Innoventions Dream Home Now Open to the Public

WDWNT on July 2, 2008

From the OC Register:

The Innoventions Dream Home is open to the public starting today, according to Disney Spokesman John McClintock.

On June 17 Disney pulled back the curtain on the new Innoventions Dream Home, but the attraction was only open for limited hours and only to annual passholders. McClintock said the home was open to regular guests for some time over the weekend as a soft opening.

Last week the attraction was only open for limited hours as Disney workers made sure all the home’s technology worked properly.

Article Mania!

WDWNT on June 30, 2008

Here are 3 articles from the OC Register with information on the Innoventions Dream Home, Wall-E in the parks, & an incident in New Orleans Square:

The Innoventions Dream Home is still closed and will possibly open to the public next week, according to Disney Spokesman John McClintock.

Last week Disney pulled back the curtain on the new Innoventions Dream Home, but the attraction was only open for limited hours and only to annual passholders.

McClintock said today that Disney workers are “making sure that all the technology in the home is working perfectly” before opening the Dream Home to the public. He said that the goal is to open the home to the public next week.

Currently, the second floor of the Innoventions building is open. Just the first floor, the Dream Home level, is closed.

We’ll keep everyone updated on this blog about when the Dream Home will open to the public.

Disney’s Wall-E character debuted in theaters yesterday, but don’t expect the little robot in the Disneyland Resort any time soon.

A Disney Backstage Pass newsletter mailed to Disneyland Annual Passholders a few weeks ago included thata three-foot-tall Audio-Animatronic model of Wall-E would be visiting people in Disney’s California Adventure this summer

But, Disney Spokesman John McClintock said the robot is not expected to be in the park for a few months.

“We don’t expect Wall-E to be in the Disneyland Resort any time soon, especially during the summer,” McClintock said.

treebranchphoto2Update: New photo on the left sent in by someone who was in the park when the tree branch fell. Right click and click view image on either photo to see an enlarged image.

A tree branch broke and fell onto a pathway last night near the French Market restaurant in the New Orleans Square area of Disneyland.

A Disney spokeswoman said it was one branch and that it did not fall directly on anybody. She said that no more than five people were near the branch when it fell. She said those people had minor scrapes.

Irvine resident Vicki Munsell was at the park yesterday when the branch fell. She was there with her family celebrating her and her husband’s 14th wedding anniversary.

Munsell and her family were eating at the Cafe Orleans restaurant when they heard someone shout and she turned around in time to hear the branch cracking and see it fall on a pathway.

She said people ran over right away to help. While Disney said the tree did not fall on anyone, Munsell said people were pulled out from underneath the tree. Still, Munsell agreed that she did not see anyone injured with more than a few scratches.

branchfallsatdisneyland

Munsell took the photo that you see at right with her camera phone, and she sent it to The Orange County Register. After the branch fell, she said the area was blocked off by Disney cast members who removed the branch and checked on people nearby.

This is not the first time trees have fallen on people in theme parks. On Aug. 1, 1997, a large tree limb at Knott’s Berry Farm broke and fell onto four visitors near the Montezooma’s Revenge ride, causing minor injuries to three and leaving the fourth hospitalized. And on May 5, 2001, Jeanne Gill, 73 suffered a broken hip, and 27 others are injured when a 20-foot oak tree falls in Frontierland at Disneyland.

Win Your Own Dream Home!

WDWNT on June 29, 2008

From BizJournals:

Taylor Morrison Inc. is giving away a home inspired by the recently unveiled Innoventions Dream Home at Disneyland’s Tomorrowland.

The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based home builder has launched an online contest that runs through Aug. 20 with the winner able to choose a home in one of Taylor Morrison’s communities in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada and Texas. The home will include a custom technology package and furnishings. A vacation for four to the Disneyland Resort in California also is part of the package.

Participants can visit the entry Web site, www.tmdreamhomegiveaway.com, once a day to register. They also may visit any Taylor Morrison community and receive a special code that offers the maximum number of chances available to enter the contest.

The Innoventions Dream Home debuted June 16 and features what Walt Disney Co. calls a “high-tech, high-touch” experience within a 5,000-square-foot home. Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, Life|ware and Taylor Morrison were also involved in the Dream Home project.

The home showcases the latest in mobile devices, computers, digital music, entertainment and gaming technology in a connected environment that adjusts to the preferences of its occupants.

MouseTimes Innoventions Dream Home Update

WDWNT on June 21, 2008

The latest MouseTimes.com DLR Pictorial offers the best look so far at the new Innoventions Dream Home. Here are a few of MouseTimes’s photos from the Dream Home:


An interactive racing game


One of the new rotating stages (where Tom Morrow previously was)… This is the only one finished as far as I know


One of the many HP computers running Windows


The Girl’s Room


From this screen, you can adjust things such as music, lighting, blinds, etc.


