My California Screamin' Re-Themin' Ideas - Armchair Imagineering :)

[animagusurreal]

Sounds like the Villians theme is pretty likely for California Screamin' as part of the DCA overhaul, but here are a couple other ideas I had for adding more theme and story to the coaster. Note that I actually like the coaster the way it is, and would not mind if it stays that way, (unlike pretty much everything else in Paradise Pier )


1) Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and maybe Goofy and his son Max ride a roller coaster. Going to a pierside carnival seems like the kind of thing that Mickey & Minnie or Donald & Daisy would do on a date in the old cartoons, and there is actually an old Goofy cartoon where he winds up going down a pierside coaster on waterskis.

From the queue, we would see a parallel queue in which the characters are lined up, talking about the ride, all trying to act like they're not afraid to ride, but sounding like they really are. The cars the characters ride in would travel parallel to ours - perhaps not for the whole length of the ride, but we would see and hear their reactions to the launch, drops, loop, etc.



2) Bring a "World's Fair" element to the pier (I have no idea if there's ever been a World's Fair in CA, but what the heck at this point ).

The roller coaster has been taken over by a scientist conducting experiments in electromagnetic propulsion, using the coaster as an example to visitors of how his technology will work (explaining how the modern launch system exists in a 1920's pier setting).

The queue would be an exhibit of the scientist's experiments.

Possibly, the scientist would be Donald's uncle, Prof. Ludwig Von Drake, but I don't know how well-known the character is nowadays.

If you have any other ideas, please add them here .

[Dustysage]

I'd like to see them build a show building around the final section of the ride (the helix part) - so they can finish strong with a major show scene. Perhaps a dragon in the center - with steam and fire effects.

[tyler2cfhs]

I like #2.

[TwilitWings]

Possibly, the scientist would be Donald's uncle, Prof. Ludwig Von Drake, but I don't know how well-known the character is nowadays.

He did have segments on "House of Mouse," so he probably still has some recognition with younger audiences.

I, personally, prefer your second idea--it'd be more "fitting" with the Victorian-era retheming, I think, and also a lot more exciting. Plus I love Ludwig Von Drake. : D

[animagusurreal]

^ me too . I used to see him on the old reruns of the Disney TV shows, under the title The Wonderful World of Disney. Now, even House of Mouse doesn't seem to get reruns on The Disney Channel anymore.

Here's a little spiel I wrote for him for this imaginary version of the attraction:


In the queue area, the CM's are dressed as early 20th century lab assistants, with lab coats, etc.

A black-and-white film projected onto a movie screen shows newsreel-type films about various American scientific accomplishments, partially attributing each one to Prof. Von Drake. Then, the professor appears in black and white animation and addresses the audience.

"Vy hello zere! Zis is Professor Ludvig Von Drake, ze vorld's foremost expert on everyzing. Velcome to ze professor's spectacular scientific exhibition at Paradise Pier, vere you get to see all of ze brilliant little things zat is alvays poppin' outta ze professor's brain! And after you done seein' all these dazzlin' doodads, you is gonna help ze professor test out his latest invention - ze roller coaster! Vell, actually ze roller coaster isn't ze invention. Ze professor did invent ze roller coaster, but zat vas a long time ago and is a whole other story - anyvay...Vat happened is, I is comin'to Paradise Pier for zome rest and relaxation ven I see ze beautiful vooden roller coaster - it was just beautiful! But it vas just like all ze other roller coasters in ze world, until ze professor is puttin' in his brand new highly experimental electromagnetic propulsion system and various other scientific vonders zat ze professor has been vorkin' on! Zis vay, I not only gets to test my new technology, but I gets to see ze psychological effect of vere you is sittin' still and zen all of a sudden you is movin' real fast and zen you is goin' up and zen comin' back down again and zen you is goin' around and zen you is upside down and all sorts of other crazy things and well...you get ze idea. So, vat is ze professor calling his astounding new creation? He is callin' it 'California Screamin', because it's in California...and you gonna be Screamin'! Zo...make sure you tell ze professor's assistants how many people is in your party, zo I can do all ze little calculations and make sure you is loaded vis ze optimum efficiency, zo you can hurry up and become a part of scientific history on Professor Ludvig Von Drake's California Screamin' at Paradise Pier! Zis is ze professor, signin' off..."

[animagusurreal]

Sorry to necro this thread, but I just interviewed someone for a local paper about a historical re-enactment festival in Atascadero, CA, and she happened to mention that a World's Fair was held in California in 1915, (according to her) split between San Fransisco and San Diego. Naturally, the first thing I thought of was: my Screamin' concept is thematically valid! And 1915 would even go with the Victorian theming!

I just looked it up on Wikipedia, and look what San Fransisco building also happens to tie in:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama-...position_(1915)

[audibleatom]

not that it could not use some plussing, but i think that if its not broken and it gets alot of riders there is no way that they are going to put money into it.

[animagusurreal]

^

Actually, I think it's fine the way it is, too, and if it's the only thing they don't change about Paradise Pier, that's fine with me. However, we've been hearing these rumors about the Villians theme for months.