SDCFans - The Unofficial Fan Site For Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City & Celebration City Discussion => General Silver Dollar City Talk => Topic started by: bradhig on August 04, 2008, 06:05:20 PM
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Is there a small hill in the flooded mine you go over? What was the original theme before the shootout?
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I don't know about a small hill. There used to be a dip just as you departed due to the cars resting on a conveyor belt for loading and unloading and then dipping into the water. They now use a set of raising and lowering metal bars for stability, so there is no longer a drop. Before the current shootout it used to be a ride through attraction where you would just float past the scenes. I'm not sure when it changed to the shootout. Does anyone know?
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Was the theme any different before the guns were added? It seemed like it may have been themed around a mill.
There definitely never was any sort of hill on the ride though - it's a water canal. :P
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The theme has always been a flooded mine operated by prisoners. Before the shootout was added, the scenes were timed to the oar cars arrival in each area. The saw blade disconnected itself and hurled toward you and the lights would go out as it got to the edge (Can you here the saw sound any more?). The dynamite went off and the water rushed in as a strobe light added to the effect (I'm gettin' outa here no matter what!). My favorite part was the canaries. The first canary had a sign to explain that its being alive meant there were no dangerous gases escaping. Further into the mine, a second canary hung upside down from its perch (subtle with no sign of explanation). There were no guards in the mine, and I think the riders were actually supposed to be the ones recruited to help as all the prisoners were attempting to escape the flooded mine. It was a pretty cool ride actually before the laser sounds and digital guns were added.
When the shootout was added, the last scene (the tall scene in the tower) was of some ghostly creatures up high and lasers being shot around overhead. I have no earthly idea what they had to do with the mine, and I suppose they were too close to being in the dark arts for HFE.
One Christmas, early into their opening for the season, the flooded mine was transformed into a candy mine. Prisoners were reclothed in red-and-white or green-and-white stripes and they were supposedly mining candy. Christmas lights and big plastic candies of all kinds (peppermints and ribbons, etc.) were strewn all through the mine, and it really was something for the season.
FM was the first real "amusement" ride for SDC. In that sense it is a history piece. Perhaps someone else has more to add to my narrative here.
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I think you are right on HB with the storyline as it relates to pre-Shoot Out. The Shoot Out era came along in the early 80's at some point. I remember the year that it happened because you actually had to wait in line for it!
Thanks for bringing back the memory of the tall tower and the ghost lights. I never liked that as a kid but had totally forgotten about it as an adult.
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The Ghost were added either along with the guns or around that time. Before that there was a cage over your head and foam balls would fall along with a flashing light, it was "falling rock." The "Gun" change was in 1989 or 90'..
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I had forgotten about the cave in. That was a nice touch. Now they have guys climbing a rope to get out through the top somehow.
Here's a trivia shot from FM:
(http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii154/MrHoggatt/Silver%20Dollar%20City/Flooded%20Mine/MikeHutcherson.jpg)
From the SDC website:
Mike Hutcherson is the Senior Vice President of all the Ozark Mountain Country properties which include Silver Dollar City, Celebration City, Showboat Branson Belle and White Water. He has been with the corporation since 1979.
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They haven't ever seriously considered taking this attraction out have they? It is a true piece of SDC and Herschend history but it is also prime real estate for a newer ride or attraction.
I hope they never take it out but I want them to someday take out the shootout and make the ride the same ride it was in the past.
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Ditto. Though I would welcome some great animatronics.
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This is a good overview of what the FM was. When you’re no longer a kid, you begin to see things through more cynical eyes. There were a lot of signs and visual clues in the FM (e.g. the canaries) to show the theme that things were “out of control and getting worse”. If I recall correctly, there were (decades ago) a couple of cast members in the guard house to the left as you enter the ride. They would interact with guests that were arriving into the queue (something that’s sorely missing from SDC today). The addition of the arcade/shootout element, along with overall removal of various scenes in the ride, really took the wind out of the sails of the FM.
The theme has always been a flooded mine operated by prisoners. Before the shootout was added, the scenes were timed to the oar cars arrival in each area. The saw blade disconnected itself and hurled toward you and the lights would go out as it got to the edge (Can you here the saw sound any more?). The dynamite went off and the water rushed in as a strobe light added to the effect (I'm gettin' outa here no matter what!). My favorite part was the canaries. The first canary had a sign to explain that its being alive meant there were no dangerous gases escaping. Further into the mine, a second canary hung upside down from its perch (subtle with no sign of explanation). There were no guards in the mine, and I think the riders were actually supposed to be the ones recruited to help as all the prisoners were attempting to escape the flooded mine. It was a pretty cool ride actually before the laser sounds and digital guns were added.
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Has anyone been on the Flooded mine lately? When we were on it last week we noticed that a lot of the targets red lights were out and several of the effects were not working. I wonder if they still have someone ride thru everyday to check on these things.
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Well, since I'm now also signed off on the FM i'll be the new resident expert in whats going on now! lol
Yes, we do a walk thru in the morning, and then a ride thru every 2 hours.
There was only 1 character not working and his computer component said everything was fine... so maintenance is working on that.. but the computer isn't giving them any hints as to why its not working.
