SDCFans - The Unofficial Fan Site For Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City & Celebration City Discussion => General Silver Dollar City Talk => Topic started by: Swoosh on January 03, 2019, 09:19:27 AM
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Just announced. April 5-7 will be Young Heathens... I mean Christians Weekend next season. I would avoid going during that time like the plague. Still working out when Cox and Mercy Saturdays will be.
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Just announced. April 5-7 will be Young Heathens... I mean Christians Weekend next season. I would avoid going during that time like the plague. Still working out when Cox and Mercy Saturdays will be.
Absolutely!!lll Just say NO!!!!!
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Since technically it WAS in 2019....
Silver Dollar City - New Year's Celebration<LINK> (https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2019/01/new-years-celebration-sdc.html)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jiGm8S0yAYI/XDFzRjr6SmI/AAAAAAAAxrQ/osoNNnRh7VMn1qbwiJch-cNVs0nePtZYQCLcBGAs/s400/10.JPG)
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@ Swoosh, I guess I forgot you were there on that High Volume Day!
How did you get around with the other 400 people that were there? :o
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@ Swoosh, I guess I forgot you were there on that High Volume Day!
How did you get around with the other 400 people that were there? :o
There were about 1200 people there final count. The shows were all populated pretty well.
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@ Swoosh, I guess I forgot you were there on that High Volume Day!
How did you get around with the other 400 people that were there? :o
There were about 1200 people there final count. The shows were all populated pretty well.
Nice..
hey! did you get the opportunity to meet the CEO?
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@ Swoosh, I guess I forgot you were there on that High Volume Day!
How did you get around with the other 400 people that were there? :o
There were about 1200 people there final count. The shows were all populated pretty well.
Nice..
hey! did you get the opportunity to meet the CEO?
Not formally. He said hi to me and the group of citizens I was with at the time. We were doing a lap through the Riverfront area when we saw him.
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Is it just me or are SDC's social media accounts much more active this offseason? It seems everyday they are posting something new, sometimes not even in relation to the 2019 season. The types of posts are also different. For instance, one day they asked to post a gif of how waiting until March to visit SDC makes you feel.
This is a fun change I have seen. But, I could be imagining things.
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They are posting more. They added a couple of younger people to the staff and I think that has helped them.
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Looks like Opening Day is going to be a complete washout
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Looks like Opening Day is going to be a complete washout
Yup, cold and rainy today. Heavier rain tomorrow and very windy Thur.
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Its why I stayed home instead of going. I like SDC in the rain, but I would have to leave my doggo home. He is an indoor baby. Only likes the sunshine. He isn't spoiled or anything. :)
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Looks like Opening Day is going to be a complete washout
Yes. With inches of rain falling. We had planned on going but now we’ll try to go Sunday instead.
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We are going Saturday. Not my favorite day to go- figure it’ll be very busy, but it’s the only day I can get away.
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Lovely bride and I are planning on being there with our 4 1/2-year-old Grandson who is moving with his Mommy and Daddy to Colorado at the end of the month. Kind of a final celebration for the 3 of us for a while.
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We will be going tomorrow for a few hours in the afternoon. Maybe the rain will be moved out by then. In any case, it will be nice to walk around with few other people there.
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Well, so far the weather looks like it's decent, but the rain is coming. They might get a little time in before it starts to wash everything out.
I'll be there tomorrow (Thursday), which outside of a bit of wind looks to be a pretty decent day. I'll do what I can to get photos and a video of the day posted Thursday night or Friday morning.
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Looking forward to those pics, Sir Willow.
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My lovely bride and I will be there at some point tomorrow afternoon and at some point Saturday morning, times dependent upon her Doctor's apt and so forth.
Staying at the Classic tomorrow night.
Will report on both.
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Had a great day today. Uploading the photos now (there's a bunch, and starting to edit the video. All goes well, hopefully I'll have it posted up by tomorrow morning.
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Visited the City Friday afternoon (call it 3 - 6) and Saturday morning (opening to noon).
First good thing--talking with and catching up with so many friends among the staff/entertainers. It really is like a family reunion.
Second good thing--low numbers Friday afternoon, very relaxing. Saturday morning crowd much larger and growing as we left. We timed things just right to balance numbers and weather.
Third good thing--City looked good. Clean, fresh. Some places aren't open yet (we're still waiting to resupply with soap!) but the shops we went to had good stock. Had to buy my wife a new pie plate since her last one got broken in the cabinet--great quality and price.
Fourth good thing (but one spot of trouble)--30 minute cycle on the train both times we rode. The robbery has been change dup a bit, but it works well. Only one damper on that show--the pistol doesn't go off reliably. Conductor Kathy had to yell "Bang" on Friday afternoon." I really wish the PTB wouldn't screw around with things like that.
Fifth good thing/First bad thing: FM looks and sounds good. But Saturday morning, when we went in, it was closed. There was no one at the entrance to say it was closed; we--and several more--only learned when we got almost inside. I don't know if it happened suddenly or not, but they really should have had someone at the stopping people before getting on the bridge. Maybe just bad timing.
Sixth good thing--Food. We ate our fill at Molly's Saturday morning and brought home cinnamon bread from Sullivan's, including the relatively new Time Traveler kind. As they say, it don't get no better!
Seventh good thing--frequent shuttles, even when not crowded.
Eighth good thing--a $5 off $25 (or greater) purchase at the craft stores which printed out after one purchase. It made another purchase easier!
No second bad thing--and 8:1 ratio is pretty darn good, and the one bad wasn't really all that bad.
All in all, a great first trip of the year. Looking forward to several more!
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@ pallalin - - Sounds like a good visit, got to see lots of stuff it sounds like... good start to the year.../
Sorry about the trouble at Classic, I am still trying to find another location... ::)
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Sorry about the trouble at Classic, I am still trying to find another location... ::)
We sort of expected it.
But you need not be sorry: your groundwork has benefitted us all, and, frankly, we are all in your debt, which we too seldom acknowledge. Thank You!
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Sorry about the trouble at Classic, I am still trying to find another location... ::)
We sort of expected it.
But you need not be sorry: your groundwork has benefitted us all, and, frankly, we are all in your debt, which we too seldom acknowledge. Thank You!
thanks, for that,..
I just contacted KD, she is going to try to help me with contacting another motel.
I also sent out another email to the Econo bunch.. ::)
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We were going to go see the Hughes show at tell them we were there because of her, but the Friday show was at 2, and we missed it.
Maybe next time.
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Park opened at 9:30......was waiting in line for time traveler before gate drop, line stretched up to square (we were in line about ghost bridge)....got to TT building by 9:45 bottom que filled up behind us....at 10:15 they made announcement they were pausing operations to add second train.
I don’t understand with as many people in park before rope drop....why they were not ready with multiple train operations from opening.
Jay
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Saw the Hughes Brothers show last night. Didn't see KD, but then I also haven't met her before. But they were short a few family members and others due to illness. Lots of junk going around. Fun show though, and lots of changes from the past. If you haven't seen them in a couple of years, go check them out as almost the entire show and set are all new since one of the brothers moved to California.
Stopped at the park for a couple of hours this morning. Long lines, lots of people. Took a ride on the train, saw the Petersens play, looked in a few shops and walked around the park, and headed out after 2 1/2 hours. Just to busy for us. But I'll bet all the new employees get their workouts and get a lot more comfortable in their roles after this weekend. It's going to be crazy tomorrow.
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Just some quick notes on our first trip of 2019 (actually since 2017 - never made it last year).
Arrived at park at 8:15 and waited outside by tram drop off points until they opened turnstiles at 8:30. Walked into the square around just after 8:30 and went to Mary's for breakfast - killed some time before rope drop (bad idea).
To keep from writing a novel I'll just use bullet points:
1. Very Crowded today (Friday, 3/22/19)
2. Because of crowd, TT not opening exactly at 9:30, us waiting in line prior to park opening, and stopping to add second train on track - we waited 1hr 45min to ride. Ride maintained a long wait all day
3. All rides were full - Line for Flooded Mine reached beyond queue and up the hill.
4. Speakers on train ride were not clear, too much static, was hard to hear. But the robbers were funny and interacted very well with the group.
5. Food lines were long - so we skipped some our normal standards
6. We will be back after April 10th - missing too many of our favorite shops
7. Fire in the Hole was down every time we checked our app
8. Flooded mine seemed to be working very well (except for my gun, but I just grabbed the gun from the middle bench). Even saw the guy in the boat with the cannon move - that's a first for me.
9. Park seemed clean, people were friendly, everything I ate was good....no real complaints except the crowd was very big and lines were very long.
Jay
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Saw the Hughes Brothers show last night. Didn't see KD, but then I also haven't met her before. But they were short a few family members and others due to illness. Lots of junk going around. Fun show though, and lots of changes from the past. If you haven't seen them in a couple of years, go check them out as almost the entire show and set are all new since one of the brothers moved to California.
Stopped at the park for a couple of hours this morning. Long lines, lots of people. Took a ride on the train, saw the Petersens play, looked in a few shops and walked around the park, and headed out after 2 1/2 hours. Just to busy for us. But I'll bet all the new employees get their workouts and get a lot more comfortable in their roles after this weekend. It's going to be crazy tomorrow.
Being "moms" assistant I would guess the K.D. wont be around much in the evening. Pretty sure her main hours will be daytime shift..
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Here’s our PTR for Spring Break Days
http://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2019/03/spring-ride-days-sdc.html
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We made a quick trip today!
I was nervous because we were directed to lot 6 at 10 am.
1. Noticed the cement at the clock right off! Yikes.
2. You could see where they patched spots in the asphalt on the square with cement.
3. The new TT area looked nice. They did a great job building that in. Went to get in line for TT for my first ride and the second we got down the flight of stairs and onto the bridge walkway they shut it down. No ride for us.
4. I really am not sure if I like the signage for the new eateries. They are nice. They are clean and well made. But they are not......original?
5. The crowd level wasnt bad considering. There were pockets of people. Nothing that I would call "crowded".
6. The line for powder keg was almost to the entrance! At 11 is. Nope. We dont have time today to wait in that line.
7. We went to get in line for FITH. People were walking out and we were told it was shut down for mechanical reasons.
8. Wildfire was a walk on. Still lots of fun some 20 years later.
9. AP was a walk on as well and a hoot! I just wish they would give this ride the attention it deserves.
10. FM was so much fun today! Did they add more targets?? It felt like it! It looked sooo nice. It was clean! I mean its not a dirty ride. But it looked like it got that attention!
We got pork rinds and a cookie at Sullivans Mill. Splurged on 6 pieces of taffy. Left by 1. Husband works tomorrow so it was not an all day event. Still a ton of fun and a really nice day. The square was pretty quiet when we left. I did not witness anyone coming in as we were leaving. HH was quiet.
Now I dont know how they determine parking, but Lot 2 & 3 were full by 1015. They began filling lot 6. When I left it was around 1/2 to 3/4 full? Lot 5 was empty.
All in all it was a quiet relaxing trip. We plan to go on the 10th for Festival of Wonder. :) Again another short trip. Cant wait!
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I bet this weekend will be a good weekend to go. Looks like it is supposed to be rainy and cold Friday and/or Saturday so I bet that keeps the crowds down. I am thinking about going even though I have been out of town the last 2 weekends in a row and have lots to do around the house.
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We went to the park yesterday for a few hours. We were planning on going Friday but the weather changed our plans. Since it was a little cooler than we’d prefer (we didn’t plan for cold weather on our trip) we decided to leave our condo around 10 and got to the park around 10:15. When we arrived they were still filling parking lot at Stop 2 and weren’t even half full. It was going to be a good day!! Jumped on a tram and was in the park in no time.
We caught the Pickers show after entering and then attended our first ever church service in the chapel at 11. We enjoyed the unique experience in a theme park and then decided to hit some rides. We walked right onto FITH and we were sorely disappointed in the condition of the ride. There was no audio recordings/music at all throughout the entire ride. Even my wife made comments about it and she doesn’t pay much attention to those things. She was asking about saying something to customer service or someone at the park. It really is a shame. We then walked right onto front row on PK and had a nice (although cold) ride. They were running 3 trains which kind of surprised me. We went over to WF, and the line was more than halfway through the cue. Only running one train (go figure?) so we decided to go hit OR. Once again, we walked right onto the ride and had another great ride including cold/wind induced tears! We walked around the construction wall to see the new updates and the new Ribhouse location. Attempted TT, but it was about a 45 min wait so we went to Wagon Works Grill and had a burger and then decided to check out the new Engine 14 and take a train ride. Walked into the depot and were the first ones in line. Waited about 10 minutes for train to arrive and boarded. Good ride and a good show. After the train ride, we hit FM and loved it. Loved the new lighting and all of the working components and theming. This just made the FITH ride even more disappointing.
Walked over to the Culinary School and sampled a few snacks and took in the view of the construction on Echo Hollow from the back porch. Walked around the Grand Expo (now that all of the kids are out of the house, we don’t make it down there all that often). Decided to walk back up to the square and took in a taffy demonstration and sampled the fresh peanut butter taffy. By, this time it was 3 and we decided to head out and start the 4-hour journey home. It was a beautiful, but cool, day and the crowds were non-existent which was nice. Our calendar looks pretty busy the rest of Spring and a May trip to Florida probably means we won’t be back until Summer.
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So this coming weekend is the one to avoid like the plague, correct?
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So this coming weekend is the one to avoid like the plague, correct?
Yep. wont catch me with 4 hours of being there.. LOL
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My wife, older son, and I plan to be there this Saturday. We've got our room reserved at the Classic (somewhat higher rate--they appear to be all over the map), and plan a relatively lightweight day.
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My wife, older son, and I plan to be there this Saturday. We've got our room reserved at the Classic (somewhat higher rate--they appear to be all over the map), and plan a relatively lightweight day.
When you check in, try to reaffirm with those guys the price is supposed to be 40.00 + tax, you have a 50/50 chance they will understand and match the price. But you need to let them know, or they will do as you said, charge a higher rate >:(
Have a good visit at the city..
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Just got back from another quick trip to SDC. We were able to make it right after 9am. Parked in lot 2. Yall it was great weather. I did not realize it but it was Math/Science day today. A couple bus full of kids were there. Not a problem from any of them. :) :) :) The patch of cement was asphalted over! The patches of cement gone! I was so excited!!!! Squeeeee! Watched the Xtreme Pogo show. Made me nervous but my kid (12) loved it. IT wasnt bad, but was loud and they played the wrong music. Not the typical banjo and violin I have come to expect. Lol.
Got in line for TT before rope drop. The line was not bad. If it were not for waiting in line for rope drop it would have been maybe 20 minutes? Son and I both liked the ride. We were first timers. But its not one I would wait longer than 15/20 minutes for. It was fun, but not a favorite. My son and I both like WildFire the best.
The train was next and a walk on. I am telling yall the crowd level today was perfect! Most rides were walk on to 5 minute wait. But on the train, it was just Alphie. Kinda of a bummer. The show wasnt rushed but the lines were off. I dont think it was something a non-native would have noticed. Still fun. They did a fine job. Construction on new ride is moving right along. They have more tunnel walls up and the cement foundation floor is looking nice.
RiverBlast was next and a walk on. Like I said crowd level was perfect. Could not have asked for better. Moseyed over to FL and checked around there. Nothing exciting. Then went and walked through the Foods of Wonder. Now yall know I HATE spending money on food. Its dumb. But it was husband and I anniversary so we saved to do so. I didnt end up getting anything. The Baptist penny pincher couldnt do it. But husband and son got the Cashew Chicken Fortune Cookie Waffle Cone deal. 10.99/cone. That was about the going price for foods in the Frisco. They liked it. It wasnt 10.99 good IMO. The waffle cone was chewy. Weird to me but husband liked it so the cone didnt shatter and spill contents. I give it a 5. Husband gave it a 7.
We rode AP, moseyed over to the pork rinds. Did you know they didnt give out samples anymore? Huh. Then up to Grandfathers Mansion. At this moment hubby was done and took a seat at the rocking chair in front of ice cream shop. Son and I did the GM. The "Walk Slowly" bridge creaked! It made noise! I had never but one other time experienced the creak. It seems they put a bit of love on GM. :) :) :) Yay.
Perused Carries Candles. They still dont make the Silver Dollar City Signature Smell candle. (Woods, Smoke, Rain, Asphalt)
Ran into the Taffy shop for the "Will Power Special" of 8 taffy for 1.29. Perused the T Shirts and found some really cute vintage ones I liked but again the Baptist Penny Pincher couldnt do it. Left by 1. Husband works tomorrow so we didnt stay long.
It was a perfect day to be there. Warm, with a good breeze. Crowd level low. Ride lines short. I will say though the one thing I was bummed about is I didnt hear piped in banjo music. When we walked by a show it was loud teenager music. Small complaint I know. Not typical of what you would expect to hear. It was not offensive music either, just me being old and set in my music ways.
Good day, fun times and warm weather. They are moving right along on construction. You could see them working but didnt hear a peep from them. How do they manage that?
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Sounds like a perfect day.. Been a long time since I have been there on a day with less the 12-25,000 people or more.... :)
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When we were there on Sunday, Fire in the Hole was very sad. Literally no audio on the entire ride except for maybe the train sound. Makes me really think that it’s on its way out soon.
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When we were there on Sunday, Fire in the Hole was very sad. Literally no audio on the entire ride except for maybe the train sound. Makes me really think that it’s on its way out soon.
