This is my Facebook comment to the SDC announcement of World-Fest:
While I'd enjoy all those acts, I've never understood how they're supposed to fit the theme. Because they don't, obviously. Neither does KidFest and Nickelodeon.
Maybe the park needs a "time portal": once inside the gates, you can stay in the 1880s, or transport yourself into modern entertainment.
I was always of the understanding that the time portal transfer began at the Harvey Water Clock and was completed when you stepped through the double glass doors of the Hospitality House onto Main Street, Silver Dollar City. Regarding the current festivals held on park, they've had to do what it takes to attract crowds and make money. I loved the Mountain Folks Music Festival, Spring Crafts Festival, and Fall Crafts Festival, but they are gone. Mountain Folks Music Festival is now World Fest, Fall Crafts Festival is the National Harvest Festival. I don't like the idea of cartoon characters cruising the streets of SDC myself, but, it draws kids, and therefore mom and dad with their wallets.
I don't see the issue with the festivals. World Fest could be viewed as a Worlds Fair has descended upon the city and while the exhibits are all back in the GE area, they had to spread the other countries out around the city to make room for the masses coming in to see them.
Kidsfest is not really all that intrusive. You cannot see most of the stuff from the midways except on the square and even there you can claim that there is some sort of Children's Festival in town - not too hard to see a connection there.
Picnic, BBQ, Harvest Festival fit the town to a tee,
Christmas, well you'll just have to get over it, it's the biggest money maker.
I've always said that we need to move all of the crafters and log cabins from the homestead out to the train loop (the section of track where we have the robbery, wreck of 87, and such) and build a depot there, and have an 1880's town by itself with nothing modern in sight.
i think them theme holds well throughout the park and does not suffer from the need for revenue.
When I first saw this topic, I thought it was going to be about how you can see cars in the employee parking lot while going up the lift on Thunderation. Of course that was a few years ago, and things may have changed now. :P
^No, you can still see the cars there.
And I love all the festivals. The one that comes closest to breaking the theme is KidsFest but I don't really mind it as much as everyone else.
Theme Issues that bother me: 1) Backside of FITH has no theming. On Train guests see bare concrete blocks, and the emergency escapes. Ivy covering a concrete block wall is not theming. 2) On Train, as you pass the train shed at the rear of the park, the fencing is too low and you can see into the "backstage" area and as train passes along the edge of Lake Silver, fencing too low and you see cars pass on Highway 76. 3) On Thunderation, you see the employee parking lot, and the back of the large metal building (Warehouse, kitchen, offices, costume dept and other facilities housed inside) is not themed. A big, blue metal building in the woods is not very 1880's. 4) Wilderness Church picture window...lovely condos by the lakeside. Nuff said. 5) Grand Exposition should not have been built where it is. It sits right at the intersection of Indian Pt. Rd and Hwy 76. The attractions are visible from the roadway. On the rides, you can glimpse the cars and road. I understand they are running out of real estate, but better planning and more attention to detail need to be shown. Off my soapbox now.
Unfortunately, seeing the condos from the Wilderness Church window is unavoidable. Which came first? The church, or the condos? I mean uh, the chicken, or the egg? ;) The same problem exist on Wildfire as well. However, at least both of these scenic blunders are not so obvious that they are in your face.
I completely agree about the Grand Exposition! Not only can you see the cars passing by, but you can hear them as well. I don't believe there were automobiles driving on the other side of the tree line in 1880. :D
Now I am not trying to deviate too far off topic, but I think the Grand Exposition itself breaks the theme. Everything looks so manufactured, and plastic instead of being simple, and rustic. When I am in downtown Silver Dollar City I feel like I am in 1880. When I step into the Grand Exposition, I feel like I just walked onto a 2010 theme park.
Whew, okay I feel better now! Back on topic. ;D
Ditto, Ozark BBQ! ;)
some of the home charm is slipping away.
We are moving into a more generic park look in the kids area.
I hope if they bring the shot tower from CC they put is away from my eyes. I cannot see how they will
make it fit.
Now the back of FITH is at least green, I like the ivy, honestly I tyhink it looks better than a 3 story box in the middle of the 1800's.
I cant see any other way to do that.
But
PLEASE, PLEASE take away those kidsfest and fall festival cut out people with the freaky faces, they are horrible, ugly, I cant make any excuse for them.
kids fest is the only major problem i have. it needs to go, but im sure it wont because the mighty dollar rules
Kidsfest is kind of a false festival: a few activities in the "carousel barn", a few decorations in the square, a couple of completely out-of-theme acts selected from a catalog, and kids in cartoon suits? Does anyone really only come because of these? We watch cartoons on TV and don't need to see them towering over us. This festival actually keeps us away (and we have a 6-year-old).