Targets red lights? i didn't know the targets had red lights? I did 4 or 5 trips through here including a walk thru of the channel (pretty interesting) and a walk on top of the ride (very cool) i didn't see any red lights on any target.. the target is the bullseye... (well actually inches below on the sensors)
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There are targets near the end that are lit with little LEDs. I think they are orange or yellow.
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^Yeah, they're in the weird exploding, starlit night area. I have no idea what that area is supposed to be, but it's definitely freaky. 8)
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The fireworky area is no longer that. This was originally the area where they had put the ghostly characters. They then changed it to fireworks - weird! Now the prisoners are climbing the rope to escape. Just before this is where most of the lighted targets are located.
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I thought all of the targets used to be lit though. Maybe I have lost my mind.
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^Nope, just the ones in the darker area near the end.
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I did see the lit targets this morning. I did a walk-thru... wearing waders and slowly checking the ride for any problems....
only one light-up target is out...
yeah! lol
so I do know where the lit up ones are now.
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^It'd be cool to do some walkthroughs. I think it'd be worth it to get a job at SDC just to be able to do that at FiTH and the Flooded Mine.
Glad you know where the lit up targets are now! ;)
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One time I was in there and the ride stopped, and a worker had to come help us out of the cars on the embankment and we went out through a side exit somewhere. Kind of weird being stuck in one spot for a few minutes. :)
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well there are two plans for when the pumps are turned off in the Flooded Mine..
one includes the dock convict walking through the channel and pushing the boats back to the dock.... YEAH!
the second one is finding an evac door and pushing the boats to a door where you are exited from the ride..
that's a big part of the training although i was told that evacs happen at a rate of .5 per year.... lol in 4 years its been evacuated 2 times.
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^If I was a worker, I'd definitely look for the nearest evac door. :)
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Isn't FM supposed to have a spray at the exit (where you float to the outside) that shuts off when the oar cart triggers the electric eye? If so, it wasn't working last wknd. I thought I saw the cavity from which it should spray.
Does AP have a similar effect?
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^Unless it's changed in the last year or two, FM and AP have the water spray effect.
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I would like to see the guns re-worked... They don't work very well at all. would be nice to use technology similar to the of SDSS at SFSL...
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Yes, they could be lighter with better triggers, but I'm sure their rigid construction is less apt to break down.
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The guns were working very well when I was there last month. In fact, it's obvious that they're really done a lot of work on the whole ride recently, as we've probably talked about before. I was really surprised by how much stuff worked when you shot at it, it was a lot of fun just to ride through and take it all in.
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Does anyone know the lyrics to the Flooded mine theme song? The one they're always singing as you go through.
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Welcome to the mine hey, welcome to our toil
___ ???___ deep beneath the soil
You sweat a little water, you sweat a little blood
and you might get out if the mine don't flood.
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I dug up my old "Sounds of Silver Dollar City" vinyl that has this song on it!
It goes:
Welcome to the mine (yeah), welcome to the toil,
Welcome to the trouble 'neath the earth and soil,
You'll sweat a little water, you'll sweat a little blood,
And you might get out if the mine don't flood!
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ha. I was close -- not bad for trying to remember it off the cuff. ;D
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Pretty darn good I would say :D
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Thanks guys, I just had that "You Might Get Out" line running through my head.
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BetaMike, does your "Sounds of Silver Dollar City" album have several ride-related tracks on it? I ran across a copy and was thinking of buying it.
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I gotta check my copy Sounds of Silver Dollar City, I haven't listened to it in a while! Does anyone remember a year or two (it was nearly 10-15 yrs ago) when the Mine was decorated for Christmas? It had bubbles (I think) but every convict was wearing an elf costume, lollipops were everywhere, and they ran a constant Christmas jongle type song that got stuck in your head so terribly. I would love to see pictures from that time year if anyone has any.
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BetaMike, does your "Sounds of Silver Dollar City" album have several ride-related tracks on it? I ran across a copy and was thinking of buying it.
Sadly, no. This album was produced just as the Flooded Mine was opening to Guests so it was featured on there (the segment is very short) but no other attractions. Aside from the sound of the steam train and a Horse Creek Band song "The Wreck of Old #97" to accompany it. Still, for conjuring up memories of the park, it is worth the buy. It also has a great version of John Corbin's "Jesus, Joy of Man's Desiring" ;)
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I gotta check my copy Sounds of Silver Dollar City, I haven't listened to it in a while! Does anyone remember a year or two (it was nearly 10-15 yrs ago) when the Mine was decorated for Christmas? It had bubbles (I think) but every convict was wearing an elf costume, lollipops were everywhere, and they ran a constant Christmas jongle type song that got stuck in your head so terribly. I would love to see pictures from that time year if anyone has any.
Prior to my working at the Candy Factory, I do vaguely recall that the Flooded Mine was decorated as a Candy Mine for Christmas in much the same way that you describe. Once I began working there, I asked about it and June confirmed that it indeed was. Now, I am not sure if it was ever done again after that year or was decorated purely with a Christmas theme after that.
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John Corbin's "Jesus, Joy of Man's Desiring"
John Corbin? Who's that? Just kidding!
