SDCFans - The Unofficial Fan Site For Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City & Celebration City Discussion => SDC Memories/ Park History => Topic started by: shavethewhales on August 19, 2007, 09:42:48 PM
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Since I'm doing a page on the Lost Improvement Concepts at SDC, I need to list all the concepts that have been submitted over the years but have never been acted on.
Here's what I know of so far:
- The Frissbee
- The Topple Tower
- The Ice House Coaster
- The New Mine Train Coaster
- The Doppelmayr suspended coaster
- The Shot Tower
- The Great Barn Play Area
Anyone know of any more?
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I figured after Joy's Photobucket page there'd be a new concept art page to the forums coming. Where do you guys get all this information?? I can never find any good concept art or anything.
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This is all straight from what I can remember. Before PK was built, a flurry of concepts were presented to the public like the Ice House coaster, the new mine train coaster, and the suspended coaster from Doppelmayr. Just this year, before TGS, there was a survey in which the Topple Tower and the Frisbee were featured.
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I would like to see some pics of the mine train coaster and suspended coaster if anyone can find them for me please.
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Does anyone know more about the Enchanted Forest concept? I saw the artwork for it in Joy's gallery, but I've never heard about it before. Dollywood has something like it though...
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I do wonder if perhaps that painting was indeed for Dollywood and was mis-labeled as being for Silver Dollar City; I've seen that happen before.
Most of the concept art pics came from one website of an artist who I guess did concept art for theme parks.... I have his website on bookmark, but it seems the website no longer exists. I'm pretty sure the Enchanted Forest painting was one of the ones on there.
~ "Becky" Joy ~
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Maybe it showed up as an SDC concept before it moved to DW, possibly even before Geyser Gulch was created. Who knows though, I've found it's pretty hard just to scrounge up what can be found from the 2004 surveys, let alone the countless proposals from before. Who knows how many great concepts have been considered over the years.
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On the Lost Concepts page on the site you said that the proposed Mine Train Coaster, might've replaced ThuNderaTion, since the park was unlikey to have two mine train coasters. Do you think that the park is looking to replace ThuNderaTion because of it's old age, or was it thought to have been on the way out just because of a proposed coaster of the same type coming in?
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^I really don't know, I just find it hard to believe that SDC would build a second mine train across the park from an older (and better) one. Thus, it's possible that this concept sprouted out of complaints that ThuNderaTion was too rough/old and needed to be replaced (Guests are very picky). I'm sure many people were suggesting SDC get their own Big Thunder Mountain.
Incidentally, ThuNderaTion received a massive retracking/ support job in 2005.
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I'm so glad ThuNderaTion was never completely removed. FITH, ThuNderaTion, and the removed Ore Cart roller coasters were all my first coasters. ThuNderaTion has a lot of history in SDC and if it ever gets removed I think I might cry.
I've rode both the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Big Thunder Mountain versions, and maybe it's because of the extra long queue line, but I like ThuNderaTion better than both of them.
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Does anyone know more about the Enchanted Forest concept? I saw the artwork for it in Joy's gallery, but I've never heard about it before. Dollywood has something like it though...
Yes there a concept for the enchanted forest idea but it really didn't fit the theme for sdc so they turned it down.
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^That's what I was thinking, it did seem a little away from the 1880's town that SDC tries so hard (and rightly so) to keep in tact at all costs.
It's worth noting that any new developement to SDC will have to fit in with the town. This is another reason why I think they need to build more shops this year, particularly around PK and Wildfire, so that it won't seem so out of place when they put in another major thrill ride.
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Have you heard anymore concepts or anything on a new ride or a flat ride??
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Just what's being discussed in the construction forum.
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Ideas for future expansions, they came from Silver Dollar City surveyors.
Flash Flood Rapids
Ride the massive flood surge through Ozark Mountain canyons and gorges.
The town is flooded again, so prepare to hang on tight as you escape the approaching deluge. There’s no time to admire the scenery as your raft is tossed about the rapids. The turbulent waters send your raft pitching through a flooded village where you learn that a giant surge is heading your way. Suddenly, a wall of water rushes towards you and you find yourself riding a huge wave the way back to the start of your adventure.
Adventure Mountain Base Camp
Four outdoor adventure “Countries” spoke-off from Base Camp; with a variety of outdoor activities to appeal to a wide array of guest interests and activities suitable for different age ranges and the whole family.
