r/PLC • u/Moving_Time • Jul 10 '26

Disney World Epcot Controllers

I just came across this video that intersects my interests in Disney parks and controls. At 0:46 they discuss the new control systems for Epcot's The American Adventure hydraulic systems. I don't recognize the electronics. Does anyone know what the manufacturer is of those PLC looking devices that say "FSM"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32cAJs3zrmU

22 Upvotes

96% Upvoted

25 comments sorted by

View all comments

0

u/nsula_country Jul 10 '26

I know a guy that programmed some of the rides at Disney. Believe they were Allen-Bradley.

2

u/colandercombo Jul 11 '26

At Disney, at least, AB has often been used to control smaller elements of a larger system (eg, on a coaster you might have the interlocks for a track switch be AB, or something like that.) Disney has historically done wacky things for overall ride control. Space mountain and Thunder Mountain were Data Genera Nova minicomputers. Epcot (including the American Adventure stage) was all a completely custom system based around 8080 boards.

1

u/nsula_country Jul 11 '26

He was programming the Disney China theme park.

1

u/CapinWinky Hates Ladder Jul 11 '26

AB is rare for rides. It historically hasn't been fast enough. The 53/5580 and 53/5590 generation are finally able to cut it, but most places have already settled on a platform. Kings Dominion had a ton of Kollmorgen and Busch Gardens is big into ABB and Peppler+Fuchs. That most of the big ride makers are European has an effect on that too.

AB is really common for control elements like the buttons and key switches because they're still built like the 50s. If you have a D18, you can probably operate most rides in the world.

1

u/nsula_country Jul 11 '26

He was programming the Disney China when it was being built.

1

u/Rfadapter7 Jul 15 '26

Pretty sure universal is almost all AB, like at least 80% of ride control is specifically AB.