Last Day of the 2011 Season

[Gilligan]

DollarCity, I'm with you.  More than anything, I wish for the AP tunnel to be brought back to its finest.  I can't imagine that it could cost that much to refurbish.  It's the small change that I notice the most.
My bucket list:  - Refurbish the AP tunnel
                     - Dump the visible soda machines
                     - Keep the craftsman (dh's suggestion - and mine)
                     - Death to the basketballs and airbrushing
                     - Return of ALL the skillet dinners and offer at reasonable price (Dh's suggestion)
                     - Leave the woodcarvers in current location (again from DH)
                     - Get rid of obnoxious timeshare pitch and Humana signs that ruin good photos
                     - More street shows
                     - Return the Hatfield/McCoy dispute
                     - Offer fish dinners at Owen's Fish Camp instead of burgers and Philly Steak Sand.
                     - Offer the wedge of cheese at Mine Rest. and put on menu at the vendors
                        (Dh's suggestion)  I told him not to hold his breath on this one!
                     - Hire me as Education Director!  I have some great ideas - Readers Theatre, Turkey Tango, old fashioned kids' games during Kids Fest, take advantage of National Science Day - that's all my secrets I'm willing to reveal!)

Happy New Year Everyone!!  Yeah, I like that Apple Butter reconstruction idea, too!  Enough said!

[MissinTheGreenTrams]

love them all and your DH too!!! ahhh how we all love our little city!!

[Junior]

Re:"and more publicity for the cave."  Back in 1959, the Herschends made their annual improvements to the cave and enjoyed a good season from it only. Winter of '59, they built the first few buildings for SDC and opened up the town in 1960. People came in droves. At the end of 1960, they did a count of how many people visited, and figured attendance had quadrupled. That's what led Pete Herschend to say, "that's when we realized we were in the theme park business." The cave is the first tourist roadside attraction they opened, SDC was supposed to just be something for people to look at and do while waiting for their cave tour. Now, many people visit SDC and don't even realize they are walking around above the longest operating show cave in Missouri.

[tiffanylynnt]

I was just looking at pictures from when I was little and they need to re open Huck Finn's Hideaway. Great memories in that thing!

[Twinsmom98]

I agree with getting rid of the basketballs I get real tired of hearing the bouncing all over the park.  My girls needed one and after they got one they sat in the garage losing air.

I would love for them to open Huck Finn treehouse again alot of good memories with my son.

[shavethewhales]

I can't imagine what a nightmare it would be if Huck Finn's Hideaway reopened these days without a complete rebuild. I truly doubt a large portion of today's guests would literally fit through the entryways to get up into the tree house. It was designed for kids to kind of run through it more or less by themselves, which parents these days would probably sue over    Honestly, after I read all the parent's reactions to HDH, I was able to see a lot more clearly why both the treehouse and Tom Sawyers' landing met their demise...

Still though, if I could suggest any improvements, I would rebuild Grandfather's Mansion so it could live on. Expand the hallways, throw in an elevator, and add a bypass around the tilted room to start. Maybe add a couple of rooms if there's space.

I also second getting rid of the timeshare people and promoting the craftsmen over everything else in the park.

[How-doFolks]

Thank You All for responses about the cave.

[tiffanylynnt]

I can't imagine what a nightmare it would be if Huck Finn's Hideaway reopened these days without a complete rebuild. I truly doubt a large portion of today's guests would literally fit through the entryways to get up into the tree house. It was designed for kids to kind of run through it more or less by themselves, which parents these days would probably sue over 

My wish for the new year... People to lighten up! There are so many laws and too many paranoid people nowadays. I understand most of it, but there are some people who are just waaayyyy too extreme! If the parents don't want the kids to go thru by themselves, then don't let them. Should we get into the "don't ruin it for other people" thing again?   

[sanddunerider]

treehouse could be completely redone and would be less than the expense that HDH was.

Of course the same thing could be said for GM..

The worst part is IF they were to rebuild either one, we would lose the "little' thing that we all remember and love about the attractions.

[How-doFolks]

yeah! what tiffanylynnt said....

[Junior]

Hard for some of you younger folks to remember this or know about this, but Huck Finn's Hideaway, previously known as Herman the Hermit's Treehouse, was open to all people, kids and adults. The net crawl on the suspension bridge was added after the Huck Finn's Hideway re-theme about 1981 or 1982. I personally think it was done to keep heavier adults out of the structure. I remember about that time they had to reinforce it, as it was showing its age then. Shave is right, though, that concrete hollowed out tree staircase is narrow, and frankly today's adults and many kids are a lot wider then in decades past. So a major facelift would be needed to reopen that place. I really wish they would, though. It is a true classic. I first went up in the treehouse with my parents in 1970, and worked part time there 1981-1983.

[tiffanylynnt]

yeah! what tiffanylynnt said....

I'm glad somebody agrees with me! I thought I was sounding kinda mean, but I didn't know any other way to make my point.

[palallin]

I remember doing the tree house when my mom went through with me--dim memories, to be sure.  I took my son through the treehouse when he was about three, and, yes, i had problems getting through, but that didn't bother me 

As for the train: not HO.  Way too fragile for kids and too small to play with anyway.  Make it G.  LGB already has an engine that is a dead ringer for the ones currently in use.  It will be pricier, but it will last, and the kids (and parents!) won't need magnifying glasses to put the thing on the rails.

Signed:
The guy who got OUT of HO model RRing 

[Injun Joe]

G is waaaaaay too big.  Never.  Might as well make it a Lionel while you're at it.

But hey if it's somebody elses money I'm spending here, by all means;  I'll find me a small warehouse and build White Water while I'm at it.

edit: added last sentence
edit: added last sentence

[mbrownx4]

On the subject of the big productions, ie A Dickens Christmas Carol, I would definitely buy a DVD of that production!  In fact, I would buy several-gifts for those who can't get to the city.  I personally would need 2 because I would probably wear the first out in the first year.