Yesterday, I asked you all for a really big favor – to convince Mom to head down to Anaheim before she returns home, so she can see with her own eyes the message that all of you Optimists have uncovered. And just now, I found this in the comment section of my last blog post:
And you know what the oddest thing about this situation is? That I had no doubt in the world you all would be able to connect with her in a way I couldn’t do alone. I read your comments over and over and over and realized that all she had to do was read just one sentence of any comment, and you would change her heart. And that’s what you did. I know this because Mom and I just talked over the phone. She’s going to go to Anaheim tonight! She is still a bit uncertain what this is all about, but I believe she’s finally ready to listen. And you made that happen in a way that I feel only family could.
So, since you are family, I wanted to share with you. Because Mom has such a tiny window of time, she plans to head straight from her conference to Main Street Cinema in Disneyland to view “the message.” She expects to be there sometime between 9:00 and 9:30pm. She just purchased her ticket to Disneyland, but she will need a ticket from the Lily Belle to trigger “the message.” Can I count on some of you to meet her at the Main Street Cinema with one of those tickets? Maybe you even join her to help her understand the meaning of everything that has happened.
I know you will all be wonderful to Mom. She’ll be a little out of her element, and she could use all the warm welcomes from friendly optimists she can get. Together, I believe you will be able to convince her what Grandpa was up to and that it was all to build a better future. For her. And for all of us.
Thank you. I will never forget what you did for me and my family. Our family.
I’ll make sure to tell all my Optimist friends! They will help you follow your mom Amelia!
Awesome! So excited! Amelia, she is going to be so surprised! Remember to support her with all this discovery. She may need some help understanding it. I knew being an optimist would pay off! lol
Go Tanya!
…will be there in spirit, and watching everyone’s posts, tweets, etc. so glad she will get there.
Yay! I am sure all of our Optimist friends that are going to be in Disneyland will help guide your mom!
Omigoodness!!! I am at Disneyland RIGHT NOW. I read this and got so excited! I will make sure to greet her
Amelia, Ricky from Inside the Magic is live blogging via http://www.insidethemagic.net/2013/08/live-blog-2013-d23-expo-coverage-of-all-things-disney-from-the-anaheim-convention-center-near-disneyland/ and via his twitter https://twitter.com/InsideTheMagic They are talking about Tomorrowland with symbols from the Optimist.
I’ll be there!
Would you by any chance be able to share a map with me if you get here early enough? I am missing th secret map but I am at Disneyland and would love to participate… Maybe people can grab more than one map? Sorry that is kind of a big favor to ask… Just wanted to try!
Sorry for double commenting. I was just informed that you cannot board the Lily Belle unless you have collected all the clues, and the first clue is the map from D23! I am not able to get to D23 because I don’t have money for a ticket, but I am at Disneyland right now as we speak just out of sheer coincidence! Are there any kind souls who could get an extra map to share with me? Or is that against the rules? I just really would like to be able to participate since I am here… I can meet up anywhere. Please let me know! I will check this page frequently.
It’s very unfortunate that this journey can only be completed if you have a ticket to Disneyland AND a ticket to the Expo. If you have no annual pass, that’s $100+ to participate
Hey Rachel I know someone who got a map but won’t do the scavenger hunt since they can’t get into Disney. Get in contact with me and maybe I can help you (562)895-5792 text me
I’ll be with you both every step of the way.
Amelia, I got to talk with Wallace!
Wallace was very nice. Watch the conversation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUH9nXGi4ws
Wallace was very nice. I recommend going to see him at his booth.
So excited for you Amelia! Can’t wait to find out what your mom sees in Disneyland! I’ll be with you in spirit my fellow optimists!
Good luck meeting up tonight!
Omg this is exciting I wish I could be on the west coast to be there
I am on my way there now.
Amber and I are walking into the park right now. If any fellow Optimists who weren’t at d23 want to help us finish Wallace’s quest from today let me know and we’ll meet up.
