Behind the Magic: Show Action Engineering for Make-A-Wish WishWorks
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
WishWorks is an immersive, story-driven experience created by Make-A-Wish Southern Florida, designed to spark imagination and bring moments of wonder to children and families. Blending interactive environments with narrative storytelling, the attraction invites guests into a world where creativity and possibility take center stage.
Recognized with a Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement, WishWorks stands among the most celebrated themed entertainment experiences, highlighting the power of meaningful, mission-driven design. As part of this experience, Entech Innovative Engineering was brought on under Animal Repair Shop to support the development of custom show action equipment, helping bring a key magical moment within the attraction to life. Working closely with the project’s creative and technical teams, Entech contributed to an effect designed to feel seamless, surprising, and fully integrated into the story.
Project Overview
Entech’s scope focused on transforming a manually operated architectural element into a fully automated show action feature. The original bookcase, installed by others, required physical effort from Make-A-Wish volunteers to move and reveal the next space. While functional, the original system relied on manual operation, which presented challenges in maintaining consistent performance aligned with the intended experience.
Entech was tasked with replicating the exact aesthetic of the existing bookcase while completely redesigning its internal structure to accommodate a motorized drive system and integrated controls. Maintaining the original appearance was critical, as all scenic elements, lighting, and show design had already been built around the existing piece.
As Senior Project Manager Eric Roehl explained, “The original bookcase was difficult to move for some of the volunteers and did not create the magical experience Make-A-Wish and Animal Repair Shop desired.”
The upgraded system allows the bookcase to operate in both manual and automatic modes. In automatic operation, the movement is synchronized with the show control system, allowing the reveal to occur precisely on cue as part of the story. A manual mode was also incorporated to provide operational flexibility and serve as a backup in the event of control system interruption.
Engineering Challenges
Automating an existing illusion required a careful balance between performance, safety, and maintaining the integrity of the guest experience. The system needed to deliver consistent, repeatable motion while remaining completely hidden within the original footprint of the casework.
As Engineering Manager Alex McFee described, “Our objective was to engineer an automated, motorized drive and control system that perfectly replicated the aesthetics of the original piece while allowing it to actuate autonomously.” One of the primary challenges was designing a motion system that could operate within extremely tight spatial constraints without altering the visible structure. At the same time, the movement needed to feel natural and seamless, avoiding any sense of mechanical intrusion into the storytelling moment.
Because the effect occurs in close proximity to guests, safety and fault tolerance were critical to the design. The team implemented a custom traction-based drive system that inherently limits applied force, allowing the mechanism to slip if resistance is encountered. Additional safeguards were built into both hardware and software, including motion timeouts, presence detection, and integrated emergency stop functionality.
Alex added, “By synchronizing this movement with the broader show control system, the reveal now happens exactly on cue, completely removing the human element to create a truly seamless and surprising magical moment for the guests.”
To ensure operational continuity, the system also includes a mechanical disengagement feature, allowing operators to quickly decouple the drive system and move the bookcase manually if needed. This shift not only improved consistency but ensured that every guest experiences the moment exactly as intended, without variability between cycles or operators.
Fabrication and Testing
Fabrication focused on integrating a robust drive system within the existing architectural constraints while maintaining the original appearance of the bookcase.
A key aspect of the design was isolating the motion system from the surrounding structure. The drive mechanism was mounted directly to the facility slab, allowing the moving portion of the bookcase to operate independently without making contact with adjacent walls or flooring. This approach ensured consistent alignment and reduced the potential for interference during operation.
To validate performance, the system underwent extensive in-house testing prior to installation. Using a PLC-based setup, the team simulated repeated open and close cycles, allowing the mechanism to operate autonomously while performance was monitored and refined. As Eric noted, “Based on a worst-case projected usage, we conducted several years’ worth of operation in our shop.” This approach reduces risk for the client by identifying potential issues before installation, rather than discovering them in operation.
Installation
Installation required careful coordination to integrate the new system into the existing environment while maintaining tight tolerances and alignment. With the footprint already defined, the team began by removing the original bookcase and preparing the space for installation. The new system was anchored directly to the facility foundation, with precise measurements taken to ensure proper positioning of both the fixed and moving components.
Because the bookcase operates with approximately 1/8-inch clearance, alignment was critical. The team spent significant time verifying dimensions, squareness, and positioning relative to the surrounding walls and opening to ensure smooth and consistent operation.
Logistical challenges also played a role, particularly navigating transportation and staging in a dense urban environment. Equipment, delivery and storage required coordination due to limited access and space constraints. Despite these challenges, the installation was completed successfully, resulting in a clean integration that preserves the illusion while enhancing performance.
The upgraded bookcase effect at WishWorks demonstrates how thoughtful engineering can transform a functional element into a reliable, repeatable storytelling moment. By removing operational variability and engineering for consistency, Entech helped ensure that the experience performs as intended for every guest, every time.
Entech is proud to contribute to an attraction that brings imagination to life and supports the meaningful mission of Make-A-Wish, helping create moments of wonder for every guest who walks through the experience.
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