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whencartoonsruletheworld · 1 month

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my pitch for a phineas and ferb-themed ride at the disney parks (hire me disney you cowards)

the queue is an interior building with pnf-themed decorations. kinda like the figment ride in epcot, a lot of it is winding through a "museum" of pnf and/or doof inventions. most of those inventions disappeared of course, so they're models, parts in glass cases, etc. overhead are tv monitors that play a shuffled loop of phineas and ferb songs, but bc there are so many good songs they can use it hopefully won't get repetitive unless you're there for nine hours. the exception to this is one small part of the queue (small to avoid people being stuck there too long) where it exclusively plays the quirky worky song and you see the pnf gang building the ride you're about to go on, either as statues/figures or through a "screen" that shows looping animation

you get onto the coaster car from the first episode as phineas, baljeet or isabella reads the safety spiel over the loudspeaker. actually as i'm typing this it might be fun to loop each of the backyard gang doing their own version that'd be cute

the ride takes off and you hear the vamp from the "rollercoaster" song as you're loading in.

once inside, the ride is styled like epcot's guardians of the galaxy ride, where you're on a track looping through a mix of screens and sets. the first part plays more of the "rollercoaster" song as you run through the "coolest coaster ever" scenes.

miscellaneous room/scene ideas: fireside girl action segment, carpe diem room, obviously a space segment w/ meap and queen candace and the catu aliens, obligatory scary bit through the haunted house, rock concert w/ love handel, backyard beach/atlantis, owca headquarters, 2nd dimension bit (might be too confusing for new fans?), relatively normal area where candace is gesturing wildly to a linda animatronic that won't turn around and see the rollercoaster car, idk a hamster & gretel segment or smth

a little bit in, you hear a beep and a call for agent p. a small animatronic of perry rises from the front of the car as you enter a tunnel, where a screen of major monogram tells perry to get his ass to doofenshmirtz evil incorporated to fight doof. perry salutes and slides back down into the car, and the ride then takes a "wrong track" (kinda like when you run into a "broken track" on everest) to DEI.

we go inside and see animatronics of perry fighting doof as an inator sparks. it goes off, sending us down yet another "wrong track," which shoots through wilder parts of danville. at the climax, we start looping and the climax of the "rollercoaster" song starts playing ("we're rightside-up and upside-down...")

at the end of the ride, we see an animatronic/animation of doof hanging upside-down from rope as perry glares at him cross-armed, and doof intermittently yells "curse you, perry the platypus!" on a screen, monogram congratulates the riders for saving the tri-state area with agent p. perry makes platypus noise.

you go to another room, right before the exit. you see candace pointing to an empty backyard, saying stuff like "but it was right here! and it was huge!" as phineas and ferb sit under the tree and address the guests. if you're far enough away from the last room, perry can be sitting under them being cute.

the exit queue has posters for dwampyverse stuff, like "love handel reunion", "doctor zone: the movie", the og rollercoaster poster, etc.

you exit in a gift shop where you can buy perry the platypus inaction figure (he doesn't do anything!) and big sticks

lastly,

you know when rides break down or stop for a sec and you get in-character voiceovers telling you to stay seated or w/e? i think we should have three that loop: one of doof giving a basic spiel, one of milo murphy being like "yeah i went on the ride. sorry about that. it should start working soon lol" and one where literally the whole thing is candace yelling "NO MOM I SWEAR IT'S A WORKING ROLLERCOASTER AND PHINEAS AND FERB BUILT IT! MOM LISTEN–"

#phineas and ferb #mine #pnf

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bigfrozenfan · 4 months

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And one more find on Twitter aka X for Tokyo DisneySea Fantasy Springs and some others:

1 Disney Wish 2 TDS TDS Fantasy Springs 3 DCA Animation Academy 4 WDW Epcot Royal Sommerhus

Source: https://x.com/johnnydisney15/status/1792532208726782081

#frozen #tokyo disneysea #fantasy springs #epcot #disney wish #long case clocks

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hometoursandotherstuff · 1 year

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The House that Publishers Clearinghouse Built. The architect firm that designed Epcot also designed a house for Harold & LuEsther Mertz, founders of Publishers Clearing House, the direct marketing company known for its sweepstakes and prize-based games. Built in 1979 in Longwood, Florida, it has 9bds, 11ba, and is offered for sale for $5.5M.

Are the stones wearing off the front door? Look at the overpass- it does kinda look like the monorail at Epcot.

Am I right?

Look at the indoor garden under the stairs.

The upper level.

What's with all the dopey little statues all over the place?

The living room. I bet there's a housekeeper just for dusting all the statues.

Looking down from your monorail to the living room.

Great conservatory, but I'm guessin' the parents sat in those chairs listening to their kid practice the piano.

The dining room has some sort of multi-faceted ceiling.

I'm getting confused by the mirrored images.

This retro kitchen stayed so clean b/c I don't think anyone ever used it. I would be afraid of getting sucked up by that exhaust hood. Beam me up, Scotty.

