Innoventions was a two-story exhibit in TomorrowlandatDisneylandinAnaheim, California. Opening on July 3, 1998 as part of the New Tomorrowland, it featured rotating exhibits focusing on near-futuristic technologies.[3] The attraction operated for nearly 17 years, closing on March 31, 2015. It occupied the Carousel Theater, a round two-story building in which the outer half of the first floor rotates. A similar attraction of the same name existed in Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort until 2019.
| Innoventions | |
|---|---|
Entrance to Innoventions before closure
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| Disneyland | |
| Area | Tomorrowland |
| Coordinates | 33°48′43″N 117°54′59″W / 33.812°N 117.9165°W / 33.812; -117.9165 |
| Status | Removed |
| Soft opening date | July 3, 1998 |
| Opening date | November 10, 1998 |
| Closing date | March 31, 2015 |
| Replaced | Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress (1967–1973) America Sings (1974–1988) |
| Replaced by | Tomorrowland Expo Center (2015–present) Super Hero HQ (Upper level) Star Wars Launch Bay (Lower level) |
| Ride statistics | |
| Attraction type | Interactive exhibits |
| Music | "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow", written by the Sherman Brothers |
| Hosted by | Tom Morrow (Nathan Lane) (former) Audrey Wasilewski (former)[1] J.A.R.V.I.S. (Paul Bettany) (former Stark Industries exhibit)[2] |
| Ring show | Honda (Transportation) Taylor Morrison (Home) Southern California Edison (Information) |
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 Assistive listening available | |
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From 1967 to 1973, the building housed Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress. This attraction was moved from Disneyland to its current location in Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in 1973, at the request of its sponsor, General Electric. America Sings occupied the building from the following year until 1988. Audio-Animatronics from the show were used in Disneyland's Splash Mountain. The upper level of the building continued to house the Tron SuperSpeed Tunnel segment of the PeopleMover until that attraction eventually closed in 1995.
The attraction used the same rotation mechanism built in 1967 for the Carousel of Progress. In the attraction’s early years, the outer portion of the first floor would stop rotating during the evening, but in later years, it stopped rotating altogether and guests enter on the second floor.
In 2012, the Tom Morrow Audio-Animatronic was removed from display and was no longer part of the attraction.
From 2013 until its closure, its focus mainly shifted to character meet-and-greets featuring superheroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The attraction closed March 31, 2015.[4]
The building was redesigned and reopened on November 16, 2015 as the Tomorrowland Expo Center.[5] The first floor of the building hosted Star Wars Launch Bay, a Star Wars exhibit featuring peeks behind the scenes and character meet and greets with Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, Boba Fett, and Chewbacca, while the second floor hosted "Super Hero HQ", featuring meet and greets with Marvel characters Thor and Spider-Man and an exhibit featuring Iron Man's suits based on the film.[6]
In the Super Hero HQ location, guests were able to meet Captain America, Thor, and Spider-Man. Guests were also able to embody Iron Man in The Iron Man Experience, which had guests partake in a simulator that enabled them to fly. Guests were also able to purchase Marvel merchandise.
Star Wars Launch Bay originally gave guests the opportunity to meet Darth Vader, Chewbacca, and Boba Fett. January 2016 saw the addition of Kylo Ren (who replaced Darth Vader until mid-October 2016). In addition to this, Jawas were introduced roaming around the Cantina area with Boba Fett. Rey was later added and greeted guests daily. There was also a variety of exhibits, such as props and costumes used in the films, and an area to buy Star Wars merchandise.
Super Hero HQ closed in April 2016.[7]
On March 30, 2023, it was announced that a new Disney Vacation Club lounge, called Star View Station, would be opening later that spring.[8] On April 19, the new lounge opened on the top floor of the Tomorrowland Expo building, themed to old Tomorrowland. The bottom floor was used as an exclusive Disney Visa character meet-and-greet, as well as a space for the Disney Imagination Campus program. Many of the exhibits from the Star Wars Launch Bay remained on the bottom floor, although this attraction was closed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and has yet to reopen.[citation needed]
The first floor hosted the Dream Home in alliance with Microsoft, HP, and Taylor Morrison. Keeping with Walt Disney's vision of bringing cutting-edge, inspiring ideas to Tomorrowland, the Innoventions Dream Home introduced Disneyland guests to then-newly available technology from the participating companies that would enhance their lives, while providing them a glimpse of the emerging digital advances they may find in their homes in the future. The attraction provided guests with a "high-tech, high-touch" opportunity to experience technology in an entertaining, low-risk environment showing them how the power of technology could connect them to the people and things they care most about.[citation needed]
Guests who entered the Innoventions building were greeted by Tom Morrow, an Audio-Animatronic voiced by Nathan Lane, who was the fictional mayor of Tomorrowland. He explained Innoventions in a comedic style and performed an updated version of the Sherman Brothers song "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" from the original Carousel of Progress.
