What is the worst weather you have ever encountered at SDC or any other park?! Mine was a "Noah's Ark" type of flooding rain, an absolute deluge at Worlds of Fun years ago! Water was flowing and rushing through the park!
One time I was about to get on The Lost River when they announced that it was closing for weather precautions. Soon enough, it went from a dark sky to pouring rain. That was my last day I got to go to SDC before I was supposed to go back home to! >:(
It has often rained, but a few years back it was torrential. We were lucky enough to duck into the BBQ seating area, and since we were hungry, we ate. The thunder, lightning, and rain gushing continued, and we had no choice but to wait it out. I thought there would surely be trees down when it was done, but there were not. And yet, when it was done, we rode the rest of the rides in the park. I think the only things we missed were the carousel and the balloons.
Other times, we've gotten those great Ozarks rains - just enough to be too much, and never ending. Those times were not as much fun.
As I said before, this year, we were in during the spring storm with the hail and sleet and snow and rain, and there were very few people in the park Saturday.
It was 70*+ on Friday, and went down to 30* on Saturday
Snowed 16" in some places (1 ½ " per 15 minutes) There were 47 people in the park TOTAL
Bad weather, but great day, one of my all time favorites for SDC in 30 year
Nov 1st around 1990 or so, it snowed a lot, and we still went to the park....empty again.
I always say "A rainy day at SDC is better than a sunny day at home!"
Last year, BIG cell! Drove all the way from KC - Springfield in the rain. Well, by the next day the storm was almost over. We left SDC about 11am, went to the Branson Zoo & went back about 2pm & everything was cool. Good enough for us.
Heat is another thing. My girl has had heat stroke before, so we have to be VERY careful not to let her overheat.
I'd have to say the worst weather I've experienced is during the Old Time Christmas years ago. It was COLD! FREEZING that day!!! Below 20's I think. It just made it unbearable. We drank so much hot chocolate it was ridiculous.
Back 27 or 28 years ago when the Riverfront was still called the Deepwoods and the street was not paved, just covered in sawdust...we dreaded rainy days. The sawdust turned in to sludge and mud. People would be covered to their knees with dirt and sawdust...yuuuuuuuk! When torrential rains carried the goop down the hillside toward the diving bell, much of it wound up in Lake Silver. It took three to four days for things to dry out well in that section of the park. Now when it was sunny and dry...it was great having that sawdust down...so much easier on your legs and feet, and kind of calming to walk along the pathways. The sawdust really fit the theme of the Deepwoods, too.
There was that year when the tornado sucked the diving bells right out of the lake and plopped down a Lost River ride. That brings back bad memories.
Ohhhhhhhh yeaaaahhhhhhh! That was a rough time, indeed! ;)
It wasn't a theme park, but we had a pretty hard downpour this past June 10-11 while we were camping. We were fine, but 15 miles away at the next campground, 20 people were killed in the flash flood.
It sure made me vow to never gripe about rain messing up my holiday.
When I was a teenager I talked my parents into going to Worlds of Fun in KC. They grumbled the whole 4 hour drive up there and Dad really grumbled when he paid so much money to get us all into the park. We went through the entrance gates and I remember pointing to one of the big roller coasters I could see sticking up. I remember it being cloudy and windy, but there was no rain. Anyhow we headed towards the coaster and seriously 30 steps into the park the tornado sirens went off and they started making announcements over the loudspeakers that the park is being evacuated and closed. So we hadn't even been there 3 minutes and were rushed back out to our cars and asked to leave. No refunds or rain-checks. Needless to say, we didn't go back.
I was encountered bad weather when I was at Dollywood last summer. The sky got dark and it poured the rain, and started lightning. All the rides were closed down do to bad weather and were shut down for about 1 hour. One thing I compliment SDC,DW,DSC,&WW on is that they do offer rain checks. Six Flags and Cedar Fair however do not. I NEVER go to Cedar Fair or Six Flags parks because let's face it there crappy!!! NO GOOD FOOD. NO SHOPS OF ANY KIND (shops make me love SDC and DW) and the other thing is NO themeing. They have no family rides, all it is, is 200ft tall roller coasters that aren't very good because all you do is worry if your going to die or not lol! GO DOLLYWOOD & SILVER DOLLAR CITY!!!!!!!!
Wasn't at the theme park, but staying at Treasure Lake where my grandparents had a membership. While we were at a show, a tree branch went through the tent. Nothing quite like the rolling thunder moving through those hills. My little sister (now 27) is still terrified of thunderstorms.
one christmas trip about 20 years ago we took the motorhome down, went to SDC.. we had long johns on shirts coats anything we could find to wear. it was COLD. woke up next day motorhome was froze up.. back to sdc....COLD. lots of hot chocolate.. it was BAD. lets see 1 bad memory in over 45 years? nice record..
My worst weather experience was probably at a recreational park in New Mexico. We were sleeping in the family camper trailer that we had at the time, and a huge sand storm swept through the area over night. Woke up the next morning, and no kidding there was a foot of sand everywhere. :o
sandstorms. oh yea! we ride ORV at little sahara on OK. Have seen some bad wind there. never woke up to 1 foot of sand.. But have seen sand "rearranged" during the windstorm.
We were staying at the SDC Campground. That night we were at the show. Lightning started and the sirens went off. They sent us all to the top of the hill to the bathrooms. Man, that was a hot, stinky mess. When we got back to the tent, it was flooded and our stuff was floating. We went home that night.
Sorry to hear about your rough night DianaGail. We had tornado warnings, and storm damage down here in Little Rock as well.
It's what keeps every trip to Branson interesting! It didn't ruin too much for us. That happened 15 years ago and we still get passes every year. However, we do not camp.