As other parks being to make announcements for 2025 and we approach the year anniversary of the Fire in the Hole announcement event, what are we thinking for SDC?
Historically, SDC makes their announcement for the next season in August. And in recent seasons, they have had countdowns and reminders on their social media for the announcement date. There's been no word on social media and nothing from the park. So, I'm not expecting any major announcements for the 2025 season. The park has also taken at least a season after a major ride addition to focus on festivals and smaller improvements.
We are likely looking at an announcement for the resort sometime late 2024 possibly but probably 2025.
2025 will be an infrastructure year. Look at areas of the park that have not been "upgraded" yet and you can probably guess where the attention will be located. They're doing it systematically. Haven't heard if the front gate will finally be redone or if they plan to continue their piece meal process that they've been doing
Yeah, the pattern of the last decade or so is two years of minor updates/festival changes, then big addition, then two (or three years) again... Used to be that we'd see something larger every other year, but things certainly got off kilter on the last few major rides. Mystic Falls, Time Traveler, and even FITH ended up being major headaches during construction. Fingers crossed that they'll eventually have an "easy" project.
What I think we. will see:
path/traffic flow improvements, repair/replacement of a few small things here and there(possible expansion of mobile ordering), they will really focus hype on the new festival replacing Street Fest. possibly a new summer show.
maybe some work on the entrance plaza area
I think we may hear of big expansion plans that may span over a few years...kind of like what was done at Dollywood. Earlier this year when the Fire In The Hole announcements were made they said big news was coming and talked about all the land SDC owns. So maybe something like that, but I'd expect some big teasers would need to happen before they just throw that out there.
Jay
2025 Hopefully brings a new Christmas event. They ruined the Christmas Carol show by changing the songs and replaced the beloved It's a Wonderful Life. They could use at least one new show and a new parade or at least an expanded parade as it is really short. I have season passes to SDC and Dollywood and they are adding some kind of flying theatre in the near future, I got a survey about its name. The park should add a Flying theatre in the old FITH building. The park needs more weather resistant rides.
https://www.ozarksfirst.com/news/silver-dollar-city-teases-enormous-expansion/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFRlI5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRRdqYkucFqrI3iTja3HYR-3r56khqwCy5WkBSAeBIqyk6GvNQs81aDyvw_aem_9AK3skOrYffvXHlrhW6PcA
Looks like it won't be too long before we know
Announcement is October 17th at 3 pm at the park.
What's the guess...resort and water park?
I mean, it has to be the resort.
I'm just getting back from a weeklong trip to the UK. I need to drag up the concepts from the last time they sent surveys out regarding the resort. I remember a nature theme and a music theme being proposed, and one other. The final concept for the theme will probably be a blend of Ozark traditional things.
I expect it to be at least somewhat similar to Dreammore, but I think they'll probably have a different sort of vacation package scheme to go along with it, since Dreammore apparently has trouble staying full.
They are really pushing to pull away from Branson, so expect more amenities and a full featured resort. I don't know that they would move WW yet. Maybe in the next few years, but it would just be too much to do all at once.
This resort may end up costing half a billion just for the first phase.
ugh...I was so all over the internet yesterday trying to find the announcement! I searched all over Facebook, the park site, the Herschend Site, etc. Then I realized I was a month early. :-[
I'm looking forward to the next chapter and hope it is successful. I do get worried about the big investments though because they have done it before at Branson with the Grand Theater, Celebration City, etc. - hopefully this one will be the right fit for the area, economy, etc.
- Jay
I am expecting a Grand Resort Hotel overlooking the lake. An expansion the Cisco Railroad with a second station. Repurposing the old FITH building into a larger saloon with a full sit down restaurant. Adding a coaster wooden GCI customer coaster in the back of the Grand Exposition in the parking lot area and completely revamping the Flooded mine with a new ride system and animatronics.
Many years ago, I was asked for a design for White River Landing. It was supposed to be a little village with shops, restaurants, and a land-based theater in addition to the Bell. They thought twice and never did it, probably because of the government-leased land. The new resort is on a peninsula with its own cove, so I would not be surprised to see such a thing developed on that property, and the Bell moved there in the not-distant future. The idea is to make the resort a destination of its own, even if you don't stay there. That's much like Big Cedar or Top of the Rock. Catfish restaurant on the lake, Boathouse theater with melodramas and comedy, that sort of thing.
Quote from: Old Guy on September 19, 2024, 07:43:16 PM
Many years ago, I was asked for a design for White River Landing. It was supposed to be a little village with shops, restaurants, and a land-based theater in addition to the Bell. They thought twice and never did it, probably because of the government-leased land. The new resort is on a peninsula with its own cove, so I would not be surprised to see such a thing developed on that property, and the Bell moved there in the not-distant future. The idea is to make the resort a destination of its own, even if you don't stay there. That's much like Big Cedar or Top of the Rock. Catfish restaurant on the lake, Boathouse theater with melodramas and comedy, that sort of thing.
Did not think of the Branson Bell, but I could see them move that along with White Water to the land they purchased. Only makes sense. A Resort or two, connected by a train line to the park, water park and Branson Belle new docking area would be amazing.
Who would have thought 5 years ago that Mr Bass Pro would build an Amp and host the Rolling Stones.
^ Probably Mr. Bass Pro ;D
New teaser trailer was posted on Facebook
It has the date of the big announcement and a short drone clip of the woods/hills to the west of the park looking east to where you can see outlaw run and powder keg or wildfire(I think it was wildfire but wasn't 100% sure)
I love the idea of the resort including a theater. A lumberjack dinner theater would be nice, but even just a standard theater that could host a variety of shows would be great.
I didn't get photos, but there is active work happening at the new land.
