Opened in 1994, Innoventions offers guests interactive experiences that teach and inform people about various technology and how that technology is used to make life easier and safer. Displays and exhibits at Innoventions are constantly changing to reflect new ideas, innovation, and of course, new sponsors.   Perhaps on the most popular exhibits currently is “Where’s the Fire” over at Innoventions West (while there does not seem to be much of a distinction made between the east and west side anymore, I will use these distinctions ease of reference).  Where’s the Fire is an interactive game house where teams search to find the fire hazards in their "home." Moreover, the Play It Safe Maze allows children to learn how to exit their home in case of fire, learn about safe places in and around the home and more.

Stormstruck – The Exhibit

            An exhibit that is poised to become just as popular as Where’s the Fire has just opened over at Innoventions East - Stormstruck.  Stormstruck is a severe weather replicator, that puts guests in the middle of extreme weather, teaches them a thing or two about how to make their homes safer, and explains some of the methods used by researchers to learn more about how best to prepare for extreme weather.  For those of you that don’t want to hear anything else about Stormstruck before you have the opportunity to experience it yourself, I would stop here. 

Still here?  Great.  Let’s take a closer look at this new exhibit.

            Your experience starts in the queue area, which was built to the left of the Innoventions East entrance.  As you can see from the picture below, the queue is a bit small, but there is still a lot to see, as the design and theming of the queue represents a house experiencing some severe weather.  Once in the queue, you will notice two large LCD screens on either side of the space.  A few minutes before you are let into the theater, a short preshow is played that details how research can help people prepare protect their homes and their families from unexpected weather.  The preshow lasts for about five minutes and stars two Weather Channel meteorologists that do a fair job in setting up the purpose of the exhibit and why it is important to know how to best prepare for a major storm.

The queue area in Innoventions East

Once the preshow is over about 20-25 guests clad with 3D glasses are lead into a theater and told to sit in any one of four rows.  On the backs of each seat are a monitor and two buttons, which we’ll get to later.  The theater consists of two screens displaying a 3D image of two big bay windows that look out onto a neighborhood.  A cast member briefly states that a storm has been spotted and is headed your way.  The serene image of a peaceful neighborhood quickly transitions to scenes right out of a disaster movie.  High wind, rain, thunder and lightning all combine to tear apart houses, garages, and yes, even toilets.  3D effects seen in attractions like Its Tough to Be a Bug and Honey I Shrunk the Audience are used here to simulate the effects of wind, rain, electrical explosions, and other nasty storm side effects (note: this part of attraction may be a bit intense for young children).

            After the chaos subsides, the cast member returns and surveys the damage.  Trees have fallen, cars have been smashed, and the house next door lay in ruins.  With all that in mind, the cast member then reveals that the audience now has the ability to help this neighborhood better prepare for yet another storm on the horizon.  The cast member asks the audience a series of eight questions having to do with everything from the form of the roof to the swinging of doors.  The panel in front of you displays two options for each question. When a question is posed, you have a few seconds to choose which option would be the safer option by pressing either Button A or Button B.  Once all the results are tabulated, the resulting choice is then installed on the screens in 3D.  After all eight questions are answered; another storm hits the area.  The level of destruction the storm does depends on the choices you and your fellow guests have made.  Once the storm passes, the cast member goes over the questions again, and informs you of the correct answers and how those answers help protect your home and families from extreme weather. 

My Opinion

            Stormstruck is a clever and interesting way to inform guests about the importance of weather proofing and preparation.  Weather proofing on its own sounds about a dull a topic as you can get.  I mean, do guests on vacation really want to hear lectures on the benefits of two garage doors over one?  Well, just because the topic is dull does not mean it isn’t important to know.  To that end, Disney and the exhibit’s sponsors have done an outstanding job in presenting what could have been the driest exhibit in Epcot.

            The success of Stormstruck stems from the interactive nature of the exhibit.  Interactive experiences seem to be Disney’s new bread and butter.  With the addition of Toy Story Midway Mania, the enhancements to Spaceship Earth, and exhibits like Where’s the Fire, interactivity adds another level to a guest’s experience.  In Stormstruck’s case, not only do you get to witness two 3D storms (with water and compressed air effects), but you also get to help build what you think would be the most weather resistant and see how those choices stand up to hurricane force winds. 

I believe guests can benefit from experiencing Stormstruck.  While it is fun and intense to experience the storms themselves, it does make you think about how best to prepare for severe weather – especially for someone like me who lives in a state that often sees a lot of hurricanes.  Moreover, Stormstruck is the kind of attraction that Epcot was designed to showcase: an experience that while entertaining, also teaches and encourages you to think about what you have learned (a.k.a. “edu-tainment”).  I highly recommend making your way over to Innoventions East and experiencing Stormstruck for yourself. 

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