New York Disneyland

[Outbound]

New York is the City of Dreams, and Disneyland a Dreamer’s Paradise. Together, they come together to create one of the most ambitious – and exciting – theme park experiences to date. A South Brooklyn harbor transformed into the realms of fantasy, adventure, and aquatic tomorrows.

NEW YORK DISNEYLAND
Theme Park


EMPIRE BAY
Our Port of Entry, Empire Bay celebrates New York’s diverse and storied history. Walk from 1785-1928 in a single, cohesive land which gradually progresses over time. On your journey, you’ll witness patriotic celebration, gilded-age haunts, and an action-packed joyride through the city.
[EXPLORE]

DREAMPORT
Our Hub; Figment & Dreamfinder’s latest residence. A serene kingdom in the clouds serving as the park’s unifying storyline. Figment’s DreamCastle, a whimsical pastel iteration of a central castle, hosts an ambitious new ride where guests travel the multiverse of dreams and dimensions.
[To Come!]

HUDSON VALE
Against the foggy riverbank, tall-tale legends of upstate come alive, from the headless horseman of sleepy hollow, to the daring trailblazers forging ahead the wild eastern-american frontier.
[To Come!]

FANTASY SPRINGS
Replicating TDS’ philosophies and design attitudes, this all-new Fantasy Springs provides a selection of acclaimed classic Disney works, including Pinocchio, Robin Hood, Wonderland, and Moana.
[To Come!]

COSMIC WHARF
A hydropunk, cosmopolitan spaceport of the year 2330. Warpspeed through the cosmos, descend to the edge of the planet’s core, and take a time-traveling motorway to the land before time itself.
[To Come!]

and one more! [a surprise]

–

DOWNTOWN DISNEY
Shopping/Dining Center

DISNEY’S COSMOPOLITAN
Resort & Spa​

---

Author’s Note

Spoiler

Hi I’m @Outbound! You might remember me from such things as the Presentation Parade and the One Word Competition. Oh, and maybe some other games.

For years I’ve wanted to produce this project – specifically the pier part, where I have too many drafts to count. Moving to New York encouraged me to design in a large, urban context, something different from Orlando/Anahiem. Then something something gave me the push I needed to finally complete... at least one land! NYDL will be divided into Chapters, with Chapter 1 the opening land, Empire Bay.

The Challenge
For this project, I will be creating a regional Disney park on a largely unused South Brooklyn pier. I will attempt to fit all the iconic parts of a Disney Castle Park in a significantly smaller space than ever before. The current smallest Disney Castle Park, Disneyland, stands at 98 acres – the space we’ve outlined for development is just 49 acres!

But that’s not hard enough. Alongside being denser in scope, I’ve also outlined New York Disneyland to be the next evolution of a Disney Castle typology – reimagining what we can do with this popular park format. So, I am challenging myself to include as few pre-existing / clone rides as possible. Some rides are too good to pass-up (namely Haunted Mansion), but the vast majority of attractions & park entertainment will be 100% original to NYDL.

Will I be able to fit an entire days-worth theme park in a condensed area, pack the entire space with brand-new attractions, and reconcile with New York City’s frigid winter climate? Let’s find out.

 

[Outbound]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NEW YORK DISNEYLAND RESORT
Site & Context
Resort Overview

CHAPTER 1.
EMPIRE BAY
Introduction
Design Philosophy
Land Layout
Walkthrough (Pt 1, Pt 2, Pt 3)
American Dreams (Summary)
Escape from Empire Bay (Pt 1, Pt 2)
​

 

[Outbound]

NY DISNEYLAND
Site & Context

Located at the present South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, New York Disneyland Resort poses some significant design challenges which must be overcome. This resort exists on an entirely new Disney typology, the industrial shoreline.

the site over time, 1994 - 2025 (google earth imaging)

Our site has served the New York metropolitan area for many decades. However, by their nature these industrial spaces are closed to the public, restricting waterfront access. In the history of New York – and countless other cities – original dockyards in more developed sectors like Manhattan were phased out as these regions gentrified, moving south to Brooklyn and Bayonne, NJ.

Where Manhattan enjoyed considerable waterfront parks on its vast array of tiny piers, the more industrial Brooklyn shoreline was, for a long time, inaccessible. Now, tides are shifting.

Industrialization & Recreation
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is today dominated by its NJ assets – NYC/Brooklyn only handles 1.4% of its total shipping. As Brooklyn’s property values accelerate, access to a clean and beautiful waterfront creates an ideal opportunity for redevelopment.

And so it has! From 2010-2021, the Brooklyn Bridge Park gradually rezoned unused industrial space to green space. Just south in Red Hook, the City is now investing $3.5 billion into redeveloping the Brooklyn Marine Terminal. This leaves only our site, the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, where its neighbors are already rezoning…

Industry Citty, located just across form site (open space ahead is location of NYDL Resort)

Just below our site is Industry City, a redeveloped Army/Navy Yard converted into a shopping/dining space for businesses. Meanwhile, just above the port sits unused and empty. It is clear this space is primed and ready for something…
​

---

NY DISNEYLAND
Resort Overview

New York Disneyland Resort comprises one small theme park, a modest shopping complex, several gardens, and an in-resort hotel. The Marine Terminal comprises three piers – the two leftmost compose the majority of New York Disneyland Park, the rightmost houses Disney’s Cosmopolitan, an Art Deco-themed waterfront resort.

