Great fireworks items for any layout

I think I'm going to Lowe's...

I've always wanted to do something with that wall! 

I've had 2 Dept56 fiber optics displays for about 10 years. In a dark room, the sights and sounds are great. They only offered these for 2 years in the late 1990s, but they often come up on eBay (where I got mine for about $20. each).

I've had 2 Dept56 fiber optics displays for about 10 years. In a dark room, the sights and sounds are great. They only offered these for 2 years in the late 1990s, but they often come up on eBay (where I got mine for about $20. each). A search of units actually SOLD on eBay recently are in the $30-$40. range. Well worth it, IMO.

Thanks for tip - I now have the aforementioned Disney Fireworks projector. Very cool. The pause and the launching fireworks is nice. This stuff is cool because you usually won't see a run of it next season. The audio effects are much nicer than in the linked video. Clear and can be turned up to annoying loud.

The wife said "what are your going to do with that" to which I replied "I don't know yet, but I liked it".

It will be fun to find applications for it.

Moonman posted:

Thanks for tip - I now have the aforementioned Disney Fireworks projector. Very cool. The pause and the launching fireworks is nice. This stuff is cool because you usually won't see a run of it next season. The audio effects are much nicer than in the linked video. Clear and can be turned up to annoying loud.

The wife said "what are your going to do with that" to which I replied "I don't know yet, but I liked it".

It will be fun to find applications for it.

You're welocome for the tip, Moonman., it's "cool" indeed. I purchased two of these projectors and when my wife first saw them remarked similarly as yours did and my reply was like yours but as this thread indicates I then realized a funtastic use for one of them on my layout while the use of the second projector is yet to be determined.

Btw, according to Lowe's website it's now totally sold out and unavailable for the remainder of the holiday season at nearly all the Delaware Valley Lowe's in southeasthern PA and NJ. Also, a Lowe's manager said compared to other Gemmy projectors he sells, only a relatively small allotment of this projector,  manufactured by Gemmy under license from Disney and sold exclusively at Lowe's, was made available to Lowe's stores. Wonder whether this year's run was a market test by Gemmy to gauge the success of this item and the feasability of making a large production run in 2017 for other retailers. 

Type in "fireworks projector" on Ebay and you'll find this version, the original Uncle Milton model, plus a less toy-like version of the Disney projector with a floor stand.

pennytrains posted:

Type in "fireworks projector" on Ebay and you'll find this version, the original Uncle Milton model, plus a less toy-like version of the Disney projector with a floor stand.

Thanks for the fyi, Pennytrains. While I mentioned the Disney Experience was unavailable at most Lowe's, a few Ebayers apparently purchased some from Lowe's and are reselling them at double to triple Lowe's $49 m.s.r.p.

Also, none of those other projectors you mention display fireworks of the iconic Mikey mouse head/ears.

Btw,  the Uncle Milton handheld device is a toy, which unlike the Disney Experience projector, projects static rather than moving images. It claims to show bursting fireworks, but it actually projects still images of fireworks which only appear to burst and then fade because its lightbulb brightens and dims as it slowly turns on and off.   

Thanks for the tip. Rushed out to my Lowes and they still had 3. Well, now 2. Wife thought I was nuts until she saw what I was doing with it. So cool! 

Jim Battaglia posted:

Thanks for the tip. Rushed out to my Lowes and they still had 3. Well, now 2. Wife thought I was nuts until she saw what I was doing with it. So cool! 

 

Glad you found the info helpful, Jim and that you were able to buy one at Lowe's and not have to pay the exhorbitant prices Ebay sellers want.

Guess the reaction of wives asking why we would buy such an item isn't that uncommon afterall.

Btw, while brainstorming layout uses, in addition patriotic themes I've mentioned, it would be a no brainer for those with Disney trains too. And for Polar Express layouts, can you vision Santa's elvles setting off fireworks in the North Pole night sky fanfaring Santa as he takes off airborne in his sleigh to deliver gifts for children all over the world? Even though that wasn't in the film, just imagine the awe and happiness in children's faces at that moment?Joy in its purest form.

We went to Lowe's in Mustang last night and they had 4 left on the shelves... had two when we left.  For the wife, we purchased a couple other light displays, the laser shows in colors that change, showing different patterns and one called Pixie Dust.  I set the two "fireworks" in our theater/game room, large and dark, and they displays look great!  One note, when the projector is pointed at the corner junction of the opposite wall and ceiling, it looks best, IMHO.  Part of the fireworks are on the wall and the rest are shown on the ceiling, just as actual displays when they explode over your head.  To have one projector inverted, upside down, the fireworks are "mixed" and not duplicated on the wall/ceiling.  And, true, the sound effects are very good, with the volume being adjustable.  How they will be on the layout wall/ceiling is yet to be experienced.

Jesse     TCA  12-68275