Ah, great picture you two. Last time I checked, @SColling007 on Twitter is looking for fellow Optimists to complete the journey with.
I can’t get my twitter off private to be able to DM him. Can someone let him know we’re headed to the old motor boat dock / fantasia gardens area. We’ll be there in 10 min or less.
Good luck Tanya we are all here for you. To all my fellow optimists at the park take care of her. Can’t wait to see how it goes.
On the way to the park to help out my fellow Optimists. We’re all glad to help you Amelia in all of this.
Going for a train ride with some fellow optimists. Hoping we make it back to Main Street in time! =D
The D23 panel ran long and I wasn’t paying attention to the clock, so I missed getting back to see you guys.
I had so much fun working on the first legs of the journey with you guys, though!
It was beautiful and perfect and… I’m gonna miss it all! Keep on keeping the faith, fellow Optimists!
What happened…I missed it.
#alwaysTheOptimist.
I will be posting a video tomorrow, highlighting what we have been through in these weeks. Stay tuned.
Can’t wait to see your video summary. Thanks for sharing your talent with us all.
Can’t. Stop. Smiling. =)
What a fitting prologue to our adventure, and as the live stream Optimists shared, a vast concept imparting a single moment of deep personal connection and emotion. It’s going to be hard to see things as they are now, following this profound experience. All of my Disney podcasts and blogs, trips and parks, movies and products seem mundane now compared to The Society and our family of Optimists. I hope the upcoming Tomorrowland “documentary” will open the public’s eyes to the work of The Society, and keep alive our dream of creating a better tomorrow together. Time to give some thought on how we can all continue the work of this vital organization.
Of course I meant ‘epilogue’. Sigh, so much for a profound final post!
Well said, my friend. A sentiment many of us share, I am sure.
If you missed Amelia’s mom at Disneyland, here is Hastin’s Ustream, now up and running in video! Thanks again, Hastin for all your leg work on behalf of the Optimists across the country who could not be there…
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/37142859
What’s next?
I’m fairly sure we continue paving the way for tomorrow!
It would be nice to get a little online wrap up from Amelia and a note/final art piece online from Wallace, but if this adventure is done, I would call it okay. I do agree that we now go forward and help create a great, big beautiful tomorrow.
There is the contents of the “old dusty box” that’s been revealed at D23 yesterday. No photography was allowed in the pavilion but I took copious notes. Download the D23 Tomorrowland app on your phone for a virtual curation. This is definitely of interest to my fellow Optimists. More mysterious letters, several patents, blueprints for the alternative area in ISAW… The rabbit hole goes deep.
Kalani – would you be willing to share your notes and thoughts on the “old dusty box” with those of us who did not make it out to the D23 events? Perhaps this was posted elsewhere and I missed it.
There was some brief talk about it yesterday morning but it was lost with all the other goings on. Grab the app if you have an android or iPhone “d23 tomorrowland”. I’m working on taking screenshots of each of the items in the app and adding my notes. The app only has about 25-50% of the things on display at D23. I’m not there today, but I recommend anyone who is to get over to the Tomorrowland exibit and try to take in as much as possible. Here’s one screenshot; it’s some kind of code but I don’t think morse.
You are welcome, Megan. Yes there was a tremendous amount of items from the Box on display… No photos were allowed at the Pavilion, but some of the press have posted photos.
http://mashable.com/2013/08/11/tomorrowland-meets-lost-in-disney-mystery-box/
http://www.slashfilm.com/tomorrowland-box-opened/2/
If it is morse:
N U Q M
M Y D A
Curious about the divider lines though. Some single, some double.
I toyed with the idea of morse but it does not appear so. Also tried calling the “|” a dot and making all the dashes the same for morse code purposes with no further insight either. The second line is a mirror image of the 1st line. It reads the same way if you flip it.
Morse would simply be too obvious and simple.
Walking through the Tomorrowland exhibit really got me going again. Just when the Amelia/Wallace story was supposed to end, we get to see the 1953 box items up close. So much here to explore.