At the base of the piers is Downtown Disney, a shopping-retail complex of similar scale to Universal City Walk or California’s own. However, this iteration of Downtown/Springs is more in-line with CityWalk, a fun, more adult-oriented space by nightfall that fits Brooklyn’s nightlife culture. The complex remains open +1 hour after the Park, making it a fun “afterparty” to the resort experience.

Looking out from the resort is a unparalleled sight; scenic views of the Statue of Liberty, and a stellar backdrop of Lower Manhattan. Unlike Walt’s famous berm around Disneyland Park, due to both scale and all the massive skyscrapers, New York Disneyland won’t hide its surrounding context. Given the vastness of the bay this is unlikely to majorly impact immersion. On the closer opposite side, typical Disney facades and go-away greens hide the neighboring build-up.

NY Disneyland Park

Disneyland Park has six lands. Given the park’s small footprint, each is relatively small, bearing just 2-6 attractions, most A-C ticket range. Empire Bay, the port of entry, subverts expectations as the largest and most diverse, while DreamPort, home to the park’s one-of-a-kind castle, is the smallest.

IPs inclusion is limited. A fundamental goal for New York Disneyland is overcoming an increasingly negative perception of the parks. Unfortunately, many have come to see the parks as a tool for IP placement, not spaces for the immersive worlds or original storytelling Disney was once known for. NYDL challenges this narrative by creating new and exciting attractions with stories you cannot find elsewhere.

This is especially important thanks to the elephant in the room – Walt Disney World. This is not meant to replace WDW. Rather, this is a small, creative regional park that stands on its own and compliments the giant and open-ended Disney World.

Arrivals

In additon to the 5,000+ car capacity Oliver & Company Parking Structure, and the up-close Roundabout to Sakura Grove, New York Disneyland Resort is accessible by public transit.

demonstrating the accessibility of NYDL, departing from Times Square (location of many hotels)

There is already an optimal subway connection on 36 St Station along 4th Avenue, with service on the D, N, R, and W lines. All riders on other lines may easily transfer to these routes at the expansive Atlantic Ave - Barclays Center hub in Downtown Brooklyn. Buses stop just one block closer, at the 3 Ave / 37 St Stop.

This is just a general overview; more information on the site, broader resort, and transit (including shuttle services) will follow in subsequent chapters.​

 

[Outbound]

CHAPTER I
EMPIRE BAY

This thread will be split into Chapters, with each chapter focusing on a different element of New York Disneyland Resort. Although each land has a dedicated chapter, chapters may also be designated for Resort Infastructure (the current plan for chapter ii), Downtown Disney, or Events & Holidays.
​

---

PARK MAP
CHAPTER 1

preserved here, the front page map will be updated over time

Later today, I'll release a few more posts -- namely, a land introduction / design philosphy, extended walkthrough, and ride-through experiences for American Dreams & Escape from Empire Bay!
this also serves as my submission for Celestial Dreamin' - Finale!​

 

[Outbound]

EMPIRE BAY
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Our Port of Entry, Empire Bay celebrates New York’s diverse and storied history. Walk from 1785-1928 in a single, cohesive land which gradually progresses over time. On your journey, you’ll witness patriotic celebration, gilded-age haunts, and an action-packed joyride through the city.​

---

MUISC LOOP

​

---

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY


Empire Bay takes guests on a journey across New York’s history. The land is structured about three distinctive time periods, with transitions happening somewhat-naturally with 1-2 transitional buildings in the city. These time periods are:

New York, 1783
columbia

New York, 1876
industry city

New York, 1928
the big apple

Each of these eras could easily fill a land on its own – but the uniqueness of the walking through the very city the resort is set upon – either the home of local guests, or the site of a broader vacation for touring guests – offers such a unique, immersive experience which outweighs tightening the design to fit all here.​

---

LAND LAYOUT

To integrate each portion of the land in tight a constrained space, Empire Bay deploys a tighten, wind-up, release pathing strategy. Guests enter into 18th-century New York City, just a few years after the nation's independence.

After exiting the initial path and gazing upon the Park’s Castle, the hub space in Empire Bay diverges into three roads, each leading guests to a different themed land. But Empire Bay sticks around for a little bit longer, transitioning the space – the path to Hudson River is forested and a lil’ spooky, while the road to Cosmic Wharf continues the progression of time into the 19th Century.

There are two major brand-new attractions for Empire Bay. A C-Ticket Family Boat Ride celebrates New York’s diversity, located just at the Hub to serve as an in-part “thesis” for the land and broader park. An E-Ticket EMV is the land’s main entertainment draw, located at the far-end of the road with a “weanie” skyscraper facade. Guests must explore all of the land before reaching this headline e-ticket.
​

---

a requisite aside -
on... CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE-ISMS

@Architectural Guinea Pig @Lizzy May Bee @ThemeParkPriest
lol i can’t help but dunk on dca whenever i can, its the cars 2 of disneyland i love/hate it so much

When Disneyland Park opened its long-awaited second gate in 1999, the predominant thought of the public was:

Why did they make a park about the State of California… in California?

