentary game to So, You Want to be an Imagineer, which is no picnic itself, DWorld definitely showed a lot of potential that could be brought even further in the landscape of the main game. I'm a bit worried about DWorld because from what I recall he's still going to be in school when the season picks up, but I know that if he can get in a good system of brainstorming with his team, he can last a long time in this game. One of the new players I'm most excited about taking a stab at this.
Eskimokyle: This guy showed up completely out of nowhere to round out our cast of fifteen, which has since been extended. I've got to say, just based on his answers to the survey questions in the sign up thread, he seems to have a really good head on his shoulders. Of course, as is the potential to happen with any person who shows up out of the blue, he could fade right away, but there's always one or two new people with answers to the sign up questions that just...stand out to me. The legendary PL7764 (who I'd LOVE to see play again at some point in the future) and AdvBlueDude are two of those people. Eskimokyle is another one. I warmly welcome Kyle into the So, You Want to be an Imagineer family and can't wait to see what kind of tricks he has up his sleeves.
Futureimagineer: Futureimagineer's been lurking in some of the other threads on this board, so I figured I'd send him an invite to compete in the main competition. Do I think Futureimagineer can go all the way?...No, not really. This is his first time playing or even hearing about the game, and he doesn't have a handle on it yet. Having said that, there's always a couple "underdog" characters per season that go on to really surprise me, and Futureimagineer could be one of those people. I think this kid's going to have it hard, but I also think if he's dedicated enough to the game, Outcast Island could really be served in his favor. Not saying he has NO chance, just saying he's going to have a pretty big mountain to overcome, being so unfamiliar with the format of the game.
Hack2112: I don't think any returning player in the history of the game has more to prove than Hack does right here...right now. Hack had a GREAT storyline going in Fans Vs. Favorites where he was the one lone new player on the Favorites team (due to his status as a judge on another contest) where he actually took on a Team Leader role after the coupe of memorably power-hungry Team Leader JPhelps in the first project. From there, he lead his team to victory on numerous occasions, but after the Team Swap got lost in the shuffle a bit. After he was eliminated, he participated in the first attempt at an Outcast twist pre-Outcast Island...but that twist didn't work out so great, because he was left all on his own to create a great project. Well...he did that, and won himself a ticket back into the main game...only to be voted out by the Treacherous Trio of KingMickey, Mater, and TrevorA in what was the only move of that alliance that I to this day am absolutely sure was strategy-based. (Argue it all you want, guys, the fact of the matter is Trevor was the obvious elimination that round, NOT Hack...) Hack returned for All Stars vs. Wild Cards, where he made a strong impression on the first project before unfortunately having to withdraw from the game due to personal issues. Now, Hack's got one of the best personal stories of all time going on, and as essentially the poster child for the "Wild Card" bracket of players, I think he just wants to earn his All Star wings more than anything else this season. Pending another identity theft crisis, I think he's got a pretty good shot of doing that.
Imagineer2017: Now here's an interesting character. In Season Eight, Imagineer really drew the line between hero and villain. On one hand, he stood up to me...the biggest villain the game has ever seen, more than anyone else in the cast, on the other hand...he was outspoken with pretty much everyone. Imagineer came on as a very last minute casting call for Season Eight, and he managed to make it all the way to the Final Five. Very strong showing for someone's first time through. He's got an obvious talent with Imagineering, and his experience running Festival of Imagination I imagine has only further strengthened his appreciation for the game. Imagineer is definitely going to be a quiet force to be reckoned with this season. I can't wait to see his play style this time around.
ManEatingWreath: MEW is going to be the MAIN character of this season, no matter what happens. He is going to be the hero, the voice of moral conflict, the man vying the thin role between hero and villain. MEW's got a strategy, and I can't wait to see what it is and how he goes about it. I doubt he's going to be cutting throats left and right like I did last season, but I'd still be careful, because he's going to have a much more subtle strategic game than my upfront "mastermind" role, and there might still be a few throats to be cut in the process. As MEW himself will tell you time and time again, he coined the phrase "getting Lord of the Ring'd" in the first and only time he played in Season Five, where his fast track to winning that season was cut abruptly short when he bombed the infamous semi-finals project that season themed to Lord of the Rings. MEW's only played the game one time, but he's a HUGE character within the fabric of everything. Hate to say it Garrett...but all eyes are going to be on YOU going in. Hope you're up for it!
