This challenge will be due Jan 27th, at midnight.
Nick is in 2nd with 11 points.
3rd place is Joseph with 9.
4th is Dan with 7 points.
and 5th is Jeff with 6 points.
In the legendary past of English history, the Isle of Avalon is often mentioned as the place where King Arthur sleeps and waits for the time he is needed to save England. It is also the place where his sword Excalibur was forged. Many places in Britain have claimed to be the location of Avalon, but now Avalon has been discovered in, of all places, central Florida, in Walt Disney World to be exact. The story as to how it was transported to Florida is one of mystery and legend, with a touch of Disney magic.
Merlin, King Arthur's magician, mentor and teacher, lived backwards. He "remembered the future", and knew that someday King Arthur would need to be protected from the evil treachery of his wicked son Mordred and the evil sorceress Morgan le Fay. Merlin used his own considerable powers and, with the assistance of the Lady of the Lake, who gave him Excalibur, transported the Isle of Avalon to the most magical place on earth, where Arthur could sleep peacefully in safety and wait until Britain needed him.
Overnight, a new lake appeared north of Epcot, Lake Arthur, with a beautiful yet mysterious island in the center, the Isle of Avalon with its magnificent Avalon Castle rising in the middle of it. In front of the castle is the village of Pendragon, a thriving town populated with hard-working craftspeople living side-by-side with some amazing magical places. There is so much magic surrounding this island that some of it has "leaked out" and has turned it into an enchanted place.
Pendragon is a village of talented craftspeople who relied on the surrounding countryside and its population for trade, and the land they came from is now across the ocean and over a millennium in the past. To survive, they have decided to allow a limited number of visitors from the present to visit their village from morning until after sunset, to enjoy their hospitality and experience the magical land that they brought with them. Pendragon and the Isle of Avalon is an amazing place where the magic world and the mundane world coexist and thrive.
Lake Arthur is located north of Epcot, in the large area between Epcot Center Drive and Vista Blvd. The entrance to the parking area is off of World Drive, just past the Epcot exit. A limit of 1000 guests each day are granted a pass to visit Pendragon and Avalon Castle, located across the lake from the parking area and Visitor Center. The Visitor Center contains the ticket center, where guests can choose from a variety of services and experiences during their visit to the Isle. Advance reservations can be made and are recommended, but guests can add-on services once they reach the Isle and realize the amazing experiences available to them. Also available here is a remarkable collection of medieval and renaissance costumes, often called "garb", to let visitors to the Isle blend in with the locals. It is not required, but the cost to use these costumes is included in all service packages and is strongly encouraged. All classes of garb is available, including peasant and religious to middle class to fine Noble garb (extra charge for the Nobles).
There are three admission packages available (all of which provide free parking):
· Traveler ($169.95 adult, $99.95 under ten)- all day admission, all meals and beverages, all shows and entertainments, garb of all classes except Nobility ($15.00 extra), may observe all demonstrations but not take active part. Horseback activities are not included.
· Apprentice ($199.95 adult, $129.95 under ten)- all benefits of Traveler package plus can actively participate in all craft demonstrations (where allowed by safety considerations) and all horseback activities (when possible due to limitations of available horses) and all Lancelot Knight School training.
· Master Craftsman ($249.99 adult, $199.95 under ten (when appropriate)- all benefits of Apprentice package, plus in-depth learning opportunities in period arts, crafts and activities. This requires advanced reservations. The Master Craftsman Program allows participants to receive in-depth one-on-one training with experts in medieval life, arts and sciences. One example would be working with a cook to learn how to prepare and roast a full-sized pig over an open fire pit. Another would be a master class in spinning, weaving and embroidery. These classes would be tailored to the skills of the participants, thus requiring the advanced reservations so that the teachers can contact their students in advance and learn their capabilities and what type of experience they are looking for.
Travelers can upgrade to the Apprentice Package at anytime at the Pendragon Customer Service Center in the village.
The only way for guests to reach the Isle of Avalon is by boat. Beautiful wide Royal barges with elegant carvings and banners blowing in the breeze magically transport guests across Lake Arthur to the dock on the village waterfront. During the lake crossing, the voice of Merlin will be heard by those on board, telling the story of King Arthur and Avalon and explaining how it came to be transported to central Florida. Visitors will see a shining sword rise from the water, held aloft by the Lady of the Lake herself.
The Isle will appear to be truly an island from the parking area and Visitor's Center, but will actually be attached to the mainland from behind the Castle. This will provide access to the vast amounts of land needed to make all the wonderful adventures and experiences that guests can chose from possible, and also for ease of access for the support facilities needed to operate this "magical" land in a "mundane" world.
The Isle of Avalon is laid-out similarly to the Magic Kingdom, with some subtle differences.
Avalon Castle rises majestically from the center of the Island, where the hub of the Magic Kingdom would be. The village of Pendragon lies between the large waterfront plaza and the castle, with a wide street leading to the castle gate (similar to Main Street U.S.A. but without the hub in front of the castle). Other streets lead off to the left and right from the village, forming a large circle and meeting behind the castle at the Jousting Arena. There are other streets connecting this circular pedestrian path to the castle, so that, from the viewpoint of a dragon circling high overhead it truly looks like a giant wheel, with the castle as the axel, the circular street as the wheel, and the cross streets as the spokes.
