86 - RetroMagic Retrospective

Ep 90 - Computers at WDW

Brian takes this lead for this episode and we are super excited to get into all of the areas where computers innovated and impacted the first couple decades at Walt Disney World. After awhile, computers became common all over, but through the 70s & 80s, these innovative pieces of tech helped WDW in many ways. We start off with some pre-opening documentation, which is on DisneyDocs. RCA had a huge plan for the communication system of the entire property, so be sure to dig into this doc, it is amazing!
Next up is communications and we discuss the switchboard inside Cinderella’s Castle, which actually was a real thing. We also get into the water monitoring in Reedy Creek, which were powered by solar panels, relaying information to a satellite dish in space. The entire process is insane and super innovative for the era.
Brian and How get into the old DACS system, how this worked, and even discuss some of the old school techniques used at Disneyland and the World’s Fair. Brian mentions the Honeywell 516, which is insanely vintage and absolutely massive.  Take a look at this thing! Brian also digs into the changes in cash registers because in the early days, they were super archaic. After a little time though, they got upgraded to a newer and fancier register from NCR.  We also discuss our own experiences with early tech at home, home computers, and more. The world has changed so much and this old stuff in the home was so neat for the time.
The big change in computers at WDW took place at EPCOT Center. The computers turned towards the guest and were not just used to run things behind the scenes. Sperry, Bell, General Motors, and nearly every sponsor at EPCOT attempted to incorporate advanced technology into their exhibits. Brian also talks about how they filmed the movie D.A.R.Y.L. at EPCOT Center, which is a fun movie from 1985. If you watch the following clip, you can match up what Brian is saying from an old Twitter conversation, as they filmed this scene right at EPCOT. For another look at some of the computers at EPCOT, take a look at this video on our channel.
This episode has been a blast to record and we hope you enjoyed it too! Be sure to ask any questions or share any computer memories you have from Walt Disney World.