Advanced Placement World History project: Creating a Theme Park Attraction

While conversing with the students of my AP World History class, they suggested that they conduct a project after their AP exam on May 11th to create a Disney ride based on a historical period or event that we learned about this year. 

Of course, I thought it was a fantastic idea. I took their idea and ran with it and fleshed out the project rubric below. Thought I'd share. :)

Walt Disney World
Historical Attraction Proposal

A lot goes into the development of attractions at Walt Disney World.

A Disney attraction can be defined as the following:
-A ride that moves guests through a story portraying three-dimensional space.
-A show featuring either live, animatronic, or digital performers complete with multisensory effects.
-A resort providing high quality accommodations and various amenities, including restaurants, shops, pools, and recreation.
-A restaurant providing a variety of menu items that is themed to a specific environment.

The one thing that all of these types of attractions have in common is storytelling. Guests are immersed into a real-world environment where they are the characters. They have an engaging role to play, rather than simply being passive observers.

You are an applicant to Walt Disney Imagineering and are charged with providing a portfolio, featuring an attraction for their newest theme park in central Florida, Disney’s Historical Adventures. WDI encourages you to develop one of the following attractions when applying:

                -A D- or E-Ticket attraction for the new park.

-A multisensory, immersive show featuring either live, digital, animatronic, or puppetry performers.

-A series of restaurants (quick service, casual, and character) featuring a minimum of three entrees and two desserts.

-A nearby resort that continues the storytelling of the park.

The individual requirements for each of the attractions are outlined below:

Theme Park Ride (You may not build a roller coaster.)
1. This must be an immersive environment. Think about where the attraction would take place. Will this be an outdoor attraction (such as Voyage to the Crystal Grotto in Shanghai or Expedition: Everest), an indoor attraction (like Pirates of the Caribbean or the Haunted Mansion), or one that goes both inside and outside (like Test Track)?

2. What will the exterior architecture look like? Keep in mind that it should tie to the historical period and location you have chosen to depict. What will the queue feature? How will the queue help to set the time and place for the story being told?

3. What is the ride vehicle? How will it move you through the attraction? Are you using an omnimover? Virtual reality? A boat? An inverted track system? How will the ride vehicle help to create the story being told?

4. Create a blueprint/overhead view of the attraction including the ride path and general placement of each scene.

5. Create three pieces of concept art for three different scenes that guests would experience in the attraction. This can take the form of scenery, architecture, individual characters/costumes, or even an entire scene in the attraction (look at Marc Davis or Rolly Crump concept art for inspiration).

6. Write a story pitch for the attraction. You may include a script, plot, character bios, etc. Keep in mind that this needs to be an original plot but should depict a historical event or historical period. It can be a fanciful attraction that should be inspired by history or a purely educational experience.

7. Design an attraction sign or marquee so that when guests walk up, they know what they will experience in the attraction. Create a name for your attraction that helps guests understand what they’ll experience.

Entertainment/Show

1.       This must be an immersive environment. Think about where the attraction would take place. Will this be an open air show (such as Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular) or an indoor show (like The American Adventure or the Carousel of Progress)?

2.       What will the format for this show be? A live musical extravaganza (Finding Nemo: The Musical)? An educational show (The American Adventure)? A 3D/multisensory adventure (Mickey’s Philharmagic)? A theater in the round (Stitch’s Great Escape)?

3.       Who will the characters be portrayed by? Digital creations? Audio Animatronics? Live performers? Puppets? Why?

4.       What will the exterior architecture look like? Keep in mind that it should tie to the historical period and location you have chosen to depict. What will the queue feature? How will the queue help to set the time and place for the story being told?

5.       Write a script for the show. The show must be a minimum of five minutes from entering the theater to the exit (1 page per minute). Make sure to not only include dialogue but also the actions being performed. Keep in mind that this needs to be an original plot but should depict a historical event or historical period. It can be a fanciful attraction that should be inspired by history or a purely educational experience.

