1. The Monsanto House of the Future

Walt Disney was interested in transforming the urban environment in which people lived. He was also keen to change the actual homes in which they resided. His dream at EPCOT was for residents to live in homes that were constantly updated with new technologies, such as appliances and entertainment devices.

At Disneyland, he already had an example of what such a futuristic home might look like. The Monsanto House of the Future, sponsored by the Monsanto Chemical Company's Plastics Division, concentrated on plastic as the building material of the future. It was installed in 1957, and was designed to show what life would be like in 1986.

The house itself looked like a 1,280 square foot futuristic white penthouse, and was not drasticially different to some modern contemporary homes in urban cities today. It was perched on a pedestal which provided an area below for an oasis-like garden, complete with a serene waterfall. It had four wings of equal size that created eight rooms: a family room and dining room, two kids bedrooms with a shared bathroom, a master bedroom and main bathroom, and of course a living room. The house itself was made of plastic, from the walls to the floors to the ceiling and beyond.

Populating those rooms were a variety of appliances that were not yet commonplace in the 1950s and 1960s. Among these were a compact microwave oven, an ultrasonic dishwaver, an intercom system and a large wall-mounted television. Along with polyester clothing, these are all examples of items that are now in widespread use.

By 1967, the house was beginning to look outdated, and Monsanto was taking up sponsorship of the new Adventure Thru Inner Space attraction. It was decided to remove the House of the Future - but this wasn't as easy as planned. It took approximately two weeks to remove the building, and supportive pieces of the structure’s base remain “hidden” in plain sight between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland to this day.

Perhaps more than any other Disneyland attraction, the House of the Future really did reflect what was to come - although whether it actually influenced the direction that urban accommodation moved in is open to debate. Still, when you use your microwave, try on a poly-blend sweater or stack the dishwasher, think back to the dream presented by Disney and Monsanto.