So, on May 1st, at 9:00pm, Silver Dollar City held a dance party on Main Street. There was a very impressive crowd there for it, and there had to be over a hundred people who were actually dancing (with many more looking on).
As posted in the 50th Anniversary Weekend Reviews thread, here's the playlist for the dance party; it's mostly in order, but not entirely:
Celebration by Kool and the Gang
The Electric Slide
The Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)
YMCA by The Village People
Simon Says (a song I've never heard before, but it was fun!)
Cotton-Eyed Joe by Rednex
Hokey Pokey (which started out traditional then did some different music styles)
Bunny Hop
Boot-scootin' Boogie
Time Warp
The Twist
Cha-Cha Slide Part II
Then a medley that went: The Dinosaur/Walk Like An Egyptian/Come On Ride The Train/Hand Jive/Thriller/Cupid Shuffle
And to end it all, Na Na Hey Hey (The Goodbye Song)
Yes, it was full of modern music, but it was... FUN. Even for someone like me who only participated in a couple of the dances.
Anyway, the reason I'm posting this is first to find out who else was there 'cause I'm curious about your opinions. Second, I was just reading the newest brochure for SDC and just like I'd said elsewhere on the forum that I'd love to see them do, they're going to have the dance party every night during Moonlight Madness!
Personally, I'm excited. :D
I do think that maybe they should do the Time Warp first, to kinda give an overall feel of "time traveling from the 1880s to the 2010s" before all the modern music. LOL Just a thought.
I don't get it at all. Is anyone more likely to attend or spend because of this? Really? This, I could attend at just about any community festival. For free.
You know me, Mr. Hardcore Old School. My thought is keep everying themed in the 1880's. We can do the bunny hop at any street festival in anytown USA. Silver Dollar City is a special place. Let's keep it that way. If the park personnel are going to do something, add more attention to detail to the park and keep the theme. I believe Miss Mary would always do what she thought she had to so a profit could be made, because, that's business, but, whew, she did it with class. Jack and Pete did, too. If I were them, I'd be slapping the wrists of a few of the folks in charge, even if it meant a trip to Georgia.
I don't like this at all. 'course I don't like the different music during Moonlight either
Oh, I certainly agree that at any other time of the year, this just wouldn't work. But since they've already been doing the whole modern thing for Moonlight Madness anyway (though I still argue that their music choices for the park atmos speakers are not what the kids are listening to these days; they really should just play modern country if they're gonna go modern), they might as well go all the way. And it was fun watching and dancing with the street characters.
Could it be that they are trying to give people something to do at days end? Instead of rushing out and jamming the exits...they can hang back awhile and let the people thin out. It's something different...I don't think it harms anyone's park experience.
All I know is I had tons of fun that night and thought it'd fit in perfectly with the more "modern" feel of Moonlight Madness, and apparently TPTB thought the same thing. I mean, Main Street was CROWDED. It was amazing!
Well, really the powers that be respond more to an event with a full house than they would an old goat like me shouting about the theme. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ IS THE BOTTOM LINE! :)
They used to do a dance party after Ignite the Night at Celebration City during the summer. I agree that it helps with crowd control. At CC, some people would leave right after the fireworks, and some would stay and do the dance party. It's also fun to do with the kids.
It seems that elements of CC continue to trickle into SDC, especially during the summer months. The music playing during Moonlight Madness in not unlike the music at CC. I'm just happy they have Moonlight Madness--something fun to do in the evenings during part of the summer, at least. We had fun last year, and I couldn't even ride coasters since I was about 8 months pregnant!
C-H-E-A-P
It does, in fact, ruin my park experience, and my family and I will not participate. I guess they will not be getting my $$$$$$$$$ during any time they decide to do this, and that's my bottom line. I want to be positive about it, but SDC is NOT CC. Is this the thinking: hey guys CC failed and SDC succeeds, so let's do the things we did at the failing venture and maybe we can shut down our flagship. Let's make it just another amusement park and give up completely on the theme park idea. We don't want to look like we even know what we're doing.
It would be so easy to stick to some semblance of an atmosphere, but they are losing it and losing it fast. At least when they attempted to make everything Victorian, they realized it was a huge mistake and went back to what they do best. This new stuff is a complete ignoring of their base audience, their roots, and everything that made the place special for all of us diehard fans.
I'm as diehard about theme as anyone else, but I figure this fits fine with Moonlight Madness, and since that's the only time they'll be doing this, it really doesn't bother me. I can handle having two weeks where 6pm-10pm are for the riders. 'Cause really, that's what MM is all about: letting the riders get a chance to experience the rides in the dark. They're not worrying about shows or shopping. It's a special event. Two weeks out of the whole season. I really don't mind it at all (though I do still wish they'd switch to modern country for the background music).