Loved the blueprint (under black light) of the secret room in IASW.
I sure hope there are more chapters to this ARG.
Us Optimists need one singular place online to pool our resources and discuss the ongoing mysteries surrounding this game, this story and the Tomorrowland film … all very intriguing.
Eric, there is a facebook group set up if you’d like to join us.Search for The Optimist Society.
Looking over the Artifact photos again… Here’s something interesting. The same style marks on the Trylosphere are on the “Plus Ultra” disc!
And another set of this code on the ISAW blueprints.
Instead of Morse code, could it be the binary code, all ones and zeros?
I tired binary also, but it doesn’t come out to anything interesting in any other base number system or in text. It appears to have three distinct states.
A vertical pipe “|”
A long dash “-”
A short dash/dot “.”
Four states if you count the spacing.
Here’s a short news article on the subject too. http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/08/10/tomorrowland-d23/
And another screenshot with a familiar symbol…
Thanks, Kalani! I kept hearing so many folks talk about the D23 booth, and I was so jealous! Thanks for uploading what you have, too bad it’s not everything at the booth. Ah well. Looks as mysterious and wonderful as always.
More will be forthcoming. I have an idea for something to try once I get into the office tomorrow morning.
There was so much at that booth I felt like I needed to hire a court reporter and a sketch artist just to document the entire thing. I can’t imagine that’s the only glimpse at everything we will get…
I have posted high res images and the audio from the D23 Tomorrowland app for those that do not have a smartphone. http://flic.kr/s/aHsjHsFoLC
I can’t seem to use flickr to upload sound files. Stand-by for a link to the audio once I find an appropriate host.
I’m processing the audio files into “videos” so they can be streamed from Flickr. Track 1 is up now.
Audio has been uploaded. It’s interesting to note that the MP4 files were named “WALRATH” as in “Ward Walrath Kimball”?
Thanks, Kalani! Were there things displayed that are not part of the app? I wasn’t there, but really enjoyed looking at all the images and listening to the audio through the app, but it wasn’t really clear whether there were other things there in person as well.
My comment is stuck in moderation, but yes Megan there was so much more on display. I imagine that will not be the last time we get a chance to see it all though… Once that comment it out of moderation, it has some links with some pictures.
Looking at the images Kalani just posted of the markings on the disc cover and blueprints, plus the Trylosphere picture in the app, the sets of lines remind me of diagrams I have seen of how to position sliders or knobs on equipment.
Interesting idea. I’m not sure what to make of it at this point. It repeats… The ISAW one is a mirror image of itself just like the Trylosphere.
Here’s a comparison of the blueprint’s marking and the trylosphere’s. The blueprint is the same only repeated twice end to end.
That came out a bit small here’s a link to a full size one. http://flic.kr/p/fv27ie
Well it sort of sounds like a broadcaster of some sort, so it definitely could have some other part to it.
After rereading this particular thread one thing popped out with me. Zachary posted a hashtag I think we should all continue to use to keep in touch with each other.
#alwaysTheOptimist
I say we keep each other working toward that great big beautiful tomorrow by using this hashtag to post positive thoughts and supportive messages to one another. Perhaps we can give new meaning to the ARG saying TINAG… perhaps it becomes TIMTAG (This Is More Than A Game)!
Also another thought, maybe we should do more than use hash tags, but also visit Disneyland every year or so. Just so we can keep in touch. I know this whole experience for me has literally changed my life! I know I’m supposed to become an imagineer someday now!
I went ahead and created a Facebook group if anyone wants to be more connected that way. I posted the link here but that comment is stuck in moderation. I just titled it The Optimist Society if you can find it by searching in the mean time.
Thanks, Amber. Be an honor to join up!
For my video summary, I need some information on what happened at Disneyland and D23 Expo. The hunt. I was at D23, but did not partake in it.
Check out Hastin’s Ustream and you can watch the whole adventure from starting with Wallace’s map to Tanya learning about the Society. Scroll up a bit for the link, all the videos are on the right on that page, newest to oldest.
