Aqua Spectacle (AKA Fort Independence)

[29yrswithaGApass]

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Spotlight!

 

Comments and discussions are welcomed!

 

[gasmspiritblue]

I have been looking forward to this one for a while, great job as always!

[jdc12192]

^Ditto, those underwater shots are cool!

[29yrswithaGApass]

A dozen or so Aqua Spectacle promotional photos have been added to our Extras - Aqua Spectacle album. Check them out. Below are samples.

 

 

 

[jdc12192]

Wow have times changed. Who are the employees from this photo? I need to have a talk with them about all of those people standing in the tunnel! lol

[29yrswithaGApass]

^Back in the day, guests were able to enter shows right up until the end. I would imagine those guests in the tunnel were being held there until the dolphin completed his jump.

 

I haven't taken notice lately, do the stadium gates close at the start of the show these days?

[jdc12192]

Yes,once the little voiceover before the show starts, that is cue to shut the gates if possible, and if not get the stragglers in as fast as possible because they do not want people entering once it starts. Worse case scenario on crazy days, people would be allowed in until an animal come out but once an animal comes out gates need to close.

 

As much as it sucks for the guest, they need to realize the employees side of things and that they don't make the rules and don't benefit from locking people out since it usually just ends in an angry guest. If we could let people in we would, we don't want to argue or get you angry but its just the way things are. They'll argue with you as they are standing in front of 3, yes 3, guest code of conduct signs with the first one being gates close at showtime with no further admittance, as well is posted in the show guides to show up early.

 

 

With people flowing in and out as they please, the show simply would not go right or not go at all. I have seen a sealion get confused as well as get scared and 'freeze' and not do any behaviors just from people moving about in the stands or trying to leave. It would just cause too much chaos with people walking about as they please.

[29yrswithaGApass]

^ It makes sense to close the gates for the animal's safety. It also makes it a lot better for the seated guests as they don't have the inconvenience of late guests interrupting the show and blocking their views.

 

The mad rushes mid-show use to be even worse during the high dive shows when guests outside the stadium would see the diver climbing the 100 foot ladder. They all wanted to get inside to see his landing.

[29yrswithaGApass]

We have started to upload tons of photos of the shows featured at the Aqua Stadium over the years. Click the icon below to go to the show directory page. Remaining years being added over the next couple of weeks.

 

 

Here are some samples:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Railer]

I think that was the fastest response to a Spotlight request ever lol. Perfect timing with everything that's going on. And really great with the year by year show listing. I almost forgot how great of a view of the lake you used to have before that wall went up on the side of the pool where the Trainers do the show.

[29yrswithaGApass]

^ We have a lot of Spolights "in the oven" but we don't take them out until they are done cooking!

[robertleax]

Makes me miss all the shows they used to have. Just between those two shows (getting in and wait till show starts, the show itself and then leaving) would give us a nice break for about 1 and 1/2 hours.

[29yrswithaGApass]

 

For most of the history of the Aqua Spectacle/Fort Independence stadium guests entered through the main entrance (C above) and exited through either C or B. On rare ocassions I remember being able to exit side ramp D, but never A. Does anyone ever recall a time when ramp A was used for entry and/or exit? In recent years it seems that D's gate was always closed and gate A served more as a service/backstage ramp.

[Password121]

Harry--do you happen to know when the decision was officially made to remove Fort Independence? When was the idea first tossed around to demolish it?

[29yrswithaGApass]

The rumor has been around for some time but I don't know when it was officially decided. I would imagine in January or February. Earlier this year shows were added to the entertainment listing on the SFGA website for inside the stadium but those were removed shortly thereafter.

[jdc12192]

Harry--do you happen to know when the decision was officially made to remove Fort Independence? When was the idea first tossed around to demolish it?

I've heard jokes from employees involved with the stadium as early as last year. Not sure when the trigger was pulled though. I guess it just happened to help the sealions were pregnant and they knew they couldn't and wouldn't be on the stadium so even if it was around it would've been there but not being used.

[29yrswithaGApass]

An entire series of new photos from June of 1977 have been added to the 1977 Aqua Spectacle album including pictures from both that year's shows - the Dynamic Dolphin Show and the American High Diving Show.

 

 

 

[29yrswithaGApass]

It's 1974 and you just added the water to the brand new Aqua Spectacle stadium you built.  What are you going to do next?

 

It's obvious, take your clothes off and dive in!

 

 

 

[29yrswithaGApass]

Thanks so much to the "Guest" who posted the wonderful set of photos of the 1976 Aqua Spectacle shows! They are excellent!

 

Here's a LINK.

[29yrswithaGApass]

"New" photos of the Aqua Spectacle shows from 1974!

 

 

 

 

[29yrswithaGApass]

Over 250 new images from the shows at the Aqua Stadium (Fort Independence) have just been added to our galleries including many from the more recent shows.  Click HERE to check them out!

[29yrswithaGApass]

Taken on May 2, 1974, here is a rare aerial view of the Aqua Spectacle under construction.  Much of the construction of the Enchanted Forest theme park took place with little to any details being leaked to the public.  A local newspaper captioned this photo as "One of the mysterious amusement structures rises roundly at the park."

[Daved Thomson]

Love this photo!  Any idea what appear to be six rooms at the back of the Aqua Spectacle actually became when the stadium was finished?  Also, in the main pool area, there looks like five structures protruding into the pool area from the outer walls.  Were these some sort of temporary supports holding back the concrete walls and eventually removed when the pools were filled with water?  Just seems a little odd that they only appear in the main pool.  Do you have any idea where the salt water systems and filtration for all of it were located when the finished seating areas eventually covered all of the areas below?

 

[29yrswithaGApass]

I am not an expert on the salinization process but I was fortunate enough to have guided tour under the seats just before the stadium was demolished.  The two large blocked-in portions were used for water storage and the six bins in the middle contained a sand mixture that was used in the conversion process from fresh to salt water.  All three areas were linked by huge pipelines and monitoring equipment.

 

The structures inside the pool were just temporary platforms used while they finished off the pool's walls including electrical lighting.

 

 

[Daved Thomson]

Thank you, Harry.  It has always been the incredibly small, detailed minutia that I have always enjoyed the most.

 

While I never had the opportunity to go under the stadium as you did, as part of the Employee Fun Olympics during the summer of 1985, I got myself into the competition as a jouster against another department's opposing jouster.  I didn't last more than :15 seconds on the floating platform, largely because I had not even thought about the weight of the jousts themselves.  But, as a loser in the competition, I did manage to swim in the main pool and, at the time, found that to be incredibly thrilling!