Hot Summer Lights?

I was looking on Cedar Point's website under the "Today in the Park" link, and I clicked on some of the dates in the summer. All the shows (Country Unleashed, Snoopy's Big Bow Wow, All Wheels Extreme, The Misadventures of Molly and Maverick, etc.) all show up with their times and dates. However, Hot Summer Lights is no where to be found. Are they just working out the final details, getting a new show, or just scrapping the light show idea all together?

Shows are typically listed here. My guess, based on the fact that they haven't even put up the information about the shows, is that those things are still being worked out, and/or the site updated.

Well doesn't CP just have oodles going on?

Is it too much to hope that Hot Summer Lights won't be returning?

Do you not like it because it closes some rides down?

I've never actually sat and watched it despite being in the park countless times.

Hot Summer Lights is too big of a draw that holds guests in the park until park close spending their money. I would be highly surprised if it didn't return in some form.

I thought I already saw somewhere that it starts on June 1st. It could have been 2007 information still though.

People and especially kids seem to really enjoy the show. I always enjoyed it when sitting at Corkscrew's entrance at closing.

And besides. If the show was to go then we would not get asked "So what time is the 10 O'clock light show?" I know that would be missed (Rolls Eyes).

I hope you are not just getting my hopes up. It is past time for that shoe horned show to be removed. It reminds me of my father showing our home movies in the living room - and then never putting the projector and screen away!

Want people to stick around? Do a fireworks show on the beach set to music (ok - I stole it from Disney).

The show typically does not start until June. It will likely be on the park maps, but not on the website yet.

Rapids 77-78 said:

Want people to stick around? Do a fireworks show on the beach set to music

That will never happen...

Don't know if you can say never Doug.

It happens once a year already!!!

(But it's not likely to become a nightly thing).

For our 4th of July celebration we have paid Zambelli Fireworks $35,000 for a 20 minute display. That display is typically fast paced which makes the costs higher than some of the other communities in my area.

But, assuming they did it for 3 months and lets say that could do it for $25K/shoot then you are looking at $2,250,000 for a summer's worth. That is a lot of money going up in smoke.

Alright, it's highly unlikely to ever happen... :)

Based mostly on the expense and the fact that to hold a show of decent size, the only place from where they can shoot the fireworks is from the edge of the beach near the parking lot, which requires the closure of large portion of the lot.

That is a lot of money, but I wonder how much the Hot Summer Lights show costs to produce and run all summer? Fireworks to music would be a nice show, and people would be able to see it from more areas in the park, rather than just the one midway.

I would guess the laser show is considerably cheaper after the initial expense of building the screen and getting all of the necessary components. The larger the shell for fireworks the greater the cost. The "fireworks" they use in the laser show are minimal.

I don't know what it takes to run that show but I'm assuming it is all controlled by computer. So, I would guess that they need someone who is licensed to do the small amount of firework reloads each day, someone who can operate the control panel, etc. I think there were about 3 people under contract to run the show each year when I was there. Then, if they had some major problem they could fly someone in (such as a programmer or technician).

Again, some of that is educated guesses but if a fireworks show as cheaper than a laser show then I think you would be seeing fireworks.

A midway night show isn't a bad idea in theory. The problem has been the execution of Hot Summer Lights. People enjoyed the previous shows because people enjoy big performances and lasers and fireworks are not something that can be seen everywhere. The problem was the switch to video, which does allow more to be presented on the screen but isn't as amazing as lasers. Most people these days have video players/recorders on their cell phones and are not impressed with video and CGI that looks 10 years old. Of course, a Disney-like fireworks show isn't the perfect idea either. Cedar Point doesn't have any good way to do it without serious cost and disruption.

I submit that there is a middle ground. People want to see some pyro, and any show CP does could stand to use more than Hot Summer Lights currently offers but mostly people want to see things they cannot see at home. I recently got to see Blue Man Group and let me tell you, seeing colored "paint" fly off drums each time they were hit was more amazing than a dozen laser shows. Idealy, I would suggest they get the Blue Man people to design a night show, but that isn't happening.

The park could do a night show with lights, pyro, colored fountians, smoke machines, and all other kinds of show effects all set to a few good songs. All less expensive then a full fireworks show but just as incredible. Forget the video screen, it is a crutch. People don't want to watch it. They want a Spectacular.

Don't watch this and tell me it wouldn't make an incredible night show: http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ldxg87pDlI8 And it is just a bunch of lights, "paint", and one really good song.

Bring back the lasers. The "fire water" crap is boring and not that cool. I mean, they do it at basketball games!

Oh, I didn't know they got rid of the lasers. Didn't want to pay the Stone Mountain people anymore I take it. My son didn't make it that late on our last visit.

Not sure if it could work logistically but if they cleared Millennium Island (oh...I guess I shouldn't recommend getting rid of trees) they could have a theatre in the round ala the lakes at Epcot or Universal Florida which would open up more viewing areas and maybe more options for creativity.

And, it could be exciting for folks on the "back" side of Breakers if they could view that show from their rooms.

You know this is one time CF could pull something from SF playbook, more specifically SFFT. Every night during the summer they put on the "Lone Star Spectacular" which is a combination video, laser and firework extravaganza. There is maybe about 2 min of fireworks in the 10 min show, but you would never think that. Its absolutely a fantastic show, their screen is a gigantic quarry wall to the right of Superman. I wish I could find a video somewhere, but Ive got to think that if SFFT can afford to put on a show like that CP could too.