1. Great outdoor adventure begins at Adventure Mountain Base Camp- your getaway to four exciting adventure countries. There’s Mountain Country with its cave trails, segway paths and other mountain activities.
2. Extreme Country, where you can zip, glide, kayak, or climb like an X-Games champion.
3. Kids Country for fishing, hiking, summer tobogganing and even tree climb.
4. Amazing Adventures, where you can go on family expeditions, enjoy day and sleepover camps and embark on overnight adventures.
I have more that I will post!
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Flash Flood Rapids sounds too much like Lost River and I don't think SDC would have two of the same ride. Not very good business sense. The base camp things sounds like it would take up a lot of space. I don't really like either of those ideas to tell you the truth.
Very interesting though. Keep postin those Copper!!
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OOOOO.... I really, really like that Adventure Mountain idea!
~ "Becky" Joy ~
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^Huh, that idea sounds to me like one of those huge obstacle courses. Personally, I really can't see that at SDC, and it certainly doesn't appeal to me, but it's good to see that a whole spread of ideas are being tossed around.
What year were these from, Copper? Thanks by the way, I'll be sure to add these tomorrow.
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I'm in the same boat as you Whales.
And where were they going to be placed?
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Hey, that water attraction almost sounds like a variant of a Splash Battle... Hmmm... Oh well, it did sound kind of cool, I just hope it doesn't/wouldn't take the place of Lost River.
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Yeah, that would be dumb if it took the place of Lost River as the "round boats" as I call them are one of the most popular rides in the park. Whenever I first read it it didn't sound like a splash battle though.
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Well, Mountain Country sounds a lot like Tom Sawyer Island, which is awesome. The Extreme Country sounds like it'd have stuff like rock climbing, which Worlds of Fun even has. And perhaps Kids Country would be a good replacement should they get rid of all the Huck Finn rope stuff in Tom Sawyer's Landing.
And of course what I like the most is the idea of the day and night campovers... If that includes night excursions into the rest of the park, I'm all for it. hehehe
Unless, of course, the Base Camp is actually an idea for a second SDC-owned campground.
~ "Becky" Joy ~
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1. Great outdoor adventure begins at Adventure Mountain Base Camp- your getaway to four exciting adventure countries. There’s Mountain Country with its cave trails, segway paths and other mountain activities.
Oh, I just saw this - segway paths!? Wow, just wow, cause people really are too fat to even walk around amusement parks.
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Well, Mountain Country sounds a lot like Tom Sawyer Island, which is awesome. The Extreme Country sounds like it'd have stuff like rock climbing, which Worlds of Fun even has. And perhaps Kids Country would be a good replacement should they get rid of all the Huck Finn rope stuff in Tom Sawyer's Landing.
Yes, but to rock climb it we'd be charged extra. Which is crap. Already costs too much to get in and eat as it is.
And of course what I like the most is the idea of the day and night campovers... If that includes night excursions into the rest of the park, I'm all for it. hehehe
I would too, but that ain't gonna happen.
Unless, of course, the Base Camp is actually an idea for a second SDC-owned campground.
~ "Becky" Joy ~
That would just be the icing on a very bad cake.
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I like this idea; they could do a great water coaster with this idea. This is also loosely based on a legend of a cave near Arkansas.
These are from winter 2006
Creature in the Creek
The spooky legend of Boggy Creek comes to life in this dark ride concept.
Mystery and surprises await you as you embark on a nighttime rafting journey down fog-shrouded Boggy Creek in search of the elusive “Creature in the Creek” You’ll soon find yourself carried by the current into an ominous cave populated by unfriendly critters. More dangers follow: raging rapids, a violent whirlpool and falling trees. Then, suddenly, you are face to face with the fearsome creature in the Creek itself as this dramatic water-based dark ride escalates to a thrilling climax.
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^Meh, the story line needs some work, and it almost sounds like that would replace the mine shoot-out. I don't like how many of these concepts sound like they will replace existing classics, but it's very interesting to note that water rides are prime ground right now.
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I don't like the story. If we're getting a water coaster I want to see Buzz Saw Falls return (with a few more twists and turns).
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River Rapid Falls
The amazing Adventure of Lewis and Clark
You’ll encounter amazing sights and sudden perils in this thrilling river experience- from menacing rapids and hostile animals to falling rocks and a dark, scary cave. It all culminates with a sudden, unexpected plunge over a pounding waterfall that brings your voyage of discovery to a spectacular climax.
