what are 3D fireworks?

Each firing site has its own firing system that has the show file loaded on it. At the top of show, typically 5 to 10 minutes before the actual show starts (timecode pre-roll), FSK is sent out to start the internal clock on the firing system. Once that clock starts the show file takes over and fires everything according to the times that are recorded into the show file. FSK is not sent out durning the entire show to launch each shell, just at the top of show to get things going. If you watch closely you can see that shells are not always as accurate as those launched from sites with hardwired timecode. Take a look at the "Everybody Screams" finale in 'HalloWishes' and you'll see some of the sites are off just a little bit, typically not enough to notice when everything is being thrown up in the sky at the same time. The best time to see the delay is on NYE when the countdown numbers are going up. They are a little behind the countdown being blasted throughout the park speakers.

I'm completely unaware of the soundtrack... I generally watch from my house. :) But that does make sense to an extent, though it definitely sounds like a risk tradeoff of mostly disconnection for multiple control systems.

Nice that you get to see them. I can only hear the shells breaking from my house, which I'm ok with. Believe it or not but you can get bored wth pyrotechnics:)

Sending out that signal is the best and most efficient way to do it. Laying cable at that great of a distance would bring more problems, not to mention the cost would be way to high for the few times a year those sites are used. Plus there are firing sites in the middle of the road and on barges in the lake.

Each firing site has a Technician with it to make sure everything is connected and running correctly. Once FSK is received and the show file starts, there isn't much that can go wrong. The clock starts ticking and everything goes on as normal so long as the Tech doesn't disarm or shut down. Each firing system has a feature that keeps the internal clock going in case you lost timecode. Even Wishes could continue to fire with no timecode and the guests wouldn't notice a thing. That feature can bite you in the ass though too. Remember when that show in San Diego went off in 10 seconds? :)

If you're really interested I can talk to the guys who take care of the FSK side of things and get some better facts about it. That team is different from the Fireworks Team.

99er said:

Not to burst your Disney bubble but all of the 1.3 that Magic Kingdom uses (and pretty much every other park) is all from China and at times is actual garbage. The numbered shells for NYE are from San Tai, while most everything else is from Young Feng and Sunni. There are so many product substitutions in 'Wishes' that its nothing like it was last year or even10 years ago for that matter. The "frowny face" in the evil section was cut permanently in favor of a "Green Firenet" which ended up being changed out yet again for a "Golden Wave to Green Chrysanthemum" because even Disney buys garbage sometimes. Just because they have big budgets doesn't mean they are buying the best of the best, especially with the quantities they are getting.

Most fireworks are from China, and just like everything else there are varying levels of quality, especially when it comes to the composition of the stars inside of them. Outside of NYC, DC etc... I haven't seen many shows that come close to the quality of the colors that I have seen at Disney, nor the consistent burst patterns. It has been around 5 years since I was at Disney so if they have cheapened things up more since then I am sad to hear that.

They use Pyro Digital...which was probably all the rage in the 80's. However now its the least up to date when compared to the other parks which all use a Fire One type of system. I don't do much freelance pyro work but all of the people I know use an actual firing system, from small private shows to large events like those for Macy's in NYC. The Fire One is the most commonly used firing system now that they have made it so easy to use.

I'm shocked Illuminations uses that old equipment, as I stated earlier it is hard to find a show that has the precision timing like Illuminations does, perhaps the fact that they do it every night is indeed what allows them to perfect it.

Hardly anyone I worked with had their own electronic firing systems. In the pyrotechnics field you have 2 main groups of people that shoot the displays. The folks that do it year round for the larger companies, and then a bunch of hobbyists who have the license requirements to fill the gap on the 4th of July. The sheer number of displays on and around the 4th of July makes it impossible for the Display companies to use their own people on every display. Most of the shooters that perform these displays do it because they like to, not because it is a money maker. Because of that there aren't many willing to invest in a Fire One system.

Unless there has been a major change in the past 6 years and the companies are sending these systems with the racks and boxes of shells for your typical 4th of July show then I will still say most are fired by hand. The larger local displays, which I would consider Toledo, Cedar Point etc.. to be in that group would most likely use a manually fired electronic system. However, the displays in the smaller cities such as Woodville, Clyde, Oregon and so forth were fired by shooters using road flares as you typically wouldn't see any shells larger than 5" in them.