SDCFans - The Unofficial Fan Site For Silver Dollar City

Silver Dollar City & Celebration City Discussion => Construction/Rumors => Topic started by: Hatfield McCoy on June 22, 2008, 11:47:12 AM

Title: New ride concept survey
Post by: Hatfield McCoy on June 22, 2008, 11:47:12 AM
Has anyone else taken the online survey about a new ride concept? 
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: shavethewhales on June 22, 2008, 12:12:13 PM
Not I. Details?

Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Hatfield McCoy on June 22, 2008, 05:14:44 PM
It looks like it would be a clone of Dollywood's River Battle, only themed to Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer.  It gave a few choices of names.  I thought it was strange because I thought it was almost a done deal for a coaster next year.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Coaster on June 22, 2008, 06:26:10 PM
Sigh. I think this would make a good attraction a few years down the road but definitely not next year. This also doesn't tie in with 2009 being SDC's largest capital expense to date theory.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: haytater on June 22, 2008, 08:06:32 PM
where do you take the online survey?
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: shavethewhales on June 22, 2008, 08:29:30 PM
Can you give us a link?

I told you guys this would turn up eventually - keep in mind that this may be for 2010 or later though, they would have had to plan this out more than two months in advance for it to be next year's ride.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Coaster on June 22, 2008, 08:34:01 PM
^Good point. So if we get our own version of a Mystery Mine coaster next year and a splash battle in 2010 or later, it will appear we are copying all of Dollywood's ideas. Not much would be said because both are owned by the Herschend's but still.

Have to keep in mind though that this is all just speculation.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: History Buff on June 22, 2008, 10:56:15 PM
We have the survey, but have yet to look at it.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: shavethewhales on June 22, 2008, 11:30:29 PM
Someone please provide some real details. I'm dying to know what's going on here. What are the concepts? What are the details? What are the descriptions? What does the artwork look like? Take a screenshot of it or something. It's not like they're really trying to keep this on the down-low, you can tell us what you were asked.

I really won't mind if this is indeed a Splash Battle. I still think DW's is a bit cheesy, but it works there. For SDC I think (and pray) that they'll spring for more realistic theming, and the Splash Battles in Europe have sported some pretty impressive theming. A whole Mississippi bog themed to Tom Sawyer would work sooooo well... 

You know, getting everything after DW has tried it isn't so bad. They work out all the bugs for us, so by the time we get a given attraction, the company knows what they want to do to make it better.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: History Buff on June 23, 2008, 06:49:51 PM
Sorry.  I just got back from Orlando and didn't have the ability to upload the pics at our hotels.  I am happy, however, to still have the opportunity to scoop everyone else out there and post it all at this time.

The ride concept is this:  Tom and Huck have set up shop on the banks of the Big Muddy and guests will have the chance to shoot at targets, each other, and people on shore along the 500 foot channel.  Pretty standard stuff.

Anyway - three names are being considered:  Tom and Huck's Battle, Blast, or Adventure.  We voted for Adventure because it ties better with Mark Twain's books.  Other questions included whether or not we would be apt to ride this ride and what age group we thought it would most appeal to.

There are four artist concepts.  If it turns out like this and not all plastic-looking it won't look bad, though I don't think it really appeals to us much anyway.  I am glad they want to keep Tom and Huck in the park though.

(See images on Main Site.)

What do you think?  Notice the picture of a treehouse and another of a boat (Tadpole in Geyser Gulch?).
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Copper on June 23, 2008, 08:28:44 PM
The balloons and carousel closed today a fence will be raised around the area. I wonder what they are going to be opening next year?

Also the bottom right picture looks a lot like the carousel barn.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: History Buff on June 23, 2008, 10:20:21 PM
You are right about that!  That gets me a little more excited that they might be planning a Tom Sawyer's Landing revival.  Maybe the whole area would get a face lift with this as an addition.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: shavethewhales on June 24, 2008, 12:26:54 AM
The balloons and carousel closed today a fence will be raised around the area. I wonder what they are going to be opening next year?

Also the bottom right picture looks a lot like the carousel barn.


WHOA, what? Geez, that's a pretty big development. Can you divulge? Maybe in the other thread? We need to get some photos of this.

The concept art for the Splash Battle has eased my worries a bit. It looks like it will extend what they have already done in the area and even add in a bit of nostalgia by using re-introducing Huck Finn to the park. Talk about a win in all directions. Looks like we have a few years of excitement ahead.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Coaster on June 24, 2008, 07:14:47 AM
Wow! That looks really neat! I've only seen a few pictures of the plastic looking River Battle at Dollywood but these concept art pictures already look a lot better. I still stand at my decision that I want a coaster this year and this the year after that or later.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: DocSpeleo on June 24, 2008, 09:34:17 AM
looks great but its just splash harbor in the center of town?
i like this one a whole lot better because it is at least themed better.  but 2 places to shoot water at your friends? i'm not all that excited about that kind of sad now... and the tree house looked to be in the middle of the water so it would still be off limits.... i wanted back in the tree!
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: History Buff on June 24, 2008, 09:58:34 AM
When I filled out the survey, I said I thought this would appeal to preteens the most.  The kind of preteens that jump lines, stick their gum on the walls, and carve their initials into the queue because they are running wild, unsupervised by their parents.  I'm not thrilled about squirting water at people or targets either.  The thought ran through my mind that we not only have Geyser Gulch, we also have the Flooded Mine.  It seems SDC may have shooting on their minds.  I just want a good ride experience; it doesn't have to be interactive.

