The early days of our themepark websites

[Reanimated35]

Seaworld

(1999)

http://web.archive.org/web/19990117002231/http://www.seaworld.com.au/

Extended operating hours till January 18 : 9.30am - 8pm.

NITEFIRE A SUMMER CELEBRATION AT SEA WORLD!

With special extended holiday trading hours during the Christmas school holidays, everyone can come early to Sea World then stay late for the stunning Nitefire Pyrotechnic Spectacular.

The Nitefire Spectacular is included in the normal admission price at Sea World to end each day with a magnificent finale of fireworks and music.

Each night, dozens of individual pyrotechnic charges will be set for the display, with huge starbursts exploding hundreds of feet above the Sea World ski lake to precise cues in time to the musical score.

Nitefire can be seen each day at 7.30 pm from December 26 to January 18. All operating times for Sea World's attractions are also specially extended during the Nitefire season with Sea World open from 9 am until 8 pm.

This Summer, Nitefire makes every day a celebration at Sea World with a whole world of amazing rides, shows and attractions, including Dolphin Cove, the world's largest natural lagoon habitat, which has its first anniversary in December.

(2002)

http://web.archive.org/web/20011207115437/http://www.seaworld.com.au/home/homepage_no_flash.htm

Polar Bear Cubs Arrive at Sea World!

Polar bear cubs, Lia and her brother Lutik, are settling in well to their new home at Polar Bear Shores. Both cubs will make their debut to the Australian public on Boxing Day. For further details on their progress check out Latest News...

[liz.wis]

Slightly OT, but your mention of Nitefire made me think of this:

I remember going to a night time event at Sea World, that involved lights, lasers, maybe fireworks (?), and for some reason, I have in my head an image of a helicopter in lights. It would have been around the time Bermuda opened. I was around 11 or 12, which would fit in with 1994. Quite a while ago, so my memory of it is pretty sketchy. I remember filming it on my parents video recorder, it's quite possible they've still got the tape. Does anyone else remember this?

[joz]

Yeah I remember this, the show was 'Surpent Slayer', it was it must be said, an epic show. It's was basically a fairy tale of a princess that had been taken by a Sea Surpent, and the prince having to go rescue her. There was a massive animatronic fire breathing Surpent on the island, pyro was shot at it from the ski boats, then from a helicopter (while lasers pointed directly at the chopper made it wickedly cool). Finally, the prince slays it with a sword, they rescue the princess with a huge firework finale. The whole show was filled with pyro, lasers awesome lighting, and a massive mist curtain hung across the ski lake, and to be honest, it was probably as good if not better than Fantasmic! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en64vJaF_cg 7 mins 45 seconds in, there is a split second look at the show. If you've got a video of the show that'd be awesome!

Edited December 22, 2013 by joz

[liz.wis]

Yes, that was the one! I'll see if I can track down the tape.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

to be honest, it was probably as good if not better than Fantasmic!

For you to say this, Joz.... I have to see the video!

[joz]

I really like Fantasmic obviously, but there is quite a lot of the show that is just looking at a screen, often with not much going on while scenes are resetting. It also doesn't have a coherent story, it's Mickey's dream (apparently, it's never properly explained) so it's an abstract assortment of scenes. Serpent Slayer didn't have those issues, at the start the story is explained, the cast arrive on set in a really visually interesting way, and the story unfolds. The lasers did more impressive things than Fantasmic, there was more pyro in Serpent Slayer, plus the Serpent looked amazing (it had to, it was onstage for a long time), whereas at the time Fantasmic's Dragon was a head on a stick. Again, love Fantasmic, probably my favourite thing at Disneyland, and a serious contender for my favourite thing at any park. Serpent Slayer is like an alternate reality take on Fantasmic, and since I saw it first, and possibly because I was a kid when I watched it, it's my favourite of the two.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

Fair enough - I haven't seen serpent slayer (obviously), but I take issue with you saying the concept of fantasmic is somehow never properly explained...

The original name of the show was 'Imagination'.

The narration to the show starts with:

"Welcome to Fantasmic! Tonight, your friend and host Mickey Mouse uses his vivid imagination to create magical imagery for all to enjoy. Nothing is more wonderful than the imagination. For, in a moment, you an experience a beautiful fantasy. Or, an exciting adventure! But beware -- nothing is more powerful than the imagination. For it can also expand your greatest fears into an overwhelming nightmare. Are the powers of Mickey's incredible imagination strong enough, and bright enough, to withstand the evil forces that invade Mickey's dreams? You are about to find out. For we now invite you to join Mickey, and experience Fantasmic! a journey beyond your wildest imagination."

(which can be heard at 27 seconds here:

http://youtu.be/8SQ1LHojUNQ?t=27s

The theme song's chorus also goes:

See it... in your mind, and you will find, in your imagination...

mysteries and magic, visions fantastic, leading to strange and wondrous dreams. Dreams, of make believe, but will they all come true...

I wouldn't say the cast aren't 'visually interesting' in their appearance, and while I agree they do spend a little too much time on the water screens, a lot of what they have can't be represented by actors in a meaningful way... except perhaps Ursula, but from what I understand, the Ursula float used to have too many problems to be reliable, and she played up so much they decided just to stick with the projection than to hinge the show each night on whether she would work that night or not.

[joz]

So are we in Mickeys imagination? Are we in our own imagination? Or is Mickey just putting on a show he came up with? Are we in the abstract concept of imagination? And what does anything in the show have to do with anything else? It's awesome, but it's fairly abstract and hardly a compelling story. Also I mean their entrance was visually interesting, after that they mostly sat around and did very little, but that worked for the story. Fantasmic seems to use the water screens to transition from scene to another, and again, it's great, but there are a few times early in the show where it just slows things down too much. Again, just so we're clear I LOVE Fantasmic, just pointing out the things that another show did (IMHO) slightly better.

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

No worries. I'm not trying to say your view of Fantasmic is incorrect, just pointing out the error in your critique. You said the fact that the story was in Mickey's dream was never properly explained - I think the introduction makes it clear that what we're seeing is Mickey's dream imagination.

The finale where Mickey overcomes the forces of evil is prefaced by him saying

"you may think you're so powerful... but this is MY dream" (*boom)

Also - the only other counter point i'd offer - is since when is a dream ever coherent or anything BUT abstract? I'd say it's intentionally abstract by design on the basis that it is inside a dream.

When was the last time you had a dream which made perfect sense?

I've seen Fantasmic only once - but filmed the whole thing. I have the soundtrack to it also, and on occasion listen to the entire 26 minute show on repeat, so i'm fairly familiar with the audio side of the storyline.

Fantasmic is a show of good vs. evil - like pretty much EVERY bloody Disney product imaginable. Like most Disney things, it plays strongly on it's encouragement of your dreams or imagination - they are powerful and emotive words.

This discussion is about our theme park websites - so i'll quit highjacking it, but

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasmic#Synopsis gives a pretty good description of the show from start to finish, and the segues and transitions are spelt out clearly for what they are... have a read and see if the show makes more sense.