I agree. After seeing all of the progress that the amazing maintenance team at FM has made, it makes FITH look very sad. Wish we could clone a certain FM maintenance member to help restore charm at other historic attractions around the park
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Went yesterday, April 12. The other thread said 5100 people there but seemed like a lot more than that. The weather was a little windy but otherwise was a really nice day
I mainly went to see the shows. I saw most of them... there were issues with all of them but cirqunique really. They definitely were not in their groove yet. The Phoenix Fire show had a false start and then about a 5 minute wait before the show actually started... with dead air the whole time. Was kind of awkward. The iharp extreme show also had some initial issues. I am sure everything will be worked out but really was surprised the shows were not tighter
I saw Eric Haines (Cute but corny), Cirqunique (I did not see this last year... it was enjoyable), Iharp extreme (I think they added the "extreme" to try to generate hype... as it was just typical harp music), Albert Lucas (they put him in worst theater for a juggler... but it was fun). I had the meat lovers nachos and that was good.
It certainly seemed like there were more people. The phoenix fire show was 90% full. The Cirqunique was 99% full. Most of the other shows were also pretty full. A few busses there for schools. Fairly crowded overall. but a great day to go
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We were there yesterday as well. Just left about 3 today. It started out seeming like it was going to be busy at 9:30 but by around 1-2 it seemed like a ghost town. We rode TT first this morning and waited about 10-15 minutes. Waited about 10 min for PK, everything else we rode was walk on after that. We ate lunch in the Mine, first time in 2 years. Food seemed better than it was last time. We were the only people eating in there at around 1:30. Then walked on to TT again.
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We went on Thursday the 11th. In the park shortly after 10 am. Stopped at the bathroom by Old Time Photos. Women's bathroom needed a deep cleaning -- several stalls had stuff swiped on the walls (puke, spilled drinks, etc.)
Had no trouble getting into the 10:30 saloon show -- really liked the new show, cast seemed into it, about 90 % full. From there we got right into FITH. Really sad that there was no audio, very strange. Then exited and went right into the Opera House for the 11:30 Cirque show. It was enjoyable and again about 90% full. From there we got some Chesters Chips (price increase from last year) and sat at the Lumbercamp dining area.
Stopped at the Riverfront bathroom -- stall walls and doors there needed cleaning, too, even more so than the other bathroom. Walked through the Grand Exposition and then went to FM. Rode it and walked back to Red Gold for the Phoenix Fire show. It was okay but I wouldn't go again if it returns next year. It was about 90 % full.
Then we walked back to the Dockside Theater for the Paint Jam, enjoyed it, about 80% full. RiverBlast was shut down due to a malfunction. Heard an announcement that they would try to get the people off the boats as soon as possible. The boats were stalled just before the return to the station.
Saw 2 school groups, one was a choir that performed near the ticket booths just before opening. Park really was not crowded. We didn't see the jugglers or the harpists (seems like the same performers just keep getting rebranded every year or 2) or the pogo stick guys. We heard the one man band briefly as we were exiting the park -- not impressed.
When I got home Friday I had a guest experience survey waiting for me in my email. In the comment section I went into detail about the bathroom cleanliness issue. However, I forgot to mention the issue with no sound on FITH.
Next visit will be during Bluegrass and BBQ.
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Saturday, 4/13: Wife, elder son (21) and me.
It was said elsewhere that the attendance that day was 4400--no problem believing that. I have never seen the City less crowded. Weather was actually rather pleasant (if chilly) till about 2:30.
We didn't get a chance to see the Pickers because they were inside to avoid competing with whatever was going on at the Gazebo. I suspect the weather also influenced that decision. This was our one disappointment.
The main objective of the mission was to see the harp show: my wife and I are very much attached to Dearbhail Finnegan and her husband, Robin Slater. The show was great. It was interesting to see 6 harpists interacting on the music--and it was a delight to hear that they had collaborated on original arrangements for several of the pieces.
It was a joy to see some other old friends, too. Perhaps the biggest attraction for me these days is getting to talk to and catch up with so many of the great citizens there. I find them much more interesting than any number of coasters.
The Food of Wonder was uneven in quality, but I think the cold had something to do with that problem. I just couldn't eat the pulled pork nachos before they got cold, so I can't really blame that on the park. Portions were good, to be sure. The grilled cheese was really very good.
We got down to the riverfront area this time, and I was amused by the thought that the Lost River really IS lost, now ;-)
WE were very happy to finally be able to restock our lye soap. My wife bought a belt 9becasue she had forgotten hers). She had it personalized, and we were pleased that the citizen at the register let her wear it till (we had paid, of course) until the artist was there to do the work. Being able to come back late without hassles made the day more pleasant for my wife.
Got to ride behind #14 for the first time. They may have to enlarge the squarehouse ;-)
We left as the rain started setting in (part of the original plan, not a response to the rain), so it hardly put a damper on us.
All things considered, we were quite happy, made more memories worth repeating, and came home tired but satisfied.
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SDC - FESTIVAL OF WONDER (https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2019/04/festival-of-wonder-sdc.html)
More Photos at MidwestInfoGuide - Click the Link Above
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6Sm17baKdZs/XLtyxQ-YeGI/AAAAAAAAzT8/dwvPHi_VBKEk56GnEmUbNSI5TS70ZQ5GQCLcBGAs/s400/15.JPG)
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uyfqBl90Jgk/XLty5Zmox5I/AAAAAAAAzUI/vxyJGKtHimY8ZyMw4tiFmsszMQiAmMUkQCLcBGAs/s400/16.JPG)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dQhSQJA90cc/XLtzLrg6shI/AAAAAAAAzUU/M-pVkDAP3-0fGiDsfoncmxN6AOiTtrJTQCLcBGAs/s400/18.JPG)
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Today was our first visit to the park this season! I knew it was going to be a packed house as soon as we pulled onto Indian Pointe Rd off 76 (we always go through Lakeview (Branson West). I had been looking forward to going ever since we got our season passes in December!
Once parked, we were going to ride the tram from stop 2, but there were two busses at that stop (one loading, one waiting to load), and I didn't want to ride a bus, so we walked up to the entrance. I have two strong arms, and two strong legs, so I can walk.
We made it into the park before the chain drop, so we went into the candy shop to wait for everything to open.
I rode the FiTH first because I saw a report on here from someone who said none of the sound effects were working in the ride. I can confirm that they still are not. No gun firing, no ricochet, no Red Flanders, no train whistle, no "Fiiiiire In The Hooooooole!" before the last drop. I was really disappointed that they have made no attempt to fix that classic SDC ride.
We rode through the Flooded Mine and I didn't even touch my gun because I just wanted to look at everything and see all they work they DID do inside THAT ride! Everything looked good, but some things were not working properly. The saw blade did move back and forth, but it was not spinning. The guy with the jackhammer was not shaking like usual, the guy who was supposed to be turning the pump crank didn't even have his hand attached to the crank, and in fact, the crank handle was in his hand hanging down towards the water.
The huge marble ball that floats on the water as you enter The Grand Exposition (in front of Red Gold) was not working.
But, despite those things, we had a great time! The smells of SDC were all there, I got some great photos of #14, and the food was all excellent! We had luncheon in Crossroads Pizza, and the large pepperoni was tasty, though piping hot!
I walked through the park with a smile the whole time! Can't wait to go back!
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Thought I would share my recent trip with updated ride thru videos of The Flooded Mine and the Train ride featuring the new Engine #14 :)
FLOODED MINE:
https://youtu.be/b4h3VUe5OHI
TRAIN RIDE:
https://youtu.be/T6jJkiHqn-0
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Nice report Clint,
and good videos sdcfan..
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It was pretty busy yesterday, but the one thing that almost everyone was suffering from was allergies. Everywhere you went someone was coughing, sneezing or complaining. It was windy and you could just see stuff falling from the trees constantly. We were in the Ozark Marketplace around noon and the clerk said they had sold out of all allergy medication about 5 minutes before.
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It was pretty busy yesterday, but the one thing that almost everyone was suffering from was allergies. Everywhere you went someone was coughing, sneezing or complaining. It was windy and you could just see stuff falling from the trees constantly. We were in the Ozark Marketplace around noon and the clerk said they had sold out of all allergy medication about 5 minutes before.
Hope you had a good visit.....
as far as allergies, I was born with Asthma, have bad Bronchial Tubes and Hay Fever!!1 LOL. I started popping double dose of pills about 3 weeks ago.. Its real BAD this year..... :-\
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It was pretty busy yesterday, but the one thing that almost everyone was suffering from was allergies. Everywhere you went someone was coughing, sneezing or complaining. It was windy and you could just see stuff falling from the trees constantly. We were in the Ozark Marketplace around noon and the clerk said they had sold out of all allergy medication about 5 minutes before.
Hope you had a good visit.....
as far as allergies, I was born with Asthma, have bad Bronchial Tubes and Hay Fever!!1 LOL. I started popping double dose of pills about 3 weeks ago.. Its real BAD this year..... :-\
Yes it is bad this year and yesterday at SDC was the worst I had ever seen. I have a little problem with allergies this time of year so I had took a Claritin that morning (which usually takes care of it) but it did no good yesterday. Good thing you were not there sanddunerider you probably would have been suffering.
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Hope to have a new report in a week: we have a visit planned for BG&BBQ for this Saturday.
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Hope to have a new report in a week: we have a visit planned for BG&BBQ for this Saturday.
You are braver than most of us! It’s mercy day Saturday.
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Ha!
Bravery is not at issue: it's the only day we can get to the festival. Pesky jobs, family activities, and other sundry commitments always get in the way.
But thanks for the warning. We'll get there early (and probably leave early, too).
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I looked at the weather for that day. Its going to be super nice. I was hoping for yalls sake it would have been rainy not rainy. You know when they call for rain and it scares everyone off but it doesnt end up raining.
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I looked at the weather for that day. Its going to be super nice. I was hoping for yalls sake it would have been rainy not rainy. You know when they call for rain and it scares everyone off but it doesnt end up raining.
Depends on which forecast you're looking at. The ones I was seeing this afternoon are now extending the off and on rain all the way through the weekend.
It'll be interesting to hear if there's any damage from the strong storms that have rolled over the park today.
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So this Saturday is Mercy day? I was thinking about going up but I guess not. What about Sunday?
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We dodged any rain Saturday; by the end of our day, the sun was out strong.
The crowds were still pretty thin throughout the morning, which made for a very pleasant time. We got there early and were glad because the opening, normally at 9:20 was at 8:20, so we didn't miss it. We got a very nice show from the Pickers at the Gazebo soon after.
We met the new tenor at the Sons, and their show was also very good.
I forgot to note that we saw the new Saloon show last month--we didn't like it as much. It wasn't bad, and I think they are still working it out.
Anyway, we got to do almost everything we wanted to and still leave before 4. Both the wife and I were celebrating our birthdays, and the numerous greetings were very pleasant. As the crowds grew, they tightened up the train ride, but that's normal.
As for the crowds, as I said on another thread, the choir kids were pretty well behaved, but the Mercy adults were too often obnoxious, even before the numbers ballooned after 11. It wasn't the numbers that made their presence all that difficult: it was the attitude. I guess they think they own the place because they sure acted like it.
I know Mercy can't police their people away from the office, but they are getting a black eye from the behavior. Had I a choice, I'd not go to Mercy just because of the way those folks behaved. Surely that cannot be a situation the Powers That Be at Mercy would be happy about.
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We dodged any rain Saturday; by the end of our day, the sun was out strong.
The crowds were still pretty thin throughout the morning, which made for a very pleasant time. We got there early and were glad because the opening, normally at 9:20 was at 8:20, so we didn't miss it. We got a very nice show from the Pickers at the Gazebo soon after.
We met the new tenor at the Sons, and their show was also very good.
I forgot to note that we saw the new Saloon show last month--we didn't like it as much. It wasn't bad, and I think they are still working it out.
Anyway, we got to do almost everything we wanted to and still leave before 4. Both the wife and I were celebrating our birthdays, and the numerous greetings were very pleasant. As the crowds grew, they tightened up the train ride, but that's normal.
As for the crowds, as I said on another thread, the choir kids were pretty well behaved, but the Mercy adults were too often obnoxious, even before the numbers ballooned after 11. It wasn't the numbers that made their presence all that difficult: it was the attitude. I guess they think they own the place because they sure acted like it.
I know Mercy can't police their people away from the office, but they are getting a black eye from the behavior. Had I a choice, I'd not go to Mercy just because of the way those folks behaved. Surely that cannot be a situation the Powers That Be at Mercy would be happy about.
SOunds like a nice visit both at SDC and Ozark Valley, thats great..
I wonder the the Mercy aduls are more spouse or friends, rather than actual employees..?? acting that way os just wrong..
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So what was their attitude? Were they just rude or what? Just curious. Was it worse than a typical YCW?
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What we saw was cutting in line and/or saving spots for large groups, groups blocking pathways and not moving to let traffic flow, and other groups pushing into already crowded areas. I am not saying, of course, that other folks don't so these things. It's just that every example we saw that day was Mercy. Also, it is true that it's not just the employees but their families/guests. But the image remains.
I should pint out that I know a several Mercy employees, and all are great people (none was there Saturday).
We did not see any real examples of bad behavior among the choir kids. Once, there was a moving group taking up a lot of room in a walkway, but there was no actual impediment to traffic. I know as well as anyone that choir groups can behave poorly (I could tell ya stories!), but we just didn't see any examples of it Saturday.
YMMV.
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The problem with "XYZ Day" at any venue, is that it gets filled with people who think it's all for them and theirs. They've probably never been there before, but they think that just being a member or affiliated with XYZ means they have special privileges.
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I’m happy to report almost all of the sound effects are back working on FITH
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I’m happy to report almost all of the sound effects are back working on FITH
That's great news! Do you know what was wrong?
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I’m happy to report almost all of the sound effects are back working on FITH
That's great news! Do you know what was wrong?
Gremlins. Just like at FM, sometimes they just start working without anything being done. Over at FM, the “Hurry Up Fred” is back.
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We were there today but by the time we got to the FITH the line was too long. We ended up NOT riding FITH, PK, TGS, and WF, and OR because the lines were too long. Actually, we got in TT within about 5 minutes after we arrived at around 11am and then did FM and went down to the GE area taking our time. Sat on the back porch at the cooking school looking at the new stage where my 10 year old commented he did not like the new stage, it was just plain and generic. Nothing special like the old one. Then had lunch at Red/Gold and after that lines started getting too long for rides.
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At the park today. Arrived maybe twenty minutes ago. As we pulled up to the tram unloading area there was a Mercy ambulance there with it’s lights on. We were told to to stay on the tram but several people got off so they released the rest of us. As we walked towards the entrance it appeared as if EMTs were performing chest compressions and CPR on a guest. No idea what happened but hopefully they’re ok.
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So other than that, how busy was it today?
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So other than that, how busy was it today?
Pretty good, even with all the school groups that were there today. My brother and I waited longer for our calzones at Crossroads than we did for any ride. Longest wait we had was on PK, and that was because a kid pulled out his phone as they were pulling out of the station which caused them to immediately shut it down. Since we were next in line we decided to wait it out and were on it about 15 minutes. On FitH we were given handwritten passes to skip the line on any ride in the park because we allowed a group with a handicapped passenger to go ahead of us. Never seen that before anywhere. Most of the effects on FitH seemed to be in working order as well. Everything was working on FM, except my gun weirdly reset in the middle of the ride but no one else's did. Overall it was a really good visit today with just a couple of unusual incidents.
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On FitH we were given handwritten passes to skip the line on any ride in the park because we allowed a group with a handicapped passenger to go ahead of us. Never seen that before anywhere.
I like this idea, keeps good cheer and reminds people to do the right thing.
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I asked one of the workers that I often talk with what was going on with Echo Hollow. The story is that Sherry Herschend was in the green room last season and was appalled at the condition and size of it. She wanted it brought up to speed so they can attract big name bands. Thus, the new Echol Hollow! Will it remain as is, very plain and unassuming? I was told that yes, it would remain as is. New equipment and staging was purchased to improve sound and performance. I hoped they would bring back the old look, but it appears that it's not going to happen.
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On FitH we were given handwritten passes to skip the line on any ride in the park because we allowed a group with a handicapped passenger to go ahead of us. Never seen that before anywhere.
I like this idea, keeps good cheer and reminds people to do the right thing.
I agree, I like the idea of this. Didn't end up using them because at that point in the day almost everything was a walk on, but its nice to do the right thing.
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I asked one of the workers that I often talk with what was going on with Echo Hollow. The story is that Sherry Herschend was in the green room last season and was appalled at the condition and size of it. She wanted it brought up to speed so they can attract big name bands. Thus, the new Echol Hollow! Will it remain as is, very plain and unassuming? I was told that yes, it would remain as is. New equipment and staging was purchased to improve sound and performance. I hoped they would bring back the old look, but it appears that it's not going to happen.
I dont think you will see the "hillbilly" look come back to Echo Hollow,
If they are indeed trying to get in some big names.
It will need to be more modern look, or in this case...... A very neutral look,
Just needs to be updated in size and "mechanics".. as it is now.
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I dont think you will see the "hillbilly" look come back to Echo Hollow,
If they are indeed trying to get in some big names.
It will need to be more modern look, or in this case...... A very neutral look,
Just needs to be updated in size and "mechanics".. as it is now.