The Village of Pendragon looks like a typical medieval village once found throughout Britain, tucked under the protective walls of a mighty castle. The two-storied black-and-white half-timbered dwellings contain remarkable craft shoppes, each with world-class craftspeople working in them, showing visitors how they create the beautiful and often useful objects that were part of everyday life in a medieval town. Visitors are often encouraged to try their hand at many of the crafts like embroidery, weaving, baking bread, grinding flour, tinsmithing...the list goes on and on. All products crafted in these shoppes are available for purchase, and commissions are taken for special orders. Several shops feature period clothes of all social classes for purchase, so that guests who decide that they might want to visit their local renaissance festival in garb can obtain the finest garments to be found.
No village would be complete without some place to eat, and Pendragon has many pubs, taverns and food carts available to satisfy every appetite. There are sit-down taverns with excellent period foods, small intimate pubs with a remarkable selection of artisan beers, ales, ciders and wines, and food carts selling all sorts of flavorful foods, all period-appropriate for a medieval village in Britain. No turkey legs here! No French fries. No popcorn. Those are all New World foods, and at the time Avalon Castle was transported here it had not yet been discovered. But hungry snackers will find chicken grilled over a wood fire, breads and pastries baked in wood-fired ovens and fresh fruits grown frum heirloom varieties of fruit trees, and will thus discover just how wonderful unprocessed foods prepared traditionally can really taste.
Visitors walking along the street around the Castle will eventually realize that they have left the village and are now approaching a more rural area. Proceeding along this beautiful lane, they will come across Llamrei's Stable, named after one of King Arthur's horses (the other was named Hengroen ). Here visitors can take riding lessons and embark on escorted horseback rides through the beautiful countryside around Avalon Castle. Several trails wind through the forest, passing burbling brooks, mysterious ruins and clearings filled with wildflowers. In the center of the forest, reachable only by horseback, is Stonehenge, not the ruined one of today but in its original monolithic magnificence.
Llamrei's Stable is also where visitors can climb aboard horse-drawn carts and take a tour through "Merlin's Menagerie", an amazing zoo where all the mythical creatures of British legend have been gathered for Merlin to protect and visitors to view and experience. Such well-known creatures as Unicorns and Griffins are seen, along with less famous creatures such as the Yale (a goat-like antelope with swiveling horns) and the Peryton (a winged deer). All of the a.a. creatures are seen in their "native habitat".
"Lancelot's Knight School" offers guests the chance to train to be a knight, to wear armor, and to learn the code of honor that a knight must live up to. All those who dream of being a knight (ladies, too) can take lessons in archery, swordsmanship, fencing and the crossbow. These lessons are taught by experts, and of course all possible precautions are taken to ensure the safety of the visitors.
After learning all there is to learn about being a knight, guests can then take their seats in "Glastonbury Arena", a great jousting arena where trained knights present a demonstration of jousting, dressage and sword-to-sword combat, and perhaps use some of their more adept students frum the Knight School to assist. Several jousts will be presented daily, each with a slightly different theme, and for each joust one lucky family will be chosen to be visiting royalty for the joust, carefully costumed and instructed on how to behave as royalty, and will be seated in the Royal Box. Trumpet fanfares, banners waving in the breeze and the thrill of knights on horseback in full armor battling for victory will make each joust a highlight of any visit to Avalon.
Surrounding a large part of the base of the castle is "Guinevere's Garden Maze", a beautiful maze of boxwood and holly, trees and flowers, stone walls and ruins, where guests attempt to find their way through the maze while discovering hidden treasures and secret passages. Talking statues, garden fairies and magic signposts help those brave enough to challenge the maze to find these hidden treasures, which guests can keep as mementos of their adventure in the garden maze.
A stone structure resembling an ancient church is actually a theater where Merlin and his assistants present amazing magic shows several times throughout the day. Nearby stands another structure, appearing to have once been an ancient castle but now fallen into ruins. Passing through the gatehouse and entering the structure, guests see that this is actually just the entrance to one of the most exciting experiences in all of Avalon, "To Fly With Dragons".
Entering a large chamber, with curved walls and ceiling, guests, or in this case "riders" climb onto the backs of one of twenty dragons, who although they are looking around at the riders entering and occasionally will bugle a challenge, wait patiently with their wings folded while the riders approach. Each dragon wears a riding rig on its back that has seats for four riders, two front and two behind. These dragons are the culmination of decades of a.a. development by the Disney Imagineers. Attendants make sure that all are carefully belted into their seats, then they clear the chamber, and the dragons prepare to fly. The lights in the chamber begin to dim as a shimmer of magic appears on the wall in front of the dragons. The shimmer takes the shape of a man, larger than life- it is Merlin! He stands in a glow of sparkling blue-white light as the rest of the chamber turns to night and the stars appear. He then speaks to the riders.
"Dragon Riders! We live here in this magic place, untouched by time but far away from the land we love and must one day return to. We must never forget the beauty and magic that Britain is blessed with. To remind you of what you as Dragon Riders are dedicated to, I will summon the magic of Avalon to return you for a short time to the Britain we left, to rediscover the majestic kingdom that King Arthur created and will one day reclaim. Fly well, fly safe, and we will see you all again soon here in Avalon!"
