SDCFans - The Unofficial Fan Site For Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City & Celebration City Discussion => General Silver Dollar City Talk => Topic started by: woodgrain on March 11, 2023, 06:20:27 PM
-
Stopped by for a couple of hours this afternoon and caught the dog stunt show with the kiddos. The parking lot situation is pretty messy (literally…lots of gravel/mud) but getting on the tram went smoothly. We enjoyed the show and hit up some of the food trucks back in “Pumpkin Plaza.” All in all it was good to be there on opening day despite the rain and cold temps. Found Red Flanders’ pants, too. The reward was a sticker. (http://)
-
How did the New 2.0 building look?
-
How did the New 2.0 building look?
Inside or Out? 😏
-
How did the New 2.0 building look?
I caught a quick glimpse of the back of the ride entrance on my way in on 76 and it definitely looks more like a fire station, similar in a way to the tower at the entrance of the OG FITH. Everything else looks the same, as best I can remember. Still looks like a big brown warehouse from 76. Nothing has changed on the Pumpkin Plaza side.
-
Opening Weekend Trip Report
https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2023/03/spring-break-sdc.html
-
Maybe this was mentioned somewhere, but I didn't see it. With the food truck area now open is the "foggy hollow" path open from the food trucks to Boatworks Theater?
-
Yes - and it's been widened.
-
Maybe this was mentioned somewhere, but I didn't see it. With the food truck area now open is the "foggy hollow" path open from the food trucks to Boatworks Theater?
Yes it is a loop with both entrances open to the Plaza
-
Yes - and it's been widened.
It was widened before last season for Foggy Hollow
-
Looking ahead to Christmastime, we used to visit the week of Thanksgiving and it would be dead. Especially the day before thanksgiving and the day of thanksgiving. Now it's so busy we do not enjoy going during this time anymore. So this year we are looking at visiting the Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving, so the 26th and 27th. We have teenage boys who like to ride the rollercoasters multiple times. I know Sunday may still be a little busy but should that Monday be pretty low crowds?
-
^We've been the same way: used to do thanksgiving week, now go sometime in December, usually the week after thanksgiving. Honestly, it's a crap shoot. It's still so busy sometimes that it's hard to do everything. The weather is what it all comes down to, but even if it's cold there's still a ton of people that come out. Sunday evenings and Mondays are usually good though, those are the best days you can plan around.
-
Looking ahead to Christmastime, we used to visit the week of Thanksgiving and it would be dead. Especially the day before thanksgiving and the day of thanksgiving. Now it's so busy we do not enjoy going during this time anymore. So this year we are looking at visiting the Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving, so the 26th and 27th. We have teenage boys who like to ride the rollercoasters multiple times. I know Sunday may still be a little busy but should that Monday be pretty low crowds?
Just keep in mind that the crowds diminish after the second parade.
-
We were at the park yesterday and today and noticed many of the pressed penny machines were missing. Does anyone have any intel on why they are gone?
-
We were at the park yesterday and today and noticed many of the pressed penny machines were missing. Does anyone have any intel on why they are gone?
In the process of being replaced by ones that only take card. Since the park is now cashless that makes sense. Expect them to cost more though
-
We were at the park yesterday and today and noticed many of the pressed penny machines were missing. Does anyone have any intel on why they are gone?
In the process of being replaced by ones that only take card. Since the park is now cashless that makes sense. Expect them to cost more though
If the city is cashless now how are they handling kids that are on school trips or field trips? Surely there would be a major problem with them using parents credit or debit cards.
-
We were at the park yesterday and today and noticed many of the pressed penny machines were missing. Does anyone have any intel on why they are gone?
In the process of being replaced by ones that only take card. Since the park is now cashless that makes sense. Expect them to cost more though
If the city is cashless now how are they handling kids that are on school trips or field trips? Surely there would be a major problem with them using parents credit or debit cards.
I think he means if you want to be cashless, you can. We used cash several times.
-
We went to the park Thursday and Friday. I knew about the parking lot construction from reading on here but that didn't stop us from entering the parking lot the wrong way. Instead of staying all the way to the left for the free parking, my husband went to a booth with a green arrow and had to be told to turn around. Hopefully the signage will be better once the construction is finished. Thursday was chilly and cloudy but we were fine with pants and jackets. The crowds were low so my two boys got to ride their favorites multiple times. My husband and I rode the train. I was glad it was back. The show was funny. One of the bother's guns fell apart when he pulled it out which lead to some funny improve. The brothers were two younger guys that I haven't seen in the rolls before.
