Your 5 Year Plan for SDC

[Swoosh]

I know we have a lot of "arm chair imagineers" here on our board - so I am curious what your 5 year plan would be for SDC.  Start with 2016 since 2015 is obviously already in place.

I'll add mine here eventually, just curious what you would do -- keep it as reasonable as you can, but at the same time money is not an issue. 

[DianaGail]

2016--ride clean up.  We just got a big new area.  Revamp American plunge, refinish the rides in the expo, because let's be honest...the peeling and chipping paint on the rides looks terrible. 

2017--time for a new coaster.  I don't ride coasters so I don't care what kind.  Since it's been 4 years since  outlaw run, it's time to bring a new one in. 

2018--off year.  Upgrades and general park improvement.

2019--4 years since fireman  expansion.  Replace some grand expo  rides.  Perhaps a new ride or 2 in the expo of possible for small children. 

2020-3 years since new coaster.  Time for another new one.  Again, I don't care which since I don't ride them.

[chittlins]

Can't do a 5 year, has to be a 10 year.

2016
A first in the industry coaster. Based on GCI's Shuttle Wood Coaster Concept in the Waterboggin area
Water Wagons gone to fetch water to the fire down in the landing.


2017
Eyeing the employee parking lot as a potential expansion area, I'd build a true, authentic period looking Roundhouse with a turntable. It builds on the AUTHENTICNESS of the park as a working city and Where the visitors see the trains getting worked on behind well themed barriers.


2018
A flat ride or two.  Add a feed lot themed building out on the Outlaw Run spur housing cow themed bumper cars, two sizes small for the kiddies and big for tweeners and up. Cows go crazy realizing their fate. Add a restaurant here that specializes in all things beef including a ribeye steak sandwich and a new big skillet recipe that uses thinly sliced sirloin strips and park made jerky. Very small footprint ferris wheel themed to wagon wheels. Start on the parking lot expansion infrastructure.



2019 American Plunge refurb. Add another drop.  Add a bobsled type coaster in the same footprint have it cross over the second drop with the possibility of getting sprayed when both are sync'd just right. Maybe make it a dueling bobsled coaster to increase capacity. Continue building new area. SDC opts to use themed buildings instead of raised berms to block view of 76 and keep you in the "City" Some of these buildings will have the required themed fronts but actually still house some back of operations. Ideal Location of new dark ride  coaster for 2020.




2020, The new area opens up, no specific theme, just more City! The main attraction, a new dark ride coaster housed in the Ice House, it's a spinner based on Mack's multicar trains and features a non inverting loop as you slip and slide through the perils of working with ice. Lots of fog with light effects.


Also part of new area is an actual Dinner Show with live entertainment as you eat. Prebooking required, With guests at SDC's new resort with indoor waterpark getting priority(like Disney) One hour long. Of course, there's an upcharge for this but the meal is included like Dixie Stampede.



2021
Flooded Mine gets rid of the shooter aspect and gets retro'd back to a true dark ride that tells a story with updated animatronics and more realistic effects to truly keep you on the edge. SDC opens up coin op shooting gallery in the dead area around Red Gold and Frisco Barn.

2022
Refurb Thunderation. Add tunnel to last drop to hide backstage area. Park upkeep.

2023 The return of Rube Dugan's Diving Bell, using bendable OLED screens and all the other advances in tech to sell the realistic aspect of a long along SDC classic story. The story hasn't changed one damn bit.

2024
New restaurant experiences

2025 new cutting edge innovative coaster.

[Junior, too!]

Of course, I'm Mr. Old school, so revamp/rebuild the treehouse, better theme at the plunge, the area around the waterfall and behind the lumbercamp is a good location for a mid size coaster or another take on a flume ride. I like a redone float trip with the "creature on the creek" Momo the monster theme,  and I am for a new road/pathway from the AP/Wildfire queue area around thru the woods to Powderkeg with a Butterfield Stagecoach theme with an area for shops and a few midsize rides...maybe a coaster wedged in there. Also still would like to see Uncle Rube and his diving bell reappear. I do like the idea of a winged coaster and a mystery mine. Of course, I know most of my ideas may not be practical, but a guy can dream, can't he?

[History Buff]

I don't know about five years, but some of these can be done simultaneously:

Completely rebuild American Plunge with Momo theme; call it Expedition:  Momo.

New restaurant experience (like Rainforest Cafe) with Mark Twain theme; include authentic Ozarks wildlife and aquariums; restaurant is available to SDC guests and non-ticket-holders by placing it on an outside edge, easily accessible to Hwy 76 parking lot.

Roving 1880s characters - no more cartoons; all employees and clerks are also given character training.

New summertime musical in Opera House:  Marmaros!

Revamp the old comedies in Riverfront Playhouse; rotate to a different show every two years.

