ShannyMcB has reached
Peru Pink!
What do it's a small world and The Matterhorn have in common, other than both being in
Disneyland? They both have ride systems created by manufacturer Arrow Development!
Arrow Development, which later came to be know as Arrow Dynamics, was an American manufacturing and engineering company that specialized in designing and building amusement park rides, especially
roller coasters. Arrow was responsible for several influential advancements in the amusement and theme park industries. Among the most significant was tubular steel track, which provided a smoother ride than the railroad style rails commonly used prior to the 1960s on
wooden roller coasters. The
Matterhorn Bobsleds at
Disneyland, built in 1959, was Arrow's first roller coaster project.
After construction of the Matterhorn, Disney bought a third of Arrow Development in an effort to keep them viable and at least partially in-house. Arrow developed vehicles, flumes and tracks for
It's a Small World,
Pirates of the Caribbean,
Adventure Thru Inner Space, and the
Haunted Mansion.
The artificial river created by Arrow Development needed something special to celebrate its move to Anaheim following the World's Fair. For the celebration, Walt invited children from around the world to come in their traditional clothing and bring a vessel containing water from the nearest sea. With water from each of the Seven Seas in hand, the children commemorated the opening of “it’s a small world” by pouring the water into the ride’s river, symbolically uniting the world.