Also, the fence along 76 on the side of the new Fire in the Hole is down and work on a new retaining wall is in progress. I wonder if they might be creating a service road on that side of the building to have access to the Plaza area now that the other way is blocked with the entrance plaza of Fire in the hole.
Quote from: Lampie on October 03, 2024, 03:13:26 PM
New teaser trailer was posted on Facebook
They asked for guesses about announcement, but threatened to ban anyone mentioning sharks.
Someone guessed that the Waterboggan was coming back, and I
so wanted to comment: "And this time with sharks, for extra danger!" ;D
Don't think I've seen it mentioned, but the festival page mentions "Debut of NEW Plaza Expansion" under the spring Exposition festival, as well as the hero image looking like concept art for it.
I can't place where the concept art is supposed to be though, it looks like Outlaw Run in the background of it, but then says it's "Doubling The Size Of The Grand Exposition."
Also drone shows coming to SDC for July. Will be interesting to see where they do it with the trees. Looks like the drone show is going to be over the plaza based off this concept art.
If this is going where pumpkin plaza currently is, why is Outlaw Run in the background? Lol.
New festival and festival add-ons looks great, I love the idea of making the plaza rotate with the different festivals.
https://www.silverdollarcity.com/theme-park/festivals?fbclid=IwY2xjawFzYI5leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHbvLRpD7vUbVjlgGH_FljoqhNQimwCv370bVzcyR8LM4Hk4gw0NpcU4AVQ_aem_SakplMkhepCMFQqD9qc3Bg
The plaza is an expansion of the existing pumpkin-event area behind FITH/Grand Expo. This will make it the main space for big events such as the mentioned fireworks and drone show. The main square is no longer big enough for anything that draws a crowd. It's been dangerous for years during the "tree lighting" since you can't get out of the park unless they have the back gate open by the candy shop - even getting to that can be a challenge!
I just hope it won't still feel like a parking lot when it is done.
It's great that they are finally adding the second tree back there too. We speculated about that when they first opened that space up years ago. Hopefully that will help spread crowds a bit.
I'm a little perturbed about them cutting the bluegrass and gospel/country music festivals short. The new spring fest sounds weak. I think they are spending their performers budget this year on Rhonda Vincent coming in for Christmas. To be fair, that sounds like it will be awesome.
Quote from: shavethewhales on October 09, 2024, 08:57:49 AM
The plaza is an expansion of the existing pumpkin-event area behind FITH/Grand Expo. This will make it the main space for big events such as the mentioned fireworks and drone show. The main square is no longer big enough for anything that draws a crowd. It's been dangerous for years during the "tree lighting" since you can't get out of the park unless they have the back gate open by the candy shop - even getting to that can be a challenge!
I just hope it won't still feel like a parking lot when it is done.
It's great that they are finally adding the second tree back there too. We speculated about that when they first opened that space up years ago. Hopefully that will help spread crowds a bit.
I'm a little perturbed about them cutting the bluegrass and gospel/country music festivals short. The new spring fest sounds weak. I think they are spending their performers budget this year on Rhonda Vincent coming in for Christmas. To be fair, that sounds like it will be awesome.
Do you think they will take out the old toboggin structure and use that area for the plaza also? Also, won't the train have to go right through this plaza? Where did you see about a 2nd Christmas tree? Any knowledge of new rides for the "doubling" of Grand Expo?
The new plaza is fully across the tracks - no need to remove the Waterboggan tower.
It will not include new rides, just food booths, decorations, and a stage. Like Shave said, hopefully it won't look like a parking lot when they're finished. The new Christmas tree will be a live fir.
https://www.silverdollarcity.com/theme-park/festivals/
Quote from: tmstephe on October 09, 2024, 11:59:33 AM
The new plaza is fully across the tracks - no need to remove the Waterboggan tower.
It will not include new rides, just food booths, decorations, and a stage. Like Shave said, hopefully it won't look like a parking lot when they're finished. The new Christmas tree will be a live fir.
https://www.silverdollarcity.com/theme-park/festivals/
The current path to the plaza has to cross the train tracks it looks like. Any idea if this plaza area will always be open? Or just for special events? Will there be open access from all sides including fire in the hole, and grand expo? IMO they need to loop all these dead ends they have created around the park.
Quote from: shavethewhales on October 09, 2024, 08:57:49 AM
I'm a little perturbed about them cutting the bluegrass and gospel/country music festivals short. The new spring fest sounds weak. I think they are spending their performers budget this year on Rhonda Vincent coming in for Christmas. To be fair, that sounds like it will be awesome.
Yes! This! Oh my goodness. I realize that bluegrass may not be everyone's jam, but this was a huge draw for me and my family. Now everyone who enjoys the visiting bluegrass groups will have to squeeze in together during those 12 days. Really disappointed. To me, this somewhat overshadowed the other announcements. I am happy though, to see that Rhonda Vincent will be there during Old Time Christmas. I suspect this will replace the current "Coming Home for Christmas" show.
Quote from: jericho on October 09, 2024, 12:06:43 PM
The current path to the plaza has to cross the train tracks it looks like. Any idea if this plaza area will always be open? Or just for special events? Will there be open access from all sides including fire in the hole, and grand expo? IMO they need to loop all these dead ends they have created around the park.
Yes - it will be open all the time. The train crossing will be managed just like the crossings at the new FITH and at the pottery shop. Yes, I
believe the plan is to complete the pedestrian loop from FITH to The Plaza to Grand Exposition.
Yes, the loop between Fire in the Hole and Grand Expo will now be complete.
Hopefully one of the new shows is a return to the original music to the Christmas Carol. Since they changed the songs from the original ones it is unwatchable.
Quote from: Jesus4me on October 09, 2024, 03:45:47 PM
Hopefully one of the new shows is a return to the original music to the Christmas Carol. Since they changed the songs from the original ones it is unwatchable.