Merlin fades into the magic glow, and the dragons begin to move in anticipation of their flight. They spread their wings and begin to flap them, they crouch down as if preparing to launch themselves skyward, and as they do just that the curved wall and ceiling become a movie screen similar to that used in Soarin', and the riders and their dragons are flying through a magical tunnel of lights and colors, moving back in time to ancient Britain. Suddenly they emerge out of the magic and find themselves over the Isle of Avalon, circling the castle and the wonderful sights of the surrounding village, then head out and fly over the surrounding forest. But this is not central Florida, but the Britain of over a thousand years ago! The dragons fly past massive castles, over a small town that will one day become London, past fields full of sheep, then over the North Sea and past Viking ships heading for an invasion of northern Britain. They fly back to Britain, and after circling a huge castle fortress that must be the fabled Camelot, the dragons soar upwards into the sky, enter another magic time portal sent by Merlin, and return to Avalon. The dragons return to their roost, with the eighty riders having experienced the thrill of having flown with dragons.
Finally we focus on the center of the Isle of Avalon, a magnificent fortress of stone surrounded by a deep moat and surmounted with bright banners flying from its towers. This is Avalon Castle, not a castle of fantasy and elegance but one of strength and defense, a fortress to protect King Arthur during his long sleep. Several special attractions can be found inside this ruggedly beautiful structure.
Several streets lead to a terrace that surrounds the castle and its moat. Guests crossing these drawbridges or looking into the moat will see a water dragon swimming around the moat, guarding the castle from those who would do it harm. As the guests pass through the castle gate and enter the structure they will see several attractions and experiences to chose from.
A beautifully carved doorway leads down into the chambers under the castle, the dungeon, but this isn't a dungeon of horrors. Here is found "The Once and Future King", the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Guests board ride vehicles where the seats are shaped like royal thrones. These ride vehicles carry guests through the story of King Arthur, from his drawing the sword from the stone and thus becoming King, through his establishment of the Round Table, his marriage to Queen Guinevere, his betrayal by his son Mordred and finally his returning Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake and his voyage to Avalon, where he sleeps a magical sleep until Britain needs him to return. After leaving the ride vehicle, guests proceed into a crypt with massive columns holding up a golden dome. In the center of the room, separated from the guests by a low wall, rests King Arthur himself, sleeping in a glass chamber and glittering with the magic that protects him. Guests return to the main castle floor while passing paintings of the Arthurian legends as they have been interpreted for hundreds of years.
Lancelot's Hall is a special place, unique in all of Walt Disney World. It is a two-story stone chamber with vaulted ceiling and walls covered with tapestries of heroic knights battling dragons and saving fair damsels from distress. Rows of comfortable benches fill the room facing a low stage with an open area in front of the stage for children (and adults) to sit. This is a place where, thanks to the magic of Merlin and Walt Disney, the Disney Heroes come and visit with the modern world, telling their stories and entertaining guests of all ages. Finally the Heroes who are so important to the Disney Princess' stories have a place where they can meet, greet and regale boys (and girls and their families) with their stories of heroism, bravery and chivalry. Prince Phillip from "Sleeping Beauty", Robin Hood, Prince Charming from "Cinderella" and Prince Naveen from "The Princess and the Frog" will greet their fans young and old and dramatically tell their stories of heroic feats, battles with evil and defending their Princesses from all forms of physical and magical danger. This is a place for men and heroes!
A meal in "The Great Hall of Camelot" is an experience to be treasured for a lifetime. Banners hang from its amazing hammerbeam roof, stained glass windows bathe the room with brilliant color day and night (thanks to magic) and hanging on the wall at the far end of this huge chamber is a replica of The Round Table, the original of which hangs on the wall of the Great Hall of Winchester Palace in Britain.
The room contains nearly two hundred tables of all sizes- but all are round, seating from two diners to up to twenty (advanced reservations are needed for that size). Meals here are served family-style, with each table being offered a choice of multiple entrees, side dishes, salads, breads, etc. All foods are "period-correct" in that they would only be foods available in the medieval era. Some entrees offered are:
Roasted chicken
Grilled steaks
Leg of lamb
Grilled salmon
Lamb stew
Pork pie
Many other foods are also available, prepared to the standards and styles of medieval royalty. Some, such as the steaks, would have a slight up-charge. Unusual spices and beautiful presentation of each dish make feasting in The Great Hall of Camelot an unforgettable gastronomic experience.
No medieval feast would be complete without entertainment, and The Great Hall of Camelot offers nearly continuous performances by acrobats, musicians, jugglers and a dancing troupe performing period dances, among many other types of entertainment. Often guests will be encouraged to join the performers in a courtly dance or as a magician's assistant. Diners will feast not just on food and drink but on fun in a fantasy setting.
