SDCFans - The Unofficial Fan Site For Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City & Celebration City Discussion => General Silver Dollar City Talk => Topic started by: Joy on June 23, 2016, 01:58:20 AM
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(SDC posted a picture of the Ninja Turtles in front of the SDC entrance logo and, well, I finally hit my breaking point. The following is what I wrote as a comment on that photo)
Ugh. No, I don't want to eat breakfast with the Ninja Turtles at a park themed solely around an 1880s mining town. These character things have gotta stop. This is just way too out of theme.
If you feel you HAVE to have characters, couldn't you try getting the VeggieTales back? I'm personally not Christian, but I know the park is very grounded in Christian ideals and VeggieTales is a Christian IP. Plus, talking vegetables don't really stand out as much against theme as Dora or Ninja Turtles. In fact, the Veggies could have special costumes with cowboy hats and stuff specifically for appearing at SDC.
Just... please, PLEASE. This is not Six Flags. This is not the Mall of America. This is Silver Dollar City, the home of Rocky the Raccoon (now that y'all are partnered with Henson, maybe you could make a movie?) and the Beverly Hillbillies and the new Dalmatian character whose name I don't recall 'cause I've not been to the park since he was added. Add Rocky as a fur character to meet! Maybe create a bat character as his sidekick! Bats are so important to the history and theme of SDC.
Get more face characters! See if you can get a Becky Thatcher and a Tom Sawyer and a Huck Finn! Play up the Mark Twain connection more.
Just please, please try to do something different. Kids don't need characters like these to like SDC; I know I sure didn't when I started coming as a kid. It was the characters at the Saloon and the Sheriff on Main Street and Terry Wayne Sanders as the Deputy that kept me engaged.
I know this whole character thing is not a permanent fixture and only during the summer, but there's a reason I never come for the summer fest. It just feels way too out of place compared to the others (Rudolph for Christmas doesn't really bother me because although that IP isn't from the 1880s, Santa and non-era-specific talking animals are pretty timeless; they don't feel particularly anachronistic).
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Joy, I agree with you completely. It sucks the charm right out of SDC. Unfortunately, on this same post you commented on I saw at least 10 other posts of people who are excited for this. Combined with the fact that SDC charges $20 for adults and $16 for children 4-11, it is an easy money maker for the PTB and I don't see it leaving the summer festival.
To me, character breakfasts only make sense and work well with the theme at parks like Disney or Universal. If SDC feels this is something that have to continue doing, then I love your ideas of creating new characters like a bat, or even bringing in the Mark Twain characters, because it works with the theme. And frankly, I don't understand why in the world they would not have Lucky the Dog at one of these breakfasts. He's a character they specifically created for SDC!!! Makes no sense.
SDC, don't be afraid to be different!!!! Make your own magic!
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With them in cahoots with the Henson Company to make that PBS show, it just makes sense to me that they could collaborate on creating something that could fit in with SDC as well. A live-action w/puppets or CG-animated theatrical film with characters like Rocky the Raccoon and a bat character and maybe even have those two as friends/sidekicks to Tom and Huck and Becky in a new adventure that can then be translated into fur and face characters at the park. Twain's characters are public domain, IIRC, so why not make a new movie that features the characters in an all-new adventure post-books?
I dunno... maybe I should try writing something? I always have wanted to write books or something for SDC... Maybe I can come up with something that might tickle their fancy.
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I completely agree with the lack of originality, and creativity. The picture on Facebook definitely leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Hopefully, the Ninja Turtles will be limited to an enclosed breakfast area, and will not be free roaming the park.
I think Silver Dollar City does great job with their character actors. Of course you have Terry, and Mandi, and the other street troupe crew. The train robbers are always a hoot. I would not say that Silver Dollar City has lost touch with their roots. Rather, I think Silver Dollar City wanted a cheap gimmick to entice kids, and parents to come to the park, and spend money on a special breakfast.
Frustrating? Yes. Disappointing? Absolutely. However, as long as the Ninja Turtles are not a permanent staple or focal point, I don't anticipate it being a deal breaker for most.
And frankly, I don't understand why in the world they would not have Lucky the Dog at one of these breakfasts. He's a character they specifically created for SDC!!! Makes no sense.
I agree! However, let's face it. Lucky the Dog just does not have the universal appeal of the Ninja Turtles.
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I saw that post and had some of the same thoughts Joy....completely understand.
Lets give SDC some credit though....they been doing them for years....they aren't changing any park theming to help promote it....we haven't gotten any Veggietales or Spongebob (which I think is the worst) rides from it. There isn't even one of those Barney like shows. It's only a few weeks a year. It's just a meet and great for those who want to pay for it off in a corner somewhere. SDC makes a little money from it....and those families create memories....which is kind of one of their goals.
