News It's a Small World Flooding

[Captain Andy]

The reopening of It's a Small World will be delayed.

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/flooding-on-disneylands-iconic-its-a-small-world-ride-delays-holiday-reopening/

"Flooding on Disneyland’s It’s a Small World ride early Wednesday morning led to a delay in the iconic boat ride’s holiday reopening.

The flooding happened while workers were refilling the flume on the ride early in the morning while the theme park was still closed. The flooding affected the machinery that operates the ride, according to Disneyland."

[Kat95242]

This is so unfortunate. I hope they can get it up and running again soon.

[Eagleman]

The reopening of It's a Small World will be delayed.

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/flooding-on-disneylands-iconic-its-a-small-world-ride-delays-holiday-reopening/

"Flooding on Disneyland’s It’s a Small World ride early Wednesday morning led to a delay in the iconic boat ride’s holiday reopening.

The flooding happened while workers were refilling the flume on the ride early in the morning while the theme park was still closed. The flooding affected the machinery that operates the ride, according to Disneyland."

Sound like -someone was not watching flume as they was refilling or they have leak at some point....
Hope they able fix the Issue.......

[Spongeocto4]

Disney has the ride listed as closed until Tuesday. Take that with a grain of salt.

[Starcade]

I could see the repair taking mere hours but the mitigation and drying taking several days depending on the issue. Hopefully it just a couple of days as a lot of people are going in hopes of riding that attraction and HMH more so than most other attractions this time of year.

[micromind]

I don't know for sure but based on water systems I've seen and designed myself, most likely there are 2 separate valves that can add water to the flume.

One is called a maintenance valve, its purpose is to maintain a certain water level. This valve is automatic and if I had to guess, its flow rate would be somewhere around 10 - 50 gallons per minute (GPM).

The other valve is a fast-fill. It is manually controlled and its flow rate would be somewhere around 500 GPM.

If the fast-fill valve was opened then forgotten about, there would certainly be a flood. Given that park maintenance is very likely stretched way beyond reason, the person who opened the valve was very likely busy doing other stuff and simply forgot to close it.........flood...........

[Eagleman]

I don't know for sure but based on water systems I've seen and designed myself, most likely there are 2 separate valves that can add water to the flume.

One is called a maintenance valve, its purpose is to maintain a certain water level. This valve is automatic and if I had to guess, its flow rate would be somewhere around 10 - 50 gallons per minute (GPM).

The other valve is a fast-fill. It is manually controlled and its flow rate would be somewhere around 500 GPM.

If the fast-fill valve was opened then forgotten about, there would certainly be a flood. Given that park maintenance is very likely stretched way beyond reason, the person who opened the valve was very likely busy doing other stuff and simply forgot to close it.........flood...........

I AGREE with you.....
I knew you have a better concept,what might have happen !

I knew of people, who have pools in there back yard...
.and forget they have the ~WATER~ on !

[Captain Andy]

I don't know for sure but based on water systems I've seen and designed myself, most likely there are 2 separate valves that can add water to the flume.

One is called a maintenance valve, its purpose is to maintain a certain water level. This valve is automatic and if I had to guess, its flow rate would be somewhere around 10 - 50 gallons per minute (GPM).

The other valve is a fast-fill. It is manually controlled and its flow rate would be somewhere around 500 GPM.

If the fast-fill valve was opened then forgotten about, there would certainly be a flood. Given that park maintenance is very likely stretched way beyond reason, the person who opened the valve was very likely busy doing other stuff and simply forgot to close it.........flood...........

Very informative. I personally wonder if there was any water damage to any of the scenes, and if some elements may be missing upon opening. I look forward to the Micechat update and see if they got a scoop of any kind.

[Brian PieGuy]

Very informative. I personally wonder if there was any water damage to any of the scenes, and if some elements may be missing upon opening. I look forward to the Micechat update and see if they got a scoop of any kind.

Oof, I hope not. Between the New York World's Fair and nearly 60 years at Disneyland, these props have such value by virtue of their age. Destroying it's a small world is the Disneyland equivalent of burning the Library of Alexandria.

