Update as of 5/19/2020 – Silverwood has confirmed that Light Up the Night will not debut in 2020 as planned. Below is our original article with information and commentary with regards to this show. It remains to be seen if and when exactly this nighttime spectacular will be able to make it’s way into the entertainment lineup. If you were looking forward to seeing this new show, 2021 is the earliest chance that could happen. We’ll keep this post updated with any new information we hear.
Silverwood has announced a new entertainment offering called “Light Up the Night”, which will debut in 2020. This will be a drone light show, and is to be on display every evening that Boulder Beach is open during the 2020 season. In this post, we’ll discuss what we know so far, as well as some of our thoughts.
First up, what the heck is a “drone light show”, you ask? If you’re wondering, you’re not in the minority, as this is a relatively new offering that has mostly been featured as “one time” shows for special events, such as the 2017 Super Bowl halftime show, the Fortune Global Forum in China in 2017, and the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics. To date, they have seen limited use at theme parks. Disney produced one a few years back that was shown at Disney Springs in Florida during the holidays called “Star Bright”, which you can see an example of below.
As you can see, the shows feature a swarm of drones equipped with LED lights that can move in synchronized patterns, forming intricate and mesmerizing images in the sky, set to music. The LED lights can change into any color imaginable, making the versatility of these types of displays unmatched. They are touted as safer and more environmentally friendly compared to traditional fireworks displays, as they don’t involve explosives, and have essentially no waste or by products.
Silverwood used to have a 4th of July fireworks display, but that was cancelled in recent years due to the massive surge in wildfires that have hit the Pacific Northwest region over the past several summers. While it was disappointing, the reasoning made sense, as even a slight misfire could have disastrous results for the surrounding mountains and forests. No doubt this was a difficult decision for Silverwood, but undeniably the right one to be made.
As reported on Coaster 101, the lack of a 4th of July fireworks display led park management to explore other options for night time shows. Thus, “Light Up the Night” was born. According to the press release, “There will be three variations of the show, each with an individualized theme. Also, on the 4th of July, there will be a special patriotic-themed show that is bound to be the beginning of a new tradition for families across the Pacific Northwest. Visitors are welcome to sit, stand or lay on the soft grass of the main street lawn as they watch our floating drones create beautiful formations within the stars.”
Indeed, this sounds like a truly promising offering. The ability to show different displays will be great, keeping the show feeling fresh and new. As mentioned, each will have a theme, and these themes could be any number of things. Garfield, Sasquatch, Aviation, Rides & Slides, you name it. Show themes could easily be changed every year, or even more often if need be. Silverwood deserves something like this in its lineup – a unique, one-of-a-kind offering that can’t be found anywhere else.
All that said, to be honest, we’ve got mixed feelings…let’s say we’re being cautiously optimistic. It’s no surprise that we have been increasingly disappointed in the lack of anything new at Silverwood for several years. Add to that the fact that a few rides have been removed, and we’re sitting at a net loss in attractions, particularly if you look at the “dry park”. So we’re happy to see something…ANYTHING…new grace the park next year. But, to paraphrase a famous movie quote: although this is something Silverwood deserves, we’re just not sure it’s quite what the park needs right now.
Silverwood already has a top-notch entertainment line-up, especially for being a regional park. They have two of what could arguably be the best shows outside of Disney or Universal. Nick Norton’s magic show has won awards for good reason, and the train robbery stunt show is not something you can find at very many other places, if anywhere at all. So we haven’t exactly felt that the park was lacking in this area. It’s the rides lineup – particularly big family rides such as Thunder Canyon and Log Flume with their low-to-no height restrictions – that we’ve been feeling needs more attention.
And if we’re being really honest with ourselves, watching examples of these shows leaves a bit of something to be desired. No doubt, the movements of the drones are graceful, elegant, charming…almost relaxing. They flow smoothly from one formation to another, with a feeling of awe very similar to watching the fountains at Bellagio. But therein lies the issue: they’re almost too sterile and perfect (if that’s even a thing). Speaking of, see example #2:
We have to wonder, will this style of entertainment will keep everyone’s attention – particularly small children – for more than just a few minutes? It just feels more like watching a ballet performance than a nighttime extravaganza that you’d expect to see as you finish off your day a theme park. Compared to say, traditional fireworks, it just doesn’t give the same captivating excitement and energy.
Perhaps that’s exactly what the park wants; to set itself apart from the rest in offering an entertainment show that differs from everywhere else. After all, you can see plenty of big-budget, in-your-face, blow-your-mind nighttime productions at Disney and Universal…why not try something on the other end of that spectrum?
But the biggest thing that has us worried: Disney only ran “Star Bright” for a month or so during the holidays in 2016, and hasn’t brought it back since. It’s only fair to ask why that might be? Was it not as popular as they had hoped? Did the tech not deliver as expected? Or was it simply drowned out by everything else happening during that time of the year? In any case, if the almighty House of Mouse hasn’t continued it, that’s a big cause for concern from our perspective. Despite what all the Chapek-haters out there would have you believe, we don’t think Disney would put something like this on the shelf just to save a quick buck. If it had been a sure-fire hit with guests, you had better believe it not only would still be showing in Florida, but there would likely be clones at the other resorts worldwide.
All that said, at the end of the day, if we take off our “WE WANTED A NEW RIDE!!” glasses that may be clouding our judgment a bit, it’s great to see something new coming to the park for 2020. We’re looking forward to giving it a shot in person, and will be sure to post our full review afterwards.
What do you think about Light Up the Night - do you think it will be a huge hit? What are your favorite nighttime spectaculars at other theme parks? Let us know in the comments below!
The official Silverwood Theme Park website can be found at: www.silverwoodthemepark.com. All business-related questions should be directed to this site.
