Author Topic: Crowd Levels?  (Read 7804 times)

shavethewhales

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Crowd Levels?
« on: July 16, 2007, 06:16:40 PM »
So I've been hearing conflicting reports about how well SDC is doing this season. Some say that this is the busiest season ever, and that parking lot L (the one way out in the field miles from the park) is consistently used. Others say that the crowds have been average, and most rides have short waits. I know crowd levels vary radically, but does anyone know how the park has been doing on average?

Also, is CC making money yet? I notice they canned the $20 deal, and now the price is back up close to $30.

Joy

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Re: Crowd Levels?
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2007, 08:20:54 PM »
Well, it was pretty busy the weekend I was there in April, and that was even with the Saturday temps being extremely cold and it being rainy....

I wonder if perhaps there are more vehicles, but less people per vehicle, than usual? Which could account for higher traffic, but average crowds....

Or people are just going on different days and therefore seeing the effects of what weekdays are busier than others.

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shavethewhales

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Re: Crowd Levels?
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2007, 03:55:19 PM »
I was told that this weekend would be one of SDC's busiest, as odd as that is. Has anyone gone?

Coaster

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Re: Crowd Levels?
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2007, 03:56:09 PM »
Why is it going to be one of the busiest??
"May there always be a Silver Dollar City..."

shavethewhales

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Re: Crowd Levels?
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2007, 03:59:51 PM »
Who knows, but this is going to be one of the weekends with some of the biggest names in Gospel, so that should draw quite a few people. Remember, SDC largest crowd-draw are older Christian folk who come for the music, shows, and shops.

Coaster

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Re: Crowd Levels?
« Reply #5 on: September 09, 2007, 04:01:44 PM »
Yeah, that's one of the gems of SDC. The gospel and the Christian atmosphere.
"May there always be a Silver Dollar City..."

Copper

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Re: Crowd Levels?
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2007, 01:44:16 AM »
The City isn’t doing badly. The hard rains this spring and June really hurt the attendance, but that is something you have to deal with being a theme park. Last year was probably one of the best years. During the Christmas season they set the record attendance for a single day, it was close to 25,000.

shavethewhales

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Re: Crowd Levels?
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2007, 03:41:57 PM »
I hope it stays that way. From what I've heard, they've been gaining about 200,000 visitors each year since 2005, and that's pretty impressive, but I still remember in 2003-2004 when there were layoffs due to failing attendance.

Coaster

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Re: Crowd Levels?
« Reply #8 on: September 10, 2007, 07:43:16 PM »
And that's a reason they build Powderkeg. To better the attendance.
"May there always be a Silver Dollar City..."

shavethewhales

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Re: Crowd Levels?
« Reply #9 on: September 18, 2007, 08:25:02 PM »
In case you haven't seen the article from yesterday on the home page, we know officially know that SDC hasn't been doing so well this season. So far attendance has come in 30,000 under what was projected, but they hope to make it up in the fall and be at their usual 2 million by the end of the year.

It's disheartening though, because they did just spend $6 million on a major new ride/area, and any decrease in attendance is thus doubly bad news. This is the kind of thing that will slash budgets, especially on projects like the Mansion re-hab. Hopefully it won't hurt the 2008 improvements budget or the possible 09' woodie plans.

Joy

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Re: Crowd Levels?
« Reply #10 on: September 19, 2007, 12:09:54 AM »
I think that 30,000 was probably lost early in the year due to the weather. I think the weather affected a lot of places in the region.

I fully expect them to completely regain their footing over the fall and Christmas season. With the new stuff for both festivals, they should do well in bringing the people in.

~ "Becky" Joy ~

Copper

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Re: Crowd Levels?
« Reply #11 on: September 19, 2007, 12:33:02 AM »
Don’t be too sad. I don’t know if this is conman knowledge, but when Wildfire opened it didn’t improve the City’s attendance like they hoped. The tragedy of 9-11 killed many parks attendance, but not SDC’s. It wasn’t until the following year that the park had attendance problems. So, I don’t think this will hinder too many projects. They might cut back some; it would be the smart thing to do. I just don’t see them scratching all of it.

Tom

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Re: Crowd Levels?
« Reply #12 on: September 19, 2007, 09:59:14 PM »
I find it remarkable that they have not had bigger attendance problems.  The weather  has been outstandingly bad.  I really think that when the weather allowed for it, that people totally packed the park out.  I don't think that I've been there with higher concentrations of people than this spring.  If the weather is nice this fall, I agree that there are going to be so man people in the park that it will be uncomfortable throughout the first five hours of the park's day.

shavethewhales

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Re: Crowd Levels?
« Reply #13 on: September 19, 2007, 10:48:13 PM »
If that's the case, I can't imagine what the Christmas season will be like. I might be going down there on Black Friday, the park's busiest day. We'll see if I can even get in, last year we had to park miles away.