SDCFans - The Unofficial Fan Site For Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City & Celebration City Discussion => General Silver Dollar City Talk => Topic started by: NicoleT on April 04, 2016, 10:04:11 PM
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Going to SDC for the first time next week! I read in a blog that there was a "best" side to ride the train but can't remember if it was right or left and can't find that blog again. What do you guys suggest?
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The right side (opposite side you enter) that's the side the performance is on.
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I also favor the last few seats of car 2 or the first few of car 3. Car one is kind of a bust as is car four.
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This might help, unless you don't like spoilers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBrqFXhwKUs
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Again today, no Ralphie, only Alfie. Where's Ralphie ??
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Sometimes 1 has to go up to the train depot for lunch/break
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Thanks!
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To be fair, in history, Alf was real and Ralph was not. Check this discussion:
http://sdcfans.com/forums/index.php?topic=1183.0 (http://sdcfans.com/forums/index.php?topic=1183.0)
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Train question....
Do they ever run two trains on busy days? I assume that have multiple engines available. I've never paid enough attention to know if they ever run two at the same time or if they even have two sets of passenger cars to do that. I'm only guessing that the track is long enough that they could run two at a time and the 'robbery' could do it's thing back to back all day.
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Last few times my family and I have rode the train it took 10 minutes and only 1 robber, It wasnt worth getting on.
like they were just going through the motions. :o
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I feel that we need to start voicing our complaints about only having one robber to customer service. IF we allow the park to continue with this course (which I am sure is a cost cutting measure) then we may NEVER have two robbers again. VOICE YOUR COMPLAINT NOW
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^^Huh? They almost always have two trains running on busy days. One is loading while the other gets robbed and they usually have to stop by TGS to let the other get into the next block. People get really cranky when they don't have two running on even mildly busy days.
That's just sad that they're letting the train robbery slip. Probably just another thing they are letting deteriorate so they can justify getting rid of it entirely at some point.
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Surely then aren't getting rid of the train. It's a real people eater and crowd pleaser for all ages (especially the children and older crowd).
I agree about sending in complaints.....how dare they rob us with only one robber....thats not realistic? Don't you need two people to setup most of the jokes? Do they not duel anymore?
Maybe they could pull someone off the train to interact with?
The act does need freshened up.....most of the puns I enjoy ("this is a stick up") just doesn't seem to crack a smile on the younger generation:(
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I'd like to see them work on the sound system. It's ear shattering!
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^^They aren't getting rid of the train, but it is conceivable that they could get rid of the robbery. At the very least it seems like they might permanently whittle it down to being a cheap shadow of its former self.
On the other hand, perhaps they are just short-staffed. Hard to say these days.
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Surely then aren't getting rid of the train. It's a real people eater and crowd pleaser for all ages (especially the children and older crowd).
I agree about sending in complaints.....how dare they rob us with only one robber....thats not realistic? Don't you need two people to setup most of the jokes? Do they not duel anymore?
Maybe they could pull someone off the train to interact with?
The act does need freshened up.....most of the puns I enjoy ("this is a stick up") just doesn't seem to crack a smile on the younger generation:(
If it is a budget thing then maybe a reworked updated script would help. I agree with the puns. I quit laughing at them years ago so maybe a rework of the entire ride might be in order. As for the stop for the robbery. It was originally put in so the engines could build a new head of steam for pulling the grade to the station. Not sure if that is needed anymore though.
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A. They cant get rid of the robbery. Without the robbery, we would be sitting there for 10 minutes with nothing to do or hear. Remember: these are steam engines made in 1935. They used to be switcher engines and werent made to go 2 1/2 miles in 10 minutes. Even with a full tank of oil and water, it needs to stop and make more steam to get up the hill near FL. Might as well watch a show in the process.
B. Every time I have trouble hearing the speakers. (Not loud enough, not working, or buzzing) I always tell the conductor as they walk by. I cant stand people talking while the show goes on. I really wish they could find a way to Bluetooth their mics to the train car speakers and make it work somehow.
C. The show wasnt made to only have 1 person, but they hate skipping lunch. I wish they would get 3 robbers ready each morning to switch off, since they cant change clothes in the middle of the day.