Now, I am not sure if it was ever done again after that year or was decorated purely with a Christmas theme after that.
It was only decorated for the one year, but it was so elaborate (though done with cheapo plastic decorations) that I would imagine it took a loooong time to pull it off.
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^I do remember the year the mine was decorated for Christmas! I was a young tike at the time, and even though it looked cheap, I thought it was fantastic! ;D
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^Ditto. ;D
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Don't get me wrong - the Candy Mine was a cool idea and a kid would really love it. I am glad to see they at least put the Santa hats on the cons this year. A little snow machine would be nice.
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I believe that it was Brad Thomas’ idea to convert the Flooded Mine into the Candy Mine’s. This was long before he was VP and all that. I would enjoy this, just because it is something different then what goes on during the rest of the season.
If you go into Brown’s Candy Factory look at the wall behind the candy makers. You can see some of the signs that were once used in the ride.
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I picked up a few items from my parents from my childhood, and this was one of them. I think I got it around 1985, back when the ride had no guns, and the buzzing saw blade would scare the life out of me everytime!
(hat photo is on my flickr site)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32289589@N05/3084063492/in/set-72157608992402069/
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^Cool! Definitely a nice keepsake. :)
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Can't wait to see all the santa hats and restored effects saturday!
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Is it ever specified as to what is being mined? I know the regions folklore is that of the Yocum Silver mine, but did the ride ever tell WHAT the miners were mining? I loved the older ride, but in 90' when the guns came, it really changed the feel of it. You could no longer could hear the effects, storyline-as many of you said on here a while back. Much has been lost of escaping prisoners in a mine, now it is escaping prisoners that we help save? ohh that and see how high your gun can go before your trigger finger goes numb!
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Personally I think they are mining silver but that doesn't explain the saw (which has had the actual tines removed - thank goodness...that scared the crap out of me as a kid! - remember rube? I couldn't sit on the edge.) I do miss when they decorated for Christmas with all of the candy...
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Welcome sis! uh oh, even more competition for the where in the park questions now! The dead canary, the "I'm gettin' outta here, no matter what!" the runaway saw, all I feel are lost on todays riders since they cannot experience them with all the shooting sounds. But silver is what I think...
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My guess is that they're mining silver. The only reason I'm aware of the storyline for the ride is from riding it before the guns were installed; you definitely can't hear anything when you ride it now except for gun sounds.
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They are mining silver, the lucky and unlucky mines of Silver Dollar City. I agree that the story is kind of lost on the Mine now. I liked when the lights would go off after the saw fell. The foam balls that were supposed to be rock fall were funny, but a nice idea. Many of the characters are hard to hear now. The guy manning the pumps is yelling for help. Also the man stuck in the little prison is saying the lyrics to the theme song.
“…this tiny one man jail, sweat a little water and you’ll sweat a little blood, and you might get out if the mine don’t flood.”
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Luckly enough, most time the ride isn't very busy, and some times we can even get rides alone. (Had a few of those on FITH, lot of fun) It's times like those I lvoe the best cuz you dont have to hear the guns and you can just sit back and watch the effects.
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It definitely went downhill when they added the guns. The saw and the falling foam rocks (with strobe lights) were good. All the projector faces were good. The signs were good. The canaries (living and dead) were good. Now it's just a lame floating video game for anyone who is playing shoot-em-up instead of watching for the details.
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While i agree the theme has been lost- they increased the amount of "re-rides" which I am sure was their desire.
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Remember when we used to get to stand in line for a while, building the anticipation? Now we can just hop on anytime we feel like it. It's practically a self-serve ride now. A lot of people do re-ride, but that's just because the line is short.
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I believe its main function these days is as a good place to cool off and sit down. The guns give the 3-7 year old set something to do while the 'rents rest their feet.
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I enjoy the fact we can reride without exiting and having to get back on again.
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^Me too. I know when I was younger my mom used to take my sister and I to the flooded mine after when had been in the park a while; I suspect it was so she could rest her feet for a bit. :)
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I definitely noticed that they really cleaned up the characters and got things functioning again this year. Some of the characters were very worn before.
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I definitely noticed that they really cleaned up the characters and got things functioning again this year. Some of the characters were very worn before.
I ran into some of those old characters walking around above the ride.. there are old heads in boxes up there... scary stuff!
I believe its main function these days is as a good place to cool off and sit down. The guns give the 3-7 year old set something to do while the 'rents rest their feet.
As a ride operator and boat loader... i can say that the adults and the geriatrics (lol) love those guns.. they may put them down once inside the ride but when i'm dispatching the boats all the guns are in use.
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Are you not working the cave this season Doc?
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Are you not working the cave this season Doc?
I'll never leave the cave too much fun walking 600 stairs 6x a day. And this year we are scheduling tours, or that was the last i heard. you'll get a ticket for the tour you want and you better show up on time or else it is given to walk-ups. i'll be interested to see if that idea has held through the winter.
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Are you not working the cave this season Doc?
