The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (112 page)

I’d never seen
“Captain EO”
and wasn’t sure what to expect.  It’s a bizarre sci-fi-fantasy brew that you have to see yourself to appreciate (and believe).  Unveiled in 1986, it predates modern CGI and its hand-crafted visual effects now look clunky and antiquated.  The 1980’s hairstyles and costumes look campy to contemporary eyes and will have you howling–but affectionately.

The 3D effects have held up surprisingly well
. Huston’s
Witch Queen
, a dystopian, metal-clawed creature pre-dating Star Trek’s Borg Queen by a decade, is suspended by Medusan cables that connect her skull to a gigantic machine; she is sufficiently terrifying that parents should be ready to hug and reassure small children.  The youthful
Jackson
is in his prime, shy yet assured, magnetic, charismatic, and able through his electrifying singing and dancing to transform and save not only the
Witch Queen
and her dystopia but the entire dated production.

“Go, Michael!”
and “Yo, MJ!” Guests shouted at the screen.  Clearly the massive opening day crowds for “
Captain EO”
’s return engagement were largely populated by die-hard
Jackson
fans.  Of course,
Jackson
fans number in the millions, and many Guests, especially locals, are fervent “
EO”
fans.  It remains to be seen how popular the reengagement will be, and how long it will remain at the
Magic Eye
. 
“Captain EO”
was still running at the
Magic Eye Theater
in late 2013.  Equally intriguing is this question:  When
“Captain EO”
departs, what will appear at the
Magic Eye Theater
? 
Did You Know?
  The upbeat score for
“Honey”
was composed by
Bruce Broughton
.  A prolific composer for film and television, he also scored the sparkling
Seasons of the Vine Medley
for the
Grand Californian Hotel
’s
Napa Rose
restaurant. 
FastPass:
  No.  This theatrical presentation is shown every 20 minutes or so, and doesn’t fit the format for a
FastPass
attraction.  The large theater can always accommodate the crowd of Guests gathered for each show; no one has to wait for the subsequent showing. 
Kid’s Eye View:
  It [“
Honey”
] looks fake and it’s boring.

Innoventions

[
FastView:
 
The
Iron Man
exhibit, the
Dream House
, and
ASIMO
have been the best features of this aging venue gravely in need of an exciting new attraction.  “A great big beautiful tomorrow” can’t come too soon.
]

Housed in the
Carousel Theater
on
Tomorrowland
’s eastern edge,
Innoventions
debuted at
Disneyland
in the summer of 1998, when
Tomorrowland
’s extensive overhaul was unveiled. 
Autopia
is immediately to the north of
Innoventions
,
Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port
to the south.

Although
draped with colorful replicas of posters for past
Tomorrowland
attractions like
Adventure Thru Inner Space
, and decorated with colorful, playfully futuristic murals that include at least one
Hidden Mickey
, there is something forbidding about the massive, round, windowless
Innoventions
structure that once housed the
Carousel of Progress
(1967 – 1973) and
America Sings
(1974 – 1988).  The structure is imposing, and vaguely reminiscent of a finned flying saucer.

The building
is enigmatic.  You can’t see inside it–and even its entrance isn’t obvious.  First-time Guests already disoriented by
Tomorrowland
’s layout wonder what this enormous building is, what’s inside it, and how to gain access.

The
Innovations
entrance ramp used to be on the western side of the building near the
Innoventions
sign and metallic globe.  The ramp led to the first level, where you entered via the rotating turntable.  Now Guests enter
Innoventions
further to the south, near the entrance to
Redd Rockett’s
, and climb a long, sloping ramp to the second level.

The
present
Innoventions
entrance ramp sweeps upward at a gradual incline.  Back when Guests entered via the first level, Cast Members stationed near the rotating entrance platform told scripted jokes and interacted with Guests to pass the time.  (They also warned Guests that
Innoventions
has no rest rooms.  That’s still true, so you might want to visit the rest rooms behind the
Autopia Winner’s Circle
before
going to
Innoventions
.)

Except on peak days, Guests
didn’t have to wait longer than ten to twenty minutes before being directed to step (carefully) onto the moving platform with a large group of fellow Guests.  The platform moves at a mere one mph, but for little ones, the elderly and Guest with mobility issues, it could be a bit daunting.  Now you step onto the platform when you
exit
the attraction–use care.

Guests
on the platform viewed a pre-show on an overhead video monitor.  Inside the building you drifted past the metallic
Audio-Animatronic
host,
Tom Morrow
(as in “Tomorrow”), a benevolent mad scientist type draped in a transparent lab coat and voiced by Broadway and film star
Nathan Lane
.  Tom Morrow explained the
Innoventions
back story. 
Innoventions
, you learned, are “innovative inventions,” and you were about to see a lot of them.

Tom Morrow
, true to his name, was thrilled about the wondrous possibilities of tomorrow’s world, and sang the classic
Sherman Brothers
-penned song
There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow
. 
Richard
and
Robert Sherman
wrote the tune for the
Carousel of Progress
exhibit at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair.  The
Carousel of Progress
opened in
Disneyland
in 1967 and brought the song with it.

