Fireworks 2023 🎆

[dave___]

I thought the water curtain effect with Emily Alton was amazing, I’ve seen water curtains put to good uses elsewhere before so this was a great implementation.

Can’t give them enough criticism about the exiting after the end of the fireworks though. If one person tripped and fell over there would be a death I’m sure of it; funnelling all the thousands of people through mutiny bay just caused a huge bottleneck up all the way to towers street and it was like being at the front of a concert, giant human wave with no control.

Maybe it’s like this every year? It was my first year going but I can’t help but think that even with 10000 people all trying to go the same way there has to be a better way of managing the crowds.

 

[jon81uk]

I thought the water curtain effect with Emily Alton was amazing, I’ve seen water curtains put to good uses elsewhere before so this was a great implementation.

Can’t give them enough criticism about the exiting after the end of the fireworks though. If one person tripped and fell over there would be a death I’m sure of it; funnelling all the thousands of people through mutiny bay just caused a huge bottleneck up all the way to towers street and it was like being at the front of a concert, giant human wave with no control.

Maybe it’s like this every year? It was my first year going but I can’t help but think that even with 10000 people all trying to go the same way there has to be a better way of managing the crowds.

Its like that every year, I don't think there has been any significant injuries in the 20+ years of them doing it (nothing that would get media attention so we hear about it anyway).
Generally they used to push those who want to exit out the gate next to Sharkbait Reef as using Towers St would be an even worse bottleneck and it keeps that exit for those with poor mobility or need/want to use the monorail.
Those who want to stay in the park for X Sector and Dark Forest line up at Spinball (that is also a big crowd) and the Wickerman bypass behind the Rapids used for those who want to go to Forbidden Valley. So in theory its only those exiting who will be in Mutiny Bay.

 

[Steve74]

I thought the water curtain effect with Emily Alton was amazing, I’ve seen water curtains put to good uses elsewhere before so this was a great implementation.

Can’t give them enough criticism about the exiting after the end of the fireworks though. If one person tripped and fell over there would be a death I’m sure of it; funnelling all the thousands of people through mutiny bay just caused a huge bottleneck up all the way to towers street and it was like being at the front of a concert, giant human wave with no control.

Maybe it’s like this every year? It was my first year going but I can’t help but think that even with 10000 people all trying to go the same way there has to be a better way of managing the crowds.

It is like this every year. Somebody mentioned this on the MAP facebook page. My only reasoning for being directed through Mutiny Bay and keeping the path outside it closed is so if there was an incident, the crowd can be quickly and easily diverted to an empty pathway.

 

[Ash]

I think most people attend Alton Towers (not Merlin) fireworks to see the fireworks though. They already use a good combination of lights, audio and screens. Disney are using drones more because they are reusable and fireworks are not, because they put a show on pretty much every night of the year they need to keep costs down, Paris already invested heavily into fountains to cut down the amount of pyro. Whereas Alton Towers do it for three nights a year and their main contracter (Jubilee Fireworks) is a pyromusical firework show specialist. Yes drones can add to it, but they don't need to cut down on fireworks.

Merlin don't do any night time shows, I'm not even convinced they significantly share knowledge between the parks about ScareFest and Fright Nights, yes they had similar experiences with the audio things but also its clear the events are managed locally quite differently.

They stopped pointing people towards the car parks which seems odd.

There’s lots more they could do, open up haunted hollow, have the DJ back on after, mention the monorail, mentioned Alton Manor and Galactica instead of just wickerman.

When nemesis reopens it should help a bit.

 

[MattyH]

Gloomy Wood and Forbidden Valley were definitely mentioned as being open straight away.

At least on the spinball side, there was a full width block and slow release with security positioned by the hospitality suite incase anything happened.

Did see somebody fall sunday night but everyone slowed down and they got back up fine.

 

[John]

They used to hand out maps showing all the exit routes and with opening/closing times of all rides listed. Now paper maps are no longer a thing they've started to rely more on large signs on the crowd control barriers advising people to leave via the Galactica gates. I'm not sure when they last used the gate by Sharkbait Reef as an exit but I don't think it'd been used for years, though with fewer guests nowadays crowd control is less important than it used to be.