I'll never leave the cave too much fun walking 600 stairs 6x a day. And this year we are scheduling tours, or that was the last i heard. you'll get a ticket for the tour you want and you better show up on time or else it is given to walk-ups. i'll be interested to see if that idea has held through the winter.
Please say the tours are still free....
Why would they go to this ticket system? What types of problems were they having?
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Slow pokes are always a big problem... and then you have some tours that are huge and others that are small. If anything it will be so that the fire codes are not broke anymore on the tram ride back up to the Hospitality House.
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Slow pokes are always a big problem... and then you have some tours that are huge and others that are small. If anything it will be so that the fire codes are not broke anymore on the tram ride back up to the Hospitality House.
Sorry swoosh. it's all about the budget and the fact that we had 7 or 8 guides per day in the busy summer months this season we're only budgeted for 4 guides per day.
Please say the tours are still free....
Why would they go to this ticket system? What types of problems were they having?
There were no problems. We are like i said in a budget crunch, and one way to save money is to limit the # of employees. The ticket idea was so people would not stand around waiting for a tour and not get on one. I was told tickets were used before and the tickets are free. It's just to save space for you on the tour. we will have 4 guides meaning we will leave most likely on the top and bottom of the hour. Things may have changed since early January, I haven't heard anything from the Lead she's been busy digging out the mammoth room and pouring concrete.
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Do you know how the reduction of employees will effect other park services? Thanks for your insight.
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I haven't heard of any other employee cuts.
I do know that this year there is no Job Fair. Instead we are offering positions to all the Celebration employees who don't have a park to go back to.
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I was at SDC on saturday and actually had to wait in line for TFM. Ok, what is the deal with the little room right before the loading areas? I'm mainly talking about the picture on the wall that has the projection of a man talking showing on it. Who is that guy? what is he actually saying? what is the whole point of this? is it supposed to be a ghost or something? Just always intrigued me and i'd forgotten about it until saturday.
also noticed in the mine that the guy with the jackhammer now sports a santa clause style beard and the teeth are missing on the rock.
Also noticed a sheet hanging over the 'window' right before you go back into the loading area to get off. i guess some people dont like getting a little water on them from the cannon blast? I never noticed that the blast area on the left of the tracks had been covered up as well.
And finally, the dummy hanging on the rock holding is gone. The one right after you exit the mine. Kinda makes no sense for the cannon boat to be firing now really, as before they were shooting at the escaping convict i thought. I never did ever understand what the guys in the boat ever said to. Something like rerdhsflsj erelwhl, fire!
:)
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why do they have the that thing hanging there. I thought it might be because of the heat.
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I believe the guy in the picture is the warden. I don’t remember what he is saying. We are talking late 60s technology and that type of stuff was big. Think of Madame Leota in the Haunted Mansion at the Disney parks.
The guys in the boat with the canon are trying to escape and they are saying: Won’t tell the Warden if we sink them FIRE!
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Who is that guy? what is he actually saying?
"What are you looking at? Keep it moving..."
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I thought the guy (who is now missing) said "I'll tell the warden if we don't sink 'em. Hey!"
Count me among those who long for the days w/out the guns. I doubt they'll ever go back, though.
I was there this week for the first time in 13 years (but I've been to the park probably 50 times or so since I was 5).
Some of the prisoners are starting to look pretty warn out -- they need upkeep. Also why are the lights not going out when the saw blade goes loose? Or when that prisoner said he's getting out of there "no matter what"? Those scared the bejesus out of me when I was a little kid. Also I liked the falling rocks. Also the water that was about to blast you from the side (but then magically stopped) was gone. It's gone from the Plunge too. Plus I couldn't hear that talking picture on the entrance.
And whoever said something about it being cool in there...not so now. I sweated my butt off in there. Hot as hell.
All those things aside :) I still love the ride and it was my son's favorite part. We got to ride it once in the front seat and we were the only ones on board.
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Back in the early 80's, I worked at SDC and from time to time played a "prisoner" at the Flooded Mine. I, too, long for the old days with the ride...but time marches on and things change. I don't know why the air conditioning was not working in the building when you rode. That seems like a temporary problem that would probably get fixed in a day or two. Regarding details of the scenes, don't know if they need maintenance in there to fix things up, or if they just changed things. If you have any deep complaints about the park, or questions about why things have changed, by all means go to the SDC official web site, where there is a place to offer suggestions and comments. They do listen, they do respond. They want you to have a good visit, and they want you to come back again.
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Back in the early 80's, I worked at SDC and from time to time played a "prisoner" at the Flooded Mine. I, too, long for the old days with the ride...but time marches on and things change. I don't know why the air conditioning was not working in the building when you rode. That seems like a temporary problem that would probably get fixed in a day or two. Regarding details of the scenes, don't know if they need maintenance in there to fix things up, or if they just changed things. If you have any deep complaints about the park, or questions about why things have changed, by all means go to the SDC official web site, where there is a place to offer suggestions and comments. They do listen, they do respond. They want you to have a good visit, and they want you to come back again.
Cool. I didn't mean to sound overly nitpicky...I had a great time :) It's just I probably rode that thing 500 times before the guns were added...
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Call my crazy, but I actually prefer the ride with the guns. The guns allow the ride to be much more interactive, and fun. It’s a blast to shoot at a target, and to see the gags, and special effects in action.
