Reponse to the Onride of Pirates of the Caribbean Shanghai

We were shown a full ride through of the Shanghai Pirates of the Caribbean ride. At first, when the ride was starting to move and there was narration/talking over still skeletons, I was starting to het very disappointed and thought it was going to be entirely like that, but then Jack Sparrow was magically brought from the skeleton and I immediately felt surprised and intrigued, even though I could barely understand what was going on. The animatronic work was fairly believable, much more impressive than I expected at first. The full screen parts were the most effective for me, as I'm sure in person they would take up more of my view and suck me into the experience much more.

However, there were some parts where the immersion was broken, and for an experience ride like this one, those parts were painful to sit through, such as the part where the screen up ahead was visible when changing. The audio work and music definitely helped, and was the most integral part of the whole experience, as even if the effects were stellar, without the audio and music it would have felt fake or fell flat.

I did not understand the language that was spoken, because I don't speak Chinese. Despite this obvious setback, the viewing was still really enjoyable and immersive for me, and it was definitely the audio work and immersive fullscreen parts that sucked me into the experience. It reminded me of the times I rode on the experience rides at theme parks, and how in that environment everything felt so much more real. Not being actually there makes my eye more critical of the flaws I see, and I think this ride would have effectively connected with me much better if I was there. The sense of adventure, the excitement throughout the ride, I felt some of it, even if it wasn't all of it. I have to really give props to the music honestly, the audio work made me feel things even if my brain was skeptic and unwilling to be truly immersed.

This experience, from what I've got it, was an adventure you were pulled along with viewer interaction. From an adaptive standpoint, the only true medium that has genuine audience engagement on a one on one basis is video games, and for this type of immersive experience, I would adapt this ride to Virtual Reality. The headset would seal in the eyes in darkness, and allow full control of what the person can or cannot see, making it easier to cater the experience for specifically one viewer.

The changes I would make are simple, more audience engagement, and if budget would allow, there would be a 4D seat for the player to sit in that would move in accordance to the movements shown in the VR scene. The animatronics would be replaced with real actors or CGI ones shown in the screen, and won't have to have that uncanny feel to them. It would feel quite real, but without danger of having water splash onto you. (Unless you wanted to have extra immersion, we could have someone with a water bucket on standby.) There would be more player engagement of course, more choices, input, control over where the boat is headed, etc. This would let there be a reason for some people to choose the VR ride version over the actual ride version, because if it was exactly the same, there would be not much novelty in trying out the VR version if there was already the same physical ride.

World of Wakanda Initial Proposal

We were given 15 acres of land and $1.5 Billion dollars to design a theme park after the concept of the nation of Wakana from Marvel's The Black Panther. The story for the theme park is that after the events of the movie, King T'Challa has opened up Wakanda to the outside world, sharing people it's technology, culture, and enlighten foreigners to the Wakandan way of life.

The central structure 'weinie' of the whole park will be the grand waterfall that is shown during the ceremony for the crowning of the King of Wakanda. This waterfall will be visible from anywhere in the park (besides indoor areas and underground areas), and will also make a water park attraction where visitors can cool off during especially hot days. Around this waterfall will be a simulation ride in which the visitors are shown the creation of Wakanda, it's rich history, and allow the viewer to be immersed deep within Wakandan's culture. This ride will take it's architectural theme from the Wakandan Palace, and the realm of spirits. The realm of spirits theme will be built around the waiting line of the attraction, decorating the area with an ethereal glow and the flowers that have lights in them, so they appear to shine.

The concept of multiple tribes in Wakanda also are showcased in their respective sections around the park. As you explore more of the theme park, you will be able to gather pins, symbols that signify you have associated and learned about that tribe. These pins can allow you to get specific reactions from certain areas of the theme park, much like how your score in the Star War's Millennium Falcon ride decides how you are treated in the bar. In addition to this interactivity concept, there will be necklaces like T'Challa wears available for sale, showcased in a laboratory like setting where merchandise with a more techlike vibe can be sold here. These necklaces can allow certain interactions around the park, much like the wands from the World of Harry Potter at Universal.

To tie together the theme of acceptance of differences and learning of other viewpoints, the park will have a memorial area for Killmonger in the park. This area will let people know of Killmonger's story and his motives for what he had done, but in a respectful manner. This area will satisfy the fans of the character, providing more content for the deceased character, while also staying in character of T'Challa, who ended up coming to terms with him, not forgiving him or anything but respectfully acknowledging his perspective and wishes.

Cuisine will be served in small shacks and also come with a themed restaurant serving African cuisine, the examples of which are jollof rice, plantains, etc. There will also be drinks themed after the purple flower drink, and alcoholic drinks for adults themed after the characters in the movie and other things. There will be vegan options available, along with gluten free to accommodate various dietary requirements.