Hot Summer Lights?

^That is basically what the original Summer Spectacular was. It was produced by the same folks that do the laser show on the mountain at Stone Mountain Park, Georgia.

I think I read somewhere that the guy that originally founded Stone Mountain Media is the one who does the Firewater show. If I remember correctly, he broke away from Stone Mountain Media to start a different company. So there is some connection there with the original show.

The first year of the Summer Spectacular was the best and most entertaining. If they are continuing with the nightly show, they need some fresh ideas to make it interesting again. If not, I hope they restore the view of the train station on the midway by taking down the screen.

Pete, you are correct. The two head executives of Stone Mountain Productions broke away and formed Interlaced Productions.

I personally wouldn't be opposed to the return of something along the lines of "Jump Jam and Jive" as well.

Also, drop the college/Americana theme, you're at Cedar Point, why not celebrate that fact. Disney does firework shows themed to Disney, why cant Cedar Point do a show themed to Cedar Point? You can start at the main enterance: Carousel, Raptor, Kiddie Kingdom/Planet Snoopy, Millennium Force, Train, Fronteirtown, Maverick, Gemini, Magnum, and the finale be Top Thrill Dragster. Have appropriate music for each ride/section and shoot off fireworks to the music/pictures.

I would take time out of my coaster riding to see a show like that :).

The original laser show did have laser depictions of various rides at the Point. I suspect that the additons of the college segments added more crowd interaction. With good numbers of people visiting the park from Ohio and Michigan, throwing in references to the big schools can't hurt.

That makes me think of the easiest way I've ever seen to make money. At the dueling pianos bar "Howl at the Moon Saloon" the entertainers play songs by request for tips. When they start up the college fight songs they make a killing. Somone requests the Bucks song for $5. Someone else will pay $10 to stop the song. Someone else will pay $15 to start up the Michigan song...and this goes on and on. In that 10 minute or so timeframe they make as much money as they will the rest of the night combined.

Keep the college references, as its about the only thing in the show right now that really brings some excitement out of the crowd, and its just flat out fun to have a cheering match. :)

I have been told that high quality indoor lasers for musical shows such as one like such
http://www.kdl.to/brochures/themed-events/thumbnails/dj-laser-music...val-tn.jpg
Can cost easily over $2000, and they are not water proof what so ever.

They have less expensive ones that cost under $1000 but will not pierce through smoke or be very visible.

I googled up how much some spotters that are "club quality" and not something you'd have at halloween party and they run $2000-3000 a piece.

They might use the college / americana theme because children are not the crowd really at night time.

If you do your homework, you'll quickly realize that a system similar to the one that had been used for Snoopy's Summer Spectacular easily started in the $50,000 range. Colors, ability to make shapes, software and control systems, among other things, drive that price up quickly. That $50,000 estimate is probably very, very conservative, too. When you go from being able to bend and the move the beams horizontally (most commonly seen; what you would see if you went and saw Tran-Siberian Orchestra) to moving them vertically and horizontally and mixing colors to make full images isn't cheap.

The obvious reason that the show did not continue with lasers post-Interlaced Productions takeover is because the new company couldn't afford them, or Cedar Point wasn't willing to spend the money on the system. The Fire Water system they installed start at a base rate of just short of $8,000 per unit, and the park installed 10. That's an $80,000 investment, not counting installation, the gas lines, the operating system, propane detectors, infrared detectors, etc. I think it's fairly safe to say that a new laser system that would have done the job they needed it to would have been more than the cost of the Fire Water investment.

How much money Cedar Point is willing to put in to something is a good way to judge how long it will last

So I don't think the light show went over as well as they thought it would.

factory81 said:

So I don't think the light show went over as well as they thought it would.

The new one? The old one?

The old one was a hit. Everyone who I've talked to who have seen both the Snoopy/Cedar Point Summer Spectacular and then saw Hot Summer Lights were terribly let down by Hot Summer Lights.

My only wish is that the screen could be taken down.

Talk about something that just doesn't belong. Especially since it completely hides the train station. Ugh.

Hey, we need a show.

Okay, let's put a screen up here.

But won't that block the train station?

Oh who cares?

Well, we care. You walk down the midway and then all of a sudden, bam, you run into this huge, tacky screen. What gives?

Just make the screen retractable. Other parks have done it. You'll still have the structure, but that's less intrusive than the entire screen.

At least the screen doesn't block Giant Wheel anymore.

Actually, the larger the shell, the more expensive it is, really isn't the case at all. 1.3g fireworks, the large ones that are used in the 4th of July show are cheaper than 1.4g product which is used in the "laser show."

The reason for the cost difference is the expectation of performance with the two types. 1.4 is generally used in close proximity to guests and performers so you need a guarantee of how is will function, 1.3 has a greater safety distance so there is less quality control. (1.3 is also made in China, whereas 1.4 generally is made in the US)

In general the distance that you need is about 75 to 100 feet per inch of 1.3g shell, which for a decent show would be 6 to 8 inch shells.

Where the cost difference does increase with the larger shells is the storage, permitting and labor involved. The 35k for Zambelli was probably 20k in labor, shipping and permitting and 15k in product. Anyone can transport 1.4g product (up to 1000 pounds) in their car as far as the US DOT is concerned, but any amount of 1.3g which has more explosive weight has to be transported by a CDL driver with a Hazmat endorsement. Not to mention the permits and inspections required by ATF&E which regulate the storage and handling.

Our costs did include 10 inch shells up to a few years ago. Florida regulations changed requiring 1000 feet distance between a 10 inch shell and the crowd and we didn't have a shooting location large enough to accommodate that. Well, I did have the Everglades as a possibility but for some reason those environmentalists weren't too keen on my shooting fireworks from the Everglades.

Go figure.

factory81 said:
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.

If that were the case, I'd have a very narrow-minded perspective of all of the incredible thrills the park has to offer.

As I'm sure you've read by now, many people share a distaste for the new show, and honestly, a complete re-do and overhaul would be the only thing that would bring it back to its former glory.

As far as the kids liking it, well duh. Its bright, colorful, and has fun sounds. As an adult, I'm unimpressed and bored to death. If they put so much effort into a really great ice show for the kids, why can't they apply the same effort to their nightly show?

At least the screen doesn't block Giant Wheel anymore.

Wow I had forgotten about that. It's just ugly, and while it is necessary for the shows they do have, there seems little reason (as noted above) they could not have employed one that is mobile or detractable.

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

I couldn't agree more. The old show could've done with some new additions to the laser segments, but a big flame just doesn't do it for me.

Anyways, the crowds watching Hot Summer Lights seemed smaller than the crowds for the Summer Spectaculars, even in its last year. The laser show was one of the many things I always thoroughly enjoyed and looked forward too, I could give or take the new show.

Call me crazy but did the park have a nightly fireworks show before? I can picture in my head sitting on my car in the parking lot watching fireworks at the park which came off from the beach and I've never visited the park on July 4th. I seem to remember it was a quick display (around 10 mins) and it might have only happened on the weekends - this would have been around '95/'96.

I don't have time to dig out my old brochures and photos and such so I'm just going off my memory...