On the other hand, I wish Silver Dollar City would proactively maintain this ride so that all of the gags, and special effects actually work, and to make sure the original charm is still there.
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DocSpeleo: "...she's been busy digging out the mammoth room and pouring concrete."
Okay, I'm a big cave fan, have been on the Marvel Cave tour several times, and have the book on the cave. I have to ask - are you talking about an addition to the tour? Did I miss an announcement somewhere else, or did you just let something slip? I know there are huge areas of the cave that have been explored but are not a part of the regular tour. Haven't had a chance to take the lantern tour yet. That is supposed to see some new areas.
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Yes, the cave has opened up the Mammoth room. The lantern tour allowed us to enter this area last season. The room was on the tour, but that was last toured in the 1950s, The Mammoth Room is to the right of the guest trail in the Cathedral Room. "Highlights of the re-opened trail include the bat wall, the only known "Spanish ladder" left in the cave (circa 1541) and many colorful stories!" If you have toured the cave before, the $10 lantern tour is a great addition to your park visit. I have done it twice, and it does fill up early, so stop by the cave desk, and book your spot!
Now back to the flooded mine...we haven't stopped the leak yet!
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I tell my kids when we get on, how cool the ride was when I was a kid. It was much better before the guns were added. Wish they'd take them out. I remember the saw blade coming at me, and the explosion of water, the dead canary and the other cool effects that made it kind of suspenseful. It's just kind of lame now.
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I can completely understand sentimental values when reflecting on how a ride used to be. However, some of those special effects you mentioned, plus the new ones they added with the guns, still work great. I think the guns make the ride so much more fun! It’s very interactive, and engaging to shoot at a target, and then to see the special effects you cause by it. Just my own opinion only.
By the way, welcome to SDCFans.com! It's good to have you onboard. :)
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I am only really really partial to the rockslide, that was my altime favorite part of the flooded mine and it really took a hit when they lost that effect.
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Hey, betamike, could you be mistaken listening to the FM lyrics on your CD? I could swear the word is tread, not sweat, as in "Tread a little water, tread a little blood". Two other SDC fans I mentioned this to were of the same mind.
Also, does anyone remember a second verse? I found this online elsewhere (but don't remember it):
Welcome to the Mine King, welcome to the toils, welcome to the trouble beneath the earth and soil. You sweat a little water, you sweat a little blood and you might get out if the mines don’t flood. We’re in a lot of trouble, the water’s rising fast, if a flood ever started here the pumps would never last. You sweat a little water, you sweat a little blood and you might get out if the mines don’t flood
Although, that first verse is sketchy, so I don't know how much faith I have in their second verse...
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Sweat is the word...don't know about all the lyrics mentioned above. I was a "prisoner" at the flooded mine in '80 and '81 on a part time basis, heard all those songs over and over again all day, but as the old tapes wore out, they made new ones...and they may have altered the lyrics. I know for a fact that is what happened at Fire in the Hole.
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I am only really really partial to the rockslide, that was my altime favorite part of the flooded mine and it really took a hit when they lost that effect.
I would have to agree with you on that one. That was probably the best effect the Flooded Mine ever had. As I remember, when the foam rocks would fall there was a strobe light effect with explosions. To me at the time it resembled thunder and lightning.
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The foam rocks were large adn looked great falling with that strobe. I was 10 but it seemed like they fell a good distance. It was simply what made the ride for me.
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Couldn't agree more. I miss the rock slide! :'(
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Call my crazy, but I actually prefer the ride with the guns. The guns allow the ride to be much more interactive, and fun. It’s a blast to shoot at a target, and to see the gags, and special effects in action.
It's funny how we have different takes on it. I think the guns actually get in the way of the gags and special effects, and they certainly take away from enjoying the theme details. Riders are so focused on finding and shooting the next target, they miss all the "good stuff".
Pick a random 10 year old exiting the ride, and ask about the canaries. Chances are, you'll get a blank look, or maybe "What canaries?"
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Nothing like a runaway sawblade to make you remember where you came from, and how precious life is to you at age 7 right? I prefer no guns, but I am a purist. Maybe just a trip through where all in the boats agree to NOT SHOOTwould be fun. Just enjoy what they have with the story line etc, despite the 1,000+ targets all over the place. Maybe they could trip that switch and turn them off for once.
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Well the great thing about the Flooded Mine is that using the guns is completely voluntary. Each person who boards the ride has a choice as to whether they want to shoot at the targets, or if they just want to simply sit back, and enjoy the ride for what it is worth. So for all the purest out there the solution is quite simple; don't use the guns. :)
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I think the real concern is that some of us are afraid the newer riders will miss all of the “good stuff” if they are distracted by shooting at the targets. While this may be true to an extent, give people credit. None of us caught everything on the very first ride. However, most people are quite intuitive, and pickup on stuff rather quickly.
I know we all want every first rider who boards the Flooded Mine to have that same magical experience as each one of us did, but just because they installed the guns, doesn't mean that the Flooded Mine will automatically be any less sentimental to a newer rider.
