Challenge ideas are due at the end of Sunday, December 5th
Wands and Wizards 101 is a required class for all first-year students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. For this show at Islands of Adventure's Wizarding World of Harry Potter, guests take the place of these students in a unique classroom resembling an arena-type theater. This picture shows the basic design for the theater
but the actual structure will be decorated similar to the rest of Hogwarts, with ancient, elaborately carved wood, stone walls with arched windows surrounding the top of the room, a beautiful vaulted ceiling, and an elegantly-tiled floor in the center of the classroom. There is a large Crystal Ball, four feet in diameter and resting on a masterfully-crafted brass pedestal in the center of the room
and a wooden table stands before each of the four grandstand sections of the classroom.
Before entering this classroom, the "students" will be admitted into an assembly room of more traditional Hogwarts design, where they will be divided into the four Houses of Hogwarts
Eight young volunteers, four boys and four girls, will be recruited to participate in the show to follow, and they, along with a parent, will be taken to another room while the rest of the "class" is shown a history of Hogwarts School as told by the paintings that line the walls of this assembly room. These paintings will be of the four founders of Hogwarts: Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin. They will begin to tell the early history of the school, but will soon begin to correct each other, at first politely, then more aggressively, until they are arguing and yelling at each other and the entire history lesson has devolved into a scene where Salazar has moved over into Godric's painting and they are having a yelling match nose-to-nose, Rowena has turned her back to the crowd and Helga is sobbing.
The lucky chosen will be assigned to represent the four Houses, one boy and girl per house, by actually wearing the Sorting Hat.
They will be appropriately dressed in students' robes (as will their parents, who will not participate in the actual show but will be there for support), and will be given a special souvenir wand to use in the show and keep afterwards.
They will also be given a quick explanation of the show that they will be taking part in and what they will be asked to do.
After the "history lesson" is finished, the four Houses will be led into the main classroom and will take their seats in one of the four seating sections. A female professor, middle-aged and wearing appropriate professor gowns, will be in the center of the classroom, encouraging the students to take their seats, hurry up, stop talking, all the usual things a teacher would do to try to get her class in order. When all are seated (and quiet), she begins:
"I hope you have all checked your schedule, and that you are supposed to be here. This is Wands and Wizarding 101, and I am your instructor, Professor Glyndora Frizzel. Have you all brought your wands? Hold them up! Well, I see a few of you are prepared. The rest of you will just have to pay more attention, and bring them to the next class!" (this will of course have to be ad-libbed by "Professor Frizzel".) Each of your houses will be represented by two of your fellow students, who will be assisted by a senior student. I will introduce them as they enter, and I would expect you to welcome the students representing your house appropriately and the students from the other houses politely. Any inappropriate noises (she turns and faces the Slytherin section) will result in loss of points. Do I make myself clear? The correct answer is 'Yes, Professor!' " (The students all answer, or she makes a comment to encourage them to answer and play along).
Professor Frizzel introduces the selected students and the (cast member) senior students, and they take their places in front of their respective Houses, standing at the tables and facing the center of the room and the large crystal ball. She then begins the show...er, class:
"This is your introduction to the wonders of magic, to the powers you have been blessed with and that you will learn to control and master here at Hogwarts. The students who stand before you have been chosen because they have shown a exceptional aptitude in controlling their powers at this young age, but like you they are untrained and the senior students with them will guide them in this class. Only these students are to attempt any of the magic spells to be demonstrated today. If anyone else in this room attempts to do any magic their wand will be confiscated for twenty-four hours and your House will have ten points deducted from it. Do I make myself clear?" (the class answers)
"These students have been tutored in some basic beginner spells, and their senior assistants will help them if needed. I will ask them to perform these spells and will critique their results. Each student will be allowed to perform one spell. Observe their technique and listen to their enunciation and proper choice of spells. Over the course of this term each of you will be standing in their place and showing me how you have mastered your magic abilities. Now let us begin."
"Mr. Slytherin (note: this is the manner she will call on students in this description- in the show, she will call them by their actual name), observe the Crystal Ball in the center of the room. I want you to project a map of the earth on it."
