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Fireworks 2017
- Thread starter bluesonichd
- Start date
PeteB
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
LOL! From what I've read in various other topics your views of the park are pretty much the same as mine, so I don't know what you're getting on your soapbox for.
I'll probably slam next years show too, just because I know it'll annoy you.
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Anyways, the problem I have with their shows of recent years is the lack of any real theme and the same old predicatble, unimaginitive format used time after time.
Compare with the Scarefest mazes (putting other issues aside), no one could ever criticise the efforts made in the way of uniqueness, theme, storytelling, characters, and the production values for their mazes which are just shows in a similar way. They have always been some of the best in the country. But with Fireworks it's all very slapped together.
Last years Galactica show was probably the strongest theme and character driven show they've done in 12 years, it just fell flat on its face in other areas. No mention of how amazing the "resort" is.
I can't think of any other park, tourist or leisure attraction in the world which constantly pats itself on the back the way Towers does. It's all merely delusions of grandeur, which is extremely annoying.
Bert2theSpark
TS Member
I was completely fine with the storyline, Less money spent on creating a story = More money spent on fireworks!
Personally I was completely fine with it only being just people talking about their experiences, The music was fitting, and I found the show to be emotional, including when they had the debate of Black Hole vs Corkscrew which I found hilarious.
Personally I was completely fine with it only being just people talking about their experiences, The music was fitting, and I found the show to be emotional, including when they had the debate of Black Hole vs Corkscrew which I found hilarious.
Jess and I loved the fireworks, we thought that they were fantastic.
Show wise (apart from the fireworks), not our favourite or the best. However we did love the John Wardley voice over, you can here the passion and sincerity in his voice. However, we didn't like the rest of the voice over, just reminded me of creature comforts if there is anyone old enough to remember that?
We were told that there wasn't as many guests this weekend as there were last weekend of the scarefest. Also we were told that not all the pre-booked ticket holders actually turned up. My ticket must have been included in that as we didn't require them as we were hotel guest.
We also passed the SW8 and the staff manning it said that they had just open the service road and if we go down it, we would be the very first guests going under it. Even they hadn't been underneath the new coaster yet. I'll post some pics later. I believe these gates were not open for long.
Show wise (apart from the fireworks), not our favourite or the best. However we did love the John Wardley voice over, you can here the passion and sincerity in his voice. However, we didn't like the rest of the voice over, just reminded me of creature comforts if there is anyone old enough to remember that?
We were told that there wasn't as many guests this weekend as there were last weekend of the scarefest. Also we were told that not all the pre-booked ticket holders actually turned up. My ticket must have been included in that as we didn't require them as we were hotel guest.
We also passed the SW8 and the staff manning it said that they had just open the service road and if we go down it, we would be the very first guests going under it. Even they hadn't been underneath the new coaster yet. I'll post some pics later. I believe these gates were not open for long.
Error
TS Member
Hence why he gives an explanation to who he is at the very start
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Ok, so my next question is : Do they care?
AstroDan
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point
I think they just wanted people to have a good day.
Which is nice!
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bluesonichd
TS Member
ChristmasPud
TS Member
I'm sorry for being negative on this. I absolutely love Alton Towers' past to bits, but this was a pretty cringy display of nostalgia and sentimentality.
It was like an idea made by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts, forgetting to entertain everybody. (You can seemingly tell by Towers Times' self-congratulatory coverage of the event that they had a finger in this pie somehow?)
I'm sorry but this just isn't what theme park entertainment is all about, for the public. First that "Secret weapons" fact video for SW8 ("check out this original merchandise wow!") and now John Wardley narration like a voice of god, with the sound of enthusiasts gushing Black Hole, Nemesis, etc. Self indulgent. Are we trying to turn the entire public into stereotypical enthusiasts?
The fireworks however looked great. The set up and display from what I've seen looked really fun. If I could have been there to get a proper opinion on it, I would have, and looked like it was an enjoyable event. Just, that 'vlog' style soundtrack and theme...