I can completely understand the passion, and fire burning inside of each one of us to have everyone experience the same feeling we had when we first rode the Flooded Mine, however I believe with, or without the guns, and even with some of the classic special effects gone, newer riders are still having that spark lit when they the ride the Flooded Mine. :)
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I believe with, or without the guns, and even with some of the classic special effects gone, newer riders are still having that spark lit when they the ride the Flooded Mine
I will have to disagree with you. Its lost its charm, they have removed the effects that made the ride and then given vasectomies to the effects that remain.
Its an ok ride, but apparently SDC has bigger things to tend to than maintaining a old classic.
It's a shame. But thats the way I feel about it.
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I will have to disagree with you. Its lost its charm, they have removed the effects that made the ride and then given vasectomies to the effects that remain.
Its an ok ride, but apparently SDC has bigger things to tend to than maintaining a old classic.
It's a shame. But thats the way I feel about it.
I think we both can agree that they should add some of the classic special effects back, and that the old special effects that remain could use a little touch up. However, I don't think the ride has lost its charm. Sure, we all miss the old gags, but for a newer rider, they will never realize the difference, and they can still have that spark for the ride within them just like we all do.
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I don't think it's possible to just ignore the guns and get the same experience as before. My kids like it now. I guess that's all that matters.
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I ride it at least once without using the gun each visit to the park. It's still hard to "absorb" the atmosphere with all those ricochet sounds. I also agree that the existing effects are not as good as they used to be.
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That's why I say we should all protest the guns on one trip! Enjoy the song, and the dialogue! Just try to get in on a day that is EMPTY, and ride it again and again until you are alone on there.
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The ride of today, is not the flooded mine of pre 1990 when it became "The Great Shoot Out at the Flooded Mine". Speaking of similar rides-Pirates of the Caribbean @ WDL. Having only ever been to WD Land, I can only speak of what I saw there. In 1997 it underwent changes from complaints (overweight characters being portrayed negatively, crude, or suggesting remarks by a few pirates) and also in 2006 underwent refurbishments to coencide with the release of the second movie adding Jack Sparrow, and Barbossa along with a few other characters.
At least Flooded Mine, has not received advanced animatronics, or new movie characters and new dialogue. Sure a few things are now overlooked, but I can still ride and see them can't I?
I love the fact that for the most part, the ride is unchanged. Yes there are 2 rooms that are no longer the same, and countless others that have been altered, but it is still there. The inmates received new clothes, and I believe a few were new castings in the past 2-3 yrs. It won't go back to what it was...but I can still enjoy it how it is.
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My opinion is that SDC needs to concentrate more on the THEME rides. Rides like the Jim Owen Float Trip, Fire in the Hole, Flooded Mine MADE SDC what it is today. Granted, a roller coaster here and there doesn't hurt, but no need in turning it into another Six Flags. Riverblast is a great addition, but they need to spread a little love among the old timers and at least get them back to their original condition. Its sad to ride FITH and see all the Baldknobbers leaning up against the wall, or being proped up because they can no longer stand up. Flooded Mine needs a little attention. Check that, it needs A LOT of attention. There was another thread about the "Warden" picture that talks to you. It used to be in a prominent location where you could see it and more importantly you could HEAR it. He would appear to look at you as you walked in and shout "STAY IN LINE" and "MOVE ALONG" and it made an impression on me as a kid. Now, you hardly notice it because they even moved it away from the window and in the corner of the little room. But it's those little things like that which makes SDC stand out against the other parks. It's the little things like that they need to give a little TLC. And when you compare it to bringing in a new roller coaster, it is fairly cheap fixes!
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^Where do you see baldknobbers leaned against walls? The ride got an extensive make-over just this past season. Flooded Mine also got an extensive make-over a couple years back. Sometimes you have to realize that things will never go back to being exactly as good as you remember them being, and look for the new experiences. I've been blown away by how many things the park has fixed up over the past two years, and how well they've kept to theme with the new additions.
I really think the targets helped keep the ride relevant. Without them, the ride would have faded to obscurity and probably been taken out. I fail to see how they exactly harm the ride, as they make the ride enjoyable to those who would otherwise be bored. If you don't want to be bothered with shooting, it's easy just to sit back and watch.
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on one of the scenes on the right side, a baldknobber is simply proped up against a wall. As far as extensive makeover, I really didn't see that much difference honestly....yeah, they took out the spider thing, but other than that they simply moved the baldknobbers around. The scenes are pretty much the same, some of the flames in the windows still do not work, all the baldknobbers have on cotton work gloves that makes their fingers look floppy.....details like that. As far as the Flooded Mine goes, I still want the rock slide back. That was a cool effect. The gun portion is a moot point for me. I can take 'em or leave 'em. However, you cannot simply not shoot when on the ride because all the ricochet/pings/shot noises. Yeah, my kids get a kick out of it, and they love the guns, but I rode with them one time just to ride and take it all in....you simply cannot hear the dialogue. I also noticed how far the timing is off...we were nearly past the section where the saw blade comes at you before it actually came off.. Oh well....I'll always have the memory of the REAL Silver Dollar City!