I cant make an honest excuse for it. Hillbilly was not the only way they could have gone with a theme. I believe this was a big mistake.
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I dont think you will see the "hillbilly" look come back to Echo Hollow,
If they are indeed trying to get in some big names.
It will need to be more modern look, or in this case...... A very neutral look,
Just needs to be updated in size and "mechanics".. as it is now.
I cant make an honest excuse for it. Hillbilly was not the only way they could have gone with a theme. I believe this was a big mistake.
My thought is IF they do get "big" names interested, they probably are not going to want to play at a venue that is heavily themed, let alone a HillBilly theme..
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I suppose "names" are important in the current business model, but I prefer it when they don't use "names." "Names" may bring in gate, but they also bring in elements who wouldn't normally come, and the result is often not what Miss Mary would have wanted.
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I dont think you will see the "hillbilly" look come back to Echo Hollow,
If they are indeed trying to get in some big names.
It will need to be more modern look, or in this case...... A very neutral look,
Just needs to be updated in size and "mechanics".. as it is now.
I cant make an honest excuse for it. Hillbilly was not the only way they could have gone with a theme. I believe this was a big mistake.
Yeah, I agree. A few others sitting nearby, including a couple of kids, were commenting that they thought maybe it wasn't finished and are hoping they would bring back the theming.
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I dont think you will see the "hillbilly" look come back to Echo Hollow,
If they are indeed trying to get in some big names.
It will need to be more modern look, or in this case...... A very neutral look,
Just needs to be updated in size and "mechanics".. as it is now.
I cant make an honest excuse for it. Hillbilly was not the only way they could have gone with a theme. I believe this was a big mistake.
My thought is IF they do get "big" names interested, they probably are not going to want to play at a venue that is heavily themed, let alone a HillBilly theme..
Hopefully it will draw a better lineup than they have done in recent years. This year is a couple tribute bands and one hit wonders. The new cleaner design would also allow for more bands with bigger production shows.
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I will be there June 3 for season pass appreciation days. Will have one BAF up for grabs if someone will be going and need one.
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Oh yeah I dunno if this adds to the rumor and speculation that FITH is going away (or at least in its current form) but on my way out yesterday I noticed in the hospitality house a whole display dedicated to FITH merchandise placed on clearance. Considering what has been discussed on here, it does seem a bit alarming.
I purchased two shot glasses nonetheless.
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And also here are a few snapshots and a video of Time Traveler in operation along with the revamped Echo Hollow area. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzdsLj7oCtU
(https://themeparkreview.com/forum/files/img_2564_8.jpg)
(https://themeparkreview.com/forum/files/img_2589_4.jpg)
(https://themeparkreview.com/forum/files/img_2596_2.jpg)
(https://themeparkreview.com/forum/files/img_2574_7.jpg)
(https://themeparkreview.com/forum/files/img_2582_9.jpg)
(https://themeparkreview.com/forum/files/img_2593_3.jpg)
(https://themeparkreview.com/forum/files/img_2594_5.jpg)
(https://themeparkreview.com/forum/files/img_2602_7.jpg)
(https://themeparkreview.com/forum/files/img_2619_8.jpg)
(https://themeparkreview.com/forum/files/img_2622_8.jpg)
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Great p[ics, thanks..!
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Oh yeah I dunno if this adds to the rumor and speculation that FITH is going away (or at least in its current form) but on my way out yesterday I noticed in the hospitality house a whole display dedicated to FITH merchandise placed on clearance. Considering what has been discussed on here, it does seem a bit alarming.
I purchased two shot glasses nonetheless.
I looked for this yesterday, but didn't see it. However, there was a clearance rack in the Marketplace that had the shot glasses for 88 cents. Score!
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Here's our trip report from Bluegrass and BBQ
https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2019/05/bluegrass-bbq-sdc.html
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gdtCfvcXAAA/XOFXyq1nvqI/AAAAAAAAzl4/QgLXiPZGJcU--QihQENv04_yTxjEBlgTwCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_0953.JPG)
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Two things I also wanted to note from my trip yesterday, (see the 2020 thread for the bulk of it)
It was pretty awesome to see Flooded Mine backed up all the way out to the train depot on a week day. Haven't seen that in a long time.
Found yet more FITH stuff on clearance. These little basketballs were on sale for less than $3, another omen?
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Found yet more FITH stuff on clearance. These little basketballs were on sale for less than $3, another omen?
Only an omen of merch they had left over from the last year or two and want to clear out to make room for more new merch.
If it was an omen of anything, then the train closed years ago when I bought my clearance "I Survived the Great Train Robbery" merch back in 2012. :-)
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Bare minimum FITH has one more season after this one.
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We went today and it was wonderful! Great weather and not a huge crowd, but people there. The rides my son and I rode were mostly walk on or maybe a 10 minute wait if that.
The train robbery had an updated show. It was nice to hear some new jokes!
A couple things I noticed......new to me......outside the time traveler eatery.....on the rock wall island they installed tables in the rock wall so you could eat and have mini tables. In the planter part was what appeared to be tree trunks that had USB ports in there. They called them Ozark Electric Trees. So yall can now eat and charge your cellular devices at the same time. Each tree had 5-6 ports. Pretty neat.
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OH nice! Someone in a vlog recently was showing how Dollywood has those little mini-tables & benches and I was hoping maybe we could get some like that at SDC. Glad to know SDC is getting them!
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Curious what was new about the robbery show? Any specifics with the jokes and such? I was there last week but didn't notice anything new. Could it be possible they simply brought back old lines that hadn't been used in recent years?
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I have been there when they did that
Curious what was new about the robbery show? Any specifics with the jokes and such? I was there last week but didn't notice anything new. Could it be possible they simply brought back old lines that hadn't been used in recent years?
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Its possible that they were old jokes just brought back. One that comes to mind is insteado f the "hey hey hey" joke it was a little dance. They did the stick up joke. It was just a varied show that I had not seen. I was used to the same jokes in the same order and this was not it. The "this close to an idiot" was not used either. They also used a prop I couldnt decipher along with a joke I couldnt hear because the speaker quality isnt the greatest. It was at the end after the conductor was back on the train. Alphie found something of Ralphies???
I was so excited to see the tiny tables! Like I stopped in the middle of the road and everything. Its a good thing we were there for ERT and no one was behind us! Mom didnt get it till I sat down.
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Yeah, the tables are a neat addition, as well as the charging stations, but they were there last year. I wonder if the charging stations are really used that much.
One near the line area for the Opera House was being used at Christmastime - as a seat for an older gentleman. Some benches in that area would be nifty.
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Yeah, the tables are a neat addition, as well as the charging stations, but they were there last year. I wonder if the charging stations are really used that much.
One near the line area for the Opera House was being used at Christmastime - as a seat for an older gentleman. Some benches in that area would be nifty.
I’d be all for them redoing that area to fit in more queue area (that’s not so wide) so they can fit more people in there and off of Hill Street. I’m curious why it hasn’t been done already
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We went today, showed up before opening and were the first people on PK. Rode it a couple times, both walk on. Then rode FITH a couple of times. They have all the sounds effects working again but I believe the train sound is actually a new recording and the "FIRE IN THE HOLE" at the end is for sure a different person voicing it that what it was. We then walked on WF, TGS, OR. We then headed for the train but the line was half way back toward the TT area. Rode FM instead. Afterward we watched the kid magic show. It was OK but some of their tricks were pretty obvious. I won't give anything away though. After the show it was starting to get busy so we decided to eat lunch at the buffet at Heritage Hall. It really was not all that great. After that we walked around the park a little bit, PK was not a 75 minute wait, the line for the train was insane, and the line was way out the door and out the front gate of FM. We left a little before 2pm. We thought about going back later to hit the EH concert tonight but decided not to. Headed to try out this Pizza Ranch, played some mini golf, and now sitting at the Ozark Valley Inn. Will probably head back at opening tomorrow to hit TT and maybe the train, then head home.
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We were out there as well today. Busy, but not unmanageable. We were also focusing on the shows, not the rides at all.
Saw the very first showing of Rueben's Swashbuckling Adventure, appeared briefly in the livestream (Hi Terry!), and enjoyed the show. My wife doesn't generally like musicals, so she was "ehhh" but I really enjoyed it. You can tell it's brand new- a couple of the actors are still trying to get comfortable in their roles, but overall I thought it was a good show with some great music, and some very funny bits in it as well. Most of us will recognize one of the main actors, who now has an ironic bit in common with his wife. But I'll leave that there as a fun surprise for others to figure out.
We really enjoyed the juggler comedian Greg Bennick. Sons of Silver Dollar put on a great show as well (only caught a few minutes of it) the "Dance Explosion" is the cloggers with a different show- more modern dance less clogging. I dunno, I like the clogging better. It was ok, but not something I'd likely stop to see again.
Bart and Brooklyn Rockett were pretty decent- better than a lot of adult magicians I've seen. But they are still kids, and had a couple of blown moments. I think the biggest issue is that for our show at least the crowd while pretty large was stone dead and cold, and the kids just don't have the ability to work with a hard crowd. That's not any fault of theirs, that's age as much as anything. (and maybe not helped by being overhyped by the preshow videos, which should be cut down to about 1/3rd of what they are). The one thing my wife and I kept thinking though is if that was our kids up there, we would have had a hard time not yelling at the crowd to lighten up and cheer them on just for being kids doing their best. And even though there were a couple of slips, they were better than half of the magicians I've seen doing shows in Branson.
had a late lunch/ early dinner at wagon works, which still has the best burgers and fries in the park.
We closed out with the Pickers, who finally got a chance to make it down to the Picking Shed after so much rain the last few weeks. Then headed home. Overall really enjoyed our day at the park.
I'll have a video preview and vlog posting up hopefully on Tuesday showing everything we saw.
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I get the irony after seeing the still shots on the Burton video in the other thread. Those Wallaces!
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Yea, they are kids and I thought they did a good job. The amount of videos during the show with clips from all of their appearances on tv shows etc could have been cut way way down. It felt more like it was just one big promo for them trying to boost their brand, so to speak.
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We were back at the city this morning. We were there at opening and headed for TT first since we did not ride it yesterday. It was about a 20 minute wait by that point. We then headed toward the train but was not going to wait in that line. Then we went to PK and it was walk on, rode the front row. Walked on to WF, then headed to FITH and walked on twice. Walked right on to TGS. After that stopped by the RB and let the kid shoot water at passing boats for a while. We heard the train coming so headed up there. Station was full and we were toward the back, but when the gates opened we got right on the front row of car 3. The show only had 1 robber and was a little different but had most of the same jokes as always. I did not really see anything different. After the train we left right around noon. Headed into town and was going to eat at Billy Bobs because the kid wanted to, but the place was full and there were about 25 people standing around waiting to get seated. I really do not see the big attraction with that place. It seems overpriced, cash only, no free refills on drinks etc.
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We were back at the city this morning. We were there at opening and headed for TT first since we did not ride it yesterday. It was about a 20 minute wait by that point. We then headed toward the train but was not going to wait in that line. Then we went to PK and it was walk on, rode the front row. Walked on to WF, then headed to FITH and walked on twice. Walked right on to TGS. After that stopped by the RB and let the kid shoot water at passing boats for a while. We heard the train coming so headed up there. Station was full and we were toward the back, but when the gates opened we got right on the front row of car 3. The show only had 1 robber and was a little different but had most of the same jokes as always. I did not really see anything different. After the train we left right around noon. Headed into town and was going to eat at Billy Bobs because the kid wanted to, but the place was full and there were about 25 people standing around waiting to get seated. I really do not see the big attraction with that place. It seems overpriced, cash only, no free refills on drinks etc.
Sounds like a good visit overall....
I also dont get the Billy Bob's attraction..? I know people swear by the place, best burgers in town, and obviously they have a great following, i just go else where.
The one big thing I do for food in Branson, is I ALWAYS eat a locally owned businesses. I am a firm believer in support the local/mom and pop places if at all possible. Usually better food, good portions and less money..
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We were back at the city this morning. We were there at opening and headed for TT first since we did not ride it yesterday. It was about a 20 minute wait by that point. We then headed toward the train but was not going to wait in that line. Then we went to PK and it was walk on, rode the front row. Walked on to WF, then headed to FITH and walked on twice. Walked right on to TGS. After that stopped by the RB and let the kid shoot water at passing boats for a while. We heard the train coming so headed up there. Station was full and we were toward the back, but when the gates opened we got right on the front row of car 3. The show only had 1 robber and was a little different but had most of the same jokes as always. I did not really see anything different. After the train we left right around noon. Headed into town and was going to eat at Billy Bobs because the kid wanted to, but the place was full and there were about 25 people standing around waiting to get seated. I really do not see the big attraction with that place. It seems overpriced, cash only, no free refills on drinks etc.
Sounds like a good visit overall....
I also dont get the Billy Bob's attraction..? I know people swear by the place, best burgers in town, and obviously they have a great following, i just go else where.
The one big thing I do for food in Branson, is I ALWAYS eat a locally owned businesses. I am a firm believer in support the local/mom and pop places if at all possible. Usually better food, good portions and less money..
SAme for me. I cannot tell you the last time I was in a franchise type restaurant. Locals tend to be fresh made with better ingredients. Maybe a thread on local non buffet places is in order.
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I'd support this
We were back at the city this morning. We were there at opening and headed for TT first since we did not ride it yesterday. It was about a 20 minute wait by that point. We then headed toward the train but was not going to wait in that line. Then we went to PK and it was walk on, rode the front row. Walked on to WF, then headed to FITH and walked on twice. Walked right on to TGS. After that stopped by the RB and let the kid shoot water at passing boats for a while. We heard the train coming so headed up there. Station was full and we were toward the back, but when the gates opened we got right on the front row of car 3. The show only had 1 robber and was a little different but had most of the same jokes as always. I did not really see anything different. After the train we left right around noon. Headed into town and was going to eat at Billy Bobs because the kid wanted to, but the place was full and there were about 25 people standing around waiting to get seated. I really do not see the big attraction with that place. It seems overpriced, cash only, no free refills on drinks etc.
Sounds like a good visit overall....
I also dont get the Billy Bob's attraction..? I know people swear by the place, best burgers in town, and obviously they have a great following, i just go else where.
The one big thing I do for food in Branson, is I ALWAYS eat a locally owned businesses. I am a firm believer in support the local/mom and pop places if at all possible. Usually better food, good portions and less money..
SAme for me. I cannot tell you the last time I was in a franchise type restaurant. Locals tend to be fresh made with better ingredients. Maybe a thread on local non buffet places is in order.
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Sorry to interrupt this off-topic discussion on restaurants, but I thought people might like to see some coverage of the festival that is going on right now.
Star-Spangled Summer
https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2019/06/star-spangled-summer-sdc.html
Reuben's Swashbuckling Adventure
https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2019/06/reubens-swashbuckling-adventure-sdc.html
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My look at opening day of Star Spangled Summer and a preview of all that's there is posted up for you.
https://youtu.be/Xl6w-88Ooa4
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My take on the kid magic deal is they are from Hollywood and their folks have connections. They have packaged the kids up into this show and are heavily promoting it. If you got the connections might as well use them. I had never heard of them until they came to SDC.
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My take on the kid magic deal is they are from Hollywood and their folks have connections. They have packaged the kids up into this show and are heavily promoting it. If you got the connections might as well use them. I had never heard of them until they came to SDC.
The kids' father Bart Rockett used to have a magic show in Eureka Springs and then Branson and then went on to other places. The kids were on America's Got Talent.
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Star-Spangled Summer
https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2019/06/star-spangled-summer-sdc.html
Reuben's Swashbuckling Adventure
https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2019/06/reubens-swashbuckling-adventure-sdc.html
New page. Didn’t want these to get lost. Just in case people are interested
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I guess I have to be "that guy": we didn't like the magic show nearly as much as most here. Far too loud, far too much hype, and far too contrived. I came away with a massive headache from the music and the numerous video clips. Fully half the time of the show was watching commercials for the show--sorry, had I paid for this show on the strip, I would have asked for my money back.
The stage illusions were pretty good, and they were usually well executed. It seems likely, however, that the kids are following a script written by someone else (parents?).
I have no problem with the boy asking folks for bills, but it is bald effrontery to ask for credit cards, driver licenses, and socks. Socks? Really? I would have gladly handed over a 20, but no one is getting my ID, my credit cards, or my underwear. There is far too much potential for theft. And do you really, really want these kids to handle clothing that could carry fungus? I am no germophobe, but come on! I don't go around asking strangers if I can fondle their worn clothing, either, much less take it away from them so they have to hobble across the auditorium shoeless to get it back (and incidentally be enticed to buy the show's merchandise).
No, this one is a clear miss for my wife and me.
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I guess I have to be "that guy": we didn't like the magic show nearly as much as most here. Far too loud, far too much hype, and far too contrived. I came away with a massive headache from the music and the numerous video clips. Fully half the time of the show was watching commercials for the show
I'm actually agreed with you on the commercials and the PR/ "hype" clips, especially at the beginning of the show. Way to much, and I think it sets up overly high expectations, which makes it harder for the kids. So much so that people forget that they are still kids. It's an 11 and 9 year old, but the clips make you forget that, and I think it makes the crowd harder for them to work with.
It's also why I think having an MC or someone to work the crowd would be better, especially when they are between tricks and setting up for the next one. At that age, they just aren't going to have the stage presence or crowd working skills that they will when they are older.
