Disney Launching "Interactive" Environment in Google Earth One Day Before Closing VMK
Starting this month, with an eye toward launching on Tuesday (May 20), you'll be able to visit interactive, 3D re-creations of Walt Disney World's Epcot Center, Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios and 22 other Disney hotels and resorts in Google Earth. USA Today references "interactive" features, though that might be limited to features that give you Space Mountain statistics, videos, or click-through links to registration. After 8 photographers spent 10 days casing the resort, all the
exteriors are available, though plans are in the works to make
interiors available as well. When the service launches, users can access it for free at Google Earth or through Disney.
With mirror worlds popping up and the tourism industry taking note of the possibilities, it's interesting to see a major brand like Disney picking Google Earth as its venue.
Even more interesting, I think, is the fact that if Disney keeps to its schedule, it will launch a mirror world version of Disney World just one day before it shuts down the more cartoony, fantastical Virtual Magic Kingdom, created to celebrate and promote the 50th anniversary of Disneyland.
"It's a virtual walk-through of the whole property … the most amazing virtual tour of any place in the world," Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman Jay Rasulo told USA Today. He expects the Google Earth installation to act as an innovative trip planner. "It's one small step from actually being there."
There's been talk for a while of the trend of virtual worlds becoming "useful," shifting away from pure fantasy and into a way to distribute information and collaborate.I'm not going to call this a tipping point, but I don't know if there's a better illustrative example out there.
Obviously Disney has plenty of other virtual worlds devoted entirely to gameplay, fun, imagination, and community. But, at least for two worlds, over just 24 hours the Mouse is shifting from fantasy to practicality.
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