The Update

After considering the technical challenges to completely rebuilding the pavilion it became clear that an addition would be more prudent to this design. The original concept was redesigned to add onto the existing Wonders of Life building while still creating the effect inspired by Syndrome's Island Lair found in The Incredibles. Also the iconic volcano from the island was added to create a sense of scale to the building, and some exterior show features were added (such as moving orbs along a monorail track). The architecture and styling was looked at with closer detail trying to blend the appearance of the Wonders of Life building with new design elements. Also, area signage is being considered using Superhero-like shields and dynamic typefaces. The atmosphere created by this attraction is developing nicely, the next step will be to try and conceptualize this image more and then render it in three dimensions.

The Icons

These images are iconic to the Disney and Pixar franchise and if used correctly throughout the pavilion can truly identify and seperate this attraction from all others across Walt Disney World. Additional themeing includes SUPERHERO type graphics/shields/art/etc.

Signage to design:
1) Entrance
2) FastPass
a) Distribution + Return Time
b) Return Entrance
3) Stand-By Entrance + Wait Time
4) Photo Booth + Gift Shop + Juice Bar
5) Additional graphics and themeing

The First Logo's

Taking from the visual style and aesthetic of The Incredibles movie and concept art, the logo for Super Human will be designed to have a futuristic 50's feel that also gives the appearance of industrial products that had hopes to extend their brand well into the twentieth century (like Frigidaire and so on). Inspired by many typefaces found at the Font Diner the logo has quickly developed from the sketch below to the sketch above. I still have to decide if I will purchase typefaces for the finished logo, or try and design my own, or try and draw the logo myself as a stand-alone image. I also explored possible graphic options for the logo including strokes, fills, spacing, kerning, sizes and 3D effects.

The First Concept

The early concept for the building developed by looking at the building that was featured in the movie - Syndrome's "lair" (the one that Mr. Incredible has to break into). The exterior and interior were adapted to suit the Epcot experience, but the architectural style seems to suit the area and blend nicely between Universe of Energy and Mission: Space. It's 50's vision of the future meets the twentieth century appearance does not completely break away from the Future World plan, but instead introduces another concept to the possibilities of buildings to come.

The building must include the following:
- FastPass Distrubution
- FastPass Return
- Seperate FastPass Queue Line
- Stand-By Entrance
- Stand-By Queue Line
- Vehicle Load
- Ride:
- Intro + Frozone Escape
- Omnidroid + Robot Control Room
- Mr. Incredible battle (breaks virtual hole in building)
- Dash battle (takes place in virtual outdoors at virtual high speed)
- Frozone battle (through volcano and lava flows)
- Violet battle (in jungle)
- Elastagirl battle (return indoors to orb mono-rail station)
- "Incredibles" battle that destroys Omnidroid and Syndrome
- comedic Jack-Jack finale
- Vehicle Un-Load
- Interactive Edutainment kiosks
- Gift Shop + Energy Juice Bar
- Exit

The Architectural Surroundings

Universe of Energy
Oooo... shiny. I wish my cell phone ran off solar power.



Wonders of Life
Two words, Deoxyribonucleic Acid.



Mission: Space
Giant pointy curvy things and giant colourful marbles. Huh? Those are planets? SWEET!



Test Track
Is this pavilion still under construction? Ohh.. it's supposed to look like that, I get it.

The Location

The Wonders of Life Pavilion is located on the East side of Future World in Epcot. It opened in 1989 and features a variety of attractions focused on health, fitness and the human body including Body Wars, Cranium Command and The Making of Me. In 2004 it closed and is only scheduled to open seasonally, causing the space to be unused for the majority of the year. The theme of this pavilion is important to the experience of Future World but is not represented well with the increase of thrill attractions that surround it, which leaves this open to update.

Many fear the ever increasing amount of intense "un-futuristic" rides that have been opened in this area such as Test Track, and most recently Mission: Space. This is a debate for another time, but I feel that the East vs. West Future World is an excellent way to seperate the experiences offered by different types of attractions. Also, if Imagineering were to remodel (or re-invent) the "Innoventions" building and add that to the current updates to Spaceship Earth, the land could be re-focused into a NEW vision of the future, as Walt originally once conceived. Convert the attractions in the East into thrill rides that explore the technologies of the present and how they will influence the future. Allow the West to develop into a collection of milder attractions that explore the aspects of the world that inspire technology. Then, focus the center of Future World into a fantastic vision of the future, experiences that go beyond what is offered in the East & West.

This rejuvination of Epcot is obviously happening as this is being written, but it has resulted in the inspiration for this new attraction and theme. Continuing to educate guests on health, fitness and the human body, Super Human will bring a new experience to the technologies and wonders that Future World East provides while offering an E-ticket thrill ride.

The new attraction will be added on to the existing building, in an attempt to not completely remove the original vision of Epcot, Future World and its architecture as it was conceived by Imagineers in the early years.