This is an especially valid critique considering Empire Bay’s placement in New York Disneyland. There are a few reasons for its placement in the park.​

1. The design philosophy of New York Disneyland’s is “bold, new, exciting”. Main Street USA, at least in my view, is not relevant to this park’s experience. Attractions are, on average, slightly more adult; park theming and atmosphere is less nostalgic, more experimental. This connects to the location itself, as New York is always on the move, always looking forward.​
2. Empire Bay is explicitly focused on the past, 1700s - 1920s. Most of the park experience is not something you will find in the city itself, which tourists to New York Disneyland will undoubtedly double-up their trip into a broader NYC vacation. Beloved buildings (Empire State Building, Chrysler Building) are omitted because they’re just a train ride away. Instead, past buildings or lesser-known sites are given the spotlight.​
3. Likewise, attractions and experiences are largely adventures you cannot find in the actual city. There are three main attractions in Empire Bay – one a spooky mansion, another a voyage around the world, the final a pulpy action-adventure. On the other hand, building a groovy jazz club? A fun idea, but ultimately, not pursued because real-life New York City has plenty.​
4. Finally, that’s all great justification and all, but why? Well, it’s fun to come full-circle. For a park in NYC to acknowledge its larger-than-life setting and create a love-letter / historical time capsule to inhabit… before the various additional lands of the park lead guests into the worlds of adventure, fantasy, and tomorrow. This is what sets Empire Bay’s placement apart, rather than if it existed in a vacuum (for deployment into Disney Adventure World).​

With these explanations aside, let’s dive straight in and walk-through Empire Bay!​

 

[Outbound]

WALKTHROUGH
PART I

The first path you walk at New York Disneyland is neither straight nor direct. Rather, Empire Bay begins on the rickety-cobblestone steps of old-town Manhattan– Empire Bay following the Continental Army’s victory in the American Revolution.

The immediate sightline of New York Disneyland is a replica of the First Federal Hall, which served as the first official capital building for the US; New York was the nation’s first capital. Centered around the regal upper-balcony, on occasion, an animatronic character will come out to read snippets of famous revolutionary literature – from the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, or Common Sense.

Federal Hall isn’t just home to animatronic readings – three times a day, it’s the street show venue for Hamilton: a 15 Minute Preview, which performs the songs Hamilton, Aaron Burr Sir, and My Shot. This streetside performance excites guests on their opening lap through the park, and -- for guests unfamilar with Hamilton -- a push to check-out the geninue artifical playing on nearby Broadway.

Walking forward through the cobblestone courtyard, the winding path encircles the Emporium, the primary gift shop of New York Disneyland. The Emporium’s large-scale structure means that it hides between multiple showbuildings, including breaching into the 19th century, and this also reflects in the interior architecture, which steadily modernizes from 1785-1876.

To our left, just besides First Federal Hall stands the Liberty Tavern, a lively hall for food, drinks, and laughter. From time-to-time, the tavern hosts live musician performances of sing-along patriotic song.

On the other side of Federal Hall is Café de Lafayette, a bistro proudly displaying its French heritage and allyship. Serving delicious breakfast croissants and coffee pick-me-ups, this is the perfect first-stop for a day at the parks.

You can find Mickey & Friends dressed throughout Empire Bay in attire reflecting the time period – Goofy in 18th-century attire, Scrooge McDuck as a robber-barron (with Donald a beleaguered sweep boy) Mickey in a golden-black pinstripe suit.
​

---

FIGMENT'S DREAM CASTLE
Figment's Dream Castle popped' outta his head -- his imagination, specifically -- a dazzling spectacle, it resembles a child's most imaginative and colorful dream castle come alive.

Figment’s Dream Castle

A small stream cuts along the edge of Empire Bay to the DreamPort, with the transition space a large, cobblestone courtyard, splitting off into four paths – behind, where we came, ahead, the castle. To our left and right, Empire Bay continues.
​

---

industry city (1876)
To our left is a windy, forested path which ultimately leads into Hudson Vale and Sleepy Hollow. Although, this path is set within Industry City, so cast-iron, industrial street-lamps cast a warm, soft glow along the park path. Here, a large gothic manorhouse rests atop a hill.

This is the Haunted Mansion, which sneaks its way into New York Disneyland without significant change (the only clone attraction of the park). Keeping with the tried and true tradition of every Haunted Mansion residing in a new land, Empire Bay’s mansion closely mirrors the homes of New York’s most prolific Gilded Age industrialists, with gothic details and a manicured, clean-cut lawn.

Guests meander up a foggy path of darkened trees and grass, catching gravestones bearing the puns of the deceased. They are then ushered inside an orientation with their “Ghost Host” and set on Doom Buggies riding through the Gilded Age Haunted Mansion.

​

 

[Outbound]

WALKTHROUGH
PART II

the docks
The path to Haunted Mansion continues into the next land, Hudson Vale. However, turning the other way (right) from the hub takes guests on a longer journey through the totality of Empire Bay.

The hub is bisected by a small stream, leading into the broader port from where New York Disneyland resides. This area of Empire Bay draws inspiration from New York’s Harborfront. Just exiting the hub, on guests’ left, is Mariner’s Catch, a seafood pop-up store with scenic views of both the New York harbor(s) and Figment’s Dream Castle. Given this ideal space, the venue mirrors the Plaza Inn at typical Disney castle parks, though is substantially smaller and more subdued in theming. Grab a Maine or Connecticut-style lobster roll or a bowl of New England or Manhattan-style clam chowder.

All along their left side (edge of the park), guests find themselves at the Docks, a long straight path of docked frigates, ranging from 17th-century sailships to 19th-century steamships.

During warm months each boat is fully explorable, representing a different class or style of ship from that time period. The boats are operable –they remain docked during the day, but at night, they leave for the showbuilding and become a part of the park’s nighttime water spectacular.

All but the last, the Whitman Riverboat – a to-scale 19th-century riverboat docked longways into the harbor. Named after lifelong New Yorker and famed poet Walt Whitman, the boat’s namesake and style is a spiritual successor to the Mark Twain Riverboat, while its function draws inspiration from Tokyo DisneySea’s S.S Columbia.

Within the permanently-docked Riverboat is a themed interior/exterior dining room – a sit-down restaurant experience unlike any other, with the perfect view of New York Disneyland’s nightly water spectacular. This dining experience is the highest-quality and most desirable in the entire park, so reservations are a must.
​

---

Across the road is an expansive pavilion, home to American Dreams, a spiritual successor to it’s a small world with a spotlight on Ellis Island and the American immigrant story. Beginning in 1800s New York, the ride transports us around the world to celebrate the peoples’ “American Dreams”.

American Dreams is situated close enough to the hub to make for a spectacular thesis attraction for the park, alongside Soarin Through Imagination in DreamPort. Whereas the latter represents all things fantastical at New York Disneyland, American Dreams is a heartfelt love-letter to New York City’s cultural diversity and history.
​

---

headed to the big apple
Walking down the docks from 1700s wood sailboats to a modernized steam ferry, directly ahead guest’ sightline is a smaller-scaled rendition of the American Radiator Building. Designed by pioneering African-American architect Raymond Hood, this iconic building outside Bryant Park embodies Empire Bay’s finale – an art deco, black-and-gold jazz age aesthetic representing all the Bay is destined to become.

American Radiator Building. Serves as (main) facade for Escape from Empire Bay.

This path also physically displays the evolution of the city. From our left as New York’s maritime harbors evolve, so too the architecture on our right side. The urban street gradually modernizes in piecemeal – first the lamps switching from candlelight to electric, then the cobblestone paved asphalt. Wooden facades turn to brick masonry and finally art-nouveau stone.

One marker of the passage of time is the condensed urban factory sitting besides American Dreams. This is Factory Frenzy, an elaborately-themed kids play area. Although the exterior is grounded in reality, inside, kids must navigate a wacky assembly line of gigantic gears, enormous buckets, and stimulating tesla coils.

Passing the factory, Empire Bay fully transitions into its final form – the Big Apple.​

 

[Outbound]

WALKTHROUGH
PART III

The Big Apple (1928)

Welcome to Empire Bay, 1928. The Roaring 20s are-a roaring, modernity ascendant. Prohibition is in-order, meaning mobster crime is on-the-rise, but over in uptown, the Harlem Renaissance has kicked-off, launching the golden age of jazz and blues. All while old-time detectives serve rightful justice from the crooked alleyways to the art-deco skylines.

Empire Bay’s Big Apple portion is organized as an urban triangle, where Riverside continues straight towards the American Radiator Building, while a second path, Broadway, diverges right. In the triangular space formed by this split in the road emerges Ragtime Park.

Ragtime Park is a green reprieve from concrete jungle. Ragtime Park is also home to New York Disneyland’s first flat ride, Just Add Jazz, a Mad-Teacups-esque spinner composed entirely of giant, human-sized jazz instruments – the trumpet, drums, violin, and of course, brass saxophone.


Concept Art by @MonorailRed — Just Add Jazz (Flat Ride), acts a spiritual successor to All About Jazz (Dark Ride), one of my personal favorite projects (made for Citrus Dreamin’). Which itself may be included as an expansion pad in this park’s future…

Just Add Jazz plays a selection of jazz hits from the era as riders swirl across the park to the music. Spinning to the music, the respective sounds emit for each different giant-sized self-playing instrument. The attraction sits atop a large gazebo cover (for rain protection) which doubles as a set for abstractified stars glittering to the beat of the performing jazz. The flat ride’s ambiance also services the surrounding urban park – it’s the perfect place to stop, have a listen, smell the roses.

At the edge of the Ragtime Park is Casey’s in the Park, a turn-of-the-century pavilion serving hot dogs and popcorn. In the interconnected parks’ lore, this is indeed the same Casey’s Corner, who've moved to park in the big city. Seating for Casey’s extends into the Ragtime Park proper. Across the park on Broadway is Famous Pete’s, a pizza by-the-slice joint.
​

---

Next to Famous Pete’s, and directly across Just Add Jazz, is the Broadway Theater. Now, Disney has had a long and riveting partnership with Broadway, from the Lion King, to Aladdin, to possibly so many more shows in the future. With so many excellent options to pick from, who will they hand the keys to on the Broadway Theater, Disney’s most lucrative venue in Empire Bay? They’ll need someone trustworthy, competent… someone who won’t make a mess of things.

