Disney’s Imagineers are well known for placing hidden tributes in the design of theme park attractions. These small details often go unnoticed by theme park guests, but are hidden gems waiting to be discovered by those who visit the parks frequently. Silicon Valley is the home of many of the world’s largest software and technology companies, which is why it is fitting that Disney California Adventure has a subtle, geeky tribute to California’s technology industry.
As you walk past Grizzly River Run and head toward Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, you will walk down a row of buildings inspired by San Francisco’s “Painted Ladies,” the famous row of Victorian homes often seen in movies. For many years, the buildings sat empty, a relic of an attraction that Disney never completed. A few years ago, Disney turned the empty space into restrooms when construction began on Ariel’s Undersea Adventure.
The detailed exterior of the buildings has a clever tribute to Silicon Valley that is overlooked by the thousands of people who stroll past every day. The addresses of the buildings follow a distinctive pattern: 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128. If you are into computer programming, you will know this as a binary sequence which is a nod to binary code, the language of Silicon Valley.
The Walt Disney Company has a few ties to Silicon Valley. Disney’s Pixar animation studio is located in Emeryville, CA and the company’s history has deep roots in the computer industry. Pixar originally was created as the computer division of Lucasfilm before being sold to Steve Jobs years later. Disney Online, formerly the Go Network, also has ties to the Silicon Valley area.
So the next time you see an address or name on a facade inside a Disney theme park, take a moment to consider the hidden meaning. Disney’s Imagineers spend a lot of time packing in the details and there are often hidden tributes just waiting to be found by those who take the time to look.
Photos via Flickr