More than just a fun song,
There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow
was a
Sherman
homage to
Walt
’s buoyant positivity and vision. Modern
Imagineers
enjoyed the opportunity
Innoventions
presented to reintroduce the optimistic song to
Tomorrowland
, a land that is, after all, supposed to be about the wonderful opportunities of the future.

The hopeful words of
There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow
prepared Guests for the innovative products they were about to see.  And this is the secret of
Innoventions
; hidden away behind its windowless round walls are the most innovative items in
Tomorrowland
.  Here, cutting-edge technology is presented to Guests.  Some of it is ready for mass rollout.  Some of it is in development.

The first level of
Innoventions
is an immersive
Dream House
display.  This is the home of the fictional
Elias
family.  Because it’s on the bottom, rotating level, Guests now see it last, but it used to be the starting point for your
Innoventions
visit.

The
Dream House
is designed to look like a house of the (very) near future, with plenty of foliage and warm, Craftsman-like wood and stone materials.  If the name
Elias
sounds familiar, it should; it was the name of
Walt
’s father, and
Walt
’s middle name.

Di
sney
understands, as the
Dream House
architecture and décor make clear, that humanity’s future remains connected to the
natural
world, which has a primal draw for us, not a world of sterile, smooth, blank structures, as once predicted for “houses of the future”.  But even though it’s warm and cozy in spirit, the
Dream House
hides useful high-tech features.  Windows, lights, temperature, music, and entertainment systems can all be controlled at the touch of a button.

The technology is hidden. 
There are no visible robot servants.  Not unexpectedly, since Microsoft, HP, Lifeware, and Taylor Morrison Homes are among the sponsors and collaborators, the emphasis is on software and seamless hardware to make life more pleasant–not big industrial robots.

It’s only the lower
exterior
portion of the
Carousel
building that rotates.  Inside the
Dream House
, in the core of the building, there are no rotating platforms to navigate.  You enter through dark wooden doors with lovely windows, and find yourself in a series of spacious rooms.  The tone is warm and homey throughout, timelessly stylish and designed for comfort as well as efficiency.

Want to read a book, play a game or observe family photos or famous
works of art?  Touch a coffee table or dining table or a frame on the wall!  Computer screens facilitating interactive art and entertainment have been built into frames and furniture surfaces.

Of course, shelves
hold real books too, not just ebook tablets, and there are comfortable chairs and sofas and throws.  The spaces are large but not overwhelming, and warm colors and natural materials like wood and stone make them cozy.

P
eriodicically there are multimedia storytelling sessions in the
Elias
son’s bedroom, and cooking demonstrations in the interactive kitchen.  Every room has its layers of quality-of-life enhancing technology.  In the teen daughter’s room a mirror projects possible clothing choices on your reflection.

The
Dream Home
launched in summer of 2008 and it’s literally the centerpiece of
Innoventions
.  Try to visit it when it’s not crowded, in the morning or late afternoon, so you can peruse the features of each room at your leisure and get the most out of your visit.

When the exhibit debuted in summer 2008,
sponsor
Taylor Morrison
held an online contest.  The prize?  A home inspired by the
Dream Home
.  The winner met
Mickey
and
Minnie
at
Disneyland
in July 2009, and was given a key to her future home.  Construction on the winner’s
Dream Home
began in September of 2009.  More
Taylor Morrison Dream Home
contests have been held in the years since.

T
he rest of the exhibits are all housed on the top level; now that Guests enter via the top floor, these are the first exhibits that you’ll encounter.  The upper level of
Innoventions
doesn’t rotate.  It’s a large, at times confusing warren of exhibits.  Kids will probably make a beeline for the display of the latest XBox video games.  There are medicine and health-focused exhibits at
St. Joseph’s Health University
, reflecting recent and upcoming advances in medical and wellness technology.

The most popular event on the second level is probably Honda’s
ASIMO
show, a fifteen-minute presentation in which the world’s most advanced (and adorable) humanoid robot,
ASIMO
, interacts with a fictional human family and shows how it can improve everyone’s quality of life.

ASIMO
stands for “Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility”, and, unlike many earlier prototypes, little
ASIMO
, only four feet (120 cm) tall, is able to perform fluid feats of mobility, from walking up and down stairs to dancing.  It can visually map its environment, avoid obstacles, and change paths.  It can vocalize and has face-recognition software, so it can be programmed to recognize specific family members.  And, at 115 pounds (52 kilograms) it’s relatively light, as robots go.

Human actors and
ASIMO
act out a skit on a living room stage that allows
ASIMO
to show many of the neat things it can do.  It’s a fun show, and
ASIMO
is impressive, but it’s tough to imagine any but the wealthiest families being able to purchase an
ASIMO
to help them out, even in the future.  And although it’s not highlighted in the show,
ASIMO
still has limitations, like a short battery life (its battery only works for about 30 minutes before a recharge is needed), although further development will probably improve and even solve such issues.