The Ultimate Fireworks: 5-7 November 2010

[TheJamesS]

part 2 now live

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[CoasterCrazyChris]

[quote=""Blaze""]What I've seen looks great, but the music was poor, Spice Girls? Come on #-o I kow it's meant to be through the ages, but surely there was a better choice for that year/s?[/quote]

They may have been utterly pants, but they clocked up 9 UK number 1's in three years, are officially the most sucessful famale band of all time and like it or not were the last music global phenomenon so I doubt any other artist would of represented the 90s any better.

[onair]

Thought the fireworks were good tho personally I prefer it to be set to a story. Perhaps it was the firework company that was used but like others have said some of the fireworks did not suit the music, plus there did seem quite a few gaps in parts.
The build to the finale was slow too, ok you know its coming but it just seemed slow. I did enjoy them and its great to have them back as said just have seen better. Lets hope more original thoughts are put into the next ones.

[Vik]

I thought the fireworks show was very good. Probably better than the others I have seen at the Towers before(04-06).

The music through the ages was a bit cheesy, and thought the transition between tracks was done very poorly. The Th13teen bit at the start was very good though, and more than made up for the poorer middle section.

Shame it didn't really end with a bang, it was kind of, 'oh is that it'. I personally thought that the display was better than Electric Towers in '06, but some of the music choices could of been a bit better.

[Eagie]

I didn't think the musical choices were too bad (after all music is very subjective anyway) but I don't think the theme of that section was communicated well and it wasn't clear that it was taking us through 30 years of towers history.

They could've prefaced it (musically) with something along the lines of "lets take a journey back through time" or that kind of thing. Then if they had dropped in some soundbites from key AT moments (tv/radio coverage of Corkies opening - even if it needed to be mocked up - parts of the audio from the oblivion queueline videos etc) in to the mix that would've linked it to the 30th birthday celebrations more.

I enjoyed the fireworks themselves though and think I am rather lucky that I live relatively nearby, have a MAP and therefore can enjoy them easily.

[mezza]

Seems to me AT struck a good balance between keeping the enthusiasts happy (Th13teen section, ITHOTMK) and keeping the general families/kids happy (music through the ages). Looked great on the YouTube clips - well done AT!

[pillsburyb]

Hi, Long time reader first time poster.

The last Fireworks event I went to at Alton towers was either in 1991 or 1992 and they were fantastic.

Went to AT Yesterday for the fireworks, and I can't really compare them to previous displays at AT but I was blown away, it was a fantastic display and a fantastic day out, the longest I queued for a ride was 40 minutes.

It was a fantastic day topped off by a fantastic show.

It was just a shame that the last member of AT staff that I saw was a complete idiot, one of the car park dudes.

[NickT04]

Popped up for my second Fireworks visit last night with my Mum and Dad. My days, I have never seen so many people at Alton Towers! M, N & O were full when we arrived at about 17:15, they were literally parking us anywhere they could! Soon as the Fireworks finished we went to Sharkbait Reef and a decent 20 minute mooch around inside, and the queue time board said Air 70, Nemesis 60 and Thirteen 30. Got a Burger King turned around and Thirteen was 90! Mental.

As for getting out the car parks, deary me. From when we left it only took us 30 mins (low of fuel so couldn't risk sitting in a queue) to get out from joining the queue, but some could of been facing up to 2 hours I reckon!

[Jem8472]

According to Faffbook lots of people have been moaning about 2-3 hour queues to get out of the car park.

On Friday we waited about 45 mins to an hour to get out. So it was not that bad really.

Lots of people complaining about not enough staff directing traffic and stuff like that. But from what I saw on Friday I dont really know how it could have helped. Just so many car and people just pushing out regardless. So I think people were to blame for the queues on Friday as much as anything.

[NickT04]

Yeah they can whine to Alton all they like, but that many people leaving at the same time would bring anywhere to a halt!

Also, here's the Alton Towers Fireworks mug. Same template as the Scarefest one really, just with the obvious changes of the logo, dates and writing is a different colour! They look very nice sat next to each other, perhaps a regular logo one at the start of next season to make a set

Wouldn't like these every year though, would run out of space very quickly! Perhaps a momento pin badge like they do for Wales Rally GB each year!

