Disney’s House of the Future
The Monsanto House of the Future was an attraction unveiled in Disneyland in 1957. It was meant to be a representation of what a home in 1986 would look, feel and act like. The home, built almost entirely of synthetic materials, included such features as an ultrasonic dishwasher, sinks which adjust based on the height of the user, hands-free telephones, a wall-sized television, electric razors and toothbrushes, and intercoms with mini-TV screens. The house, which had plastic walls and seating, was comprised of four wings which included a kitchen, living room, two child rooms (boy and girl) with adjoining shared bathroom, dining room, family room, and master bedroom with attached bathroom. The attraction was open for ten years, closing in 1967 when the house was sawed apart and removed. Later, the area became known as “Alpine Gardens” and a souvenir stand found its home where the futuristic attraction used to live.
What is old has now become new again, however, as Disney has announced that there will be an all-new House of the Future built at Disneyland. It is expected to open in May of this year in the Innoventions pavillion. The new 5,000 square foot attraction will not be a projection of the future as its predecessor was, however. The Innoventions Dream Home will feature up-and-coming technology which we can expect to be incorporated into some homes sometime in the not-so-distant future to help simplify hectic lifestyles. The home will feature lighting and thermostats which adjust automatically when people enter a room; closets that will be able to help coordinate outfits for colors that suit the individual and keep track of which clothes are in the laundry or at the cleaners; and countertops which will be able to identify the groceries set upon them and suggest recipes based on the selection. It will feature software and hardware which aims to make life simpler for the inhabitants so that their focus can be elsewhere.
Unlike the original House of the Future, the Innoventions Dream Home will meet with the fictional family who live in the home. The Elias family (a family name given as homage to the original dreamer, Walter Elias Disney) spend time in their home, sharing the latest in mobile phones, computers, music and gaming with guests as they prepare for a trip to China. This is similar to the Carousel of Progress (which once inhabited the building in which Innoventions currently resides), wherein guests travel through time with a family, learning of the changes in life since the early 20th century. The Innoventions Dream Home takes a very different angle on this however: the Elias family will be real people, portrayed by Disneyland cast members who will interact directly with the guests who visit the home.
The new House of the Future may not be as futuristic and innovative as the original version was, but it seems poised to make a longer stay, as it could be renovated as time goes by to include new technological advances. As previously mentioned, the attraction is poised to open in May of 2008, though no official release date has yet been specified. I personally look forward to seeing these technological advances in action.
Further reading:
- Yesterland: House of the Future
- Disney Going Back to ‘House of the Future’
- Disney’s ‘House of the Future’ Will Have New Edition
