Messages

31

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Fire In the Hole/Flooded Mine

« on: May 26, 2018, 08:03:19 PM »

While I like Flooded Mine and FITH also, they don’t draw new people to the park.

The problem with drawing new people to the park, is that attendance, parking, and traffic are at the edge of making SDC that place that is so popular that everyone hates going there.

Focusing on big new rides instead of theming and the classics, also runs the risk of losing the multi-generation visitors who have been loyal for decades, and replacing them with people who will skip the city entirely if they don't have a huge new record-breaking ride every other year.

32

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Fire In the Hole/Flooded Mine

« on: May 19, 2018, 01:11:07 AM »

I would not be surprised if one day they decide having the gun on the train robbery will be deemed too controversial and get rid of that, perhaps get rid of a robbery completely.

I'm one of those old-timers who would cheer to see the guns gone from FM. Not because "gunz!", but because they're distracting. It used to be a ride of wonderment and discovery and imagination; now it's just constant pew-pew-pew, and no one sees the story unfold.

33

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Webcams? yes or no..

« on: May 19, 2018, 01:08:09 AM »

Something different: what park fan wouldn't love a Google Street View version of the park map, that is updated with each new attraction?

We talked about this a few years ago. Google actually has a pedal trike version now, for pedestrian zones. SDC could make a mule-drawn version. 

It would have to be done before opening, to avoid all the processing power of blurring out faces (plus the problem of people just being in the way).

34

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Attendance numbers

« on: May 19, 2018, 12:48:15 AM »

This weekend's numbers were insane. ...

I don't know how to fix it... probably need a LOT more signage at the very least... They need to build more parking lots somewhere as well, obviously. Perhaps use Celebration city as a dedicated satellite parking lot, and advertise it as such. I know they were parking buses out there this weekend. Only problem is that they need a direct access route for the shuttles.

The answer is easy, as you point out: a dedicated entrance for shuttles, more satellite parking, and more buses.

The problem is getting people to know about it, understand it, and actually do it. We're Americans: we drive where we're going. We don't take the bus. We want our car right there and available to us so that we can choose our own schedule, even if it adds three hours to the trip.

People aren't logical. I retired four years ago, so now I work for a regional banner of a very large grocery chain (one of the top three in the country). People got mad when we took out the self-check lanes, even though they're ridiculously slow; the customers are "doing something", so it feels faster. We know objectively that having someone bagging makes the total checkout time much faster, but everyone hates being the second cart in line; they'd rather we open another lane so that they can actively put their groceries on the belt, and bag their own, because it feels faster, because they're doing something.

Same for driving: you can't convince people that being on that slow bus, making multiple stops, is faster.

35

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Fire In the Hole/Flooded Mine

« on: May 19, 2018, 12:09:40 AM »

This is where I repeat that FITH needs a redo with modern tech that includes a Drop Track at the Burning Bridge and then launch into the dark finish.

It was like that, or something very similar, long long ago.

36

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Webcams? yes or no..

« on: May 06, 2018, 11:18:06 PM »

Outside of people at home seeing the crowds on busy days and deciding not to go, what would the value of it be?

Much more important to the park, what benefit would it get out of it?

That would be the value of it: to the park and its employees, and to visitors.

Scheduling is a nightmare in any customer-drive business. Moreso in a business subject to changing customer counts because of the vagaries of weather.

I work for a company that is the third largest in its industry in the US, and breathing down the neck of #2. It's an industry used by every single person in the US. A few years ago they purchased a nationally-known competitor specifically because of their superior computer systems, and now they're rolling it out to all banners, so that the parent company has unity across all its stores.

"Customers make appointments", as they told us when we were dreading the change. Even though it doesn't seem obvious in a business where anyone can walk through the door at any time, they do. Our auto-scheduling system takes in an amazing amount of fine-grained data and compares the previous four years' worth of sales data against all available variables.

It would be nice for visitors if the park scheduled for 26k through the turnstiles and only 3k showed up, and nobody got sent home, but that's not a business reality. For the park, it's a disaster if they schedule for 5k and 20k show up.

37

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Blacksmiths

« on: May 04, 2018, 11:13:34 PM »

In the blacksmith "circle of life  ), the word is that they have a hard time keeping blacksmiths for a couple of reasons.  One being, the PTB are more interested in them making the cast aluminum signs and meeting a quota on them rather than actual smithing.

I go back to the Shad Heller days, and the cast aluminum trinkets instead of actual blacksmithing was the sales model even then. Of course, it was not appropriate for the theme, then nor now.

There is a huge interest in bladesmithing now, and a great market for actual artisan blacksmithing. There are smiths available, but only if the park will let them make and sell their wares.

38

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Webcams? yes or no..

« on: May 04, 2018, 10:47:07 PM »

Parking lots, and traffic on 76. 

39

Other Parks / Re: Former Schlitterbahn KC exec charged with manslaughter

« on: March 27, 2018, 08:03:17 PM »

SDC had the good sense to remove the Waterboggan before things got worse.

I loved the ride, but it was rough, and lots of people got bounced around in ways they shouldn't have.

40

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: 2018 Trip Reports

« on: March 23, 2018, 08:29:18 PM »

It’s crazy busy today....Thursday of spring break.  2.5 hr wait on TT.  The wait times on the app are not even close to being right.  0 time listed on FM but the line is out to the train station.

Sounds like they need a Waze version of the park apps, with real-time updates by users.

41

Other Parks / Former Schlitterbahn KC exec charged with manslaughter

« on: March 23, 2018, 08:26:44 PM »

http://www.wcvb.com/article/former-schlitterbahn-executive-facing-manslaughter-charge-in-water-slide-death/19577801

Tyler Miles was booked in the Wyandotte County Jail Friday and charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of 10-year-old Caleb Schwab.

42

Branson Talk / Re: Classic Motor Inn 2018 - Call K.D. @ 417 334 6991

« on: March 17, 2018, 12:36:32 AM »

Still dog friendly?

I'm trying to plan how to spend my Powerball money. While I could afford a lot more, I'd rather spend it with people who welcome dogs. 

43

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

« on: March 14, 2018, 11:13:06 PM »

Did anyone have issues with the size/height/weight restrictions that some folks worried about?

44

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Easter at SDC

« on: March 12, 2018, 07:09:05 PM »

Off topic to the subject of your post, but you mentioned Cedar Point. I just saw a virtual video of their new RMC-built coaster, "Steel Vengeance". It looks like RMC is continuing to build off of Outlaw Run

45

Dollywood Discussion / Re: Dolly Drops out of Dollywood opening parade........

« on: February 11, 2018, 07:25:36 PM »

It's funny that Dollywood is the exact opposite corner of TN from Memphis.

I always wanted to go to Graceland, but every time I got beat up by I-40 from LR to Memphis, and then navigated the constant construction zone that is Memphis itself, I quickly talked myself out of stopping by for a tour.