Star Spangled Nights

[Jrbgwfan06]

While I would like for the park to transform the event into more of a colonial-esque celebration, I just think it would add insult to injury, mostly because of cost reasons, to completely redo the event like that. Hence, why I don't think Colonial Williamsburg would want to touch this Porno event with a 50 foot poll.

 

[Username]

CW already has two partnership tickets with Busch Gardens, the Bounce and Flex passes.

 

[Thomas]

I'm really not happy to see the return of San 'Murico.

 

[Nicole]

Was this event popular last year? I rarely think this Forum is representative of the views of the average park goer. So, I don't have a good way to gauge the broader opinion.

 

[Thomas]

Well, average Americans love America... So by that logic, I assume it was popular.

 

[Mushroom]

It's really a shame that we're losing another month of quaint, beautiful San Marco. It has always been one of my favorite villages, and every time I walk through and find such a wonderful hamlet bursting with poppy American songs and flashy streamers, it kills me just a little bit.

 

[Thomas]

I hope they at least have fireworks shooting out of Lady Liberty's torch this season. Oh, and fried eagle kebabs.

 

[Applesauce]

Oh boy! Yet another summer where I won't be visiting the park. =D

 

[Ziva]

Oh boy! Yet another summer where we get to hear inexplicable porn jokes!

 

[Pucky]

Yeah, this is pretty awful. There's tons of ways to give a fireworks display a European theme without breaking the whole park concept by plopping down a cheap Lady Liberty in an Italian village. Plus even if you feel you really have to have an American theme, why not put it in a place that sorta makes sense? For example, New France because it's supposed to be in North America, Wildlife Preserve because there's American animals, Heatherdowns because there's a farm, and Festa because who cares about Festa? Seriously, use your imagination for, oh, a few seconds, and you'll come up with some better ideas. And even if there is a good way to do a fireworks show, is that really an efficient use of scarce resources?

Also, I have to echo Nicole and ask if they can even do fireworks with the earlier closing times. Otherwise, all the decor will look pretty ridiculous Monday-Thurday

 

[Party Rocker]

What would the effects be without the fireworks? What are they with them?

Clearly nobody goes for the hot dogs or the Victory Canteen alone. The fireworks tend to be the main reason for people even going. So really, what are the effects of the fireworks?

Do they really pull people in? If the park didn't have fireworks would their attendance turn out to be smaller than in previous years?

The only justification I see about this is that if they don't have the fireworks, attendance will go down naturally because there are some tourists who do plan their trip around seeing fireworks.

Me personally, I enjoy seeing the fireworks. But what about the tourists and others that visit the park? Are summer fireworks a make it or break it choice when it comes to planning a trip?

 

[Jrbgwfan06]

Was this event popular last year?  I rarely think this Forum is representative of the views of the average park goer.  So, I don't have a good way to gauge the broader opinion.

I brought many friends to the park for SSN last year, and just about everyone of them said something about how tacky San Marco was. Another one of my friends randomly brought it up in a general conversation about the park, and said it was really tacky. That's not a complete representation, but it's just from my perspective.

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What would the effects be without the fireworks? What are they with them?

Clearly nobody goes for the hot dogs or the Victory Canteen alone. The fireworks tend to be the main reason for people even going. So really, what are the effects of the fireworks?

Do they really pull people in? If the park didn't have fireworks would their attendance turn out to be smaller than in previous years?

The only justification I see about this is that if they don't have the fireworks, attendance will go down naturally because there are some tourists who do plan their trip around seeing fireworks.

Me personally, I enjoy seeing the fireworks. But what about the tourists and others that visit the park? Are summer fireworks a make it or break it choice when it comes to planning a trip?

Why are you asking so many questions? Why don't you just answer them yourself in the discussion?

 

[Party Rocker]

Why are you asking so many questions that you could probably just answer yourself?

First, it's called adding to the conversation and introducing something new to think about.

Second, I don't have physical numbers here in front of me and I doubt many other people don't have numbers either which means these questions don't have a definite answer. Which means people should discuss and talk to get an idea.

I really did want to know if anyone had an idea of how the fireworks impacted attendance and if not then does anyone have any opinions or guesses as to what impacts it has.

EDIT: Why is it necessary to add 'stupid' in front of questions? No question is a stupid question. If your mad at me for actually participating in a discussion and asking questions, I'd prefer you keep that out of the discussion.

 

[Jrbgwfan06]

I just think it would be better if you stated your own opinions on the topics you proposed. If people wanted to give a differing opinion of the one you stated, they would start a conversation about it. I'm not saying you shouldn't start new topics, but a post filled with questions isn't as conversation-inducing as you giving your opinions on the topics themselves.

Anyway, back to porno nights.