Family room/library/office combo has a great mezzanine.

As if the primary bedroom isn't big enough, there's an anteroom, too.

Huge primary bedroom. They can take that furniture with them.

There's a lot going on in here. Sunken tub, mirrored walls, glass walls, busts enjoying the show, King Henry VIII painted on the wall outside, and a carpeted floor.

Water feature in the garden.

The pool looks a little lonely and forlorn in front of the mausoleum style guest house.

I think that this is the fish-stocked pond where you can fish off your own bridge.

Lay of the land - notice there're staff quarters in the upper right corner.

#publishers clearinghouse mansion #mansions #houses #house tours #home tour

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user-kanra · 4 months

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Penacony as a Theme Park

I just finished watching Jenny Nicholson's video on the Star Wars Hotel (Galactic Starcruiser, if we're being fancy) and the last section put into words a lot of concerns I've had about the current state of theme parks and the entertainment industry in general. It's a very worthwhile watch, and it's honestly got me thinking about Penacony, so I'm going to ramble for a bit.

I don't know if I'm off-base thinking this, but I've always perceived the Golden Hour to be very theme park-esque. If memory serves, it's where we first meet Clockie, who's voice actor did what I consider an amazing Mickey Mouse impression. It's design is very much giving theme park trying to look like a city (main street in magic kingdom, I'm even reminded of Hollywood Studios just a tad), and the statue of Clockie reminds me of Walt with Mickey in Magic Kingdom.

Also, that little bit of Robin POV felt like a character actor moving around the parks LMAO

(Spoilers under the cut)

I'm going to make a bit of a leap here and call Mikhail/Misha Walt Disney. I promise, I love that kid, I only want to use Walt as an example.

Misha, as the remnants of the Watchmaker, played a heavy role in designing the dreamscape. From what I can tell, the dreamscape was only ever really intended to be an attraction, a place of entertainment you're not meant to live in.

So Misha built the dreamscape. Mikhail is dead, Misha didn't even know he was Mikhail, so all we have left are people acting in the Watchmaker's name. This, to me, resembles Disney in the aftermath of Walt's death. EPCOT was named not for what it stood for, but because it was the name of one of Walt's projects that never got to see its creation.

I think Penacony is actually a great representation of what's going wrong with entertainment right now. Sunday's anger make sense in the context of the unequal, poor treatment a lot of guests get nowadays. This place should be magic for everyone. It should be everyone's most memorable moment. But for one reason or another that's not happening. (Why do people barf in the dreamscape? Evil trash cans and performers? I'd also be pissed if I was promised a luxury experience and got that instead).

But part of what was so important was that Misha's story ended in that chair. He can rest now. Penacony is no longer tied to the Watchmaker.

That's, you know, both good and bad. It leaves room for greed and bastardizing what the dreamscape was supposed to be. If you know anything about the current state of theme parks, you know that the quality's gone down and the prices have gone up. Jenny Nicholson said it the best when she said that Disney is looking for a way to charge the most and do the least. They're "cashing in on the good will they've built," they can get away with this stuff.

But it's also important. Walt wasn't always right (actually, he was usually wrong), and staying in the past (or a dream) is never a good idea in the first place. At some point, you have to face the core of the problem. For Disney, it's that capitalistic greed is the entirety of their current business model. For Penacony, it's that everyone being equal in a dream isn't the same as everyone being equal in real life. You need to look critically at Disney, just as the dreamscape shouldn't be your entire life.

Of course, there's more important lenses to look at Penacony with, but theme parks strike a special cord with me, so I thought I'd try to reason it out here. Hope this made sense!

#honkai star rail #hsr robin #hsr sunday #hsr clockie #star wars hotel #theme parks #penacony #i promise guys penacony is a theme park #trust me #hsr #hsr misha #hsr watchmaker

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blainesebastian · 1 year

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time away (ccg universe)

words: 1,791 ship: austin butler x reader summary: (anon request) “they take a family trip to *Disney World and Luci gets lost while austin and ccg argue about a new role he accepted without talking to her about it” warnings: none notes: doing my best out here ya’ll idk lol enjoy xxx tag list: @killerqueenfan, @karamelcoveredolicity, @elizabethrosecresswell, @gigisworldsstuff, @stylespresleyhearted

It’s supposed to be a family vacation, one of the first you’ve taken to a place that’s a bit more hectic than the beach. You’re not complaining, you love Disney World, have loved it since you were a kid—so sharing all of this with Luci is one of your top ‘to-do’s.

Luci’s been handling the long park hours well, got her face painted with cheetah print at Animal Kingdom, found all the hidden Remy statues in Epcot, insisted on far too many Mickey Ice Cream bars in Hollywood Studios. She loves Magic Kingdom the best, especially when she’s dressed as a princess and you find that putting her in a dress that matches Cinderella or Belle makes you want to cry.