It was like an idea made by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts, forgetting to entertain everybody. (You can seemingly tell by Towers Times' self-congratulatory coverage of the event that they had a finger in this pie somehow?)
I'm sorry but this just isn't what theme park entertainment is all about, for the public. First that "Secret weapons" fact video for SW8 ("check out this original merchandise wow!") and now John Wardley narration like a voice of god, with the sound of enthusiasts gushing Black Hole, Nemesis, etc. Self indulgent. Are we trying to turn the entire public into stereotypical enthusiasts?
The fireworks however looked great. The set up and display from what I've seen looked really fun. If I could have been there to get a proper opinion on it, I would have, and looked like it was an enjoyable event. Just, that 'vlog' style soundtrack and theme...
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Altonadvocate1
TS Member
Couldn't be at fireworks this year, but of the displays that I have been to 2013''s memories theme was by far my favourite, with dreams vs nightmares my second favourite, but to be fare EVERY towers display I have seen has been vastly better than anywhere else.
Just watched this year's display on YouTube. Didn't really have a theme as such and the choreography to the music wasn't as accurate as in the past, but it was still a wonderful display on a vastly different scale from anywhere else. If I had been there, I would have really enjoyed it.
Oh and by the way, I do recognise the irony that in 4 months time I will be condemning people for judging SW8 from a YouTube POV.
Just watched this year's display on YouTube. Didn't really have a theme as such and the choreography to the music wasn't as accurate as in the past, but it was still a wonderful display on a vastly different scale from anywhere else. If I had been there, I would have really enjoyed it.
Oh and by the way, I do recognise the irony that in 4 months time I will be condemning people for judging SW8 from a YouTube POV.
AstroDan
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance, Cedar Point
I'd be inclined to agree, but the GP feedback has been very strong this year and, although ATR isn't in the same league, many parks abroad use this kind of self-promoting geekery to strengthen their brand.
The show style differs every year, so i totally expect an SW8 driven show next year.
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Well this was my first fireworks since 2015 and I was very much looking forward to it. I hadn't missed a day of fireworks since they restarted in 2010, but missed both days of last year due to the ticketing farce.
I can safely say story/audio wise this was the worst Alton Towers display I have seen, Wardley I can take, I was expecting it to set the scene from the first SW, going from Nemesis up to and including SW8 through the ages. Boy was I wrong!
A horrendous audio re working of Trip Adviser ensued and it was cringeworthy. The nature of young girls voices sounded horrendous and at times inaudible to me, then to top it off I hear "my favourite part is the ice cream van" - who decided that was display worthy?! What they did to the end of that Coldplay/Chainsmokers song I will never know, it was properly mashed up.
I don't post here much now and every year I see Pete bemoan the ITHOTMK and I never agree with him, never moreso this year! Soon as I heard it I was like thank god, they can't mess this up!
That saying the actual fireworks/and lighting was good, just the audio to me was dreadful! I particularly liked the HUGE rockets that Pete mentioned, no idea of the technicals, but more of that please!
As for pre booked pass holders not turning up, I pre booked and brought the paper print out with me both days, which was ignored and my pass just scanned anyway, so maybe more pre booked ticket holders did turn up, they just never scanned them! I think they proper played safe with regards to capacity this year, I breezed out Sat night and Sunday not one car was on the grass when I arrived!
I can safely say story/audio wise this was the worst Alton Towers display I have seen, Wardley I can take, I was expecting it to set the scene from the first SW, going from Nemesis up to and including SW8 through the ages. Boy was I wrong!
A horrendous audio re working of Trip Adviser ensued and it was cringeworthy. The nature of young girls voices sounded horrendous and at times inaudible to me, then to top it off I hear "my favourite part is the ice cream van" - who decided that was display worthy?! What they did to the end of that Coldplay/Chainsmokers song I will never know, it was properly mashed up.