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We were back at the city this morning. We were there at opening and headed for TT first since we did not ride it yesterday. It was about a 20 minute wait by that point. We then headed toward the train but was not going to wait in that line. Then we went to PK and it was walk on, rode the front row. Walked on to WF, then headed to FITH and walked on twice. Walked right on to TGS. After that stopped by the RB and let the kid shoot water at passing boats for a while. We heard the train coming so headed up there. Station was full and we were toward the back, but when the gates opened we got right on the front row of car 3. The show only had 1 robber and was a little different but had most of the same jokes as always. I did not really see anything different. After the train we left right around noon. Headed into town and was going to eat at Billy Bobs because the kid wanted to, but the place was full and there were about 25 people standing around waiting to get seated. I really do not see the big attraction with that place. It seems overpriced, cash only, no free refills on drinks etc.
Sounds like a good visit overall....
I also dont get the Billy Bob's attraction..? I know people swear by the place, best burgers in town, and obviously they have a great following, i just go else where.
The one big thing I do for food in Branson, is I ALWAYS eat a locally owned businesses. I am a firm believer in support the local/mom and pop places if at all possible. Usually better food, good portions and less money..
I don't get it either, Sand. I tried twice - first time took an hr. to get coffee, and the second time coffee arrived at the same time as the pancakes after about an hr. wait, and no refills. Both times, my pancakes were like pudding in the middle. I could only eat the edges and after complaining, we never saw another waitress at our table. Done!
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We were back at the city this morning. We were there at opening and headed for TT first since we did not ride it yesterday. It was about a 20 minute wait by that point. We then headed toward the train but was not going to wait in that line. Then we went to PK and it was walk on, rode the front row. Walked on to WF, then headed to FITH and walked on twice. Walked right on to TGS. After that stopped by the RB and let the kid shoot water at passing boats for a while. We heard the train coming so headed up there. Station was full and we were toward the back, but when the gates opened we got right on the front row of car 3. The show only had 1 robber and was a little different but had most of the same jokes as always. I did not really see anything different. After the train we left right around noon. Headed into town and was going to eat at Billy Bobs because the kid wanted to, but the place was full and there were about 25 people standing around waiting to get seated. I really do not see the big attraction with that place. It seems overpriced, cash only, no free refills on drinks etc.
Sounds like a good visit overall....
I also dont get the Billy Bob's attraction..? I know people swear by the place, best burgers in town, and obviously they have a great following, i just go else where.
The one big thing I do for food in Branson, is I ALWAYS eat a locally owned businesses. I am a firm believer in support the local/mom and pop places if at all possible. Usually better food, good portions and less money..
I don't get it either, Sand. I tried twice - first time took an hr. to get coffee, and the second time coffee arrived at the same time as the pancakes after about an hr. wait, and no refills. Both times, my pancakes were like pudding in the middle. I could only eat the edges and after complaining, we never saw another waitress at our table. Done!
@ Gilligan.. Thats odd.. My complaint is the hour wait to get seated.... Once seated I have had nothing but 1st class service, big portions, and reasonable price..
I like the place "after" you get in and get seated alot.!!!
I have eaten there probably 15-20 times, would go tomorrow, IF i could get in the front door. LOL!!
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Went Thursday the 13th. Got a late start so traffic was backed up to the Highroad at 10:30. We drove down to the Notch Dollar General, turned around and drove straight to lot 5. There were some transportation delays at stop 5. When we got to the drop off there were several people waiting to exchange the grocery store vouchers for tickets. The person who scanned my season pass had finance embroidered on his shirt and saw people from other departments scanning tickets.
It was 11:30 when we got to the Opera House. Doors were locked and the show had started (showtime was 11:30). Got some frozen strawberry at the stand by the saloon -- best we have gotten in 2 years. Ate some Chester's Chips. Went to the 12:45 juggling show at the Riverfront Playhouse. Was about 3/4 full. We and most of the crowd (kids and adults) seemed to really enjoy it.
Then we went to the Dance Explosion show -- we and several others walked out after the 3rd number. Definitely not World of Dance (TV show quality). I have seen much better small town dance recitals. Caught part of the Sons of the Silver Dollar show. Like how they now have different themes per show. Walked around to the Grand Exposition -- busiest I have ever seen it.
Went back to the Opera House for the second show of the day for Reuben's Swashbuckling Adventure. General announcements started 8 minutes before showtime, then a 5 minute to showtime announcement, and the show started right on time -- no late seating. Don't want to spoil anything but there are some winks and nods to a Christmas Carol within the show. The performers are good singers, good selection of songs and some surprising arrangements. Thoroughly enjoyed it and will probably go back if we make a second visit during the festival. Heard one of the crew members talking to some nearby folks before the show started. Due to the investment in the production it is planned to be the main summer production for at least 2 years and possibly up to 5 years.
From the comments here we decided to skip the kids magic show. We thought they were just okay on AGT.
Spent about 4 1/2 hours in the park on a beautiful day.
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I just wrote five paragraphs describing all of the reasons I despised the new show, Reuben's Swashbuckling Adventure before deleting it all. I just can't write about it without picking it apart and putting it down. While the actors and crew do everything they can to make best of it, the show needs to go back to where it came from. I DO NOT EVER need to see this one again.
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I just wrote five paragraphs describing all of the reasons I despised the new show, Reuben's Swashbuckling Adventure before deleting it all. I just can't write about it without picking it apart and putting it down. While the actors and crew do everything they can to make best of it, the show needs to go back to where it came from. I DO NOT EVER need to see this one again.
I would have loved to have read that.
Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. You have a right.
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I just wrote five paragraphs describing all of the reasons I despised the new show, Reuben's Swashbuckling Adventure before deleting it all. I just can't write about it without picking it apart and putting it down. While the actors and crew do everything they can to make best of it, the show needs to go back to where it came from. I DO NOT EVER need to see this one again.
I would have loved to have read that.
Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. You have a right.
If any of the PTB want my opinion, they are free to ask for it, and I will freely critique their little show in detail.
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I just wrote five paragraphs describing all of the reasons I despised the new show, Reuben's Swashbuckling Adventure before deleting it all. I just can't write about it without picking it apart and putting it down. While the actors and crew do everything they can to make best of it, the show needs to go back to where it came from. I DO NOT EVER need to see this one again.
I would have loved to have read that.
Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. You have a right.
^This ...I would be curious to know too.
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I just wrote five paragraphs describing all of the reasons I despised the new show, Reuben's Swashbuckling Adventure before deleting it all. I just can't write about it without picking it apart and putting it down. While the actors and crew do everything they can to make best of it, the show needs to go back to where it came from. I DO NOT EVER need to see this one again.
I would have loved to have read that.
Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. You have a right.
If any of the PTB want my opinion, they are free to ask for it, and I will freely critique their little show in detail.
You tease. Do it.
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I just wrote five paragraphs describing all of the reasons I despised the new show, Reuben's Swashbuckling Adventure before deleting it all. I just can't write about it without picking it apart and putting it down. While the actors and crew do everything they can to make best of it, the show needs to go back to where it came from. I DO NOT EVER need to see this one again.
I would have loved to have read that.
Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. You have a right.
If any of the PTB want my opinion, they are free to ask for it, and I will freely critique their little show in detail.
You tease. Do it.
When you are displeased you should voice your opinion. That is the only way to bring the train back onto the rails. If you dont say anything the PTB will just smile and forge ahead. Honesty is not the same as being a jerk.
DO NOT FORGET: this is a business, you are the person making the deposits.
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I'll put it in a list for you. Maybe I can avoid all of my previous rhetoric about somebody needing to be fired or disowned for signing off on this trash.
*I hate stories that just jump from one "adventure" to another one with no climax or resolution. There was no story here.
*The music selections were terrible and not catchy. Most were unrecognizable to the general public.
*The jokes were generic. I know some 10-year-olds who could come up with better ones that would not be as predictable.
*For me, the Disney ripoffs with Pirates of the Caribbean, You've Got a Friend in Me, and Orlando are pretty much an acknowledgement of inferiority. Even though some of the other characters are classics, Disney has already exploited them to the point that characters like Robin Hood (Friar Tuck) and Peter Pan (Mr. Smee) are almost fully Disney characters. It's hard to take back such rooter characters, and this was a weak effort. If this is anything like the Pirates and Princesses Cruise on the Branson Belle, I don't need to take that cruise either. At the same time, someone didn't even think to cross-market the cruise with this show, which would have been quite simple to do. I'd mention that they even used a song from the Muppets, but people don't relate that to Disney. And, although it's not Disney, they jabbed a line in there about Shrek and Donkey, as well, just to get a cheap laugh. All of these things take the audience outside of Silver Dollar City.
*Isn't Mr. Smee and Peter Pan character who runs around with Captain Hook? Why is he here with Long John Silver?
*He is the cook, but is John Silver ever called a "captain" in Treasure Island?
*At least twice, they referenced the "very expensive forest" as if to say that they even know that it was overpriced.
*The flat sets looked cheap. In fact, they also don't even fit behind each other well enough to hide them when they are not on stage.
*The line about margarita night in one of the songs was inappropriate for the setting, especially if the show was supposed to appeal to kids.
*The hiphop monks were pandering and mildly offensive. Their colorful socks worked for the gag, but the Converse shoes were stupid. I'm not sure if they were just trying to force a gospel message into the show, but this was too weird.
*The kid being named Reuben Branson was a cheap gag, and they practically had to beg the audience to laugh at it, as if they thought they had to explain the joke before the punch line ever arrived. By the way, why are so many SDC characters named Rube and Reuben? Had the boy been a Dugan, it would have been a nice nod.
*Dialogue was boring, as if the writer was forcing scenes together with a lot of explanation.
*There was no reason for a bunch of gimmicky singing skulls on Long John Silver's ship.
*The soundtrack does not blend as one show. The songs don't even stick to a particular genre.
*No swashes were buckled. At some time it would have been nice to have felt like Reuben was in danger. It would have been nice to have forgotten that it was all a dream. It would have been nice to have some kind of struggle, some emotional drama.
*They kept repeating "You look vaguely familiar" to David's characters, as if they thought the audience was too stupid to recognize he was the same actor in different roles.
*Why was he the same actor in different roles? That didn't tie anything together, and could have made more sense if he had shown up as a real person in Reuben's cabin at the end (like the Wizard of Oz).
*No other characters had to have different names, so why the Marlin gag? Just so they could make another reference to Orlando/Disney?
*How is it that Long John Silver stayed with Reuben for the entire non-adventure? It might have been nice for Reuben to have discovered strength of character by protecting a weaker character along the way instead of dancing around with the pirate captain while trekking through the forest (Did I mention it's a very expensive forest?).
*Was Reuben sufficiently troubled by his lack of destiny at the beginning (He's not even wary of meeting Long John Silver.)? Was there really a need for a swashbuckling adventure at all? What was all of this talk of destiny? I thought the kid just wanted to read himself to sleep, but all of the sudden the kid needs to find himself.
*Gypsies, who are called vagabonds (I don't think anyone ever mentioned the word gypsies.), suddenly appear, but why? If all of these are supposed to be characters of classic stories, what book did the gypsies come out of? I don't recall any of them being named.
*Sing along? They ask the audience to sing along to a song most of us have probably never heard, carting out a giant, gaudy scroll and unfurling the words to one verse of the song. For some reason the scroll remains unfurled during the next verse, even thought the words are different.
*Where was the million dollar show? The only thing that looked expensive was the upstage digital screen. Some live pyrotechnics could have also been engaged for the end celebration.
*The lyrics seem rushed and any witty ones are lost as it takes longer to mentally process them than the audience is provided.
*I'm not sure how Reuben and his mom get back to the fantasy at the end. The whole thing was supposed to be a dream, but now they just have to "believe" and all the characters reappear for the finale.
*Usually these shows have a huge, natural standing ovation at the end. Not here. The audience stopped clapping before the actors faded into the background. Actors waved as they walked upstage, and the audience was packing up to leave. Embarrassing.
Again, they performers and crew work very hard with what they've been given. They do the best job possible. They try very hard to make this show as entertaining as possible, but they must be frustrated to find that the reaction is lackluster. None of my critique is against the crew and cast who seem to have everything under control. My criticism is completely against the creators of the show and whomever allowed this to be produced in the first place.
After setting the bar with their Christmas shows, they probably wanted something similar to appeal to kids, but they need to let Disney do Disney. They've been successful with Dickens and Wonderful Life, but this one falls far short of its mark.
The best parts? Long John Silver's entrance on the rope, the Defying Gravity entrance for Marlin, and the part where I got to leave.
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The line about the forest is lifted directly from Monty Python’s Spamalot
So someone reached out to me about my review on MiG and I clarified my review with the following message.
Greetings. I appreciate you reaching out. A little backstory on me, I’ve attended well over 60 Broadway/Off Broadway shows in the past 5 years. I’ve seen the spectrum from epics to complete flops, so I know what works.
I’ll start off saying that I enjoyed the show, but I enjoy live musical theater. I’m not sure that can be said of all guests.
While the show is not horrible, I personally feel Reuben’s suffers from trying to do too much in too short of a time. I think spending a little more time in each scene would help a lot. Give us some meaningful dialogue on why and how this connects to the big story. Think about why Dickens, Wonderful Life, Heading West and even For the Glory were all successful. They told a story - a meaningful one. I felt like that was missing here.
Song choices might also have something to do with it as well, as only a well-seasoned theater goer (snob) is going to recognize the music. The sing-a-long left the audience around me very confused. Most didn’t know the song - even my family had no clue what the song was (I did - but I’ve seen Pippin).
I think another issue is that Reuben’s is an “original” story so the general public won’t feel like they have an investment in the story. Both For the Glory and Heading West had historical aspects that the audience could draw past experiences from. I’m afraid that fact alone will hurt the staying power of the show.
Finally the biggest complaint I heard was the audience (around me) felt the show was a bait and switch. They went in expecting a pirate show and it wasn’t. Look at the ads. Look at the ushers. Look at the “Photo with a Pirate”. Look at the announcer using pirate ship terms. Do you think they’re wrong in being upset about the bait and switch?
I know this is long and I’ll be more than happy to listen to your responses, but I feel my report was fair for what the show was. I’m sure I’ll watch it again this season, and I hope it’s improved by then. I guess we’ll see
Here’s a list of most of the major songs and where they are from
“Sailing for Adventure” - Muppet Treasure Island
“Friend in Me” - Toy Story
“Time to Start Living” - Pippin
Let it Shine - ?
“Defying Gravity” - Wicked
“To thine own self be true” - Something Rotten
Home is not a place (that’s how you know you are home) - ?
“Bright Star” - Bright Star
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I appreciate the list: I only knew the first two.
I am no Disney fan ;)
I particularly did ot liek the hiphop piece.
I agree very much with the comment that there just wasn't much Pirate here, which disappointed me.
I get the anthology approach, but a tighter connection among the "episodes" would have been welcome.
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I have added some comments below (asterisks mark the original comments):
*He is the cook, but is John Silver ever called a "captain" in Treasure Island?
Yes, Silver was Captain Silver to his crew. He was even deposed and reinstated; the early Disney version does a good job of representing it.
*The hiphop monks were pandering and mildly offensive. Their colorful socks worked for the gag, but the Converse shoes were stupid. I'm not sure if they were just trying to force a gospel message into the show, but this was too weird.
There is NO gospel message there at all; in fact, the monks are far more Buddhist in their outlook than Christian (of any stripe). I agree about the pandering though perhaps not for the same reason.
*The kid being named Reuben Branson was a cheap gag, and they practically had to beg the audience to laugh at it, as if they thought they had to explain the joke before the punch line ever arrived. By the way, why are so many SDC characters named Rube and Reuben? Had the boy been a Dugan, it would have been a nice nod.
I actually appreciated that joke though Dugan would have been good, too.
*The soundtrack does not blend as one show. The songs don't even stick to a particular genre.
Variety is the driving force here, but the result isn't always pleasing.
*They kept repeating "You look vaguely familiar" to David's characters, as if they thought the audience was too stupid to recognize he was the same actor in different roles.
I don't think that was the reason: I think it was simply a Mel Brooks-ish joke.
*Why was he the same actor in different roles? That didn't tie anything together, and could have made more sense if he had shown up as a real person in Reuben's cabin at the end (like the Wizard of Oz).
Point well taken. But David does an excellent job (as always) of pulling it off. A final tying up would have improved the story, however. Maybe even a WoO-ish appearance prior tot eh dream.
*Was Reuben sufficiently troubled by his lack of destiny at the beginning (He's not even wary of meeting Long John Silver.)? Was there really a need for a swashbuckling adventure at all? What was all of this talk of destiny? I thought the kid just wanted to read himself to sleep, but all of the sudden the kid needs to find himself.
Post-modern psychobabble. By far, most boys don't want to find themselves: they want to be someone else 8)
*Gypsies, who are called vagabonds (I don't think anyone ever mentioned the word gypsies.), suddenly appear, but why? If all of these are supposed to be characters of classic stories, what book did the gypsies come out of? I don't recall any of them being named.
I have vague memories of gypsies in adventure stories from my own youth (including 101 Dalmatians--the excellent novel, not the wretched movies Disney made out of it). None stand out as 3 dimensional.