QuoteI'm as diehard about theme as anyone else, but I figure this fits fine with Moonlight Madness, and since that's the only time they'll be doing this, it really doesn't bother me.
If my memory is correct, Moonlight Madness started as a 2 day event and now is a 2 week event. So what would keep them from expanding it out more? I do like Midnight Madness but let's keep the theme of the park in tack.
Well. As bad as i hate to say it i have come to accept all of this nonsense. Lets face it. They are out to make money for the least amount they can spend. Just like every other company now. So i have just come to appreciate the older stuff that the park still has to offer.
Then bring in bars, grinding dance music, lap dances, and casino gambling.
I'm hoping HFE still has minutia of the values that it used to. All the money the company has made has been because of the little things, the one-of-a-kind-ness of SDC. To deny that is to misunderstand the unique position in which this park finds itself among the industry. To run the company like WoF or SF is not the best long-range direction to take it.
And yes, 2 days becomes 2 weeks, becomes "we have a big crowd, so let's stay open and do it on a whim", becomes "let's do it every day that it doesn't rain".
They're not doing it so we can experience the rides at night (we do that at Christmas); they're doing it so they can sell concessions. SDC has always been more sophisticated than that.
Why not do away with Moonlight Madness and just have the park open longer and "business as normal" ? I don't see the need to create a special event just to have the park open longer. Unless they want to leave some Christmas Lights up year round (to compete with WOF's new addition) then why even bother. Just add more show times later in the day and leave the park open longer -- with the same theme the entire time.
I have to agree with the Swoosh idea, keep to the theme of your park. The moonlight madness is not something I would enjoy going to because of the musical change. I would go for the rides at night and that would be it.
swoosh has it dead on
I love closing at 7!!!
SDC feels that MM is special and if they tried to extend it all summer long they would not get the same reaction. They were surprised that it was so successful last year; they set a record weekly total attendance. I do believe that they should keep the theme; it's very strange to hear rock and roll through the park. A few summers back they did away with the theme music during Kids-Fest and were playing Kids-Bob kind of music, including Barbie Girl. Well, enough people complained and it was quickly changed back. One day I wouldn't mind if they did extend hours, the challenge would be to add to the work force and not scare away the elderly employees and to light the park properly.
I've complained enough, and I think most of us agree that the execution of Moonlight Madness has left us with a bad taste. Now, how about offering some grassroots solutions?
It would be awesome if they could light the sections of the park that remain open after dark with more traditional lighting - maybe lanterns, candles, or even strategically placed wood fires. These, enhanced with electrical lighting, would give a special feel to the place.
Then, how about campfire music piped through the park or even some scary campfire storytelling? If you must have a dance, put it over in the GE, but by all means use country music or country rock. People would still dance to Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts.
And just to be ironic, play Shania Twain in the Mark Twain area at the Riverfront!
Any other ideas that could make Moonlight Madness more palatable?
^ How about some Baldknobbers with torches around FITH to light thing up! It would certainly be in keeping with the theme. ;D My favorite part of the park being open at night during the Christmas festival is just being able to ride Wildfire after dark, so as long as there were some shows going on to keep the lines shorter I'd be happy.
In my day, they had a end of the day square dance, a lowering of the flag, and a singing of America the Beautiful. They could do the same thing now, but hold a full blown square dance, lasting several hours, teach people to square dance, get the street characters involved, maybe a "country fair" type event on Main Street with several musical and special acts, like ventriquests, magicians, comedy. Get everyone involved, offer lemonaide, other refreshments.
great ideas! its a long shot im sure but i hope some decision makers are reading these posts!
^^Sounds like a true street fair. That could give a really cool "feel" to the place that couldn't be had anywhere else. Local close-up performers could lend to the flavor, even being allowed to put out an open hat or guitar case for donations.
^^^I just came back to this thread with the idea of Bald Knobber torches for lighting (and to add a cool fear element) in certain areas. That's more what the place needs after dark. How about a nice storyline that integrates different sections of the park? As you travel from area to area, more of the story gets put together.
Let's go, HFE!
I think it would be fun to experiment with real gaslight. Many trendy places in Vegas and NY are doing it, I think it would be pretty and really neat in different locations throughout SDC.
See, now THIS is what I love about this forum. We can agree to disagree and then go straight into a discussion with all sorts of amazing innovative ideas. :)
I would be perfectly fine with doing away with Moonlight Madness if they simply extended the hours for the whole season.