I like this concept, but it sounds a lot like the Float Trip and the American Plunge combined something they could and easily do.
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^Once again, not only is it a water ride, but it sounds perfectly like something that would replace the American Plunge. Was this also from 2006? Sounds like we have a strong theme here that will probably show up again this year.
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i do know remember the creature in the creek concept and i heard that they are still working on it and would like it to become reality but the story line they have changed from what i heard and sounds pretty neat.
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I don't know if any of you have heard of Disney's America or not but they had an idea just like this. A Lewis and Clark water adventure. I don't want to see any current rides replaced. This is scary.
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I could see them perhaps putting in one of the boat-style water rides. Like Worlds of Fun has a log flume-type ride similar to American Plunge (but not nearly as thrilling), but they also have one of those wide-boat style water rides as well.
SDC could do something like that, where we'd still have American Plunge, but also a new ride that is a bit, if not a lot, different.
~ "Becky" Joy ~
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^Yeah, but that would be such a generic ride, and SDC is all about original experiences.
I seem to remember there being some other coaster concept proposed in 2004, I think it was actually a pretty good one, as I remember being torn between the rocket coaster and this one. It may have been another inverted coaster, anyone remember?
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Well, what I meant was that they could use the type of ride that Monsoon is, but with a custom track and tons of theming/storyline, so that it's still a new water ride, but different enough that it wouldn't be a replacement for American Plunge.
~ "Becky" Joy ~
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Worlds of Fun has the Monsoon which is a fun ride for WOF but not up to SDC standards. The Viking Voyager is what WOF has that is most like American Plunge, but AP is 10 times better in my opinion.
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Yeah, but with a custom track layout and ultra SDC theming, a Monsoon-type ride could work.
And I totally agree--AP is WAY better than Viking Voyager. I only went on VV once this year, and that was only 'cause a friend of mine was working there.
I really wouldn't mind SDC getting one of those splash battle things. Those look kinda fun.
Is there any difference between Buzzsaw Falls and the Journey To Atlantis ride that Seaworld has? I'm always seeing pics for that ride, and it reminds me of Buzzsaw, but I don't know if there are any differences. It'd be cool to have a water-coaster back at SDC.
~ "Becky" Joy ~
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^Depends which Seaworld you are talking about.
Anyway, a flume probably won't come to SDC anytime soon as DareDeveil Falls wasn't much of a success at DW.
Anyway though, back on topic.
Anyone hear of any concepts before 2004. If there are this many from just two years, how many others are out there? What was floating around in 2000?
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There are a ton of differences. No offense and you guys are going to hate me for this, but Journey to Atlantis had better theming that BSF. On Journey to Atlantis (I rode the one in San Diego) they have a vertical lift like a Vekoma thrill lift has. Both rides are very short though. But SDC is still better because JTA broke down like 5 times before I could ride it.
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I would want the Creature of the Creek to be like Journey to Atlantis in Florida (water coaster) with a touch of Escape from Pompeii (shoot-the-chute). I liked the themeing on both of those rides.
A Shoot-the-Chute ride would be something SDC doesn’t already have.
A great location for the Creature of the Creek would be on the other side of the Watterboggan where employee parking is. The ride would be housed in a themed warehouse and the queue-line could travel under the Toboggan giving the queue a greater effect.
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Hmmm... Just discovered something that seems a bit like what could be included in the Adventure Base Camp... It's some Challenge Trail thing at Disney's California Adventure; the description sounds a tad like part of the Base Camp idea...
Challenge Trail (http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/parks/attractions/detail?name=RedwoodCreekChallengeTrailAttractionPage&bhcp=1)
~ "Becky" Joy ~
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I think the craeture in the creek idea is pretty cool and it would be better if they made it a water coaster, I think thery could do half the quene outside and put up some scenery like a camp site that is torn up to pecies by the creature. and mabey some bones and skulls and some fog effects would be cool to.
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I would want the Creature of the Creek to be like Journey to Atlantis in Florida (water coaster) with a touch of Escape from Pompeii (shoot-the-chute). I liked the themeing on both of those rides.
A Shoot-the-Chute ride would be something SDC doesn’t already have.
A great location for the Creature of the Creek would be on the other side of the Watterboggan where employee parking is. The ride would be housed in a themed warehouse and the queue-line could travel under the Toboggan giving the queue a greater effect.
I could definitely go for a Shoot-the-chute. Problem is, they're hard to build when you could build a more modern system that holds more people. As for a water coaster, that could definitely still work, as BSF was very popular in it's day, despite being only a prototype display of a ride.
