Kysia Falls
Theme Park Land Design
Overview
Stepping into a fantastical jungle that is home to the inhabitants of the Sun, Spring, and Soilclans, guests are invited to join in on the community’s celebration of nature and all that it provides.
Kysia Falls is a proposal for a themed land that was conceptualized over the course of five weeks for the 2021 Cornell Theme Park Design Competition. On this project, I took on the role of project manager, coordinating between the engineers and artists, running meetings, and guiding our creative decision-making process. I also headed the Master Planning challenge, collaborating with my teammates to map out the land within the constraints and then fleshing out its intricacies in the final deliverable.
Role
Project Manager
Concept Designer
Tools & Skills
- Adobe Photoshop
- Master Planning
- Project Coordination
Duration
5 weeks
April – May 2021
Team Members
D’Angelo Reyes
Mike Sturman
Sarah Litto
Master Planning
On the master planning challenge, I worked with Mike Sturman to create the overall layout. We brainstormed land elements and discussed the overall journey we wanted guests to have as they walked through the land, and from there he created a great outline of the area. I put together the master planning document, calling out key elements and describing design justifications. This project was a lot of fun because it gave me the opportunity to merge artistic creativity with strategic creativity with the concept design and master planning portions.
Click on image to view deliverable.
Concept Design
The inhabitants of Kysia Falls have lived in this jungle for as long as time has existed and have built their community around the Corde Terra [Earth Heart]. Living in harmony with their environment, they have established an understanding of the magical properties of the jungle and have become caretakers of it.
In order to keep the tree alive and thriving, each clan has dedicated their lives to protecting one of the elements of growth— the sunshine, the water spring, and rich soil— and the magical creatures that thrive within its ecosystem. Serene streams of water extend out from the magnificent waterfalls of the lush Tree of Sora and flow throughout the land, connecting all three clans together.
The clans have welcomed you into their community and homes for the day as they celebrate and are excited to share their traditions with you.
As project manager, I led the team’s concept generation process and synthesized our story decisions into a logline and synopsis. Since our team was so small, I also took on the creative leadership of our overall story and art direction. I fleshed these out in the written descriptions of the land’s important elements and handed them off to our concept artist D’Angelo Reyes, who created illustrations and put together the final presentation board. Our team also created a mockup of the land in Planet Coaster, from which we sourced many supporting visuals.
Innovation
Kysia Falls takes the personalized guest experience to another level with our cutting-edge feature, the Discovery Log. This multifaceted experience allows for three additional levels of engagement with the story of Kysia Falls: 1) unlocking “secret” exploration areas. 2) personalized character encounters. 3) personalized ride experiences.
Embedded throughout the land, guests will find interactive puzzles that allow them to complete tasks that “care” for the land— just like the tribe members. Engaging with these interaction points changes the environment and opens passageways to previously-hidden alcoves that guests can explore, as if the land invites you to explore further in return for your care.
Splash Tag - Water Experience
Navigate through the lush jungle arena, claiming as many flag posts as possible before the other teams do. Watch out for the unexpected surprise splash from other players and the jungle itself!
This attraction is accomplished through electric water blasters and matching vests with built in pressure plates. To accommodate for it’s lower capacity, during peak seasons, guests must book a reservation to experience this attraction.
Flat Ride
Explore the multiple levels of the jungle in a Ferris-Wheel experience with a bonus 360 view!
This attraction is a Ferris-Wheel type ride with bonus yaw direction spinning carriages. As the wheel spins the carriages around, the guests have the option to spin the turntable at the center of their viewing carriage which in turn spins their viewing carriage. Guests enjoy a full view of the land at multiple altitudes producing many photo opportunities. The carriages can also only house guests of the same party, allowing for a party-distanced experience.
The technical analysis of the flat ride was completed by Sarah Litto. Her work can be viewed in the document linked below.
