7DMT is currently on fire (11/1/14)

[ProfSavage]

I know what caused all of this....

 

[prberk]

just a thought, but since the SDMT didn't burn down, didn't collapse and in fact re-opened within an hour, maybe we should shut this thread down as it appears we have now gone way off topic....

I agree with @dgp602 , but wait, first we need to add some obligatory WDW vs Uni statements. Something about Uni's rides being more fire resistant or the like. Blah blah blah.

How bout this 'In the OLD WDW this would never been allowed to happen'.

You all do not understand. We cannot close the thread until we have all explored how it had to be the fault of MM+ and FP+. Clearly a fireworks ember missed his return time altogether...

 

[G00fyDad]

You all do not understand. We cannot close the thread until we have all explored how it had to be the fault of MM+ and FP+. Clearly a fireworks ember missed his return time altogether...

Best quote of the day.

 

[ProfSavage]

You all do not understand. We cannot close the thread until we have all explored how it had to be the fault of MM+ and FP+. Clearly a fireworks ember missed his return time altogether...

 

[note2001]

Still boggles the mind how they couldn't get compressed air to work. I mean, if punkin chunkin competitors can routinely launch a squash over 4,000 feet, how can WDW, with far more technology at its disposal, not figure out how to reliably launch a firework a few hundred feet?

edit...I'll accept any answer that is not a snide "$$$$" answer.

Well first, it's not economically feasible to have compressed air launch every firework mortar. That's 400+ tubes. So that's just not going to work. Martin knows more about those systems than I but that's a lot of compressed air.

Disney has essentially perfected putting a firework And making it explode exactly where & when they want it. The only issues that arise from this are environmental, like high winds blowing Embers towards the guests. You can't control that, you can only adapt to what's happening.

In this instance, it's all about wind.

Electric ignition ignites the a small black powder charge, propelling it skyward.

It's been decades since I studied physics, but pretty sure there's quite a difference in control over a self-propelled rocket and one simply launched skyward by any means that stays on the ground, including compressed air. Unless, the compressed air was to be contained inside the rocket itself. Anyone who's tried the 2L soda bottle/compressed air game in their yard knows how difficult that can be to control (and fall out will be larger)

 

[Victor Kelly]

Can't y'all just "let it go"?

I believe Disney knows what they are doing with air launched visual explosives. I also believe as other have stated that weather could have caused this fire. Yes eventually the numbers catch up to you and that just happens. What they probably need to do is explore what caught fire and replace it with something that won't.

 

[JoeCamel]

I am finally rewarded for all my hard work sifting through the news and rumors forum. I had thought I knew how the shells nearer the castle were launched but I find my assumptions are wrong. Thanks for letting me know that what I have read in the past about the compressed air launch for the in park shells does not exist and they are launched conventionally as the behind the park shells have always been with a lift charge.

With WDI being the largest consumers of fireworks in the world I would defer to their expertise in their ability to do shows safely. besides that they are really really fun to watch.

 

[prberk]

Yeah, that's the key here.

There is also a reason they used to wet down the tops of the buildings and even close off portions of that area for fireworks some evenings (I never saw it that consistent, so I assumed the amount of stuff they did for each show was dependent on weather, how much wind, etc).

I do have to make the obligatory, "They spent a half a decade building that little mountain and didn't account for this?" Once can be a fluke. Twice like this in the first year of operation? That's potentially an issue.

I have no expertise in this, but I assume it's the rock work that keeps catching - one would think there are coatings/materials that can help alleviate the concern of stray bits like this. I'll be curious to see what more we hear about it - if it just wasn't enough - or if they didn't worry about it at all - etc. I am willing to venture a guess that there are folks internally who knew this would happen but were ignored - because it seems pretty obvious to me that it would be an issue if not addressed.

To be honest, the first thing that I thought about when I heard about it on Saturday night was wondering whether they had built too far back for New Fantasland, getting too close to the fireworks zone. The statistics may have more of a chance to catch up with them here. Although I usually trust their professionalism in engineering, I did wonder whether the whole expansion backward was well-thought-out.

 

[RSoxNo1]

You all do not understand. We cannot close the thread until we have all explored how it had to be the fault of MM+ and FP+. Clearly a fireworks ember missed his return time altogether...

That's pretty simple. If MM+/FP+ hadn't been so grossly over budget we could have gotten the larger scale/fire retardant version of Mine Train.

 

[MagicKingfan1120]

Just a reassurance thing, are these rides in New Fantasyland even safe at night? I really want to go on these new attractions, but if they can burn down during the nightly fireworks I do have safety concerns...I'm sure a lot of people know more than me, but I was just wondering this for safety reasons, of course.

 

[Goofyernmost]

That's pretty simple. If MM+/FP+ hadn't been so grossly over budget we could have gotten the larger scale/fire retardant version of Mine Train.

Not a chance! But, thanks for giving us your opinion.

 

[ProfSavage]

Just a reassurance thing, are these rides in New Fantasyland even safe at night? I really want to go on these new attractions, but if they can burn down during the nightly fireworks I do have safety concerns...I'm sure a lot of people know more than me, but I was just wondering this for safety reasons, of course.

Yes, Margaret, they're perfectly safe.

(see what y'all started?)

 

[unkadug]

Just a reassurance thing, are these rides in New Fantasyland even safe at night? I really want to go on these new attractions, but if they can burn down during the nightly fireworks I do have safety concerns...I'm sure a lot of people know more than me, but I was just wondering this for safety reasons, of course.

Nothing burned down.

 

[ProfSavage]

Nothing burned down.

 

[BoarderPhreak]

Still boggles the mind how they couldn't get compressed air to work. I mean, if punkin chunkin competitors can routinely launch a squash over 4,000 feet, how can WDW, with far more technology at its disposal, not figure out how to reliably launch a firework a few hundred feet?

edit...I'll accept any answer that is not a snide "$$$$" answer.

What they need... Is a trebuchet.

 

[ProfSavage]

What they need... Is a trebuchet.

Now I want to go play Civ for a decade...

 

[unkadug]

What they need... Is a trebuchet.

Medieval technology always seems to be so dependable. I don't know why they haven't thought of that before!

 

[ABQ]

Now I want to go play Civ for a decade...

Mmmm, the Bad Neighbor, though I'm more of an Age of Empires 2: Age of Kings fan. Wo-lo-lo

 

[ProfSavage]

Mmmm, the Bad Neighbor, though I'm more of an Age of Empires 2: Age of Kings fan. Wo-lo-lo

I just like Civ because you tell yourself you'll play for an hour before bed, next thing you know it's been five years and your wife has left you and you aren't any closer to conquering that nuke-happy Ghandi.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Reading this thread is like being stuck in a mine shaft now lol