Well, after those guys didn’t show up, the Muppets were brought aboard. And they’re back doing what got them so famous in the first place… the Muppet Show, live on stage!

Muppets on Broadway’s magic comes from an unlikely source: the Carrousel of Progress. Specifically, a hidden and inverted iteration of its ride system. Rather than the seats rotate, the backstage portion of the stage loops in a circle. Between acts of the animatronic show, the red curtain falls for the next act, Statler/Waldorf hold a skit as distraction, and the rotation occurs (supervised by cast members).

The show is split into six of these acts –

1. Muppets on Broadway Intro Song
2. Swedish Chef Presents: ‘ow to Matke de Pisca
3. The Muppets Audition for Broadway Roles
4. The Electric Mayhem Perform “No Sleep Till’ Brooklyn!”
5. Special Guest Hour: A Celebrity Joins the Show (rotating)
6. Exit Song: The Rainbow Connection, Hijacked by Gonzo’s Grande Finale

The Broadway Theater exits into Spotlight!, a Broadway / Jazz-Age themed retail space. Spotlight! also sits at the corner of Ragtime Park and directly across the American Radiator Building. This intersection extends down into a small dead-end.

Along the alleyway is Luca’s, your stereotypical New York-Italian sit-down family restaurant. During warmer months, table-seating extends outwards on the street while green, white, and red lights and banners stretch out from one side of the street to the other.

On the other side of the alleyway is a discrete, red-brick apartment complex – one which claims to sell the city’s finest-polished shoes. But there’s more than meets the eye to this unassuming shoe-store.

nothing illicit here, i hope...

This is the Empire Speakeasy, a secret bar which does not appear on any physical nor digital map. Guests must line up outside the shoe store, and group-by-group, the bouncer will check ID and enable access into this secret establishment. Once inside, you’ll be greeted with a lowly, calm atmosphere unlike anything in the rest of the park – courtesy of the strictly enforced cap on guests inside the bar. You must be 21 or over to enter, and you may only have 2 max drinks per visit to the speakeasy.
​

---

Wrapping up our walkthrough, we finally find ourselves at the base of the American Radiator Building. Escape from Empire Bay is an all-original EMV dark ride attraction; one which starts as a moody, noir mystery, and bombastically explodes into an action-packed joyride across Prohibition-era New York.

When a relentlessly-just detective uncovers conspiracy between corrupted cops and conniving mobsters to steal the city’s lost treasure, it’s up to us to uncover the gold and escape from empire bay before all kinds of colorful characters catch on!

Escape from Empire Bay exits into Big Apple Grocery, a New York themed gift shop and final building in Empire Bay before transitioning into the neighboring Cosmic Wharf.
​

---

ATTRACTIONS (6)
Escape From Empire Bay (EMV)
E-Ticket

Haunted Mansion (Omnimover)
D-Ticket

American Dreams (Boat Ride)
C-Ticket

Muppets on Broadway (Animatronic Show)
B-Ticket

Just Add Jazz (Teacups Spinner)
B-Ticket

Factory Frenzy (Play Area)
A-Ticket


DINING (7)
Whitman Riverboat (TS)
(High-Quality Dining on Docked Ferry)

Luca’s (TS)
(Italian Family Restaurant)

Liberty Tavern (QS)
(American, Tavern-Atmosphere)

Mariner’s Catch (QS)
(Seafood, Lobster/Crab)

Famous Pete’s (QS)
(NY Pizza by the Slice)

Café de Lafayette (QS / Snack)
(French Cafe & Baked Goods)

Casey’s in the Park (QS / Snack)
(Hot Dogs & Popcorn)


RETAIL (4)
The Emporium
(All Retail)

Melting Pot Retail
(International / American Retail)

Spotlight!
(Broadway / Muppets Retail)

Big Apple Grocery
(General New York Retail)

** not included: labeled dockyard / ship walkthroughs, street shows (hamilton), empire speakeasy **
​

---

This concludes a first-pass walkthrough tour of Empire Bay. Chapter I will now delve into individual land elements with further detail. For today's posts there will a full write-up for Escape from Empire Bay and an abridged summary write-up for American Dreams.​

 

[Outbound]

**much shorter write-up than usual here. This will be expanded in the full park release, but this project is already long-enough, and I worry adding the full write-up would bloat pacing even further haha**
​

---

AMERICAN DREAMS
IASW-Style Family Boat Ride

The United States is a nation of immigrants, a melting pot of countless cultures & peoples inspired by a shared, American Dream.

American Dreams is somewhat of a spiritual successor to it’s a small world. The ride system is identical (small boat ride, without drops/thrills), traveling the world to celebrate the various identities of our country. However, the theming is decidedly more realistic, mirroring Pirates of the Caribbean.

Guests enter through a large pavillion serving as the attraction's queue. Historical photos of New York's Ellis Island line the walls, along with some snippets of dialouge, in over dozens of language, playing intermittently. Arriving at the end of the line, guests board small boats and are launched off to adventure.

