Disney brings back the future
ANAHEIM, Calif. – Millions of Disneyland visitors will soon get to retrace the thoughts of others who lined up a half-century ago to see a home packed with mind-blowing gadgets expected in the future.
Disneyland’s “House of the Future,” a pod-shaped, all-plastic dwelling, quickly seemed quaint and closed its doors after a decade, in 1967. Its oddities included handsfree phones, wall-sized televisions and electric razors.
But Disney announced Wednesday that it will soon open a new dwelling in Tomorrowland – this time in partnership with 21st century technology giants.
The 5,000-square-foot home, scheduled to open in May, will look like a suburban tract home. But inside it will feature hardware, software and touch-screen systems that could simplify everyday living.
Lights and thermostats will automatically adjust when people walk into a room. Closets will help pick out the right dress for a party. Countertops will be able to identify groceries set on them and make menu suggestions.
The $15 million Innoventions Dream Home is a collaboration of Walt Disney Co., Microsoft Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., software maker LifeWare and homebuilder Taylor Morrison.
Visitors will experience the look of tomorrow by watching Disney actors playing a family of four preparing for a trip to China.
“It’s much different than a spiel that you would get at a trade show,” said Dave Miller, director of alliance development for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. “We won’t get into the bits and the bytes. It will be about the digital lifestyle and how that lifestyle can help you.”
The actors will be in a flurry of cooking, packing and picture-taking designed to emphasize cutting-edge features in the home’s two bedrooms, living room, kitchen, dining room, study and backyard.
The project fits with Walt Disney’s dedication to invention and entrepreneurship and the original purpose of Tomorrowland, said Cynthia King, director of California State University, Fullerton’s Center for Entertainment and Tourism.
“He considered himself a futuristic person and he supported innovation and he wanted to make it available to the public,” she said.
“What everything (at Disneyland) has in common is this idea of imagination, whether it’s creating a whole fantasy world, or creating the future.”
Much of the project will showcase a network that makes the house “smart” and follows family members from room to room – even adjusting artwork to preset personal preferences.
But the idea behind the house isn’t new for Microsoft – and some of the touchpad technology has been displayed at trade shows and other venues, said Matt Rosoff, an analyst for the research group Directions on Microsoft.
Microsoft has a similar hi-tech home on its campus, as well as one at Hewlett-Packard’s headquarters. Neither are open to the public, however, and Microsoft has struggled to find a way to excite consumers about upcoming products without retail stores.