Go Behind the Scenes of Central Shops at Disney World
If you’re a major Disney fan like I am, you probably love getting a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into making your favorite theme parks magical! From the attractions to the food to the entertainment, there is so much that goes into the parks running smoothly.
EPCOT
Luckily, Disney does let us peek behind the curtain sometimes to show us how things work! And today, they’re giving us a tour of an essential part of Disney World.
Central Shops at Disney World
Central Shops has been a part of Magic Kingdom since 1969 — before the park even opened! It’s a one-of-a-kind workshop that cares for the iconic rides, Audio-Animatronics, signage, props, and more.
Photo: Disney
The workshop is 300,000 square feet and Disney is sharing a tour from Director of Manufacturing, Fred Cox, and Manager of Manufacturing, Rich Votava!
Your Favorite Rides Backstage
Central Shops is made up of over 400 skilled artisans, machinists, and craftspeople that build, repair, and restore Disney magic using tools and heavy machinery.
You can find ride vehicles from all around Disney World here when they come in for a check-up! Check out the fleet of pristine Space Mountain ships waiting to return to the ride, the hunk of metal parts going Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, and Pooh’s honeypot awaiting a fiberglass refresh.
Photo: Disney
Director of Manufacturing, Fred Cox, said during the tour, “You see those pieces behind you?” Gesturing toward a row of metal wheels and bars, “Some of those are TRON, and some of those are Seven Dwarfs.”
Fred has been a Disney cast member for nine years and recently returned to Central Shops for the opportunity to work with his team on the rides that come to the shop floor. Some of the ride vehicles that come through here include carousel horses, pirate ships, and Doom Buggies for their Cycle-Overhaul Program.
Photo: Disney
Fred explained that the Cycle-Overhaul Program schedules attraction vehicles, set pieces, and other parts to come off the ride and into the shop for regular maintenance. Ride vehicles like the Made Tea Party teacups had a long-standing appointment on the calendar, and after rigorous maintenance and inspection, they will keep another date to twirl again at Magic Kingdom.
Photo: Disney
It’s not the same schedule for every attraction, though. For roller coaster vehicles, the “meter-based” program is used — this means they require inspection and maintenance after a vehicle runs a certain number of times around the track.
“The entire coaster is brought back to this facility…and we tear it completely down into itty-bitty pieces. When I say we tear it apart, we tear it apart. We rip that bad boy up!” said Fred.
The maintenance on these vehicles is rigorous and time consuming — Fred said it can take 12 to 18 weeks to service a coaster from the time it arrives at Central Shops to when it’s put back in service. With more complicated rides like TRON and Guardians, it can take a bit longer.
Exploring Some Tools of the Trade
Fred also showed off some specialized tools used by the Quality Assurance Team at Central Shops! He stressed the importance of the role, saying, “These guys are the ones that make sure everything is functioning and working properly.”
There are parts of routine Quality Assurance that many people probably don’t even think about, like X-ray machinery to check for rotting wood and drones deployed to access hard-to-reach places for inspections (think underwater!). New technology has been vital for Central Shops to keep up all of the needs of the Disney World parks and resorts.
Tower of Terror
The tour showed a machine the size of a small office, where you could peek in a window and witness a dancing laser blasting a castle outline into a thick sheet of metal. Fred held up a version of the finished product, which is a recognition award for retirees of the Walt Disney Company.
Photo: Disney
Central Shops is the spot where specialty equipment like this is used by skilled craftspeople to create awards, signage, and even the nametags that cast members wear!
Every single part used for the rides, props, animatronics, and more at Disney World is built, repaired, or restored in-house. If you need a specific bolt for a ride, the team can consult with Imagineering and the original ride blueprints, then custom-machine that bolt in-house.
Part of the work at Central Shops is fabricating new parts and all-new sights at Disney World! Manager of Manufacturing, Rich Votava, has been a cast member for 23 years and worked with Central Shops for 15 years. He talked about the Ariel and Flounder icon at Art of Animation Resort as the most memorable project he’s worked on at Central Shops.
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
He said, “If you see it, it has three little seaweed leaves that come up and support Flounder. We had to build that here in Central Shops to withstand hurricane-force winds. And when you see a 6-foot Ariel grow into a 25-foot Ariel inside this building — it’s truly amazing.” Rich said taking his kids to see the icons he worked on is one of the highlights of his job.
Upholding a Legacy of Disney Artistry
Work orders for touch-ups on the teacups have increased over the years to high-tech development of cutting-edge ride systems. There is an entire room dedicated to upkeeping the Avatar: Flight of Passage vehicles! However, there is both advanced computer technology at Central Shops as well as timeless hand-crafted artistry at work.
There are traditional artists and craftspeople like sculptors, painters, and woodworkers that collaborate at Central Shops every day in order to maintain the ride scenery, props, and specific costuming elements you see at Disney World.
Photo: Disney
They are the reason that everything meets Disney’s high standards and how show quality is maintained! Even backstage props that are only seen by cast members are taken care of here.
During the tour, Fred and Rich showed off a pristine doll ready to rejoin “it’s a small world” as well as a fuzzy baby elephant taking a break from Jungle Cruise. The baby elephant’s tiny trunk hairs are actually inserted one at a time by hand!
Photo: Disney
The Central Shops warehouse is also home to a global operation — iconic character elements from every Disney Park in the world come here to receive care, like Jessie’s hat from Toy Story Land.
The Can-Do People of Central Shops
Fred and Rich are excited about the upcoming projects happening at Disney World, too! Fred said he’s excited about the new Villains expansion at Magic Kingdom and Rich said he’s looking forward to the new Monsters, Inc. coaster coming to Hollywood Studios.
The cast members at Central Shops are how Disney World attractions remain immersive, safe, and magical for millions of guests to enjoy every year. The size of the operation is unique to Disney World and the dedication of the team is reflected in the pride of Fred and Rich.
Photo: Disney
Fred even said that taking their own families to the parks and seeing guests enjoy the result is the most rewarding part of the Central Shops, saying “It gives you a sense of pride and accomplishment because you know that you and your team personally brought it to life.”
Rich added, “It is truly amazing when you see your children’s eyes open in amazement, knowing you helped.”
Tree of Life
Stay tuned for more Disney news and updates!