MickeyMania1: Out of all the new players this season, I think I'm most excited to see MickeyMania1. This kid's got PASSION, and that's the MAIN thing you need in this game. He's a very recognizable presence on the VF community at large, and this is his first time playing the game. It's always exciting to get someone whose a big part of VF at large to come in and play. As I've said before, MickeyMania has got a really passion for Imagineering, and that's why I think he'll go far. I think he's going to be an exceptional team player with a great attitude, and that will get him a lot in this game. He's going to have a lot of heavy competition, but he's got a really good shot at this just based on how excited he seems and all the potential he seems to possess. If I were to bet on one new player to take this whole thing, I'd bet on MickeyMania.
Monkey4057: Monkey is one of the most unique characters we've ever had. Coming into Season Eight he was a HUGE underdog against some of the bigger names that season. He found a niche for himself though, and a niche unlike any other person in the history of the game has been able to find. Monkey works VERY well with comedy based projects. That right there is his area of expertise, and he can put together a comedy attraction better than anyone. Some of his later projects in Season Eight, like Young Frankenstein and the Spaceballs ride, were among the most memorable projects that entire season. Plus, he's got a bit of a strategic side to him, as he joined forces with me and Jessie to form a super-alliance that season that carried the three of us all the way to the final project. Coming into Season Nine, Monkey is a much more seasoned player than he was the first two times he played, and there will be at least a few projects this season that will REALLY play to his strengths. He's still somewhat of an underdog compared to some of his competition, but I can't wait to see him take another crack at this with the experience he has under his belt.
Monsterzendog: This guy is a personal friend of mine, and someone who I've been talking to about the game for a long time. I let him know about my mastermind antics every step of the way during Season Eight, and he seemed really impressed with how they turned out, and now wants to try a similar strategy. Monsterzendog is a pretty big question mark in this cast. I know this guy has A LOT of free time on his hands, which is a unifying trait for most great So, You Want to be an Imagineer players. The only question will be if he can overcome his shortcoming of not actually being too familiar with Disney parks. If he lasts a couple rounds, this guy could be a really dangerous player. I don't know what's on his mind, all I know is that he wants to follow in my footsteps when it comes to playing an aggressive strategic game. Rather or not his plans fall into fruition is another story.
Starwarsgeek: This kid knows what his strengths and weaknesses are very clearly, and knowing that early on is a good way to establish your place in this game. His obvious strength is that I think he might be more excited about playing this season than MOST of the cast, considering he jumped in mid-Season Eight itching to play but had to wait until now for his chance to throw his hat in the ring. He was an active participant on Festival of Imagination, and now he'll for sure be a very root-worthy "underdog" in So, You Want to be an Imagineer. His weakness, as anyone who has worked with him can say, is his grammar skills, which is something that is somewhat critical to the presentation aspect of this game. If Starwarsgeek can overcome this shortcoming, I see a lot of potential in him. Like Futureimagineer, I could see Outcast Island being this kid's best friend this season. The important thing is that he's DEDICATED, and you need dedication more than anything else if you want a chance for success in this game.
Thrill: Thrill came from out of nowhere to join the Festival of Imagination, and wouldn't you know it...he has made it all the way to the final project, and it seems he might have a very good chance of winning the whole thing, and the key to Walt's Vault that comes along with it. I like Thrill a lot. He seems to be a very good prototype for the type of new player were looking for. He's pretty much a blank slate. You don't really know what he's up to, you just know that he's got a ton of good ideas locked up into his head. Going into Season Nine, he'll definitely be someone to look out for, rather or not he or AdvBlueDude ends up winning Festival of Imagination. Not much to say about him other than I already like what I see of him and I can't wait to see how far he can take his game in the main competition.