We started the day with Fire in the Hole as is our tradition and actually had to wait in a small line which it kept all day. We found Red Flander's pants and bought our FITH t-shirts. We even bought refillable mugs since their were FITH themed. First time I've ever bought a mug.
Friday was a little warmer and the sun was out a little more and so were the crowds. Outlaw Run got up to 45 minutes at once point and that rarely happens when we are there. We left around 4 to make our 4 1/2 hour drive home.
I have to say I'm just not a fan of Street Fest. I still miss World Fest. Street Fest doesn't seem to have any cohesive theme.
I had a first in all my visits. I had to go to First Aid for a band aid. My shoe gave me a blister on my heel. I enjoyed getting to go "backstage" and the guys in FA were very friendly and helpful. We talked about how much more crowded the park has gotten in the past few years.
It was a good trip. It's just different with teenagers vs small kids. They are happy to run around and do their own thing. My husband and I ended up in the rocking chairs in front of the taffy shop for a good while on Friday. We got season passes so we will be back for fall and Christmas. My husband and I may even go for a day when we are in Branson in June. Depends on how hot it's gotten by then.
-
We went last Sunday, got to park around 9:20 with a park opening time of 10:00. Traffic to the park was almost nonexistent and getting through the new parking booths went quick. We made a right in the parking lot and drove all the way up to almost where the sidewalk crosses the tram roadway. Our best parking spot, ever.
Went to guest relations to process our season passes - wrong move, need to just go through regular ticket line and they take your picture and create the new pass. Was relatively painless once we knew where to go. Found the booth where they are handing out the refillable mugs - and that went really fast too.
The day was a great day...was in the upper 60's so we rode about everything. Including Mystic River Falls and American Plunge (didn't do Riverblast). Notes on rides:
- Got the wettest I have ever been on a rapid ride on MRF. Water was flying into the boat with big waves - the drop at the end was fast and we flew off the splash down area into the river with a sudden stop and huge wave - seriously crazy moment.
- American Plunge effects were non-existent, but the ride is the same. If they just gave this a nice retheme, it would be a really good "log ride".
- Fire in the hole was moving! The powered part of the ride was extremely fast (which I assume they have done to help push capacity). Trains were leaving the station as one was arriving - reminded me of the old days.
- The FIH merchandise is going fast - a lot of sizes were out, but if you're a small or medium - no worries there.
- Food lines were short, so we tried a lot of items. Everything was good - but not sure if I'll venture past our usuals (tater twist, cinnamon bread, calico potatoes, etc.) - nothing was bad, just not "oh my gosh I have to eat that again".
- Of course Thunderation was a bit rough, but not unrideable. It would be nice for a rehab and not a replacement - learned the backward cars were turned around 13 years ago. Dang where has the time gone?
Had a very good day at the park, got completely worn-out walking all over the place. Looking forward to our next trip this year to see how all the construction is progressing. Exciting times ahead - I hope.
Jay
-
Went to guest relations to process our season passes - wrong move, need to just go through regular ticket line and they take your picture and create the new pass. Was relatively painless once we knew where to go.
Okay.....so if you have digital passes on phone and have uploaded your own picture when you get there can you go directly to entrance gates?
-
Went to guest relations to process our season passes - wrong move, need to just go through regular ticket line and they take your picture and create the new pass. Was relatively painless once we knew where to go.
Okay.....so if you have digital passes on phone and have uploaded your own picture when you get there can you go directly to entrance gates?
Yes, I believe so - I have my whole families passes on my phone so I wanted everyone to have their own individual pass, so I didn't have to be present with them all the time. Maybe there's a way I can forward the digital pass - but I haven't figured that out yet.
Jay
-
Went to guest relations to process our season passes - wrong move, need to just go through regular ticket line and they take your picture and create the new pass. Was relatively painless once we knew where to go.
Okay.....so if you have digital passes on phone and have uploaded your own picture when you get there can you go directly to entrance gates?