[Eagleman]

Oof, I hope not. Between the New York World's Fair and nearly 60 years at Disneyland, these props have such value by virtue of their age. Destroying it's a small world is the Disneyland equivalent of burning the Library of Alexandria.

Your right....there is lot's of HISTORY there, long with Mary Blair-Art works !
At the request of Walt Disney, who regarded highly her innate sense of color styling............

[Starcade]

Very informative. I personally wonder if there was any water damage to any of the scenes, and if some elements may be missing upon opening. I look forward to the Micechat update and see if they got a scoop of any kind.

If I remember correctly on the hundred+ times I have ridden it the canal is elevated off the show floor and the all the set pieces are also elevated above this floor, the amount of flooding that would damage the animatronics themselves I feel would actually be difficult to accomplish. I believe it was mentioned the only real damage was to the an electrical box which could have been down at floor level. I think replacing this should be relatively easy and I am sure the main concern is mold as the environment is not sealed and dust and age will make mold an anxious interloper if any large area in that building became flooded.

[Captain Andy]

Update: The flooding could be worse than predicted.

David Koenig gave his two cents yesterday:

https://twitter.com/davekoenig/status/1461401185852608513

"Cast members I’ve heard from say the damage is far worse than Disney is letting on. Apparently, the Small World flume began leaking when it was being filled in the early hours of last Wednesday Nov. 10. The problem was not discovered until several hours later.

By that time, water had filled up the basement levels of the attraction and the basement stockroom for the adjacent Small World Toyshop. But, just as with World of Color, there was massive damage to electrical and mechanical equipment that runs the attraction.

Fears are that a considerable portion of the machinery—some dating back to the 1960s—may have to be replaced, and then recertified by CAL-OSHA.

One Maintenance worker said “the attraction could be closed indefinitely.” Worst case scenario? Up to a year before everything is working again."

[BNSF1995]

No, the worst-case scenario is that Chapek uses the flooding as an excuse to close and bulldoze the attraction for more retail space.

[Brian PieGuy]

No, the worst-case scenario is that Chapek uses the flooding as an excuse to close and bulldoze the attraction for more retail space.

😧

[wlc]

"Cast members I’ve heard from say the damage is far worse than Disney is letting on. Apparently, the Small World flume began leaking when it was being filled in the early hours of last Wednesday Nov. 10. The problem was not discovered until several hours later.

By that time, water had filled up the basement levels of the attraction and the basement stockroom for the adjacent Small World Toyshop. But, just as with World of Color, there was massive damage to electrical and mechanical equipment that runs the attraction.

I find it really odd that they didn't have any kind of water sensors or anything, with such a large flume snaking throughout the attraction. I even have water sensors under my sinks and water heater. When I worked maintenance for a hospital, we had water sensors in our machine rooms. Then again, I know Disney is cheap now so who knows.

[SkunkID]

I find it really odd that they didn't have any kind of water sensors or anything, with such a large flume snaking throughout the attraction. I even have water sensors under my sinks and water heater. When I worked maintenance for a hospital, we had water sensors in our machine rooms. Then again, I know Disney is cheap now so who knows.

The depressingly realistic answer might be, the ride probably DOES have these measures, but, same as everything else in the park, they are neglected. And staff if cut so short that there aren't just the regular amount of people going in circles checking things.

[micromind]

It's s safe bet that sump pumps were installed when it was built, no one back then would be foolish enough to not have them.

Apparently, either they failed (lack of maintenance???) or the leak was huge and overwhelmed them.

High water detection systems that have not been used and/or maintained for a long time will become unreliable. Most of them are pretty easy to test but it's even easier to forget testing them. I imagine that would be pretty low on the priority list........

[Eagleman]

Flooding worse than predicted
Sound like NO holiday time
On It's a small World - SAD ! IMO

[Druggas]

You would think that with the park being closed for such a long time, all rides and attractions would be in pristine condition.

[Spongeocto4]

You would think that with the park being closed for such a long time, all rides and attractions would be in pristine condition.

That's doesn't appear to be the issue here. If Koenig's scoop was true, then Small World's flooding was cause by negligence of refilling the flume properly, not lack of matinence.

Basically someone forgot to turn off the faucet on the bathtub.