Don't get your hopes up; the change was made due to copyright issues.
They'll never go back to the 'Disney' music for sure, but there's still room for improvement. The bigger issue is that they lost a lot of their best performers. It's still a timeless show and story, but they will have to keep working at it to get close to where they were back in the glory days.
Looking at satellite maps, it looks like they have room to double the plaza area from what currently exists, but that would require bumping out to the road. Looks like they'll also have to lose a few more trees...
The big announcement is only a week away. One has to assume part of the reason behind the plaza enhancement is to make more room for the bigger and bigger crowds that will come as SDC turns into a multi-day resort destination. I'm almost surprised there wasn't more announced in this regard. In recent years, they have made a number of big redevelopments of areas of the park to accommodate larger crowds. The areas around Time Traveler, Mystic River, and the furniture factory are all unrecognizable from a decade ago. I guess without really bulldozing the rest of the park there aren't many other pinch points left to "fix" other than the entrance itself. Surprised that Ozark Marketplace and the Hospitality House are still sticking around, but I would be surprised if they are still here in five years.
Another thing not mentioned in this year's announcements: anything related to the old FITH space...
Quote from: shavethewhales on October 10, 2024, 01:13:37 PM
They'll never go back to the 'Disney' music for sure, but there's still room for improvement. The bigger issue is that they lost a lot of their best performers. It's still a timeless show and story, but they will have to keep working at it to get close to where they were back in the glory days.
Looking at satellite maps, it looks like they have room to double the plaza area from what currently exists, but that would require bumping out to the road. Looks like they'll also have to lose a few more trees...
The big announcement is only a week away. One has to assume part of the reason behind the plaza enhancement is to make more room for the bigger and bigger crowds that will come as SDC turns into a multi-day resort destination. I'm almost surprised there wasn't more announced in this regard. In recent years, they have made a number of big redevelopments of areas of the park to accommodate larger crowds. The areas around Time Traveler, Mystic River, and the furniture factory are all unrecognizable from a decade ago. I guess without really bulldozing the rest of the park there aren't many other pinch points left to "fix" other than the entrance itself. Surprised that Ozark Marketplace and the Hospitality House are still sticking around, but I would be surprised if they are still here in five years.
Another thing not mentioned in this year's announcements: anything related to the old FITH space...
If the train tracks weren't there, they could make the new plaza start and blend in from where the old Toboggin ride structure is. I'm talking that area between the where the current path is, to the side of Red Gold Theater. Is the area behind the plaza (next to the highway) buildable? Seems like I remember a steep decline to the highway.
They have to do something with the old FITH building or remove it, and they need to connect Hill Street to Outlaw Run. Also, they should link the two dead end roads at Wildfire and Powerkeg together.
Quote from: tmstephe on October 10, 2024, 12:40:04 PM
Quote from: Jesus4me on October 09, 2024, 03:45:47 PM
Hopefully one of the new shows is a return to the original music to the Christmas Carol. Since they changed the songs from the original ones it is unwatchable.
Don't get your hopes up; the change was made due to copyright issues.
Funny how other parks do not have "copyright issues" with the same exact songs. I believe it was more or a choice by the director of entertainment. They need just retire the show as it is so bad now.
I think this first announcement was to highlight what was going to change in the park for next year so they can begin the season pass sales. Seems like a typical year after a big ride introduction "FITH" with the new festivals, food, etc.
I'm thinking the announcement on the 17th will let us know what's coming in a few years in the future...so probably more like 2026 and beyond. We have to give them a little time to get something built.
Swoosh probably knows best (I think he's a musical director at a high school) but regarding the copywrite or performance of songs, basically you just have to contact the rights holder for the work and make arrangements for the use, sometimes it's a one-time fee, or a usage fee, or just permission...and trying and failing to contact the rights holder is not a substitution for permission. So stay with songs in the public domain or be prepared to pay something...especially if you are profiting from the performance.
Jay
Quote from: cowboy on October 12, 2024, 04:15:07 PM
Swoosh probably knows best (I think he's a musical director at a high school) but regarding the copywrite or performance of songs, basically you just have to contact the rights holder for the work and make arrangements for the use, sometimes it's a one-time fee, or a usage fee, or just permission...and trying and failing to contact the rights holder is not a substitution for permission. So stay with songs in the public domain or be prepared to pay something...especially if you are profiting from the performance.
Jay
You're exactly right.. SDC has to get permission and pay for the use of copyrighted songs. It's not that they can't do that, but they have chosen not to. The new music is fine - I think a lot of the complainants are based on comparison to the old show and not necessarily on the quality of the current show in isolation. But to each their own.
Instead of just replacing the train depot, what if they redid the whole layout of the train? Remove the tracks from the middle of the park and add to the tracks on the back side of the current layout. The train could become a much longer ride and also open up new land to development. A new depot would need to be built somewhere on the new layout, but the need to block off walkways could be removed. There could even be multiple depots to move people from one part of the park to another. Eventually, the train could link to a new resort or another entrance by a resort. There would be lots of possibilities with a new layout. They could also move the "round" house and open up that area for other development. If they keep expanding the park with the current track layout, they are going to have even more crosswalks with gates that need closed for trains. The Flooded Mine/current depot area could have major changes done without the train tracks in the way. Same thing over by the old Fire in the hole. Just a thought, however radical it might be.
^I don't think they'll be going that far. The train is pretty established, lol. Would be a hell of a job to build a new route at this point. That would be a major reconstruction of half the park. Will be interesting to see what they do next with it though. The rumor about the new train station was always a bit off, but it makes sense for them to do something in that regard because of the overcrowding at the current station. I know at one point they seemed to be looking at redeveloping the existing train station and the Flooded Mine area in one swoop. Could still happen someday I guess.