As the sun sets over the Isle of Avalon and the flickering light of hundreds of torches and candles illuminate Pendragon and the Castle, something evil is starting to happen. The guests gathering in the large plaza on the waterfront notice that the lights on the village are starting to turn an ominous evil red. Suddenly there is a flash of smoke and fire from the top of one of the village shops, and who should appear? Mad Madam Mim, the evil witch from the Disney classic animated film "The Sword in the Stone"! She has found her way to Avalon with the intention of defeating Arthur, and tells the crowd this. Suddenly Merlin appears on top of the Castle walls and announces to Mim that she is not welcome and that he will defend Arthur and Avalon from her at all costs. A great battle of magic begins, with such displays at Mim setting the Castle on fire (with flames projected on the walls) followed by Merlin causing great fountains of water to spray from the moat and extinguish the flames. Finally, after a magical battle with fireballs, lasers and fireworks being hurtled back and forth between these two powerful magicians (who are also adept shape-shifters and do so several times in this battle), Mim is defeated. After transporting herself to the castle battlements to fight Merlin hand-to-hand as a giant elephant (a.a. of course), Merlin turns himself into a mouse- not just any mouse, but the most famous magician mouse of all time- Mickey Mouse as the Sorcerer's Apprentice! Mim as a elephant screams in terror of a mouse and disappears into a flash of smoke and fire, never to be seen again. Merlin returns to his own shape and announces that, "Thanks to the powerful magic of good, and with a little help from the magic of Disney, Mad Madam Mim is defeated forever! It is time to celebrate!" Fireworks blaze into the sky, music from "The Sword in the Stone" fills the air, the fountains rise from the moat and bath the walls with a magical water ballet, the evil lights fade over Pendragon and are replaced with millions of twinkling magical lights, and the visitors to Avalon witness a magnificent spectacle of fireworks, water and music.
As the guests return to the visitors center on their barges, they carry with them the memories of a day full of magical experiences, of entertainments not seen for hundreds of years, of sights and smells and tastes that will stay in their minds for the rest of their lives. The Isle of Avalon. The most magical land in the most magical place on earth.
ESPN’s Adrenaline
This park will have a large footprint in order to accommodate two of the main draws to the park, a one mile long runway and a one mile long oval raceway. Due to noise issues, this park will need to be a decent distance away from any houses or other theme parks on the resort, because with Adrenaline, you also get some noise. In the middle of the park will be two narrow yet modern looking 500 foot tall buildings with a bridge going from the top floor of one to the top floor of the other. Farther back in the park will be a 300ft tall manmade mountain with a manmade whitewater rapids course running down it. Nearby is a medium sized lagoon for water sports.
The park is divided into 6 different experiences (lands): Air, Water, Motor, Land, Coaster, and Drop.
AIR EXPERIENCE
On entering the park directly to the left is the Air Experience with the airstrip and a series of buildings and hangers nearby. Here is where you can sign up for a ride on an F-16, MiG-21F, AV8B Harrier, F4U Corsair, or one of several propeller driven aerobatic planes. In addition there are helicopters available for rides such as the UH1 Ultra Huey and AH-64 Apache.
Also available in the Air Experience are several variations on skydiving as well as a skydiving school and a skydive simulator. Skydiving is available in round chute, gliding chutes, skysurfing, tandem, and wingsuit.
LAND EXPERIENCE
Continuing around the central towers, you reach the Land Experience area tucked between the airfield and the massive mountain in the back of the park. This area is dedicated to all sports on land. There are classes, workshops, demonstrations, and equipment rental available for all sports. There are obstacle and street courses set up for skateboarding, inline skating, freestyle scootering, powerbocking, and freestyle BMX. There are also courses running down the mountain for mountain biking, street luge, BMX, Motocross, and ATVs. On the side of the mountain, there are courses for natural rock climbing as well as indoor style climbing walls. Also in this area are some beginner level rappelling courses, but for the bigger stuff, you will need to go over to the Drop Experience. There are 4 paintball arenas, two smaller, one very large with natural rugged terrain, and one competition inflatable style. There is also a tournament level parkour course, areas to slackline, two different courses of ziplines, and three different high speed go-cart tracks.
WATER EXPERIENCE
Starting up on the mountain and running down to a medium sized lagoon is the Water Experience. Running down the mountain is a whitewater course utilized by kayaks, canoes, and inflatable rafts. As a manmade course, it can be dialed in to whatever difficulty you want from lazy river to instant death. As a safety feature, there are hydraulic presses that can pull floundering riders completely out of the water, as well as being able to turn a raging whitewater terror to a lazy river river in seconds through fast retracting barriers. The system will also be computer tracked so several different groups can be on the water at the same time battling different difficulties of whitewater. In the lagoon, there will be free diving, cliff diving, swimming areas, jet skiing, and super powerboat racing, rides, and demonstrations. Close to the lagoon is a cable pull skiing/wakeboarding arena.
COASTER EXPERIENCE
Proceeding in a clockwise direction around the park, we find three rollercoasters, all designed by Intamin. The first roller coaster is a low to the ground Blitz style double launched coaster, similar in style to Maverick at Cedar Point. The second roller coaster is a Giga coaster, similar to Intimidator 305 at Kings Dominion, but slightly taller with a longer bottom section. The third and largest coaster will break the records for tallest and fastest coaster, with a similar top hat design of Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure, but this roller coaster will be mounted to the side of one of the two 500ft tall center towers and clear the top after launching at a speed between 160 and 170 mph. In addition to the top hat element, there will be an extensive bottom section instead of an immediate break run like most roller coasters in this style. This third coaster may also break the record for longest coaster, but it will greatly depend on how the bottom sections are designed, since there are no plans for a second launch just to beat the length record.
