New Fireworks?

[JKW]

We just got back from the world on 10/30 and some interesting things peaked my interest. We stayed at the YC Concierge Waterview. On 10/28, we returned from the parks and found a notice under our door stating that they would be setting off some fireworks at Epcot late. We waited up and sure enough there was a different firework sequence being set off. The second interesting thing happened the very next night at MGM. We were back in our room late and my husband and I were enjoying a drink and some alone time with the kids sleeping and all. When all of a sudden......Bang!! new fireworks sequence at MGM. My husband manage to video this on our digital camera. You could even hear the music. One sequence was with Star Wars music. Am I amiss here.... Both of these new firework sequences were well past the closing time of the parks.

 

[toefungus]

They were probably testing for the New Years Eve fireworks. The Star wars music is from Sorcery in the Sky which used to run at Disney-MGM Studios before Fantasmic.

 

[paulh]

we stayed at the BWV a few years ago and they were trying out the tapersty of nations before they showed it to anyone after the parks closed every night they have to try new things out sometime it usealy is about a hour after the parks close

 

[Testtrack321]

Originally posted by paulh
we stayed at the BWV a few years ago and they were trying out the tapersty of nations before they showed it to anyone after the parks closed every night they have to try new things out sometime it usealy is about a hour after the parks close

*perks up TT*

Tapestry you say?

If no one knows this year, I'm obsessed with Tapestry. Just for my knowledge, what did they test? Music? Lighting? Puppets? Drums? Sage? And what was the excact date?

 

[OnWithTheShow]

Convention groups sometimes have private performances of fireworks after park closings. I definitely think that is probably the case of what you saw at the Studios since from the music it appears to have been Sorcery in the Sky. Sorcery can only be seen by the public on New Years and July 4th but is shown several times a year to private groups. It is possible it was just another performance of Reflections at Epcot or some other show they offer to groups. Most tests of new sequences are done at the pyro test area and not in the parks until the show has been officially announced.

 

[EUROPA]

Did it seem like the full set of fireworks? We saw what seemed to be an accidental release a couple of weeks ago.

We were at Ohana on Friday Nov 8th we had window seat in preparation for the Fantasy in the Sky at Mk. Well we were early Fireworks were supposed to be at 7:00. At about 6:30 or so we saw about 3 or 4 burst go off above the park and then it stopped. Seems like an accident to us and sure enough at 7:00 the real fireworks start.

 

[JKW]

We've never seen Sorcery in the Sky so it could all well have been that. I thought it was funny seeing Epcot with new sequences AND MGM. Well whatever they were doing it was nice to have a surprise showing. It was kind of like a bit of magic to sit back relax and enjoy just the two of us. Thanks......

 

[Testtrack321]

Originally posted by JKW
We've never seen Sorcery in the Sky so it could all well have been that. I thought it was funny seeing Epcot with new sequences AND MGM. Well whatever they were doing it was nice to have a surprise showing. It was kind of like a bit of magic to sit back relax and enjoy just the two of us. Thanks......

Sometimes many companys pay for partys at parks, as OWTS said. FIRST robotics had one last year above The Land.

 

[philjerden]

I was staying at The BoardWalk during the testing of the Epcot fireworks. My understanding from the letter issued to resort guests was that Disney had chosen to test some "state of the art" fireworks. The letter made no indication of commitment to utilizing these fireworks in the future--just that the Resort was testing them.

However, toefungus's suggestion that they might have been testing for New Year's Eve makes sense to me.

Phil

 

[phillybeth]

...At about 6:30 or so we saw about 3 or 4 burst go off above the park and then it stopped...

It is typical for a few test rockets to be shot before a fireworks show, to gauge the wind and weather conditions.

 

[JKW]

Sorry for posting this. Curiosity just got the better of me. We have been to WDW several times and never seen this before. I guess I was just looking for some info. Thanks for the responses.

 

[Cricket2]

Some of the MK fireworks are synched "air canon" lift charges which are "cleaner" and safer. These shells are also remote radio detonated to make the "Mickey head" rings look correct. It was supposed to spell stuff out too, but it never worked right for that (so far). They only used it at MK before. Could this be part of the "clean" thing scoop?

I have a picture of the "guns" somewhere. Let me look for it....

 

[Lesley]

In January we saw "mysterious" fireworks over MGM from our room at BWV (very soon after watching Illuminations from our kitchen balcony, we saw these from our bedroom balcony!)......we heard the movie music and asked about them the next day. We were told they were probably for a convention or private party.

