Armchair Imagineering: Three Prompts

Ian Kay over at Pure Imagineering has started presenting his followers with Imagineering Prompts—just quickie creative exercises for the Disney theme park fan community. I don’t have a Tumblr so I haven’t responded directly, but in the interest of maintaining momentum over here while I develop my Next Big Post, here are my responses to the three he has offered so far.

Imagineering Prompt #1: Restore, Redesign, Demolish

I can’t help but think of this as “F***, Marry, Kill” for theme parks. Only instead of being handed three choices and required to rank them in that fashion, we get to just pick. So here are mine:

Restore: Adventure Thru Inner Space. It was such a unique ride and it was gone just too soon to really be established as part of my generation’s nostalgia. More people should know what Imagineering is capable of when science is the subject. This is one case where I wouldn’t mind copious use of projections, since the original had plenty to begin with. Hell, I wouldn’t even mind some sort of paper-thin Ant-Man related framing device, if it got me a chance to explore the universe of the molecule again.

Redesign: I’m going to go with the Autopia on this one. A more interesting setting and vehicle design could really revitalize it.

Demolish: Star Tours. It has to go anyway as long as we’re bringing back Inner Space, right? And even apart from that, it’s going to become redundant as soon as the Star Wars area opens in a couple of years. Put it out to pasture.

Imagineering Prompt #2: Re-Theme an Existing Attraction For A Different Land/Park

This is where things start getting really creative. The responses to this one have been phenomenal. They haven’t revolved entirely around the short list of most popular rides, either. But I don’t think I’ve yet seen…a Fantasyland take on the Enchanted Tiki Room!

Picture a subterranean grotto, its earthy walls lined with moss, fungi, and phosphorescent crystals. Heads poke out here and there, and it turns out that the cavern is swarming with faeries and goblins! They sing songs, but it emerges via the lyrics that there are two “factions” present—one trying to enchant the audience and keep them there forever, and one protecting the humans from the first group’s influence so that they can go free. The ruckus escalates until a statue at the center of the grotto comes to life—the sprites have awakened the Faerie Queen, and she’s rather annoyed. She sends them all scurrying with a wave of her wand, and then tells the audience they’d best be on their way as well.

Imagineering Prompt #3: IP-Based Restaurant

This one is deceptively straightforward: Adapt a Disney property into a theme park restaurant (but not Ratatouille or The Princess and the Frog, which are too obvious).

I suppose I could pull up my Bambi restaurant idea and call it a day, but what are prompts for if not getting us to stretch our creative muscles? So let's see, what else...

I'm gonna go really unconventional here with a Wreck-It Ralph eatery! Let's call it Litwak's Family Fun Zone. The concept is one of those cheap pizza parlors with an arcade attached. The food won't be so atrocious here—this is a Disney theme park, after all—but it will follow the same lines: pizza, nachos, hot dogs and hamburgers, etc. The menu will also feature a Pac-Man Fruit Platter and a breathtaking list of Sugar Rush-inspired desserts. Beverages will be listed under the heading of Tapper's. And of course the attached arcade will include all the games highlighted in the movie. The Cast Members wear striped referee shirts like Mr. Litwak wears in the movie, and the ones working the registers give out change in quarters.

That's all for this week. Sorry it's so short...make sure to head over to the Pure Imagineering Tumblr (linked above) and see the other responses to these great prompts!