There’s something that reaches deep into your chest and squeezes at being here with Austin, at sharing this with him, at watching Luci hand him a Mickey balloon or putting Mickey ears on his head. At having him hold her sleeping body as you all walk out of the park or take the bus back to the resort. Makes you fall a little bit more in love with him—as if that were at all possible.

It’s been wonderful so far, more than you could have ever asked for.

And then Austin mentions he’s interested in a film that will take him across the country—he’s already said yes. To a movie he’s never spoken about before.

You kinda stare at him, your hand halfway into a popcorn bucket shaped like a Cinderella’s castle as you take a small break from walking around Magic Kingdom.

“Mama popcorn,” Luci pouts from standing between you and Austin, tugging on your shirt.

You’re trying not to distract yourself from what he’s telling you, glancing down at Luci and lowering the popcorn bucket that’s attached to your shoulder by a strap. You just feel—there are so many overwhelming and conflicting emotions. You’re undeniably happy for him, have always been incredibly supportive of his endeavors and have rarely questioned him about logistics. You get how crazy it can get; you’ve dipped your toes into the industry yourself.

But you’re also…confused and frustrated because it’s very unlike Austin to accept something without talking to you first.

“What do you mean you ‘agreed to it’ already—last time I checked, we lived in New York, not LA.” And alright, there’s really no need to be petty about geography but, you’re really having a hard time with processing this ‘across the country’ thing.

It’s not like Austin hasn’t done longer trips before to distant places, it’s the ‘untold’ part sitting uncomfortably in your chest, pushing your ribcage apart.

He takes in a short breath, his jaw working a moment as he chews on words, selecting them carefully, “I know. This was a last-minute swap—filming was supposed to be on the East Coast but then,” Austin trails off, shaking his head, looking out towards the crowd of people in the park. You can tell as he takes a moment that it’s convoluted, nothing is as it seems. “Got pushed to LA to fit some setting requirements?”

His voice is a little less sure as he talks, almost like he might regret it? But it doesn’t change the fact that he has agreed—that he’s doing this, with or without your support. You know it’s not always that simple, painting situations black and white is dangerous, it lives in a world of gray. Austin didn’t make this decision flippantly, regardless of how much it stings to hear it.

But you don’t understand how this is going to work—you can’t go with him, you can’t uproot Luci like that, but the alternative is what? Months at a time where he’s gone? You know this is all part of it, as an actor, but you’re also much more used to planning something out together. Not jumping in after him.

You know your reaction is based on fear alone, you don’t like the feeling of things slipping through your fingers.

“I might be involved with a project at the end of the month,” You tell your husband, his eyes slightly widening in two-fold because—for one, he’s happy for you, but on the other hand, it’s a factor that he hadn’t considered. Both of you being busy.

“I didn’t know.”

And you let out a snap of a laugh because, “Yeah, that sucks, doesn’t it?”

The muscle in Austin’s jaw works, “Y/N.”

“I was finalizing things with my agent; I was going to tell you when we got back from our trip.” Which…you hate that it feels slightly ruined, you’re gonna have to stop being dramatic. You get can it back to that perfect place, right?

You shake your head, hating that you feel flares of annoyance lick at your nerve endings when none of these conversations should be happening now, on vacation. You take a deep breath, pushing down emotions, focusing on having a good day with Luci—

Glancing down, you go to run a hand through her hair, and freeze. A hiccup of fear instantly settling in your throat because—Luci is gone. She's...not standing between you and your husband anymore. You look up, this frantic feeling building in your chest as you do a quick sweep around you but she's not here, she's not anywhere.

Your hand instantly comes down on Austin's wrist, squeezing hard, "Austin."

It takes a second for Austin to spring into action, gently taking your hand and squeezing as he moves, eyes alert as he takes in the crowd. He starts calling for her, his voice calm and collected and…honestly, he’s stronger than you are, because you don’t think you can open up your mouth without emotion choking your windpipe.

You’re not gonna cry, because that’s not going to help anything, but you definitely feel tears well in your eyes because how could you be so selfish in what you were arguing with Austin about that you didn’t even take the time to hold account of your daughter?

Deep down you’re aware you can’t blame yourself, that neither of you were paying attention, that Luci felt safe standing between your bodies.

There are so many people everywhere and your heart jumps into your throat and Austin’s voice sounds too far away when he says ‘don’t worry, we’ll find her’ because every worst possible scenario is dancing through your head right now.

And ten minutes feel like hours and Austin is tugging you towards a Help Desk to talk to someone when—

“Mommeee.”

You turn sharply at the voice because you know it like the back of your hand and a large gasp of air tumbles into your lungs as you take four steps forward and take Luci out of a cast member’s arms. You don’t really realize how hard you’re crying, in relief but also mixed with too many other emotions, until Austin comes up beside you and turns you both into his chest. He wraps an arm around you, keeping you close,

“Thank you.” Austin tells the woman, running a hand along your back.

“Oh of course, saw her wander into the shop and after a few questions, figured she was lost. Super polite though, even though the tears.”

