Disney is running an alternate reality game that delves into the origin story of Disney Parks through a fictionalized lens. For the next six weeks, players will work alongside Amelia, an aspiring documentary filmmaker and college student, as she seeks to uncover the secrets her grandfather left behind.
By Michael Andersen, originally posted at ARGNet
In 1923, Walt Disney and his brother Roy founded a company that would eventually become The Walt Disney Company. Out of respect for that seminal moment in the company's history, Disney's official fan club adopted D23 as its name. With the company's 90th anniversary fast approaching, Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development has partnered with Walt Disney Studios to produce The Optimist, a six-week long alternate reality game culminating in an event at the D23 Expo.
The Optimist focuses on a young college student named Amelia as she strives to learn more about her recently deceased grandfather, Carlos Moreau, for a documentary film she's planning on shooting. To Amelia, her grandfather Carlos was an inveterate storyteller whose life remains a mystery. Her efforts to learn more about Carlos' life and legacy through his personal effects are documented on her blog StoryOrbit.com. A series of documents are beginning to paint a picture of Carlos Moreau's life: after selling a short story called Orbit's Story to Disney, Carlos fostered a close relationship with the company that saw him collaborating with Disney's Special Projects team on the 1964 World's Fair. While the focus of the game so far lies squarely in uncovering Carlos' past, Amelia provides a personable front for the investigation as she balances research into the annals of Disney with her college studies.
According to Disney Parks, over the next six weeks players will piece together "an imagined story of Walt Disney, the Imagineers and other visionary thinkers and their potential involvement in a secret project that sought to build a better future." Through this fictional lens, players are given the chance to share their familiarity with Disney's often unbelievable history. For instance, when The Optimist introduced players to the Lott Family Construction company as a fictional collaborator on Disney's exhibit at the 1964 World's Fair, players were quick to point out that M.T. Lott Real Estate Investments was the name of a shell company set up to purchase land for Walt Disney World. Similarly, a phone number written on the back of a napkin led to players discussing and visiting one of Walt Disney's favorite restaurants to uncover additional clues hidden in plain sight at the historic table.
Because this blending of real world people and places might make it difficult to identify the line between fiction and reality in the narrative, all confirmed in-game sites and social media profiles include a disclaimer letting players know when they are interacting with fictional pages in the game's universe. This way, real establishments can coexist with fictional constructs without creating unnecessary confusion. Trowbridge mentions that the game will extend beyond the web, with interactions ranging from "social media and mobile devices to visiting unique physical sites from the story in and around Los Angeles," making the distinction all the more important. Players outside California are still provided ample opportunities to get immersed in the world, with several players who provided their contact information during the registration process receiving a vintage record in the mail. The record features Disney music played at the World's Fair, along with two ghost tracks that delve a little deeper into the fictional mystery of The Optimist.
The Optimist has maintained a steady update schedule, with new content coming out every day: however, the game is still in its early stages, so there's more than enough time to dive in before the game's finale in August. To get caught up, read StoryOrbit's in-game recaps and Inside the Magic's collaborative Google Doc summarizing theories and events so far.