Yes, I believe so - I have my whole families passes on my phone so I wanted everyone to have their own individual pass, so I didn't have to be present with them all the time. Maybe there's a way I can forward the digital pass - but I haven't figured that out yet.
Jay
If you don't already have your passes in an email you can call SDC and have them send them to you in one. That way you could send each member of the family an email that would have a copy of the tickets. I did that and my family members open the tickets in the email.
-
I was at Silver Dollar City over the weekend. It was my first time riding Mystic River Falls since I’ve only been in the park at Christmas since it opened, and I was surprised that it seemed to be very reliable the three days I was in the park. I don’t think I ever saw it closed while I was there. All the rides seemed to be running well with two trains on Powder Keg and Time Traveler all three days and two trains on Wildfire and Outlaw Run on Saturday. Thunderation still only has one train available.
We did the tasting passport and had the BBQ chicken & cheese waffle cone, BBQ pulled pork pizza, BBQ tater twist dog, BBQ pulled pork nachos, and BBQ chicken mac and cheese. All dishes were good and you definitely get your moneys worth.
They are continuing to work on the parking lot, but lot two seems to be done except for some fencing possibly. It is slightly confusing with how many cones they have set up, but the signs do a pretty good job telling people where to go.
Random note: On both days when riding Thunderation, they announced that iPhones left in the cubbies need to be turned off or put in airplane mode. Does anyone know why that would be? No other ride made that announcement.
-
Random note: On both days when riding Thunderation, they announced that iPhones left in the cubbies need to be turned off or put in airplane mode. Does anyone know why that would be? No other ride made that announcement.
The only thing I can think of, is Apple Watches paired to iPhones using crash detection, but even that doesn't make sense.
-
Are you sure that wasn’t for ones NOT left in the cubbies?
Honestly, I’ve kept my iPhone and Apple Watch on and with me on every coaster since the crash detection feature came out and have never had it false call. I think the issue is greatly exaggerated.
-
That's great to hear that operations are going smoothly this year. Feels like every other park is having major issues in one way or another, especially with unruly guests. Glad to know SDC is still ahead of the pack. Mystic River being more reliable is great news too. I will hopefully be there on the 20th and hope to ride it again for the first time since 2020.
-
Are you sure that wasn’t for ones NOT left in the cubbies?
Sounds about right, TNT was running good and the mid-course was slowing trains like it was the mid-1990's last week. I could defiantly see a couple phones calling for help on their own. Back in the day when they tried to cheat and put wireless cameras on the lift, they delayed operations a few times because they thought they were getting Bluetooth interference. That little experiment didn't last too long.
-
All the rides seemed to be running well with two trains on Powder Keg and Time Traveler all three days and two trains on Wildfire and Outlaw Run on Saturday. Thunderation still only has one train available.
Genuinely curious if Powder Keg still has three trains available? Or has one been taken out of service and used for spare parts or out for refurb.?
In my opinion, that ride should never run fewer than two trains...ever...
I understand the reasons when only one train is operating, but I think the ride length/time is too long to only operate one train. Again, just my opinion.
-
I realized I forgot to do my first visit of the year trip report...
I attended SDC by myself two Mondays ago and I must say I think its my new favorite day to go. Temps were in the 60's and it remained mostly sunny. Even with the nice weather I am sure there were only 1-2k people at the park that day as it felt like I had it to myself. Nearly everything was a walk on except Powderkeg and the only other crowds were at FITH and the Train. Even Time Traveler had no lines. I was one of two people on the whole TT train, its too bad SDC doesn't allow re-rides on the coasters on slow days anymore. They still make you get off and walk all the way back around again. ThuNderaTion was riding a bit better minus the tunnel segment and the front car of the 2nd train was missing from the workshop. Still bummed they cut down most of the remaining trees around the track along the lift hill and around the lower part of the ride near TT.
My main report I wish to make is I did ride the train for the first time post accident on this trip and outside of the robbery I did notice the absence of jokes and whatnot, it was basically a ride thru commercial advertising stuff around the park and of course the usual turn your ticket into a season pass talk. No moonshine, no Ichabod jokes, no brakes jokes, no saloon references, no "happy days are here again jokes", no "shake yer fist and call em ugly" jokes, and most notably, the old wreck props were completely removed among other small things I noticed along the way. I am hoping it was just an off day because of the lighter crowds but with the various props removed I fear this is the norm now. (fortunately Pottersville and the Robbery Shack are still present) I am hoping they will add new material or something because the ride thru chatter basically being a series of advertisements as it currently sits may get old after awhile.