DROP EXPERIENCE
On the bridge between the two 500ft tall building is an area designed for many activities, including BASE jumping, bungee jumping, hang gliding, and a cable drop free-fall system similar to the one on the top of the Stratosphere in Las Vegas. The right tower will have several very large elevators that can easily fit a hang glider for transportation to the top. The left tower will have something very unique: a turbo drop/zero G elevator. To ride the zero G elevator, you will be required to wear a padded suit similar to a bear suit but with greater flexibility. The elevator will start at the bottom and then accelerate toward the top. Just before it reaches the top, it will quickly reverse directions and accelerate back toward the bottom, giving everyone inside the elevator 15-30 seconds of zero G time. The padded suits are to protect you when everyone falls into a heap as the elevator rapidly decelerates. Around the outside of the right tower will be very high rappelling stations.
MOTOR EXPERIENCE
To the right of the entrance and the last land we hit on clockwise tour around the park is the Motor Experience, a land dedicated to land vehicles with motors. The centerpiece of this land is a one mile long oval race track with an on track circuit of 2.5 miles. On this track, you will be able to ride in or drive several different extremely high horsepower cars including the Ariel Atom, McLaren MP4, Lamborghini Aventador, the Bugatti Veyron, and an Indy F1 Car. On the inside of the track, there is an additional track with a meandering race track for more agile style races and rides.
On the far side of the oval track is a drag racing track where you can go for rides in an actual drag racer. To the side of the oval race track, there are three different 4 wheel drive courses for guests to explore: an off-road course, a mud course, and a rock crawling course. There is an arena in this area that is normally designated as a smashup derby track, but since smashup derby is a little on the destructive side, it has been modified into a new game called Tilt Smash Derby. The cars have all been designed to be a little top heavy with a large beak like hook protruding past the front of the car. The challenge here is to knock over your competitors using the beak as leverage to push them over until the last vehicle upright wins.
RESTAURANTS
Each Experience will have its own series of restaurants themed to the area around it. These restaurant will specialize in high octane fuel to get the athletes charged back up and ready to go another round. There will be some lower calorie offerings, but these will be more considered add-ons instead of main specialties.
RECAP BAR & GRILL
The restaurant near the entrance will be an event all on its own and a required stop before you get back to the parking lot. The Recap Bar & Grill will be party central after participants get done with their activities and need a place to go and burn out the last of their energy. The Recap will feature a fully stocked bar plus a full scale restaurant featuring prime cuts of meat plus more filling foods that an athlete needs to wait until after the game to imbibe. While it may look like a high end sports bar with flat screen televisions every couple of feet, the televisions are actually one of the main attractions here. Instead of playing regular sports programming, the TV’s will be playing recorded footage from that day’s activities at the park. Particularly impressive displays of skill and sportsmanship will be placed on a Top Ten highlight reel, but many other activities will also be recorded and aired from across the spectrum of what ESPN’s Adrenaline has to offer. During the day when events are ongoing, The Recap will have live steams of many different events as they happen at the park. This restaurant will have a very upbeat vibe that will be driven up even further by the gathering of adrenaline junkies recalling the day’s adventures and letting loose.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Most of the activities at ESPN’s Adrenaline will be upcharge attractions, but the entrance fee will be fairly low to allow some guests to come in and play spectator. Even with a general admission ticket, spectators will be allowed to sally up to the counter and buy a ticket to whatever adventure suits their fancy today, although to be guaranteed a place on your favorite, reservations should be made, particularly for lower capacity events. Since there will be tournaments held at ESPN’s Adrenaline, there will be plenty of capacity for spectators to only watch the event that they came for and not feel like their wallet was purged. Of the few non-upcharged activities in the park, the roller coasters will always be free with admission.
ESPN’s Adrenaline. The Place Where Extreme Goes When It Is Bored.
THE MOVIES
Who hasn’t wanted to be a movie star? Standing on a soundstage. Working with a director. Learning the process. Attending a premier and seeing yourself up there on the silver screen.
This experience will be unlike any other in the world allowing the average person to be fitted in costume, be made up by a makeup artist and standing in front of the camera and appearing in a short film.
Located adjacent to the Disney Studios theme park, this complex, sitting on 15 acres will feature a number of soundstages and post production offices with theatres and makeup and costume trailers on site.
Guests interested in THE MOVIES, will have to make reservations at least 3 months prior to their visit as the maximum guests per day will top off at 200 persons per day. Pricing will be 400 dollars per person and will be all inclusive and designed for those 16 and older.
After making your reservation and sending in a head shot, you will be cast in one of 20 different short films ranging from science fiction to westerns to slapstick comedy to war films to period romance. You will then be sent a script 3 weeks prior to your visit to THE MOVIES to give you time to memorize it to the best of your ability.
Be sure to get your rest the night before, as just like in real life this experience will start at 5AM and you are in for a long day. You report first to the Studio and meet your director where you will be briefed on the planned shooting schedule for the day. Then its off to the make trailers where you will be made up in real person makeup or perhaps even as a monster from outer space. From makeup, report to costuming where you will be assigned a costume for your role in the film. Then its off to thesoundstage for your close up.
Just like in real movie production you will take direction and do multiple takes. Bring your acting chops with you, because the more you put into your performance the more you’ll get out of it. Of course there is downtime between shots, so enjoy the amenities of the studio.
