Year 1 has much in store! Major updates to rides, new shops and restaurants, a new themed land, and so much more!

Refurbs of E-tickets

The Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror is the only ride from before both remakes of this park to still be standing, although it’s a cloned attraction. That isn’t a bad thing, but it certainly leads to it being compared to all of it’s sister locations across the parks. While some versions are equal to another in these cases, often times with the older version, the less impressive as technology eventually marches on which makes the others dated in comparison, with the newest versions having better technology in comparison since technology is made more available. However all versions should be regularly checked and updated as needed so they don’t fall to shambles.

Unfortunately, despite being the most recent version of this attraction, this does not ring true at all for the Paris version of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Even with it being updated in 2019, it still doesn’t fix the immersion problems this ride has, it just adds more meat and unique features to it, which while still appreciated, it also needs more to be helped. Let’s take a look at it.

FLORIDA VERSION CALIFORNIA VERSION

PARIS VERSION

So one of the first things I notice that takes away from the atmosphere is the lack of foliage. Foliage makes the area seem more abandoned because it makes it look like the perimeter of the area hasn’t been trimmed or tended to in years, essentially forming a mini forest all around it.

Around the Paris area are more commercial buildings, which isn’t such a bad thing, but when combined with all the other details, makes it only worse because the building doesn’t look abandoned.

There is no wear and tear on the building, it infact looks freshly painted. California and Florida’s versions both had details on the roofs of the building that made them looked aged such as line marks, while this version lacks them so not only does it look relatively new, it also makes it look ugly due to the empty space.

The paint on the Paris Version still looks new once again, while the paint on the Floridana and Californian versions look faded which makes them appear older.

Finally, my last nitpick has to do with how close the proximity the billboard has to the building, which makes the area surrounding the hotel feel more inhibited while in California and Florida their isolation makes us feel more alone and tends to give us more focus on the events of the ride.

So assuming we can’t move or demolish the buildings in front of The Tower Of Terror, what I would do is purchase a couple of overgrown trees from people’s properties, and then replant them in front of the building. Don’t do any lawn maintenance surrounding the front of the building to make it look more abandoned. Create fake moss and start to hang it from the exterior of the building. Redo the front of the building to have lines on the roof of the building so the area doesn’t have so much empty space. Do a paint job of more muted and dull colors on the building and redo the dark purple so it doesn’t look grey from a distance. Add the scratch marks from the Floridan version onto the building surrounding the perimeter of the dark purple shadows. As for the billboard, I would just move it to the tower on the right and keep it on the same angle so it doesn’t block the view of the tower.

This should make the tower look much more abandoned, worn, and haunted than it currently is right now, in which right now it looks like it’s still up and running due to how clean it looks, with the exception of bridge of the building that looks like it had been attacked by a hoard of colorblind bungee-jumping graffiti artists.

Production Courtyard

Restaurants

Starting with our retheme of our entry point, we have Carthay Circle Bistro, based and named after the movie theater where Walt Disney premiered his first movie at, which has been cloned from Disney’s California Adventure. As you can tell, this is based off the 40’s hollywood theme that’s going to take over the entry point of this park now, and establishes it with the nostalgia of the Art Decor movement. This restaurant should take over some of the space left behind from those gruesome looking stages that blend poorly with the land as a whole, looking more like the type of stuff you would expect from the mockery of the early California Adventure, even though ironically this restaurant is imported from there, and still has better taste.

Surrounding the area of the Bistro you have the path transition to beautiful autumn mosaics surrounding the restaurant with the darkly shaded warm colors taking many unique shapes. Two palm trees stand tall in front of the lovely Bistro.

It’s walls are painted a sandy white, and the building ultimately forms a square shape, though it’s extended with pillars and a roof that creates an outdoor corridor surrounding the restaurant. At the front entrance of the Bistro you have a sign reminiscent of ones you would see at a 40’s movie theatre, surrounded by wicker patterns on top reminiscent with diadems with large false jewels in between the gaps.

The Mosaic transitions to a wooden floor, with seating areas reminiscent of the 40’s to the very bone with the walls either being green and whitish yellow stripes, or the pure sandy white described on the exterior of the building.

