SDCFans - The Unofficial Fan Site For Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City & Celebration City Discussion => General Silver Dollar City Talk => Topic started by: Duelist on January 18, 2020, 10:33:42 AM
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Since this is in general a slow time of year conversation wise I thought I'd start a what if topic: If you could bring one thing back from SDC's past that they don't have anymore what would it be? I would have to go with the book store. They had books from locals and other books about subjects I wouldn't have thought of browsing for on Amazon. I had mentioned this to them in an email and they said they just couldn't compete with places like Amazon and the store wasn't turning a profit anymore. I know I bought something from them almost every trip but I can't keep the store open by myself. So, what would you like to see brought back?
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I would bring back the ORIGINAL shows... Like the Hatfield Haint and shows like that that. Those were staples of my childhood.
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In mid 90’s they would doing lot of shows citizens were happy to be there.
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Jim Owen's Float Trip.
As for book stores, we always visited the one on the (old) 76, between SOTH and SDC.
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Huck Finn's Hideaway and the old American Plunge with the different scenes in the tunnel.
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There would probably be a few hundred things I would bring back, but since I can only pick one. I would say the missing piece of track they took from FITH in 1982 to increase ride capacity. Would love to see and experience that again. If rumor holds true then in a couple of years or so I can say the whole ride.
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Jim Owen's Float Trip.
As for book stores, we always visited the one on the (old) 76, between SOTH and SDC.
I've visited that book store myself. I always loved it was so close to SDC that you could hear the train whistle of the Old Silver Dollar while inside the store. I would hear it after the park closed so I guess it was some kind of maintenance they were doing.
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One of my best memories from SDC was the dueling buckets water game. You would stand across from your opponent and throw bean bags at a target, if you hit it, it would dump a bucket of water on their head. My nephew and I would play it so much that we looked like we jumped in lake Silver.
Jay
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I loved the gandy dancers as a kid. It was a great way to wear out kids!
I also spent HOURS in the ropes and ball pits where the Crossroads Pizza dining area is located now. It's a miracle that I never got hurt there. I absolutely loved it.
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The attention span of guests. In the past, you could do a street show and have hundreds of people watch for 15 minutes or more. Now you cant get then to even come in close enough to commit. That's why the crew has to use mikes now. People today are too bombarded with media every day so when they come across an event like a street show or a musician or anything else not presented on stage with music, lighting, and costumes, ie "Spectacle", it fails to register as "worth my time." This may sound cynical, but honestly, that's the real reason there aren't more craft demos as well. You cant bring back the old SDC because the culture has changed. Jumanji cant stay a board game.
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The attention span of guests. In the past, you could do a street show and have hundreds of people watch for 15 minutes or more. Now you cant get then to even come in close enough to commit. That's why the crew has to use mikes now. People today are too bombarded with media every day so when they come across an event like a street show or a musician or anything else not presented on stage with music, lighting, and costumes, ie "Spectacle", it fails to register as "worth my time." This may sound cynical, but honestly, that's the real reason there aren't more craft demos as well. You cant bring back the old SDC because the culture has changed. Jumanji cant stay a board game.
I don't think I like this post at all, but I concede that it is probably true. I like to think SDC still has the power to transform a crowd if they so choose.
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The attention span of guests. In the past, you could do a street show and have hundreds of people watch for 15 minutes or more. Now you cant get then to even come in close enough to commit. That's why the crew has to use mikes now. People today are too bombarded with media every day so when they come across an event like a street show or a musician or anything else not presented on stage with music, lighting, and costumes, ie "Spectacle", it fails to register as "worth my time." This may sound cynical, but honestly, that's the real reason there aren't more craft demos as well. You cant bring back the old SDC because the culture has changed. Jumanji cant stay a board game.
I don't think I like this post at all, but I concede that it is probably true. I like to think SDC still has the power to transform a crowd if they so choose.
I think it’s more of a culture of ultimate planning to the nano-second. If the park was to publish a set schedule for demonstrations on their app and in the map schedule then people might actually schedule these things into their days. The new generations don’t do spontaneous. Everything has to have a reason. They might stumble upon these interactions but they don’t stay long because they’re on a schedule and have an ultimate destination to get to. We teachers see this in the classroom all the time. You have to have a legitimate reason for everything now. “Because I said so” doesn’t cut it
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The attention span of guests. In the past, you could do a street show and have hundreds of people watch for 15 minutes or more. Now you cant get then to even come in close enough to commit. That's why the crew has to use mikes now. People today are too bombarded with media every day so when they come across an event like a street show or a musician or anything else not presented on stage with music, lighting, and costumes, ie "Spectacle", it fails to register as "worth my time." This may sound cynical, but honestly, that's the real reason there aren't more craft demos as well. You cant bring back the old SDC because the culture has changed. Jumanji cant stay a board game.
Your right the culture has changed but SDC has changed right along with it. SDC is a ride driven park for the most part now, and people are going from one to the other and not stopping for the little things that made the park great. Like Swoosh said they might stumble on it and watch awhile but they have another destination to get to. People won't stop for the street show or demonstrations because there are 3 venues with heating and air with nice seating, plus 3 outdoor venues with seating. Like you say it's not worth my time when I can watch something that has great lighting, costumes and probably the biggest thing comfort.
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Jim Owen's Float Trip.
As for book stores, we always visited the one on the (old) 76, between SOTH and SDC.
I concur on the Float Trip. It was a fun ride and funny to see the different things as you floated along. From the whirlpool, to the outhouse above you tipping over, it was a neat experience!
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I concur on the Float Trip. It was a fun ride and funny to see the different things as you floated along. From the whirlpool, to the outhouse above you tipping over, it was a neat experience!
Those items were part of American Plunge for so many years until they decided to make the changes to the Ozark daredevils. AP was so awesome with the cave, whirlpool, tipping out house, etc. - Just bring these things back and the AP would be so awesome.
Jay
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Please forgive me if I've come off too strong with my comments. I'm not really the "Bitter Old Guy". After 40 + years in the theme park industry, It can be disheartening to see the things you love die from lack of interest. Society is changing faster than the first drop on Outlaw Run, and there is little time to react much less stop and look backward. Being a realist is what I learned from Jack and his son Bruce. They don't get overly sentimental over what has been. That doesn't mean you don't honor it and think back with fond remembrance, but the reality is that people react differently as society has opened up more possibilities for them. Whether good or bad, it just is. The challenge is to learn how to present something that will touch an emotional button that will cause them to put down their phones and really take in something new around them. SDC sill has this power and I'm doing what I can to help. I know you all are too, in whatever way you can. You can't bring back that magic from the past, but you can help guide the magic that is now. O. K. I'm getting off my soapbox now....(he shuffles off mumbling to himself....)
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^ I sent SDC a message asking them to put the street show times on the app. That way more people would know that there is something scheduled that they may want to see. It would help me remember to go to Main Street at the scheduled time. Thanks for the suggestion Old Guy!
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Tom Sawyers Landing.
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The theme. Not the fake stuff we are seeing.
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The theme. Not the fake stuff we are seeing.
And what exactly IS the theme of the park?
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I worked at the float trip in 1979. It was really a great ride. Family friendly, gentle, funny at times. Loved being surrounded by nature. It would be nice if they could bring it back in some fashion. I remember years ago someone had the idea of a theme of Bigfoot, and called their ride "The Creature on the Creek." I think that would be cool!