Anyway though, we are finally on the eve of the resort announcement. Any last minute guesses as to how many rooms and what else could be included? I am guessing this will be a first phase, especially considering how much work it will take to grade the site and bring in utilities. Probably just a "starter" resort with standard amenities and around 250 rooms. I'm expecting a smaller Dreammore, essentially. I think they will do it in a way that makes it easy to add onto though.
Quote from: Kisco on October 15, 2024, 12:15:00 PMEventually, the train could link to a new resort or another entrance by a resort.
Having the train bring people from a resort into the park would also require more staffing since there would need to be security and ticket booth staff at the resort depot too.
The trolly system at Dollywood works great and could even be better at SDC assuming they build a road through the woods for the trolly system only.
Quote from: shavethewhales on October 16, 2024, 09:43:50 AMProbably just a "starter" resort with standard amenities and around 250 rooms.
This is about what I'm expecting too.
I'm expecting it to be a "luxury rural/'hillbilly'" theme if that makes any sense. "Luxury" materials, but styled to be old and rustic essentially them heavily leaning in to an "Experience the Ozarks" message, but no actual "old-scool" substance behind it.
Maybe I'm completely off though, this is all a guess based off what I've seen with the park lately.
Quote from: flutas on October 16, 2024, 02:53:56 PMQuote from: shavethewhales on October 16, 2024, 09:43:50 AMProbably just a "starter" resort with standard amenities and around 250 rooms.
This is about what I'm expecting too.
I'm expecting it to be a "luxury rural/'hillbilly'" theme if that makes any sense. "Luxury" materials, but styled to be old and rustic essentially them heavily leaning in to an "Experience the Ozarks" message, but no actual "old-scool" substance behind it.
Maybe I'm completely off though, this is all a guess based off what I've seen with the park lately.
Yeah, luxury hillbilly sounds right, maybe lean into the home of American craftsmanship.
I'm thinking 250-300 rooms
With the location chosen for the new Fire in the Hole, and now the expansion of the exposition area, it seems like the fringe on the most northeastern edge of the park has been the focus. What I'm trying to wrap my head around, with the 1,200 acres purchased in the opposite direction, is why? Why wasn't the thought to make improvements(Fire in the Hole) on the western edge? Has the delay of the front gate/hospitality house improvements suggest a new gate to the west? Any improvements to reduce or eliminate choke points would be welcomed.
Somehow I doubt there will be a resort entrance for the first few years. Seems like a long way to go to put in access back there. I'm sure they will eventually move that way though. The maintenance area will probably slowly shift north over the next decade or two so they can fit more in there in the small amount of flat space they have to work with.
I'm a little underwhelmed by the concept art in the reveal video. Based on the survey they sent out about themes for the resort several months ago I was expecting a more themed exterior that would be more of a lodge vibe. this looks very modern generic resort.
WOW. Not just a resort, but a ten year building boom. They emphasized connecting the park and resort.
My initial reaction to the resort is that the architecture looks pretty bland. It doesn't evoke anything that reminds me of SDC in any way. Just a generic white resort building. Oh well, I'm sure it will be very nice, and it looks like they are going all out with the landscaping and park features behind it. It's seven stories tall, but only 260 rooms. You can tell they did indeed leave plenty of room for an expansion however. With 1200 acres, they can expand a few times, lol.
Glad this has FINALLY come to fruition after years of waiting.
Glad to see it coming to fruition, but not crazy about the renderings. I was hoping for something more in line with the Big Cedar Lodge or Disney's Wilderness Resort. Seems like a lost opportunity.
The style doesn't do anything to build excitement. That's a hotel, not a resort. Definitely not "hillbilly chic".
Initially, I was so excited. The video sucked me in. I've loved this park and visited this park for my entire life. I'm thrilled they're expanding and the thought of a decade of announcements and expansion is so exciting. The rendering of the hotel is not at all what I pictured, however. I was hoping for a more rustic look, something more in line with the theme of the park. This looks like a copy and paste of the style of the Dollywood resorts, not something that matches the aesthetic of SDC. Hopefully this can evolve over the next two years before the resort opens.
Personally, I don't mind the design as we love the DreamMore.
I honestly think that they didn't go with a rustic lodge look for a few reasons and Big Cedar being a big one. Why make a resort that everyone just says looks like Big Cedar?
Another is what is more appealing to most moms picking a resort for their family, a rustic lodge or a nice clean looking resort in a beautiful setting? My wife is going to pick the current rendering over something rustic basically every time.
I wish phase 1 would be expanding the actual park instead of building the hotel/resort. The current park is really pretty small in size with the largest attractions mostly on the edges which creates so many choke points. I feel like they need to eleviate many of the crowd issues prior to building the resort, which should bring in larger crowds to a park that's already overcrowded much of the time.
Quote from: Wildfire on October 18, 2024, 06:27:02 AMI wish phase 1 would be expanding the actual park instead of building the hotel/resort. The current park is really pretty small in size with the largest attractions mostly on the edges which creates so many choke points. I feel like they need to eleviate many of the crowd issues prior to building the resort, which should bring in larger crowds to a park that's already overcrowded much of the time.
Here's the thing, though... do you actually think the resort will bring in
more people? You can already get a hotel room in Branson for under $50/night. I think this will encourage people to stay on site instead of 5 miles down the highway. SDC isn't really a multi-day park (in the same way Disney is). It'll be interesting to see what all happens over the next 5-10 years, for sure!
I think many of us were expecting the announcement of a hotel or resort of some kind. So, for me there was no big surprise in the announcement. 260 rooms? Even if the hotel was at capacity, that's only about 1,000 people. That's a drop in the bucket for SDC. About 1/20th of park capacity during Christmas time. I don't see it impacting visitation that much, just another way to generate revenue. I honestly hope that they build a bunch of new rides and attractions around the resort and preserve some of the history and nostalgia around the old park.