(and the chicken came first)
Personally, I think the park is just busy during the summer, and that just happens to be when KidsFest is. They could completely re-theme KidsFest to fit better into the 1880s, and you'd probably still get the same number of people coming in.
Me, I wanna see some white-washing competitions and other such fun stuff in Tom Sawyer's Landing. Play hoop games and other games pioneer kids played. It'd be tons of fun without the need for Nickelodeon characters and whatever else.
The back of FITH was supposed to be themed when they built the Giant Swing, it was supposed to look like an old Cider House, but I think budget cuts has tossed that aside, bad economy or something like that. I think they could easily mix the 1880s with what they are doing today. Take the magic show in the Opera House, why can't he be dressed in a tux like Houdini and have his assistants dressed in beautiful Victorian costumes and no modern music, something like jazzy ragtime intertwined with weird magician music or something like that. As for World-Fest, It was originally supposed to celebrate the other countries 1880s, why can't it continue to do that? Just use your imagination, it cost efficient!
I hadn't thought about the lakefront condos through the Wilderness Church window. Probably because the idea of a picture window in a log building is already such an anachronism, that I hadn't thought past that.
The lake itself isn't "1880s"... construction on the dam ended in 1958, so the lake probably wasn't even full enough to be visible when the park opened. The actual "stuff" at KidsFest, such as the sand tables and what-not on the Square, could be done in-theme as easily as not. But, SpongeBob and friends really need to go. Scooby Doo? Seriously? They might as well convert the Butterfield Stage to a horse-drawn Mystery Machine.
With a little more care, Grand Expo could really fulfill its basic theme of "Worlds Fair". But, it falls short of that as it's currently done. Shame, because it would make a great contrast between the "rustic" and the "modern" as they actually co-existed during the theme time period.
One ancient memory just rattled my brain: do they still sell hoops for rolling? When I was a kid, we would see young Citizens, and lots of visitors, trundling along a small barrel hoop with a wrought iron "leash" (for lack of a better word).
Think of a rustic version of this:
(http://www.sz-wholesale.com/uploadFiles/upimg9%5CHoop-Trundling_181419.jpg)
I don't recall seeing any of those on our last visit. I always wanted one as a kid, but I think even then the park prices brought out my parents' Scottish blood. ;)
I agree with most everyone about the angst some of the festivals cause. I was there for the first KidsFest and it was pretty fun, but that wore off when things began to become a little more "contemporary" with the atmosphere. It was originally relegated to inside of the theaters and barn back then.
But as an aside, they replaced the original dirt roads with black tar and I haven't complained once about that. I guess there's always something that each generation just accepts. Maybe the newer generations will look back on KidsFest and the like with fondness.
Speaking of festivals...does anyone know why they stopped doing the Salute to the Great American Cowboy! I made a special 5 hour trip down there one weekend to see the Sons of the San Joaquin perform! That was one festival that certainly fit the 1880's theme, but it didn't last. Wonder why?
When I read the comments about being able to see outside things from inside the park, I recalled that Disney solved that by building a high earthen berm around Disneyland, but how would you build one big enough to hide the view from the top of WF???
I would SO rather see kids walking around playing with hoops than bouncing basketballs.
As for the characters/shows for KidsFest...
Really, I'd be more than happy having only VeggieTales there. Sure, it isn't 1880s (although they could easily create a VeggieTales show that is set as a western, like some of their adorable Old West-themed bible stories), but at least they are known for their good educational value. Spongebob... ugh. No. Just... no.
From the list on their site of characters that will be visiting the park this year--
VeggieTales ; The Flintstones; Dexter & Dee Dee; Dora & Diego; Powerpuff Girls; Shaggy & Scooby Doo; Tom & Jerry; The Jetsons; SpongeBob & Patrick; Backyardigans
--just keep Veggietales and possibly Backyardigans and Dora & Diego. Backyardigans is pretty good and they could easily be costumed to fit the 1880s; same with Dora & Diego. Flintstones, Powerpuff Girls, and Dexter & Dee Dee just make me go, "HUH?" (btw, is Dexter's Laboratory even still on the air? Do kids these days even watch it anymore?) The rest, too, just don't fit (though one could try to fit Scooby and Tom & Jerry into the western theme).
So, yeah. I understand that SDC doesn't have its own animation house to draw on like Disney does for walk-around characters. But if they got more street characters out and about, they could easily become recognizable, like Whoops E. Daisy and Deputy Birdy Tweedle, like the Undertaker and (if only they'd bring him back) the Rainmaker. Bring Rube Dugan and his gang back. I don't know that I ever got to see Rube himself, but I do remember when Geyser Gulch was new seeing characters walking around the area and interacting with the kids.
