About: The DisneyQuest HMD (head-mounted display) was developed by Walt Disney Imagineering for the Aladdin VR Adventure and other DisneyQuest attractions, which officially opened to the public in 1998. Using this headset Aladdin VR has the distinction of being the longest-running LBE VR attraction to date, which we first previewed at the Disneyland Starcade in 1996 and then operated from 1998 to 2019 at the Walt Disney World Resort.
In order to achieve better image quality than commercially available VR headsets of the time, Disney used cathode-ray tube (CRT) displays. Unfortunately, the CRT displays added so much weight to the front of the headset that a weight relief cable system was required for it to be wearable. However, this worked well in practice since it also conveniently and securely suspended the headset over each station where it was to be used. This, in conjunction with a removable headset liner, made the attraction loading and unloading process extremely efficient and kept the headset from ever hitting the floor.
Disney Quest HMD Specs and Info…
Device: Disney Quest HMD, (Disney Quest VR), (ViewPort)
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Imagineering
Announced Date: February 1996
Release Date: March 1998
Launch Price: Unknown
Device Type: VR Headset (PC Powered)
Display: X2 High-quality CRT screens at 640 × 480 (Per Eye)
Diagonal Field of View(FOV): 80°
Refresh Rate: 60 Hz
Weight: 1280 g (2.82 lb)
CPU: N/A
GPU: N/A
Battery: N/A
Tracking: 6DOF Polhemus Fastrak (electromagnetic)
Controllers: N/A
Our Thoughts: Disney made a VR headset? Yep, it did indeed and it invested an awful lot of money to bring their dream to reality. Code-named the “GatorVision” HMD It was made to be part of an Interactive Theme Park with the first title being Aladdin’s Magic Carpet VR Adventure. It was installed at DisneyQuest in 1998 and at the time it was jaw dropping tech and the world’s first VR headset to be able to run 60 FPS!
Strangely this was just supposed to be the start of Disney dipping their toes into the world of VR. They wanted amazing experiences with a headset, but sadly their dreams and goals far outweigh what the technology of its time could do. Who knows, maybe they will get that old box of ideas out from the cupboard again not that the tech is capable of delivering the dream.
Sources used…
- https://aixr.org/insights/best-xr-headsets-for-location-based-entertainment-part-one-legacy-hardware/