I don't post here much now and every year I see Pete bemoan the ITHOTMK and I never agree with him, never moreso this year! Soon as I heard it I was like thank god, they can't mess this up!
That saying the actual fireworks/and lighting was good, just the audio to me was dreadful! I particularly liked the HUGE rockets that Pete mentioned, no idea of the technicals, but more of that please!
As for pre booked pass holders not turning up, I pre booked and brought the paper print out with me both days, which was ignored and my pass just scanned anyway, so maybe more pre booked ticket holders did turn up, they just never scanned them! I think they proper played safe with regards to capacity this year, I breezed out Sat night and Sunday not one car was on the grass when I arrived!
PeteB
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis
It's the same EVERY year. Formula as follows:
- Former ents manager does cringeworthy impression of Peter Dickson
- Play an epic trailer music track to start
- Spend 20 minutes mashing the living hell out of the year's top chart music (derived from 2010, 2011, 2012)
- Drop in snippets of how amazing the park is for the duration of the show (despite nearly killing a bunch of people recently)
- End on ITHOTMK
I could rip these shows to pieces but since that would offend the sensitive types around here, I'll just shut up now.
delta79
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Nemesis, Air
Pre booked map holders did not turn up. Why did they get them. Due to circumstances out side my control the tickets were sold out by the time i wanted to get them.
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yoursilentface
TS Member
Maybe They attended the last Saturday of scarefest and decided against turning up as the park was an absolute shambles that day and They were worried what it would be like when at capacity?
It put me off booking fireworks I know that much
Matt N
TS Member
- Favourite Ride
- Mako (SeaWorld Orlando)
Feel free to rip it apart. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion.
jon81uk
TS Member
No it isn’t, 2013 and 2017 both used memories and love for the park and it’s rides but 2015 was Sir Algenon and his visual symphonic music machine, 2016 was a space theme due to Galactica opening. Yes they used a lot of pop music, but timing fireworks to well known music is what Jubilee fireworks does well. Original music wouldn’t work as it isn’t recognised unless it is something heard before such as the ride themes used for the 2015 finale, similarly Disney use a lot of songs from their films for their castle park fireworks. Also this year the song choices followed the memories people discussed, it wasn’t just random song choices.
Quiet normal for people to book and not turn up, hence why hotels and air-planes overbook and operate a last man standing policy
I did try and hint in a previous post (see quote below) that there were a couple prebooked tickets available for any members on here. Obviously I didn't want to shout out too much about it as they are not supposed to be transferable, I didn't want to make it too obvious just in-case and I also wanted to ensure they go to a trusted regular member.
I've been told that we don't need our two pre-booked tickets that we have purchased to gain entry (Saturday) as we are Hotel guest. So there might be room for two more guests
Rob
TS Team
- Favourite Ride
- Steel Vengeance
It was pointed out to me over the weekend that the noise abatement notice that has been served on Towers of late expired this year with no renewal. So I am unsure as to whether this could be the reason for larger and louder fireworks.
As for the show this year, I really enjoyed it. Sure it was not as good as some of the previous shows where there was clearly a larger budget however the show was a vast improvement on last year's offering. It was very generic and I did find some of the narrative a little cringe worthy however much of it was genuine and I see what they were getting at. There were a few dead spots towards the start but not as many as last year.
The fireworks themselves were good and from my very limited knowledge of fireworks we saw some types that have not appeared at Towers before. Lighting and lasers were good as ever, although the lights at the top of the lawns were a little blinding at times!
I have to give huge credit to Alton Towers for how they handled the whole event. Restricting the capacity was the right thing to do as it meant that people could simply have a good time which is what they wanted. There was plenty og F&B with some outlets opening for the first time this year and lots of staff everywhere. Getting out of the car parks on Saturday, which is usually hell, was a breeze!
All in all a fantastic event to end the season!