A camera or mirror (not sure what its use is yet)


The Pirates Room for boys


Cast Members tell the story of Peter Pan, which is projected on the wall


Modern appliances in the Kitchen


The office in the back of the Living Room


The Tree of Tomorrow is still there

MouseTimes also has up full video coverage of the opening ceremony for Toy Story Midway Mania, which is available for download here!

Darkbeer DLR Picture Update

WDWNT on June 18, 2008

Let’s take a look at the preparations for today’s opening ceremonies, with pictures taken yesterday from David “Darkbeer” Michael:


Signs were up through-out Tomorrowland directing guests to the attractions while the Innoventions Dream Home opening ceremony was taking place


A couple of attractions were closed as well


I presume the train was still operating, but just went straight pass the Tomorrowland Train Station


Moving over to Toy Story Midway Mania’s opening ceremony preparations


I think this is where the ceremony stage went up


A second stage was also up right by the attraction


Filming by Mr. Potato Head

And now a couple of non-ceremony related pictures:


The temporary stage in Pacific Wharf is gone


The It’s a Small World sign is now behind tarps too

Midway Mania and Dream Home Open For Business!

WDWNT on June 18, 2008

Both Toy Story Midway Mania & the Innoventions Dream Home officially opened for business today! Here’s some pictures & a press release from Disney:


John Lasseter & Roger Gould riding Toy Story Midway Mania


Left to Right: Ed Grier, Jay Rasulo, Bob Iger, John Lasseter


During the opening ceremony, Green Army Men parachuted down into the Paradise Pier lagoon


Various executives at the opening of the Innoventions Dream Home


The Family Room at the Dream Home

TOY STORY MANIA! LAUNCHES WITH FOUR DIMENSIONS OF FUN AND A BIG BOOST FROM BUZZ AT DISNEYLAND RESORT

ANAHEIM, Calif. – June 17, 2008 – In a spectacular ceremony featuring sky divers, fireworks and Disney executives, along with NASA Astronauts and Buzz Lightyear on board the International Space Station, the new Toy Story Mania! attraction premiered today in Disney’s California Adventure as part of Disney’s “Year of a Million Dreams.”

Inspired by the Disney•Pixar films “Toy Story” and “Toy Story II,” Toy Story Mania! raises the bar for interactive ride-game attractions. It’s a high-energy, immersive adventure in which guests don 3-D glasses and enter a wild 4-D world of game play with Woody, Buzz and other favorite “Toy Story” characters. Special effects add a fourth dimension of fun.

“Through the years, millions of people around the world have enjoyed the humor, excitement and wonder of ‘Toy Story’ and its unforgettable cast of characters,” said Bob Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Walt Disney Company. “With the opening of Toy Story Mania!, we celebrate the enduring popularity of Woody, Buzz and their friends as our Disneyland Resort guests become a part of their adventures through this new and imaginative theme-park experience.”

Joining Iger in the opening festivities for Toy Story Mania! were Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts; Ed Grier, President of the Disneyland Resort, and John Lasseter, director of the original “Toy Story” and Chief Creative Officer of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. Buzz Lightyear and NASA astronauts sent greetings to Disney•Pixar fans from “infinity and beyond” – aboard the International Space Station.

In the timeless tradition of Disney storytelling, Toy Story Mania! takes its inspiration from the fact that Andy’s toys spring to life whenever he is away. Soon after Andy received a “Midway Games Play Set” for his birthday, the toys opened the box and set up the game booths and carnival trams so everyone could ride and play.

Upon entering the attraction, guests are welcomed by Mr. Potato Head, more than five feet tall and looking like he stepped right down from the movie screen. The state-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics Mr. Potato Head makes a perfect carnival barker, capable of engaging guests in two-way conversation and encouraging them to “step right up” for the immersive Toy Story Mania! experience.

“Toy Story Mania! merges interactive gaming with classic storytelling as only Disney can do,” Rasulo said. “We consider it to be one of our most energetic, immersive experiences yet, and it took a remarkable collaboration between Pixar and Disney to bring it to life in 4-D.”

Everyone gets a front row seat when guests put on their 3-D glasses, “shrink” to the size of a toy and board the Toy Story Mania! carnival tram ride vehicles, which add a huge amount of fun to the interactive experience. The innovative design includes features that also make the fun accessible to guests with disabilities. No matter how many times guests return to ride and play Toy Story Mania!, they can be sure every ride-through will seem like a new experience.

Toy Story Mania is just the latest highlight of the Year of a Million Dreams celebration at Disney Parks. Also premiering at Disneyland Resort today is the new Innoventions Dream Home, in Tomorrowland at Disneyland park.