Looking back at when Dollywood announced their $300 million ($405 million investment todays dollars) investment that included the DreamMore, this is a general list of what they got:
DreamMore Resort
FireChaser Express
Lightning Rod
Drop Line
Whistle Punk Chaser
TailSpin Racer Slides at Splash Country
Wildwood Grove - 6 acre area
- Dragonflier
- Till & Harvest Restaurant
- Mad Mockingbird
- Frogs
- Black Bear Trail
- Treetop Tower
- Hidden Hollow Indoor play area
- Wildwood Creek Splash Pad
- Great Tree Swing boat ride
- The Wildwood Tree show tree
Plus show, festival, and other general park improvements.
I think this is a much bigger deal than most people are realizing.
Quote from: mg on October 17, 2024, 10:57:28 PMPersonally, I don't mind the design as we love the DreamMore.
I honestly think that they didn't go with a rustic lodge look for a few reasons and Big Cedar being a big one. Why make a resort that everyone just says looks like Big Cedar?
Another is what is more appealing to most moms picking a resort for their family, a rustic lodge or a nice clean looking resort in a beautiful setting? My wife is going to pick the current rendering over something rustic basically every time.
This is a great point, and I honestly feel like you hit the nail on the head.
As far as this resort bringing in more people, I think it's important to remember that this is only the first announcement in a decade's worth of expansion. The park will be expanded, along with potentially bringing a waterpark to the property. These things will turn SDC into a multi-day destination.
"Priority park access"
Does anyone else think the new plaza looks like an eventual second park entrance for the resort?
Quote from: History Buff on October 19, 2024, 04:19:21 PM"Priority park access"
Does anyone else think the new plaza looks like an eventual second park entrance for the resort?
Not impossible, but it's on the wrong side of the park. The new resort is to the northwest. The new plaza is on the northeast. There's a whole lot of back of house infrastructure between the two. Again, not impossible - just unlikely.
Edited to add: they could transport people from the resort to the park by just using the existing highway, but I can't see them wanting to rely on a public access road. We'll see!
Here's the thing, though... do you actually think the resort will bring in more people? You can already get a hotel room in Branson for under $50/night. I think this will encourage people to stay on site instead of 5 miles down the highway. SDC isn't really a multi-day park (in the same way Disney is). It'll be interesting to see what all happens over the next 5-10 years, for sure!
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We were at the park yesterday (a nightmare) and today. Friday was crazy crowded. Like a Saturday Christmas crowd. My wife and I were talking if they could ever get a 30,000 plus crowd in the park. We decided no because they don't have the parking. But with the new resort there will be a boatload of new parking places to get more people into the City. And they failed on so many levels yesterday with the epic crowds. They are still having issues getting enough employees and now they think they'll find enough to staff a resort? I see them overestimating what they can accommodate for. And with the sad state of Branson economy? I can see them wanting a resort but I think they're being overly optimistic with this thing.
Quote from: Duelist on October 19, 2024, 10:23:43 PMThey are still having issues getting enough employees and now they think they'll find enough to staff a resort? I see them overestimating what they can accommodate for. And with the sad state of Branson economy? I can see them wanting a resort but I think they're being overly optimistic with this thing.
Getting employees for a resort is a lot easier than it is for a theme park. You get to work inside, get tips, and depending on the position you don't have to deal with angry Karen's that are overstimulated and overheated. I'm sure there will be even more work visas for international students as well now that they have their dorm open.
I started to write a long explainer about J1 visa holders, and how well they work in the hospitality and tourism industry.
I realized it was way too complicated, so let's just say that it's a good match for a resort. There will be many foreign applicants who actually have to pay a lot of money for the visa.
Mixed emotions surrounding an announcement that felt like a mere formality from day one. While some aspects of a dedicated resort seem appealing, the building rendering feels little more than a scaled down cousin to DW's DreamMore, with a hint of Disney's Grand Floridian sprinkled in for good measure. I'm sure it will be well done and ridiculously overpriced like everything else is now.
Hard to know what the master plan holds, but as others have pointed out, it seems counterintuitive to not be prioritizing significant park expansion and infrastructure in the short term. The huge crowds in a smaller park have grown to a point that's really starting to dilute what used to be the park's best feature – charm. Attendance numbers certainly don't seem to indicate people being turned off and turning away due to overcrowding, but it would be hard to argue that park volume isn't contributing to a far from ideal experience for many patrons at this point. It's just hard to understand why HFE wouldn't want to start expanding the footprint of the park now to help thin the herd and give people new places to explore.
The last 10 years at SDC have netted Fireman's landing, Mystic River Falls, Time Traveler and Fire in the Hole. An investment totaling less than $90 and all within the existing footprint. I'm sure the park will look dramatically different by 2034, but it will be very interesting to see how $500 million gets "spread out" beyond the cost of resort construction alone.
Quote from: BackInTime on October 22, 2024, 04:32:14 PMMixed emotions surrounding an announcement that felt like a mere formality from day one. While some aspects of a dedicated resort seem appealing, the building rendering feels little more than a scaled down cousin to DW's DreamMore, with a hint of Disney's Grand Floridian sprinkled in for good measure. I'm sure it will be well done and ridiculously overpriced like everything else is now.
Hard to know what the master plan holds, but as others have pointed out, it seems counterintuitive to not be prioritizing significant park expansion and infrastructure in the short term. The huge crowds in a smaller park have grown to a point that's really starting to dilute what used to be the park's best feature – charm. Attendance numbers certainly don't seem to indicate people being turned off and turning away due to overcrowding, but it would be hard to argue that park volume isn't contributing to a far from ideal experience for many patrons at this point. It's just hard to understand why HFE wouldn't want to start expanding the footprint of the park now to help thin the herd and give people new places to explore.