She gives you both a small smile before walking through the shop doors and you only pull back when you feel Austin gently cup both sides of your head. He presses a kiss to your forehead, looking down at Luci. You sniffle, getting a better look at her—you can tell she’s been crying too, pink cheeks and wet eyelashes, and the cast member must have bought her a stuffed Mickey because she’s clutching it against her chest.

You shake your head, too overwhelmed to talk. Austin draws in a breath, brushing Luci’s hair out of her face—he’s not angry, but his voice is firm,

“Luci, what have we talked about before? We do not wander off like that, not without mommy or daddy.”

Luci kind of babbles as she talks, clearly the experience wasn’t too great for her either, she’s shaken regardless of being found by a nice woman and bought a Mickey stuffed animal. She seems to know that she messed up and upset her parents, along with giving herself a fright.

You let out a shuddering breath, trying to calm yourself down, running your hands over Luci’s hair and kissing her cheeks, “Please don’t scare us like that again, okay baby?”

“Okay mommeee.” Luci mumbles, “No thank you.”

You can’t help but let out a laugh, running a hand over your face. “Right.” Austin smiles, cupping your cheek to run his thumb along the bone there before drawing you both close.

It’s quiet on the Disney transportation bus ride back to the resort. Dark out, the bus packed, Austin seated against the window with a sleeping Luci on his chest and an arm wrapped around you, your head resting on his shoulder. You know that both of you could arrange a personalized SUV, take you from place to place as you do at home but…there’s something so normal about all this that you crave.

Austin shifts against his seat, a soft sigh leaving your nose as you tuck your face against his neck. He tilts his head down, brushing his lips along the spot near your ear,

“You alright?” He asks, pressing a kiss there.

You swallow, nodding, quiet for a few moments more. There’s still leftover adrenaline leaving your body, making you feel slightly shaky. You reach out and touch Luci’s leg, running your thumb over her calf in a calming motion for yourself, assuring that you found her, that she’s okay.

“M’sorry about before,” Austin says after a moment—and God, none of that even feels like it matters right now, but you appreciate that he’s trying. “Everythin’ happened so fast but…you’re right, I should have talked to you about it first.”

You close your eyes, breathing him in, “We’ll figure it out,” You pull back just a little, tilt your face up so you can take a look at his face. It’s dark in the bus but there’s the flicker of orange streetlamps, the light of the moon outside.

And you know that’s so much of a larger issue, so many things at play in terms of Austin’s obligations and your own commitments, but it’s the point of the matter, isn’t it? That you’ll both slow down and have that conversation? Come to a conclusion together. Might not specifically work out this time, you know that, but…

You give him a soft smile, comforted by the closeness of your family—regardless, this is how you know deep down, that whatever happens, it’ll be okay.

#austin butler #austin butler x reader #austin butler imagine #austin butler fic #elvis 2022 #mccall writes things #ccg

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alex-the-nonsensologist · 1 year

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Disney Dreamland - Part 5: Create-It-Land

Quite possibly the most visually eclectic of all the lands. This land embodies creativity and the arts, and quite frankly there is no one way to be creative or artistic, so I think the motley visuals are perfectly on theme. That said, I decided to tie the land together by having giant objects themed to each area. For this reason, I specifically wanted Wonderland and 100 Acre Wood next to the border of Fantasyland/Create-It-Land, so that the giant plants and cards of Wonderland and the giant book facade of Pooh would help transition to the giant toys of Toy Box Land and/or the giant art supplies of Toontown. The parade route exits down here.

Showtime Boulevard

The entrance street of the land from the hub. Dedicated to the performing arts. Would resemble a city street, like a small town version of Broadway, but then transition to include giant objects. Giant instruments of the music playground. Giant sheet music. The ballet house could look like a giant music box. Even the normal buildings could have giant props on them, like giant comedy and tragedy masks, or giant film reels and clapperboards. There would also be a decent amount of performers to bring energy to the area, so that it doesn’t feel like a regular city street. Living statues and street musicians.

Journey Into Imagination: If EPCOT isn’t going to put back Dreamfinder, I’ll gladly take him. Heck, I’ll even settle for a pseudo-sequel with an older Figment now taking on the role of Dreamfinder in honor of his friend. Sets and scenery from the original incarnation are mandatory. There could be a path leading off the boulevard to an area between Create-It-Land and Discoveryland where this ride could be placed, since it does reflect the spirit of both lands.

Fantasia Music Hall: In the spirit of Walt’s original idea for Fantasia, certain classic segments would be permanent fixtures of the show (such as Sorcerer’s Apprentice) and performed by Animatronics on instruments and as dancers in the same vein as the former Mickey Mouse Revue show, while other segments could be animations shown on screen and switched out throughout the year (such as the segments originally planned for Fantasia 2006 that were later released individually). I would love it if the Animation Studio could create new unique animated segments exclusive to the attraction. Permanent animatronic segments would include characters from Pastoral Symphony, Rhapsody in Blue, Dance of the Hours, Night on Bald Mountain (though I could also work with it being a seasonal segment during Halloween), and The Firebird. Playing the full versions of every song would take too long, so the show would feature abridged versions in a medley.

