Messages

106

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Sound at A Christmas Carol And It's A Wonderful Life "off" this year?

« on: November 24, 2016, 08:22:54 AM »

I used to run sound for various bands and churches and generally always sit near the sound board when I go to any shows... Including It's a Wonderful Life And A Christmas Carol.

I saw A Christmas Carol on the first Sunday after the start of the festival. The sound was just off. The vocals were too low and the music too loud. I had seen it many times, and this was the first time I had ever noticed this. I kind of chalked it up to it only being the 4-5 performance of the festival. But I went to it's A Wonderful life yesterday and it was the same way. During the traveling song, you could not hear the vocals at all for most of the song. And several of the others were the same way. And what you could hear seemed to have the midrange boosted way too high. This was how A Christmas Carol sounded as well. Normally everything sounds so full but it is as if someone just took the mids and slammed them.

Anyone know what is going on this year? Is it different sound men than in years past or what? And if it is different sound men, why do both shows sound so "off"?

107

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Day before Thanksgiving crowd levels?

« on: November 24, 2016, 08:15:54 AM »

I went yesterday because of reading this thread. Weather was cold and overcast and even a little rainy. Park was fairly packed. I got there about 2PM. I was going to be there right when they opened but traffic was horrible so I went to lunch first and came back. I was parked almost at the back of lot 3 at that point. It took 4 trams before I even got onboard. I mostly was just walking around as I had been earlier in the festival to see A Christmas Carol and was only going to really see It's a Wonderful Life. It looked like a sparse crowd at first but they ended up completely packing it and even used VIP seating up top. I left after that show (The 4:15 show) and the park was really crowded. Lot 5 was packed as well but not using lot 6 yet at that time.

Was not what I was expecting at all based on this thread and the weather

108

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: SDC Christmas Ornament Check List

« on: November 07, 2016, 09:29:42 AM »

It is a picture frame. I got mine yesterday... I had been to 7 "festivals". I asked for how many times i had been this year and they could not tell me that. I was just curious as I don't keep track

109

Branson Talk / Re: The Branson Shuffle starts early

« on: October 31, 2016, 05:55:11 PM »

I think the biggest problem with the Branson shows is the price. I mean, when I can buy a ticket for $20 to see Marshall Crenshaw and The Bottlerockets play original music that they recorded or pay $38 for glorified karaoke with comedy, there is a problem. When I can spend money to see Cheap Trick and it is only slightly more than shows at Branson, there is a problem.

I am lucky in that I am not really hurting for income. But an average family cannot afford to see the shows even if they wanted to. Price them more reasonable and people will come.

110

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Crowd levels

« on: October 29, 2016, 09:20:56 AM »

I do know almost everything there is to know about Branson

Arrogant much?

111

Branson Talk / Re: The Branson Shuffle starts early

« on: October 28, 2016, 08:09:04 AM »

I have been coming to Branson since I was a kid in the mid-70's. My family vacationed there for about 2-3 weeks total each year. I have seen a lot of things come and go and many changes - some for the better and some not so much. We have seen most of the "major" shows many times over the years and many shows that are no longer there.

When I was a kid, the Presley's shows was my favorite. I hadn't been to any concerts or anything so that was impressive. TV wasn't what it is now. There was no youtube. So it really impressed a young me.

As I've gotten older, my expectations have changed. My daughter and I had been going to Branson since she was 2 (she is now 18) and we tried some of the shows but they just weren't the same. We took my girlfriend's daughters to Presley's earlier in the year and they didn't care for it...

I have now moved to Springfield, MO, this summer and have been down to Branson a lot of weekends and some nights. There are area appreciation days where you can see shows very reasonably. I saw the Haygoods for the first time this way. It was $5 a ticket and the gas to drive to and from Branson. It was just something to do... But I absolutely loved that show. It was more like a concert than a performance. it didn't pander to patriotism or religion but was just them playing, singing and having fun.

My problem with most of shows and Branson in general is the pandering to religion and patriotism. I know in general that they are playing to the audience... but they have not caught on that their audience is changing. While I respect people who have served in the military (I never could... I have what is called a "problem with authority"), it goes too far IMHO when they are being thanked for all our freedoms when I think WW2 was the last fighting that really was for our freedoms.And people my age (44) and younger don't have as strong of ties to religion and I generally shun most things overtly religious...

I they want to survive, they need to understand their target demographics have changed. And adapt

112

Branson Talk / Re: The Branson Shuffle starts early

« on: October 14, 2016, 09:01:43 AM »

I have to agree with Runner... The sidewalks in most section are not wide enough to handle more than 2 people walking side by side. And in many sections, especially in the White Water area, they are crowned. I always am very careful when walking there as when you have to move over to let people walking the other way by it can get sketchy quickly

113

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Need a couple answers for upcoming trip

« on: September 16, 2016, 07:51:42 AM »

Joy, The fried bread with the BBQ does look good... But from experience earlier in the year, it doesn't taste very good. I was really looking forward to it when I saw the pictures but the actuality was lacking which was depressing

Side note: Best place to get a good shot of the train in my opinion is in the area that goes from old printing shop up to what is now the woodworker's shop... pretty much the back entrance to the bathrooms there. You can get the train coming around the corner. I have gotten a lot of shots there that i was happy with. I can PM you my photo site to see my pictures in the park if you'd like

I am excited to try to get train pics this winter since we live close enough now where I can run down on a Sunday when it isn't as crowded if the weather is right. I would love some pictures of the train with snow all around

I would bring a 10-20mm lens or so and something like a 18-200mm if you have it. That covers the whole gamut.