The ride begins with a realistic Manhattan street of the late 19th Century. It is a melting pot of cultures, peoples speaking different languages, putting up flags of their identity. Yet, these peoples also co-mingle. A group of adults share a laugh sitting on the docks; children frolic in the alley playing sports.

Above us, an older woman looks out her apartment window, surveying the scene and smiling. Then, she wistfully looks onwards into the horizon, thinking of the old country…

The ride then transitions into scenes of American Dreams, or the places from where these dreams originated. In Sicily, Italians celebrate a colorful festival. Ethnic music plays and smells of the food and culture can be felt as we move through each of the immigrant’s memories; memories and cultures they will bring along to America. The boats pass the dynamic environment and transition to China celebrating Lunar New Year. Germany at Oktoberfest. Ireland, Russia, Greece, and Brazil. Mexico at Dia De Los Muertos.

Exiting the Dia De Los Muertos festivities, the ride goes dark; all we can see is soft reflections against the crashing water. Then, from the fog emerges the Statue of Liberty, torch lit, welcome all to their new country – a melting pot of all the American Dreams we've seen thus far, including all the others we couldn't visit. All joined together, sharing one collective dream; a place where everyone is welcome.

​

 

[Outbound]

Escape From EMPIRE BAY
EMV Ride

Friday, nineteen-twenty-eight. The city is crowded; even with the rain. Hidden in the chaos is the element. And I’m there too. Watching. It’s a big apple, I can’t see everything – but truth never evades us long. It comes crawlin’ back like a caterpillar all sugared-up on watermelon. After all, I’m the best stone-hearted detective in Empire Bay for a reason – hey, pour me another on the rocks’, Mac – and this city, for all its grime & sin, will never be able to avoid the cold, righteous hand of JUSTICE.
– DETECTIVE MARTY CROSS, P.I.

Escape from Empire Bay enters through the black-and-gold facade of the American Radiator Building. Winding through the Art-Deco main lobby on switchback, the queue leads to a themed elevator that slowly descends from Floor 02 to 01 of the showbuilding. As they ascend, Detective Marty Cross’ monologue comes in-and-out the old-time radio, the grim detective’s over-the-top phrasings played with utmost, pulpy sincerity.

When the elevator doors open it seems we’ve been transported into an authentic 1930s noir. The sets have no color, the lighting is white. Cast members act with grim, self-serious expressions. We’re navigating the basement level of the building – a down-on-its-luck detective agency – spotting grayed-out “rent due!” letters pinned to the wall, conspiracy boards linking characters and maps of the city. A wired telephone rings, various silly characters call-in unannounced, from a boasting landlord calling Jimmy for the rent to a confused receptionist explaining an angry lady just showed-up at the office demanding results on her missing cat case, Mr. Whiskers.

All these are distractions from the real case, of course – the pursuit of justice. Printed on the glass of the nearest closed-door, in blackletter ink, is the name MARTY CROSS, PI. Behind, we can hear a furious intensity from the typewriter. Rounding a corner, light casts in to show an upright silhouette, the detective, working late into the night on the cunning next case.

Walking through the office we reach the briefing room, where guests are brought in as groups for a case briefing from the big man detective himself.
​

---

PRESHOW
Case Briefing: Pirates of the North Atlantic

Empire Bay was founded on a dream. And gold. Legend has it that sometime in 1666, a pirate of great renown – whose name is lost to time – sailed the Hudson River and buried his chest full of gold beneath the Big Apple.

But that gold was not won through purity. It was, in fact, plundered almost entirely from said pirate’s many attacks on the fledgling colony over decades. He’d used his amassed wealth to buy his treasure, and buried it in the place he knew best – from where it’d been looted. This treasure, then, belonged to the city. It must be returned to the people of Empire Bay!

Only, that’s not the whole story. Just a few months back, a foreman stumbled upon a map appearing suspiciously similar to the legend of that old pirate. Though first brushed aside, upon hearing street-talk some higher-up mobsters heard buried treasure and got plottin’. And so, they reached out to their connections all across the city. A swamp, it was. All the crooked cops and politicians folded to the gangsters, and they would’ve gotten away with it – if Detective Marty Cross, P.I., hadn’t noticed something fishy going on near the docks. Somebody’s gotta fight for the little guy.

But he can’t do this alone. It’s up to us – proud volunteers for righteous justice – to snag that treasure chest before the crooks steal it first. They have the cops on their side, so once the crate is secured… we will need to escape from empire bay. Cross has a safe-house cross-da-river to hold us up till things settle, and he’s got trusty connections to get the gold to city hall once we’re all safe and sound. Onwards then!

lost pirate treasure, got it?
​

---

RIDE EXPERIENCE
Exiting the briefing room, we find ourselves at a large, stylish garage. Guests board enlarged, 4 seats x 4 rows 1920s-era black convertibles on their mission of do-goodery.