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Of course the Baldknobbers are leaning against the wall. Wouldn't you get tired of standing in one place all day? ;)
I am just teasing. I agree that there are a lot of older special effects, and gags that we all cherish in our hearts, and we all hate to see them disappear, or rot away in neglect. However, Silver Dollar City is not a snap shot in time. It is a living, and breathing city so to speak, and as such things come, and go over time. Of course we are all a bit sentimental about the classic attractions at Silver Dollar City, and we all want to hold them captive in our minds forever. However, instead of dwelling on how great Silver Dollar City used to be, lets support the fine citizens there, and encourage them to cultivate the park into an ever better Silver Dollar City for the years ahead. I would rather Silver Dollar City grow, and add fresh material instead of trying to keep a broken down forty year old gag chugging a long.
I really think the targets helped keep the ride relevant. Without them, the ride would have faded to obscurity and probably been taken out. I fail to see how they exactly harm the ride, as they make the ride enjoyable to those who would otherwise be bored. If you don't want to be bothered with shooting, it's easy just to sit back and watch.
You echo my own thoughts perfectly! I could not agree more.
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I also noticed how far the timing is off...we were nearly past the section where the saw blade comes at you before it actually came off.
I may be wrong but it seems the saw blade comes down with no set timing. I have noticed while riding that it has come in front of me, at me, and in back of me. I kind of believe they might even turn this effect on in the morning and it stays running till closing. In other words no sensors. Someone that works there or has worked there probably could answer that question.
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Well the great thing about the Flooded Mine is that using the guns is completely voluntary. Each person who boards the ride has a choice as to whether they want to shoot at the targets, or if they just want to simply sit back, and enjoy the ride for what it is worth. So for all the purest out there the solution is quite simple; don't use the guns. :)
Oh, I'd be more than happy to do that. Unfortunately, you can't "not use" the sound effects. Even if no one in your boat is shooting, you'll still hear the noise from adjacent scenes.
And of course, that's only half the complaint. The other half is that much of the stuff that used to entertain us before the shootout, is either no longer there, or no longer working.
Here's the difference: before 1990, it was a slow spooky dark ride, with a few scenes where you absorbed everything you could (basic psychology), a few scenes that were amusing, and a couple that were scary. The slow pace added to the atmosphere. Not being constantly engaged, while sloshing slowly along through the dark, let your mind add to the fun.
Since 1990, it's just slow and sloshy and not nearly as intriguing to the mind.
Edit to add: To draw a comparison, it's the difference between a classic Hitchcock thriller, and one of today's over-the-top action flicks. When deprived of normal sensations and only allowed limited input, your mind runs wild with speculation. When overwhelmed with sensation, your mind just shuts down.
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Couldn't have said it any better KBCraig. I agree 110%
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I was transferring my "Sounds of Silver Dollar City" LP to digital media and came across a clip of the flooded mine song on the record! I had no clue that it was on the B side. It is simply a short clip in between songs, but wow did it brighten my day!
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Hey rube.....sure would like to get my hands on a copy of that... ;)
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There's a copy of The Sounds of Silver Dollar City on Ebay right now.
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3 to be exact! $9.99-12.00...
I dug up my old "Sounds of Silver Dollar City" vinyl that has this song on it!
Finally got to it out to digitize BetaMike!-that post of yours was from Dec 2008!
I would love to post it on a site somewhere DeweyBald, but I don't know what the copyright laws are for a probably 25 year old LP/ Record.
Here are the tracks/ info:
NARRATOR - RICHARD YOUNG.
ONE MORNING IN MAY BY THE CALTON FAMILY BAND. MARSHALL, DAVE BOWEN. MAN WHO BOUGHT MULE, REX BURDETTE. MAN WHO SOLD MULE, DA CALLOWAY. RAINMAKER, REX BURDETTE. ROLL IN MY SWEET BABY ARMS BY THE HORSE CREEK BAND. HISTORY OF HAMMERED DULCIMER, KIM BECKER. RED WING BY THE SWING & TURN JUBILEE. LITTLE WHITE CHURCH BY THE CALTON FAMILY BAND. JESUS JOY OF MAN'S DESIRING BY JOHN CORMIN.
WRECK OF OLD #97 BY THE HORSE CREEK BAND. TAVERN IN THE TOWN BY DA CALLOWAY. WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN BY THE SILVER DOLLAR CITY VOLUNTEER FIREMAN'S RAGTIME BAND. MY DIXIE DARLING BY THE SWING & TURN JUBILEE. DOWN YONDER BY THE HORSE CREEK BAND. SQUARE DANCE CALLER - BONNIE ARNOLD.
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The Sounds of SDC album was made during the time I worked on park. I knew all the people recorded on the album, and worked directly with many of them. I was also present for part of the recording sessions. Some of the hoedown stuff toward the end was recorded when the end of the day hoedown and related activities took place on the town square. I remember them starting and stopping the events a few times as they tried to get the audio equipment checked to record things. I've got a copy of the album, and it turned out pretty good for what it is. I'd recommend you get a copy on ebay or through friends if you are a big fan of the park!
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If we can get ahold of John, since he is on the record, we will know a more specific date...so Junior we have from sometime in the late 70's-early 80's correct?. From the performers and record itself, I was estimating 1980.