Get Tom, Huck, and Becky, as well as Mark Twain, for Tom Sawyer's Landing. Have Doc Harris out more at Wildfire. Get a couple all-American daredevils for American Plunge. There are so many opportunities for characters in more areas of the park than just at the front gate and Main Street.
And now I think I've rambled to the point of going off-topic... maybe. To bring myself around, I don't think there should be a need for a "portal" because they need to just think outside the box more in order to come up with activities, shows, and characters that will still follow the theme.
As for World Fest... meh, that's never really grated on me like KidsFest has increasingly come to do. Most of the World Fest shows are all about tradition and folklore, so I imagine what they do in their shows now probably aren't all that different from what it'd look like in the 1880s.
~"Becky" Joy~
PS: Moonlight Madness -- great idea, HORRIBLE playlist. I don't wanna walk around SDC listening to golden oldies! That's what the radio in the car is for. If you want upbeat, modern music, at the very least just put stuff like Carrie Underwood, Shania Twain, Rascal Flatts, etc on the playlist.
I think for Moonlight Madness they should have dance mixes with pounding bass and dance lights there in the intersection by the Saloon since that is where most people are
Quote from: betamike on April 02, 2010, 11:23:45 PM
But as an aside, they replaced the original dirt roads with black tar and I haven't complained once about that. I guess there's always something that each generation just accepts. Maybe the newer generations will look back on KidsFest and the like with fondness.
I think you're right about newer generations. My 12 year-old daughter loves Worldfest. I really like it, too. There's always something new to see. If Worldfest "went away," she'd be pining for "the way it used to be."
I have great childhood memories of SDC, but some of my favorite moments have been in recent years during the National Harvest Festival and Old Time Christmas. Heck, my husband and I were married in Wilderness Church during the fall of 2005, and we spent the evening of our wedding having a great time with friends and family at Celebration City.
I guess my point (if I have one) is that I've come to love what SDC is today as well as the SDC of my childhood. Is it perfect? Of course not. But what SDC is today also shapes my memories, such as taking turns riding Wildfire at about 6:00 with my cousin while our kids play in the colored sand, making tie-dyed shirts with the kids that they've all outgrown now, standing with the kids while we watched the Circus of Dreams parade. (I miss that parade--catchy song!)
I love most of the additions SDC has made. I miss Celebration City very much. I get nervous when people want things to "go away." Some of those things are what make up other people's memories.
Ok, I'll go back to lurking now...
Quote from: Swoosh on April 03, 2010, 12:12:48 AM
I think for Moonlight Madness they should have dance mixes with pounding bass and dance lights there in the intersection by the Saloon since that is where most people are
I guess that's where the "wild women" would be... :)
^All we needs is some Festivus Poles there and we'd REALLY have some WILD WOMEN there. ;D
If the fine folks at SDC read one thing off these forums, I hope it is Becky's post. They need to utilize the theme and just get a little more creative.
We planned our summer trip (with a couple extra days rather than just a down and back) for the weekend Spongbob is going to be there. And if it works out we will probably be there for Dora and Diego. My kids dont know about theme, but they know those characters. I would love to be able to have SDC characters to have my kids get fired up about, but since they don't have any that are recognizable enough for my kids to remember... We haven't even seen the Sheriif for my daughter to get "deputized". Do they still do that?
And I very much dislike the "crafts" they have for kids fest. Anyone else remember leather stamping and making necklaces with painted beads? Now we make yak (at a premium). Let them stamp leather, string beads, etch glass (with the cream), dip candles, make clay pinch pots. Get rid of the sales pitches.
Amen to the retiring or floam and such.
I loved the old stuff.
One memory of mine is going to the old toy store next to the tree and there were 2 older folks there that made Yo-Yo's and they would stamp in your name and have you oil them up so they were shiny.
I miss that.
Seems to me a Yo-Yo would work today as well.
Bring back a little class to the city.
I can make some allowances for the festivals but the stuff that always breaks the theme bothers me.
The Basketballs I find downright repulsive right up there with the Dippin' Dots.
(although I suppose the Dots could be worked into the theme over by Wildfire)
I also miss the old toy store where they had all the wooden toys that they actually made there instead of all the plastic imported toys.
Heh, I thought I was the only one that missed the deputizing that used to happen. I had a whole bunch of those badges from the 80's and wish I still had one as silly as that is.
With regards to the basketballs. The game was invented in 1891. It was added as an exhibition sport in the 1904 Olympics. The basketball could stay and be part of SDC IF they would theme the balls to look like the ones from 1891.
The Grand Expedition needs quite a bit of work to fit with the rest of the park. It could really use some theme work. Waffle cones being sold. Hot dogs being sold. Fresh tea and lemonade being sold. The costumes the citizens wear need to fit the theme.
