In early February 2008, Walt Disney World
announced a coming interactive Innoventions exhibit that would offer guests the
opportunity to discover what it feels like to be in severe weather while
learning about the associated risks and ways to protect the home.
Mickey at the announcement of the coming StormStruck
Then in May the
Associated Press highlighted a Disney presentation at the Governor’s
Hurricane Conference about the developing exhibit further increasing my interest
and excitement for the coming attraction. It said that "visitors would be shown
how fortifying a home against a storm can change the outcome for the home. Two
examples of homes will be used, one that survived Charley, and another that
didn’t."
StormStruck at Epcot
With these tidbits in mind Doobie and I headed
out Monday to experience StormStruck. I was first struck by the visual
difference entering Innoventions. It is quite a contrast to the almost sleep
inducing forest that had previously filled that first spot. While I often
meandered by the trees I never did participate in the activity. But StormStruck
with its bright colors and frequent rumbling is a great addition to the ever
increasing energy within Innoventions East. Just around the corner is the Waste
Management exhibit where people push around garbage trucks and further down the
path is the UL exhibit where guests attempt to smash TVs or slam doors to
showcase the activities of product testing facilities.
But back to StormStruck — apparently we are not
alone in finding the new exhibit enticing as the wait time was about 40 minutes
to enter. The queue is in the home that appears to have been damaged by a storm
while the neighbor’s house next door (the exit) looks just fine. Inside the
queue while we wait to enter we learn about various ways to strengthen home
structures and about the machines that have been developed to create extreme
weather conditions to test these creations.
3-D film illustrates the power of a severe storm
StormStruck is a 3-D experience with some
in-theater effects. I’m not a fan of in-theater effects of the "Honey I Shrunk
the Audience" or "Tough to Be A Bug" variety and thankfully this is not anywhere
near that intense. Sitting in the theater it appears we are looking out our home
windows at our detached garage and our neighbor’s home. A storm approaches and
the winds pick up. Debris begins to fly and takes advantage of our duck reflexes
thanks to the 3-D glasses. Winds blow and we can feel the rain filled gusts hit
our face from time to time. After the storm passes, the cast member briefly
leads us through a variety of options to strengthen our home as we prepare for
an upcoming storm. The next film sequence is impacted by the audience choices.
For example we chose to plant a Sand Pine in our yard instead of a Magnolia
tree. Immediately a Sand Pine pops up in our backyard and unfortunately the Sand
Pine has shallow roots so when the second storm comes through that tree was
quickly blown down. It will be fun to return and see the film changes in
response to the audience replies.
Click above to play the video
Given the articles and announcements leading up
to the exhibit, it was not at all what I had expected but that’s not a bad
thing. In retrospect I wonder if the AP description was connected to the FLASH
(one of the exhibit sponsors) presentation "A
Tale of Two Homes" which does focus on two homes in hurricane Charley. Due
to the earlier information, I envisioned a standard documentary-style
introductory film about two homes and the impact of a hurricane on them,
followed by brief audience interaction that would impact a brief storm film
finale. It was a very pleasant surprise to be hit immediately with a storm
scenario after we entered the theater that featured high winds but was not ever
specifically labeled anything other than severe storm. The initial sequence of
destruction — watching the neighbor’s pool screen blow off, the outdoor grill
go flying by, hearing the audience gasp and sigh when a power line fell on our
car does a good job of setting the stage. When the interactive part follows
there’s more ownership to it. I had just experienced the effects of
non-planning, let’s see what can happen when I plan. And seeing the contrast in
the storm effects on the homes between the first and second storm is a great
motivator to take the knowledge home and apply it. So rather than being about
home A and home B in a storm its the story of my two homes — an unprepared one
vs. the prepared one.
• • •
Related Links