Ah ok now i understand the "porno nights" comments lol. While i have never visited the park during this event, i could still say i love this area of the park. It makes me sad to see it decorated that way, to me it looks like someone decorated it with decorations you get at the dollarstore. IMO it looks cheap. They took the general draw out of it for me. Since im not local i only get to visit every few years but i can see where this would be annoying to the season pass holders. I would take the way it is every day over the pictures of the star spangled crap im seeing now.
Star Spangled Nights
- Thread starter Jrbgwfan06
- Start date
I would bet that passholder attendance tanks during this event. It's hot, it's crowded, and the park looks like Party City.
Well, the reason for it can't be to keep people in the park halfabee. With all of the hours cut, there is no 'keeping people in the park' to it. We left yesterday at closing and it was still daylight. Seems like all the decorations are for one night a week.
I'm partially convinced the park puts on this event to piss most of us off, and/or throw away money just for the heck of it.
MAZ said:
That is a good point, which I hadn't really thought through. The "Star Spangled Nights" folderol gets substantial nighttime viewership only two days every seven, and is relevant to its own event operations only one day every seven.
Sheesh.
Speaking of the 9pm closes Sun-Thurs: I do get the ostensible reasons for cutting hours, but what a loss. For all of its impressive landscaping and attention to detail, I have found that most of my best memories of Busch Gardens have actually been forged at night. The Giardino Magico show in Italy which was IMO the best part of Illuminights; the Rhinefeld fountain by the covered bridge back in the days before Alpengeist loomed over it; then, once it was built, dark nighttime rides through the cool air of Alpengeist's little vale; strolling the San Marco hill with its music floating on the breeze. I could name a half-dozen others with ease. Anymore, you have to carefully choose your visiting days or otherwise find yourself ushered through the exit turnstiles shortly after the lights turn on.
It must be impossible to market those little pieces of nighttime magic without some kind of event name tied to them. I wish more guests were willing to attend (and spend) during those hours.
This isn't the first time the park closed at 9pm on weekdays in summer. Before Illuminights the park closed at 9 on weekdays in summer. Park hours have fluctuated between 9 and 10 since it first opened.
Crowds are usually pretty light on weekdays anyway. Not really heavy enough to warrant a 10pm closing.
Crowds are usually pretty light on weekdays anyway. Not really heavy enough to warrant a 10pm closing.
I don't think anyone denies that cutting an hour from the weekday schedule is financially beneficial to the park. Especially in the midst of such major budgetary struggles, it makes sense to cut out an hour that doesn't generally make as much revenue.
That doesn't mean people can't be disappointed about it. Even though saving money is what's more important for the park right now, it still saddens me a bit. Busch Gardens always feels so magical at night. There's the eerie stillness of the moonlight reflecting on the Rhine. The soft breeze through the dark trees. The intimate feeling of isolation, wandering through the lamplit paths of the empty park. The cool air blowing in your face as a coaster dives into the dark, the sound of bagpipes, tubas, or fiddles echoing faintly in the distance. The light of stars, filtered through the rising steam of the train. It's a feeling you can't describe, really, other than calling it "magical." Even when most people are heading to sleep, Busch Gardens never feels more awake than that hour of nighttime. And that is what I'll miss.
I don't blame the park, I'm not bitter about, and my visit won't be ruined because I will not be able to experience the park at night. But since I do not anticipate visiting often on the weekends, there is a small part of me that is ever so slightly disappointed. Not mad. Not upset with the park. Just disappointed. But that's okay.
That doesn't mean people can't be disappointed about it. Even though saving money is what's more important for the park right now, it still saddens me a bit. Busch Gardens always feels so magical at night. There's the eerie stillness of the moonlight reflecting on the Rhine. The soft breeze through the dark trees. The intimate feeling of isolation, wandering through the lamplit paths of the empty park. The cool air blowing in your face as a coaster dives into the dark, the sound of bagpipes, tubas, or fiddles echoing faintly in the distance. The light of stars, filtered through the rising steam of the train. It's a feeling you can't describe, really, other than calling it "magical." Even when most people are heading to sleep, Busch Gardens never feels more awake than that hour of nighttime. And that is what I'll miss.
I don't blame the park, I'm not bitter about, and my visit won't be ruined because I will not be able to experience the park at night. But since I do not anticipate visiting often on the weekends, there is a small part of me that is ever so slightly disappointed. Not mad. Not upset with the park. Just disappointed. But that's okay.
I wish they would cut the hour from the morning not the evening.
Even if you have a later opening time, then parks are going to fill up at about the same rate as they normally would, it takes time to get every one in the park and dispersed throughout.
netdvn said:
That is indeed the line these days, as per corporate directive and (I imagine) accounting evidence. Years ago it was not. For many years a 10pm close was the standard for summer weeknights, and the park operated until midnight on Saturdays in July and August - which was GREAT. Those were the best hours to be there, and there were plenty of people in the park at the later hours as well.
Now it's a standard 9pm close on weekdays which gets bumped just one hour to 10pm on weekends. The only high-season exceptions are the two days of July 3/4, when they push close to ... 11pm.
Budgets are budgets. It's just sad to lose those magical hours.
I just did a little math. I noticed many people have been claiming that Star Spangled Nights was "expanded" this year. And from beginning of the event to ending, it does look that way. This year it starts on July 3rd and runs to September 7th, whereas last year it began July 3rd and ran until August 10th. However, this year the event is only running on weekends(Friday, Saturday, & Sunday). So I preceded with a little counting and found that Star Spangled Nights will be "operating"(as in Fireworks going off at night) for 30 days total this year. That's compared to 39 days last year.
You may argue that everything else like the decorations and music(although, we don't know for sure about the music, they may end up changing it to regular San Marco music on the weekdays) may still be up every single day rather than just the weekends this year. However, how much money does it take to keep the decorations up and music going during the extra weekdays? Very little, if any, and definitely not even comparably costly to fireworks.
I think it's safe to conclude that Star Spangled Nights, technically speaking, has not been expanded, but actually has been somewhat diminished this year.
You may argue that everything else like the decorations and music(although, we don't know for sure about the music, they may end up changing it to regular San Marco music on the weekdays) may still be up every single day rather than just the weekends this year. However, how much money does it take to keep the decorations up and music going during the extra weekdays? Very little, if any, and definitely not even comparably costly to fireworks.
I think it's safe to conclude that Star Spangled Nights, technically speaking, has not been expanded, but actually has been somewhat diminished this year.
The increased staffing increases revenue. Virtually all staffing for the event occurs within one of the dining-related facilities, which bring in profit. That is a necessary, and justified, expenditure.
do you have actual evidence that there is an actual positive influx of $$ with the food stands.
and staff always costs it never directly adds revenue.
and staff always costs it never directly adds revenue.