Beautiful white lights hang above the floor either by a downwards curve on both sides, or upright and sprouting mounted on the wall.

40’s style furniture from wicker patterns, yellow tinted steel chairs with red cushions, or floral patterned blue cushioned wooden chairs with oak wood dressers hanging about each seating area, and wooden stool tables in between every few chairs, with a few oak wood booths here and there

On the walls are mounted black and white photos seemingly from the 40’s filled what appears to be happy customers, people, and entire families (Although the restaurant isn’t that old)

The Hollywood & Lime by Perrier was partially added in as filler and so those on their way through the park can get a snack and drink passing through and also because, well, it’s from Hollywood Studios! It’s a perfect fit for the park and especially as a quick stop for the entry area. Nothing big I assure you, but, a nice thematic fit and convenient.

While Honeycomb Creamery isn’t as heavily linked thematically to Buena Vista Street as the rest of the array of restaurants, it was mainly chosen due to its link the Bumble Boogie shorts, with Bumble, the protagonist, serving as our mascot with the music playing in the background. This links with the rest of the theme since Bumble Boogie is from Melody Time, which gives it a musical theme heavily linked to the rest of the 40’s, which was the main change in environment given to the starting point. Along with it comes a Honeycomb type aesthetic given to it in order to fit with the connection between it and the loosely related IP.

Outside of the Parlor is a flower garden filled with various species such as Carnations, Sacred Lotuses, Jade Vine, Easter Lily, Scarlet Jade Vines, and the likes, some potted at the front of the Restaurant or suspended from overhangs from under the roof overhangs.

The overhang of the Restaurant is a dark sienna brown, though a mulberry brown with a black rim roof is slightly poking out on the top of it. On the Overhang is the restaurant’s name with the logo of Bumble the Bee from Bumble Boogies. Under it is a cream tile rim, which transitions to a black, chocolate brown, honey yellow, and light cream brick wall that paints the exterior of the restaurant. Windows are long and square, showing off the outside to those sitting in booths in the place.

The interior of the Parlor is a tiled wall with bright orange, bright honey yellow, and creamy white tiles, with black lines in between them, in order to mimic bee hives, with most of the seating being a bright yellow to mimic honey, lined with birch wood. The tables and furnishings are also made out of birch wood. The lights are teardrop shaped and bright with the shell creamy white.

The Orient Express is primarily inspired by the book, The Murder On Orient Express, which is a murder mystery that takes on an european train which ties it closely to the location of which this restaurant takes location in, Paris, which should help the entirety of this park feel more grounded in it’s location instead of just giving Europe an American location which they may think is cool but is more of a place they would want to visit in person rather than watch a multibillion media monopoly create a replica in Paris. The second inspiration for this restaurant is the Chinatown near Los Angeles, since this restaurant is in fact a Chinese Eatery, which it pays homage to.

The Restaurant itself is held in the model of a train, styled after The Orient Express, with a pitch black train exterior made out of steel. The train itself is nonfunctional and permanently suspended onto a fake track, although it’s lights will turn on at night. The track eventually disappears into a model of a tunnel, which is not accessible to guests, but it’s there so the track looks like it naturally goes somewhere, so it doesn’t just evaporate into the bushes, ruining all of immersion.

The Kitchens of the train are actually where the Coal Car would usually be along with in the front part of the train.

The ‘Train’ also has a loading area which functions as an outdoor seating area, and the indoor area of the loading area also functions as a seating area and kitchen as well for those who don’t wish to eat on the train as well.

The train stop itself is modeled after a fanciful Chinese restaurant with heavy thematic tones: Opening the restaurant is an arch composed of thin red poles, which support light baby blue bars in between them. A fancy curved square roof composed of white and blue colors supported by red beams stand in front so water doesn’t come in when it rains. The building itself is a huge square shape, which is a light pink primarily, with red semicircle patterns running through the middle. The bottom parts of the pillars are bright red themselves, with the expanding dangling roof overhangs at the top of the building being mostly a dull red, but with cyan stripes, and white hooks at the edges.