The plot structure is vaguely organized similar to Indiana Jones & the Forbidden Journey, with a slower, gradual opening before escalating into a fast-paced, looping chase. The showbuilding is built on two stories; lower streets and elevated ramps mean you’ll spot other vehicles along other points of the journey.
​

---

chapter i - crusin’ down broadway
After exiting the garage, the cars explore the bustling Empire Bay of the Roaring 20s, complete with jazzy background beats and warm golden light.

Somehow, a theater is accessible along the path, and the cars follow pointed arrows to drive inside, entering a live club-scene; a female vocalist signs a colorful song to an elaborate orchestral performance. The car slowly stroll through the inside theater and come out the other side back onto the street.

​

 

[Outbound]

ESCAPE FROM EMPIRE BAY
Part II

chapter ii - the drop-off & docks

The cars make a turn into a lesser-known alleyway. The headlight flickers, on-off, light and dark – bang! We look up – it's an animatronic of Detective Cross grabbing a large treasure chest. He looks exhausted, yet always retains his all-too-serious brooding.

“Got the treasure. Just where we thought. Here it – look out! They’re onto us, I’m droppin’ the crate – now go, go, go!!!”

The music picks up as the EMV intensely shakes and bounces– reflecting the treasure chest being “dropped” onto our trunk – and quickly accelerates to exit, just as frantic shouting is heard from cars driving up behind. Speeding through the alley, the cars nearly crash into another black automobile! The car honks, and the driver, in thick NY accent, shakes his fist and shouts –

“Hey, I’m drivin’ here!”

The EMVs brake, then turn and pick-up pace again just as the mobsters return. Pulpy gunfire can be heard behind, like the sounds of an Indiana Jones chase. Each time the guns fire, the EMV shakes a little bit, as if it were realistically taking hits; gusts of concentrated air shoot-out just pasts guests’ heads.

“Hey! Give us the buried treasure!”

Shouts one mobster, but we speed away, escaping the alley and onto the open road, nearing the dockyard.

Swerving through the industrial dock filled with wooden crates and metal machinery, more mobsters jump out, hiding under crates or driving-up in cars, firing at us. ​

---

chapter iii - all-out car chase
We escape the dockyard and get onto the open road, only to immediately hear police sirens. Remembering the detective’s advice, the EMVs evade the police (riding a Model-T, also, we can hear horse gallops in the audio). An old-timey whistle blows as they shout, “hand it over!” The vehicles chase down Broadway, evading both cops and robbers.

This goes on for a while. Veering along the lower-roads, behind an elevated subway track. Then around a roundabout, dodging gunfire. Then up again, now atop the elevated train tracks...

WHOOOO!

Bad Idea! In our closet call yet, the EMVs just barely miss getting splattered by the famous NYC Subway (of the 20s). Just managing the off-ramp by speeding up faster (as it was the only way to make it) the ride vehicle takes a brief moment to breathe… then, we hear more screeching tires and shouting. No matter what, they’ll keep on coming – how can we escape? ​

---

chapter iv - drawbridge finale
“Heyyy!”, shouts a familiar voice. We can just barely see our friendly detective, hanging from across the street in a dark park.

“Make for the bridge!” Detective Cross proclaims, pointing in a forward direction. The sirens and shouting only get stronger. The EMVs pick up, following his advice, speeding forward… onto the misty bridge…

Bad idea! We need to escape, but not like this! The drawbridge cranks up, coming alive as what sounds like a massive steamship blows its foghorn, completely invisible to us with all this fog. The track itself appears to lift, and the vehicles will have to jump over the gap, otherwise plummet into the river. Speeding forward, they make the jump…

And land safe as sound! (The EMV doesn’t actually jump; it says on the ground the entire time just on a steep up/down curve. Rather, its the EMV ride system which “leaps up” to simulate airtime during the jump). Behind screeches of brakes tell us our pursuers aren’t as quiet as brave.

“Alright… you got away this time, Detective, but don’t think you’ll do it again!” shouts a stereotypically thick-new yorker accent, a mobster boss of some kind.

The EMVs don’t wait longer to figure out, as soon as the mobster stops talkin’, they’re outta there. As they exit, Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” begins to play.

Start spreading the news
I’m leaving today
I want to be a part of it
New York, New York

The vehicles cruise down through the foggy bridge and make a turn to overlook Empire Bay – a fantastical, abstract art deco skyline of the city basking in brilliant golden light.

The vehicles cruise the fog path, through a winding forest path which ends at an old-timey gas station. Pulling in, we find Detective Marty Cross and some Empire Bay Cops (the non-corrupt ones) who celebrate our daring escape. While the brooding Detective lacks any cheer, he nods along in satisfaction.

“Good job… for a first-timer,” Cross congratulates.

