ABSTRACT
This chapter describes Disney’s infrastructural use of computational and communicational technologies. It discusses the ways in which these technological systems become part of the show, thus performing the ideological task of dampening future shock. From the air, the CommuniCores together resemble a giant lobster claw reaching north to grab Earth Station and the Great Golf Ball. Whereas Mickey and Figment are Walt Disney World heroes of the past and present, the most important characters for Disney’s vision of the future are the Bird and I/O—the little burst of electronic light that assists our tour guide at EPCOT Computer Central’s Backstage Magic. Scattered throughout EPCOT Center are two-way television terminals that can communicate in English and Spanish. By touching the screen in various spots as directed, a viewer activates the menu of information retrieved from a video disc player at Computer Central. The entrance to Backstage Magic is a ramp leading up to a balcony that overlooks the computer games.