The last 10 years at SDC have netted Fireman's landing, Mystic River Falls, Time Traveler and Fire in the Hole. An investment totaling less than $90 and all within the existing footprint. I'm sure the park will look dramatically different by 2034, but it will be very interesting to see how $500 million gets "spread out" beyond the cost of resort construction alone.
I think the new festival area next year is expected to help with the crowds somewhat. But if that isn't enough, I'm sure other steps will be taken. It's a 10 year plan, so we must be patient.
For those wondering why a resort and not immediate work on infrastructure, expansion, etc.?
Because a well-done theme park resort prints money. That then gives them more money for future infrastructure work and expansion.
So whether or not tons of people stay in the hotel, everybody wins because additions come easier and more quickly.
Are there park things that need addressing? Absolutely (the bakery in particular seemingly gets less and less able to handle its crowds). But by slowly redoing areas and improving the infrastructure in the process, they've already done a fair amount. In their 2025 announcements, they're smartly positioning most of their big-ticket changes to times of the year that are less utilized than Pumpkins and Christmas. Ultimately this is a good thing for the park even if no one here ever stays there.
Quote from: History Buff on October 19, 2024, 04:19:21 PM"Priority park access"
Does anyone else think the new plaza looks like an eventual second park entrance for the resort?
My guess:
Originally the "spring fest" concept art was for a new area that would have been exactly that, that's why Outlaw Run is in the background and the area behind the stage is missing the warehouse, even though the summer concept has it.
This is perfect to place where the old Fire in the Hole is. You can use the existing structure. It would give the park another weather resistant ride which can work in all conditions. The movie could be a "Soar over the Ozarks", with a Old Time Christmas replacement of "Rudolph the Red nose reindeer Flight. "
So basically, Epcot's Soarin or Animal Kingdom's Avatar Flight of Passage? Fantastic rides. Need a long queue as the ride times are lengthy.
Quote from: kbosch1 on November 21, 2024, 11:28:16 AMSo basically, Epcot's Soarin or Animal Kingdom's Avatar Flight of Passage? Fantastic rides. Need a long queue as the ride times are lengthy.
In the video it shows that the attraction loads one side, while the other side is riding. Pretty cool feature to cut wait times.
There's been a few variations of those flying theatres over the years. I've always agreed that one would do well here. Anything indoors and weather protected is a plus!
Quote from: Jesus4me on November 21, 2024, 07:45:57 AMThis is perfect to place where the old Fire in the Hole is. You can use the existing structure. It would give the park another weather resistant ride which can work in all conditions. The movie could be a "Soar over the Ozarks", with a Old Time Christmas replacement of "Rudolph the Red nose reindeer Flight. "
How about it being a diving bell going under Lake Silver? ;D
There is a flying theater at Beyond the Lens on the strip.
Quote from: History Buff on November 24, 2024, 02:22:21 PMThere is a flying theater at Beyond the Lens on the strip.
Sure, but doesn't mean you cannot add a bigger more advanced one to the park. There is only one of this type operating and another being built at Sea World Orlando. Epcot has a flying theatre in Orlando but it did not stop Sea World.
Quote from: KBCraig on November 23, 2024, 11:07:56 PMQuote from: Jesus4me on November 21, 2024, 07:45:57 AMThis is perfect to place where the old Fire in the Hole is. You can use the existing structure. It would give the park another weather resistant ride which can work in all conditions. The movie could be a "Soar over the Ozarks", with a Old Time Christmas replacement of "Rudolph the Red nose reindeer Flight. "
How about it being a diving bell going under Lake Silver? ;D
A new Diving Bell would definitely meet the requirements of an indoor attraction :D
Quote from: History Buff on November 24, 2024, 02:22:21 PMThere is a flying theater at Beyond the Lens on the strip.
Yeah... but that one seems to be the cheapest variation they could get. Wouldn't take much to blow that out of the water. I did that one a couple years ago and only remember it being a bit awkward and not very impressive.
It sounds like Ozark Marketplace may be getting a remodel to some extent.
The registers may be moving to the area where the old sign shop was by the exit. This would open up the middle for a more direct exit path similar to how Dollywood exit was remodeled to a few seasons ago.
Not sure how much difference it will make, but glad there'll be slightly less of a log jam there. It does kind of make me miss the years where exiting through the gift shop was kind of the transition back to "modern life" lol. Now it's just an awkward building to walk through on the way to the parking lot.
Still don't understand why they don't at least upgrade the tram drop off. It always feels... off. The trams don't quite fit the current setup. Not that it's not the highest priority or anything, but they did focus a lot on improving the parking lot over the past decade and haven't done much to improve the actual entrance other than clearing out a lot of the old planters and theming around the water clock. I guess if they don't consider it broke...
Love that the park is posting some construction/off-season maintenance shots. Looks like the old decking around the tintype building is being replaced. I still say this entire area of the park has been completely messed up since the fire. Really wish they would at least add in some more trees to cover things with shade canopy again. The architecture didn't matter as much when it still felt like you were hidden away in the woods, lol.
There is a new entrance gateway under construction where you enter the Plaza from Grand Expo.
(https://i.postimg.cc/xT5qzrY1/ID-8588.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/sg1fGvwT/ID-8589.jpg)
The back of Red Gold is being overhauled to look great in the Plaza. I appreciate the attention to detail in even painting the HVAC units.
