Messages

361

Other Parks / Re: Schlitterbahn KC

« on: August 09, 2016, 01:53:42 PM »

Wichita had/has(SBNO) an old 'classic' woodie at Joyland with closed a decade or two ago....Wichita also had a an attempt at a new park a couple years ago with Wild West World with I think a wild mouse ride to start with.  WWD died quickly after only a month or two open and the rides sold off.

Topeka had a death trap of a rollercoaster that wrapped around a chain link fence at another 'joyland' park.  I vaguely remember it as a kid in the 80s.  Pretty sure that park closed in the 80's and has been a flea market since.

Olathe used to have a kiddie center in the big outlet mall with a small indoor worm coaster.....I'm guessing it is gone since the mall was pretty much dead the last time I saw it.

Pittsburgh has a kiddie park with a few rides that I think are ran by the city.  Emporia has a neat mini train ride that is ran by volunteers.

I'm not surprised KS has no ride inspection rules or regulations.  Other than the many county fairs that use the traveling carnivals there hasn't been a need for them to regulate any permanent rides until Schlitterbahn in KCK.

362

Other Parks / Re: Schlitterbahn KC

« on: August 09, 2016, 09:12:02 AM »

Armchair engineering is always fun, right?
Let's agree that if you have never ridden it, seen it in person, AND talked with the design team that you should not provide your "expert" opinions on the ride. 

1. I never felt unsafe on the ride
2. There were guides the raft went in on the way down the 1st drop
3. The raft usually lost so much momentum that it very slowly goes over the 2nd hill
4. Every MasterBlaster on the chain (except MASSIV) have these nets

Personally I'm still trying to figure out how a 10yo got on a slide with a 14yo age minimum.  He was obviously underweight and had no business being on the slide to begin with.

I was curious what your thoughts about the incident was Swoosh....I know you have had 'relationship' with the park.

Yes....it's completely an monday morning quarterback type of post I made......I wouldn' t have posted about the slide if the incident didn't happen.  Nor can I prove that I had that opinion (ride is too dangerous for me and my family) before the incident happened (but I did).  As a general rule....water slides scare me 200x more than coasters that run on rails.

It's laughable to say that I can not have an informed opinion on the safety of the ride without actually have rode it.....let alone the idea that I can't post an opinion on a online forum because I don't 'know' the designers....you really sound ridiculous when you post from your highhorse swoosh. 

The ride had a ton of coverage (including from swoosh's site) during it's setup and opening.  There's plenty of opinions about the park and ride online, I do know people who have rode it, and I have physically seen it (jheeez).  I'm not saying the park intentionally did anything wrong that would cause it.....riders are informed of the danger and their were still long lines for it.....I'm not mad anyone who likes the ride nor will I be leading any type of petition to close it if it opens back up (just my opinion that it needs to close).  Part of living in a free country is the ability to discern risks and the freedom choose to take them.

Seems to be a debate about the age and if he should have rode it.....other questions has to be around if the restraints malfunctioned? he size cause the restraints to fail?  Did he do something on purpose (stand up?), raft malfunction?  Too many things that could have went wrong

363

Other Parks / Re: Schlitterbahn KC

« on: August 08, 2016, 04:31:06 PM »

At the very least, I think they should remove the slide's airtime hill. You don't put an airtime hill on a water slide.

Exactly....

I never understood if that hill was to help 'slow' the raft down or to add a thrill to the ride.  Either way it is a stupid design for a free falling water slide.  Plus.....the fact that they added a net over it.....doesn't that imply that they knew something like this could happen? 

Hope the general public understand how crazy this slide was and it's not a good comparison to 99% of the other slides that are being used daily.