 

[Party Rocker]

It depends on the people and if/how people want to reply. Clearly you seem reluctant to reply to them so thats fine. But I am interested to see if anyone else has any thoughts, which is why I asked what others thought.

I already said, I enjoy the fireworks. I'd like to see them if I can. If not, it's not a big loss for me. I make a slightly more stronger point to visit, but I don't really go too far out of my way.

 

[Nicole]

For what it is worth, I have no interest in fireworks at parks. At best for me they are an opportunity to go and do things, while other people are standing around and watching the show. Generally they just interfere with my evening, because a lot of rides get shut down for safety reasons while the fireworks are going off.

 

[Zachary]

Why are you asking so many questions? Why don't you just answer them yourself in the discussion?

I'll address this really quickly.

I don't think PR's questions were "stupid" but even if they were, you're in a gray area as far as the rules go. Your post came off very unnecessarily aggressive if I'm to be completely honest.

I hate the event just as much as you do, I assure you. That said, there's no reason to try to turn other people's opinions or crush the conversion about the effect it, or aspects of it, have on the park.

Anyway, back to porno nights.

Honestly, fireworks are the most important aspect of the event from he public's point of view. I don't think the fireworks discussion should be separated from SSN.

 

[Jrbgwfan06]

I'll address this really quickly.

I don't think PR's questions were "stupid" but even if they were, you're in a gray area as far as the rules go. Your post came off very unnecessarily aggressive if I'm to be completely honest.

I hate the event just as much as you do, I assure you. That said, there's no reason to try to turn other people's opinions or crush the conversation about the effect it, or aspects of it, have on the park.

Sorry...

 

[Mushroom]

Honestly, with the tackiness of the event, the fireworks were the only things that kept me coming. To answer PR's question anecdotally, yes, I visited BGW just to see the fireworks. I was very impressed by the fireworks display, and that alone was enough to keep me coming back. I actually brought my family and friends to the park just to see the fireworks, which is saying something since I have lately been visiting BGW less and less lately.

Whether or not I am alone in being pulled to the park just to see the fireworks, it takes nothing more than a peek at the San Marco bridge at dark to see that many other guests go out of their way to watch them as well.

With that said, I found the rest of the event superfluous. I don't know anyone who would visit the park solely to eat boiled hot dogs, see a styrofoam Statue of Liberty, and listen to tacky American music. In my case, that was one of the main things that kept me away from the park. The destruction of an already beautiful village for something so unnecessary seemed like such a waste of money and resources.

If I were in charge, I would leave the hamlets alone and harken back to the Here's to the Heroes days and dress up the San Marco bridge. Put the insignia of each military branch over the arches and play military marches. This is a more "respectful" way of honoring our country, and a much more subtle one. It would get the point across without infringing on the park experience, or the park's budget.

I really don't understand why they don't do something similar to Kings Dominion: an isolated walkthrough experience at night, a small show, and a fireworks display. It doesn't affect the park during the day, but keeps me sticking around until closing to see the nighttime activities.

It's almost like Scott finds it too "minimallistic" to just shoot up some fireworks, even though that's all people really want. It's almost as if to say, "People don't know what they want."

It's like they say, less is more. I think somebody needs to be reminded of that.

 

[Jrbgwfan06]

I agree with you Joe. I think I detest this event so much(every once of my body hates it, I nearly had a break down this morning) because it ruins a hamlet that I just love to hang around in. Da Vinci's Garden of Inventions(Not Italy Gardens, mind you, whomever wrote the description for the event) is a place centered around one of the main aspects I go to the park for, the landscaping. I love taking pictures of the area, and just sitting down and enjoying it. In fact, my favorite water feature in the entire park for some odd reason is the fountain in the center of it all.

But suddenly during this event, that fountain is covered up with a Styrofoam statue, the beautiful banners that adorn every beautiful light pole in San Marco are taken off and replaced with tacky garland stars. The Wine Barrel photo op that I adore so much is replaced with a red-white and blue bar, and it's not even there for the Food and Wine Festival either, so it barely gets to see the pathways for two months out of the whole year. I shouldn't have to feel completely embarrassed about taking someone who has never seen the park before through what is supposed to be seen as a beautiful hamlet, not a tacky one. I shouldn't have to avoid the hamlet I love the most.

The only thing I enjoyed about the event, as you said were the fireworks. They were beautiful, and the soundtrack was inspiring, although it quickly lost its luster after Independence day weekend. I even got a chance to enjoy the extended version of them, and I was blown away. I won't deny people definitely stay for fireworks, but why waste money on something the public doesn't care about, and a lot of them don't even enjoy? The park truly could have had something great with this event, but the park completely ruined it for me when they killed, and distracted from the beauty of the park's most beautiful hamlet.

In the off chance the park didn't do all the overkill this year, I could really enjoy the event. Unfortunately, this is Scott Gasparich, and overkill is his middle name.