(https://i.postimg.cc/QNkd2LFJ/ID-8591.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/9Qf0PxFt/ID-8599.jpg)
Construction also continues at the resort. I didn't get a photo of it, but the valley where the abandoned mansions is being filled in with the dirt being removed from the resort site.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Y0kqvRsF/ID-8553.jpg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/SKBKhkLD/ID-8567.jpg)
^ Thanks for the pics mg !
Can't wait for the park to open! I'll keep my eyes peeled around wildfire/powder keg to see construction progress on project 2026. Maybe some footers?
Thanks for the photos mg. I wonder how many millions have been spent so far on all the earthwork... That might be the most expensive part of this project, and it's probably a big reason why it took so long. I still wonder what the final bill was for all the parking lot work that they spent nearly two decades on.
I'm looking forward to pics of the new plaza on opening day. Wish I could be there.
Quote from: ColaSDC on March 03, 2025, 01:31:44 PMCan't wait for the park to open! I'll keep my eyes peeled around wildfire/powder keg to see construction progress on project 2026. Maybe some footers?
You won't have to look very hard to see work being done. I'm already bracing myself for the complaints that will be incoming. It's pretty drastic
Quote from: Swoosh
You won't have to look very hard to see work being done. I'm already bracing myself for the complaints that will be incoming. It's pretty drastic
/quote]
Uh oh, that doesn't sound good.
Betting the AP/WF area got clear cut and the waterfall is gone. On the plus side hopefully the dead ends between WF/PK are gone.
Quote from: sdcfan88 on March 11, 2025, 06:28:30 PMBetting the AP/WF area got clear cut and the waterfall is gone. On the plus side hopefully the dead ends between WF/PK are gone.
I wouldn't recommend making that bet
Could it be the trees between WF/PK got cut and you can now see between them clearly? I'm drawing blanks on that area that could cause complaints haha
Since it was released by someone else - can confirm now that the HH restrooms have been completely redone for this season
Quote from: Swoosh on March 11, 2025, 08:48:05 PMSince it was released by someone else - can confirm now that the HH restrooms have been completely redone for this season
It's about time that happened! Hopefully they added stalls to both sides, the wait for that restroom is longer than the rides themselves sometimes.
Quote from: Swoosh on March 11, 2025, 01:49:11 PMYou won't have to look very hard to see work being done. I'm already bracing myself for the complaints that will be incoming. It's pretty drastic
Honestly, as long as most of the scenery and themeing remains, i dont mind the tree clearing. I'm more excited to see construction progress. Hopefully by summertime track shows up and we'll have a decent idea of the manufacturer.
Still betting on a B&M hyper/giga!
Quote from: Swoosh on March 11, 2025, 08:48:05 PMSince it was released by someone else - can confirm now that the HH restrooms have been completely redone for this season
Did they keep urinals that go all the way to the floor? My kid loves those.
Quote from: Swoosh on March 11, 2025, 01:49:11 PMYou won't have to look very hard to see work being done. I'm already bracing myself for the complaints that will be incoming. It's pretty drastic
Facebook will be fun🙃 I might have to come up with some crazy theories to share on there about why they "cut all the trees down" to share with the people that are never coming back again.
Quote from: Lampie on March 12, 2025, 07:56:15 PMQuote from: Swoosh on March 11, 2025, 08:48:05 PMSince it was released by someone else - can confirm now that the HH restrooms have been completely redone for this season
Did they keep urinals that go all the way to the floor? My kid loves those.
They did not.
Quote from: mg on March 12, 2025, 09:54:37 PMQuote from: Lampie on March 12, 2025, 07:56:15 PMQuote from: Swoosh on March 11, 2025, 08:48:05 PMSince it was released by someone else - can confirm now that the HH restrooms have been completely redone for this season
Did they keep urinals that go all the way to the floor? My kid loves those.
They did not.
Bringing back the old-fashioned group troughs, are they?
The Fireman's Landing play place now has a single entrance where you can go to either the ball play place or the other play place. The old entrance into the ball play place is closed off the area outside of it is now covered stroller parking.
(https://i.postimg.cc/ftkLSCBw/IMG-0919.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ftkLSCBw)
(https://i.postimg.cc/NKJv2cVH/IMG-0920.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/NKJv2cVH)
The Plaza area was being paved on opening day. You can see that they have taken the wall down and now there is just a short fence in preparation of the walkway being open.
(https://i.postimg.cc/XZjX445B/IMG-0790-jpg.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/XZjX445B)
The Flanders' Dry Goods shop is now a name jewelry and permanent jewelry shop.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Wh7vjrwS/IMG-0922.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Wh7vjrwS)
Fire in the Hole now has a photo kiosk far to the left of the Photo Booth.
(https://i.postimg.cc/dkL5zpjP/IMG-0912.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dkL5zpjP)
New entrance to the Plaza from Grand Expo.
(https://i.postimg.cc/DWfjc8Wz/IMG-1063.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/DWfjc8Wz)
Quote from: mg on March 15, 2025, 08:55:46 PMThe Fireman's Landing play place now has a single entrance where you can go to either the ball play place or the other play place. The old entrance into the ball play place is closed off the area outside of it is now covered stroller parking.
Did they fix the floor in the ball area? Or add more balls? At the end of last season it was pretty rough in there.
Thanks for the photos mg!
That improvement to fireman's landing is great. Love that they continue to improve and adapt things like this.
I wonder if the plaza will be open year round once it is done? Mostly just because it makes a nice short cut between FITH and the expo area. Between this and the apparent new connection between PK and Wildfire they are making a ton of progress on connecting the park better (and thereby adding more capacity for growth...)
Quote from: ColaSDC on March 12, 2025, 01:27:16 PMQuote from: Swoosh on March 11, 2025, 01:49:11 PMYou won't have to look very hard to see work being done. I'm already bracing myself for the complaints that will be incoming. It's pretty drastic
Honestly, as long as most of the scenery and themeing remains, i dont mind the tree clearing. I'm more excited to see construction progress. Hopefully by summertime track shows up and we'll have a decent idea of the manufacturer.
