The Enchanted Tiki Room

Image: DisneyTechnically, three different attractions at the 1964 New York World’s Fair employed audio-animatronics (AAs) in some way. The Enchanted Tiki Room and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln joined Carousel of Progress in utilizing these lifelike machines. While neither one is technically a ride, I wanted to include The Enchanted Tiki Room anyway since its use of AAs is crucial to modern theme park attractions.

Whereas Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln is a single, wonderful AA, The Enchanted Tiki Room features an entire room filled with talking birds, each of which has its own unique movements and personality. For its era, the early 1960s, it was the most impressive technological feat anyone had ever seen up until that point. Robotic birds seemed like the future, and this charming show displayed them in all their mechanical wonder.

Space Mountain

Image: DisneyThe premise of the steel roller coaster wasn’t new when Space Mountain debuted. The underlying automation that runs Space Mountain, however, was so new that Disney had to wait a decade to use it.

Yes, the most famous roller coaster in the world was actually a concept that Uncle Walt worked on during his final days. Since he passed on in 1966 and Space Mountain wouldn’t arrive until 1975, you can do the math to see precisely how long this attraction was in development.

The sticking point was the computerized timing. The sensors needed to identify the location of each coaster cart on the track required powerful computations, at least by 1960s standards. Imagineers had to wait for Moore’s Law to catch up to the point that the processing power that they needed was even possible. The technological requirements for Space Mountain were literally years ahead of their time.

Avatar Flight of Passage

Image: DisneyInnovation grows harder with each passing year. During the 21st century, many attractions have shown elements of creativity, but they aren’t on a par with the ones discussed here…with one glaring exception.

In 2017, Pandora – The World of Avatar opened to the public for the first time. Its E Ticket attraction was so original and unique that it immediately earned a place on the list of most innovative theme park rides ever.

In a way, Avatar Flight of Passage is a kindred spirit to Soarin’, another attraction that was strongly considered for this list. Both simulate the sensation of flight in a manner that pays tribute to Peter Pan’s Flight from so long ago. The difference is that Soarin’, while amazing and a true joy to ride, isn’t quite as immersive in its experience.

Image: DisneyWith Avatar Flight of Passage, guests truly feel as if they’re ascending into the skies of Pandora. The level of immersion possible now is exponentially better than the turn of the century when Soarin’ debuted. The explanation for the improvement is augmented reality, an emerging technology that takes the rider inside a virtual world.

At Pandora – The World of Avatar, you’re walking through a themed land that’s tangible. In Avatar Flight of Passage, you’re thrust into an imaginary realm that’s somehow more lifelike and believable than the one that actually exists in the real world. This ride isn’t merely a spectacular advance in theme park design; it’s also a strong hint at the future of the industry.

Avatar Flight of Passage is the perfect bookend to what Walt Disney created at Disneyland in 1955. It’s also a tantalizing taste of what’s to come for theme park tourists.