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1980 is probably the right year...if not, 1981, but I'd say with about 90 percent assurance, '80. I say that because in '81 I was working a night job at an area theater, and would not have been able to be present at the evening hoe down...so 1980 I think it was.
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Hey, what used to be in the room with the saw blade? I think it's in the deep recesses of my brain, but I can't quite remember. I do remember it used to have the lights go out and it was much more scary.
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Any response to my question from 1 1/2 years ago? :D
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Most of those scenes have not changed much over the years. A tweak here, a tweak there. I really could not tell you what specifically was there, and I worked at the Flooded Mine in '81 and '82 on a part time basis! I do think the dummies they use at FM in recent years have cartoonish look tothem. I miss the days when they had a more serious look, and when they used a a hidden film projector that shown moving and singing faces on a couple of the figures. The humidity from the water caused the projector to break down a lot. I can tell you the current scene in the tower area used to be where a fake rock slide with strobe light flashing on the foam rubber rocks used to be. A net caught the balls, and they were lifted by some device back to the top of the tower to be "dropped" on the next boat.
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Hey, what used to be in the room with the saw blade? I think it's in the deep recesses of my brain, but I can't quite remember. I do remember it used to have the lights go out and it was much more scary.
The Saw blade used to "release" when the lights went out and using a strobe effect to make it look quicker than it was, it would come out toward the boats.
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Betamike jogged my memory...he's right! I enjoyed that scene like that, too. Remember when the gas leak and dead canary was there? The strobe effect would go off when the water was blasted up! That was good, too.
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The dead canary was my favorite part!! I always looked for it.
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I can tell you the current scene in the tower area used to be where a fake rock slide with strobe light flashing on the foam rubber rocks used to be. A net caught the balls, and they were lifted by some device back to the top of the tower to be "dropped" on the next boat.
I remember that. It was awesome!
Also, I remember the saw scene being much scarier.
But, I also seem to remember when it was new...like there used to be something else there.
Also, the prisoner that it says "DO NOT FEED PRISONER" His face used to move, didn't it? Maybe that was the projector to make his face move someone was talking about.
Also I miss the guy on the rock right at the end :)
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I can tell you the current scene in the tower area used to be where a fake rock slide with strobe light flashing on the foam rubber rocks used to be. A net caught the balls, and they were lifted by some device back to the top of the tower to be "dropped" on the next boat.
I remember that. It was awesome!
The rocks are what made the mine in my mind, that and the problematic moving faces really gave it the edge.
Seems like they remove the stuff that really made the mine the mine.
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wasnt there prisoners n the water that was outside....n they were like spinnin around????
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The removal of strobe lights...only thing I can guess is some people have a bad reaction to them...gives some people seizures. Also, budget reasons could be another reason that the scene effects are less than years past. They probably are looking for things that don't require much ongoing maintenance so people are not tied up in making repairs. (tilting room at GM is an example.)
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Seems like they remove the stuff that really made the mine the mine.
...and added a bunch of stuff that wasn't about the mine at all, like the guns. ???
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There was one season back then (80's) that they installed "lasers" in there. I have that in quotes because they weren't real lasers but devices that emitted a very tight beam of light. I don't even know if they lasted the whole season. They were a maintenance nightmare, not faring very well in that humid atmosphere. I wish I knew what happened to them, they'd be fun to play with.
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Reviving an old thread...
This came up today on SDC's Facebook page. They posted an old picture of the Flooded Mine, and there were several comments (before I added my own) about not liking the shootout.
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I had forgotten about the strobe light and the saw. That was cool. But I feel like that wasn't always there. Could be wrong. And I too miss the guy on the rock at the end.
I can understand people don't like the shoot out part of it. The ride is still a favorite of mine, however. Rode it twice this year and enjoyed both times. I remember when the wait for that ride was much longer...and you would actually have to wait on the bridge and stop by the guard house thing and have time to look in it the line was so long. Haven't had that in a long time thanks to the new rides. Hope new people find their way to it.
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I grew to love that ride before any others in the park. Before i rode FITH, and the log flume, the Original Flooded mine was my ride I looked forward to. That, and the treehouse!
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Well I DO LIKE the shootout aspect of the ride. So :P
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when i was a kid, i remember it took almost a week to get the song out of my head.
and, does anyone remember the last scene when they had styrafoam rocks fall onto a net & you would hear -- " look out! its a rock slide! look out below!! " :D
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I like to play that song on the mandolin just to torture my kiddos
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when i was a kid, i remember it took almost a week to get the song out of my head.
and, does anyone remember the last scene when they had styrafoam rocks fall onto a net & you would hear -- " look out! its a rock slide! look out below!! " :D
That scene inspired a nightmare I had as a kid about a real cave in on the ride.
I'm another feller who prefers it the old way--I'd love to have that nightmare again :D
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I like the shootout aspect, but it'd be nice to have lighter "guns" with triggers that were easier to pull, especially for the little ones.
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The sootout aspect takes away from the ride, because the old dialogue is lost. maybe they could just take the volume way down on the guns and it would make it better. not Sure