I personally love TMNT and my kids would love that experience no matter where it is at. My older kids know who the Mark Twain characters are.... but lets be realistic.....they wouldn't get excited about have a meet and greet with them. They could do the TMNT meet and greet at the new Pizza place....Mikey would love pizza for breakfast....lol
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Rocky Racoon is my second most favorite Beatles song after Let it Be.
These Character Meet and Greats would have been great for CC while they are not so great for SDC.
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It not only encourages me to keep my family away from the park during this time (I'm sure they won't miss me.), it just makes me angry. TMNT are far from a wholesome addition!
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I mean, I'll admit, my niece would LOVE to meet the Ninja Turtles. But it wouldn't be a make or break for her in wanting to go to SDC. She's 8 years old and has only been to SDC twice, at age 1 and age 3 or 4 (can't remember exactly), and she's always talking about how much she wants to go back. She barely remembers it, but she hears me talk about it and she knows that there are rides and shows and she wants to go back now that she's older. And character meetups have zero influence on her wanting to go.
That's honestly my main point. I never needed the appeal of "breakfast with [blank]" to want to come back to SDC time and again as a kid. The shows and the rides and the overall atmosphere were enough for me.
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I agree and disagree with the "furries" - I do feel that the park would benefit from a recognizable IP. The issue with creating your own (as in what they tried to do with Lucky) is that the kids really cannot connect with him because they have no idea who he is (outside of the park).
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According to Silver Dollar City's website, they plan to host several Character Breakfasts to include Scooby Doo, and Shaggy, along with Sponge Bob Square Pants, and Patrick.
http://www.silverdollarcity.com/theme-park/Attractions/Shows-Entertainment/Character-Breakfast (http://www.silverdollarcity.com/theme-park/Attractions/Shows-Entertainment/Character-Breakfast)
I can remember as a kid in the 1990's how prevalent Nickelodeon was all over the park. Being a youngster, I didn't appreciate the theme aspect of the park like I do today. I just recall how much I did not want to end up with green slime on my head! Haha.
I can definitely understand the sentiments voiced here. However, as long as these cheap characters remain hidden in an enclosed breakfast area, and are not roaming the park, then I can look passed it.
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Wonder if they are going to serve magic brownies with Scoobie Doo and Shaggy. If so I am in :)
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I feel the sentiments of it being off-putting for some. However it is technically the kids summer festival right now. For me it's the time I usually stay away. However, the park has a long ways to go before we should start calling it "Six Flags Over Branson". My 2 cents.
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It doesn't bother me at all. At one point, it might have, back before all the rides and roller coasters were in place. These days it really is just a theme park, and character meet and greets are something that some people really enjoy. You can easily ignore it if it's not your thing.
Home grown characters would be nice, but they don't exactly light up a six year old's face like something they actually know. And they are DEFINITELY NOT going to bring in Mark Twain characters. The SJW's would burn the park down the way things are these days. Before long the baldknobbers will be sanitized out as well.
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^ Too bad- I'd go to breakfast with Tom, Huck and Becky! Not to mention a Mark Twain impersonator ;D
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Home grown characters would be nice, but they don't exactly light up a six year old's face like something they actually know. And they are DEFINITELY NOT going to bring in Mark Twain characters. The SJW's would burn the park down the way things are these days. Before long the baldknobbers will be sanitized out as well.
Ummm... I'm what some might call an "SJW" (I prefer to just call myself a person who fights for equal rights for everyone) and why would anyone protest using Mark Twain characters? Progressives like myself are adamantly against banning books, and those of us who have actually read Twain (sadly, the younger generations aren't as familiar with him) appreciate and cherish Twain's writings. For example, Huck's journey with Jim was all about calling out the culture of the time regarding slavery, something right up a civil rights supporter's alley. Twain is pretty loved by the people in my circle.
Regarding "home grown characters"... That's why I suggested maybe they could commission a theatrical film featuring Tom, Huck, and Becky, 'cause then if it's well-written and well-produced and does decently at the box office, they would instantly have themselves characters they could use in the park that would fit in with the theme/era of SDC. And the movie could feature Rocky the Raccoon and maybe a squirrel or something as animal sidekicks (I'm imagining this movie as an animated kids film), thus adding more characters to SDC's roster.
Honestly, the more I think about this, the more I want to sit down and write a script myself. I would be writing it with my nieces (ages 8, 3, and 1) in mind. I've shown them the 1985 claymation movie "The Adventures of Mark Twain" that I grew up on, and they loved it, so I can easily see other kids loving something with Tom and crew.