I already know about Tanya, but I need the rest of what happened the day before. I don’t want to go through like 2 hours of video.
Amelia, by the time i read this post it was already past 9:30 PM so I was not able to meet you mom. I hope some people were able to meet your mom and also hope all went well. I look forward to see what happened.
Hello all,
I’ve taken the liberty of creating a Facebook group if anyone is interested in joining: https://www.facebook.com/groups/482640598499565/
May I know where to find the video of the 9pm event last night?
My girlfriend and I will be at D23 today and Disneyland
In case any other optimists didn’t have the chance to pick up a map from Wallace. We can then be on our way together if anyone would like. You can actually text me at 805 404 1530.
I feel so lucky that I ended up at Disneyland yesterday of all days. I felt really sad when I found out I couldn’t go to D23 to meet Wallace, and I wasn’t at all expecting to be able to participate in real life. Yesterday when I heard Amelia’s mom was going to be at Disneyland, I was filled with so much excitement! And then on top of it, I was able to participate in the scavenger hunt (even though I didn’t have a map) with a huge help from all of you. Ricardo especially was so nice and so friendly when trying to get me a map, and if it wasn’t for him, I might not have been able to complete the scavenger hunt at Disneyland. My friends who were with me were amazed at how intricate the hunt was and how many friendly Optimists were there to greet Tanya. I am so grateful that I could be there to see her in person and be there to share that moment with her (and with all of you!). You guys are so nice and friendly and helpful, and I’m glad I could meet you all along the way with Amelia.
I think this adventure has proven to be more than just a game for me. I’ve been having a hard year, but being with all of you in this has made me feel a lot better and a lot more… Well, optimistic! So thank you all for that, and for helping me along my way yesterday. It was so much fun and I am so glad I could be a part of it.
Please stay in touch! I will join the Facebook page soon. Best of wishes!
Hi Amelia and fellow optimists! I got to watch Hastin’s video which was very touching and made me feel like I was part of a family reunion. That being said, I still have several questions which from what I can see are unanswered: what the +U means, who exactly is the society, what was Amelia’s grandpa working on, and I’m sure there are more. I may be the only one who still has questions so I am reaching out to my optimist family to help me out. I’ve also joined the FB group and am looking forward to staying in touch with you great people!
I feel we have much to uncover still, albeit over a longer period of time than our first encounter with the society. The scripts, blueprints, edison square, club 33 findings, patents, final movie, etc. must be more than answers to the next puzzle. The evidence box has a record/disk that shows a Plus Ultra brand, with the U matching our parabola. I am sure both the 1952 box contents and late december 2014 film will reveal more. But it will be fun to speculate in the interim, and of course to always have a deeper connection than the public going to see the next Disney film.
I have created a video summary of the 6 week game! Hope you guys enjoy the video, as we highlight what has happened. Be sure to follow @optimistcentral, a new twitter page. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXSVj4GN_JQ
Well done, sir!
Although photos are not allowed at the D23 Tomorrowland evidence booth, I did find some footage that is professionally taken for those of us not on site:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsq0IsDE52Q
Nice! Thanks Geren! I was looking for a video but all I could find was long distance stills. Security around the collection was extremely tight and they were putting stickers over everyone’s cell phone cameras; front and back quiet thorough. I tried to memorize it all but it was a lot to absorb.
Geren if you’re there (or anyone else) should have a second look at the blacked out scripts, writing was visible much like Lott’s redacted papers but my vision is not the best and I was unable to make out more than a letter or two.
I’m actually not at D23, so I apologize if I implied otherwise. Great suggestion to our onsite folks, though. Thank you, Kalani, for all of your work. It has meant the world to our community.
Ah no worries I’m on my phone and it’s been a crazy day today. Misread your comment, thought you were there. Hopefully everyone who was there got a look at things.
And thank you, you are too kind. I am just doing what I can to help in service of my fellow optimists. =)
http://www.slashfilm.com/tomorrowland-box-opened/ Interesting article