114

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Country Music Weekend

« on: September 11, 2016, 12:56:12 PM »

We went yesterday for Lonestar at 4 or so. We got in pretty easily and parked in 6. Walked down to Echo Hollow and parked ourselves for the show. The only real problem we had was with one of the park attendants who was overly aggressive about us not having Cox wristbands when I went to go stand by the fence and finish listening to the concert when we left with about 2 songs left. She all but yelled at me for not having an armband and told us to leave. Apparently Cox rented the place out until 10PM and if you had an armband, you had full run of the park. If not, they wanted you to leave. There were no signs about any of this so I was pretty angry that I was yelled at. Left a note on their facebook page. The only place this armband nazi seemed to be was at the entrance to the walkway that leads to GE from EH. No one enforcing the armband thing anywhere else. Kind of ridiculous

115

Branson Talk / Re: New Belle Survey

« on: August 16, 2016, 11:15:07 AM »

I was told besides to sell them, they also take pictures of everyone just in case they lose someone, including if they go overboard, they know what they look like. I think you also have the option of not getting your picture taken, if you know you arent going to go overboard and you wont buy it.

Except... that rationale doesn't hold true for Dixie Stampede. At Dixie Stampede we just walked through. The Branson Belle made a big deal about it.

I joked that I was in the witness protection program and if they took my picture I would have to relocate AGAIN.... they did not get the joke

116

Branson Talk / Re: New Belle Survey

« on: August 15, 2016, 09:51:26 AM »

Everyone has opinions... I guess I am the only one that liked the full on 90's country show with the option for acoustic show on the deck option. Table Rock is beautiful and other than the halftime, the boat really doesn't even implement it into the experience. Having the option to go out to the deck and listen to music also sounds like an experience you can't much get elsewhere

I have not been to this year's show. My girlfriend took her girls when we moved to Springfield in July but I was working so couldn't go. She said it was OK and the girls liked it well enough. She and I had went last fall and for the first time I think we did not go to the deck after eating and not return. We are not big on the religious or patriotic pandering done anywhere - especially at Branson shows.

My biggest complaint at both the Branson Belle and Dixie Stampede revolves around the pictures they take on entry. This is such an outdated and wasteful process. Almost everyone has a camera on their phone that is as good or better than the cameras used for the pictures. Making people pose for the obviously posed shot and then trying to sell them to you  is ridiculous. If people want pictures, they will take them. We usually skip this process entirely but we had a run in last year where the employee tried to insist that we HAD to take a picture to get on the boat which I promptly contested and we finally just walked in after arguing with this girl for a bit. It just slows down the whole process and maybe 1 out of 50 people buy the pictures but they print out every one. Such a waste

117

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: SDC's Character Meetups (a bit of a rant)

« on: June 29, 2016, 12:25:25 PM »

When my daughter was younger, we really enjoyed the Veggie Tales shows. Their presence was mostly isolated to the Riverfront Playhouse, though (which was fine with me).

What really bothers me about it and how they are doing summers the last couple years is that the Opera house sits empty from the end of the Bluegrass and BBQ festival until Christmas. No summer shows. No fall show. They stopped being creative or even much trying and went with canned characters for kids to meet. Our family has had a blast at things like the physics show and we loved "Heading West" and the other shows... now it is limit the number of shows available and cram everyone into the Globetrotters, saloon show or magic show.

118

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Browns Candy Factory remodel

« on: June 29, 2016, 12:19:23 PM »

Most of the stores seem to have undergone a major "de-cluttering" and slimmed down their inventory and offerings. It makes it much easier to move around within them and actually buy things. Sometimes they stores were so full of "stuff" that it was overwhelming.

This is one change that has made things much better and made moving around within the stores easier in my opinion. Now if they would just address traffic flow within the park from the same industrial engineering standpoint...

119

Random Talk / Moving to Springfield... Anyone have recommendations for house rental?

« on: April 21, 2016, 04:13:47 PM »

So i took a job in Springfield and will be moving from St. Louis. I am looking for short term housing (i am planning to go home to St. Louis until we find a place) that is reasonable.

I am also looking to rent or lease to own a house that is ok with 4 dogs. I am willing to pay larger deposit and monthly fee for the dogs, but getting rid of them is not something i will do - although one is older and probably doesn't have much longer

120

Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC's 2017 Project(s) and Park Developments

« on: April 19, 2016, 07:26:05 PM »

Those painted lines are orange to my recollection. I could have remembered wrong, but it is still pretty fresh in my mind