D. They have more than enough money, lots of employees, and 3 engines. 2 are hooked up to the cars. 1 this year is the new engine they have been rebuilding over the last 3 years. It was the long engine with the coal tender that used to sit next to the station, before they built Riverblast. Then it was torn into many pieces and sent to many different places around the USA. I dont know why they dont just hire more employees if they need more. They only run both trains that are hooked up, when it is the Holiday Season, Memorial Day, and Labor Day because those are the bussiest times of the year. If it is not 1 of those times, and it is busy, they probably still wont run both trains, but they will try to speed the 1 train up to 15 or 20 minutes between departures so they can send more people that day. I dont like it when they try to speed it up because they shorten the show, the ride, and everything seems like everything is going faster than it should. I like it slow and the way it normally runs. When they run both, they have to stop at TGS, wave their flashlights to signal they are both there, and everything is normal, since they dont have Red/Green light signals.
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I remember several times in the past there were rides I had when they only had a single robber. So maybe this is a temporary thing that has been done before?
Jay
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I highly doubt significant changes and removal of certain elements to the train ride that have been speculated about here will happen. Its another SDC staple. And yes there have been several instances with the show only having one robber. The staff at the train station did admit to me once that the robbery show is indeed a distraction while the train engine sits to build up power for the trip back. I also remember back in the 90's that there was only one train robber for a very long time. However, I do agree they should change it up a bit with the performances and dialogue or even possibly randomizing the location of the robbery act to make things more interesting. With the newly renovated train engine this could be made possible.
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I remember several times in the past there were rides I had when they only had a single robber. So maybe this is a temporary thing that has been done before?
Jay
The info coming from attractions/entertainment is that this looking to be a permanent cost saving move
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There were 2 robbers both times we rode the train on Saturday and Sunday this last weekend. They were really into it and did a great job!
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^Good to hear. Hopefully it was just a short staffing fluke. Either way I hope the feedback was helpful.
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Im on the train now. There are 2 new robbers. I saw Cathy earlier today dressed as a robber at the station, but both these robbers are men. So it looks like they have 3 robbers who are now switching places when its break time. Rick and Steve are the conductors. They also have 1 new lady working at the station and not dressed in any conductor or robber outfit. Shes just doing stuff like making people squeeze in and moving around the wheelchair ramp. They are doing the old show from 2015 and earlier.
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I know when I went on the train in April, there was two robbers including a female one (Cathy? I am not super in the SDC lore just yet :) ). But the conductor forgot what day it was (He thought it was a Friday, when it was a Saturday) which halted the flow of the skit. In fact, one of the train robbery YouTube shows the same conductor doing the same mistake in that video. For those of you who say that is part of the script, the female robber said something to the effect of "take 2".
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This is just part of the script and done every time!
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Well, I guess I have been fooled! My bad.
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Cathy Wright has short, grey hair. She is married to FredDie Wright (yes you read that right. He wants to be called FredDie instead of Freddie) who is a janitor for the park. You can search them on facebook.
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Don't feel too bad....they do a really good job of making you believe it's not part of the act. Especially if you have seen it only once.
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I am hoping to see it again this week, so I hope to not be fooled again. Thanks for not making me look too bad.
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^^Huh? They almost always have two trains running on busy days. One is loading while the other gets robbed and they usually have to stop by TGS to let the other get into the next block. People get really cranky when they don't have two running on even mildly busy days.
That's just sad that they're letting the train robbery slip. Probably just another thing they are letting deteriorate so they can justify getting rid of it entirely at some point.
Sorry, but you're mistaken on one point. They NEVER have 2 trains running at any time except during Christmas. Ever. They will shorten the length of the robbery show so they can send out a train every 20 minutes instead of 30, but they simply do not run 2 trains and haven't in many years.
As for letting the show slip to possibly get rid of it- that's something that some that work on the train have wondered about for a few years now.
I'd like to see them work on the sound system. It's ear shattering!
Something that has been asked and pleaded about for several years. At Christmas they actually bring out a whole entirely different sound system, different mics, speakers, etc. Can't figure out why they won't allow that system to stay out there for the rest of the year. It would be a big improvement.
There are other issues as well why it doesn't get improved on, and the mixers adjusted. But yes, the people on the train would agree with you.
On the other hand, perhaps they are just short-staffed. Hard to say these days.
They are absolutely short staffed right now. Not just at the train, but all over the park. They did not have a good hiring year, for various reasons, and that's contributed.
But what they are doing right now is forcing a lunch rotation on the train. Often what it means is that one of the robbers has to ride up to the depot and give the conductors a lunch break, meaning he misses two shows while at the depot, maybe 3, plus possible the shows while riding up and back (depends on the robber). Then they rotate the robbers for a couple of shows as well to give them a lunch break. So the only times you're seeing both robbers is early or later in the day. But in the middle that's when they are doing lunch breaks. It's a horrible system and one we fought for years- either convincing them to let us bring in a third conductor or someone else at the depot, or often times finding other ways to work around making sure there were 2 robbers. But that began to change a couple of seasons ago.