QuoteI thought I was the only one that missed the deputizing that used to happen.
They still deputize children up on the square all the time.
I have suggested that the basketballs have the old collage logos on them, just to give them the appearance of something older. They should also have some fun with a peach basket hoop. Again they just need to use their imagination rather than settling for easy.
Quote from: Copper on April 06, 2010, 10:51:40 AMAgain they just need to use their imagination rather than settling for easy.
That's it exactly! We all know, and understand that this is just a theme park. Of course there were no such things as multiple looping steel roller coasters back in the 1880's. However, when their creative team designs the attractions to look like they would have existed in the 1880's then that's where the magic happens. Just throwing in a store bought basket ball, or a Disney copied elephant ride, or a mechanical frog, and lady bug ride with no imagination is what causes the eye sores.
Don't get me wrong, I am all for as many children's rides as possible! However, let's keep them with the theme. My opinion only. :)
Some of these kinds of feelings are similar to what people probably had in the past every time there's been change in the park... ;)
I guess this is something I should have mentioned on this thread before, but I have not. It was my understanding from conversations I had while an employee back in the early 80's that part of the reason the land between Shepherd of the Hills Farm and SDC was never developed was because SH Farm and SDC owners had bought it all up. especially SDC. It was intentionally NOT DEVELOPED so that as visitors drove to SDC from Branson all they would be surrounded by was big, shady trees. (IT MADE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE GOING BACK IN TIME) Especially after leaving all that modern development in Branson. The route in front of the Wilderness (Campground and water slide in my days) was also very undeveloped, except for one small mom and pop motel, and two other campgrounds. Indian point road was undeveloped as well, until you started getting past the parking lots at SDC. Then, as you got on park, you passed the Harvey water Clock, went up the path to the hospitality house, and passed through the doors on the other side...and you were in the 1880s. Honestly, don't know if what I just explained above is true, but I did have conversations with fellow SDC employees who appeared to be "in the know" about this, so I've always assumed it was true.
Keep in mind the route I'm talking about above is the OLD ROUTE of Hwy. 76. That was the area where the only thing you saw between SH Farm and SDC was the Old Shepherd's Book Store and the Shepherd of the Hills Cemetery.
Honestly, in my over three decades of visits, I have never seen a deputizing - either for myself as a kid, or for my daughter.
As for the basketballs, I've offered my huge criticism many times. I really would like to have a new game in the area in which I get to kick every remaining ball as hard as I can into Echo Hollow. Then we can all sing around a nasty, noxious basketball campfire after the park closes. It would be nice if they would simply hand out deflated balls instead of allowing them to be bounced all through the city. One of these days, when I am old, I will use my senility as an excuse for grabbing those balls from people and chucking them into Marvel Cave.
HB-Can you be young and senile? I am ready to throw them myself.
As kids I think that we got deputized every day we were in the park. This is our third year of taking our daughter and now our second year with our son, and we havent gotten them deputized yet.
Although for the first time this last weekend my daughter asked for one of the cork rifles...I knew it was just a matter of time!
Heck I almost asked this year to be deputized! It was such a thrill as a kid to have it happen. I don't think we had to prod, or anything, I remember we would walk up and ask the sheriff to deputize us and TA DA....we were deputies!
Maybe because I am there more often, but I have seen Chuck deputize kids practically each day.
I think one of my kids got deputized by Depity Tweedle several years ago. When I saw the badge I REALLY wanted one so just went up to him and asked if he would deputize me too. As I recall, he kind of rolled his eyes in a good natured kind of a way, as if to say "You're kinda old for this aren't you?", and handed me my very own Silver Dollar City Deputy Badge which I proudly display in my office.
I'm pretty sure Deputy Tweedle deputized my sis and I, too. Unfortunately, if that's the case, I have absolutely no clue where our badges went... Then again, my mom's the one who also has our old tintype (back when they actually printed on metal), so maybe the badges are stuck in her stuff, too.
These are such great stories about being deputized! See this is where the real magic of Silver Dollar City comes from! Call me crazy, but there's so much more to all of these issues than just simply breaking the theme.
The atmosphere at Silver Dollar City is unique. It's warm. It's inviting. It's comforting. It's the one place where you can set foot into the town square, and literally let all of the problems that we face each day just melt away. I don't want to loose that excitement over cookie cutter, machined attractions that I can find at any theme park. Sure we can nick pick over the little things. However, it's important to stop a leak when it's just one drop at a time rather than waiting for the whole room to flood so to speak.
Sorry, I let my passion about Silver Dollar City take over me. ;)
Ozark BBQ, that passion drives most of us regarding SDC...guests...employees...former employees. Don't lighten up, keep the fire burning! (FITH?) Ha!