You’ll have your schedule of when to report for shooting, so take some time to take acting lessons from an expert actor teaching the “Method’ style of acting. Learn at the feet of a master dance instructor and get in touch with your inner Fred Astaire, or just learn how to better to use your body as the instrument it is in front of the camera. Feel free also to take some time and enjoy downtime on the basketball court, watching movies on private screens or take time to run lines. You can also take time to visit with film editors and foley artists who will work on your film in post production. These experts will show you how the process works and even give you the opportunity after your shooting is done for the day to help in the post production process.
Looks like its time to report to the set for your scenes. This part of your day will take between 4 to 6 hours and you will be acting and doing multiple takes. This is for all intents and purposes a real working movie studio and this will be your opportunity to put yourself out there and really show them what you’ve got. The films after editing will each run appx. 15 minutes long and will require you take the process seriously as once again the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it. There will be lighting and sound, green screens and sets you will work with. You’ll be given your marks and direction and it will be a full day.
Movie stars gotta eat, so just like on real shoots feel free to stop by the Craft Services tables between takes for nibbles and goodies. Low fat treats for those starlets watching their figure, ice cream sundaes to get your energy levels up and at lunch Wolfgang Puck catered lunches will be served featuring beef, fish and vegetarian dishes.
IT’S A WRAP!
Filming concludes at about 4pm, so feel free to visit the post production offices to see how special effects artists, foley and editors work their craft on your filmed escapades from earlier in the day and even help in the process. Once again volunteer to help in making sound effects for example and get the most out of your experience.
Finally at 6 pm when night starts falling, look for the searchlights in the sky…its time for your big premiere! 
Its time to walk the red carpet to a 5 course dinner featuring all your favorite foods served to you. At 7:00 dinner ends and the film festival begins. You and the other 100 actors in two different dining rooms will then watch all 8 fifteen minute long films made during the day.
The day will last from 5 am until about 930 pm and will be an experience of a lifetime.
The price for this experience will be 400 per person and will be all inclusive. It will also include a BluRay or DVD of your film with outtakes and commemorative on set photos. Finally as you leave you’ll be given a letterman’s style wool jacket with leather arms with the name of your film embroidered on the back with the name of your character stitched on the front left breast.
Become a star at Walt Disney World’s newest experience, THE MOVIES!
Prepare to have a rootin', hootin', hollerin' time down at the ol' Western River Expedition, a blast from the past for sure! Step back to a time deceptively laid back, yet ultimately one thrill of an adventure. Let's begin our tour of the Western River Expedition.
Situated between Disney's Wilderness Lodge and Disney's Wilderness Campground, Western River Expedition will take you on the adventure of a lifetime across the wildest west in the wilderness. You begin your journey on a tour of an old wild west town, brought to life with incredibly detailed architecture and spectacular actors. Along the tour actors will find your group strange based upon your unusual clothing and items. Everything is calm, aside from some rather raucous townspeople, that is until a group of cowbows enter the saloon while your group has made a stop there to inform everyone the mayor's daughter has been kidnapped. From here your group sets out along with these cowboys on a mission to find the mayor's daughter before its late.
The journey begins on horseback, where guests can enjoy a horseback ride out of the town and into the western desert. When they come across a river, guests get off their horses and board rafts as they continue their expedition down the great Western River. Down the river, they can see the culprits, a group of bandits who have the mayor's daughter and are making their way down the river. They fall out of sight before your group can catch up. The rest of the ride is a wet and wild ride down the rapids that provide a nice cool down in the blistering heat of the west.
Coming across deserted mining tunnels where they are sure the outlaws had gone. Guests climb down into the depths of this deserted mine before coming across the culprits once again. A series of gunshots are fired back and forth in a great chase after these outlaws. The outlaws however manage to clamber into a mine cart and escape through a tunnel back out into the desert.
Your group however discovers an old train that's been store inside the mountain, so guests board this train and the cowboys get it working and back out onto the tracks. Along the ride, they discover the mine cart had derailed just up ahead, and so the train is brought to a stop and the cowboys get out to inspect the deserted mine cart. When nothing can be found the cowboys get back on and start up the train back towards the town. The outlaws, however, had secretly boarded the train and surprise the guests as they hold them up for their belongings. The cowboys arrive to save the day, defeating the outlaws, rescuing the mayor's daughter, and returning your group safely back to the western town where the townspeople await to congratulate your group and celebrate with a big feast down at the saloon with some musical entertainment to finish off the night.