The Senior student will show Mr. Slytherin a card with the spell on it. In all cases, the volunteer students and the Senior students will have practiced saying these spells in advance. Mr. Slytherin will point his wand at the Crystal Ball and say the spell:
"Projectorum Mercata"
The Crystal Ball (via an internal projector of course) will become a beautiful gently rotating Earth.
Professor Frizzel: "Very good! The rotation of the Earth was a nice touch. Now, Miss Hufflepuff, turn the map of the Earth into one of the moon."
She points her wand at it and says, "Luna tranfigurorum!"
The earth globe becomes a model of the moon, softly glowing with no dark side.
Professor Frizzel: "Well done. Now..."
Suddenly the moon flares brightly and a beam of light shoots out the top of the moon and out through the roof. The Crystal Ball goes dead, and the entire room starts to darken to near blackness. Where once there was blue sky and white clouds seen through the windows there is now nothing but stars. It looks like night has suddenly fallen.
Professor Frizzel: "Miss Hufflepuff, what did you just do? Where is the sun?!"
Senior Hufflepuff Student: "Professor, I don't know what happened. She did the spell correctly!"
Frizzell: "Well something went wrong."
The crystal ball begins to glow, and Professor Dumbledore appears on the crystal.
Dumbledore: "Professor Frizzel, what is going on in your classroom? Someone in your class has just cause a total eclipse of the sun! I was not aware that you were teaching the first year students that yet."
Frizzel: "I'm not. Someone needs to practice her spells a bit more carefully. I'll get the moon back in its place immediately."
Dumbledore: "See that you do. I'm sure the muggles are quite confused about this." (Dumbledore disappears and the crystal goes dark.)
Frizzel: "Mr. Gryffindor, do you think you can return the moon to its proper location and bring some light back to Hogwarts?"
Senior Gryffindor Student: "Yes, Professor. I think we can do that quite easily." He assists the male Gryffindor student to point his wand to the ceiling and cast the spell:
"Luminata Regenerorum!"
Dozens of lit candles descend from the ceiling, just like in the dining hall of Hogwarts.
The classroom is now bathed in a warm candle glow, but the sun is not back and the stars are still shining through the windows. The Gryffindor Senior Student is baffled, since that is not what he intended to have happen.
Frizzel: "Well, at least we have some light, but that did NOT correct the problem! Perhaps one of the Ravenclaw students can get it right. Would you care to try?
Senior Ravenclaw Student : "Yes, Professor." Miss Ravenclaw is instructed to point her wand to the ceiling and says:
"Luna Reverto!"
Every window, which up to now has been open, suddenly slams shut. The windows are multi-paned glass panels so that the outside can still be seen through them.
Frizzel: "This is ridiculous! Has nobody practiced their spells before today's class?!"
Senior Slytherin Student: "We have, Professor Frizzel. I know we can fix the mess that the other Houses have caused."
Frizzel: "Well, please do, and do it quickly!"
Miss Slytherin waves her wand in a large circle around the classroom and says:
"Universa Restoria Omni!"
The windows open, the candles return to the ceiling, the sunlight returns through the windows- in other words, everything is back the way it was. The Slytherin students look very pleased with themselves.
Frizzel: "Thank you, Slytherin students. I hope the rest of you have seen the proper manner of casting spells from the Slytherin students. I almost hesitate to say it, but would the other students wish to try one more time?"
The remaining students from Hufflepuff, Gryffindor and Ravenclaw who have not cast a spell all say, "Yes, Professor Frizzel."
Frizzel: "Very well. I will give you each one more chance to redeem the good name of your Houses. Mr. Hufflepuff, I will give you a relatively easy spell." She takes a small stone object from a small side table and puts it on the table in front of the Hufflepuff student. "This is a porcelain frog. I want you to animate it."
Hufflepuff Senior Student: "Animate it?"
Frizzel: "Yes, animate it. Bring it to life. Unless you find that too much of a challenge, then I could have Slytherin show you how to do it."
Hufflepuff: "No, Professor, that won't be necessary." The Hufflepuff student points his wand at the porcelain frog and says,
"Anura Animatus!"
Nothing happens to the frog, but from all four sides of the classroom fog (dry-ice kind) begins to flow down the steps, down through the students and into the center of the classroom.
Frizzel: "I said FROG, NOT FOG!! This is ridiculous! Gryffindor, get rid of this fog!!"