*Sing along? They ask the audience to sing along to a song most of us have probably never heard, carting out a giant, gaudy scroll and unfurling the words to one verse of the song. For some reason the scroll remains unfurled during the next verse, even thought the words are different.
This one is the production trying too hard: I think they know no one knows the piece.
*I'm not sure how Reuben and his mom get back to the fantasy at the end. The whole thing was supposed to be a dream, but now they just have to "believe" and all the characters reappear for the finale.
Not uncommon (if not ideal).
*Usually these shows have a huge, natural standing ovation at the end. Not here. The audience stopped clapping before the actors faded into the background. Actors waved as they walked upstage, and the audience was packing up to leave. Embarrassing.
We saw the first performance, and there was very much a natural Standing O at the end. Of course, I have seen performances of SDC's Dickens that did not end in a Standing O, so the quality of the audience is really a red herring here.
*Again, they performers and crew work very hard with what they've been given. They do the best job possible.
Agreed whole-heartedly.
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We saw the first performance, and there was very much a natural Standing O at the end. Of course, I have seen performances of SDC's Dickens that did not end in a Standing O, so the quality of the audience is really a red herring here.
That would have a lot to do with the actors' families being in the audience for the first performance, I'm sure. There will always be those few who know the performers and raise the roof.
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This show didn't really appeal to me from the start. I hope the acrobatic Lumberjack show works in the fall.
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This show didn't really appeal to me from the start. I hope the acrobatic Lumberjack show works in the fall.
I have high hopes for the lumberjacks.
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That would have a lot to do with the actors' families being in the audience for the first performance, I'm sure. There will always be those few who know the performers and raise the roof.
Possibly, but not necessarily. Many people will not share these concerns: they were entertained and responded.
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That would have a lot to do with the actors' families being in the audience for the first performance, I'm sure. There will always be those few who know the performers and raise the roof.
Possibly, but not necessarily. Many people will not share these concerns: they were entertained and responded.
Ok cool. You’re allowed to like the show. Just like he’s allowed to not like the show. Let’s move on.
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You kind of foresaw the Lumber Jack show, HB. From this thread:
http://www.sdcfans.com/forums/index.php?topic=130.15
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You kind of foresaw the Lumber Jack show, HB. From this thread:
http://www.sdcfans.com/forums/index.php?topic=130.15
Yeah. I remember that. It's the first thing I thought about when I saw the ads for it. I hope the show is everything I imagined.
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Ok cool. You’re allowed to like the show. Just like he’s allowed to not like the show. Let’s move on.
Actually, I *didn't* like the show that much. No debate here, I wanted to discuss particulars because the particulars matter.
However, I shall desist and "move on" per orders.
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You kind of foresaw the Lumber Jack show, HB. From this thread:
http://www.sdcfans.com/forums/index.php?topic=130.15
Yeah. I remember that. It's the first thing I thought about when I saw the ads for it. I hope the show is everything I imagined.
I wouldn’t expect much Lumberjacking in the show and more of a thinly themed Cirque du Soleil knockoff
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You kind of foresaw the Lumber Jack show, HB. From this thread:
http://www.sdcfans.com/forums/index.php?topic=130.15
Yeah. I remember that. It's the first thing I thought about when I saw the ads for it. I hope the show is everything I imagined.
I wouldn’t expect much Lumberjacking in the show and more of a thinly themed Cirque du Soleil knockoff
With lots of manly muscle and sweat of course!
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You kind of foresaw the Lumber Jack show, HB. From this thread:
http://www.sdcfans.com/forums/index.php?topic=130.15
Yeah. I remember that. It's the first thing I thought about when I saw the ads for it. I hope the show is everything I imagined.
I agree. Now if the PTB would make your other Attraction ideas come to fruition it would be a very special place!
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Visited SDC Monday- took my 3 year old daughter for the first time! Highlight of fatherhood to see her experience this great place. Took her on my favorite ride Flooded mine. Really hope they don’t change that ride, to many great memories!
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Visited SDC Monday- took my 3 year old daughter for the first time! Highlight of fatherhood to see her experience this great place. Took her on my favorite ride Flooded mine. Really hope they don’t change that ride, to many great memories!
That's great, man. Glad you were able to take your kiddo. I've enjoyed introducing our little ones to a place I loved so much as a kid, even if every trip now involves me cramming in to the back seat of a Dalmatian at Fireman's Landing. Gets tricky trying to buckle in to some of those kid rides with your legs turned sideways!
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Home is not a place (that’s how you know you are home) - ?
Did a quick google. That song seems to be "Home" from Wonderland: The Musical (2011).
I don't think I'll get the chance to see "Reuben's..." this year, but maybe next year, so hopefully some of these kinks get worked out by then.
So far, "Listen to the River" is still my all-time favorite SDC musical. God, I'd love to see them revive that one for a new generation.
I wonder if maybe they should've had Reuben be Tom Sawyer? I mean, like, Mark Twain's works published pre-1923 are public domain, so they could easily have used characters from Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn. In fact, it'd make a lot more sense to have the main characters be Tom and Huck and the pirate adventures just them playing; no "it was all a dream" stuff (god, that is one of the top worst tropes in writing, IMHO). In fact, although it's been a while since I've read the Tom and Huck novels, I recall that Tom and Friends played at being pirates on the Mississippi in.... Adv of Tom Sawyer, I believe.
It would tie the show more closely to Twain, Missouri, the 1800s, and other areas of the park like River Blast. Honestly, I really don't know why SDC doesn't have more Mark Twain-related stuff. I don't *think* there's a moratorium on Twain characters/stories/etc in theme parks... If there was, I doubt SDC would've been able to theme River Blast to Tom and Huck.
*sigh*
Y'know, maybe I should sit down and see if I can write a show to pitch to SDC. I mean, I am an English Major (Creative Writing track) who is obsessed with all things Mark Twain and SDC, soooo.... I feel like maybe I could write something good.
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FWIW, Mark Twain is not the Ozarks, and the Ozarks are not Mark Twain.
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FWIW, Mark Twain is not the Ozarks, and the Ozarks are not Mark Twain.
It's the Missouri tie in....SDC has already used Twain before. Plus 90% of the general public isn't going to go "Twain shouldn't be in the Ozarks"...lol
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Personally I like the Reuben Branson tie in, since that is who founded Branson in real life. I think it's a totally appropriate reference...
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Personally I like the Reuben Branson tie in, since that is who founded Branson in real life. I think it's a totally appropriate reference...
Then tell his story. Tell him his history. Tell him how he got to this point in his life. There's an adventure in there. But don't just recycle the old "let's go over here for a while, then here, then here, and back to where we started" storyline that could be presented at any park in the country. Make it about him, and make it good. I'd rather see that than the worst show I've ever seen at Silver Dollar City.
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I was promised a Pirate Show. I want the Pirate Show I was promised
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FWIW, Mark Twain is not the Ozarks, and the Ozarks are not Mark Twain.
It's the Missouri tie in....SDC has already used Twain before. Plus 90% of the general public isn't going to go "Twain shouldn't be in the Ozarks"...lol
I always thought it was strange how Mark Twains characters found their way to the ozarks. It is totally out of place. But, so is The Hatfields and McCoys. REtire them and build on the local history.
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FWIW, Mark Twain is not the Ozarks, and the Ozarks are not Mark Twain.
It's the Missouri tie in....SDC has already used Twain before. Plus 90% of the general public isn't going to go "Twain shouldn't be in the Ozarks"...lol
I always thought it was strange how Mark Twains characters found their way to the ozarks. It is totally out of place. But, so is The Hatfields and McCoys. REtire them and build on the local history.
There is enough right here to build on: https://thelibrary.org/lochist/periodicals/wrv/V1/N2/W61b.htm (https://thelibrary.org/lochist/periodicals/wrv/V1/N2/W61b.htm). It's not that hard to do a little research and make it special.
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I think aside from the fact that Twain is from Missouri, SDC probably used those characters because the books were released in the timeframe that SDC is set in (1876 [TS] and 1885 [HF]), so Missourians would have been voraciously reading them, even in the Ozarks.
Also, the other two regional/state theme parks are either world-themed (WoF) or IP-themed (SF). SDC is the one with an 1880s Missouri theme, so Twain fits there best, even if he wasn't from the area.
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The release dates are wildly misleading: the events depicted took place in the 1840s and '50s. The world he was describing was long gone by the 1880s even along the river (which was the whole point of his Life on the Mississippi). The politics, the economy, the history, the religion, the language, and the ethnicities of the two regions also differed, both in the '40s and in the '80s.
Certainly, 1880s Ozarkers would have been reading Twain's books, but they would have recognized that the times and places depicted differed from their own.
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^ Only true SDC fans would debate this! That's us!
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I think aside from the fact that Twain is from Missouri, SDC probably used those characters because the books were released in the timeframe that SDC is set in (1876 [TS] and 1885 [HF]), so Missourians would have been voraciously reading them, even in the Ozarks.
Also, the other two regional/state theme parks are either world-themed (WoF) or IP-themed (SF). SDC is the one with an 1880s Missouri theme, so Twain fits there best, even if he wasn't from the area.
WOF is actually “book themed” - Around the World in 80 Days
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Theme Park Worldwide posted a great trip report VLOG from their June visit. They really liked the park. For those that don't know TPW, they have a large following and they don't like everything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnm956g2Gzg
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It was a beautiful, hot day at the city. We got there for rope drop. We waited in no lines except for river blast around 2 pm. We had my nieces with us and they wanted to ride the wave carousel. We now remember why we don’t ride it often. It took them 10 minutes just to load the ride. They didn’t all make it on the same rotation so we had to wait through it twice. Ugh.
Lots of progress on the rib house this trip. The Mexican restaurant is definitely one of our favorites. They rode every ride in the expo, Caleb on time traveler, all the kids rode thunderstorm twice. Hit up the saloon show and there were some new one liners and a new prop. Our visitors loved it! I didn’t recognize any of the girls this time. Two runs through grandfathers mansion and a run through the taffy stop and we were done.
We will be back next weekend for moonlight madness. We will have our month-long foreign exchange student with us.
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They rode every ride in the expo, Caleb on time traveler, all the kids rode thunderstorm twice.
Wow! That Thunderstorm sounds like a dandy new ride. Haven't caught that one before....Lol.... ;)
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They rode every ride in the expo, Caleb on time traveler, all the kids rode thunderstorm twice.
Wow! That Thunderstorm sounds like a dandy new ride. Haven't caught that one before....Lol.... ;)
Stupid autocorrect! Hahahaha
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Theme Park Worldwide posted a great trip report VLOG from their June visit. They really liked the park. For those that don't know TPW, they have a large following and they don't like everything.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnm956g2Gzg
Ha Ha, they liked SDC over Dollywood. They really were trying like Dollywood though.
Interesting they dumped on Thunderhead at DW. I just got done with Wodan and Joris. I liked Joris the best out of those two but the queue theming for Wodan is another level outside of a Disney park. But I like Tunderhead. Its just I know our (Branson)GCI was taken away from us and our coaster count took a hit with CC's closing.
My one regret of my European trip was not getting to Toverland in spite of being a mere 5 minutes from it but the wife was just not willing. I was also within mere minutes of Walibi Belgium. They both had rides I wanted to tryout
The launched wing B&M and The Mack Power Splash
Oh, I actually like Time Traveler over Blue Fire. They are similar but the spin makes the difference. Interesting that they even though Time Traveler needed the mid course show building. I'll never stop the :what if" if they had added that show building giving it that little extra it really needs, oh and making that drop out of the station into a rock tunnel with smoke/mist.
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I'll put it in a list for you. Maybe I can avoid all of my previous rhetoric about somebody needing to be fired or disowned for signing off on this trash.
*I hate stories that just jump from one "adventure" to another one with no climax or resolution. There was no story here.
*The music selections were terrible and not catchy. Most were unrecognizable to the general public.
*The jokes were generic. I know some 10-year-olds who could come up with better ones that would not be as predictable.
*For me, the Disney ripoffs with Pirates of the Caribbean, You've Got a Friend in Me, and Orlando are pretty much an acknowledgement of inferiority. Even though some of the other characters are classics, Disney has already exploited them to the point that characters like Robin Hood (Friar Tuck) and Peter Pan (Mr. Smee) are almost fully Disney characters. It's hard to take back such rooter characters, and this was a weak effort. If this is anything like the Pirates and Princesses Cruise on the Branson Belle, I don't need to take that cruise either. At the same time, someone didn't even think to cross-market the cruise with this show, which would have been quite simple to do. I'd mention that they even used a song from the Muppets, but people don't relate that to Disney. And, although it's not Disney, they jabbed a line in there about Shrek and Donkey, as well, just to get a cheap laugh. All of these things take the audience outside of Silver Dollar City.
*Isn't Mr. Smee and Peter Pan character who runs around with Captain Hook? Why is he here with Long John Silver?
*He is the cook, but is John Silver ever called a "captain" in Treasure Island?
*At least twice, they referenced the "very expensive forest" as if to say that they even know that it was overpriced.
*The flat sets looked cheap. In fact, they also don't even fit behind each other well enough to hide them when they are not on stage.
*The line about margarita night in one of the songs was inappropriate for the setting, especially if the show was supposed to appeal to kids.
*The hiphop monks were pandering and mildly offensive. Their colorful socks worked for the gag, but the Converse shoes were stupid. I'm not sure if they were just trying to force a gospel message into the show, but this was too weird.
*The kid being named Reuben Branson was a cheap gag, and they practically had to beg the audience to laugh at it, as if they thought they had to explain the joke before the punch line ever arrived. By the way, why are so many SDC characters named Rube and Reuben? Had the boy been a Dugan, it would have been a nice nod.
*Dialogue was boring, as if the writer was forcing scenes together with a lot of explanation.
*There was no reason for a bunch of gimmicky singing skulls on Long John Silver's ship.
*The soundtrack does not blend as one show. The songs don't even stick to a particular genre.
*No swashes were buckled. At some time it would have been nice to have felt like Reuben was in danger. It would have been nice to have forgotten that it was all a dream. It would have been nice to have some kind of struggle, some emotional drama.
*They kept repeating "You look vaguely familiar" to David's characters, as if they thought the audience was too stupid to recognize he was the same actor in different roles.
*Why was he the same actor in different roles? That didn't tie anything together, and could have made more sense if he had shown up as a real person in Reuben's cabin at the end (like the Wizard of Oz).
*No other characters had to have different names, so why the Marlin gag? Just so they could make another reference to Orlando/Disney?
*How is it that Long John Silver stayed with Reuben for the entire non-adventure? It might have been nice for Reuben to have discovered strength of character by protecting a weaker character along the way instead of dancing around with the pirate captain while trekking through the forest (Did I mention it's a very expensive forest?).
*Was Reuben sufficiently troubled by his lack of destiny at the beginning (He's not even wary of meeting Long John Silver.)? Was there really a need for a swashbuckling adventure at all? What was all of this talk of destiny? I thought the kid just wanted to read himself to sleep, but all of the sudden the kid needs to find himself.
*Gypsies, who are called vagabonds (I don't think anyone ever mentioned the word gypsies.), suddenly appear, but why? If all of these are supposed to be characters of classic stories, what book did the gypsies come out of? I don't recall any of them being named.
*Sing along? They ask the audience to sing along to a song most of us have probably never heard, carting out a giant, gaudy scroll and unfurling the words to one verse of the song. For some reason the scroll remains unfurled during the next verse, even thought the words are different.
*Where was the million dollar show? The only thing that looked expensive was the upstage digital screen. Some live pyrotechnics could have also been engaged for the end celebration.
*The lyrics seem rushed and any witty ones are lost as it takes longer to mentally process them than the audience is provided.
*I'm not sure how Reuben and his mom get back to the fantasy at the end. The whole thing was supposed to be a dream, but now they just have to "believe" and all the characters reappear for the finale.
*Usually these shows have a huge, natural standing ovation at the end. Not here. The audience stopped clapping before the actors faded into the background. Actors waved as they walked upstage, and the audience was packing up to leave. Embarrassing.
Again, they performers and crew work very hard with what they've been given. They do the best job possible. They try very hard to make this show as entertaining as possible, but they must be frustrated to find that the reaction is lackluster. None of my critique is against the crew and cast who seem to have everything under control. My criticism is completely against the creators of the show and whomever allowed this to be produced in the first place.
After setting the bar with their Christmas shows, they probably wanted something similar to appeal to kids, but they need to let Disney do Disney. They've been successful with Dickens and Wonderful Life, but this one falls far short of its mark.
The best parts? Long John Silver's entrance on the rope, the Defying Gravity entrance for Marlin, and the part where I got to leave.
I have to agree with you, HistoryBuff. I went yesterday hoping it would be great. It wasn't! I was ready to leave before it was halfway through, but I'm not rude enough to do so. Hubs hated it! He thought the nods to the Christmas show dumbed it down as though they couldn't think of any new material. Ten to fifteen people did get up and leave before it was over. The acting and singing was okay, but the script was all over the place and just not entertaining.
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I tried the show again yesterday hoping that I just went in with a bad attitude last time, thinking surely it’s not as bad as I made it out to be...
Nope. It’s actually worse. Apparently I was just being kind in my report. I actually wanted to walk out during the singing monk scene. This was even after suffering through the cringe worthy “you got a friend in me” sequence.