364

Other Parks / Re: Schlitterbahn KC

« on: August 08, 2016, 03:37:01 PM »

I had weird feelings about that ride ever since I saw the plans for it.  The design never seemed logical to be safe.  It had all kinds of issues with it before opening including rafts losing control over the hill. Redesign of the hill, rafts, adding netting..etc where all red flags.  How on earth can you 'manage' an airtime hill on a water slide?  I never rode it but apparently you got two face to face safety warnings before sliding and had to weigh-in twice (one before the stairs, and another on top of the tower) for safety measures.  With those intense procedures and crazy variables (weight, raft conditions, slide conditions, safety constraints, weather/wind) of that size of ride.....It just felt like it was only a matter of time before something like this happened.  Just felt like the company was so set on getting that 'worlds biggest' title and attention that comes from that.....that it overlooked long-term safety(IMO).

From what I'm reading/hearing....the boy was riding with two older woman.  They were also seriously injured too but not life threatening.  No one exactly knows the cause yet but it's appartenant that the boy was sitting in front and made contact with with the netting or support for the netting that covers the slide.  Which we can then conclude that the raft lost control over the hill of the slide.  I'm guessing official cause will not be released until legal stuff is completed:(

I've kept an eye on that parks reviews and development closely over the years......Being that I grew up near KCK and still visit often I was excited for that park and really wanted it to thrive.  I've taken my family to WoF/OoF multiple times since that park has opened but for some reason I've never had any desire yet to try it out.  The general feedback I've read both on-line and from friends is that it was way overpriced (not developed enough for the price) and the big slide was dangerous and not that fun.  Most of my friends would recommend just going to OoF, Great Wolf Lodge, or a few of some local aquatic centers around KC that are popping up everywhere with their own lazy rivers and slide complexes. 

I'm guessing (and hoping at this point) that the slide will be destroyed and Schlitterbahn will be fortunate if they save the water park from going under.

Of course my heart goes out to the parents, family, friends.....and the park workers.....it's surely a tragedy all the way around. 

365

Branson Talk / Re: The next Branson MO is Deadwood?

« on: July 29, 2016, 09:02:24 AM »

I guess new parks haven't had much success in the US in recent history.....  It says a lot that a huge city like Houston (and New Orleans for that matter) can't seem to get a park to open.

Like the article mentions.....it wouldn't open as a very big park....it actually sounds like a Wild West World type of effort that failed spectacularly in Wichita.

366

Branson Talk / Re: The next Branson MO is Deadwood?

« on: July 28, 2016, 12:57:32 PM »

sorry....not sure how I double posted....thought the first one didn't take

367

Branson Talk / The next Branson MO is Deadwood?

« on: July 28, 2016, 10:04:09 AM »

Found this nugget on the interwebs today....

http://www.bhpioneer.com/deadwood/gold-nugget-theme-park-partnership-reveals-details-of-proposed-/article_2d9c5d7e-4e92-11e6-acc9-e7ac64352559.html

Sounds like some investors are telling Deadwood SD they can be the next Branson Mo and are trying to build another SDC.  I know with the oil money up their and the modest tourism they already get.....it doesn't sound like a terrible idea.

I also thought the dinner show being built at the park was an interesting idea.....wonder if SDC could add something like that on-site at the park for evening entertainment without impacting Dolly's show?

368

Construction/Rumors / Re: Your Attraction Ideas

« on: July 21, 2016, 07:53:31 AM »

When the slide was removed I'd had imagined the tower to be reused as a base for a zipline type of attraction.  With rope course and stuff with a few other added towers.  Probably an upcharge ride.

That seems kind of silly now with all the places around Branson that does that a lot bigger and better than they could do in the park.   

Put a ferris wheel on top of it....lol

369

Announcements / Re: SDCFans Turning 9

« on: July 12, 2016, 07:18:38 AM »

Happy Birthday SDCFans....

I have a 9yo at home....it makes sense that the board is getting moody and trying to do things on it's own now....lol

Appreciate you taking care of it Shave....I'm been a reader for years and have appreciated this forum for my SDC and amusement park nerdiness to come out.

and thanks for controlling the hairy whale population!!!

370

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: 2016 Trip Reviews

« on: July 05, 2016, 10:27:31 PM »

I think so....around 1:30 when I walked in I noticed a line and they had the sign out about tours every 30 minutes.  I think I recall the last tour being at listed 4 that day.  It was closed when I left around 5.

371

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: 4th of July weekend

« on: July 05, 2016, 11:29:49 AM »

^^^^  I agree....another indoor family ride that is heated/cooled and can run all year long would be awesome!!!!  Notice the three (FM, FiTH, Cave) we have are three of the oldest attractions in the park.

372

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: 2016 Trip Reviews

« on: July 05, 2016, 08:30:43 AM »

Last Minute SDC trip review....

Sunday was planned to be a nice lazy day for me and my crew of 6.....we had a nice 'sleep-in' morning with the rain/storms passing through.  Around 10 in the morning I'd had already gotten bored of being at home and started check the weather to see if was going to clear up.  Then I also realized we where pretty much 'booked' up the next few weekends and make the call that today would be a SDC day.  I told the crew the goal would be to hit up the Globetrotters and take the cave tour (both inside stuff cause of the rain).  It's about a hour and 45 min drive from my driveway to the parking lot and we made it in 2 hours with a drive through lunch on the way.  We made it to the park just in time to go straight to the 2pm Globetrotter show and find pretty good seats.  They were pretty entertaining....show was pretty much what I'd expected.....my kids where laughing the whole time.  We got to be apart of the lucky crowd to get wet and my girls got 'picked on' a couple times while they where in the crowd.  My oldest daughter (who plays competitive bball) was disappointed they didn't actually play a game.  After the show the kids talked me in a taking a few rides in around GE.  Crowds where pretty light....even after the show GE was walk-on on all the rides.  Next we wanted to get wet.....so we headed toward lost river.  On the way....rain started and the rides got shut down.  Paths started filling up after the rains came and I think about half the park headed to the gates.  We went to FiTH since I knew it would probably still be open I hadn't had a ride on it yet this year.  Sure enough both FiTh and Flooded mine are open during lightning closures!!!!  Got two spins around FiTH in with the kids.  We then walk backed to Lost river as we heard all the rides where about to come back up.  Waited about 10 mins for LR to open up and got to fill a raft up with the 6 of us:)  Then headed over to PK but the line was backed up down the hill with only one coaster running.....so went over to WF and had a 15min wait with one coaster running.  By that point our 2 youngest and my wife where ready to go and we headed to the gate.  We grabbed sonic drinks in Branson West and ended up stopping for a nice meal on the way home.  I told my older two kids that we are going to have to get away for a coaster SDC trip by ourselves at some point.....and I still didn't get to do the cave tour

373

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: 4th of July weekend

« on: July 05, 2016, 07:54:30 AM »

Sunday crowds was pretty light probably due to the heavy rain and the morning.  Then a small storm/shower in the afternoon closed the rides for about a 1/2 hour and the park really got empty.  It was great except that the coasters were only running one train so they all still had 10-20 minute waits.

btw....SDC tip.....if the rides are closed due to lightning....Fire in the Hole and FM are still open.  We got a two rides in on FiTH during the rain delay!!!

374

Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC's 2018 Project(s) and Park Developments

« on: July 02, 2016, 07:26:50 PM »

I'm guessing they have the biggest basketball giveaway ever!!!!!   Or the most globetrotters ever at different location spinning a ball on their finger at the same time!!!!!

Or....it's just more hype for the sweepstakes

375

Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC's 2018 Project(s) and Park Developments

« on: July 01, 2016, 03:34:22 PM »

Really....fireworks....lol....I think you guys are funny.


Here what the website says below the video.....(I'm guessing it's just about the sweepstakes)


Enter now to win a family getaway for 4 to Silver Dollar City Attractions including tickets to Silver Dollar City & White Water, a cruise on the Showboat Branson Belle and 2 nights at Silver Dollar City's The Wilderness!

Prize Package Includes:

4 One-Day Tickets To Silver Dollar City
4 One-Day Tickets To White Water
4 Tickets For A Cruise On The Showboat Branson Belle
2 Nights In A Log Cabin At The Wilderness