Perhaps there COULD be a way to make the dance party more thematic. Boot Scootin' Boogie and Cotton-Eyed Joe worked pretty well. And I think something like the Hokey Pokey is okay, too. Maybe if they wanted to keep the other dances (since, really, they are quite fun), they could record special country-themed versions of Electric Slide, Macarena, Simon Says (it really was quite a fun dance), and the Bunny Hop. I wouldn't mind a country-fied version of Cupid SHuffle, too (I really, REALLY love that dance).
LOVE the idea of having Baldknobbers lighting up the park! Also love the ideas for a "Street Fair" and campfire storytelling...
I've been thinking of writing up a lengthy letter, almost a fandom manifesto, to send in to TPTB.... Maybe I could indeed do something like that, with all the ideas we've had on the forum (with full credits, of course)... What d'ya think?
There are Pickin' On versions of most popular tunes, these days. Get on iTunes and search Pickin' On. Of course, alot of them are hokey, but hokey works in Branson. Also, the Sons of the Silver Dollar have a Beatlegrass medley of Beatles hits that's great.
Beatlegrass? Now THAT I've gotta hear!
There was a group on park in my time called "The Undergrass Boys" that performed a bluegrass version of "Ruby Tuesday" on park, and it was fantastic. I even have a record album with that song on it. You can hear a little of the Undergrass Boys if you google them...the search will take you to various music Websites that have a review of the band and samples of their music. Well worth the search.
omg. I just looked up the Pickin' On series. Clicked on the Neil Young album. OMGIWANT.
As a PURIST who believes that HFE has forgotten just about every concept of what made SDC special, I moan about every misguided change they make and every compromise made to the park theme. Moonlight Madness last year was a slap in the face IMHO. However, this thread has given me hope.
I've been deputized at the City since I was 3 years old; and I have never got to arrest anyone yet. Personally, I'd like to see the Marshal deputize a whole large group of kids en masse, give 'em badges, AND send them out through the dark, underlit park to find and arrest Alfie and Ralfie Bolin, or any escaped convicts, with some offer of a bounty. Huntin' down Baldknobbers would be quite a tie-in, but it might be a bit intense for some 5 year olds who are up way past their bed time. It would also have the added benefit of distributing some attendees away from the square and through the park.
Or at very least, with no fanfare, no announcement and no attention drawn to it, have Eli Tolts' diving bell partially surface in Lake Silver for a few seconds every hour in the darkness of night. That would truly make me smile.
Oooo... I like that idea! Watchin' kids arresting bandits. Great image!
Kind of a big, albeit controlled, game of hide-and-seek.
With all due respect I think History Buff needs to take a powder and calm down a little. The comment about the lap dances and grinding is uncalled for. MM is not going to shut down the park! The people who complain the most when things change are the same ones who complain the most when things dont change. Save your energy for the battles that matter....I have a feeling that some of those will be coming before we know it.
QuoteWith all due respect I think History Buff needs to take a powder and calm down a little. The comment about the lap dances and grinding is uncalled for.
The statement in question was in response to a comment about SDC trying to make more money by introducing anti-thematic properties. It could be a slippery slope. I thought of other ways they could money, as well, if that really is all they are really wanting, but I also recognized (in the same post) that I hoped it wouldn't come to something like that (just looking for the almighty dollar) given the values that HFE touts. What makes you think I wasn't calm when I wrote that?
QuoteThe people who complain the most when things change are the same ones who complain the most when things dont change.
You must not have noticed that History Buff was the person who turned this thread away from the complaining and started turning it toward offering solutions.
QuoteSave your energy for the battles that matter....I have a feeling that some of those will be coming before we know it.
Like what? Things that are uncalled for? I didn't realize there were battles; we are fans, aren't we? Fans, or fanatics, tend to have a vested interest in the object of their fanaticism. It's not the fans against SDC; we're all on the same team.
I'm thinking the reason for MM is to try to attract a certain clientele to the park that may not come otherwise. One can't help but compare it to Six Flags but since that company is in danger of going out of business I can't see that being a necessarily "smart" way to go. While Six Flags seems to be failing and SDC thriving should put out the message "if it works don't fix it".
Well, I have never been to Moonlight Madness and didn't go to the dance on the square, but I have heard modernish music playing in SDC before and I don't like it. It ruins the entire atmosphere and extremely goes against the theme. It just doesn't fit and I agree with many of the solutions that have been offered here to fix this problem, while SDC can still make money.