As for the show, what it is, and why it is... that's a long story. :)
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I never knew they had staffing issues. I figured help was a dime a dozen. I would be thrilled to be a part of the train crew if I lived closer to the park. lol
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Wildfire store.
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I never knew they had staffing issues. I figured help was a dime a dozen. I would be thrilled to be a part of the train crew if I lived closer to the park. lol
The entire area has had staffing issues this year. Well into June just about everywhere you looked was still advertising that they were hiring. The McDonald's in the area were all offering a $250 sign on bonus if you stayed for 90 days. The company I work for down here has had a difficult time finding people as well.
I think its just a product of the environment. People are tired of getting laid off in the slow season or being underpaid, which is a big problem down here. Also the locals are just lazy. Many just do the bare minimum to keep their unemployment.
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^It's gotten so hard in the last decade to survive on minimum wage without the added difficulty of seasonal schedules. I can't imagine even attempting it anymore. Working at SDC used to be something people mused about doing in retirement, but now it's sounding more and more like an unfriendly corporate environment that chews people up and spits them out with little to show for it. Just like everywhere else.
Sad to hear about what they have to deal with for the train robbery. Going to be more and more cuts to keep the bottom line in place at the expense of quality.
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I never knew they had staffing issues. I figured help was a dime a dozen. I would be thrilled to be a part of the train crew if I lived closer to the park. lol
The entire area has had staffing issues this year. Well into June just about everywhere you looked was still advertising that they were hiring. The McDonald's in the area were all offering a $250 sign on bonus if you stayed for 90 days. The company I work for down here has had a difficult time finding people as well.
I think its just a product of the environment. People are tired of getting laid off in the slow season or being underpaid, which is a big problem down here. Also the locals are just lazy. Many just do the bare minimum to keep their unemployment.
Entitlements, living off the government pays better. 96 million are not participating in the workforce yet unemployment is supposedly low.
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Ticks me off that I have to work for very little money, plus money to let others sit on their butt. I just took a second job so I can save up money. Plus I dont even have a girlfriend or any kids.
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Sad to hear about what they have to deal with for the train robbery. Going to be more and more cuts to keep the bottom line in place at the expense of quality.
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They did have 2 robbers both days this weekend but it was a truncated script- ie No "Ma" in the script.
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They did have 2 robbers both days this weekend but it was a truncated script- ie No "Ma" in the script.
We noticed the lack of Ma, last week, as well.
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It could also be because of the hoards of the younger crowds currently at the park who don't care enough to appreciate the skit for what it is. But I am just speculating.
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They did have 2 robbers both days this weekend but it was a truncated script- ie No "Ma" in the script.
If there is no Ma, then they are on the short show. If the train leaves every 30 minutes, then they are more than likely looking for Ma (unless there aren't any people on the train or another issue comes up). If they are leaving every 20 minutes, then they will cut out the "Ma" portion of the robbery in order to shorten the show a little bit and get the train back quicker, so they can dispatch more often.
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When there was no Ma, though, the crowd was quite low. A short show might be indicative of an anticipated crowd, rather than an actual crowd. Would that be accurate?
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When there was no Ma, though, the crowd was quite low. A short show might be indicative of an anticipated crowd, rather than an actual crowd. Would that be accurate?
Nope, it's based on either how many people are actually on the train, or the schedules they are running. They won't go to the 20 minute schedule until they are leaving with a full train and have 50-75 people left behind that couldn't get on. If they aren't leaving people behind, they will stay on the longer cycle of a train every 30 minutes and the long show.
If the crowd was quite low, then more than likely there was not a good candidate to be Ma on the train (there are certain things that need to be place for it). If there's no candidate, they will skip ma.
If they are running on a 20 minute schedule there will be no ma. This is usually because it's busy and they are trying to get in an extra train every hour (3 instead of 2). However if things have happened during the day to put their time table off, they may run a 20 (no ma, short show) to "catch up" and get back on schedule.
This may have changed now, but on really hot days they might sometimes run 20's/ short shows just because it is so hot that people on the train are miserable and not enjoying the show, so they cut it short to "put them out of their misery." There's no reason to do a long extended show with Ma if the passengers are not enjoying it and not into the show at all.
The last train of the day is ALWAYS a short, no ma show.