It's A Small World -- Simple or Complex Attraction Control System?

[DoctorQ9]

I find that the animatronics are quite simple in the It's a Small World attraction, but when I think about the outside clock show and the hundreds of animatronic figures in the show building, I start to wonder -- what sort of Attraction (Ride) control system runs everything?


Is it rudimentary or complex?


Has anyone taken "a peek behind the curtain"?

[MSCguy]

imo, I don't think it is too complicated of a ride. I don't even consider the characters in small world to even be animatronic. Lots of them are just statues that do nothing but spin in circles on a platform, and what not. The ones that do move arms/legs/mouths, are simple in that an arm goes up and down or the mouth opens and closes. There is no human element trying to be replicated.

I doubt there is any tiki room/pirates/haunted mansion level of sophistication anywhere near that attraction. Most things in small world, on the surface, appear to be just oprated by simple motors. Just like in Pirates with the burning city pirates chasing the wenches. Just spinning on a track.

There is probably a a few thousand small/medium a/c motors in there, but I would doubt anything more complex than that.

The picture you lincluded appears to be some hydraulic control for perhaps a lift for the boats for maintenance.

[Disneytwins]

I agree with the above.

Many of these attractions that involve complex animatronics are networked to one centralized unit. So there's a server room(s) somewhere on property that controls all the audio and movements of the animatronics. They may use this for the clock in particular. For it's a Small World, I have a feeling there's just a switchboard somewhere to turn the different things on. I could be wrong on that one though.

[dougeebear]

While initially primitive by today's standards, the show control systems have more than likely been upgraded to modern systems while retaining that simplistic look. Small World was built when Audio Animatronics was in its infancy (Lincoln came from the same World's Fair and was the most advanced figure for its time). I remember reading that there was a special room with a live mic for the tick-tock as mechanical drumsticks clicked away on a wooden block for the clock sound - which now that I think about it makes little sense: they could have easily used a recording just as they use inside the attraction.

But for all its improvements in control systems over the years, there's still room for more. I visited the park as they were removing the Holiday overlay in 2006. There was a technician watching the clock figures come out of the face on their rotating bases. Trouble was, the doors refused to stay open and kept slamming back into each of the figures as they passed. "It's a small THUD after all, it's a small THUD after all, it's a small THUD after all, it's a small THUD world". Funniest thing I ever saw.

[mratigan]

That picture he has looks to be for a coaster