Wouldn't guests like to know, for example, that if they already have a Windows Vista PC, they can start enjoying whole-house media with the simple addition of a low-cost adapter or Xbox 360?

Wouldn't they like to know that there are a network of Lifeware dealers nationwide that can create a solution that fits their budgets?

Wouldn't they like to know that HP MediaSmart TVs can let you share all sorts content … out of the box, without special connections?

Wouldn't they be interested to know that scenarios in the Dream Home can be had for less than $5,000 and can run into the six digits? I guarantee the number one question characters will get is: "How much does this cost?"

Toy Story Mania vs. Innoventions Dream Home

The opening of Disney's new ride, Toy Story Mania, coincided with the press event for the Dream Home.

The Dream Home had a nice little press event that featured the Elias family, luminaries from all of the major corporate participants, and some confetti.

Toy Story debuted with a dramatic display of five "toy soldiers" parachuting from the sky and landing in the water by the stage, movie characters, singing, dancing, a teleprompter (Dream Home speakers had to read off a paper script), and a large amount of pomp and circumstance.

A line that was probably 12 hours long began to form at 6 a.m. for Toy Story Mania.

Clearly, Disneyland is for the rides.

"Ours is a long experience," says Bret Fitzgerald, VP of marketing for Lifeware, which makes the software that runs the Dream Home.

"The big attractions – we have to compete with that. Those are only 10 minutes long. Ours, you could spend two hours here."

Dream Home is Good for the Industry

Whether or not the investment will pay off for the corporate sponsors, the Innoventions Dream Home is definitely good for the home control industry.

As opposed to being some kind of Jetsonian future home, this one is primarily about what can be done today.

"It really is the home of tomorrow," says Fitzgerald, "in that you can literally have it installed tomorrow."

So, will outlandish technology like the Magic Mirror and Story Time room dilute the message of practicality? "I don't think so," says Seale Moorer, founder and CEO of Exceptional Innovation.

The Disney cast is trained to spread the "today" message, and even the home's traditional design is meant to evoke the current, rather than the future.

"Obviously there's all this technology, but it has to be inviting, comfortable and real," says Sheryl Palmer, CEO of Taylor Morrison, which built the home.

So, on behalf of the industry, I thank you, Dream Home team.

Where Dream Home Falls Short

Overall, I give very high marks to Disneyland and its partners for promoting our industry.

If I were involved in the project, I would:

• Lose the cheesy "Elias family" characters. I know, I know, it's part of the "Disney Magic" and a deliberate way to help guests experience home technology, rather than just learn about it.
  
  The characters do keep the kids entertained, but will this venue really attract kids?
  
  Adults (who actually buy this technology) might grow impatient with the characters' patronizing antics.


• Offer some kind of real instruction for decision-makers who have legitimate questions about the technology. It would be nice to have one "real person" in the home who understands the technology and can point consumers in the right direction.
  
  That's how sales are made, and the project investors deserve that luxury.


• There were some obvious omissions from the Dream Home. For instance, you couldn't find a Blu-ray player in the place. Moorer says Blu-ray will become a part of the house when Lifeware is ready with Blu-ray Media Centers.
  
  Worse, there was not a single "green" message to the Dream Home. What a missed opportunity to showcase energy-saving technologies! On this subject, Disneyland's Yost replies, "All of the appliances are Energy Star."


• Every one seemed to rave about the Dream Home's design. I wasn't a fan. I like a contemporary look with clean lines and little clutter, which might seem more in tune with a home in Disney's Tomorrowland.
  
  The kitchen, thankfully, has a great contemporary look. Elsewhere, however, there was a lot of kitsch on the counters, flowery decor, murals, ornate accessories and too many darn digital frames.
  
  But I guess I'm not the norm, and the Disney partners wanted a home that looks, well, homey.


• Provide some takeaway for interested guests. If the message really is that you can have this stuff today, then tell them how to get it.

		Lifeware, Microsoft Star in Disney Dream Home at Innoventions HP and homebuilder Taylor Morrison also sponsor the 5,000-square foot home, which features some way-out technology, but mostly "real" stuff that is available today. Disney's Dream Home Folly: Story Time Room, Magic Mirror, RFID, Surface About three-fourths of the technology in the Innoventions Dream Home at Disneyland is "real," but guests can also enjoy some futuristic goodies. Will Innoventions Dream Home Pay off For Lifeware and Partners? Lifeware, Microsoft, HP and Taylor Morrison put $6 million into the Dream Home (sans product/labor) -- and that's just for starters. It's great for the industry, but is it worth it for the investors?
Is the Disney Dream Home good for the home control industry?