In 2019 (which happened to mark my first visit to CES), Google hosted a dark ride aptly named The Google Assistant Ride. So, when I heard that Walmart’s CES pavilion included a 4D ride, I was intrigued. Alas, this pop-up attraction wasn’t quite as impressive as some past CES rides.
Before I get to the ride itself, I do want to mention that the rest of the pavilion was actually pretty interesting. Upon entry, guests could see a bit of Walmart’s history along with how the company embraced certain technologies along the way. Incidentally, I actually knew some of this history having visited the Walmart Museum in Bentonville, Arkansas. After this short exhibit, guests could then explore some of the tech Walmart and Sam’s Club locations are currently employing. For example, we were able to pick up smartphones and demo an AR technology that Walmart team members are using to quickly scan boxes and know what needs to be stocked. There were also mini games along the way, such as one where guests would try their hand at efficiently packing a pallet. Luckily, this was all digital — so no heavy lifting was required.
After a few other sections, 20 guests at a time were welcomed into a theatre for our 4D adventure. Like any “4D” film, this attraction included moving seats, scents, and sprays. And when I say “sprays,” I mean it as the mist emitted was not messing around.
As for the story of the ride, it seemed to be loosely based around a family gathering or party. In reality, though, it was simply a fly through highlighting some of the ways modern Walmart and Sam’s Club facilities function. Early on, this included a Land Pavilion-esque scene showing produce. Later, we saw fresh strawberries make their way onto the truck and into the refrigerated section of your local Sam’s Club. We also paid a visit to a Walmart shipping facility, following around boxes on their journey.
You may be wondering why exactly this film needed to be a flyover. Well, if I had to guess, I’d say it has something to do with one of the final scenes. In it, we see how Walmart is currently testing drone delivery technology. As the film stated, the company has already completed more than 20,000 safe deliveries using this unique medium.
All in all, the Walmart 4D CES attraction wasn’t too thrilling, but did have its moments. A highlight for me was a scene with a delicious looking cake that we also got to smell thanks to the 4D effects. Also, while a lot of the ride was really a recap of what’d we’d already learned, I still found some of the facts and examples to be genuinely interesting.
In all likelihood, this experience was probably a one-time thing. However, perhaps a similar ride could be brought to life in Bentonville? If not, it won’t be a big loss — but props to Walmart for at least attempting to bring some theme park-like fun to this year’s CES.