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KFC is huge in the UK where I live too. They are everywhere. KFC and McDonald's are the 2 dominant US chains here. Five Guys is here too (And just as expensive!) and they've just opened a few Taco Bell, Wendy's and Popeye's restaurants.

I will say that I didn't much like KFC food in the US. I preferred Popeye's. But the breading and all is different here in the UK and I really like it.

I used to always go by myself from 2016 to 2020 when I moved to London. This was especially true during bluegrass and BBQ as I have a very eclectic musical taste and none of my friends were that into bluegrass. I would go, map out the shows and times and bounce from show to show.

There is a lot of benefit to going alone... although I tended to stay away from the rides as nothing like calling attention to yourself in a crowd as when they ask for a "single rider" and then have everyone in the crowd focus on the fact you are comepltely alone  .

I've found that you tend to only do what you want, though, so trips are focused and to the point so often aren't there a great amount of time but get much more done than when in a group.

Oddly, I am much less willing to do things alone in the UK than I used to be in the US for some reason other than go to concerts. Even though there are several amusement parks around, I've yet to be to any in 2 1/2 years other than to SDC when I visited the US in November of 2021

Um... Please save your judgement. I only have gone once every couple years as I moved from Springfield to London 2 years ago... a bit expensive to visit currently more than once every couple years. Prior to that, from the 80's until 2020, I was visiting SDC 30-50 times a year. So you are totally misguided with your attempt to invalidate my opinion.

But there was definitely a misunderstanding that you were being "facetious" (although the word I think you mean was "sarcastic")

Also, I was NOT saying to make SDC more like Disney. I am saying - AND ALL I AM SAYING - is that they should have someone on staff who looks into things from a logical and engineering eye. That can be done in a myriad of ways to improve the ingress and egress without huge expense or changes. It just needs looked at. That is all

You absolutely do NOT have to shut down for a year to make most improvements and I never said or implied that. What I said is that they need to be looking at things like this. Honestly, if they would address the entrance area, it would go a long way towards the biggest problem. One other area that would never have happened had they had the proper staff is the fried goods building by the saloon. Or the line for the kettle chips there in same area that goes right into the walkway. The fried goods stand should have never happened... but the kettle chip line issue could be addressed for very little cost... just have a small ordering area that runs parallel with the ordering station only long enough to force the line naturally in a direction...

Making ingress and egress better does NOT require massive construction and park shutdown and the other nonsense that has been spouted. It is just looking at things critically with an engineering (and logical) eye and making the slight changes to make "traffic" flow better.

Although I haven't been this year and only went once last year when I came back from the UK to visit, I personally have had major issues with the entrance area for years.

For example:

The little doorway through on the left for season pass holders or people with tickets down to a max of 2 people to pass through at once... then you are hit immeditately with the "island" that you then have to go around to funnel again into the crowd heading towards the entrance gate. People walk through the gate and almost immediately stop. Which grinds the entire line to a halt. The scooter and stroller rental area being right there along with most people just being comepletely clueless (sometimes even long time visitors) just wreaks havoc. Once you get past that necked down clusterF&CK you are limited by the width of the pathway and people again walking loosely and cluelessly up the small hill to the hospitality house. Which had gotten better with clogging the main aisles with items at least but a few years ago was just packed with souvenirs so much it was hard to move through.

I am a mechanical engineer. I like to look at things from an engineering perspective. I have been saying for years that SDC should have an industrial engineer on staff. There are tons of forumulas and rules of thumbs to use for capacity on things like walkway widths and things like that. Disney and larger parks have a person on staff who looks at these things and makes ingress and egress less of a mess. But I will say, if they used proper analysis, it would show that the entrance area is woefully lacking for the capacity. The problem is that the entrance area is not the only problem area. Anyplace that chokes the walkway down from wide to narrower causes issues... think the bridge heading down to the right by the candy company. And many other places. Every one of these choke points leads to slowdowns and chaos... think about traffic on the highway and when a lane is closed and the backup this causes... These are the things that should be looked at with a critical eye... but never seem to be

To be fair, 12 bucks for a 12oz serving of Dufftoberfest helps moderate intake.
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You've obviously not been to a major sporting event or concert recently 🤣

Personally, I refuse to pay that much for a drink (or more than a couple) but for a lot of people, money is no object to getting their drunk on

Let's not forget that Kentucky Kingdom and Wild Adventures both serve alcohol.  These are Herschend parks.  Their aquariums have wine mixers.  So this is inevitable.  It's money being left on the table.

