Just FYI, SDC has been passing around another little survey over the economy and it's impact on trips to SDC. Unfortunately, even I had to reply that I had cut back a bit in my spending, and I expect many people will complain about gas prices that are only going to go up in the future. Overall I expect the results to be just as bad as last time. :-\
I guess we may be looking at our own Adventure Mountain in 2010... but the economy's gotta rebound sometime, right? And with more and more people buying electric vehicles, gas issues should start to decline a little. I know I'm planning to get a compact, all-electric car as soon as I can.
^Anything but an Adventure Mountain! Maybe if SDC sent out a release threatening to put in an Adventure Mountain in 2010 if more people don't start visiting the park, then attendance will increase. ;)
Although, with Stone Mountain Park getting Sky Hike this year, and now Dollywood getting Adventure Mountain next year, it looks like HFEC is starting a trend...
And it can't be denied that putting in an attraction like that is less expensive than a coaster. Adventure Mountain will cost $5 million to construct. Comparing that to Powder Keg ($10 million, costing less than normal since it used some of BuzzSaw Falls' track) and Wildfire ($14 million), HFEC will save a lot of money by not going the coaster route for 2010. We shall see, but I'm a little worried we may be getting an Adventure Mountain in 2010. :-\
I'd rather not have anything than go that route. They've used that strategy before.
Everybody say, "Giant Swing and Tom and Huck's River Adventure: STILL NEW in '09!"
^I'd rather be talking about that than about our new Adventure Mountain.
^No kidding. I wouldn't mind if they were saying "Giant Swing and Tom and Huck's River Adventure: STILL NEW in '10!" as long as it means we get a coaster in '11 instead of an Adventure Mountain in '10.
I think this economy survey might play a big part in deciding what kind of new ride/attraction we get in two or three years.
Maybe they could run a superspeed monorail or a fast train from major pickup points to Branson. People wouldn't have to drive as far to park at a pickup point and then use a public transit system once there or rent mopeds. We could have this place looking like Japan before you know it.
Hey, as long as they steampunk'ed the monorail, that would actually be really, really cool. It would also be fantastically expensive and totally not cost-effective, but it's cool to think about. One day it'll actually be worth it.
How 'bout a pneumatic tube like in The Polar Express? Now THAT would be cool.