GateKeeper & 4th of July Fireworks?

Does anyone think GateKeeper will close during the 4th of July fireworks show or while the show is being set-up.

I know during set-up the parking lot area was blocked off, for safety reasons, while setting up the firework display.

GateKeeper will be in that safety zone during set-up, won't it?

What do you think?

Nope!

Would be pretty dumb to close their brand new coaster on one of the busiest days of the year for a fireworks show imo.

They definitely won't close it, they can move the fireworks

I know at Kings Island that The Beast does close during their nightly fireworks shows. That being said, it obviously runs during the day, so I think it's fair to say that Gatekeeper will be okay.

I also know that Windseeker was running during the last 4th of July fireworks show that I went to at The Point, so you never may know, they just might've planned for this.

That would be a pretty epic windseeker ride. It's too bad I'll never see the park on the 4th of July... :)

Easier to move the area you're staging and launching fireworks from than a coaster.

Perhaps. But it's also easier to close a coaster for an hour or so than it is to move the fireworks launch area.

I've been shooting commercial & display fireworks professionally for close to ten years now, and really the biggest concern with them is the room you have to work with. You can set up your launch zone just about anywhere - you just have to take into account where the fallout is going and whether it will cause a problem. I don't think CP has much to worry about as far as that goes, especially if they're firing from the beach. Having said that, I think they could set up and a have a show easily without having to close any rides.

The more I think about it, did Disaster Transport shut down during the fireworks, I never really noticed.

Couldn't they just put a barge out on the lake and shoot the fireworks off from off-shore?

^They'd have to rent out a barge, which I'm sure is too much money for a one night fireworks launch.

PB-Reader said:
The more I think about it, did Disaster Transport shut down during the fireworks, I never really noticed.

No, it was kept open. My sister worked the ride and told me this, as I never actually rode it on a July 4th night.

Ha, I guess that's ONE good thing about the ride being in a giant box :) the building sheilded it from debris.

I was told that the fireworks debris is what caused the holes in the roof of the building, hence why they couldn't stay open for rain

No I believe it was just poor design with the roof, that's why it would leak.

The fact that is was a 22 year old roof probably had the most to do with it.

Nailed it Jason. +2 for that one.

hmmm, how about the roof could only take so much weight from all the seagull poop on the roof :)

Bret said:
Couldn't they just put a barge out on the lake and shoot the fireworks off from off-shore?

That's what the Pirates do for their fireworks. Park two barges in the river and good to go.

Yeah, that is an awesome way to shoot. It's safer, at least for the spectators (not that they're in danger normally), plus, when you're over the water, all the burning paper comes down and is instantly distinguished. No 22 year old or any other roofs to worry about, which is probably the single biggest hassle you can run into when setting up and deciding how big (shell wise) you want to go.

Disaster Transport closed at 9 or 10pm for the fireworks on July 4th. It was a midnight closing that day so yes it did close early. If they keep the fireworks in the same spot they would just have to close GateKeeper early for that day. Or halt operations like they do with Beast at KI until the show is over and the area is all clear.