“Music Playground”: Interactive playground of giant musical instruments. Think of the piano scene from Big, but on a grader scale. Piano slides, trampoline drums, xylophone bridges, brass instruments the size of trees. I’ll admit, I don’t know if the audio results of this attraction would be wacky fun or pure tortuous chaos. I was originally imaging this as an outdoor attraction, but it might be better if this were indoors with each type of instrument given its own room with soundproofing.

“Russian Animal Ballet House”: I just wanted an excuse to see animals in fancy costumes performing ballet. Could be costumed actors or animatronics. Nutcracker performances during Christmas are mandatory. Building would resemble a giant music box. Alternatively, the stage could also be used for any original cultural performances from countries not already featured elsewhere in the park (Greek dramas, Bollywood dances, etc.).

Muppet Comedy Theatre: Would have the same mixed media techniques as Muppet*Vision 3D (a screen movie, actual puppeteering, and costume characters), but features a new original story. Could also feature a small meet-and-greet area with Kermit and friends.

Hollywood restaurant: American cuisine. Themed to the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema.

Toontown

I want this area to have the same energy as Seuss Landing from Universal’s Islands of Adventure, which I personally feel makes for a better Toontown than Disney’s actual Toontown. The buildings would be slightly more distorted and more stylized. I’m wondering if it would also be possible to put some buildings on a moving platform so that they could tilt back and forth for a squash and stretch illusion. Maybe even have a few with giant faces that can emote. This area prominently features giant art supplies that are implied to have brought the land into existence, including giant paintbrushes that are poised in the middle of putting “finishing touches” to the buildings. The entire area would have lots of kinetic sculptures (think of the new Super Nintendo World at Universal) to make the land feel alive. Interactive gags like the Post Office and the Fireworks Factory would of course be included. I would remove the residential area and have the area only themed around Maroon Cartoons Studio, and the downtown area. Characters that don’t fit in any other area of the park could walk around here.

“Mickey Mouse presents…”: Guests would take on the role of camera crew with Mickey as director. The star of the movie is late and we follow Mickey as he accidentally crashes various movie sets looking for the missing actor, who turns out to be none other than Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The various movie sets would portray different genres of cinema. Based on the Mickey short cartoon Roll ‘Em (which, by the way, would have been a more appropriate replacement for the Great Movie Ride than Runaway Railway). While I intended for this to be part of Toontown, I am also okay with this being the last building on Showtime Boulevard to help transition into Toontown.

Backstage Meet-and-Greet: Again, I personally do not care much for meet and greets (With the exception of Goofy. Goofy is the best.), but for the people that do, here you can meet Mickey and Friends including Oswald, Roger and Jessica.

Maroon Cartoons Studio Tour: Based on Roger Rabbit Cartoon Spin but using the art style of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (but with actual sets, not screen projections), as well as an interactive element (partially inspired by Monsters Inc Ride & Go Seek in Tokyo). Guests would interact with the sets by “spraying” paint or thinner from the paintbrushes attached to their vehicles. Based on the video game mechanic from Epic Mickey, where paint brings objects into existence, and thinner erases them. For example, a guest could “paint” an anvil that would drop onto Roger’s head. Even spraying the animatronic characters would elicit funny dialogue, “Hey! Watch where you’re spraying! I just got a new paint job yesterday!” While the sets would be physical, the paint and thinner effects could be projections. The trickiest part is projecting a physical object to look like it’s been erased, and since it would set off chain reactions, the projections would have to hide certain objects’ movements. It would be very difficult, but I insist that this ride does not follow the Toy Story Mania route (I’m looking at you, Web Slingers). Please consult actual engineers.

Art of Animation Academy: History of animation exhibit, with animation from all over the world. Japanese anime, Soviet animation, stop-motion, etc. With acknowledgements that Quirino Cristiani and Lotte Reiniger’s films actually pre-date Snow White as the world’s first animated features. Drawing workshops included.

Happy-Go-Lucky Merry-Go-Round: In the same wacky spirit as the Caro-Seuss-el in Seuss Landing. Like the Caro-Seuss-el, the music could speed up and slow down when it operates. Rather than just having wacky versions of real animals, this carousel would have hybrid animals, like the Wuzzles! Also, what if the carousel could run backwards?

Jolly Trolley: The vehicles would run on an elevated track to solve the problem of crowds blocking the way. The track could wind around Toontown, the same way as The High in the Sky Seuss Trolley Train Ride! does in Seuss Landing. Originally I was only going to have it stay in Toontown, but then I realized the wind-up key on the roof could make it pass for a toy, so why not have it travel through Toy Box Land too, for an even more scenic route.

Goofy’s Bakery Studio: Decorate your own cupcakes and cookies with edible paint.

The Art of Disney: Disney prints, paintings, figurines, and other art. Get your caricature drawn here.