I don't see a coaster going into the area at TS Landing.  It would be too loud and too conspicuous.  Also there is a lot of traffic and congestion there already.  I think this is where this Tom and Huck ride is going.  Maybe this is why we only have the still-unfinished Culinary Arts School for this year.  Were they saving to put in two new features next year, and then spend a couple of years billing them as "Still New in 2010 and 2011"?  I don't know, but if I ran the world...
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: sdcforever on June 24, 2008, 10:45:49 AM
^As I said in the SDC 2009 Project topic, the online SDC map now has a big yellow bubble declaring "New Ride Coming In '09!" right where Tom Sawyer's Landing is located, so something is going in there right now.  I don't think it's the Tom and Huck river ride, since it's too late to do a ride concept survey and get everything hammered out for next year.  It's something that's out of the planning stages that they've already conducted a survey for.  I think it's going to be a coaster, and it will change the atmosphere of that area of the park.  But I feel a lot of changes are on the horizon that will probably affect the look and feel of the entire park.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Coaster on June 24, 2008, 10:56:13 AM
Yeah, it's definitely not the river battle because it would look pretty weird in the middle of the city like that. Also, as you said, it's a little late to put out this river battle survey and then put it in the park this next year.

I think this pretty much proves that we are getting our own Mystery Mine coaster. (Ice House anyone?) A wooden coaster would look really weird in the middle of the city like that and I don't think it'd fit. Unless they are going for a dark ride concept that we haven't thought about.

Were they saving to put in two new features next year, and then spend a couple of years billing them as "Still New in 2010 and 2011"?  I don't know, but if I ran the world...

If you mean two new rides I don't think they'd do that. That would be a lot of expansion for one year. It is possible though if this is going to be their largest capital investment.

-------
All this aside I'm happy that things are finally starting to happen!!

EDIT: Since this is an online survey, anyone want to give us the link?
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Swoosh on June 24, 2008, 11:26:50 AM
You have to think of it this way - all of the water rides will still be in a rather linear line of each other.

American Plunge / Tom & Huck / Lost Rive / Splash Harbor / Waterworks Waterboggan

So it is not going to be THAT big of a deal.  Also wouldn't you rather see this area "reimagineered" then leaving it in the rotting state that it is currently in?  We all knew that the nets were living on borrowed time, and I'm not too surprised about the rest of the area as we all knew that it could be better used. 

Also one last thing - Splash Harbor is where you get sprayed with water guns, not Geyser Gluch  ;)
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Coaster on June 24, 2008, 11:29:17 AM
^I guess it won't look as weird as it would in say Midtown but something else other than a River Battle would look a lot better.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Swoosh on June 24, 2008, 11:33:35 AM
I think what annoys me the most about it being put there is the fact that SDC has always hid their rides and with it being placed there, it will be right on the midway.  That is, unless they build some facades in front of most of the ride near the midway.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Coaster on June 24, 2008, 12:16:30 PM
^That won't bother me much. I like to know whats going on more than I wondering what the heck is going on.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Hatfield McCoy on June 24, 2008, 12:48:25 PM
Ooops! Sorry for starting this topic in the wrong place, and sorry for not following up on it.  I was just curious about the survey and assumed everyone got it. 

I wasn't really thrilled about the concept at first because I was waiting for a wooden coaster announcement.  After thinking about it though and realizing how well SDC does with theming this could be great for families.  I also love the Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer theme or anything Twain. 

The wooden coaster concept seems as though it would be all too logical at some point in SDC's future, but I can imagine there is a lot of discussion going on with this tight economy.   
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Coaster on June 24, 2008, 01:13:18 PM
Where can you fill out the survey?
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Swoosh on June 24, 2008, 01:26:32 PM
^That won't bother me much. I like to know whats going on more than I wondering what the heck is going on.

Yes but it is tradition... and I hate to see that going away
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: History Buff on June 24, 2008, 05:02:16 PM
Actually there were guns in Geyser Gulch before IT was expanded to include Splash Harbor, but we all know what we're talking about, so there's really no need to split hairs.

Also, you get to shoot at the Lost River, too.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Swoosh on June 24, 2008, 05:34:08 PM
There still are guns in Geyser Gulch to shoot the targets, you just cannot get anyone wet with them like you can over in Splash Harbor.

Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: shavethewhales on June 24, 2008, 07:43:42 PM
I have it from a good source that SDC has actually been toying with this idea for a long time, testing out various types for water cannons in the boat houses among other research. This ride is practically confirmed for the park. This source was also sure that this would indeed go in the Landing and that it would be built this year, not the next.

Hmmm...

