Round One Update #wdwrat

Round one is done. It has been basted, reached an internal temperature of 165 °F and achieved a crispy, golden brown hue.

Eight points were up for grabs in this first round. Only two of you achieved perfection and many of you proved your abilities at picking out losers far exceeds your abilities at choosing winners. Well, at least your good at something.

Let's take at look at the bracket:

Shall we?

Rides of flight faltered right out of the gate. Mission: Space fought hard but was eventually grounded by some cups of tea. In a match up consisting of one giant, powerful salad spinner vs. a smaller, less powerful salad spinner (containing several mini manual salad spinners), more salad spinners prevailed in what was the tightest match of round one - 4 percentage points.

The next seven match ups averaged a 37 percentage point differential. Dinosaur achieved the smallest margin of victory with a 24 percentage point edge over Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, while WDW Railroad cleaned Astro Orbiters o-rings with a 56 percentage point margin of victory. The biggest win in round one. Another rides of flight grounded.

At the end of the round, all four round one rides of flight were grounded. Mission: Space - grounded. Barnstormer - grounded. Dumbo - grounded. Astro Orbiter - grounded. Soarin' had better watch out in round two!

But all of this has only amounted to child's play. The big dogs come out to eat in round two. Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Earl Anthony? These names mean nothing! Expedition Everest made its tournament debut earlier today. And round two will also see the debuts of Pirates, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Mine Train, Haunted Mansion and Tower of Terror just to name a few. Twice as many match up with twice as many points.

Speaking of points, let's get to it. Two of you achieved perfection in round one action: @buda_golf and @DefiniteDisney. Congratualtions, but don't get too cocky. Anything can happen in round two. Here's how the complete leader board shakes out.

The leaders and losers are clearly defined with a rat's nest of folks tied for 6th and 18th places.

Keep voting, enjoy your birds on Thursday and pay attention. There are some rumblings that the tournament scheduling committee may surprises us all with a Turkey Day double header.

Gobble. Gobble.

Triple D out!

Walt Disney World Ride Attractions Tournament #wdwrat

Well, well, well, well . . . look who has been given the keys to the VIPest of VIP clubs . . . me, DesignatedDisneyDad - on the Twitter @DesigDisneyDad.

Let me use this opportunity to roll out the red carpet access to the Walt Disney World  Ride Attractions Tournament (#wdwrat) for you. Seriously, what have you been waiting for? We all know that actual strategy plays no part in bracket challenges like this. This is exactly why 85 year old Delores has won your office's NCAA bracket challenge multiple times already and probably will win it again this next year. She let's her 7 year old grand niece complete it for her - in crayon. So throw caution to the wind, throw down a few brews and get those brackets completed.

You can download a fill-in bracket here and you can email your completed bracket here.

If red carpet affairs aren't your thing, you should also know that Drunky has thrown down the gauntlet and questioned your very Disney manhood and/or womanhood. Are you going to let your Disney reputation be smeared about so cavalierly?

In addition to proving your Disney manhood and/or womanhood, you'll be playing for these fantastic prizes:

First place will win themself a limited edition signed and numbered full-color hardback copy of "Drinking at Disney: A Tipsy Travel Guide to Walt Disney World's Bars, Lounges & Glow Cubes" by Rhiannon and Drunky.

In addition to it's hundreds of pages of Disney bar knowledge and witty banter, this is a book of considerable heft. It's great for pressing leaves and flowers, propping up your computer monitor a few extra inches or fighting off a would be attacker. Specifically, you'll be playing for #16.

My own personal copy is #44, which makes #16 at least 2.75 times better.

Second place will win this unique and limited Snow White poster by renowned artist Eric Tan. You can check some of his other work here.

 

Here's a piece of the actual print you could win.

You cannot buy this poster anywhere. This is a DMR exclusive and limited poster, so if you don't have young children and/or spend half of your retirement savings on Disney movies like I do, this is your chance. My children's Disney movie demands becomes your wall art.

Third place will win this Fabrikation's plush figure of Inside Out's Anger. Sure you'll be angry about not winning the D@D book or the Eric Tan art, but you'll have this soft sculpture by Funko to bitch to.

 

Fourth will get nothing, except for the subtle and ever-nagging feeling that you were almost a winner, but just couldn't quite finish the job.

So complete your bracket now and email to me by Sunday night - or have your 4 year old do it for you. Competition starts next Monday, November 14th. Stay tuned here at Club 1971 for tournament updates, follow me on Twitter @DesigDisneyDad and look for #wdwrat to vote for your favorite rides and help propel your bracket to victory.

Triple D out!

#wdwrat is not affiliated with Walt Disney World or any of it's affiliated companies, Eric Tan or Funko. Yes, we're probably infringing on all sorts of trademarks and copyrights, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Prizes will be awarded on a point system, one point for each correctly predicted victory. The decision of the judges is final. By entering #wdwrat, you waive all your rights to a trial by jury and your 1st, 2nd and 4th Amendment rights from here to the ice world of Hoth and back.