Minnie Mouse Fashions: Disney apparel and headgear. Design and customize your own ears.

Handwich cart: I dunno about you, but I think the Handwich is pretty neat.

Toy Box Land

Yes, Toy Story Land has been both overused as a land and under-utilized as a proper theme, but I simply love the giant toy aesthetic. It feels like being inside an I Spy book (does anyone remember those books?). I probably could have just made this land fully original with no ties to IP (like I did with choosing not to theme Winter VIllage to Frozen), which I am still open to, but also found it too irresistible to include everyone’s favorite lovable rascals. The movies’ existential themes of jealousy and self-worth, moving on and letting go would be difficult to adapt into attractions, so Toy Story’s inclusion here is to embody reconnecting with your inner child and creativity through play. The name change is just my attempt to make the IP sound less in-your-face. The giant art supplies from Toontown could transition into giant crayons in this area. Also, like Toontown, the entire area would have kinetic sculptures to bring energy to the area, like giant windup keys and pinwheels. To keep with the playful and friendly energy of the land there should be plenty of characters walking around interacting with guests. Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and Bo Peep should preferably be characters that can talk, not just silent costumes, and there would not be any giant static statues of them in the land. Bullseye and the Green Army Men are okay to keep as silent costume characters. Potato Head, Hamm, Rex, Slinky, and Wheezy are talking animatronics, preferably mobile animatronics that can roam the land alongside costume characters. I think the Little Green Aliens and Bo Peep’s sheep are the only characters that are okay to portray as static statues. Sid’s toys could be available characters during the Halloween season.

“Rube Goldberg Machine roller coaster”: Dual track wild mouse roller-coaster, based on a classic, over-convoluted Rube Goldberg design. One track has guests ride in giant toy karts, the other has guests inside giant marbles for a giant marble run track. Vehicles would set off chain reactions, possibly help other vehicles move forward, or create “obstacles” for others. Pulleys and wheels and dominoes galore. This is another one of those ideas where I only know how I want it to function without knowing how to accomplish it. Please consult actual engineers.

“Andy’s Playtime Theater”: Basically Mad Libs / Choose Your Own Adventure. This could either be a show or a ride, but I personally prefer the ride idea. If it were a show it would be part improv, involve guest participation, and have lots of giant props and gags. The Toy Story gang would mingle with the audience and be on stage at the same time. If it were a ride, guests can choose the path their vehicle takes. Andy narrates and has his toys act out a story. At several points, Andy offers two options on how the story can proceed. Stories would have wacky scenarios, like that of the opening scene in Toy Story 3. Multiple endings. Would have plenty of animatronics, and NOT just be screen-based.

“Giant Toy Playground”: Build with LEGO bricks the size of your head, climb actual towers made of alphabet blocks, play on a chessboard with human-sized chess pieces.

“I Spy Scavenger Hunt”: I absolutely loved looking at Walter Wick’s I Spy and Can You See What I See? illustrations for hours, and this activity is basically that come to life. I really want this land to be super detailed (and I mean absolutely LOADED) with lots of toy props hidden everywhere. The search criteria can change everyday for different routes. Winners can earn exclusive pins.

Pizza Planet restaurant: Customize your own pizza. Mix your own slushie. Gluten-free and vegan options. Also serves the Alien Mochi from Tokyo. Would follow the retro space building design of the movie .

“Build-A-Toy” shop: Inspired by the former Toys R Us Times Square location. Would include things like a Build-A-Bear Workshop, “Build Your Own Potato Head”, a LEGO play area, a nuiMOs plush modeling studio, and a mini indoor Ferris wheel.

Disney Dreamland Railroad Create-It-Land station: “Built” out of blocks and tinkertoys.

World Galleria

Adventureland

Mysteryland

Fantasyland

Discoveryland

#disney parks #disney dreamland #armchair imagineering #journey into imagination #disney's hollywood studios #toontown #toy story land #theme park design

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peytons-depression-land · 11 days

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Aimless in a Karaoke Bar on Friday the 13th

I felt that if I didn’t get out of my room I was going to writhe, bedridden, in depressed agony all night long until I would ultimately reach some sort of breaking point. It was the type of lonely, depressed feeling I get all too frequently where my chest ends up physically hurting from how empty I feel.

The irony inherent to my whole evening was that the night’s torment started because I decided to flake on attended a birthday celebration I’d been invited to; the old neurotics conundrum of being damned if you force yourself to “get out there” but also damned if you don’t. The reason I’d decided to stay home was: 1.) the event was at a bar 30+ minutes away through Friday night LA traffic, when I’d already spent part of the day driving to and from places and felt averse to getting back into the car. 2.) The party was for someone I’d only met once and barely knew, meaning a near assurance of it being an event where I’d know basically no one, with the onus thrust on me for its duration to mingle and meet people; to simplify, the indication of it being an outing where I made some small talk but ultimately stood awkwardly alone for most of the time was too high. And 3.) I just generally felt too self-loathing and shitty (all downstream effects of my current bout of unemployment and artistic stagnation, combined with the usual depression and low self-esteem) to attempt a bunch of forced gregariousness, feeling that my heart just wouldn’t be in it and that it'd better for everyone if I just abstained.