We then attended the Sorcery in the Sky fireworks on July 4th....which confirmed that this was the same presentation we saw in January.

Interesting about the testing of some new fireworks at Epcot. That would be cool to see.

Anyone else remember the daytime fireworks and water show they had at Epcot years ago? I think we saw it in either 1992 or 1994? They had Goofy parasailing too! Kind of weird, but neat.

 

[dclfan22]

Disney usually tests the fireworks after the parks close, back in the begining of june they tested the fireworks at epcot in preperation of the july 4th celebration, usually a handful of execs and cm's are invited to attend and view the test shows. also back in July the MK decided to test there fireworks at about 5am, they usually only give the resorts only a few hours notice. Next week after Epcot closes they will be doing the full dress rehearsal for candlelight processional until 2:30 in the morning.

 

[Safari Steve]

The compressed air launching system is also used for Illuminations: Reflections of Earth (that first burst in the middle of the lake is actually a second shell launche w/ C.A., not connected to the flare at all).

Also, the 3 or 4 bursts that were observed at 6:30 were probably the finale shells for Cinderella's Surprise Celebration, a show that is presented several times daily at the Castle Forecourt Stage. The show ends with 4 smoke flare/bursts (white--with a pinkish tinge at night), and that's probably what you saw.

 

[Cricket2]

You know Steve, that makes complete sense because it has to burst at just the right instant to sync to the music.

I thought the one at the MK was a one-of-a-kind thing.

I love learning new stuff here!

JC

 

[paulh]

Testtrack321 i think it was in sept 1999 i think have to check when we signed up to dvc as it was the same year it was in a few days before the offical start to TT we stayed in BWV and we could here the music firworks and the drums as the park was shut so i dont know if there was any puppets as for the length of the test it was a full run of the performance
Regards Paul

 

[SAKPEG99OKW]

DW and I were at BWV on 11/10-11/16. Upone returning to our room on 11/13 we received the same memo from WDW Mgmt. stating that Disney was always striving to achieve the best and that night after epcot closing there would be a test of some new and imporoved pirotechnick fireworks that might be used in the future. Sure enough about 10:15 pm some additional fireworks were set off for about 30 seconds, nothing great but pretty cool.


Scott, Peg and Tyler

 

[thepoohbear]

We were at BWV in November and one night while we were sound asleep we heard what sounded like bombs right outside our window. I jumped up and opened the curtains. We were treated to a whole unexpected fireworks show over at MGM. (I'm not sure what time this was but since we were sleeping it must have been pretty late, way after park closing.) The next morning I asked at the front desk and we were told that they were testing. Later that day we were talking to some guests and they said they called the front desk in the middle of the night because of the fireworks. They didn't have a view of MGM and thought we were under attack, as did many other hotel guests. They were all told that MGM was testing fireworks. Maybe the Y&BC management made the decision to tell guests before the testing in order to avoid frightening them. (By the way, we were there for NJ Week so maybe we're all still a little more jumpy than the rest of the country.)

 

[Janet2k]

I, too, was at WDW last month during the Epcot fireworks' testing. I was staying on the 5th floor of the BCV, with an Epcot view, and was returning from a late night swim with my daughter when we bumped into a CM who was slipping a piece of paper under our door. I asked him what was up and he told me about the fireworks' testing. The testing lasted almost an hour, with fireworks being shot into the air every minute or so. I was surprised at how long the testing went on and even watched some of it from my balcony. I had friends who were staying on a different floor of the BCV, with a different view, and they told me that they did not get a letter from the resort regarding the "noise" that they had heard that night. They actually called down to the Front Desk to see what was happening with the noise. So, it seems to me, that maybe only those rooms with Epcot views got the fireworks' notice??

In regards to "other" fireworks over at the MK, when people are getting married via Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings Department, one of the wedding add-on's is a custom fireworks' show. The cost is several thousand dollars for a minimum of 2 or 3 minutes of fireworks. Most folks who choose that expensive add-on only buy the minimum, so if you've seen unexplained fireworks while in the MK area, it could be the finale to a Fairy Tale Wedding. The photographer poses the happy couple outside (the usual spot is behind the Wedding Pavilion), while a Fairy Tale Weddings' Cast Member radios the "GO" signal to the fireworks’ technicians. With timing like that, a perfect photo is taken of the newlyweds’ kiss with fireworks bursting in the background. As you can imagine, it makes quite a photo.