I was at the park on Saturday. I hadn't been to the fall festival in a couple years so I was excited to return, and I was reminded as to the reason fall-winter is my favorite time of year at SDC. I love the fall weather, the colors of the leaves, and the overall atmosphere at the park. I enjoyed several of the craftsmen/women booths around the square, although some were not overly impressive. Crowds were manageable all day, but it was pretty busy. Longest wait of the day was a little over an hour for Time Traveler first thing in the morning. I also waited the longest I have for Wildfire in quite some time. Later in the day, I got my first ride on PK for a couple years because the line wasn't too long. Normally I do not feel the need to wait for PK. I was reminded why, it feels like it has gotten a lot rougher since I rode it last. Still a fun ride though.
Highlight of the day for me was the stagecoach "show" with Cowboy Rick. I loved hearing the history of the stagecoach, getting to hear the story from them, and looking through their book. I already knew the early history of SDC, but I love that SDC is allowing the general public to hear it as well. I think it just enriches the overall quality of the park.
Now for my "SDCFan nitpicks." Why are cast members allowed to wear 21st century tennis shoes with their costumes? Yes, I know, for the normal guest this goes unnoticed. However, it really does take me out of the moment when I see the ride operators wearing Nike tennis shoes with 1880's dress otherwise. These kinds of costume infringements would not happen at Disney, which I feel needs to be the gold standard SDC should strive for when it comes to theme. Second nitpick is the merchandise selection at SDC. All I want is an SDC hoodie or sweater with the classic axe and log logo. However, all I can find anywhere in the park is clothes with roller coasters, trees, or mountains on them. Honestly, a lot of SDC's merchandise when it comes to clothing is targeted at a younger audience which is just really disappointing. A lot of it is not appealing to me at all. I would be willing to pay higher price for a higher quality clothing selection.
Overall, it was a great day even with those two minor complaints. I can't wait to make it back for OTC!