New stunt show lumberjack saloon built in the waterfall area to compete with current saloon.

Put the Fountain of Youth in LR, falling bridge in FitH, and the splashout in PK.

Remove shootout from FM and promote it as historical ride.

Signage to honor SBNO attractions.

Remove excessive queue for ThuNderaTion and replace with a 4D mine cart experience.

4D Diving Bell!

Train roundhouse.

Soaring ride over the 1880s Ozarks

Dark ride based on Ozarks tornado

[MoOzark]

Silver Dollar City Five Year Plan

2016

White River Heritage Center – A new SDC visitor center and museum with exhibits about the Native Americans of the region, the pioneers or the Ozarks, Marvel Cave history, Harold Bell Wright and the Shepherd of the Hills, and Stone County history. It will also have a complete wing showing the history of Silver Dollar City with an exhibit of early SDC signs and art, collections of SDC souvenirs, the Beverly Hillbillies, and walk-through replicas of rides, such as Rube Dugan’s Diving Bell. 

SDC Book Monger – A return of the book store with a greatly expanded selection of books about the Ozarks. Also, an antiquarian book section with first editions, autographed books, special bindings, Ozark photos and postcards for the discriminating collector.  Visitors will be given bookmarks with the SDC book website so they can order something they wish they had gotten when they were there. 


2017

Rube Dugan’s Flyin’ Contraption – A flight simulation ride similar to Epcot’s Soarin’. Silver Dollar City’s most famous inventor, Rube Dugan, has invented an amazing flying machine and he is looking for a few volunteers to accompany him on the maiden flight.

Men and Women’s Finery – Since men and women shopped for clothes in separate stores in the 1880s, there is a Men’s Clothing Emporium and Women’s Fine Millinery (however the stores will have connections on the inside). There is clothing for anyone wanting to be a historical re-enactor for the 1880s, a steam-punk freak, or just look cool. There will be jewelry, gloves, and shoes in the front. In the back is clothing for what ever you want to be: soldier, cowboy, outlaw, miner, lumberjack, undertaker, railroad baron, prairie housewife, saloon girl, sexy schoolmarm, or what ever. 

Steam Punk Emporium – Every steam punk accessory you can image.


2018

Aunt Mollies Boarding House – Aunt Mollie has opened a brand new boarding house in SDC. The rooms are all full, rented out to miners and railroad workers but there are plenty of tables in the dining hall. This new restaurant is the finest eatin’ place in the city. This is not a stand-in-line, fast food joint. It is a fancy, upscale, sit-down and get-waited-on place for the folks who have a little more time and want a high quality supper. And the menu will make your mouth water. You can choose between many fancy vittles, such as, fried chicken, steaks, shrimp, fried oysters, catfish, roast opossum (in season of course),   sandwiches, salads, and no-tellin’ what else. There will be real silverware (at least silver-plate) and cloth napkins that you will be instructed to tie around your neck.

2019

Duganville – A brand new sister city. Duganville is a rough-and-tumble sawmill town. You can get there by riding the train and getting off at the new Duganville Depot, or you can walk down the Duganville nature trail which is a short walk through the quiet woods.

Lumber Jack Competition – Several times a day in Duganville, the lumberjacks come out to see who is the best at choppin’, tree climbin’, cross-cut saw, log skidding with oxen and mules, a steam tractor race, and log rolling in the mill pond. It usually ends up in disagreement, then the fists go up and their might be a little gun play. The sheriff usually has to get involved.

2020

The Old Dark House – There is a creepy old house on the hill in Duganville. The townsfolk are afraid to go in there. So, they are looking for a few brave volunteers to check it out for them. It is a continuous loading ride where visitors sit in wagons that mysteriously drive themselves through the house. It is dark and creepy but no blood, gore, demons, or anything satanic.

[chittlins]

Rube Dugan’s Flyin’ Contraption – A flight simulation ride similar to Epcot’s Soarin’. Silver Dollar City’s most famous inventor, Rube Dugan, has invented an amazing flying machine and he is looking for a few volunteers to accompany him on the maiden flight.

That's a good idea and could be done also with a flat ride like Zamperla's Air Race

[Injun Joe]

Cows go crazy realizing their fate.

LOL.  Good one.

including a ribeye steak sandwich and a new big skillet recipe that uses thinly sliced sirloin strips and park made jerky

uhh...got drool?

[runner1960]

Here is my Take on it.

2016- This would be a year of refurbishment and rehab. Flooded mine would get a major overhaul Guns would disappear and modern technology would be brought into the ride, utilizing water screens, upgraded animitronics , and 3d/4d effects. Fire in the hole would get its lost track segment back with general upgrades to the scenes. The falling bridge would come back and the ride would get back to telling a story line. Grandfathers mansion would also get a major overhaul. You would also see midtown revitalized with a morning coffee and pastry shop featuring cinnamon pull apart bread from the Mill. AP also gets a little love. GE rides get new paint and theming.