But again, I just don't see why they need character meetups at all when they've got Terry Sanders and all his characters, and Whoops E Daisy, and the street crew, and the Saloon characters, etc. giving life to the park. As a kid, I never needed the lure of meeting a favorite pop culture character to get me to want to go to SDC.
*shrugs* I dunno. I guess for me these character meetups (in addition to the modern music played during Moonlight Madness) are my personal "Not In Mary's Time" things. LOL
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I was at the park on Saturday, and guess what I saw? Scooby Doo, and Shaggy being escorted through the park! Now, to be fair they were probably just walking from point A to point B, and I never saw them again throughout the day. However, Silver Dollar City officially "broke the fourth wall" on theme at that point. :o
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^Hopefully they were escorting them to the Flooded Mine and prison for breaking the theme- LOL
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The Huckleberry Finn character specifically has a very racial history....including using the 'N' work multiple times in the original writings. Of course....the book is also known for helping to 'humanize' the black characters he encounters to readers at the time. Huck was basically an escaped slave himself from his father. Huck has been one of the most banned books in school because of the tough themes. It basically has a group of people who says it is a positive book on race and a group that disagrees.
Personally.....Huck and Catcher in the Rye (the other largely banned book) are two of my favorite reads of all time....I read them both as a teen and I'll hand them to my kids when I think they are ready to read them. I'd rather live in a country where parents screen out these books for there kids then where they are banned. I'm also keenly aware that in today's world....our kids are one google search away from being exposed to a lot worse content than what these books have.
But.....a 'typical' SJW would find out that Huck used the 'N' word and automatically protest SDC. What I would call a SJW is someone who reacts with no understanding or regard of history to try to keep their own or someones else's feelings from getting hurt. SJW tend to want to take away opposing thoughts and opinions by any means. You can care about all peoples rights and lifestyles without being a SJW and people can/should hold different opinions about other lifestyles without being harassed or bullied by SJWs.
There has been many Tom and Huck shows and movies....including some recent 'big budget' ones. I just don't see them being a big attraction anymore....kids these days are reading harry potter, dumb dairies, watch really stupid Disney shows (with the standard dumb dad/parents), or are playing minecraft. Maybe SDC should talk to Minecraft about putting Tom and Huck in that game....lol
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Sorry , But I just do not get the whole Tom and Huck thing at SDC. The characters are river rats from a river town. In the past SDC has done a great job of stealing characters from other parts of the country and using them. Hatfields and McCoys are Kentucky/West Virginia. Tom and Huck are northern Missouri. I say use what you have and quit stealing others ideas.
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Sorry , But I just do not get the whole Tom and Huck thing at SDC. The characters are river rats from a river town. In the past SDC has done a great job of stealing characters from other parts of the country and using them. Hatfields and McCoys are Kentucky/West Virginia. Tom and Huck are northern Missouri. I say use what you have and quit stealing others ideas.
I think the Twain thing is because of the time period and generalized location. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published in the US in February 1885, smack dab in the middle of the decade that SDC represents, and since HF and TS are set in Missouri, I guess SDC figured it was close enough to be used as a theme. It'd be pretty easy to have the characters say that they're visiting the City from Hannibal; that's what the princesses at Disney do ("Hi, I'm Elsa. I'm visiting from the Kingdom of Arendelle" etc.)
But I do agree - it'd be best if SDC could create its own characters/use the characters its got and just go from there.
In fact, I had actually been outlining some kids books that I'm still hoping to write that took place at SDC/Marmaros and featured different SDC characters (for example, one book would be about Doc Harris, another would feature the Saloon characters, etc).
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How about breakfast with Alfie and Ralphie Bolin? If done right, that could be a hoot!
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How about breakfast with Alfie and Ralphie Bolin? If done right, that could be a hoot!
That would be SO fun!
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I'd be afraid they would steal my food.
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How about breakfast with Alfie and Ralphie Bolin? If done right, that could be a hoot!
Breakfast with a murderer and his imaginary brother? Probably not.
Just think that they'll have ocean animals running around after their PBS show starting airing. They still won't fit theme, but at least they'll be HFE characters.
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Well, they'd be the fictional SDC versions of Alfie and Ralphie...
I won't be surprised to see the Splash and Bubbles characters at SDC. At least fish are kinda timeless...
EDIT: Then again, I feel like S&B is going to show up more at the aquariums; that seems to be the idea presented by the Herschend CEO, Andrew Wexler, in this press release: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160518005157/en/PBS-KIDS-Announces-Premiere-Date-Animated-Series
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I know what they are trying to do but lets be honest. This aint Disney and no matter what they try they are not going to have the appeal and draw of breakfast with Mickey and Minnie or the Princesses. I just wonder if they get that much business from it all ? My kids never asked to have a character breakfast at SDC but if we went to Disney it was a must do every time.
