MacGlashan Ice Cannon and Disney
While doing some research, I ran across an interesting bit of information about something called the MacGlashan Ice Cannon. The item was featured in the Winter 1972 issue of the Walt Disney Cast newsletter, which was published in Volume 1, Number 1.
Here’s the blurb:
… WORK CONTINUES at MacGlashan Enterprises on the “ice cannon,” a product so unique that, when it’s introduced in 1973, it probably will revolutionize the entire outdoor shooting-gallery industry. In the development stages since 1969, the ice cannon is unique in two different ways. From the amusement park owner’s standpoint, it completely eliminates the need for buying “ammunition,” as the ice cannon shoots just that, ice! All the owner has to do is hook the cannon up to a specially designed ice-cube-making machine, and he’s in business. From the user’s standpoint, the cannon is much more exciting to use because he can actually follow the 300 mph projectile as it races towards its target.
Apparently, Disney was investigating replacing the existing MacGlashan air guns that shot real lead balls with the ice shooting guns.
Why Would Disney Want to Replace the Shooting Gallery’s Air Guns?
Apparently, maintenance costs were fairly high at the shooting gallery attractions at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. According to an article on MousePlanet: “The estimated two million lead pellets yearly [at Disneyland] were so abrasive that they caused severe dings on the targets and the surrounding artwork. As a result, the attraction required new hand painting every night using roughly forty gallons of paint every week. Sometimes it would take up to eight hours to repaint.”
So, adding ice guns made some fiduciary sense. Disney could lower their maintenance costs and ammunition costs.
What happened?
Well, not much really.
Hoot Gibson over at the defunct but amazing F77 shares some crazy details from MacGlashan Enterprises in relation to the Disney shooting galleries.
Paul MacGlashan founded MacGlashan in the 1930s. The company designed and sold coin-shooting pistols to carnivals, chaining the pistols to counters for customers to load with their own five-cent pieces. Players aimed to knock over prizes with each shot. Game operators loved the coin-shooting pistols because they retained every nickel fired at a target. MacGlashan also supplied the Air Force and Navy with BB Machine Guns to help aerial gunners hone their skills. In 1969, Walt Disney Productions purchased the company and included it in the Walt Disney Cast newsletter mentioned earlier.
MacGLASHAN ENTERPRISES
Employees: 15
Located but a short distance from Disneyland at 1641 South Sinclair, MacGlashan Enterprises specializes in designing and manufacturing a wide variety of custom-made shooting galleries for amusement centers all over the country. Their galleries, which also feature MacGlashan air rifles, air cannons, and plastic and lead shot, can be found not only at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Celebrity Sports Center, but also at such amusement centers as the “Six Flags” parks “Over Georgia,” “Texas,” and “Mid-America,” Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee, Kings Island in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Carowinds park in North Carolina, among others. They also design and manufacture a line of custom-crafted popcorn wagons for Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and other amusement facilities.
What Happened to MacGashlan?
I’ll have to keep my eyes open as I do additional research. There’s not much listed on the web. There is a current MacGlashan company, but no ties to Disney.
Still, MacGlashan Enterprises created a lazer gun in the late 1970s. This was the infrared system that would be used at Tokyo Disneyland, the Magic Kingdom, and Disneyland. Anyone know any additional details?