2017- A new wing coaster appears between PK an WF. Also SDC opens a new Fine dining restaurant accessible from inside and outside the park. During the summer you will also see some work going on behind lake silver.

2018- The work behind lake silver was in preparation for the new train route creating a new outer perimeter for the park. The train debuts with a new station  in the spring. Summer work will continue on the old track to remove all the old tracks. The old treehouse area gets a new interactive walk through attraction highlighting the history of Marvel cave and SDC.

2019- During the fall and winter the old overbuilt Queue for wildfire and areas behind the waterfall have been cleared for the new AP flume mountain. Lots of animatronics and effects inside the mountain with multiple drops. This attraction will rival Disney's splash mountain for  thrill and theming.

2020- The old train route is now home to a new worlds fastest, tallest , and steepest out and back wooden coaster. The loading shed and exit are near the old waterboggan area and will run the route backwards.

[shavethewhales]

2020-3 years since new coaster.  Time for another new one. 

lol, I'm was surprised to see this sentiment on this site. Even I think three years is a quick cycle for new coasters. That what got Six Flags into trouble with their old management. Love the coasters, but its weird how quickly we've gotten used to seeing new ones, especially since they keep getting more expensive.


For me, if I were in charge for 5 years with an unlimited bank account I would focus on a different area of the park each year to bring back that SDC magic and atmosphere. It's been interesting watching the way people are ooing and awing over the thematics and immersion of the new Harry Potter areas at USF. I still want SDC to compete with that using the allure of Ozark life in the 1880's.

I'd start with Grand Expo. I'd get rid of the elephants and the games between the galleon and electro spin. Then I'd move the galleon and racing regattas farther back and space them out a bit with some new theming between them to create a little "innovations in shipping" area like what was originally intended. Then I'd add a custom ferris wheel that looks like a scale model of the original at the STL world's fair. I'd also add an expo building that would hold some themed shopping and some exhibits that imitate what would be found at an 1880s worlds fair. With the rest of the area I'd add much more theming to turn the rides into the "exhibits" that they are supposed to be. I'd also want a couple of street entertainers, perhaps with a small "stage" or two where they could peddle whatever goofy wares you could conceive of at a 1880's worlds fair. I might find some way to fit a highly themed indoor coaster in there as well.

I could spend ages thinking up the perfect plan for the rest of the park over the years, but for now I'll just say that I'd want to see hand-painted signs, new andyisms and atmospheric details to make just walking through the park an experience worth repeating. As far a major capital expenditures/expansions, I'd want a huge dark ride experience, a new/expanded rapids ride, a new flume (with all the fixings like AP used to have), and to top it all off, an Intamin giga going out over the road (away from the park) with a classic bunny-hill profile going out, and a more twisted, terrain-following layout on the back run.

[History Buff]

The problem with this is that it shouldn't be a World's Fair at all.  The World's Fair in St. Louis was in 1904 and does not fit the 1880s theme.  There were primitive "wheels", but the Ferris Wheel did not debut until 1893.

 GE only fits if it is a traveling carnival/county fair area.  BUT - I agree with most of your thoughts here.  SDC seems to be losing their shows.  Obviously, there could be a roaming barbershop quartet in the area, a traveling salesman as you mentioned, and even a comic brass band.  THAT's what's missing in the area.

[oldsdcer]

2016 should be the year of improvement.  a rebuild of AP, Fith, FM, and the Treehouse. These are the areas that a re loved by many of the people that have been coming to the park for years and are disapointed with their negelect vs a new coaster. A newer , bigger coaster is fine,but those elements in the smaller catagory of beloved attraction that make the atmosphere of the city special for thr family is falling away. Attraction like The Jim Owens Float Trip and the Diving Bell were simple, fun and themed for the whole family to enjoy. Considering that back in the 60's the GS was actually the Mule Swing and the new coaster was The Stagecoach, it seems that the some of the old attractions need to be looked after now because these are the memories that are cheaper to do now and continue the idea of a family experience. A big new coaster only let's one or two people have time together and usualy its the teen and young adults riding while the Grandparents and young childern are sitting and waiting. Fith, FM, and AP allow the entire family to be together and continues to build on memories of the past.

[Gilligan]

Slowly morph GE into a Barn Raising. That would fit in better.

[Junior, too!]

Regarding GE, I think the general idea of a world's fair concept may be based on the Chicago exposition which I think was in the late 1880s or early to mid 1890s. I didn't look it up so that is just a guess, although they probably were thinking about St. Louis in  1904 too.

[History Buff]

1893, but I don't think GE is supposed to be as bold as all that; to fit, it must be a traveling exposition, perhaps more along the lines of gypsies (but that's doubtful).