Gryffindor Senior Student: "Yes, Professor! Right away!" Miss Gryffindor waves her wand around the room and says:
"Nebula Disipatum!" Suddenly a strong wind begins to blow through the classroom, dissipating the fog but causing chaos with the force of it and the accompanying noise. Professor Frizzel has to practically yell to be heard:
"Mr. Ravenclaw! Stop this wind!!
Mr. Ravenclaw waves his wand around the room, and shouts:
"Turbo Negorum!"
The wind stops, but suddenly it begins to rain heavily outside. Fortunately the wind has stopped so it does not come in through the windows, but it is a torrential downpour outside. Then the room begins to shake, first gently then harder and harder- and earthquake! Professor Frizzel pulls out her own wand, points it to the ceiling and loudly says:
"Meteolojinx Recanto!!"
The earthquake stops, the rain stops. All is peaceful again. Except for Professor Frizzel, who is furious at what just happened.
"I have never seen such a mess made from such simple spells! Is Slytherin the only House that understands how dangerous magic can be if not properly controlled?"
The Gryffindor Senior Student interrupts her.
"Professor? You're right, those were simple spells. There is no way we all could have done them wrong- unless something was causing them to go wrong. Don't you find it unusual that the only spells that didn't go wrong were those cast by Slytherin?"
Frizzel: "What are you suggesting, Mr. Gryffindor?"
Gryffindor: "I'm suggesting that something is causing our spells to be distorted, and that distortion for some reason doesn't affect Slytherin."
Slytherin Senior Student: "Perhaps Slytherin is the only House that truly appreciates the power of magic and we're the only one who know how to use it properly!"
Frizzel: "Enough! There is only one way to test this idea- I must magically search this room for a spell-altering charm. And Mr. Gryffindor, if you are wrong, your House will be severely punished for questioning the honor of another House. Do I make myself clear?"
Gryffindor: "Yes, Professor."
Professor Frizzel moves between the Crystal Ball and the Slytherin table, hold her wand in both hands straight above her head, and invokes the charm:
"Enchantemonte Alterium Exposium!"
The students of the three Houses who had all the magical problems are bathed in a strange red and white swirling light, while the Slytherin students are lit by a gentle blue glow.
Frizzel: "Interesting. The three House's students were affected by a spell-altering charm. But who put it on them?" She turns to the Crystal Ball, waves her wand over it, and says, "Crystal Ball, reveal to me who cast this spell."
The face of the Slytherin Senior Student appears in the Crystal Ball. Professor Frizzel turns to him and says:
"Well, Mr. Slytherin, do you have an explanation for this?"
Slytherin: "I was, uh, just testing to see if the other Houses were able to handle a spell-altering charm. You never know when someone will try to fight them with one."
Frizzel: (waving her wand around the enchanted area) "Finite Incantatem! (the lights return to normal as the spell is cancelled) Mr. Slytherin, you will join me in a meeting with Professor Dumbledore after class. What about your first-year students? Were they involved in this?"
Slytherin: "No. They knew nothing about it."
Frizzel: "Crystal Ball, is he telling the truth?"
Crystal Ball: (in a deep booming voice) "Yes, he is telling the truth. They knew nothing about it."
Frizzel: "Crystal Ball, did you know about this before class started?"
Crystal Ball: "Yes."
Frizzel: "Why didn't you tell me ahead of time?"
Crystal Ball: "You did not ask me."
Frizzel: "Students, I hope you have learned from this. Cheating is never acceptable to a student of Hogwarts. I trust you will never follow the actions of your fellow student, and will work hard to restore the honor of your House that Mr. Slytherin has tarnished by his actions.
"And to the rest of you students in the other houses, and all of you watching in the classroom, I hope you have all learned from this experience. With great magic goes great responsibility. Many wizards who didn't think that the rules of Wizardry applied to them are now imprisoned in Azkaban. Do not repeat their mistakes.
"Very well, class is dismissed. Remember to study your assignments for next week!"
As the "Houses" leave the classroom, the students and their parents are allowed to have photos taken with the cast and will be given their wands as a special souvenir of their experience.