“I’m on a quest to find my destiny,” said no young boy EVER. *groan*
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MOONLIGHT MADNESS - SDC (https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2019/07/moonlight-madness-sdc.html)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M8EM6nC1BLE/XTiasX-MLyI/AAAAAAAA1go/USqC3VcbLYIWlKM2yiMPw6_M0il2WgTuQCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_8684.JPG)
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Saw the play for myself and was pretty amused. I'm all for nitpicking since this is a fan site and that's part of what fans do, but this play definitely wasn't something to take seriously.
It wasn't their best effort, especially considering what they spent on the production, but it wasn't terrible. It felt in-line with the Saloon show. Very corny, and lots of borrowed songs and jokes. Decently amusing to pass some time in the air conditioning, but not something I would plan my day around or wait in line for.
I'll bet they fiddle with the script and next year it will be better. It's a pretty short play, so if there's definitely room to flesh it out some more.
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Again I went up there on Sunday for Moonlight Madness, crowds were surprisingly manageable compared to other times I went to the park during this event. Coasters were a one train wait or a walk on. I will note if you have done the train ride at Silver Dollar City, how about at night during the summer with Moonlight Madness and having fireworks going off overhead? I really like the unique atmosphere that the ride provides at night during this time of the year with this event.
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/IWJ9Oiewob8
Also, I recently rode thru The Flooded Mine and shot high quality photos of the entire ride. Thought these turned out awesome considering you are nearly in total darkness as a rider. Wished I could do the same for Fire In The Hole.
ALBUM: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157414974072232&set=a.10157414971667232&type=3&theater
(https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/67651702_10157414974047232_1407331757786660864_o.jpg?_nc_cat=109&_nc_oc=AQkyAJ0WWR6pyO2XxNtwEO5hVAyr6d8Ct3HSERcxVmQD6pFr_EjyVNVcu0p-AKfGAF0VBmg-_rTKcbtKJgY9cw9K&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=73b2f15f0464e3beb2f1af3a7ca4e556&oe=5DB82207)
I still haven't bothered with the new summer show (based on the reviews here) but I might go ahead and check it out on my next visit before the festival concludes.
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I went this past wednesday to give the musical another shot as I saw it like the 8th performance and was disappointed. Thought maybe with time it all would gel. Nope. As someone else said, the second viewing made me hate it more
They touted a million dollar production but for the life of me I cannot tell what that money was spent on. Scenery was 2 dimensional and rather bland. And the story... just not good. I also wonder who signed off on this
Maybe I am biased as I still long for some of the old shows that they wrote and performed 30+ years ago. And then For the Glory and Heading west or whatever... those were amazing. This was just not
The cast do the best with what they are given but wow it just isn’t good
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So, the summary view of the new show is...
Kill it, Kill it with fire.
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That pretty much sums it up, Chittlins. ;D
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Went to the park Saturday with my wife, my brother, step daughter, & her boyfriend who has never been to SDC. Spent about an hour in the hospitality house first. Got there when they opened & tried to hit TT, but there was a line already, so we rode TNT first. It made the newbie boyfriend a little dizzy. As we walked off, we noticed TT had no line. Step daughter had never riden it yet. It only took about 30 minutes & they were done. She really enjoyed it. Her boyfriend & i had walked down to the train station because he used to work for the rail road in KC. Gave him another chance & put him on the FM & FITH. He seemed to enjoy shooting the guns in FM. Everything seemed to be working ok on FM & FITH. Walked around to where Tom & Hucks ride was, & spent about 30 minutes shooting people with water cannons. ( that never gets old ) Kinda jacked around & step daughter got a funnel cake, & my brother got a skillet meal. -- Took off from the park & rode go karts, played a round of mini golf & the newbie boyfriend beat me by about 2-3 strokes. My brother & i took about a 2 hour sleep fest & we headed back around 6. -- Piddle paddled around by the square cuz a guy was doing a sound check with a electric guitar & he was really jammin'. Went over by Grandpas Mansion & gave it a walk thru. Headed down to the AP. We convinced the step daughters boyfriend into riding in back.. We all leaned forward down the hill & he got the worst of it, but he really enjoyed it. Walked around the park waiting for it to get dark. Tried to ride PK, but the line was out of the building, so we scratched on that. Went & got the $6.00 hamburger deals & headed to OR. We waited cuz they were taking a train off. By the time we were 2nd ones to get on to ride, they put the train back on. But, it was dark by then!! OR in the dark was a blast!! You could not tell where the bottom of the hill was, or where you were going!! Just as we got off, the fireworks show started, so we sat on a park bench & watched. It lasted about 7 minutes. Finally to the train for the newbie. We rode in the dark, in the back, & it put the step daughter to sleep. LOL! We couldnt get here livened up after that, so we left.. :( It was right at 11pm. -- As always, GREAT time at SDC, & Moonlight Madness. Nothing to really trip on or complain about, just another flawless trip from us veterans SDC goers who like to take newbies. -- Ozark Valley Inn was great. Beds were soft enough, & it was quiet. We never ate any breakfast there, so..
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We were at the City August 1st and 2nd. I haven't seen it mentioned in any other trip review but I have to give a thumbs up to Taylor Hughes. His comedy/magic show was very entertaining. We never made it to Echo Hollow to see his performance there but the show in the Riverfront Playhouse was great! Also we really enjoyed Sagebrush Sadie's Wild West Show in the Saloon. The guy playing Charlie is hilarious (as usual). We saw this show twice during Bluegrass and BBQ and again last Friday. if they want to repeat this show for the next few years they have our approval. Also Southern Raised gave another great performance at the Gazebo. We've been avoiding going in the summer for the last couple of years because of a lack of good shows, and you need a break from riding all the time. We do occasionally watch craft demonstrations but you need somewhere to sit down in the ac and relax for a bit. This year the shows brought us back and we were happy they did.
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We went up yesterday at around 5pm and rode rides until it was time for the Echo hollow show. I really just do not like the new stage. It is great that it is new but it does not have the same ambiance it has before. Anyway, we did not stay thru the whole show, left at about 8:45 and rode a few more rides. It was not super busy but was not dead either. There was a little bit of a wait for PK. We were 1 train away from being able to see the fireworks from the ride. As it stands we did not see anything at all of the show because we were in the building. For some reason there were several train loads of folks who could not seem to figure out how to get on and off the ride. We left right before 10pm. It was a mad house at the exit.
Today I had planned on going up at opening them coming back later in the day. We ended up just coming at about 7pm. On the way up it was raining cats and dogs even though it was just a little blip on the radar. Just as we were pulling in the rain was stopping. As we were going in (we were the only ones going in at that time) it was like an episode of the walking dead with the hordes of people coming out. This was looking like a good sign. As we got in all the rides were closed, even FM. We ended up getting on FITH pretty quick. Rode that, got a $1 ice cream float, then even though app said TGS was closed we went up there anyway and they just opened it. So, we rode that. We headed up to PK and they said it was open, got down to the gates and there were probably 4 loads of people ahead of us. They said they were just waiting on a call to start running. Pretty soon they sent one of the workers out for a test ride. As soon as that car left, they got another call. Worker comes back on and lightening is within 10 miles so they can't run. We left. Headed toward the train, it was running but I guess it shut down also when it got back in. Rode FM. Waited around till about 8:30 and there was still lightening in the area per radar. Figured there was very little chance of them opening anything to started to head toward the exit just as it started pouring again. Currently at the Honeysuckle where Michelle from All Access hooked us up for $60 a night where as our usual place wanted over $200 for the jacuzzi suite, which was all they had. All the travel sites have the other places in town close to $100 or more for the rat hole places. Will head back up at opening tomorrow for a couple of hours, then go back around 8:30-9pm tomorrow for another couple of hours.
Saturday we got there at opening and walked on everything we wanted to ride. Started off with 2 trips on PK, then over to FITH. Rode WF a couple of times. Walked right on the train as it was loading up then did FM. By this time it was around 11-11:30am and TT had too long of a line so we decided to leave and went to town to eat lunch. We then decided to ride the train down at the landing. I had planned on going back to the city at around 8:30 to watch fireworks then ride some rides in the dark but just did not have the energy. After looking at the wait time on the app with TGS wait time of 60 minutes, TT 75 minutes, I decided I was not going to fight the crowds so we relaxed at the hotel. Left town at around 10am in the morning.
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Okie... .we stay at aHomeStay Inn and when you call and tell them you want the SDC fans rate of $40.00 a night they honor it. The new owners are Indian and have treated us exceptionally well. The rooms are clean and the breakfast area by the check in desk has been updated. As long as we keep on getting the rate we will keep on staying there.
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Okie... .we stay at aHomeStay Inn and when you call and tell them you want the SDC fans rate of $40.00 a night they honor it. The new owners are Indian and have treated us exceptionally well. The rooms are clean and the breakfast area by the check in desk has been updated. As long as we keep on getting the rate we will keep on staying there.
You guys in town now and how long you staying..?
Did you guys try Ozark Valley Inn?, Most of us are staying there now, they are american owned, with intention of selling in the future.. Nice place..
Talk soon
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Okie... .we stay at aHomeStay Inn and when you call and tell them you want the SDC fans rate of $40.00 a night they honor it. The new owners are Indian and have treated us exceptionally well. The rooms are clean and the breakfast area by the check in desk has been updated. As long as we keep on getting the rate we will keep on staying there.
Interesting, thanks for the tip. Was this one of our old hotels?
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Okie... .we stay at aHomeStay Inn and when you call and tell them you want the SDC fans rate of $40.00 a night they honor it. The new owners are Indian and have treated us exceptionally well. The rooms are clean and the breakfast area by the check in desk has been updated. As long as we keep on getting the rate we will keep on staying there.
You guys in town now and how long you staying..?
They are intending on selling in the future?
Did you guys try Ozark Valley Inn?, Most of us are staying there now, they are american owned, with intention of selling in the future.. Nice place..
Talk soon
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I typed it wrong people.
Ozark Valley is NOT for sale, and the owner has NO intention of selling... We are set on our price and they are already talking about looking forward to next year..
I am not sure about the Home Stay motel,
thats where we started getting our first group discount back in 2011. After they sold out to Non-American owners and fired Page and the Bunch, that when we moved down the street to Classic.
I believe it is now called American Eagle inn and Suites. next to Pierce arrow.
Cheese is that where your staying now?
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Speaking of which, has anybody heard from Paige? We miss her!
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We were at the City on Sunday, August 4. The weather and crowd levels were great. We walked on to nearly all the rides, and only waited about 15 minutes for Time Traveler.
We ate at the buffet in the Reunion Hall for the first time. I have been coming to SDC for 40 years, and have never stepped foot into the Reunion Hall. The food was great, reasonably priced (with a season pass discount), and it was a great respite during the day.
We also saw the saloon show, and it was great as usual!
The ONLY downside is the Moonlight Madness music. I loathe it. At some point during the day, someone flips a switch and the park goes from the lovely bluegrass ambiance music to modern pop-country. Don't even get me started on the street dance music!
Oh well...I suppose it's worth it to spend the day in my favorite place, and I know I always have the option of leaving during the extra hours. However, riding the rides at night is a lot of fun.
We will be back in October, and are looking forward to seeing what the new festival has in store!
(EDIT - I should also mention the bad bump in Thunderation. Others have mentioned it. Does anyone who understands coasters better than me know what's going on with that? Is it fixable? Man...it's rough and VERY noticeable.)
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Sorry Sanddune....We stayed at Classic the end of May to the first week in june. Hey honored the $40.00 a night like always for the SDC fans rate, but you have to remind them of it. We had no problems there at all. They even delivered the newspaper to our foom. The breakfast is upstairs now with redone breakfast area. It is much better with more room without being in such close quarters. We did stay one night at Ozark Valley Inn, but we like Classic better.
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Sorry Sanddune....We stayed at Classic the end of May to the first week in june. Hey honored the $40.00 a night like always for the SDC fans rate, but you have to remind them of it. We had no problems there at all. They even delivered the newspaper to our foom. The breakfast is upstairs now with redone breakfast area. It is much better with more room without being in such close quarters. We did stay one night at Ozark Valley Inn, but we like Classic better.
Gotcha..
you did NOT stay at Home Stay? they are closed... You had me confused,, LOL.
Yes Classic calls me to verify my reservations., I just tell them I wont down to see them... (which is true).
If you ever get tired of them, we have a room for you down the street..
maybe see you this fall..
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Sanddune....we did not stay at Homestay, but at Classic.....sorry for the mixup....I had a moment of brainfade. We are coming down the last week of Sept thru the first week of Oct...2 weeks. Hope it cools off by then and Bob gets to feeling better.
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When does school start back up? Trying to plan a trip in the next couple of weeks, probably during the week when school is going on to get WW and SDC in.
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When does school start back up? Trying to plan a trip in the next couple of weeks, probably during the week when school is going on to get WW and SDC in.
Well we report tomorrow and have kids report next week.
The issue with supplying you info on school is that we border so many states it’s impossible to know that
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When does school start back up? Trying to plan a trip in the next couple of weeks, probably during the week when school is going on to get WW and SDC in.
Up here most of the kids "start" next friday, August the 16th...
good luck on your trip.
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I saw this picture on SDC's Facebook page. Has Dockside Theater always had "James River" on the facade or is this new? I don't recall seeing it before.
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It's always been there....well for as long as I can remember.
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What a perfect day at the city! 66 degrees in August and no lines!! The only waiting we did was for time traveler (40 minutes) and outlaw run (10 minutes). We took friends with us and had a good time. A lot of publicity all over the park for pumpkin nights and Christmas. It got annoying to see it every time I turned around. There were many clearance racks in stores around the park. Saw the saloon show for the 6th time this season and it was great as always.
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I’m glad to hear that crowds were reasonable. I’ll be there in the morning with a gaggle of granddaughters for our twelfth trip of the season. As long as we get apple turnovers, ride rides, and dine in the mine, all is well in our worlx
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Was in the park today and had zero wait at all of the kids rides in the morning.
Only issue that we had was a lunch at Wagon Works Grill when the apple slices for my 2 kids meals were about 5 days past their best by date and were slimy. When I took them back to the counter all of the ladies seemed annoyed and tried to give me new bags that had the same date. I finally just asked for apple sauce instead. They didn't seem to care at all that the apples were bad... they took the bags that they offered and I declined right back in the bin on the service line.
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Was in the park today and had zero wait at all of the kids rides in the morning.
Only issue that we had was a lunch at Wagon Works Grill when the apple slices for my 2 kids meals were about 5 days past their best by date and were slimy. When I took them back to the counter all of the ladies seemed annoyed and tried to give me new bags that had the same date. I finally just asked for apple sauce instead. They didn't seem to care at all that the apples were bad... they took the bags that they offered and I declined right back in the bin on the service line.
Actually this is serious and I may have spoken to someone about this. Food safety is almost specifically centered around 2 groups, elderly and children as they suffer quicker in situations when things go wrong. A overlooked date is one thing but not when you are serving those 2 groups. SDC employees tossing them back into the "community" bin is really a bad move both for food safety and plain optics. Not a good situation.
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We were up Friday thru Sunday. The 10 year old wanted to go to WW. The last mailer we got had a $10 coupon so him and his brother were going to do that. Discovered it was for Sunday only. More on that later. We arrived at the City about 3:15 Friday. Crowds were very light. Wife just had toe surgery so was hobbling along so we got a disabled book. While it appeared most of the rides were walk on anyway the pass made it much easier for her to get on instead of having to walk all the way thru the line, especially TT.
Saturday we woke up at the Ozark Valley Inn and discovered it was only going to get into the low 70's with rain of and on. Did not seem like a good day to go to WW. I explained to the kid that he should wait until Sunday and only spend $20 for the 2 of them. Temps looked like it would be warmer and did not look like rain till mid afternoon. He insisted on going Saturday. They had an online deal that was $25 so he spent $5x. We dropped them off at 10am opening then headed up to the City. Once again lines were fine but we took the disabled entrance. The kids called at about 12:30 they were ready to leave WW. Seemed like a big waste of money to me but it was his money and that is what he wanted to do.
Today we got up the City a little after opening and another very light crowd day. Weather was perfect. It sure would have been a much better day to go to WW as it started getting a little hot and the sun started peaking out. One thing I noticed was on the train ride. We rode it Saturday and they had one guy who I believe I had seen before but is somewhat new out robbing and there was a young girl out there also just sitting in a chair the whole time not really doing anything. I have never seen that before. Today we rode the train and the there was another young girl that was supposed to be dressed up as a hobo at the depot (might have been a sub in robber maybe). At the robbery, the girl that was out there the day before played the Ralphy lines. It really seemed like they were just going thru the motions and there was hardly any reaction from the passengers on the train. Maybe it is just the new folks but it seemed dry. The girl also had a quite obvious cell phone in her pocket which I always thought was a big no no.
I forgot to mention I saw Brad Thomas walking around Saturday, which was Humana day. Even with that going on it was not that busy for a Saturday
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We were up Friday thru Sunday. The 10 year old wanted to go to WW. The last mailer we got had a $10 coupon so him and his brother were going to do that. Discovered it was for Sunday only. More on that later. We arrived at the City about 3:15 Friday. Crowds were very light. Wife just had toe surgery so was hobbling along so we got a disabled book. While it appeared most of the rides were walk on anyway the pass made it much easier for her to get on instead of having to walk all the way thru the line, especially TT.