Well, in any case, I'm really looking forward to this. I think the Splash Battle is only one part of this whole offering, which I expect to include a re-make of the buildings in the area hopefully with some new shops and thematic elements. Like Swoosh said, this is a very welcome re-establishment of a uber-favorited section of the park. It really is a win in all directions, though I'll still keep my nose up if they use plastic in the thematics. I really think they'll actually do a better job at theming it than some of us will assume at this point however - the concept artwork and description seem to show off a real attention to detail like we haven't truly seen since Wildfire. River Battle at DW was just a ride, but this I can see being a true experience all around. I'm looking forward to seeing Huck Finn back in the park.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: History Buff on June 24, 2008, 11:20:55 PM
How many carnival games do you think they will add?  Yuck!
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Copper on June 24, 2008, 11:50:52 PM
I don't think it's the Tom and Huck river ride, since it's too late to do a ride concept survey and get everything hammered out for next year.  It's something that's out of the planning stages that they've already conducted a survey for. 

To be honest SDC doesn’t always plan their projects years in advance. Sometimes it is only months in advance.

The fence is up to raise hype, good marketing. I will send some pictures of it. There is a sign posted on the fence with white wash paint saying to keep watching the fence for more clues, or something to that point.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Swoosh on June 24, 2008, 11:55:15 PM
^Well that should be a dead giveaway that Tom and Huck's Adventure will go there.  I like how they have been getting more creative with their "teaser fences" recently.

^^I honestly hope there are not any more carnival games installed here.  There is enough already with Grand Expo and the pig race over at the Farm.

====
I wonder if the rest of the buildings in this little area will receive a "river side" motif to go along with the new ride, much like what the Carousel Barn (I hope they rename that and give it more of a purpose then it currently has) appears to have in the concept art
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Copper on June 25, 2008, 12:01:06 AM
I agree Swoosh. I hope they go all out on this area.

I wouldn’t mind if they kept the balloons in the Landing, so that there would be another “family ride” area other than the Expo. I might get booed for saying this, but a Tom and Huck theatre would be fun. The theatre could be like Dollywood’s Heart Song. This way there would be a theatre that could run several shows daily and another place to go when it rains.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Swoosh on June 25, 2008, 12:04:55 AM
^I actually liked the Heartsong Theatre.  Sure it was cheesy, but I thought it was a neat addition to Dollywood.  Sounds like a winner to me.  :)
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: sdcforever on June 25, 2008, 09:05:46 AM
I agree Swoosh. I hope they go all out on this area.

I wouldn’t mind if they kept the balloons in the Landing, so that there would be another “family ride” area other than the Expo. I might get booed for saying this, but a Tom and Huck theatre would be fun. The theatre could be like Dollywood’s Heart Song. This way there would be a theatre that could run several shows daily and another place to go when it rains.

I also hope they go all out on this area.  I'm glad they're using the fence to hype up the construction, and even theming the fence, so people will actively seek it out to see the clues.  I am also all for a Tom and Huck theater; I thought that would be a great idea when we were discussing possible changes to the Landing in another thread a couple of months ago.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: History Buff on June 25, 2008, 09:42:21 AM
Tom and Huck Theater?  That could easily be a 4-D experience.  I love the idea of this or even a terrific live show with a Twain theme.

I think some of you are assuming a river theme to the area, but it could easily just be a Mark Twain area, complete with a great Missouri book store (with the current book store being so down sized since the move).  This whole area could have a frog race (kiddie ride anyone) and even a Camelot area fantasy dark ride to go with other Twain books.  The Landing area is actually pretty large and if the whole area is engineered at once, a lot could fit in there.  Then, a bypass trail or bridge could be built through other routes.  Marvel Cave's lantern tours could be rebilled as Tom Sawyer lantern tours, and guides could actually get "lost" during the tour.

This whole thing really could be a big investment to reshape the center of the city, which is something we've been asking for in these forums.

Copper, I look forward to seeing some pictures of the area.  And if you can get some shots of the Culinary Arts building, please post those, too.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: shavethewhales on June 25, 2008, 12:57:56 PM
Crap, I had no idea that they were going to hype this up with a fence and clues - now I feel bad for posting the concept art on the main site for the GP to see... Oh well, it's only concept art, we still don't really have that good of an idea of what this whole project is about. There really is a lot of unused space there, I remember wondering about that the last time I wandered that trail behind the riverside theatre.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Swoosh on June 25, 2008, 01:19:59 PM
Oh well, it was bound to happen eventually... and like you said, there is still a lot more that has not been revealed yet.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: History Buff on June 25, 2008, 02:03:50 PM
It's all part of the dance.
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: Johnny Boy on June 28, 2008, 02:20:33 PM
I don't really want a splash battle area.
We already have Splash Harbor, plus you can get plenty wet on the water toboggan, Lost River, American Plunge, and Geyser Gulch. Do we really need more "wet areas"?
 like the idea of expanding on the Mark Twain idea, although if we get a "4-D" theater, let's hope it's not Spongebob 4-D. I have already ridden it at SF over Texas and at Shedd's Aquarium. It's painful! At the end, a rod inside the chair pokes into your back!
Title: Re: New ride concept survey
Post by: shavethewhales on June 28, 2008, 02:39:34 PM
I'm going to close this topic, use the 2009 thread.