pants

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• Canada

• Accolade Panelist

What a lovely park, Fred! I had a blast exploring it and have already returned several times to reabsorb its charm. The layout of the map is very intriguing and it’s obvious how much thought and attention went into creating all of the sightlines. Really love how every single tracked ride has some sort of path interaction, even down to the indoor boat ride and its adjacent restaurant. The kinetic energy throughout would be so thrilling in real life!

 

The central island as main hub concept is an interesting one. I appreciate the novelty, and getting a 360 view of the park before you’ve truly entered it is a fun reimagining of the park entrance experience. It took me a second to understand what was going on, but I think that’s what makes it so exciting. Can’t help but feel like it would be a logistical nightmare transferring so many guests on boats alone though haha

 

There were a few things that held me back from voting yes on Spotlight, most of which others have already mentioned. The detailing and scaling are somewhat inconsistent across the map, that enormous Quest for Atlantis facade being one of the main culprits for me. The landscaping is also quite hit or miss. Those streams flowing off the edge of the map are more elaborately detailed than some other areas the guests can actually see, for example.

 

I also don’t think this affected my score, but I feel a bit uneasy about the Vinland area. Full transparency, I work in First Nations education so things like this will always set of an alarm bell for me. There’s a flattening of Indigenous culture that’s disappointing given how much more research the Viking side seems to have been based on. Most of it is pulled from a mix of Plains and West Coast cultures but I think you could have found some great East Coast styles to build off of. I also think, in general, we need to put a moratorium on Dreamcatcher motifs haha. There are so many more interesting facets of Indigenous culture, though whether we can really depict them authentically and respectfully in roller coaster form is something I’ve wrestled with in my own projects. Just my two Canadian cents!

 

All that being said, there’s a palpable joy in your work that’s so irresistible. It’s bright and fun but very intricate and considered. Count me among all the other Fred fans, I’m sure this is a park I’ll be returning to again and again.