[Vik]

I think the 2-3 hours to get out of the car park are a way over exageration. There were 3 lanes of traffic with lane 3 being directed out a gate on to Wooton lane.

I left car park M st 9.30 (grass car park) and was in Uttoxeter for 10. It was busy getting out, but from the car parks to entrance the wait was around 30 minutes at most. The barriers were open and car parking tokens were not being collected.

[Chris W]

It took me and Joel 1 hour and 50 minutes to get out of the car park last night. I think we finally left Alton Towers property at about 10:40. (we got to the car at 8:50)

I wasn't impressed with friday's display, it felt a bit 'meh' with a few distracting fails. (Large Thirteen sign and a misfire on one of the lighting towers).
However, I was very impressed with last nights show, I'd rate it higher than Electric Towers.

[Eagie]

It took me about an hour to get out last night even though I was back to my car a little later than most (been queuing for 13 and it had a breakdown of about 30mins so by the time we got on all the other rides had completely closed). That said my other half who was in a different car park to me got home about 30mins before I did.

It was nowhere as bad as for the Pink concert - mainly as people will have been leaving at different times unlike at Pink were everyone left straight after the concert.

Not sure what Alton can do about it - I can understand that it may put people off going to the big events though.

[Nightfall]

I heard that the record attendance was achieved several time back in the 90s, mainly around 1994. Assuming that the car park has gained in size since then I wonder how long it used to take to leave the park.

This year might have had a few packed events but the park hasn’t reached the entry limit like it has done a few times in the past. Or has that limit increased now

[pillsburyb]

It took me 30 minutes to get out of the car park last night and we was parked in H, if H is the one near the monorail station.

As I left the monorail station I asked a bloke how long he had been waiting and he said an hour.

The problem is, the further down the car park you are the longer it will take you, once you get onto the the road you're out in no time.

I think if people used a bit of common sense and courtesy the car park wouldn't be so bad.

p.s., it only took me 30 minutes because I cheated.

[rollercoaster_crazy]

Did the large TH13TEEN sign work on Saturday when the voice counted up to Thirteen? It had so much potential on the Friday but that part was laughable!

[pillsburyb]

They didn't even put it up, it was there in the morning but they took it down in the afternoon

[rollercoaster_crazy]

Although the Fireworks were probably not the best on Friday, and perhaps it was more laser than firework, and the time travel theme was not very well developed, I was so glad to be stood there on Friday, back on the lawn looking at the silhouette of the towers with loud music banging as the excitement grew! Then after the fireworks with all the firework mist/smoke hanging low in the gardens It was like 1998 all over again!

[Brett]

for all of you out there who thinks it could be better i would like to see you try do it...

theres been sooo many bad comments about this and to be faior im quite sick of hearing them it was the most amazing show they have done to date okay the "thirteen" thing didnt work... get over it! it was better than the stuff in london on new year!

[Thomas]

I personally loved the firework, they had an amazing atmosphere and lovely buzz about the park come nighttime.

The pre warm up 20minutes really got everyone in the mood around us and everyone started singing along, the jugglers and stilt walker where good too of the ones I did see.

Overall I would say it's one of the best, if not he best fireworks display I have seen, the no story aspect I personally didn't feel this let it down at all. What they had was great and I didn't hear a single complaint or grunt just cheers all around when the show finished. The fireworks on the roofs of Towers Street and on the metal poles with the lights where really well placed and added to the excitement.

Music wise I thought it was well suited for every decade part, may not have been to some peoples taste but then is any music to 'everyones' taste? They chose the rights songs in my opinion that reflected that decade well.

As for the car park situation, it was by far not as bad as P!nk and they seemed to have learnt drastically from then, to have staff lining the roads and filtering the traffic. The only problem was the impatient people leaving the park and refusing to move out of the way of the roads. I was parked in the minibus park and the thousands walking made it near on impossible to get out and one woman had the cheek to call me a certain word for a lady's privates as I slowly made my way out. Some people just don't realise that if they don't let the first car parks filter out, those on the main car park and fields near hotels will never get out!

Overall, great atmosphere, great fireworks, great music! Was well worth just the trip and one ride on the rapids for the.