It's here. We are all sad the park will be closed for the next two and a half months. They will clean up, fix up, spruce up, paint up, and reopen mid March. Any thoughts on the 2011 season on this last day? General comments, hopes for 2012, so on? If anyone is on park today, please post a trip report and post photos. :)
Let the daydreaming begin!!!! ;D
Ahh off season, it's that time of year, when we all sit around talking about what my or may-not happen during these next 3 months. So many updates and things I would love to see during the off-season; but probally my #1 thing I would love to see updated/refurbished is the American Plunge; that tunnel is a sad reminder of what once was.
Happy last day SDC, we'll see ya next year! :)
1. Death to the basketballs/air brush crap
2. More street performances
3. Medium crowding when I am there
I would also like to see work done to AP. I hate the tunnel. Its lame.
Quote from: MissinTheGreenTrams on December 30, 2011, 01:18:43 PM
1. Death to the basketballs/air brush crap
2. More street performances
3. Medium crowding when I am there
That is my whole wishlist!!
I'd love to see a perfect reconstruction of the "apple butter cabin" that used to stand next to the entrance line for AP. I have great memories from the 80's and 90's of watching the guests faces as they came down the AP hill and then ducking into the apple butter cabin for an apple turnover. Since that's unlikely to happen I'll stick with the rest of the group and hope that we see a major removal of all things out of theme (basketballs, games you pay for, air brush junk, dip n dots, time share sales pitches, anything brought to me by Humana, etc.).
I just got home. I'll try to get a trip review up tomorrow, but here's a quick teaser:
Weather was phenomenal.
Crowds were about ideal (from both guests and SDC's perspective).
Park looked outstanding.
Stayed open longer than advertised.
Details to come.....
You said "goodbye" for me, right? ;)
I did.
I didn't realize at the time that my last day for the season was really my last day for the season :'(
We had planned on going again, but never got a chance to.
We made 2 trips to SDC this year. One with my parents, & one with a newbie. In my opinion, that is the best kind of people to go with. One trip was very slow & relaxing, the other trip was fast paced because there was almost 20,000 people there! I had fun like always, & have picture videos on YouTube to go back to & enjoy anytime i want. We had 2 other trips planned, but they didnt work out.
2012? For us, from now on, our trips will be on Sundays or during the week. So we can stay away from the crowds. We have a trip planned with my brother & his girlfriend in June or July for in the middle of the week.
The park itself? I would like to see bumper stickers make a come back, baldknobber t-shirts, maybe models of some of the attractions that you can put together your self. Could you imagine a model of the train or the FITH train?!
Some of the food places need a upgrade. And better discounts for season pass holders.
The cave needs some recognition. Its what started the whole thing but ya never hear about it in commercials or promotions.
We all still need to TRY & plan a SDC Fans Forum Day. 8)
Sleep tight SDC, Thanks for another great year! See ya soon!
I always have thought it would be cool if they would offer HO scale electric train sets of the Frisco/Silver Dollar Line, and HO scale SDC buildings, people, animals and other things like a stagecoach, buggys, wagons, and so on. Wouldn't that be a great present under someones Christmas tree...like mine! Also, why don't they reissue the Burl Ives' America show, and several of the albums and VHS tapes but on CD and DVD? I'd buy them all over again, really.
Quote from: Junior on December 31, 2011, 08:21:21 AM
I always have thought it would be cool if they would offer HO scale electric train sets of the Frisco/Silver Dollar Line, and HO scale SDC buildings, people, animals and other things like a stagecoach, buggys, wagons, and so on. Wouldn't that be a great present under someones Christmas tree...like mine! Also, why don't they reissue the Burl Ives' America show, and several of the albums and VHS tapes but on CD and DVD? I'd buy them all over again, really.
I'll second that, Junior. We have both vhs tapes from '91 and '98 and a broken vhs player. :( They either need to release those on DVD or tape a new one. We'd buy them as well.
Quote from: Junior on December 31, 2011, 08:21:21 AM
I always have thought it would be cool if they would offer HO scale electric train sets of the Frisco/Silver Dollar Line, and HO scale SDC buildings, people, animals and other things like a stagecoach, buggys, wagons, and so on. Wouldn't that be a great present under someones Christmas tree...like mine! Also, why don't they reissue the Burl Ives' America show, and several of the albums and VHS tapes but on CD and DVD? I'd buy them all over again, really.
Excellent ideas! Hopefully those that read this forum will take note.
~Like Junior said, I think HO scale of SDC buildings would be really cool, and then you can plug them in and turn it into OTC!
~I want to see Tinker come back for OTC!
~They should record the big stage productions on DVD and sell them.
~And more publicity for the cave.
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!
love them all and your DH too!!! ahhh how we all love our little city!! :D
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.
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!
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.
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 :P 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.
Thank You All for responses about the cave. ;)
Quote from: shavethewhales on December 31, 2011, 11:13:55 PM
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 :P
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? :-\
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.
yeah! what tiffanylynnt said....
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.
Quote from: How-doFolks on January 01, 2012, 10:28:17 AM
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.
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 ;D
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
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.
I would need to buy several copies too cuz apparently I'm good at wearing out DVDs lol
I would buy a DVD (or 2 or 3) of Dickens' Christmas Carol! Geez, I'd even buy a CD of the music.
They should make a 2-disc set with DVD & CD!
Quote from: tiffanylynnt on January 04, 2012, 11:32:28 PM
They should make a 2-disc set with DVD & CD!
Sounds like a plan! Where do I get in line?
Oooh, I'll need some SDC "Newsprint" wrapping-paper to wrap them in...
How cool would that be if they came out with a train set and some buildings. I would definitly buy every piece. Though mine would have to be set up year around.
Good idea, Ozarks Gal. Don't forget to iron that paper first to remove those wrinkles.