Will there ever be fireworks in the shape of characters?

[minniemouseuk]

Whilst watching 'Wishes' (trying saying that fast!) something occured to me...

In one part of it, the fireworks take the shape of hearts. I wonder if there will ever be fireworks in the shape of Disney characters?

Wouldn't that be fantastic? I wouldn't be at all surprised if Disney are working on it as we speak.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

 

[dandaman]

A Mickey one seems like it'd be the easiest. I don't mean three separate explosions, rather, add another larger "ball" to the bottom of the heart firework?

 

[DisneyWales]

Heads

I recon the could get character head outlines, i.e. Goofy's head outline etc, however I don't think Disney would use it unless it fitted in with the narative of the fireworks. I guess the mickey head is a nice Hidden Mickey, but other than that it at the moment i dont think any Character shapped fireworks would fit in any better with any of the current displays.

 

[radiohost]

you have to remember that not everyone would be able to see this spectacular event...If the explosion aims towards main street, then the people watching the show next to the carousel wouldnt be able to see it because of the angle, as well as other angles and vice versa. I guess they could use it twice, but like the fellow before me said,,, as long as it fits with the music. This would though be awesome to see.

 

[AliciaLuvzDizne]

they do Mickey heads
a big explosion at the bottom and then two smaller ones for ears.

 

[DisneyBuff]

It is also very hard to get the fireworks to explode in just the right way. While Disney does a great job, after seeing Wishes over 50 times, there are many, many times that the shapes don't take hold. The audience doesn't notice anything different, but it is so much more powerfull when all the stars, hearts, smiley faces, and frowns are working.

I see a mickey head, 1 large ball, two smallers ones for ears happening, other then that I wouldn't count on it.

 

[minniemouseuk]

you have to remember that not everyone would be able to see this spectacular event...If the explosion aims towards main street, then the people watching the show next to the carousel wouldnt be able to see it because of the angle, as well as other angles and vice versa. I guess they could use it twice, but like the fellow before me said,,, as long as it fits with the music. This would though be awesome to see.

That's an excellent point, actually.

Love your avatar!

 

[alanindy]

As another posted, they have been doing the mickey head for a while now, with 3 aerial bursts. The 50th Anniv. show at Disneyland also does the stars, ovals, and hearts, but also cubes - which must have been a really maddening task to figure out the math on that one!

The comment about the angle of viewing is dead on. That is why they shoot off so many of those specialty types of fireworks, since if they only shot off one or two, you may totally miss the effect as they are almost essentially a 2 dimensional firework (for lack of a better way of putting it), and if it explodes and you are viewing it from the edge on, then you dont see it, but someone 90 degrees around from you in another part of the park would.

 

[bob0012]

One other thing to factor in addition to the angle is the fact that the shapes are ever expanding, so while it would looke like goofy for a second, it would keep growing to a stretched out fat goofy.

 

[Monty]

One other thing to factor in addition to the angle is the fact that the shapes are ever expanding, so while it would looke like goofy for a second, it would keep growing to a stretched out fat goofy.

And when gravity kicks in... a stretched out, fat, saggy goofy :lol: :lookaroun

 

[bob0012]

And when gravity kicks in... a stretched out, fat, saggy goofy :lol: :lookaroun

So very true, it would be a funny site, but not somthing the imagineers would be all to happy with.

 

[Captain Hank]

I saw a video with the designer of Wishes and Remember, and he said that they were working on rubber duck-shaped fireworks for the shooting gallery segment of Remember. They couldn't get it to work well, though.

 

[Hakunamatata]

I think it would be much simpler and more cost effective to use lasers on smoke....

 

[Tom]

Hopefully one of our pyro members will back me up, but I'll spout off what dangerous pyro knowledge I've gained throughout my years.

For those that aren't privy to the technical working of fireworks, whatever shape you want to see in the sky has to be designed and packed into the actual aerial shell. To do a smiley face, they just pack the "embers" (embers: what I'm calling the colored dots you actually see) for the circle in a circle around the perimeter of the shell, and then the smile is just an arc, and two more for eyes. Pretty simple, since they're all just curves or points and can shoot out from the center (charge) at the same rate and stay proportional. However, if you wanted to make a shape like a goofy head (since that's being thrown around on here already), they would have to pack the firework with "embers" in the shape of goofy's head in the shell that launches into the sky, so that when it explodes, they all shoot out and remain in that shape. However, they'd have to be different weights and sizes so that they all didn't get pushed out into a giant circle, since they are all projected with the same force from the charge. Needless to say, it would be VERY difficult, if not impossible, to created shapes that are not symmetrical.

And as other have said, if the pyro techs don't load the SHAPE fireworks into their mortars (the launch tube) EXACTLY right, the smiley face will just look like a line to those on Main Street if it gets turned sideways, or gets blown off course as it's launching.

I hope this helps and provides some laymen knowledge

 

[boo52]

The inormation on how the shell and specifics arer made are correct. But when we load them there is no specific orientation except bottom and top. Which is fairly obvious since the placement of the lift charge is on the bottom. When the shell breaks it's hit or miss. The way it's loaded has no bearing on how it will break. I always explain it by saying try to shoot a baseball out of a cannon straight up and keep it from spinning. You can't do it. Same thing with the pattern shells. The shells are spinning as they rise.
Also we do not do the Mickey head effect in Wishes. It is only done in Disneyland and can only be acomplished with air launch.

 

[boo52]

Double Post.

 

[Tom]

The inormation on how the shell and specifics arer made are correct. But when we load them there is no specific orientation except bottom and top. Which is fairly obvious since the placement of the lift charge is on the bottom. When the shell breaks it's hit or miss. The way it's loaded has no bearing on how it will break. I always explain it by saying try to shoot a baseball out of a cannon straight up and keep it from spinning. You can't do it. Same thing with the pattern shells. The shells are spinning as they rise.
Also we do not do the Mickey head effect in Wishes. It is only done in Disneyland and can only be acomplished with air launch.

I knew you'd come through! My bad on the orientation in the tube - I was misinformed once (I wasn't just making that up, I promise!).

Thanks for clearing it up for us, Boo52! :sohappy: