Messages

406

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Numbers today

« on: December 28, 2017, 10:43:48 AM »

Probably due to it being post Christmas and the fact non of the rides are operational at these temps.

Post Christmas isn't the problem.  I've seen incredibly busy days after Christmas.  Date wise for many it's a big time for them to go because of vacations, and when the weather is decent, they will have huge days during this week.

It's the cold, pure and simple.  People don't want to be out in that cold for long periods of time, so the don't go.  It's miserable in the park when it's that frigid.

The ride closures probably don't really make much of a difference as it seems guests are oblivious to the fact that the rides are closed because of temperature until after they get there and are in the park.  There's not a lot of notice outside about the closures, and even if there were I doubt people would see them or pay any attention.  When I worked there I had a ton of guests confused and surprised about the rides being closed because of the cold.

Really, this week is so dependent on the weather.  If the weather is nice, it can easily be the biggest week of the year.  But when it's frigid cold like this, it won't be.  A little cold air won't keep them away, but this much will.  I'll bet New Year's Eve is a bomb when they're predicting the high temperatures won't get out of the teens.

407

Branson Talk / Re: New Showboat Branson Belle survey

« on: December 26, 2017, 07:32:57 PM »

Personally, I would rather see the current type of show, 

rather than a production number of one of the "classics"

I'm agreed with you.

Leave the big productions in the park. I certainly don't want to see a duplicate of a show that's already at SDC, especially when they would have to size/ dumb it down because the boat doesn't have anywhere near the same size stage or capabilities as the park does.  They would compete against themselves and the boat would lose offering a shadow of the production that is already being done at SDC itself.

Productions like that also don't work quite as well with a meal, or if you give an intermission to go wander the deck.  A variety/ musical show has much more flexibility to be able to offer with that type of setting.

It should certainly be unique to the showboat, and having some sort of storyline through it to tie it together could be a lot of fun.  But leave the big productions in the park where they are able to do them much more effectively.

408

Random Talk / Re: Christmas Check In...

« on: December 25, 2017, 01:29:42 PM »

They got snow on the ground at SDC? That has always been a bucket list thing for me to get photos with snow on the ground there with their Christmas decor.

It’s not as glamorous as it sounds.  Trust me

I dunno.  I always loved those days where I got to work with snow on the ground. Made the train ride absolutely gorgeous.  And robbing in the snow is a blast!

409

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Numbers today

« on: December 23, 2017, 12:08:58 PM »

Friday   12-22-17,    only 8,000 people.......

Actually, if you think about it with the weather- the cold and rain- that's a really big crowd in that case.  Used to be on a bad weather day like that, the number would be closer to 2,000.

410

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Numbers today

« on: December 22, 2017, 10:16:22 AM »

That all sounds insane....its a thursday!!!!

Remember these posts when the tix prices start going up....or....i hate to write this....they start charging for parking.  The cost of SDC being an awesome park.

Here's the thing that people complaining about prices don't get:

When they are reaching over-capacity crowds at the prices they have now, how much worse would it be with lower ticket prices that more can afford.  Law of Supply and Demand says that you raise prices to help ease the crowding problems.

Or come up with some other ways to deal with them.  They've already expanded parking lots, and on days like this it's not enough.  The front entry area is overwhelmed, and as has been pointed out they need more areas in the park for the crowd to go to.

So their problems are: how to limit crowds on what would be huge days like this, or how to expand infrastructure to handle them.  It's a good problem to have.

411

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Numbers today

« on: December 21, 2017, 11:44:50 AM »

SirWillow, did you have a good time?  Hubs and I went, and it was great.  Parking lots were full, and no handicap parking was available, but it didn't really seem that crowded.  The longest line I saw was for kettle corn and the curly potato things on a stick.  We walked on the last train ride of the day.  It was edgy leaving, but people in line to buy things were intermixed with people trying to exit which slowed things to a crawl.  I overheard an employee with a clipboard talking to other employees telling them they'd be giving up their parking area today and needed to be in Branson West for pick up to work.  With weather in mid 60's I predict today will be a cluster.

We had a great time.  Saw and did everything that we wanted to with no problems- Dickens, Saloon, Nativity, Outlaw Run, Powder Keg, Wildfire and more. Didnt' have problems with the crowds as they were quite manageable.  But you could also tell that they were getting ready to be huge later on this week. With many schools out starting today, yes, it's getting ready to start the ugly packed season where every day will be like last Saturday. Probably our last visit for the year.

412

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

« on: December 20, 2017, 09:37:57 AM »

I wonder if they are trying to focus group test some people as well to see what the reaction will be when they open and how they can better "frame" the ride so people will actually try it out.

What they need are some reaction videos on youtube. That's how kids these days form an opinion. 

Legally they can't.  They are extremely restricted on who they can put on it because it hasn't passed madated safety tests and test circuits yet, been certified by the state, cleared by the manufacturer.  AT this point it's actually Mack that is running the ride still, and it has to pass a lot of safety checks and test runs before they turn it over to the park.  So right now it's only who Mack is allowing on it- meaning their construction people and contractors- and no one from SDC.

413

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Numbers today

« on: December 20, 2017, 08:10:56 AM »

Heading out there today with my daughter.  Optimistic it will be a light crowd today.

414

Branson Talk / Re: New Waterpark proposed for Branson area

« on: December 20, 2017, 08:10:13 AM »

More info from today's Branson Tri-Lakes News -- the road to the proposed resort would be a road by the Steak and Shake across from the old Celebration City.

http://bransontrilakesnews.com/news_free/article_0c806d5a-e4f1-11e7-967f-6fc1bd93f9ff.html

Sure looks like just down the road from Mutton Hollow.  They've still got that same description in there late that makes no sense at all.  If it's using the road by Steak and Shake, then it's going to be near impossible to have 76 to the south of it unless they dig a road under 76 and into that mountain there.  I think whoever typed that up must have made a mistake and meant it will be south of 76, not the other way around.

415

Branson Talk / Re: HFE sells Ride the Ducks Branson to Ripley's

« on: December 20, 2017, 08:06:45 AM »

Interesting that they just sold the Branson franchise and not the entire chain

yeah. Really odd.  Wonder why they split it off like that.

416

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

« on: December 20, 2017, 08:05:00 AM »

I saw a video someobody posted of a test run.  The train was full of riders.  I assume employees.

Not park employees. Not yet.  More than likely people from Mack and the construction/ assembly crews that built the ride.  Traditionally they are given the first rides after the initial test runs are successful.

417

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

« on: December 19, 2017, 10:38:36 AM »

^ What Shave said.  lol

The drop out of the station is going to be interesting.  I wonder though if it's that it's trimmed so much as "held back" some while it's still in the station until it clears a certain point.  Maybe to prevent it from moving quickly while close to people waiting for the ride? (not that it should be an issue since launched coasters do that...)  I already figured though it you really want to experience the drop you'll want to be near the back of the train.

and good thoughts on the "thrill vs. intensity" debate i think many will have with it.  I'm looking forward to it.

418

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Numbers today

« on: December 17, 2017, 07:52:40 AM »

it was absolutely a zoo of a day.

I dropped my wife off to meet a friend at 11:30.  Wasn't to bad then, but every sign at that point was it was going to be ugly huge.

When I came back just after 6pm, the line of traffic on 76 was still still backed up over a half mile to get in, and both lanes heading up to the park were jammed and not moving. I finally got over to Indian Point and skipped it and met them at lot JD (Just Dirt) they recently built.

Seeing what I saw, honestly I'm thinking that 22k is low.  Sand, do you know if that number was updated at 7:00, or if it was just the number available at 7:00.  Oftentimes when it's really busy like that, they don't get it updated on time.

Final number should be available now, but I no longer have the phone number to call and check like I used to.  :-(

419

Branson Talk / Re: New Waterpark proposed for Branson area

« on: December 16, 2017, 10:39:07 AM »

Sounds like it could be a fun, neat addition.  Isn't this the second such one proposed in the last several months?  Or is this the same one that was in the news just a few months back.  Should be interesting to see the artwork when/ if it comes out.

Their location as described sure left me confused though.  It says:

  According to plans provided Thursday to members of a newly formed TIF commission, the redevelopment site is bounded to the east by Henning State Forest, to the south by Branson’s entertainment strip, to the west by a future four-lane loop highway and Table Rock Lake and to the north by Silver Dollar City.

Ummm, what?  76 to the south and SDC to the North?  That doesn't exactly make a lot of sense since SDC is south of 76 and well past where it would be called the entertainment strip.  I'm guessing the highway they are referring to is 265, but not exactly sure.

420

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

« on: December 15, 2017, 05:31:22 PM »

Sorry guys, you're mistaken.  I can understand the confusion because SDC hasn't fully explained and the animation on it was particularly bad on that aspect.  But you're a bit confused on how this works when it comes to the rotating.

This is a gravity/ physics spin, with the spinning starting/ caused in the same way as on other spinning coasters.  The "control" is on how fast it can spin, not on direction or when/ where it starts.  It won't spin on the drop because there aren't any forces changing direction from side to side which is what causes the spin.  That's why it will start on the turns.  But it isn't going to be a rapid/ fast spin because they have "brakes" that limit how fast it will rotate.

I would imagine that, like other spinning coasters, it's a separate mechanism on it that straightens out the cars when they get back to the station.