Innoventions Dream Home is both a show and a showcase, offering guests of all ages a hands-on experience with the newest in-home technologies as they interact with members of the fictional Elias family in a fun, home environment. Microsoft, HP, Life|ware and homebuilder Taylor Morrison have joined with Disneyland Resort to create entertaining, story-based demonstrations of the connected digital lifestyle, which can simplify and enhance daily family life.

Read More about Midway Mania and Dream Home Open For Business!

Innoventions Dream Home Opening Tomorrow!

WDWNT on June 17, 2008

IT’S THE HOME OF YOUR DREAMS!! INNOVENTIONS DREAM HOME INVITES GUESTS TO EXPERIENCE THE FUTURE TODAY

New Tomorrowland Attraction at Disneyland Resort Combines State-of-the-Art Technology with the Latest in Disneyland Immersive Storytelling

ANAHEIM, Calif. – June 16, 2008 – Imagine a home so perfectly attuned to the needs of a family that it can anticipate and fulfill them, virtually without anyone lifting a finger. Now imagine that the home offers family members high-tech connectivity, not just with one another but with people, entertainment and information in the world at large.

Guests at Disneyland can soon do more than imagine it. Beginning June 17, the Innoventions Dream Home in Tomorrowland is bringing that world to life as a limited number of guests have the opportunity to preview the home.

The Innoventions Dream Home is both a show and a showcase, offering guests of all ages a hands-on experience with new in-home technologies, some that are practical and some that are astounding. Microsoft, HP, Life|ware and homebuilder Taylor Morrison have joined with Disneyland Resort to demonstrate how a connected digital lifestyle can simplify and enhance many aspects of daily family life.

“We’re thrilled to open the Innoventions Dream Home with the help of our partners,” said Ed Grier, president of the Disneyland Resort. “We are confident our guests will find new ways to connect to their world in this immersive, entertaining experience.”

The Elias family will be excited to welcome all guests into their new Dream Home at the end of June.

The experience includes guest interaction with the residents of the Dream Home – the fictional Elias family. Members of the family move from room to room, utilizing the technology as they prepare for a big celebration. Guests who enter the Dream Home can observe and play with all its comforts, including:

  • Innovations from Microsoft that enable today’s digital lifestyle, seamlessly connecting family members to live and recorded entertainment and memories
  • Connected entertainment devices and PCs from HP that help the family members stay connected and simplify their daily activities
  • Wireless technology adapted by Life|ware that allows the Dream Home’s devices to recognize individual family members as they enter a room and tailor the room to their individual preferences
  • Design elements from homebuilder Taylor Morrison on the façade, the patio and party tent areas

“It’s both ‘high-tech’ and ‘high-touch,’” said Greg Atkins, writer and director for the free-form Innoventions Dream Home experience. “We’ll be showcasing technology that connects families to each other, their home, the surrounding community and the world. And many of the innovative things our guests will be playing with are actually available today.”

Also new in the Innoventions building are five Neighborhood Shows – educational entertainment presented in the ring area of the first floor. The interactive shows opening June 17 are presented by ABC Television, homebuilder Taylor Morrison and Yamaha Music. Honda and Southern California Edison will open shows later this summer.

The user-friendly technology of the Innoventions Dream Home is on display from the moment guests approach the entrance to “360 Tomorrowland Way” (a whimsical reference to the circular “carousel” structure of the Innoventions building). Each room offers new experiences and surprises.

Read More about Innoventions Dream Home Opening Tomorrow!

A Great Big World of Innoventions

WDWNT on May 28, 2008

The next article dealing with the New Tomorrowland of 1998 is going to be about Innoventions. Again, this article will be a pictorial article. So, let’s get to it:


A look at the construction of Innoventions in March of 1998


Innoventions on opening day, May 22nd 1998


The Innoventions sign


The amazing Tom Morrow animatronic (or should I say Timkeeper?), too bad he’s gone now!


General Motor’s Sparky


The Tree of Tomorrow (really imaginative *sarcasm*)


Innoventions with the 2005 color scheme… It’s much nicer now!

Tomorrow, the last of our New Tomorrowland articles, on the overall New Tomorrowland of 1998!

Dateline Disneyland Picture Update

WDWNT on May 24, 2008

Let’s take a look at some various things going on through-out the Disneyland Resort from this week’s Dateline Disneyland on MiceAge:

The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage exit waterfall rock-work is almost finished


Inside Innoventions, the VMK arcade games have been switched over to Pirates of the Caribbean Online & Disney’s ToonTown Online


A new sign has been put up at the entrance to the Golden Vine Winery, that is the same, minus Seasons of the Vine


For some unknown reason, a light or projector has been placed atop Don Tomas’, & is directed towards the Toy Story Midway Mania marquee


The Disneyland: Then, Now, & Forever book has been updated with a new cover, & a page for both the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage & Toy Story Midway Mania