Does Computer Central still function and exist at Epcot?

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

It’s obvious that spot is no longer on display I take it it was located at the basement level at Epcot and viewed from the first floor. Was it ever removed and is that spot still still the brains of the park when I say that I mean just the location itself not the computers? I imagine with todays technology there isn’t much to look at anymore.

 

[networkpro]

I take it you're not familiar with modern computing. Sperry mainframes went out of vogue shortly after the company was purchased by Burrows in 1986. The capabilities that the entire complex represented could be provided today by a single machine the size of a refrigerator and most of that space would be interfaces to external equipment.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I take it you're not familiar with modern computing. Sperry mainframes went out of vogue shortly after the company was purchased by Burrows in 1986. The capabilities that the entire complex represented could be provided today by a single machine the size of a refrigerator and most of that space would be interfaces to external equipment.

See, I had thought they had reused them for props in Imagination. Also for the Computer wore Tennis shoes joke..
Pic from MickeyBlog

 

[Goofyernmost]

It’s obvious that spot is no longer on display I take it it was located at the basement level at Epcot and viewed from the first floor. Was it ever removed and is that spot still still the brains of the park? I imagine with todays technology there isn’t much to look at anymore.

See, I had thought they had reused them for props in Imagination. Also for the Computer wore Tennis shoes joke..
Pic from MickeyBlog

No, that mess was probably obsolete when that "show" was running. (it was interesting though) It doesn't take a room full of computer paraphernalia to run the stuff anymore.

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

I take it you're not familiar with modern computing. Sperry mainframes went out of vogue shortly after the company was purchased by Burrows in 1986. The capabilities that the entire complex represented could be provided today by a single machine the size of a refrigerator and most of that space would be interfaces to external equipment.

I wasn’t clear enough I know those aren’t in use but was wondering if everything were still operated out of the same location. I’m well aware a tablet can run most of these commands now. I’d imagine there isn’t much to look at but some computer rack boxes and maybe some terminals.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I know those aren’t in use but was wondering if everything were still operated out of the same room under a new system of course. I imagine it’s just a bunch of black computer racks in there now.

Attractions are now controlled locally. The benefits of centrally locating the equipment very quickly went away with the equipment getting smaller and becoming more ubiquitous both inside and outside theme parks. These days the cost of running all the cable just within a single attraction can influence where equipment is located.

 

[flynnibus]

It's really a documentary Disney should make... showing how they evolved show control from local analog devices... to digital show control... to centralized show control... and then back to localized show control... all while the guests never knew change was happening.

 

[castlecake2.0]

I still find it amazing that they can do things like dim all the lights around world showcase at the exact same time to start the fireworks

 

[JoeCamel]

I still find it amazing that they can do things like dim all the lights around world showcase at the exact same time to start the fireworks

Everything is better with bluetooth.......

 

[S.I.R. the Robot]

See, I had thought they had reused them for props in Imagination. Also for the Computer wore Tennis shoes joke..
Pic from MickeyBlog

I need a remake of this film with Brainiac or thereabouts in high school.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Everything is better with bluetooth.......

Until it fails and your Google hangout starts in three minutes and you are scrambling for your wired headphones.

 

[S.I.R. the Robot]

Until it fails and your Google hangout starts in three minutes and you are scrambling for your wired headphones.

Or worse, it plays Lemon Demon's Two Trucks in front of your parents.

 

[JoeCamel]

Until it fails and your Google hangout starts in three minutes and you are scrambling for your wired headphones.

That's just batteries, charge it, Bluetooth is invincible!

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I still find it amazing that they can do things like dim all the lights around world showcase at the exact same time to start the fireworks

Somewhere in the control booth in the top of the Mexican pyramid sits a college kid whispering "okay Alexa, dim the lights..."

 

[Tom Morrow]

About 10 years ago I got to see it, and they had media servers running some of the park area music and the music/controllers for Fountain of Nations. I don't think there was much else.

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

Attractions are now controlled locally. The benefits of centrally locating the equipment very quickly went away with the equipment getting smaller and becoming more ubiquitous both inside and outside theme parks. These days the cost of running all the cable just within a single attraction can influence where equipment is located.