From the whimsical world of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, comes the real Underland to life at Walt Disney World. Situated on the island formerly known as Discovery Island, this wonderland themed boutique park is anything but a wonderland. Underland is filled with some of the most thrilling Disney rides of all time and once in a lifetime experiences, with special emphasis on guest participation and interaction. Here, guests will visit the fabulous and fantastical realms of Underland, including Crims, Marmoreal, and Tugley Wood. Before your adventure your adventure begins, you embark on a boat from the Seven Seas Lagoon, which connects to Bay Lake. From on the horizon, the boat and its passengers see the mysterious island of Underland. The backstory to this boutique park is that there is a new Red Queen, who claims to be the daughter of Iracebeth. The guests are brought here to find the “Right Alice”. Ultimately the experience is dominated by a treasure hunt to find the lost Vorpal Sword. Guests will receive a first clue with their tickets to find the missing sword, which has been hidden by the new Red Queen. The clues will them lead them on a treasure hunt across the land of Underland. Each party will get various starter clues, which will lead you on your path to find the sword. As the guests arrive on the island, they see a normal looking, British themed garden area. Before the guests enter Underland, they are invited to go through one of two entrances. For the adventurous sorts is an indoor coaster, of which is aptly titled The Rabbit Hole. This high speed, spiraling coaster has a separate loading area and disembarking area. The loading area takes place in the pre-garden area, while the disembarking goes a few feet underneath the original point. This is done by the pre-garden area being a bit higher above ground then the rest of Underland. In the Rabbit Hole Coaster, guests will soar past instruments, the famous white rabbit, and all sorts of time pieces. The other entrance to Underland is through a corridor that starts to sink down a bit, slowly. Without knowledge, the guests are lowered a bit into the ground while following this passageway. Down this passageway, the guests will also tend to feel as if they are becoming much bigger and the hallways much smaller due to specialty props and techniques. Both will then meet at the end in the Long Hall. While in the Long Hall, you see that one famous door with the golden doorknob. Alas, the door is much too small for you to fit through. At this time, your guides for the evening join you from out of the blue. They offer you a finger cake which is wrapped in packaging that is labeled eat me. They also offer small bottles of water that are labeled drink me. Through use of Disney magic, the door and surroundings seem to enlarge once you take a sip of water as instructed (which makes the guests smaller). The guides advise you to eat the cake once you exit the hall to make you larger.
Once you finally exit through the door, you enter The Garden which is filled with luscious, oversized plantlife and flowers. Here in the Garden, you are introduced to Tweedledum, Tweedledee, The White Rabbit, the Dodo, and the Dormouse. They argue over which one of you are Alice, but Absalom decides that none of you have returned to be the “Right Alice”. In the Garden, you can also find a lavish merry-go-round entitled the Caucus Race. Instead of Horses, guests have their choice of dodo birds. Also featured in the Garden is a series of zip lines that can be used to gain access to other parts of Underland. The main store, Alice’s Underground, is featured in the Garden as well where you can buy your Alice and Underland themed souvenirs. Also look for a meeting with Alice.
From the garden, begins your journey in Underland. Westward is the land of Witzend. Here you are greeted by the March Hare and Tarrant Hightopp, the Mad Hatter. The guests engage in their hilarious comedy and insanity. The also enjoy a viewing of the Mad Hatter’s famous Futerwacken dance. In Witzend is a small, quick service restaurant, Hightopp’s Tavern. Here guests are invited to dine on typical food with Wonderland flair. There is an emphasis placed upon their renowned sandwiches, and of course a variety of tea. Also found in the land of Witzend is a new version of Mad Tea Party. This Mad Tea Party looks a bit more rustic and natural, as compared to its counterpart.
The next land you visit in clockwise fashion is Salazen Grum. You head through a Labyrinth that has been constructed from numerous hedges leading up to the castle, Crims. Throughout the Labyrinth, you are taunted by the Cheshire Cat, who you continually see, and not see. Crims has been restored to its glory by the heir and daughter of Iracebeth, Furiana. While inside Crims, guests have a few options to partake in. The main restaurant, The Red Queen’s Banquet Hall is situated in the heart of the castle. It is a lavish feast, filled with many different food options with emphasis on British Cuisine. Throughout the dining experience, you can hear the Queen shout “Off With Their Heads”. In the courtyard of Crims, guests can join in a game of learning croquet. From the castle, you can also access Tugley Wood. In this wood locates the devilish coaster, the Jabberwocky. In this thrilling coaster ride, you zip around a chessboard battle scene where the battle between the Jabberwocky and Alice once took place, only to your surprise that you find a meeting with the Jabberwocky towards the end. The guests are left baffled as to whether it was just an illusion, or if there is truly another Jabberwocky.
Finally is the land of Marmoreal where the White Queen’s Castle is located. Here guests are treated to a view of Marmoreal by boat. However, the boat rides gets a bit rocky towards the end due to some bewitching by Furiana. The solemn boat ride turns into river rapids ride, for a more thrilling adventure. Another obstacle placed here is a hall of mirrors, in which you are instructed that you might be able to go through the looking glass. In the center of the palace, guests can view of cirque style show based on the whimsical land. Before leaving, they can enjoy Mirana’s Bakery filled with delicious sweets and desserts.
At the end of your time in Underland, everyone gathers at the gate back to Disney World. They also reveal the winner of the night’s treasure hunt to find the location of the Vorpal Sword. The winning family is given the ultimate prize…A night in Cinderella’s Castle Suite.
Jeff: I liked the idea of ESPN becoming more part of the Disney brand. I think a park based on extreme sports is an excellent idea, and would also help Disney to identify itself with ESPN. The park is basically every teenage boys' fantasy wrapped up in a Disney park, where Disney seems to over emphasize some girl aspects. You had a ton of fun experiences, and I think the coaster experience is extremely necessary. Excellent!
