Not in Miss Mary's Time! (MAJOR breaks in the SDC Theme.)

[Ozark Outlaw]

Well, that’s one way to leave an impression Tina!

Now, I will have to stop by Sullivan's Mill, and see if I can walk in your foot steps.

[sanddunerider]

WOW!!!!!  OZARK!!  you need some sleep.....

[okiebluegrass]

<groan> really Ozark!!!!!   

[Ozark Outlaw]

Really? You guys are a mess.

Anyway to avoid a larger thread derailment… um so yeah I agree those curly florescent light bulbs at the Ice Cream Parlor are definitely out of theme. Mhm.

[Gilligan]

Thanks everyone for the well wishes and prayers you sent up for my mom - a complete stranger to you!  She is improving daily.  Wishing everyone a great holiday no matter what you are doing!

[MagnoliaWhisper]

I absolutely agree with the rant! lol

I have been saying this for YEARS!

I will say most of the things I listed specifically that I thought needed changing, SDC did eventually change.

When you visit the park often there is people out front taking names and email addresses, you will then be put in to a pool of people they survey. They give several surveys a year, asking about different things they want to do to the park and what your thoughts are. At the end, they ask for additional comments. I always specifically say my concerns (same as has been being stated here). And I have seen some changes come about.

For instance, for a while they were going with this 1950's/1960's theme. Even for the Echo Hollar show. And I complained about that several times! I told them I could go lots of places for that theme, including at the time they had opened their other theme park Celebration City. I went to SDC for the 1880's theme. Not that I don't like the 50's/60's I like them just fine, it's just not what I go to SDC for. Any way, two seasons later they came back with more "country ozark" style music.

Then another complaint I had was the Ye Old Stitchin' post taken out to put in ALL these modern shops (like the toy shop, I would love it if they would sell wooden made in America blocks, or toys there, not all that plastic junk that isn't even cheap so why spend money on it any way when you could get the same stuff cheaper elsewhere!) Any way, a season or so later they did add another sewing type shop. Not what Ye Old Stitchin' Post was but still better then the way they were going!

Any way, my point is, get on those survey things and specifically list your complaints. I really thought my cries would land on deaf ears, but surprisingly enough I did see some changes, when I specifically listed exactly what I didn't like and exactly what I wanted to see instead.

[MagnoliaWhisper]

oh and I almost forgot. I really raised a stink about the carousel being taken out. Besides the train it was probably one of the most original (theme correct) ride they had! I put that in my survey, but because that bothered me so much, I also emailed them, wrote to them from the site, AND called them on the phone! They brought it back! lol However, I must say ALL my communication with them over the carousel at first did not seem cared about at all. I got a lot of it was old and would cost too much money to fix. I was not buying that at all. For goodness sakes even small little malls, and city owned parks usually can keep at least the carousel up and running when they don't even have money budgets for rides almost at all. I was really upset by those answers, when they were spending money each year on brand new rides. And really rides from italy (that's what's in the new kids area, some of those rides came from italy) cost less then american made carousel's? I wasn't buying it!

[Ozark Outlaw]

I love your passion Magnolia!

Sure, the “big wigs” in Georgia can make decisions about things, but it is the consumer who really controls the show. It’s all about the money in the business world. We pay our hard earned money on what we like, and we keep our money on what we don’t like.

Listening to customer’s suggestions, and complaints is a great way for a business to stay ahead of the curve. I am glad Silver Dollar City does listen, at least a little bit.

[MagnoliaWhisper]

Thanks. I was pleasantly surprised as well to tell you the truth.

I kept filling out those surveys and really figured no one was going to read the additional comments, but I figured what the hey they asked, and that was in my thoughts so I added them. To actually see them change things was quite a surprise. However, I may not of been the only one complaining I don't know.

As for the Carousel that upset me so much, because my DD is nearly 5 but very very tiny, they took it out when she was 3 and it's her favorite ride, there is hardly (even with the Grand Expo area) any other rides she is allowed on because of her size, same as my DD2, and I'm sure all my children to come, because my husband and I are small people and just seem to have small children. So one it's her favorite ride and she could literally be happy riding it a thousand times a day and two it left her with only like one or two other rides she was allowed on at all, and she didn't like them nearly as well, it was pretty upsetting. At first I thought hmm maybe it's just being repaired but when they said no and they weren't bringing it back, wow, I was really upset! lol The train ride was the only family ride left (which we all LOVE, if they ever take the robbing show out of it, believe me there would be a stink from me again! This is a family favorite for my WHOLE family we never miss taking the train ride, EVERY time we go, and we go often!). And maybe, just maybe three, I live by one of the biggest carousel manufacturers in the country (Chance) and even once was going to work for them, and as a child the carousel was also my favorite, I just didn't understand taking it out of the park. Especially if cost was a issue they closed Celebration City why not use that one they had over there? Any way...again point is if you have a suggestion or a complaint let them know. They may not always do it, but they have several times.

I know also after I talked to Chef Zadar about some of the foods, and that most of my family was diabetics, they also started having map things of where the sugar free stuff was located! Now if they would only have sugar free (diet) rootbeer at the Saloon and the Ice Cream shop on tap (not just the bottles) for rootbeer floats and such, that would make my day! I have told them this several times! lol It resulted in them at least adding the glass bottles of diet rootbeer to the shops! But, they are so expensive, I can bring my own in the stroller. lol I want it on tap so I can get it in my refill mugs.

[okiebluegrass]

When I was there Sunday, I saw an air conditioner covered with strips of wood that made it blend in to the building it was attached to. Miss Mary would be proud

[Junior]

Soon I'll have to "purge" some of the photos on my Flickr site, so if you want to gaze again at some of the "Not in Miss Mary's Time" photos, look at them soon!

[Ozark Outlaw]

When I was there Sunday, I saw an air conditioner covered with strips of wood that made it blend in to the building it was attached to. Miss Mary would be proud

See, and that’s all it takes.

No one is expecting Silver Dollar City to be an authentic recreation of the 1880‘s. Simply by covering, or blending in a modern piece of equipment to give the illusion that it belongs in the 1880’s is all that Silver Dollar City has to do.

And Junior that would be swell!

[rubedugans]

My photos as well are getting full, but I would hate having someone access the beginning of one of the games, or the threads, and not have the photos to give them those memories or the full understanding of the conversation. I will have to eventually downgrade, but by then the book might be available, and I can just replace the images with the ad for my SDC text huh?

Back to the convo...I love the idea of camoflauging the items if they in fact are needed, wether it is a wooden facade to hide something, or a stove front in front of a space heater...things can be done!

[tiffanylynnt]

I've been thinking about this for a couple of days: I was over by the Giant Swing last Friday and they were playing Christmas songs from Glee. At first, I was thinking, "no, it couldn't be" but then some of my Show Choir friends were saying "Hey! That's Glee!" I don't have anything against Glee Christmas songs, but at SDC, it didn't seem to fit. 
And if they were trying to appeal to the teenage crowds, this was on a Friday when most teenagers are in school and it was mostly older people I saw at SDC that day.
I go to SDC to get away from pop music!

[sanddunerider]

your right tiffany, thats why i go to the city AND to branson.. 

to get away from "hustle and bustle and music" of the big city!