I love the idea of an SDC campfire. The characters could play songs on their banjos and guitars and it could be a great storytelling opportunity, and another comedy type show for SDC. They could do a campfire maybe three or four days a week in the summer and in the fall and it should be FREE OF CHARGE. We've already paid enough to get into the park and paid enough for food, the shows should be free. And what could be more American and 1880's than a campfire!
I certainly hope we don't "theme" SDC into oblivion. We love the theme, but how many more like us are being raised to love the park as much. We might have to accept the inevitable that a little change might have to be accepted.
I really didn't feel like the dance party was really invasive, partly because it was only located in Main Street and I swear, it seemed like all the people who were still there at the park were there on Main Street. Everyone really seemed to be having fun. If they keep it strictly to Moonlight Madness, I don't think it's all that bad an idea.
Though, as previously mentioned, if they could reworks the songs for both the dance party and the MM background music to be all country-themed, that'd be even better.
I have been going to the park since I was a small child in the 70's. I love the 1880's theme. I miss the Diving Bell and the Float Trip and other things that have changed. But change is natural and eventually has to happen everywhere. We have all changed. We don't choose to live the same way we lived 20 years ago, but we probably still have the same values and morals we had 20 years ago.
It's easy to say the Mary and the other Herschands would not approve of Moonlight Madness or the Dance Party, but do we really know that for sure? You can assume it based on how things used to be when they were the ones making the decisions... but what if we pretend that those people were still around and in charge today, can you guarantee they wouldn't have made these changes themselves? I doubt many of us still dress like we did in the 70's or 80's, we've all changed with the times. Clothes don't look the same and we have accepted the new way they look without even blinking. I'm horrible with examples, but surely you can see what I mean. When I was a kid and all the way through my twenties I hated salad and would not eat it. Then in my 30's I suddenly thought a salad looked pretty tasty and I began eating them. Now I eat salad several times a week. It didn't change my values or mean that I had compromised something. It's just a natural change that happened with age. We have no way of knowing if Mary would have made these types of changes or not. But if she had, it wouldn't mean that her values had changed. It would just mean that her tastes and style had changed.
Let me see if I can kind of bring my point of view a little closer to addressing SDC as a physical place. You guys think because it's an 1880's theme park and we love it as such, nothing should ever break theme. I do understand and agree that theme needs to be maintained as much as possible during normal business hours. But in my opinion, there's nothing wrong with them changing things up a bit when they hold an "event" like Moonlight Madness that is outside their normal business hours. Again, I'm bad with examples... but it's kind of like when a community needs a place to gather and hold a town meeting so they use their local church building on a Tuesday night for a political discussion. Or when a schoolyard is used to setup a traveling carnival for 2 weeks every summer. Both instances mean the property is not being used for the purpose it was designed for. But it doesn't mean that when you attend church on Wednesday evening the political discussion has changed anything about your church or fellowship. Or that when school's back in session kids are going to want to become carnies simply because carnies had been on the property during the summer.
I guess that all sounds a little silly. I'm not very good at explaining how I view it. But hopefully you'll get the general idea and hopefully I managed not to upset anyone. Because of course we are all going to have different opinions and I certainly don't believe my opinion is better than anyone else's. It's just simply mine.
Slow Walker that might be the best summary I have read.
QuoteYou can assume it based on how things used to be when they were the ones making the decisions... but what if we pretend that those people were still around and in charge today, can you guarantee they wouldn't have made these changes themselves?
Am I the only one that still feels & thinks the Herschends are in charge of what goes on in sdc? I know corporate is in Georgia and am sure they make decisions on what happens in the park, but I don't think a theme park started and held for 50 years by the same family is going to let anyone tell them how to run their park. I think the Herschends still have the last say on what is added or took away in sdc.
I think you are right. Jack and Pete are semi-retired, but sit on the board. The third and fourth generation family members are working in the company at various positions. Jack and Pete let others take care of day to day things, but anything big probably still needs their approval. Probably one of the reasons the old treehouse is still in place is somebody up high wants it kept until something can be done to improve and reopen it in someway. I'm just guessing here on all of this, but most of it is probably more right than wrong.
Oh sorry. I didn't mean to imply the Herschends aren't involved in decision making, I was basically just meaning the original people who started in charge are no longer in the same leadership roles. Or something. Whatever I meant. :)
Whoever makes the decisions, today, I pray they remain focused on the big picture.
Amen! :)
I really do hope corporate reads this website. There are some excellent ideas going around and they sound very doable. After all, we're the customers and the customers are always right, right?
No need to pay for another survey when we're here!
Quote from: History Buff on June 12, 2010, 12:51:30 PM
No need to pay for another survey executive decision makers when we're here!
Fixed it. ;D
Me like.