I really want to know more about that Wild Mouse that kept popping up, it sounds like that's a recurring idea that someone really wants.
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It wouldn't be such a bad idea to get a wild mouse if it didn't replace any current rides. But I have a strong feeling it would.
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Hear is a bit of history for you. The Ice House concept is an old one. It came from SDC's first design guru, indeed the man responsable for the entire look of SDC , the flooded mine, Grandfathers, the tree house, float trip, and long forgoten buildings like the silver palace theater off of main street, and the patent office which is now the funnel cake shop by the blacksmiths. I'm speaking of the late Andy Miller of whome the parks internal Andy award is named.
Back in the early 70's he was hard at work on a design consept for an attraction called Superstition Walk. Late in its development plans changed for a bigger budget attraction, and he came up with the Ice house coaster. The drawing you have is his and hung in his office for years. It to was scrapped in favor of Rube Dugans.
In the Mid 80's I barrowed the concept and turned it into a suspended coaster with ice block cars slung from big tongs to sit on the back side of lake silver. This along with a dozon or more concepts (including another big coaster which I'll talk about another time) were taken to a school in St. Louis where we asked the kids and there mothers which concepts the liked. Where as coasters were the kid faves, they were at the bottem for moms. The compromise ride voated on was the lost river. And it was so. Another incarnation? I'd love to see it.
Hope this sheds some light
more later......
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^Wow, I had no idea that it was even an old concept.
What ride manufacturer would you have chosen to build it?
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That was never my department. I was in entertainment and did special projects for Jack every once and awhile. SDC tried to do everything they could inhouse back then however.
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All right . I promised a follow up so here it is.
SDC always had a shortage of level land. Durring the aformentioned St. Louis poll, a new coaster concept was pitched tha not only involved the first coaster of its kind, not just a new area, but in fact a whole new town connected by the steam train, wagons and walkways, Williams Gap. You've all gone through it on the train. Out from that spot is long flat and very pretty ridge (including the remaines of an old 1940's cabin and tree house!) that offered a whole new development oportunity.
It was to be a new Deepwoods kind of area, crossed with what was to become forgotten crafts, with woodchips, wildflowers, rustic, with shops like a cooppers, log cabin building, etc. What the area needed was a big draw and it was big. My concept was SDC's first outdoor coaster. The theme was this:
An excentric inventor had recently returned from St. Louis where he had seen a remarkable new invention that sent Money and papers from one spot in a building too another by means of pneumatic tubes!. If it could be done small scale......
He needed a place to build however out of sight of compeditors so he chose the tiny town of Williams Gap to build his prototype.
It started as you walked past the giant pumping engines into the depot facing a large victiorian curved glass wall on big chains. this lifted to present an enclosed glass and wroght iron car with plush velvet seats and brass trim. the door was closed on your car which was to all viable effect (but not really) shot through a glass tube ringed with more iron through the trees, an underground tunnel, then back to the depot. In reality it was a coaster that rode on tracks on the sides of the cars and could do barrel rolls and dip into curves. ( this kind of coaster was invented several years later. I remember playing it on Roller Coaster Tycoon! ;)) Even though the car was enclosed,the track was really open with rings at intervels except for the firsts few hundred yards where you could see the tracks from the walkways which were indeed glass tubes.
The concept grew to making the area itsef a spot for a grand exposition with halls, rides, a 360 soundscape storytelling theater (my concept again still untried) and games, some of which have now come to pass in the, well, Grand exposition.
The concept got the highest marks on the survey, but proved to costly to implement at the time, and Jack was reluctant to head down that coaster road. "Once a park heads that direction", he said, "your pretty much commited to a new high ticket ride every few years." He was certenly right. Eventualy the path was taken, but long after this concept was forgotten.
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Holy crap... that's quite a bite of info!
That was a really amazing idea, and I can really see it coming back to life, but since the Grand Expo and Wildfire have stolen away the themes, they'll have to do something different with it.
Hmmm, isn't the 2009 project supposed to be an entirely new area?
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Yeah I think so. Wow, so do you still work for the park Old Man?
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I visited at the park every year from 1960 to 1976, then worked there from 77 to 94.
At one point we had three generations of my family there scattered between Entertainment, crafts, foods and admin.
It was difficult leaving S.D.C. my home town, and other than a short stint in the fall of 98, I haven't been back. :(