A patent application published by Disney Enterprises, Inc. titled “Multimedia System for Transforming Any Room Into a Show Environment,” indicates that the system can convert any room into an immersive experience. In a piece of the document it states, “conventional thinking in the hotel industry has been that it is desirable to make their guests feel very comfortable while they sleep but to otherwise encourage their guests to leave their room to partake in entertaining activities such as shopping and dining on-site or elsewhere in a resort or nearby city.”

Now, we know Disney is anything but conventional. Every single resort of theirs is different from one another with unique themes. But, there’s one that no one has experienced yet and it’s the new Star Wars Resort.

Like we showed you in February, the first look shows new “living concept” art inside of the resort, making it appear as you’re really in space, immersed into the alternate reality of Star Wars. It seems as if the patent filed has everything to do with this new resort and it shows us a little more of what we can hopefully expect when it opens. Although the document never makes any promises that this technology will be used, there’s evidence that Disney is dreaming big for the future resort.

The in-room show system will include everything from lighting controls, to audio, and mention of turning on stills or video playback. There will be a show controller for the system, which links to many devices like a keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, monitor, and voice recognition software. The show controller has the ability to hold many multimedia shows in its device, that can project onto the walls of the guest’s room. The show controller will also be used to control a projector in the room by wired/wireless control signals. This projector will be a microprojecter, which will be out of view of the guest.

The audio system is another part of the overall show system. It has the ability to play soundtracks or audio clips that coincide with the projected image on the wall/walls of the room. The two will be time synchronized. And the lighting will be set to different color or schemes for the video/still that’s currently playing. As stated in the document, it’s “to achieve lighting in a room space similar to that achieved in theatrical shows and/or to achieve unique effects.”

Bottom line is, the goal for these rooms is that giving the guests the feel of being involved in the Star Wars storyline. They’ll have the opportunity to have multiple multimedia show choices, either controlled by the guest themselves or the scheme can go along with what you’re doing in your room, like enjoying a room service meal, or watching a nighttime show without any sort of interruption. You even have the opportunity to set specific alarms for the next morning, and you can wake up to wall schemes that encourage you to prepare for a day in the parks.

“Later in the day, when reservations are not possible or the family wants to stay in, the show system may be switched to match room service with an accompanying whole-room audiovisual theming to a guest-chosen or meal-matching scene/setting (e.g., provide illusion that the room is actually a dining room at a particular restaurant or some exotic outdoor setting). Gaming can be augmented such with playing projection enhanced board games. When outdoor displays (such as resort light shows, fireworks, and so on) are being missed, the room can be used to provide an unobstructed in-room view of the light show, fireworks, or other show.”

Source: Justia Patents

Whitney