My submission will take the place of Posiden’s Fury, which will be turned into Gringot’s Bank. There, like all of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, will be the first time Muggles will be allowed inside. Though the line, you can see projected goblins running around helping wizards get their money and deposit it. We meet in the lobby in front of the vaults and are greeted by a wizard who will be giving us a tour of a few vaults to show why saving money with goblins. Since Goblins are a bit “short” with muggles, they decided that Wizards might put a good face on Gringot’s. We are told of the story of how the famous and infamous of the Wizarding World has kept their most prized posesions at this bank including the great Harry Potter and He Who Shall not be named. Before opening the door with magic, he warns all Muggles to stay away from “He Who Shall Not Be Named” vault since we are, unfortunitly, going to pass right by it. He also says not to worry though. The vault has many defensive charms on it including being encased in water and only employees of Gringots can open them.
When in the next room, we see three vaults, one being Vol…He who shall not be named. It has a serpent on it and looks like it hasen’t been touched in years. So our guide is about to open Gilderoy Lockheart’s vault (since he can’t remember if he has anything) when there is a puff of smoke and Bellix Lestrange with unknown Death Eaters appear and are surprised to see a room full of Muggles. However, she sees this as an opportunity to take hostages in Gringots and allow the “Master” to appear to resurrect his Baslisk. In fact, perhaps the Muggles might be a tasty meal. So she disarms the guide and throws him into our group to get rid of the water charm. She speaks Parseltounge and the snake on the door starts turning around the door until it slides open. The group is met with a wall of water, but it starts spinning into a tube (sound familiar) which allows safe passage for the group.
In the main show area, there is various gold, material, and a bit of a watery cove. There are also video screens that go from the midpoint to the ceiling (sound familiar). Things are not always as they seem in the Wizarding World. Lestrange and her posse touch their arms and there is black smoke that surrounds on the screen and other death eaters pop up from the ground, on the screen (they look like they are there), and then, Voldemort, who is on screen, appears. He laughs that he was able to finid Muggles to feed his Basalisk so easily and searches for what he needs in his vault, a fang. From that, he recreates a terrifying snake onscreen which looks at the guests for tasty meal. Then all of a sudden, there is a rumbling, and a hold of light appears to the left side and Mad Eye Moody, The Weasly Twins, and others appear on brooms and running in. They are here to save the guests! There is a wand fight that spashes water, causes sparks to fly, and fire to appear. Many on the broomsticks go after the giant snake and tries to kill it, but they need a little bit more help! The tour guide, now feeling more confident, takes the swoard and stabs into the snake, killing it, but causing it to take out some colums and the room is likely to collapse. All the Death Eaters and Voldemort appartition out, but the Aurors (the good guys) use in incatation together, pointing their wands at the guests to apperation out of the vault. When light lights come back on, the guests look like they are standing outside of the vault and then exit the attraction.
The newest show coming to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be the Triwizard Tournament live show! Staying true to the book and the movie, guests will submit their names into the “Goblet of Fire” if they would like to compete.
The show would consist of three different stages; one for each task. One would be designed specifically for the first task, one for the second, and one for the third.
Back to the show, a cast member would pick 4 random names out of the goblet. Those 4 guests would be the “champions”. The show would follow a much less dangerous version of the tournament that was in the book/movie.
The first task is essentially a timed obstacle course in which the four champions must get to the golden egg before time expires. It would have to be an obstacle course, because I’m pretty sure Universal can’t find 4 dragons to use for this task. Anyways, the stage would be like a rocky themed environment, like in the movie.
See the backgrounds? Anyways, the egg can be found by any means necessary, giving the champions a time to show their creativity. To keep true to the book/movie, there would be “traps” (not a dragon) that the champions would have to overcome. Such traps would include pits that champions would have to get out if they fall in, walls of “rock” to climb over, and others. Plus, just the rocky terrain would be a challenge to navigate in itself. Champions would get points by the amount of time they completed the task in (shorter the time, the more points you get) and creativity (if you are really creative in your attempt, you get bonus points). Plus, getting the egg gives you points.
The second task would take place at the second stage, which would have a small artificial lake.
Guests watching the show could go down below and view the bottom of the lake, like at sea animal exhibits.
Either that or the task could be at the Inland Sea, which would be pretty cool.