6.       Create three pieces of concept art for three different scenes that guests would experience in the attraction. This can take the form of scenery, architecture, individual characters/costumes, or even an entire scene in the attraction (look at Marc Davis or Rolly Crump concept art for inspiration).

7.       Design an attraction sign or marquee so that when guests walk up, they know what they will experience in the attraction. Create a name for your attraction that helps guests understand what they’ll experience

Restaurant

1.       Please remember that you must design TWO restaurants. One restauarant must be a quick-service establishment (Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café) and the other must be either a casual or character dining experience (Liberty Tree Tavern, the Coral Reef Restaurant, the Crystal Palace).

2.       This must be an immersive, story-telling dining experience. Guests should be immersed in a specific place and time as they eat. Explain the backstory of the attraction. Where are guests dining? When are they dining? Write a minimum two page story that places your restaurant in time and space. Who started your restaurant? Why did they start the restaurant? What do the different dining rooms represent? Explain the decorations on the walls. How do they fit into your story (read the backstory of Skipper Canteen for help).

3.       You must create a menu that includes three entrees and two desserts at a minimum. These must be historically authentic to the time and place your restaurant fits into. Make sure you include pricing, sides, and optional beverages.

4.       Create three pieces of concept art either showing restaurant fixtures (tables, lights, the ordering counter, trash cans), the exterior architecture, cast member costumes, character costumes (for the character dining experiences), or concept art of the dining rooms.

5.       Design either the menu or the sign of the restaurant so guests have an idea of what they will experience inside the restaurant. Create a name for your restaurants that helps guests understand what they’ll experience

Resort Hotel

1.       This must be an immersive resort experience. Guests should be immersed in a specific time and place.

2.       Your resort must include:

a.       Guest rooms

b.       A lobby

c.       A food court

d.       A higher-end restaurant

e.       A minimum of one themed swimming pool

f.        Other amenities (tennis courts, boat rentals, horse riding, campfires, outdoor movies, game arcade, a lounge, etc.)

3.       What will the exterior of your resort look like? How will it tell the story of the resort before guests even step foot in the lobby for the first time? What type of vegetation will you include to set the time and place of the resort?

4.       Create a blueprint of your resort. Where will the lobby be located? Where will your rooms be located? Etc. Is your resort a value, moderate, or deluxe resort?

5.       Create three pieces of concept art. Your concept art can depict the lobby, the exterior of the building, guest rooms, the swimming pool, the dining hall, fixtures, etc.

6.       Create a menu for meals guests can experience at the food court and the higher end restaurant that fit into the story of the resort. You must include a minimum of three entrees per restaurant.

7.       What will the main form of transportation be for the resort? Monorail? Friendship Boat? Bus transportation? Gondola? Something else? How might that fit into the story of your attraction?

8.       Write the backstory for your attraction. Make sure to explain the major characters that may have founded the resort, what type of building is being depicted, why your pool was created, what the dining hall is and how it fit into the story being told, etc. Make sure that your story fits into a specific time and place and is somewhat historically accurate. See the backstories for Wilderness Lodge and Port Orleans/Dixie Landings for inspiration.

Historiography:

Your attraction/show/restaurant/resort is tied directly to Disney’s newest Orlando park, Disney’s Historical Adventures. As a result, guests need to be fully immersed in an environment that is both historically accurate, geographically accurate, as well as telling a specific story. This story can be fiction or true, but needs to be interesting, engaging, and fit into a region and time period of history (such as Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom or Sunset Rach Market at Disney’s Hollywood Studios). So where do you start? Consider a historical period or civilization that interested you and start there. However, keep in mind that it must be family friendly---this is Disney (sorry, no Mongol pillaging or Aztec human sacrificing)! Next, pick which of the above attractions you’d like to focus on. Begin telling your story and then flesh out the actual details of how you could make that in a real-world environment! The story and attraction will slowly start to come together!