So you're saying Disney is going to develop an iPad app that they then distribute using Ad-Hoc distribution? Obviously the app wouldn't go on the iTunes Store, because it has no purpose there. But with iPhone OS being a notoriously locked system, sorry, I don't buy it. Devs can't add their own function calls, they have to stay within Apple guidelines. Which means that the calls they have to use could be used by anyone, and therefore anyone can walk in and play with the effects.
Now, some of this doesn't matter because of the Ad-Hoc distribution, but it wouldn't take very long with a wireless packet sniffer to figure out what does what, and then post the info to the net, and you'd have people at every Disney store playing with the effects.
It just doesn't make sense. A much easier and secure solution would be to use a system such as X10, because what you described is exactly what it is meant to do. Automation.