Saturday we woke up at the Ozark Valley Inn and discovered it was only going to get into the low 70's with rain of and on. Did not seem like a good day to go to WW. I explained to the kid that he should wait until Sunday and only spend $20 for the 2 of them. Temps looked like it would be warmer and did not look like rain till mid afternoon. He insisted on going Saturday. They had an online deal that was $25 so he spent $5x. We dropped them off at 10am opening then headed up to the City. Once again lines were fine but we took the disabled entrance. The kids called at about 12:30 they were ready to leave WW. Seemed like a big waste of money to me but it was his money and that is what he wanted to do.
Today we got up the City a little after opening and another very light crowd day. Weather was perfect. It sure would have been a much better day to go to WW as it started getting a little hot and the sun started peaking out. One thing I noticed was on the train ride. We rode it Saturday and they had one guy who I believe I had seen before but is somewhat new out robbing and there was a young girl out there also just sitting in a chair the whole time not really doing anything. I have never seen that before. Today we rode the train and the there was another young girl that was supposed to be dressed up as a hobo at the depot (might have been a sub in robber maybe). At the robbery, the girl that was out there the day before played the Ralphy lines. It really seemed like they were just going thru the motions and there was hardly any reaction from the passengers on the train. Maybe it is just the new folks but it seemed dry. The girl also had a quite obvious cell phone in her pocket which I always thought was a big no no.
I forgot to mention I saw Brad Thomas walking around Saturday, which was Humana day. Even with that going on it was not that busy for a Saturday
Sounds like a good weekend for you.. thats great. Glad you picked some low attendence days to go.
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Lovely bride and I made a spur of the moment trip yesterday. Great decision! Terrific performances during Southern Gospel Picnic and, for someone like me who loves those coasters, hardly any ride lines! SGP really is the best time to go to the park to ride roller coasters.
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This might be sexist of me, sorry in advance, but it really bums me out to see a girl playing Ralpie/Alphie. I mean, its fine, but I dont care for it. Its weird for me I guess.
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This might be sexist of me, sorry in advance, but it really bums me out to see a girl playing Ralpie/Alphie. I mean, its fine, but I dont care for it. Its weird for me I guess.
Nope. I agree. At least to a point. Some of the jokes are gender-specific and don’t exactly work as well with a female in the cast. Same thing with some of the spiel by the conductor while you’re in motion. They just don’t work as well when Kathy is the conductor.
Now I’m not saying that women shouldn’t be allowed to be in those roles, I just think the scripts need to be updated to allow for that versatility
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This might be sexist of me, sorry in advance, but it really bums me out to see a girl playing Ralpie/Alphie. I mean, its fine, but I dont care for it. Its weird for me I guess.
Nope. I agree. At least to a point. Some of the jokes are gender-specific and don’t exactly work as well with a female in the cast. Same thing with some of the spiel by the conductor while you’re in motion. They just don’t work as well when Kathy is the conductor.
Now I’m not saying that women shouldn’t be allowed to be in those roles, I just think the scripts need to be updated to allow for that versatility
I agree with you Swoosh
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This might be sexist of me, sorry in advance, but it really bums me out to see a girl playing Ralpie/Alphie. I mean, its fine, but I dont care for it. Its weird for me I guess.
Nope. I agree. At least to a point. Some of the jokes are gender-specific and don’t exactly work as well with a female in the cast. Same thing with some of the spiel by the conductor while you’re in motion. They just don’t work as well when Kathy is the conductor.
Now I’m not saying that women shouldn’t be allowed to be in those roles, I just think the scripts need to be updated to allow for that versatility
I agree with you Swoosh
There actually are updates and changes to the scripts for when one of the robbers is a lady. Even different names for the robber. And adjustments for what is said and who says it.
But they don't do them. :-(
And I'll just leave it at that.
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Took the kids down with our extended family to celebrate the twins birthday. Short lines to begin the day, looooong lines to end the day. We gave up at 3 when a lot of rides were running 30-45 minute waits. We had been there since opening at 10 and the kids were tired anyway. The landscaping they have done on the new ride is great!
For the first time in awhile, I actually have some issues with things I saw. The park was NOT clean today. Now, I fully realize that they didn’t close until 10 last night. This really shouldn’t delay cleaning or cause then to pare down cleaning, but perhaps this is the cause. But there were overflowing trash cans everywhere, the sidewalks were sticky, and tables were not clean. This was at the beginning of the day. . Let’s talk about the slushee carts. They smell. It’s disgusting. The one in the expo is the worst. Icee syrup running down the sidewalk. So. Gross. Also, the regatta ships are in dire need of some work. The paint is chipping and there were chunks of it laying next to the ships today. We are at the Mexican restaurant. We typically love it so much! But today, it seemed everything but the meat was leftover from yesterday. The temperature of the food also left a lot to be desired. Most of the coasters had only one train running. This would be fine if attendance was low. But today was not a low attendance day. This has been a complaint of ours all summer. They simply haven’t been using enough to keep the lines down on all but one of our 7 summer trips down. Also, filling rides out be super helpful. When there is a line, nothing should start half full.
None of these things are enough to keep us from going back at least 5 times this year. Lol!!! In fact, we will make at least one more trip this month. We got to ride almost every ride that the kids deemed important before we ate lunch. Lines, for most things, were decent. We didn’t see any shows, but there were people lined up by 1:00 for the 6:00 Booth Brothers show. The fresh cinnamon bread at 9:45 am was amazing! One of the McCoy’s game my twins a hard time about it being their birthday. We got fresh strawberry cheesecake taffy on our way out. Overall it was a good day and we can’t wait for our first trip to pumpkin nights!!
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Me and my GF decided on a last minute holiday weekend trip. We arrived in Branson Friday afternoon and I had secured a room at Spinnaker Palace view. At the moment we booked we knew it would be hard to find a place on short notice. I like condos better than hotels and this place did not disappoint. We declined any presentation and there was no high pressure to attend it. One no and that was it. Beautiful resort with 3 outdoor pools and another indoor all with hot tubs.
Saturday we headed to the city about 9:00 and was parking in the upper lot 2 by 9:30. Ran into a slight drizzle at SOTH but no rain and cool temps with a overcast sky. We went straight to TT at about 9:45 and had maybe a 15 minute wait. Rode it back to back then headed to OR. Or was a walk on. At that point I was wondering if there was even going to be a crowd at all. After OR we went to see the first saloon show at 11:30. It was my first time with this show and we enjoyed it. Spent some time at some of my favorite shops. Bought a couple of new pie plates at the pottery shop. Then over to Mountain outfitters where I drooled over a couple new knifes by the newest knifemaker. They have found another great addition to help Charles out there. I usually purchase 1 every year but was able to restrain myself. By this time it was close to 2 and we were going to take a midday break back at the resort. We hit FITH and headed to the exit.
When we were leaving I noticed how full the parking lots were but the park still seemed empty. I guess the crowd was all into the gospel music ? Not my bag of tea so I cannot report on any of that aspect.
We came back in about 6:30 and went with some friends to ride powderkeg and wildfire. Sat down and ate Calico potatoes and visited a bit. BTW both of those were walk ons also. We then decided to hit TT again after dark and it was about a 5 minute wait. First time I had ever ridden it after dark and loved it. Made a loop around in the darkness hit some shops and headed out about 9:30. Lost out on any cinnamon bread because midtown and all the craft shops closed at 8 PM. The park was pretty much dead after 8PM.
In all it was a beautiful cool weather trip and the city was shining. Everything was immaculate and clean for us. Did not do The Train, FM , AP,TNT or any of the kiddie stuff in GE or FL.
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We're headed that way tomorrow (Sunday).
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I'll post this on the trip reports thread as well.
We were at the park yesterday. It was disappointing to see how many crafters were missing this year- much lower numbers and many of the favorites aren't there this time. Which meant the square felt much lighter in numbers. I'm hoping that the PTB realize what a loss that is and fix what got broke this year that is keeping so many of them away. This was honestly my wife and daughter's favorite time to visit with all the crafters, and I know they aren't alone. Hopefully they work on bringing them back rather than ditching them.
The new "lumberjack" show was great. We really enjoyed that one and hope to get back to it again.
Fire in the Hole- no music again, And poor Ned Flanders hip was majorly out of socket. Also the wheels in the back really felt flat spotted- even slid into the station at one point instead of rolled, which made for a bit of a rough ride in spots.
Percy's was closed for some reason, which was really odd considering they gave it a pretty good spread in the Pathfinder. So we ended up eating at Wagon Works, where they had run out of the good fries. Still a great burger though.
The Echo Hollow Show was great.
Pumpkin Nights is incredible. We were only able to stay until about 7:30, so really didn't get to see it in the dark, but even at dusk it was really neat. I'm really hoping that they not only continue this but expand it a bit. If they do, I can see this eventually building into their number 2 time of year, behind Christmas. There is so much potential with it, and even for a first year we really liked what they did and wish we could have stuck around.
photos are posted at https://sirwillow.smugmug.com/Amusement-Parks-Roller/Silver-Dollar-City/Sept-27-2019-Craft-Festival-Pumpkin-Nights-and-More/ including some construction photos (didn't ride the train, sorry) and I'll have the video from the day posted on Tuesday on the youtube channel.
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I went yesterday 9/27 from opening until about 5:30 (had a date so had to leave earlier than I would have otherwise).
As sirwillow said, there are far fewer crafts people and the ones that were there didn't interest me much. I realize now that I did not go towards time traveler at all so unsure what crafters were down there but the square and other areas did seem sparse. This kind of fits as on the show schedule on the app or website there is no mention of them even being there. I wasn't sure they would be when I went.
I mostly spent time bouncing between shows. The Paperdolls show was absolutely amazing. It was fairly sparse crowd for the 11Am show and the crowd picked up through the other 2 shows. They were not what I expected but I absolutely loved the show. They played song from Pink and others with different arrangements. I was amazed how many people were older in the crowd and stayed the whole show. I saw all 3 sets and could go back for more (and might... I think they leave Sunday)
I was in the lumberjack show and had to leave before it started as I got a phone call from London I needed to take. As I was on the phone the show let out after about 22 min which surprised me. I came back for another show later. I really did not enjoy it until the very end. It was very slow starting and the lack of ANY real dialogue did not help it in my opinion and I still have no clue what they were going for. But by the end I did enjoy it more. Can't say I would go back
The decorations were nice... I wish I could have stayed to see them lit up. It was starting to get crowded as I was leaving with traffic coming in clogging the road for my leaving from the motorcycle area.
As I said, the highlight for me was Paperdolls and I hope they make a return. I guess they used to have a show in town at the Dutton's theater and they were named Redhead Express then. Regardless, they were really good
As most people, change is tough. I miss the crafters and I did buy some of their wares every year. I also miss the crafts that came along with worldfest and other things... But I also saw how the crowd through this festival was younger than typical crafts festivals... and like it or not, that is the next generation of paying customers... if people don't come to the park, it doesn't stay open. And when your primary demographic ages out, you have to plan and move on...
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Time for a pumpkin nights trip!!!
My guess was 10,000 so I wasn’t far off! We got there at noon. Part of our group went through the cave first thing. It took 1 3/4 hours. Definitely on the long side. We tried to go to percys for lunch. It was closed. Again. We are told they will only be open Friday and Saturday for the rest of the year. Very disappointing.
There were no lines for rides. They walked on to everything, unless they wanted to ride in the front. :). Lots of families with really young kids or older couples.
Pumpkin nights...eh until it is dark. It was a mess. So many people packed into one small place and so many little kids with parents yelling trying to find the one that is theirs. Ugh. Also, I cannot believe how many people were spending $20 per bubble wand. It was astounding. The owl path was pretty cool, but there were so many people crowded in it was really had to see anything or enjoy it. When they reformat this festival, they have got to spread things out instead of putting it in one small area. The beat part was definitely the expanded hours and ride times.
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I kind of felt the same way. We went last Thursday night and noticed how busy that area of the park felt even though there weren't a ton of people in the park. We enjoyed what we saw and the kids had fun riding Grand Expo rides in the dark. The dance party was a fun idea for little ones, but it still felt a little un-SDC to be listening to a DJ blasting Bruno Mars and the like. Pumpkin Plaza also felt a little bare and just slightly underwhelming. All of the pumpkin displays were great though. Incredible detail and great art concepts. Lots of folks stopping to take pictures of them with tripods to counter slow shutter speeds for nighttime shots. I, too, could not believe how many parents forked over $20 for a bubble wand. One of the kids standing behind us had one, and I think ours enjoyed the bubbles coming from him more than anything else in the Plaza. We barely escaped without a fit thrown as we passed those conveniently-located retail carts on the way back out to the Grand Expo.
I noticed all of the Christmas lights were on down at FL. Does anyone know if that's just to light up that area in the evening hours? It was a little odd to walk down the owl path and see Christmas lights through the trees.
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but it still felt a little un-SDC to be listening to a DJ blasting Bruno Mars and the like.
I blame that Time Traveler for bringing things from the present into the past!
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Made a trip out to the park today. The pathways were packed, but we spent the day hopping from coaster to coaster and never encountered a wait longer than 20 minutes. SDC really has the best set of coasters for night rides, with all of them being out in the woods.
I was with college friends so we didn’t really stop to look at any craftsmen booths, like I would have if I were with family, but there was a noticeable difference in quantity from past years. The cowboy festival concept fit the park a lot better IMO. That being said, I appreciate the park being open later for night rides, and obviously Pumpkin Nights is a much larger draw than the cowboy festival ever was. I think if they tinker it to fit the park more by spreading out the pumpkins, it’ll work better. At least the party area was over in Grand Expo, which doesn’t really fit with the park anyways. If they expand this event I could see it growing to be just as popular as Christmastime.
Minor complaints about P-Nights aside, I’ve been a pass holder for the past 6 years and I still find something new to appreciate every visit. I’d never had a meal in the mine restaurant before- what a cool place. I know a lot of people are worried about the changes the park is making, but the charm the park carries has never really faded away to me. My college friends who care a lot more about coasters than themeing still pointed out that they loved the park because of the theme and how consistent it was. I think the younger generation will continue to appreciate the park just as much as the older ones have.
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We just got home from our trip up. We arrived at around 4:30 Friday and we walked right on to TT. We then did the FM and headed down the hill toward the GE area and the pumpkin cluster. Walked thru there a little after 5 when I assume they opened. It was not all that crowded down there yet and they had some stuff going on but we did not really pay attention. Walked up the path then back out toward the river area. We then walked on the rest of the coasters. We sat around for a bit then when it got dark we walked back down the path and by this time it was jam packed down there and all the way up out of GE and toward FM. We went over to the other side of the park which was practically a ghost town. Walked on PK a couple of times then headed toward the exit. We left at around 8pm and there was a horde of people coming in at that point.
Got there a little after opening Saturday, walked on to all the rides again. Last ride we rode was TT and only waited about 5 minutes for that. Left about 1pm. Overall I could really care less about pumpkin nights. The only good thing I liked about it was it seemed to keep everyone crammed down in that area freeing up the other side of the park.
We thought about going up this morning for an hour or so before leaving town but it was pouring rain so we decided not too. It appears as if it rained most of the day today so I bet the numbers are real low today.
Forgot to mention, we did the lumberjack show at noon yesterday. Line was long and we were in line at the frybread place but got in just fine. I was not all that impressed with it. I liked it better than the swashbuckling show. The wife liked swashbuckling but said she was not impressed with this one.
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I blame that Time Traveler for bringing things from the present into the past!
Minor complaints about P-Nights aside, I’ve been a pass holder for the past 6 years and I still find something new to appreciate every visit. I’d never had a meal in the mine restaurant before- what a cool place. I know a lot of people are worried about the changes the park is making, but the charm the park carries has never really faded away to me.
These two posts together match a thought I had earlier today about the changes in the area. There are basically two groups of Branson and SDC visitors: those who always want something new, and those who always want the old familiar things.
Most of us old SDC purists don't mind the new things, as long as we can still have our old things. Sometimes things that are really worn out and unappreciated have to go to make way for the new, and we understand that; there's only so much space. But there are some things that have been lost in the last couple of decades that shouldn't have been, such as detailed theming. I know that newer visitors think SDC is highly themed, and it might be compared to other parks. But, SDC has always been a theme park first, and the amusements were added to fit the theme. Yes, the theme has changed some and has frequently been ahistorical (Hatfields and McCoys, Old West stagecoaches, Tom Sawyer, etc.), but the personal touch was always applied.
Signs that were printed instead of hand-painted were the biggest shocker to me. That's the impersonal, computer-generated failure of the modern theming.
The lack of "Citizens" interacting and performing is another point, but I know that keeping dozens of actors on staff is expensive. One person who can paint a few signs along with other maintenance duties? Not so much.
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I don't even mind the signs as long as they aren't pixilated. I know they are made to last longer, and I get the maintenance cost is a consideration. At least the signs keep the illusion of the theme. However, a permanently-located lift off the TT queue is inexcusable. Music choices for performers and street dances should be stepped up, as well. Parties are fine, and events like those are fine, but there are ways to remain in theme. If something old has to go, something new and in theme should take its place. I know the bottom line is the main reason for these things happening, but it's not the only thing: it's also laziness and lack of creative vision.
Thankfully, Mystic River looks to be bringing in better theme than LR had (since LR lost its theme early in the game), but I still see what looks like a giant tiki head in the concept art, and I fail to see the relevance.
And...I'm impressed that you worked in the wordahistorical.