The Visual Inspiration

The Idea

Before I open the sketchbook and let the flow of visualizations explode out of my imagination and onto paper I created a story for this attraction. Not only should the idea be inviting for many thousands of guests but also inspirational enough to me to draw something worth coming to. I thought of moments from within The Incredibles visual library and story that could capture the sensation of the movie as well as remind guests of iconic moments from the film.

- Omnidroid 9000 - the robotic beast controlled by Syndrome and ultimately defeated by the Incredibles
- Syndrome and his mysterious island and facility for developing "super" machines
- The massive wall of lava that opens into the control room and holding cell for trapped super heros
- Spinning blade flying machines that chase Dash through the dense jungle
- 1950's meets the future stylized architecture and objects including the mono-rail with spherical cars

With these simple little thoughts identified, quickly a story evolved.

-- SUPER HUMAN! Featuring The Incredibles --

Come, be one of the first to tour a brand new facility which proves, once and for all, that ANYONE can have Super Powers! After barely surviving a terrible cape incident involving an airplane and an infant child, Syndrome has once again emersed himself in work and has re-developed the Omnidroid 9000, along with many other human controlled devices. You are invited to a once-in-a-lifetime demonstration that will convince you that you do not need physical "super" powers like The Incredibles to become "Super Human" yourself!

... for his demonstration, Syndrome has managed to capture Frozone. As he proceeds to the testing room where Frozone is being held captive (so that he can be released to do battle with the newly refurbished Omnidroid) he is shocked to find that The Incredibles have arrived without his knowledge and have quickly released Frozone. Angered, Syndrome hurriedly chases the Supers in and out of the island facility while trying to control a variety of updated machinery with his new-and-improved wrist mounted control pad. He has decided to give up on jet propelled boots (and a cape) after his infamous incident with Jack-Jack. In the end, Syndrome once again falls to the will and determination of The Incredibles who use not only their physical abilities but mental strength to overcome the frustrated villain.

Guests ride on fast moving vehicles (that resemble a production facility golf-cart type tour car... but drastically 'futurized') and are guided by an animatronic Syndrome. The scenes are made drastically more realistic through the use of 3D glasses and massive video screens which emerese guests into a believable world of The Incredibles.

A post-show of "edutainment" kiosks will allow guests to interact with a variety of demonstrations of real-life devices, training mechanisms and examples of how humans have managed to make themselves "super human" (ie: athletes who train themselves for specific events, evolution of the human body, prosthetics, health seminars, physical endurance tests, etc.)

Following the post-show guests will exit the facility through a gift shop, a juice/energy bar and a meet & greet with characters from The Incredibles.

-- SUPER HUMAN! Featuring The Incredibles --

So now with this story, my sketchbook can be opened.

The Thought

So with this new project I was presented with a problem (in the same way all great designs begin). There were many questions that needed immediate answers. So it began. What should I imagine? How big should I dream? What should I draw? What do I need to demonstrate with it? What should I build? Who should it attract? Who should it inspire? Where should it go? What is it's story? Who will hate it? Who will love it? What should it look like? How will it work? These questions are endless and are still being continuously asked (along with many more) throughout this process. Yet I managed to yield some early and suprisingly successful results.

1. A single attraction ride (allowing for rendered perspectives, plans, logos and signage, stylized vignettes and a centralized concept, theme and story)
2. E-Ticket
3. New ride technology
4. Thrill ride meets Pixar
5. Replace unused attraction... Wonders of Life
6. Continue with same theme of "body" and "life" while introducing new Pixar characters... The Incredibles (super powers) (also there are no unveiled plans for an attraction featuring The Incredibles)
7. Edutainment, explorative/interactive post-show... how you (and developers) can create the "super" body
8. New name... Super Human!
9. Artistic and Architectural style... Future World @ Epcot meets 1950's vision of the future
10. Story... the return of Syndrome and his own personal attempts at fabricated super powers

So in a few minutes my imagination was able to conceptualize this project, to my own suprise, and has left me very excited at the possibilities. Soon you will see an old and unused (but still very much loved) attraction be regenerated into an amazing new ride experience that will continue the development of Future World and fit nicely along the line of rejuvinated attractions (Mission: Space & Test Track).

Farewell Wonders of Life. Welcome Super Human!

The Jr. Imagineer

Here you leave today and enter the world of Yesterday, Tomorrow and Fantasy. These lands have inspired an ongoing resource of my own thoughts and dreams for potential additions to Walt Disney theme parks. A portfolio of sorts, I intend to demonstrate my abilities as a designer in combination with my enthusiasm for Disney park designs and experiences. The resulting weblog will explore the process of my visions as I search for a personal outlet for my never-ending thought library. Without the inspiration of Walt Disney Imagineers and their ability to bring us into a new world everyday, I would not have been able find the "thing" I want to do with my life. I dedicate this to your hard work. Thank you for all the magic.

Enjoy!!