The vehicles whine in protest – what with all the shots they’ve taken, clearly they’ve been put to ringer. “Let’s go get those rusty-old cars to da’ shop” one of the cops calls out, and on queue, the EMVs continue on around the gas station and into a themed garage, serving as the exit platform for the ride. Guests escape Escape from Empire Bay into Big Apple Grocery, just across the street from Ragtime Park.
​

---

And that's a wrap! Thanks everyone for reading up to this point, I appreciate it! I'll be taking a bit of a break now, no more posts tonight or in the immediate future, but soon after, I hope to continue developing and fleshing-out every possible element of this park!​

 

[Architectural Guinea Pig]

Haha now I feel kinda bad for planning to release an entire park instead of a series of forum posts

 

[Outbound]

Haha now I feel kinda bad for planning to release an entire park instead of a series of forum posts

It took way too long to post this

 

[Lizzy May Bee]

a requisite aside -
on... CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE-ISMS

@Architectural Guinea Pig @Lizzy May Bee @ThemeParkPriest
lol i can’t help but dunk on dca whenever i can, its the cars 2 of disneyland i love/hate it so much

Hey! It’s at least as good as, like, Cars 1… ok more like Mater’s Tall Tales but whatever

 

[Outbound]

Hey! It’s at least as good as, like, Cars 1… ok more like Mater’s Tall Tales but whatever

Ok, let’s try this -

• Disneyland - Toy Story
• Magic Kingdom - Toy Story 2
• EPCOT - Monsters Inc
• Disneyland Tokyo - The Incredibles
• Disneyland Paris - Ratatouille
• Hollywood Studios - Cars
• Animal Kingdom - Up
• California Adventure - Hoppers
• DisneySea - WALL-E
• Walt Disney Studio Park - Cars 2
• Disneyland Hong Kong - The Incredibles II
• Disneyland Shanghai - Toy Story 4

Does this work???

 

[Lizzy May Bee]

Ok, let’s try this -

• Disneyland - Toy Story
• Magic Kingdom - Toy Story 2
• EPCOT - Monsters Inc
• Disneyland Tokyo - The Incredibles
• Disneyland Paris - Ratatouille
• Hollywood Studios - Cars
• Animal Kingdom - Up
• California Adventure - Hoppers
• DisneySea - WALL-E
• Walt Disney Studio Park - Cars 2
• Disneyland Hong Kong - The Incredibles II
• Disneyland Shanghai - Toy Story 4

Does this work???

Crazy work to call Disneyland Paris the best park like that but I respect it

 

[Lord Fozzinator]

View attachment 915653
New York is the City of Dreams, and Disneyland a Dreamer’s Paradise. Together, they come together to create one of the most ambitious – and exciting – theme park experiences to date. A South Brooklyn harbor transformed into the realms of fantasy, adventure, and aquatic tomorrows.

View attachment 915797

NEW YORK DISNEYLAND
Theme Park

View attachment 915656
EMPIRE BAY
Our Port of Entry, Empire Bay celebrates New York’s diverse and storied history. Walk from 1785-1928 in a single, cohesive land which gradually progresses over time. On your journey, you’ll witness patriotic celebration, gilded-age haunts, and an action-packed joyride through the city.
[EXPLORE]

DREAMPORT
Our Hub; Figment & Dreamfinder’s latest residence. A serene kingdom in the clouds serving as the park’s unifying storyline. Figment’s DreamCastle, a whimsical pastel iteration of a central castle, hosts an ambitious new ride where guests travel the multiverse of dreams and dimensions.
[To Come!]

HUDSON VALE
Against the foggy riverbank, tall-tale legends of upstate come alive, from the headless horseman of sleepy hollow, to the daring trailblazers forging ahead the wild eastern-american frontier.
[To Come!]

FANTASY SPRINGS
Replicating TDS’ philosophies and design attitudes, this all-new Fantasy Springs provides a selection of acclaimed classic Disney works, including Pinocchio, Robin Hood, Wonderland, and Moana.
[To Come!]

COSMIC WHARF
A hydropunk, cosmopolitan spaceport of the year 2330. Warpspeed through the cosmos, descend to the edge of the planet’s core, and take a time-traveling motorway to the land before time itself.
[To Come!]

and one more! [a surprise]

–

DOWNTOWN DISNEY
Shopping/Dining Center

DISNEY’S COSMOPOLITAN
Resort & Spa​

---

Author’s Note

Spoiler

Hi I’m @Outbound! You might remember me from such things as the Presentation Parade and the One Word Competition. Oh, and maybe some other games.

For years I’ve wanted to produce this project – specifically the pier part, where I have too many drafts to count. Moving to New York encouraged me to design in a large, urban context, something different from Orlando/Anahiem. Then something something gave me the push I needed to finally complete... at least one land! NYDL will be divided into Chapters, with Chapter 1 the opening land, Empire Bay.

The Challenge
For this project, I will be creating a regional Disney park on a largely unused South Brooklyn pier. I will attempt to fit all the iconic parts of a Disney Castle Park in a significantly smaller space than ever before. The current smallest Disney Castle Park, Disneyland, stands at 98 acres – the space we’ve outlined for development is just 49 acres!

But that’s not hard enough. Alongside being denser in scope, I’ve also outlined New York Disneyland to be the next evolution of a Disney Castle typology – reimagining what we can do with this popular park format. So, I am challenging myself to include as few pre-existing / clone rides as possible. Some rides are too good to pass-up (namely Haunted Mansion), but the vast majority of attractions & park entertainment will be 100% original to NYDL.

Will I be able to fit an entire days-worth theme park in a condensed area, pack the entire space with brand-new attractions, and reconcile with New York City’s frigid winter climate? Let’s find out.

Well color me absolutely jealous cause that map is absolutely beautiful.