Still betting on a B&M hyper/giga!
Now that the park is open I can confirm that most of scenery and characters are gone. The old unused flumes of Jim Owen's float trip are also gone.
They were in pretty rough shape, but I hope there is a plan to bring them back in some way. I miss all the signage and funny scenes. I even miss the big entrance signs for both Wildfire and Powderkeg. That area needed some attention after 20+ years of just sitting and slowly losing things. I'm sure they have a plan for it all.
Wildfire and Outlaw Run now offer videos along with the ride photo.
The videos are $5 each and are not included with the photo card.
The video is 16x9... I do wish that they offered a 9x16 version that was specificity formatted for social.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BJTeVcri1/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Quote from: mg on March 23, 2025, 07:33:39 PMWildfire and Outlaw Run now offer videos along with the ride photo.
The videos are $5 each and are not included with the photo card.
The video is 16x9... I do wish that they offered a 9x16 version that was specificity formatted for social.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BJTeVcri1/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Vertical video is evil.
Interesting. I seem to recall way back in the day they tried the video thing for a couple of seasons, but it was an older technology. I think it was long enough ago that they actually gave you a CD with the video on it?
The vertical video thing sounds like a great way to both generate some free publicity and monetize people's social media addictions. Plus its another tool to stop people from taking their phones out on rides.
New photos from today on my X account
@Midwest_Info
Will try to have on the MIG blog by tomorrow
The plaza looks so temporary and just thrown together. Hopefully this is phase 1 and things get better.
Jay
Quote from: cowboy on March 29, 2025, 08:23:38 PMThe plaza looks so temporary and just thrown together. Hopefully this is phase 1 and things get better.
Jay
You have to remember that this is a flex space. Lots of parks have these and they all look like this. They are still adding elements to it
The Plaza does not make me want buy a ticket to Sivler Dollar City. It is actually a joke.
Quote from: Jesus4me on March 30, 2025, 07:50:11 PMThe Plaza does not make me want buy a ticket to Sivler Dollar City. It is actually a joke.
Then don't I guess? I'm really not sure what you're expecting from an event space that doesn't have its decorations up yet...
lol, the Plaza is just a space for food and festival stuff since there aren't really any good open spaces to do any crowded activities in the park. I was hoping they would do concrete pavers or stamped concrete in the area instead of asphalt, but whatever - probably got value engineered out in favor of spending money on things that actually matter. It will look a lot better once they add the decorations, such as the umbrellas that are going to hang across the entire thing.
I'm all for noticing/criticizing architectural details, since we are park nerds, but we also have to be realistic with expectations. ::)
Anyone else notice the vaguely "victorian" lamps? At one point, SDC was looking to advancing the year forward from 1888 into the 1890's/early 1900's so that they could add a bit of electric lighting and fancier architecture while still maintaining a historic theme. They even started installing Victorian lamps in a few places in the park, and one of the first Christmas festivals had that theme. As of a few years ago, there were still a couple left in the park. It's hard to come up with good lighting that truly fits the 1880's theme. They did have a few electric lights back then, but not in rural MO. In the past they had a lot more of the flickering lights that looked more like lanterns, but it's hard to have those everywhere. Since the park operates so much later for so much of the year now you can't really get away from having some real light sources everywhere.
Random clearing behind Outlaw Run
https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2025/04/silver-dollar-city-unknown-construction.html
Quote from: Swoosh on April 13, 2025, 05:51:38 PMRandom clearing behind Outlaw Run
https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2025/04/silver-dollar-city-unknown-construction.html
I'm guessing this lines up with the new railroad crossing between PowderKeg and Outlaw Run.
So there will be a significant change to the railroad layout?
It's necessary, but that will sure dig more into the wooded feel on that side of the park. Guess that was already kinda moot when they added Outlaw Run though. Back in the old days you used to really leave the park behind when you rode the train. I am old enough to just barely remember the days before Powderkeg and even Buzzsaw Falls when the park ended after FITH.
I still expect that at some point there will be a road or some kind of transport connection right to the resort so that resort guests don't have to leave the property, but perhaps that will come in later phases when the resort is expanded.
as long as they keep the robber show in the same spot and the outlaw run photo op, I wont mind. Changes are necessary sometimes.
Quote from: mg on April 14, 2025, 09:05:23 AMI'm guessing this lines up with the new railroad crossing between PowderKeg and Outlaw Run.
There will be a new major access road through there that will take out Hobo Junction
Quote from: ColaSDC on April 14, 2025, 09:09:46 AMSo there will be a significant change to the railroad layout?
There will be zero changes to the layout.
Quote from: shavethewhales on April 14, 2025, 10:00:01 AMIt's necessary, but that will sure dig more into the wooded feel on that side of the park. Guess that was already kinda moot when they added Outlaw Run though. Back in the old days you used to really leave the park behind when you rode the train. I am old enough to just barely remember the days before Powderkeg and even Buzzsaw Falls when the park ended after FITH.
I am old enough to remember before FITH, when the train really did go out into the boondocks.
We haven't bought tickets in a couple years because of my wife's back surgeries and my hip replacement as well as a change in career. We're looking to maybe try for a trip this fall, but everything I have read here in the last year or so depresses me to the point that my enthusiasm has waned.
It's still a nice charming park, just with some changes. You will like it I'm sure.
And who said this board is dead? LOL all it needed was a hot topic to spring back to life! :)
Quote from: Duelist on April 15, 2025, 09:21:52 AMAnd who said this board is dead? LOL all it needed was a hot topic to spring back to life! :)
That's the case for all threads LOL :)