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I will give them this much: the character stuff at SDC is not shrouded in fakery.
However, the princess and pirate cruises on the lake are blatant copycatting - all the while even including the Disney songs. Nothing original there. Do they at least give a nod to the old pirate cruise on Taneycomo? I doubt it.
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I've been wondering about that Pirates & Princesses cruise... I saw video of a family meeting the princesses, and those princesses were in blatantly Disney-inspired costumes. Like, they were definitely copied from the Disney face characters. It's made me wonder how on earth they can get by with doing that. I mean, I realize it wasn't within the park, but the Branson Belle is an attraction within its own right. How has Disney not sent them a cease & desist?
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^ Too bad- I'd go to breakfast with Tom, Huck and Becky! Not to mention a Mark Twain impersonator ;D
A breakfast show would be cow udders
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When my daughter was younger, we really enjoyed the Veggie Tales shows. Their presence was mostly isolated to the Riverfront Playhouse, though (which was fine with me).
What really bothers me about it and how they are doing summers the last couple years is that the Opera house sits empty from the end of the Bluegrass and BBQ festival until Christmas. No summer shows. No fall show. They stopped being creative or even much trying and went with canned characters for kids to meet. Our family has had a blast at things like the physics show and we loved "Heading West" and the other shows... now it is limit the number of shows available and cram everyone into the Globetrotters, saloon show or magic show.
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Yeah, I really miss the Opera House shows! "Listen to the River" was my fave. Kinda surprised they haven't resurrected the Independence Day themed show (I can't remember the name of it right now, but I own the VHS) considering the new Star Spangled theme for summer.
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honestly I was there yesterday if I would not have known there in the park I would never noticed. Other than a small blurb in the pathfinder. There was no major signage or announcements about them. All in all I didn't think it was a big deal
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Kinda surprised they haven't resurrected the Independence Day themed show (I can't remember the name of it right now, but I own the VHS) considering the new Star Spangled theme for summer.
"For the Glory" ...I believe it was.
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I've been wondering about that Pirates & Princesses cruise... I saw video of a family meeting the princesses, and those princesses were in blatantly Disney-inspired costumes. Like, they were definitely copied from the Disney face characters. It's made me wonder how on earth they can get by with doing that. I mean, I realize it wasn't within the park, but the Branson Belle is an attraction within its own right. How has Disney not sent them a cease & desist?
Bit of a necro-post but this sort of "very close to violating copyright" happens a lot with Disney characters. Check your local yellow pages and I guarantee you have a party princess company that will be more than happy to send over an "ice princess" that just happens to wear a blue dress and a comically improbable hairstyle.
There are a few things happening that are all semi-related. All of Disney's popular princesses are based on public domain stories, which gives companies a bit of leeway with the characters to start. Second, there's a bit of uncertainty as to whether Disney can actually pull off some of these defenses. Due to pure cultural saturation (helped along by Disney, to be sure), "brunette in yellow ball gown" reads as Belle, but that is a comically broad description. It's not out of the question the court would rule that unenforceable, which would put the Princess line in a very, very bad place.
Meanwhile (and this is more on the speculative end), Disney probably doesn't mind their characters getting this free publicity as long as they can maintain their IP rights for use on the most egregious offenders. In exchange for not putting the IP at risk in border/smaller cases, they further solidify these characters in the minds of children. SDC has a meet with the "ice princess" but now the little anklebiters love the character just that much more. They want Elsa and Anna merch, all licensed by Disney, and want to eat in Cinderella's Castle in Orlando (for a mere $75 a head...not including admission, of course).
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Disney minds everything, but I'm also confident the HFE legal department is aware of the limits.
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How about breakfast with Alfie and Ralphie Bolin? If done right, that could be a hoot!
Breakfast with a murderer and his imaginary brother? Probably not.
To be fair, while SDC's Alphie Bolin might share a name with a certain person who liked Murder Rock, there are enough Bolins around that it's possible that SDC's Alphie is actually a cousin. In any case, the kids (and most of the adults) don't know the history that Alphie is based on, only that he and his brother are real goofballs.
When I was there we tried to get some opportunities for Alphie and Ralphie to walk around the park and play with the guests during weather delays, but it was generally frowned on and pretty much quashed. I had one time where I did it while waiting for my wife to get off of work during moonlight madness, and had a manager that wasn't real pleased. Thought they really missed an opportunity there.
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sirwillow, I agree with you. I think that's a great missed opportunity. I hope you keep posting! You're a wealth of interesting info, and I really enjoy reading your postings.
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Yeah I could see them being integrated into the saloon show, or as an extra street performance on the square. Make it kinda serious but still lighthearted. For example, maybe they just wanna rob the saloon of their root beer floats. lol