Dark Forest

Following the fall of the Old Kingdom, a blight descended upon the land. Almost overnight, a dense forest sprouted. It seemed safe at first. Despite the dark canopy created by the dense braid of leaves and branches, the growth seemed no different from any other forest. In these early days, explorers and adventurers ventured down the forest’s endless trails to uncover its secrets. It is through these early explorers that we have charts which show some of what lies hidden within the forest. The Village of the Moss People, Looking Glass Lake, even the crumbling remnants of the Old Lord’s Castle are among the first to have been mapped and explored.

Curiously, over time the maps began to lose their accuracy. Though the landmarks were all there, no one could agree on just where they were. It was quickly discerned that the forest was in fact shifting, its trails ever-changing and its locales ever-moving. A more alarming discovery was soon made - the forest was growing. Though at first too little to be noticed, the growth began to expand exponentially, stopped only by the ancient magic of The Dreaming Tree.

Slowly, travelers failed to return with growing frequency. A dense mist descended upon the forest. Soon after were the reports of beasts lurking in the forest. No one knows from where they came, whether they were born from the mist or simply migrated to the unclaimed expanse of the Dark Forest. Sightings and attacks became more frequent. Spiders, wyverns, ghosts - creatures of all sort quickly descended, making the already unforgiving forest nigh impossible to traverse. Fortunately, a force of good arrived with the beasts. Will-’o-the-Wisps were sighted, guiding pure-hearted travelers safely through the forest to the destination they sought. Perhaps a gift from the Dreaming Tree or a benevolent force willed into existence to fight the dark forces of the forest, the Wisps remain invaluable to those who dare enter the Dark Forest.

Pathways

At the edge of the forest, an Old Mill (shopping) stands. Having noticed the influx of travelers, the owners of the mill have shifted their focus from grain to provisions, offering them to all those brave enough to venture into the newly-named Dark Forest - for a price. The Gate of Departure (entrance weenie), a large stone structure adorned with braziers and protective charms, marks the original entrance to the Dark Forest, and, hopefully, guides lost travelers home.

From the gate, a number of pathways immediately fork off in different directions, most leading to one of the Dark Forest’s landmarks. The trails of the Dark Forest are almost maze-like, sometimes leading directly to a point of interest or simply circling back to a different trail. Following the light of the Will-’o-the-Wisps (presented through moving LED lights in the tree canopy above) will ensure safe passage through the forest, leading to one of the forest’s landmarks, The Forgotten Castle, or even The Village of the Dreaming Tree.

There are many landmarks to be discovered in the Dark Forest, both beautiful and frightening. At the base of a waterfall stands the Moss People’s Village. Built into the sides of the waterfall, and branching out into some of the surrounding trees are a series of houses constructed of leaves and mud, connected by wooden bridges. Most are lit, their inhabitants comfortably inside their homes. Indiscernible chattering can be heard throughout the village as the Moss People presumably look on at the passing travelers. Around the pond the waterfall flows into are a number of moss-topped stones of varying shape and size. These stones occasionally rise to reveal a pair of glowing eyes - Rock Trolls! The trolls are harmless, choosing to waste their days away watching (or occasionally spitting water at) passersby as they wait for their moss to be harvested by the Moss People.

Near the center of the forest is a rare clearing at the shores of Looking Glass Lake. Named for its black murky water, the small body of water, at first glance, matches the desolation of the rest of the forest aside from a small island at its center. The island is exceptionally small - almost unable to fit a single person. Despite all odds, a small tree has grown from it, and thrust through its twisted roots a rusted claymore, seemingly standing for millennia. The origin and purpose of the sword has been lost to time, but patient travelers will eventually learn why it still rests on its island. At night,two ribbons of ethereal blue light can sometimes be seen circling just below the surface of the lake. Eventually, the lights meet as a pair of Kelpies burst above the surface, their glowing manes and bright red eyes illuminating the otherwise dark lake. Their front halves gallop as they propel themselves around the lake briefly before diving back below the surface, their lights fading as they travel deeper.

Of course, there is even more to discover in the dark forest. Deep in the forest, far past the trails, travelers may sometimes see The Wild Hunt in the mist as they gallop madly to destinations unknown. Wraiths and spiders both call The Royal Cemetery home, offering some challenge to travelers who wish to search for the treasures within its mausoleums.

There is much to see and discover in the Dark Forest. Just beware of the dangers that lurk in its darkest corners.

The Forgotten Castle

Among the promised attractions of the original pitch for Utah's Evermore LARP theme park, there was one that stood above the others. This was a pirate themed attraction where the big selling point was doing something you were unable to do at Disney...actually get off your boats and explore the environment itself, in this case a five deck haunted ship. While nothing of this scale actually made it into the Utah park, the concept of multiple ride vehicles and explorable environments has since made its way into Rise of the Resistance and Galaxy's Edge as a whole.

Beings as though were not doing Galaxy's Edge for Disneyland, I wanted to take this concept in a different direction for our new land. The Forgotten Castle is a prominent yet dimly lit centerpiece of the new land. The towers are shrouded in shadow cast by large scale rock work surrounding it in a way similar to the rock work surrounding the Falcon in Galaxy's Edge. The different wings and torrents of the castle are clearly in varying states of disrepair and in some cases crumbling at the seams. Even the color scheme is cast in a deep forest green that mimics the surrounding woodlands.

Inside the Forgotten Castle, guests find perhaps the most fully explorable environment that's ever been designed for a Disney park. Much more than a Tom Sawyer's Island or Redwood Creek Challenge Trail style glorified playground, The Forgotten Castle acts as more of a Disney-fied Escape Room style attraction while still featuring playground style elements that allow the kids to burn off steam. The design very much encompasses Walt's original "a place for parents and children to have fun together" philosophy and explores that in one of Imagineering's most raw efforts.

There will be nine different main chambers of the castle, each chamber containing two to three different rooms and each chamber themed to a different one of the nine realms that the storyline of the land revolves around. Throughout these chambers there will be various challenges that range from Escape Room style environmental puzzles all the way up to small crawl spaces revealing secret passageways only the children in your party to access. In some cases both children and adult sized puzzles will need to be activated at the same time, delivering an unparalleled level of child/parent teamwork in the parks.

While the puzzles will open up hidden areas of the castle and allow guests to venture deeper into it, a variety of sight gags and Pepper's Ghost effects will be implemented for those looking for a more passive skill level. Rather you're a child wanting to let off steam, a parent wanting to have an engaging adventure with your kids, or simply a solo explorer seeking out your next adventure, The Forgotten Castle promises to be among the most distinct and complex "walkthrough" experiences ever conjured up by Imagineering.

Next: Village of the Dreaming Tree

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