But, like I said, my neurosis-driven caution proved to prevent shit-all in the way of suffering, and so I decided to “get out for a bit.” The problem here was that, outside of meals, I’ve never been particularly comfortable going out to bars. Alone and usually in a sullen mood, I always felt awkward and invasive, as if I was making a fool of myself by trying to act like everyone else. At sports bars, even though I enjoy watching sports, I feel like a little weenie nerd who doesn’t belong. In LA, many bars are just flat out too expensive for me to justify the patronage, a single cocktail nearly $20. Which bring me to an aside: how the hell were all the underemployed 20-somethings of the past constantly affording to go out and get drinks and hang out? It seems like in every account from artists and writers and even real life acquaintances of mine, that it’s always been bog-standard for people my age, even when struggling to make a name for themselves or unemployed, to go out to bars and drink to excess and have a good time. Has inflation really hit that hard? Were drinks in comparison to wages back in the days of the 60s/70s/80s/90s that much more balanced and reasonable? Because I don’t know how the hell they all did it without going flat out broke.

Back to the topic on hand (what little of it there is), I pretty much always feel like an awkward loser when I go to bars. This despite the fact that I like cocktails, don’t cause trouble, and keep to myself. I reckon that it all might just be “in my head” self-consciousness, but I just find myself worrying over waltzing into a bar and immediately being pegged as an unwanted outsider. So, in an attempt to mitigate this insecurity, I decided to go to a bar with what seems the lowest barrier of social entry: a so-called “geek bar.”

The bar I ended up at can best be described as a millennial-nerd coded nook for adults to drink and play board games, while classic rock hits deemed status quo, and maybe the occasional quirky novelty song, play on the jukebox (ie: a phone connected via Bluetooth). It’s about as toothless and approachable of a bar as one can get outside of EPCOT. Not to deride it too much though, as it’s a nice, cozy interior of inviting dark wood and plush red cushion, classically styled, but with bits of hyper-commercialized nerd ephemera scattered about, like the model of Thor’s hammer that sat in the corner of the bar. I’d gone with the hopes of having a cocktail or two, a small basket of fries, and maybe read some of the book I’m currently working through. Unfortunately, when I arrived, I quickly learned it was karaoke night.

As soon as I entered, I was hit with a wall of sound: a young guy belting out “Street Rat” from Disney’s Aladdin. The place was packed – understandable enough from a Friday night at 8:45 – but the one two punch of the air-filling karaoke and the crowded room was enough to immediately rattle me upon entrance. An older guy looking somewhere between a warlock and an old timer prog rocker approached and asked for my ID; he was an unexpected bouncer (partially due to the fact that I hadn’t expected this kind of place to even have one at all) but friendly enough, though part of me wondered if, at his age, he was able to handle if customers got unruly and required removal. Then again, he was fairly tall, even with his stoop, and I don’t want to assume feebleness just due balding and a grey beard. The room being packed, I made my way to one of the few empty seats down at the end of the bar. To give the place its dues once again, the physical bar itself is quite nice – the type with the plush liner to rest your forearms on and brass-looking metal fixtures and railings.

To say the place was loud would be an understatement, as the Karaoke – both singers and backing tracks – were loud enough to cover all other noise in a thick cloud of distortion, to the point that even yelling to the person or sever directly in front of you required a healthy dose of lip reading and gesticulation to communicate. I think it was a combination of the place’s small size, the volume of the belting singers, and the compact audience that made for such an ear ringing experience. I like karaoke well enough, but the vibe of the place was, to me, like being locked in a car with the radio cranked all the way up, next to someone singing along at full volume - someone who you don’t particularly find to be a good singer. The music selection for Karaoke while I was in the place stayed in the pretty narrow lane of 70s/80s classic rock and 90s alternative. A middle-aged bald guy with a goatee rang out a rendition of Styx’s “Come Sail Away” and another middle-aged guy, this one with hair, screeched “Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns ‘n Roses (one of the worst bands in existence, by the way).

With some difficulty, owing to the volume, I ordered a Mai Tai and a side of fries. The Mai Tai was sweet, with the right amount of citric/alcoholic tang, and the fries – despite my initial apprehension over their seeming thickness (I hate steak-cut fries) – turned out to be quite crispy and well-seasoned. I left my tab open, thinking I might decide to splurge on another drink. The entire time I sat drinking and eating, the bar was bustling on both sides, a constant stream of walk-up costumers on one, and frenetically busy bartenders on the other.