Inside the stop are dull red walls with light yellow thin patterned lines etched across them. Oriental Photos are posted on the walls and on stands right near the tables. Banners hung from the ceiling recite Chinese phrases, along with lanterns. Polygonal lights are hung from the ceilings, and Paper doors are used in the venues. Chairs have Black wood frames, with yellow cushions, and the tables are black as well with cream white table cloth.

The tops of the Train Cars are primarily smooth and white, with scarce black stripes across them to form a frame. Tulip themed lights illuminate the carts, with small light bulbs on top of the ceiling along with lamps. Blue curtains attached to yellow steel hangers are attached to the wide windows, although you can’t actually move them. The seat cushions are blue and white striped with the frames also being black, with the tables being black also with blue and white striped tablecloth.

Shops

Of course, what would be a main street type land without shops? Here we have Dolly’s Boutique, made for Women’s Apparel. In order to have it fit in with the theme and not just be generic, I’ve decided to theme it off the standard stores in europe as a whole, and the people who own them.

On the outside, it’s a broad storefront, designed similar after the stores on Main Street, but, more european storefront based in terms of design. To give the appearance that someone lives here and lives on the top part of the building, the store has an empty compartment upstairs that has its lights on at all times. The curtains are always drawn so that it looks like someone is upstairs at the time, living their life. Flowers are hung from the top of the building. The store has a white wooden frame surrounding it, with the name of the store engraved in black on the top.

On the outside you can see the mannequins and display of clothing being sold in the store, some of it Disney Merch, some of it just regular feminine clothing.

Inside the store is mostly white, with the occasional stand having carvings engraved on them. So are the lights, and the heaters. There are flowers being grown inside the store as well, but, they aren’t for sale, but, rather just for show for you, the guest, to admire. The wood flood is a dark fir brown.

Added in from DCA to act as the polar opposite to Dolly’s is Elias & Co. This was added in due to it’s strikingly beautiful aesthetic and iconic look. The shop was originally created as a tribute to Walt’s father, which would fit in with the 1940’s theme as that was when Walt and the company started it’s rise in fame which is still going as of 2020. Plus, it would expand the retail options for our customers substantially due to it’s huge size. The building would probably help take up one of the ugly looking soundstages. The store itself is mainly a Men’s Apparel store.

The building’s shape is a mix between a cube and a saucer. Having the shape of a cube but the smooth curves of a saucer. At the bridge at the top of the doorway you have a bronze sign that proudly presents the name of the store. Above it is a barred dome of wavy walls painted cloudy sky blue, and above it is a pillar carved with straight lines going vertically. On the adjacent sides of the front part of the building you have windows displaying the contents of the store, with miniature trees potted outside of the storefront. On the top rim of the windows are sundial patterns in the oak wood material. The store also has lamp posts hosted up by the stands on the ground. Other than that, the exterior of the store is painted white and gold.

Inside of the floor you have a green carpet with yellow diamond patterning across it. The walls are painted a creamy yellow with the occasional black and yellow tile striped across it. Plastered across are oak wood pillars and rims. Most of the stands have a similar Oaky color but with black bands across the bottoms of them.

Going with the Hollywood theme the whole entry way of the park is being rethemed into, we have Fairview Photography which is named after Fairview Entertainment. It is owned by Jon Favreau, who has been masterfully working on some of Disney’s greatest so far. So, what better name and influence for a photography store for it than Fairview?

Similar to the exterior of Dolly’s Boutique, The building is reminiscent of an apartment building, with the exterior of the building being paved with beige bricks. The building itself has multiple windows that have lights inside them on constantly, though curtains obscure any sights that could possibly have been seen through it. There is a curved semi-circle beam going across the entry of the building that states it’s name, with the top of it being glass and eventually forming a cone.

Inside the store is illuminated by hundreds of small lights on the rims of the tops of the display cases in christmas light fashion. Above these lights are grey brick coverings at the top, with the middle area being oak wood planks thatched together, example frames for photos being hung on them. In the displays you have thick black frames in between each cas, with below that being a similar gray brick covering at the bottom. The floor is tile based in a diamond pattern with various shades of grey.