FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Our many visitors ask us many questions about the display.  We have a scrolling message board on the roof that provides answers to some of the more frequently asked questions. For the benefit of those of you who cannot make it over to see the display in person, we will share some of the FAQ's and their answers.  Many of the questions concerned our former analog display.

Q. When did we start creating the display?

A. We started in 1970 with just a few items and a lot of lights. Each year, we have added new characters, animation and lights.  For 2003, we added our newest MAJOR attraction - the double hammer!

Q. How long does it take to set up?

A. Usually about 5-6 weeks. For example, we started putting up the display for the year 2002 in early November, and it was completed in the first week of December.

Q. Where do we store all of this stuff?

A. How are YOU fixed for space? Storage is a challenge. Fortunately, most all of the display is hand-made, and unbolts into flat sections for easy storage. Still, the Merry-go-round top is large and heavy - and it goes up intact on pulleys to the inside of the garage roof. Most of the rest of the display goes into the attic or garage rafters.

Q. Doesn't this cost a lot to run?

A. You bet! It consumes about 80 AMPS that typically adds about $125 a week to our electric bill.  In the year 2000 during the energy crisis in CA, we were fortunate to live in Burbank - a city with its own power generation equipment. While much of California was in a power crisis, those cities with their own power generation equipment were largely unaffected.  We were able to run the display as planned.

Q. Do you work for Disney?

A. Ha ha - we get asked that all of the time! No, none of us work in the graphic's field. It is just that we have a number of talented individuals in our family and combine those talents to create this unique display. For example, one of my sons will come up with a creative idea of what would be cute to add to the display. My task is to come up with the electronic and mechanical design to make it work.  All of our family members contribute to the success of our annual display.  

Q. How long do you leave it up?

A. We usually leave it up until a couple of days after Christmas.  This primarily depends on the weather.  We can't put it away wet, so if rain is forecast, we will shut it down early and get it stored out of the weather.  Check on our site for information regarding the last day of operation.

Q.  What is new for 2003?

A.  We have added several significant attractions.  The largest is the double-hammer attraction.  It is over 8 feet tall and has rotating/illuminated arms.  We have also added Nemo's fishtank - a cute attraction that is sure to be a hit with the kids!  We also have added some lighting on the NOEL on the roof - sequencing the letters in a unique patters.  There are some new cut-out characters and other small items.

Q. What was new for 2002?

A. In 2002,  most of our additions were small in size - new animals, street lights, more lights in general and some new characters.  When we fired it up on 12/1/02 to check out the circuit drain, we discovered that we added another 8 AMPs of current draw.  We had to scramble to find another circuit to supply that drain.  Currently, the display runs on six (6) 20-Amp circuits.  Our newest major attraction - the Double Hammer - will add amount 8 amps of current draw.

Q. Why did you switch to a digital light show?

A. There are a couple of reasons.  First, it was time for a change.  We had no room to enlarge the display to allow me to build new attractions.  Second, with our neighbor who had been a constant source of help moved away, my wife and I realized that this analog display was just too large and heavy for us to do alone.  While our sons helped when they were available, they both have families - and one lives almost 60 miles away.   Therefore, we decided that 2004 would be the last year for the analog display.

Q. How difficult is it to work with rope light?

A. It is actually quite easy!  The tough part is building the metal frames to which the rope light will attach!  I purchased a wire-fed arc welder with the proceeds from the sale of our old display.   I buy the metal (cold rolled steel) from a local industrial metal supply company.   After designing the attraction, I cut and weld the metal together.  Once done, I paint it (steel will rust...).  Then, it is time to apply the rope lights.   The brand I use is Crown - available from many retailers online.   I use 3/8" rope light (it is available in larger diameters, but more difficult to bend).   You can cut it in 18" lengths (be careful - some rope light manufactures allow you to cut it in only 3 foot lengths).  I buy invisible splice pieces to join two lengths for color changes.    You will need a heat gun (about $20-$30) to shrink the piece of clear tubing that covers the splices.   I bought different colors of small wire ties to hold the rope light to the frame so it would follow the desired shape.  

Q. Does rope light use a lot of power?

A. You bet!  150 feet (a typical roll - costing between $60-$90 depending on where you buy it) uses about 8 amps.  LED rope light uses a fraction of the power - but costs an arm and a leg.  For example, a 150 foot roll of LED rope light can be over $500 - 8 or more times more costly than standard rope light!!  Further, each length needs a transformer - another $5.50 or so.   Our Ferris wheel has eight spokes - each with a different color of 3' length of rope light.    That cost me about $10 in material (rope light), and $12 in power cords - a total of $22.  To do the same eight spokes in LED light would cost me about $83 in rope light, plus $50 in power cords and transformers - totaling around $140!   Further, LED lights can only be either on or off.  Standard rope light can also be faded up or down (I use that feature in the Ferris wheel display).  

Q. How are you controlling the light animation?

A. I am using digital controllers from Light O'rama.  Each digital box (costs around $350 or so) has 16 channels (we are using three boxes).  The boxes are connected in series, and by way of a Cat 5 cable, connected to a powerful computer.   The software controls each channel and allows you to have that channel turn on, turn off, shimmer, twinkle, fade up or fade down.   You can control the timing of the functions to fractions of a second (I use the default 1/10th of a second).   The animation can be run stand-alone, or in sync to music. 

Q. How long does rope light last?

A. My experience with it has been limited (2005 and just beginning 2006's season).  I have had several failures (where one 18" section goes out).   The fix is not difficult - cut out the bad section, and then using the invisible splices, insert a new 18" section - and then heat the clear shrink tube to seal the connections.  Presto - you are back in business.  Last year, the animated toy shop had only one 18" section go out at the beginning of the season.   In 2006 as of 12/9/2006, I have had one of the elf's hats go out (an 18" section of green), and a 18" section of pink on one of the hammer arms.   That is it (so far...).   They claim the light is good for 25,000 hours - but since I am doing fast switching on and off (like for the hammer attraction), I expect the life to be much less.

Q. How does the webcam work?

A. It is a Sony webcam that is connected to a network.  It is self-contained and a breeze to set up.  It has very clear resolution in the day (check it out), but in low light, it is not as sharp as I would like.   A night vision would be sharper, but would likely be all green. 

If you have any other questions about the display, please write to us at the address given on the home page.