That makes sense, when the park was being built it probably worked out because they probably needed a unit just to cool them and a bunch of hardware revolving around it.

 

[Chef Mickey]

I still find it amazing that they can do things like dim all the lights around world showcase at the exact same time to start the fireworks

I'd wager than many of WDW's control (lighting, computers, music, ride ops, etc) are archaic and terrible in terms of modern tech. They probably work, but it's likely a rat's nest of old and new systems cobbled together.

@marni1971 Probably can vouch.

 

[marni1971]

I'd wager than many of WDW's control (lighting, computers, music, ride ops, etc) are archaic and terrible in terms of modern tech. They probably work, but it's likely a rat's nest of old and new systems cobbled together.

@marni1971 Probably can vouch.

Indeed.

I’d hope things have improved (I’m sure they have) but a few from memory ;

Tiki Under new Management half ran locally and half ran from DACS.

WOL was the first Epcot pavilion to be fully localised

SSE 94 or Ellen were the last.

Epcot Centrals guts was actually on the ground level. No water ingress. It certainly survived as a room until recently. Not sure about post 2019 (though it barely did anything by then)

Despite multiple redundancies Central did crash the park at least twice early on.

Newer attractions have their own more modern control systems. Legacy attractions still use some mid 90s systems last I knew but I’m sure they’re being phased out if not already done so.

As said above nowadays it’s far easier to network and control things remotely as needed. The FoN for example could be controlled from guest relations, or next to what is now galaxies edge. Back in the day I was party to how Wishes ran; FireOne (pyro control) spoke to Pageant (park control) locally and both spoke to DACS remotely for things like spiels, park and show lighting, music etc. The 4 main players nowerdays are RF, fibre, digital and time code. Although the odd thing is still good old analogue via copper. Least it was. Now you can EQ a street show in real time remotely with an iPad.

 

[muddyrivers]

I would love if there was ever a detailed blog post written by someone or some sort of "report" about the computers and networking equipment that ran EPCOT attractions nowadays. Something like tracing the history from Opening Day when you had Computer Central and the types of computers being used to what is now being used in Guardians for example.

I had one job candidate I was interviewing for a job have on his resume that part of his internship with Disney involved working on the networking for RotR. We had a fascinating side bar conversation about that part of his resume.

 

[Phonedave]

Indeed.

I’d hope things have improved (I’m sure they have) but a few from memory ;

Tiki Under new Management half ran locally and half ran from DACS.

WOL was the first Epcot pavilion to be fully localised

SSE 94 or Ellen were the last.

Epcot Centrals guts was actually on the ground level. No water ingress. It certainly survived as a room until recently. Not sure about post 2019 (though it barely did anything by then)

Despite multiple redundancies Central did crash the park at least twice early on.

Newer attractions have their own more modern control systems. Legacy attractions still use some mid 90s systems last I knew but I’m sure they’re being phased out if not already done so.

As said above nowadays it’s far easier to network and control things remotely as needed. The FoN for example could be controlled from guest relations, or next to what is now galaxies edge. Back in the day I was party to how Wishes ran; FireOne (pyro control) spoke to Pageant (park control) locally and both spoke to DACS remotely for things like spiels, park and show lighting, music etc. The 4 main players nowerdays are RF, fibre, digital and time code. Although the odd thing is still good old analogue via copper. Least it was. Now you can EQ a street show in real time remotely with an iPad.

I used to work for Artel Video Systems at one point in time

We sold a bunch of these contact closure over fiber units to them at one point for use in Illuminations

Bidirectional 3G/HD/SD-SDI, Audio, Data, Ethernet and Contact Closure over Fiber - Artel

The SDI Flex 3394 Series allows you to transmit bidirectional 3G, HD or SD-SDI or DVB-ASI. In addition to pristine, broadcast quality SDI, the Fiberlink SDI Flex 3394 can transmit bidirectional audio, RS-Type data, Ethernet and even contact closure!

www.artel.com

I was working really hard to try and sell our 4K IP video over fiber solutions to the internal group that does the various park filming for commercials, specials, sales videos, etc but I could never get them to buy.