This is interesting. I was unaware of that. The Herschends fall into the pentecostal religion, I believe. I seem to remember a recent story of a man at a church in the area there charges with child porn and one of the Herschends gave a character reference trying to keep him out of jail. But I could have that story all wrong edit: nope https://amp.news-leader.com/amp/946420002


And a lot of the people you see walking around with women wearing long akirts and long hair are united pentecostal. There are a lot of them in that area. Not to mention college of the ozarks and their extreme religious beliefs. I grew up in that religion and alcohol is definitely one of their big "sins". I believe Purdy, Missouri was kind of the inspiration for Footloose. And all of the dry counties in Arkansas

I agree with you though that it would turn some away and bring others in. I think you are right in that it is inevitable. Unsure how I feel about it though. Even though I rom't follow that religion (or any) these days

I honestly don't see alcohol ever being served based off the company's (Herschend family's) version of morality/religion. And I would bet that a good portion of the old timers would stop going if alcohol was served for the same reason...

BUT... I could see a lot of "none of the aboves" religion wise really flocking to a beer and wine type festival... queue the BBQ/Bluegrass and brews festival and you'd have something... Although a good portion of the bluegrass musicians might not want anything to do with that for the same reasons as above

I moved to London last November so haven't been to the park since just before I left. I am coming back to SGF for work on November 6 and staying until the 15th. I really would like to go to the park on November 7 or 14 as I've missed going desperately. Have Sundays been like typical Sundays in the past in 2021 as far as crowds? After a year with mostly polite Brits, I am hesitant to go if the crowds are insane so Saturdays are out entirely... And working during the week so a weeknight visit isn't possible.

When I lived in SGF, I would always go on a Sunday or during the week if possible to keep my sanity

Admittedly I've not been on that path and am not sure where it comes out on the other side. I know it starts near where the water boggan tower is... I am wondering if perhaps they widened it due to ADA requirements... Because if that path comes out where I think, the path could be a bypass for that slight hill that is coming up from Fireman's Landing for carts and wheelchairs and the like. That hill there is deceptively steep... I used to actually cut through the theater most times to flatten it out

Just a thought as to the "why" as seems like a lot of work for no real benefit otherwise


As a side note, I've been in London for 9+ months now. I miss going to the park terribly... hasn't helped that the "summer" here has been kind of ridiculous - it's only been above 80 for 2 weeks... I've worn a jacket every day but 2 weeks for 9 months. And it's been quite rainy as well. It's been an anomaly for a summer based off a graphic on the news this morning. The winter was much better than a typical midwest winter but this summer has been a letdown

History Buff... My grandparents used to live with Monk's Mound in their backyard... I meant literally. Just on the other side of their back yard the land started. My dad used to sled down it when he was a kid. Before it was really as protected. And before they had the nice visitor center was a trailer that served its function. I remember going there as a kid... Your trip report brought back some good memories. Thanks for that... Both grandparents are now gone and my dad lives far away from there now.

I don't disagree with anything you are saying at all. The system is in trouble. And yes it is a short term fix... but for those people, making a decent wage for 6 months or a year is maybe more than they will ever make so they really have to take it. The problem is, you get used to that income and when it goes away, you don't have a plan for surviving on less. Totally agree with almost everything you said...

Robs the desire to work? really? If you could make more money working less hours would you not take it? I am not justifying the "free" money as you put it, but be realistic. If I could make the equivalent of $8 and hour more per hour for not working than I'd make working, I'd take it and you would too. It is a financial decision that they are making and I'd do the same. If they shunned the subsidy and go back to work at minimum wage, that would be stupid financially...

We who make decent money and were "essential" and worked through it all did get "screwed" by the subsidy program and all, but people making less than $15 an hour are better off on unemployment and the subsidy than they are working. And you can't fault them for doing what is best for their financial state...

Missouri unemployment is some of the worst in the country where anyone who makes over $15k is near destroyed financially on unemployment with the max payout of $320 a week... My company 2 years ago closed a division and I went from making over $100k a year to making essentially $1200 a month.

I think ultimately that you are correct in that most of the employees used to be older and retired. Perhaps they are concerned for their health and that is why they are not working and HFE are hurting for labour. Or perhaps they cost HFE too much money since they've been there so long and they are looking for those minimum wage employees... Hard to fault people for doing what is best for their family from a monetary standpoint though...

There was someone making the rounds in places in Springfield, MO to check to see if people had paid their licensing fees. One had to stop having live music because they got a cease and desist or pay up notice and they only had live music on Friday nights and were primarily a sports bar. Several other places got fines. It was a mess...

The bad thing is that it is a racket. The money they collect never actually makes it to the artists... But they have you over a barrel

I kind of figured that SDC would be smart enough to get the licensing though... Kind of surprised they didn't.

Search on Facebook shows that Dave and Rachel are both working at Dolly Parton's stampede now... At least they were able to stay local.

I've got a couple friends who are in the band at the Dean Z show and both were still able to work there, but that isn't their only job. I imagine there are a lot of Branson musicians/singers who had to make a tough choice in the last year. Actually, probably not just in Branson