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^ Did you get to see the lumberjack show yet, HB? We went last Sunday and it was pretty good. The whole show took place in the lumbercamp even though the pictures advertising it showed it taking place in a saloon setting. They might do 2 different shows. Last Saturday's line to see it was starting to back up Hill Street (show is at the Opera House) so I'd say it's here to stay for a while. Better that Reuben's Swashbuckling Nightmare.
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^ Did you get to see the lumberjack show yet, HB? We went last Sunday and it was pretty good. The whole show took place in the lumbercamp even though the pictures advertising it showed it taking place in a saloon setting. They might do 2 different shows. Last Saturday's line to see it was starting to back up Hill Street (show is at the Opera House) so I'd say it's here to stay for a while. Better that Reuben's Swashbuckling Nightmare.
We didn't make it. I don't think we'll make it back until Christmas.
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SDC HARVEST FESTIVAL (https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2019/10/harvest-festival-sdc.html)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-neHZZPFmksE/XZ0Qm9tZQ2I/AAAAAAAA2bA/s5q2T9XlSXcpCktjjfJyn4cuhbiX_nwWQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_1929.JPG)
SDC PUMPKIN NIGHTS (https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2019/10/pumpkin-nights-sdc.html)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oWErcAaLVOA/XaOBWX_6_iI/AAAAAAAA2eQ/02he-EgjiQ8nHW7nxvyDxSextzkTGM5AQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_2166.JPG)
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My family and I were in the City on Friday and Saturday. Both were less-than-perfect weather days. The new pumpkin decorations throughout the park we really nice, and I feel like they really added to the atmosphere in a positive manner.
Our food was great as usual. Over the course of two days, our family enjoyed a family feud succotash skillet, a molasses cookie, cinnamon bread, cheese danish, hot pumpkin cider, coffee, and an apple dumplin' with cinnamon ice cream. My wife and I are big coffee drinkers, and we both agree that SDC has upped its coffee game. The coffee used to taste instant, and now it tastes brewed. It is much better.
The rides were in great shape. We rode nearly everything. We rode the train on Saturday, and the gentleman who is normally a train conductor was one of the Bolin brothers. The parts were said slowly, clearly and with a great deal of enthusiasm. It was the best train robbery I have seen in years!
Yes, it seemed as though there were fewer crafters. After talking to some of the vendors, it seems as though some of the vendors feel that they have been wronged by SDC. I hope that this feeling can be resolved. Crafts continue to be a life-blood of SDC for a very large segment of the population, including my family and me. I hope that some extra attention will be paid to the "Craft Days" portion of this festival. It was great to see Violet Hensly still at it!
As far as the Pumpkin Nights are concerned...meh. The pumpkins are nice, but not enough to merit a special trip to see. We walked through the trail because we were there already, but I wouldn't make a special trip to see it. For some awful reason, the bluegrass music stops and 5:00 PM, and modern music starts. I really don't understand this decision, but what do I know? Sometimes I feel like the PTB feel trapped by the 1880's theme and look for any opportunity they can to dump it. It seems to me that they are diluting their own brand, but I digress.
The Pumpkin Plaza is the stuff of nightmares for me. It doesn't belong at Pumpkin Nights, and it doesn't belong at SDC. One minute you are walking through a pretty lane with nice illuminated pumpkins. Then, you round the corner and you are in a cheap carnival in a back-of-house parking lot with inflatables, gaudy lights, and a DJ. It seems like a real disconnect.
If the folks in charge at SDC are reading this...please do me a favor. If you insist on using this parking lot for the Pumpkin Dance Party, please hold the Moonlight Madness street dances here as well. At least it is away from Main Street where those of us who want to avoid it can avoid it (except for the thumping bass music that can be heard throughout the park). We like the "great past ahead of us".
All-in-all, it was another great trip to my favorite place on the planet. I only critique because I care. We look forward to going back for Christmas!
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We went Saturday. The weather was pretty bad, but we had a good time. Some not-entirely-connected observations:
I liked the look of the pumpkins; we made a point of leaving before 5 pm to avoid the wretched noise--uh, music. Attendance was starting to pick up as more people were coming in than leaving (must like noise), but the rain had also pretty much let up by then. I would have like to walk the pumpkin area but it was closed off, I suppose because of needing to guard the RR crossing. What we could see at a distance looked good, though it began to verge on the too modern. Pumpkins--even carved ones--are not entirely out of place in an Ozarks Fall festival.
We missed the larger number of crafters though we did get a chance to talk to one or two old faithfuls. I know that others in the city were concerned about that situation.
We got there early and caught the first bus in. The food was good, as usual. My son was somewhat disappointed that the BBQ skillet was not available at the Rib House and hopes the new place will return the item to the menu.
We rode the train twice. The first time, no robbery because of the rain. That and the poor girl riding conductor could hardly speak, must have been pretty sick. Some sounds were not working at FM--"I'm gettin' outa here no matter what!" for example.
We caught the Pickers twice and the Sons once; as always, great stuff. We also saw the new saloon show a second time. That show is improving with age.
We stored up winter supplies--soap, seasonings, taffy. Thank Herschend for Package Pick-up!
We had a comfortable and uneventful stay (the right kind!) at Ozark Valley.
[Edited to add: Took a good look at the carriage for the 6 pounder, and the wood is beginning to rot really badly. The axle ends and the trail under the trail plate/lunette have actually slipped away from the iron parts. If they wait too much longer to repair/replace, the tube will be lying on the ground. Should the PTB need help with the repairs, I will be glad to offer assistance. Further, I will be glad to help them relearn how to properly and safely fire salutes with it ;-)]
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What an awesome day at the city! The weather was beautiful and attendance was on the low side. We rarely waited in line for anything at all. We saw the saloon show. They did a great job. We didn’t see any other shows. I like the new location for Rudolph and the bumble. Santa had no line. Outlaw run photos are working again. Percys was actually open. That’s the first time in 2 months we’ve been there and able to eat there.
The new tree is...large. It’s cool but I’ll miss the old one. I do like the new lighting scheme and light around the town square. We rode the train and grandpa talked about it being “almost thanksgiving”. No photos of mystic river finals as we rode the train after dark.
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Made it down for our first Christmas trip of the year tonight. The city is looking great.
I’m not sure when they made the upgrades to the speakers and sound system for the train show, but it sounded the best it had sounded in years tonight with no static or dropouts in the audio during grandpa telling the Christmas story.
The new tree looks great! However, the square seemed to have less lights overall. Many big trees in the square don’t have any lights, especially the ones right around the new tree. Seems very unfinished. Overall the area looks good, but the new tree is held back by being in the middle of other large unlit trees. Maybe it will be a little better once they all don’t have any leaves on them.
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I went yesterday as well. Got there before opening.The new treee is very large. You really have to tilt your head up to see the top if you are anywhere near it. Overall the park looked nice.
I went to Dickens show... Oddly enough, the Marley character was not hanging... Scrooge was talking to him as if he was there, but he wasn't. Unsure what the issue was but was a little weird. Also, they got a new audio mixer in the sound booth area. It has 2 very large screens and is now turned such that during the dark times, it illuminates about 6 rows in front of it. It is very distracting if you are sitting anywhere near the booth (which I usually do for the best sound). I saw the first show on Sunday so like the 4th performance in front of a crowd. Oddly, the musicians were a bit off at times. Not sure if it was a replacement crew or what there... But definitely off. The show was excellent even with these few things though...
I also went to see It's a Wonderful life... I guess I miss the original cast. Another new "George" this year... has a beautiful singing voice but the acting seemed a bit wooden and not very likable. And as with last year, he just can't get the laughs out of most of the funny lines because he doesn't know how to deliver them. This was my complaint last year as well... there are a lot of funny lines in that if they are delivered properly... and I've not seen anyone do that since the original cast that was there for the first 2-3 years. But the songs were great as usual
Neither theater was packed which according to attendance made sense.
I took off after that show which was right as the tree was starting. The square was packed and hard to navigate to get out. Just too many people in one place. I can't imagine how it is going to be on the square with a real crowd.
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For those of you have seen the new tree, I am curious about what type of music they are using this year. If memory serves me correctly, the old tree featured instrumentals. The tree lighting on Facebook live featured some new music with vocals. Do they still use the old classics like David Foster's Carol of the Bells and the Polar Express music?
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I have a plan to be at the city the 20th and will have one spare ticket if someone needs it. I wont be there until 3 or so though. Will anyone else be there and need it?
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For those of you have seen the new tree, I am curious about what type of music they are using this year. If memory serves me correctly, the old tree featured instrumentals. The tree lighting on Facebook live featured some new music with vocals. Do they still use the old classics like David Foster's Carol of the Bells and the Polar Express music?
Yes, they still have the iconic Carol of the Bells... not sure about Polar Express.
When we saw it, it was one song with vocals and one song without. The song without was Walking in a Winter Wonderland. Truthfully, it was kind of a letdown as the last song of the night. They should really end on Carol of the Bells each night.
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For those of you have seen the new tree, I am curious about what type of music they are using this year. If memory serves me correctly, the old tree featured instrumentals. The tree lighting on Facebook live featured some new music with vocals. Do they still use the old classics like David Foster's Carol of the Bells and the Polar Express music?
Yes, they still have the iconic Carol of the Bells... not sure about Polar Express.
When we saw it, it was one song with vocals and one song without. The song without was Walking in a Winter Wonderland. Truthfully, it was kind of a letdown as the last song of the night. They should really end on Carol of the Bells each night.
Maybe it's because I bring my kids to SDC for Christmas each year and have since they were literally in the womb, and maybe its because they grew up watching the Polar Express, but when that tree starts playing the Polar Express music, it hits me in the feels.
And yes, I understand the irony in the fact that I'm the guy who always complains about modern music in the City. My hypocrisy knows no bounds. ;D
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^ You're no hypocrite Doc- I mean Pudgy- you just like to sound like one :)
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We were among the 2000 there on Thursday 11/7. Able to walk into first showing of Christmas Carol without waiting in line. Theater was full at show time, probably because everyone wanted to get out of the cold. There was a Marley that flew in. Only technical glitch was a singer's mike went out during 1 song.
After show we went to Chester's Chips before the second saloon show of the day. We got free chips because the registers were down. They thought it better to give away food than throw it away. Went to saloon show, many of the same gags as previous Christmas shows but could be better.
From there went to Living Nativity, small crowd. Fog machine used at beginning when narrator walked in produced a cloud that floated out into the theater and made it hard to see what was going on for a few minutes.
Walked around the park and went to get our season passes. Couldn't get passes because the computers were down and couldn't process the info, computers had been down all day so no passes sold. Somehow they could check attendance info for ornaments so we did pick those up.
Saw the 5:20 tree lighting. Some guy stood on the gazebo stage and talked a long time and then sang 2 songs. Was about 5:30 before the tree was lighted. The tree played 2 songs and then shut down. According to what I read, every 15 minutes the tree plays 2 songs. There are 6 songs this year.
We were back in our vehicle and out of the park shortly after 6.
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There are actually 8 songs this year according to Brad Thomas
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Haven't posted in a while. But still lurking. Changing economics and family dynamics limit my visits to SDC to just once a year. Just got home from ACE's Coaster Christmas at SDC. It's such a well done event. At any rate, I wanted to post the songs the new tree plays.
Carol of the Bells and Sleigh Ride are the only holdovers from the old tree that I can remember. The other six songs are (in no particular order):
O Come All Ye Faithful
Joy to the World (different version)
Christmas Bells (Michael W. Smith)
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Rejoice with Exceeding Great Joy (Gaithers)
Hallelujah Chorus
The new tree is very impressive. And I don't mind the modern music with the tree. But hearing Dan Fogelberg singing "Same Auld Lang Syne" back in the Grand Exposition was downright jarring. If the PTB read this, please note, I will hear that song on the radio 20 -30 times over the next to months. You know what I won't hear.....Christmas Bluegrass music. That's what I want to hear when I'm at SDC.
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There are actually 8 songs this year according to Brad Thomas
I just looked again at the SDC Pathfinder for the week of November 2 - 10. The article on the front page says the tree plays a total of 6 different songs, 2 per show, for a total of 3 different and unique shows.
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I counted 8 songs when I was there. See my post above.
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For what it is worth, in this making of video on YouTube released by SDC they say 8 songs at around the 5 minute mark:
https://youtu.be/RUel2E9iE_E
I counted 8 songs when I was there. See my post above.
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Haven't posted in a while. But still lurking. Changing economics and family dynamics limit my visits to SDC to just once a year. Just got home from ACE's Coaster Christmas at SDC. It's such a well done event. At any rate, I wanted to post the songs the new tree plays.
Carol of the Bells and Sleigh Ride are the only holdovers from the old tree that I can remember. The other six songs are (in no particular order):
O Come All Ye Faithful
Joy to the World (different version)
Christmas Bells (Michael W. Smith)
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Rejoice with Exceeding Great Joy (Gaithers)
Hallelujah Chorus
The new tree is very impressive. And I don't mind the modern music with the tree. But hearing Dan Fogelberg singing "Same Auld Lang Syne" back in the Grand Exposition was downright jarring. If the PTB read this, please note, I will hear that song on the radio 20 -30 times over the next to months. You know what I won't hear.....Christmas Bluegrass music. That's what I want to hear when I'm at SDC.
Of the songs that we saw/heard, Christmas Bells gets my vote for best use of the new video/animation capabilities of the new tree. Matched the lyrics of the song very well.
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SDC AN OLD TIME CHRISTMAS (https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2019/11/an-old-time-christmas-sdc.html)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HIyts0KHMYg/XdcDHAXnbYI/AAAAAAAA2w4/LaDP01k16R4cZNeZOHkx8rkGHUDt5RyZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_3542.JPG)
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Today was a great day to be at the park! Hubs and I got there about 1:30, and attendance was moderate even with several buses lined up to unload. Park looked great, temps were mild, and we walked in to the shows we wanted to see (Scrooge and Wonder Life). Both of them were nearly full by the time they started. At 6:30 a call came in to the Candle Shop while we there warning that the rain/lightning coming in was expected until 2 am. It was picking up steadily, so we decided to leave. As we walked to the Main Square, lights were being shut down including the tree. It was weird seeing them turned off, but I assume that was the right decision. I can't imagine the cost (and work) of replacing them after a lightning strike.
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SDC AN OLD TIME CHRISTMAS (https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2019/11/an-old-time-christmas-sdc.html)
(https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HIyts0KHMYg/XdcDHAXnbYI/AAAAAAAA2w4/LaDP01k16R4cZNeZOHkx8rkGHUDt5RyZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/IMG_3542.JPG)
Great pictures!
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Yes, great pics as always.. the City looks good..
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I know this might be a long shot, but does anyone know what kind of lights are used on all of the bushes and trees in the square, and likely through the rest of the park? They have one predominant color (say, red) alternating with white, all on the same strand. They also use these on the trees at the entrance on 76. Thought they looked cool and thought I'd ask here just in case they are available commercially.
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We were at the City the evening of the 26th and the afternoon of the 27th. Weather was warm, dry, and clear--NOT a good thing at OTC.
We managed to actually accomplish a few things: we saw Dickens and rode the train on the 26th and saw the saloon show and the Pickers on the 27th.
The shows were all entertaining, of course, and Dickens was mostly its usual self (except that David must have taken time off, for Tom was Scrooge--good job). I do tire of the hip-hop invasion into so many of the shows--now it's at the saloon. Never appropriate, especially at Christmas. Train ride was good (although I was surprised that, given the number of people there, they went down to one train before the end): the sound an lights were all working, and Grandpa did a great job. Greg Bailey was out of town, but the Pickers did their usual great job.
Now, all that said, it was perhaps the least enjoyable visit I have ever made to the city. Except for brief periods of show/activity, the rest of the time was spent in waiting in line. The crowds were pushy and rude. The kids telling jokes to their parents throughout Dickens was particularly irritating.
People were parking just anywhere in the lots they could shove someone aside out of line or sneak between posts or cones or maybe just create a parking spot out of an odd corner. Two people driving the same Chevy Tahoe nearly ran over my wife 3 times (she was standing behind the proper lines in a queue to board the tram) while working their way into a corner of Lot 6--blocking the walking path towards the park.
And why is it so hard to wish someone a Merry Christmas during OTC? Yes, we were there on the 26th and 27th of December, but these are the 2nd and 3rd Days of Christmas. C'mon.
Now, we tried our best to remain in the Christmas spirit--and we did get to say Hi to many of our friends there. But I honestly don't know if I am willing to return to OTC next year. Our schedules don't permit latitude: we go when we can. We found ourselves wishing that it had been 30 degrees and snowing like crazy. The crowds, the waits, and the hassles just don't make for Memories Worth Repeating.
I hate to leave a report like this, but I find myself wishing the City were not nearly so popular sometimes.
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^ Sorry to hear you had an unpleasant experience, Palallin. When it's that crowded we just decide beforehand the things we want to do, keep the list short, and figure anything else we get to do is gravy. We know we won't get to see all the shows and ride the train and a lot of other stuff so we pick out our favorites knowing we will stand in line for them. Fortunately we like to ride and almost everytime I've been to OTC the ride lines have been pretty short. Like you said though the best times to go are when the weather is not so good.
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Newbie here. been to the city. just there today and now have a season pass. read this forum daily.
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Newbie here. been to the city. just there today and now have a season pass. read this forum daily.
Welcome. If you have any questions let us know