In this task, the champions must swim down to the bottom do find something “that was stolen” from them. This item would be any item that they offer to put at the bottom of the lake (not people, like in the book, though). Of course, their item would have to be water-proof. This would also be a timed challenge. Points would be distributed depending on what place you came in (1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th), and your time as well. For safety, champions would use scuba gear when diving down (no charms).
The third and final task would be a timed race through a giant maze, located at the last of the stages.
This task would have the champions navigating the maze, with many challenges to overcome. For example, staying true to the book would be a Sphinx who would ask a riddle that you would have to answer before you go on.
The champion who gets to the cup first gets to keep it, but that doesn’t mean they win. In this task, the points are given out, once again, by time and what place the champion comes in.
The finale would take place at the first stadium. The number of points from each task for each individual champion would be totaled together. The champion with the most points would win the Triwizard Cup, which they would actually get to take home. No, this cup is not a Portkey.
This show would take the majority of the day, as tasks are not one after another. There would be at least one show a day, maybe more if time permits.
Challenge 8: Hotels will take place between December 6th and December 12th. Elimination from the current challenge should take place on the 7th.
Challenge 9: Themed Land will take place between December 13th and December 19th.
Challenge 10: Theme Park will take place over the immediate Christmas season, but I don't want to interfere too much with your ideas. So it will take place between December 19th and December 30th. I hope somewhere in between there, you can find some time to work. Our winner will be announced with the new year!
Thank you everyone for playing and congratulations for making it this far, Top 5. Its been an interesting season, needless to say. And I hope to be back soon with the creation of International Park Apprentice, where signups will probably start in January or February.
In this week’s challenge, the final four apprentices will be designing a hotel for a theme park of their choice. This is one of my favorite challenges from the first season, so I decided to bring it back. In this challenge, please include the name of the hotel, your hotel’s class (deluxe, moderate, value), the number of rooms in the hotel, room rates, the number of floors in the hotel, and descriptions of the different types of room the hotel has to offer. You may want to include some type of specialty suite located in your hotel. As for other aspects of the hotel, please include the name and a few items that are at your hotel’s gift shop and at least one restaurant with a menu that will be at your hotel.
You may NOT submit a hotel with a theme that is the same as a planned hotel (there are many that Disney had) or that was submitted last year. Be original with your theming, there are plenty of different themes yet to have been used and the possibilities are endless.
If you are stuck or confused about anything in this challenge, contact me or feel free to look at the designs from last year. Amanda Jenkins, Wok Creative, Nick Markham, and Anthony Murphy all submitted excellent ideas. In addition, my own idea is on there as well, along with Camille Kirk' and David L’s ideas.
As you may know, for the Muggles out there then this will be the first time hearing this, children at the age of 11 are sent to Wizarding School to continue to learn and enhance there wizarding powers. So with the Wizarding World opening up for Muggles to see and learn about this "World" they have decided to introduce and teach Muggles to use and fly on the fabled broomsticks!
Madame Hooch's Broomstick Training Carousel
This Carousel is meant to teach young wizards, witch's, and now Muggles the right technique to ride and fly a broomstick. After many broken arms, and accidents Madame Hooch decided that they needed to build this Carousel.
So the riders will pick from the varous types of broomsticks including Nimbus 2000 and 2001 models, Firebolt, Comets, Cleansweeps, Shooting Star, Bluebottle, Silver Arrows, Tinderblast, Swiftstick, Twigger 90, Oakshaft 79, and Montrimmer. After taking your pick of brooms you will then learn the right incantation and spell to make your broom fly!
So take your pick and learn how to fly a broomstick, in a calm and controlled way without the threat of breaking an arm of course!
So what do I win?
James- Detailed as usual. The concept was good for the show and very family friendly. I liked the inclusion of some actors to play characters in this interactive live show. I think its a great idea to a bring a wizarding class into the muggle realm and really get participation from kids. Wuld be excellent for attracting the younger crowd to this land.
Anthony- I thought you had a great concept as well. I always thought that there should be some kind of Gringotts experience. While I pictured it more as a walk through, I like the originality that your show has.
Andy- I thought the idea was good bringing about a live version of this scene, but was thrown off when you mentioned that this would be an all day experience, but its a show. I couldn't see an audience following this show all day and I think this could have been condensed into a shorter form that would take only about an hour.