That said, crowd control in MB is always going to be difficult as it's the one area you have lots of people moving in opposite directions - some towards TS/X sector and some towards WM/GW/FV

 

[Dan]

Here is the video of the fireworks from my drone. Just a reminder all CAA rules were followed. I flew from public land, visual line of sight was followed at all times and there was no flying over crowds or any part of the theme park. I'm not sure what quality the embedded video uses. I would suggest clicking the video to open it in YouTube and select 4k quality

 

[Zeock]

Here is the video of the fireworks from my drone. Just a reminder all CAA rules were followed. I flew from public land, visual line of sight was followed at all times and there was no flying over crowds or any part of the theme park. I'm not sure what quality the embedded video uses. I would suggest clicking the video to open it in YouTube and select 4k quality

The fireworks look very good! I like the variety of fireworks used.

 

[dave___]

Does anyone know what the effect they used was, I think somewhere in the mutiny bay segment, to make it feel like the ground was shaking? I couldn’t work out whether it was just a really low bass thump from the speakers or some kind of ground-based firework but it didn’t half make my teeth rattle when they did it.

Looking around at everyone else I think they were equally surprised by it too..

 

[DiogoJ42]

If it’s the same effect the used many years ago (I forget the year), then I would assume it would be an explosive charge burried under the ground? Big enough to cause a shake, but not big enough to blow a huge crater in the lawns.

 

[Craig]

Here is the video of the fireworks from my drone. Just a reminder all CAA rules were followed. I flew from public land, visual line of sight was followed at all times and there was no flying over crowds or any part of the theme park. I'm not sure what quality the embedded video uses. I would suggest clicking the video to open it in YouTube and select 4k quality

Amazing video Dan, love how much it shows off the reflection of the lighting, fire and fireworks on the lake. That scanning light effect across the Towers at the start I absolutely adore too, looked ridiculously impressive. I still can't abide by that awful mix in the Smiler section though

 

[Steve74]

Does anyone know what the effect they used was, I think somewhere in the mutiny bay segment, to make it feel like the ground was shaking? I couldn’t work out whether it was just a really low bass thump from the speakers or some kind of ground-based firework but it didn’t half make my teeth rattle when they did it.

Looking around at everyone else I think they were equally surprised by it too..

These were the fireworks you mean (at 26:33 if the link below doesn't start at that point). This is the only video I've found that comes close to showing how impressive the noise was (wear bassy headphones for the best effect) and was filmed from the Big Bang ticket VIP area. The real-life sound and feeling was truly astonishing and it really felt like the ground was shaking. I've never seen or heard anything like it in a display before!


From: https://youtu.be/sqyVM6NFAb4?si=Bw50nBIF1zwZm0I5&t=1593


For me, I think the whole Mutiny Bay segment was one of the best segments of the display.

 

[JAMMY_Jaunts]

They are ground salutes. Essentially big shells with no lift charge that just explode on the ground (usually on a base plate). This sends the shockwaves through the ground.

They've been used a couple of times before but it was great to see them back after some years absence. Really sold the Mutiny Bay battle scene.

 

[DiogoJ42]

I wonder how much damage they do to The Towers?

 

[Burner]

I think the first year they used them was 2013? Definitely a shock to the system when they were deployed that year.

 

[jon81uk]

I wonder how much damage they do to The Towers?

I think they are on the Towers St side of the lake, so probbaly none. The larger shells being fired close to the towers would do more damage.

 

[Steve74]

I think they are on the Towers St side of the lake, so probbaly none. The larger shells being fired close to the towers would do more damage.

They weren't. All fireworks were on the Towers side of the lake, close to the edge of it. Only things on the Towers Street side were the lasers and lights.

 

[jon81uk]

They weren't. All fireworks were on the Towers side of the lake, close to the edge of it. Only things on the Towers Street side were the lasers and lights.

I might be wrong but I'm sure on a previous use of the ground shakers they were the other side of the water. But its hard to tell exactly what is happening!