Joseph: Going with a theme that is already utilized in a Disney park could be a risky idea. It might lead to some guest confusion as to why there are two movie parks. However, you definitely did create a once in a lifetime experience. Emerging guests in the movie life would enable them to get a taste of what being a celebrity is really like. The park definitely sounds like a lot of fun, the only thing I would suggest is a change in the name.
Dan: You seemed to stay true to the original concept for a Disney boutique park. As with Joseph's the Movies, your park serves as a companion to AK. I liked that you included animal experiences that aren't really emphasized in AK, as well as adding thrills. Of course the return of Adventurer's Club would be well welcomed and seemed to fit well in the park.
Nick: Excellent work on the logo once again. You blow me away with these. I've always been a huge fan of this concept of further exploring the west in a Disney park. I always thought it was a great idea for frontierland, and am saddened that it was never built. The placement next to Wilderness Lodge was perfect. I can see many guests at this resort being attracted to a further exploration of the Wilderness. The encounter with the outlaws was priceless! Great Job and Great Theme.
As for my favroite this week, this is a tricky one. Everybody's ideas were so excellent in their own rights. However, I've decided to give this week's to Nick.
On a side note (not to stray off topic), Dan, my novel is about the end of the world and the race to find the single source of knowledge that can sustain the survival of mankind. Just your everyday end of the world experience...
Back on topic, Tim, love the idea of a Wonderland-themed park, it would be an incredible atmosphere.
-The Hidden Lands of the Magic Kingdom-
Welcome, to the park within the park. A park where you can wander the public world of the Magic Kingdom, before experiencing the hidden lands. Tickets are sold at the Transportation and Ticketing center and in a small story on Main Street. Each person if given a card for admittance into each land. The four hidden lands correspond with four lands of the Magic Kingdom. The hidden lands include 3012, The Kingdom, Jungle Canopy, and Thunder Mesa.
*Jungle Canopy*
This land's entrance is located between the Jungle Cruise and the Swiss Family Treehouse. A Cast member checks the guest's card and admits them to a short trail toward the top of the Jungle Cruise Temple. Here, guests suit up for a high ropes course through the jungle. A store and snack bar are also located here(8 different flavors of Dole whip anyone?). From above the temple, guest travel on easy ropes courses 12 to 24 feet off the ground that venture over the Rivers once to an outpost. From here, guests can experience a medium level course with a small triple zipline at the end. A difficult level course is also available. This one takes guest 45 feet in the air and ends in a 250 foot zipline over a pond with hippos jumping out of the water. The most difficult course takes guest 70 feet high through a long trek through the tree tops with the most difficult challenges. The final thrill is a drop zone giving guests a 90 foot drop and swing into a gorge in the jungle. Only the easy level courses have the style of commercial ropes courses(Think Old Town, Stone Mountain, and Dollywood).
Thunder Mesa is an extension of the Big Thunder Mt Range inspired by the Western River Expedition exterior. Admission is allowed through a trail across the train tracks into the new half of the Thunder Mountains. A restaurant overlooking the the land and Thunder Mt known as Cafe Wild serves steaks and burgers cooked on open grills for all to see. There are two main attractions in Thunder Mesa, repelling and rock climbing. Guests gear up and can conquer different heights and difficulties of rock climbing and repelling: 15 feet, 25, 35, 50, 65, and 85. A small play area also is included letting kids climb over, under, around, and through unique rock formations.
*3012*
The entrance to this indoor land in just next to the old sky ride building in Tomorrowland. Unique exhibits abound where guests can play games, design things of the future, and see possibilities of the future, all with the wave of a guests hand. Think of the Kinect technology to the next level where guests can point to a screen and then have control over it by moving things around without even touching the screen. A gradually rotating star gallery lies above everyone's heads in the exhibit, store, restaurant. Star Bites is the counter service restaurant serving both American basics and foods typically served in space. I may have the opportunity to give more detail of 3012's main attraction in a later competition, so here's a extra brief description: Have you ever wanted to LIVE Mario Kart, experience the roads of the future, ride Men in Black Alien Attack, set booby traps, transform the track, shoot other racers, all in one? Thanks to sensors, 3D, electromagnets, projections, and more, you can in LIGHT RACE: A Race Through the Future.
Everyone's talking about it, King Stefan and the Queen are having a child! Everyone's Invited! Guests enter The Kingdom through the Dumbo's Circus themed area. Guest walk through the forest to the castle and are 'just in time' for Aurora's christening. The first show guests are ushered into shows the fairies giving Aurora gifts, but the special effects go wild when Maleficent appears. After the show, guests board 1 of 2 rides that tell the same story, but use different ride systems. One uses the trackless ride system(available for all) and the other uses as system similar to Dinosaur(but much smoother, at first). Guest ride through the 14 minute ride which stops in the story where the Prince escapes Maleficent's castle. Guests then enter the final 360 live show. The sleeping castle resides at one of the room(were talking a room that's 1/3 audience seating, and 2/3 stage) and Philip entering the other side. The live show takes off from there with a battle to the castle including a dragon that puts Murphy to shame. After the castle wakens, guest are invited inside for Aurora's Banquet, an upscale character restaurant. After, the food, guests are ushered out of the land back into the Magic Kingdom.
The Hidden Lands give 3000 guests an upscale experience unlike any other.
I would have really liked to describe some things more, but I have been really busy recently.