Dan- I know you said you struggled with coming up with an idea for this challenge. I still found your idea cute and charming, however. It definately adds some kid-friendliness to this land. While the idea is rather simple, it works well. I think you could have kicked this up a notch by building this as a "dumbo" type ride and putting it indoors, having people race pass screens and special effects. Like a circlevision with a ride inside...
Adam: Better late than never. Just try to let me know. I think this sensory experience is great and really exemplifies the uniqueness of the WW of HP. Would definately require some serious technology. I really think your idea sounds cool and is the most unique of the groups.
This multi-sensory addition to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is definitely not for the faint of heart. It attacks your fears, tests your sanity, and puts us all in the one place we fear the most, isolation. This unique creation is more than a ride, more than a show, and more than an attraction, it is an experience.
The whole experience occurs within a huge show building, that way the environments and effects are more easily controlled. Since it is a maze, the queue line doesn’t have to be long so, as the layout diagram shows, a long tunnel connects the maze to the rest of the wizarding world. You travel along this tunnel using a “magical” (moving) walkway. You pass by scenes from the other challenges and more important events like the Yule Ball. You even get to talk to the four Triwizard Champions!
You finally arrive and the hedge maze’s walls stand ominous ahead of you. You are allowed in one at a time based on a whistle from the cast member. The maze is not hard to figure out, but darkness, fog, and every other terrifying thing in this maze, make it very difficult to complete. As in the movie, the walls change periodically, to block your path and keep you from following others.
Since it is a maze, there is no particular order in which you will encounter the following experiences:
Rain Zone: a simulated storm with realistic wind, rain, lightning , and thunder
Heat Zone: a very warm area, very humid too, the air is sticky and thick
Ice Zone: a zone where you feel like you’re in the arctic, ice crystals form on the hedges, a cold wind wips, this is called by dementors which glide above you, very very scary
Sphinx: you may only pass by answering a question, this will be easy for HP fans, if you can’t figure it out, the AA sphinx will point you in a different direction, this is a great shortcut though
Spider Zone: the famous spiders from the 2nd book make their creepy, crawly, terrorizing return
Rumble Zone: the ground below you shakes and makes walking nearly impossible, making you have to grasp the slimy walls around you (only slimy in this zone)
Tilt Zone: the floor tips and rocks multiple directions, disorienting you and surprising you quite a bit
Blast-Ended Skrewts: Giant, 10ft long ugly creatures that shoot fire from their tails, above is a picture of one
Rotating Zone: This area would be on a turntable, so just when you think that you’re going the right direction, your flipped all around again.
Once you find the Triwizard Cup which sits gleaming atop a pedestal, Dumbledore’s booming, amplified voice can be heard telling you to follow a new magical walkway straight out of the maze. A hedge wall opens up right near you and you step onto the platform. The hedge closes behind you and you are suddenly on a very fast “magical” (moving) walkway. The hedge walls appear to be whizzing past you in the gloom. Every once and a while you hear the scream or laughing of another guests who is still trying to escape the maze. You emerge right back where you began, in the shadow of Hogwarts castle. As you near the end of the tunnel you can hear cheers and people clapping and you emerge in a smaller version of the stadium from the movie. Those not wishing to experience the maze can watch as the winners re-appear victorious!
There are also areas where the maze is in complete darkness and you can hear things scurrying around you. Other sounds trick your mind and make you want to constantly watch your back. Fog fills nearly every zone. Smells (aromatic and putrid) attack your nose at different points. The sky above is inky black with twinkling stars and a nearly full moon. Every go through is different and unique, so this is definitely an experience worth doing multiple times.
Hippos on Brooms... Shooting Aliens
What do I win?
Am I now the winner of the whole contest then??? LOL
Honestly, this week will be tough! I think everybody had very good submissions!
you win a flaming bag of poop on your porch delivered by a hippo on a broomstick
congratulations
I have no porch.
THC
I wanted to do something that everyone can do no matter the age and height. I think you can take infants on carousels and carry them on. Theres no height requirement so any child can do and wont be scared.
Though on the Forbidden Journy you get the sensation of flying but not sitting and on one. So this gives great photo and picture opportunities and you can sit on different brooms that the characters used in the books!