Due to the loudness of the karaoke and boisterousness of the place, even attempting to read the book I’d brought was unthinkable. The only thing I thought to do was start jotting down the stream of conscious thoughts that would serve to be this piece’s opening lines in the little notebook I carry with me in my bag. However, I found myself constantly apprehensive of the possibility of the non-stop comers-and-goers of the bar seeing what I was writing, causing me to frequently stop and casually cover the page with my forearm while taking a sip or a bite, in effort to obscure my work. I recognize the petty insecurity of this, but I couldn’t fathom another bar patron happening to see the depressed, self-absorbed ramblings I was writing while alone in a bar on a Friday night. The thought of that embarrassment, even if the person said nothing or didn’t react, felt enough to operate with extreme caution. Not to mention that I was also self-conscious the whole time of the very act of appearing as a lone person at the bar, writing in a small notebook while others conversed with partners and friends and sang karaoke. Did anyone notice me doing this? Did they perceive me as some sort of freak or loser, scrawling a manifesto or bitter ramblings? The whole situation did not prove to be a conducive environment to relaxation or unencumbered writing.

I thought it pertinent to note that, while wallowing in cocktail enhanced self-pity, a girl came up to the bar to order. She’d been up to the bar before with her friend, not long after I’d arrived. Back again now, waiting to be noticed by one of the busy bartenders, she leaned over and yelled to me, attempting to cut through the karaoke symphonics, “is the food here any good?” in reference to the fries I was eating. “The fries aren’t bad,” I shrugged, with a halfhearted polite smile back. I only make a note of this because it’s the first time I’ve had a non-customer service person speak to me in several days. It was nice to be asked of my opinion, however inconsequential and fleeting it was to the girl, who was kind enough. If the bar wasn’t intolerably loud, I might have attempted to make some amount of friendly conversation with her, but that simply wasn’t in the cards for the night.

As the karaoke wailing continued and the fever pitch of activity and noise in the bar seemed to rise, I decided that, having finished my drink, I was ready to leave. So, I scarfed down the remaining fries with my normally rapid eating speed (which others, in the past have commented on and made me self-conscious about, but I none the less seem beholden to). I’d planned on getting another drink, but decided I just couldn’t take the overwhelming atmosphere of the bar any longer. I closed out my tab, which was $23 dollars and some change – again, intolerably high prices for one drink and fries to someone currently unemployed – and decided to leave, giving the bartender a $5 tip, which I hoped was enough.

I walked next door to the all-night grocery store where, giving in to depressed impulses, I bought a slice of chocolate cake, a mid-sized bottle of Captain Morgan (because I was out of liquor at home and hoped buying some would, in the future, prevent me from bar experiences like tonight’s), and a pack of Diet Dr. Pepper. I’ve found that if I don’t keep soda stocked in my fridge, I’m liable to frequent the 7/11 adjacent to my apartment building and buy Big Gulps, which, in the long run, cause me to spend more money than the price I pay for bulk soda at the store.

A surfer-ish dude of indiscriminate older age with a mop of greasy hair was kind enough to let me go in front of him at the checkout, owing to the fact that he had a full cart and I only three items. I was, and still am, none the less appreciative of his small gesture of kindness. I paid, tucked the rum into my bag, grabbed the soda box in one hand and the cake in the other and was on my way.

The Mai Tai on a partly empty stomach was starting to hit as I arrived home, still feeling in a sour mood. There’s something to be said, though, about pulling yourself out of the rapids of an encroaching depression spiral by way of getting annoyed, as sometimes it’s preferable to feel something, even frustration and irritability, rather than hollow, depressed pain. I immediately went to work transcribing my bar notes, beginning the writing you’re now taking in; just stream of consciousness letting all the thoughts I had about my night flow out. I ate the cake, and it was good, as late-night chocolate cake always is. I was in a sorry enough state that I didn’t feel like cleaning a glass to mix a drink, so I instead opened a diet Dr. Pepper I’d let chill in the fridge, drank a little of it to make more space, and then poured a bit of rum directly into the can. A bit spilled onto my desk and I sopped it up with my finger. As I drank, I started feeling better and better. I threw on a movie: Abel Ferrara’s romantic crime drama China Girl and laid back. By now I was feeling pretty OK.

Now, on the next day, trying to write a conclusion and reviewing what I wrote, what am I to take from my night? While not all that remarkable of an experience, it typifies a reoccurring core aspect of my depression: that I’m at my worst when left to rot in loneliness and inaction, and that I’m often able to put the fog of existential dread at bay when I force myself into activity. Being out, around people, even if alone, gets me out of the mental prison cell of sitting alone in my room, and frees my mind up to think and, hopefully, be distracted enough not to feel so bad. Giving myself something engaging to do, even a little bit of writing as aimless, ephemeral, and frivolous as a mundane piece about my thoughts and feelings on a boring Friday night is better than succumbing to anxious, fretting inaction where I do and create nothing out of impotent fear. I think I’m beginning to understand the appeal of the drug and alcohol use famous to so many artists and writers, as the removal of inhibition is such a key quality in the creative process; and, when that trait has not yet been achieved or cannot be achieved on one’s own volition, being drunk or high or whatever can really help. I mean, for good or ill, it helped me write this screed.

#short essay #essay #depression #writing

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