-
Ugh, that sucks about the train monologue. I guess I can understand them removing the "wreckage" lol, but that kinda sucks too since that was an actual train that was cannibalized for that visual. Hobo junction met it's demise during the 2008-09 crash when it wasn't funny to joke about people experiencing homeless, however satirical.
The jokes have been disappearing everywhere. SDC used to be such a tongue in cheek hillbilly town with nods to actual history. Now it's just coke logos and "clean" appearances on everything. Remember when every building and flowerbed had all the old antique crap thrown everywhere? Oh well, at least we'll hit this week's quota for complaining about change.
-
The old train wreck stuff is gone? That sucks.
-
report from 5/15/23 Monday - BBQ and bluegrass fest??? I guess if they say so.
Headed down to to the park yesterday. despite the rain warnings the park was packed.
Bought premium parking and the signage is not too great yet. I parked near the tower where it used to be, thinking that was where I needed to park. I found later as I walked up that I think I could have pull a LOT closer to the entrance in fact. not clear at all. so try to get closer if you can. I noticed they removed the wall behind the big entry sign photo op. Strange move to me. Be sure to update your SDC app for the year. My pass came up as unscannable on my phone and I spent 20 min waiting for this info from the guest relations people. an update solved the problem.
As usual I forgot about the enormous amount of children bussed in for their senior and class trips. Normally does not bother me too much. With all the rides closed for the passing storms the ride lines were not available to keep them occupied so they were everywhere. I am too old to be crammed in with people of that age.
My take on the BBQ and bluegrass fest. Not good. I bought the tasting passport. I read on the pass that these were tasting size portions( maybe I got lucky- cause mine were all full sized.) I mention this because I thought I would get a dinky lil pizza at crossroads and got a regular size BBQ "pulled pork?"- thought it would be small so I ordered two. Error - not great - could find no pork on mine ( either one) and BBQ sauce, cheese and onions is not a bbq pizza. All the food was much better when consolidated to the RED GOLD HALL as it was in the past. Later I got the BBQ chicken and cheese cone at the wagon wheel. another disappointment - FRIED chicken nuggets with BBQ sauce and cheese in a cone. again not really BBQ. Grilled chicken would have been easy and much better. and it was a BBQ festival.
As to the bluegrass Portion - I found the artists/ shows to be mainly of a religious bent ( bluegrass music has that habit and when controlled its OK) the two shows of bluegrass I saw weren't. As a non religious person I kinda don't want a church music service. The other group I "heard" was "Hot Time In River-town" in the dockside theater. This show was easily heard up and down the street as they performed. Unfortunately, it wasn't bluegrass, it was MODERN music adaptations that really did not fit SDC or the Festival. Why a Bluegrass band was not put in there shows a huge opportunity missed. The new fried food booth looks fine, but also looks brand new and very Disney-esque. Architecturally it looks appropriate, but also out of place.
The train is getting some more attention I think - I did not see it mentioned but they have updated the moonshine still with more theming and added to the Bolens camp as well. Give it time, I think it is still getting more updates as the year progresses. oh and I noticed they have put some type of rubber track sealing strips or something over the track where you cross at the pottery shop. I presume to prevent tripping and twisted ankles etc. can't even see the rails. First time I have seen the product. seems like a good idea.
It rained lightly for about 10 min then hard for about another 10, then that was it - there was lightning in the area for some time so at one point everything was closed. Very warm for mid May low 80's -
Thanks for reading and keep in mind, I am a crotchety old man who was going to the park way back when you could get a stagecoach ride. Everything has to grow and change and it is tough watch everything you remember from your childhood and good times removed or replaced. Sounds like I hate the park but it is totally the opposite.
as always my two cents.
Kevin
-
Always tough to pick a good weekend in spring to go. Those school trips are a pain to get around.
Bluegrass in this region is basically married with religion, so that's just part of it I guess. It can make it hard to get into if you aren't used to it. That new show on the riverfront is supposed to be "modern" though, and remember: it replaced the Cajun Connection which never really "fit" SDC either, lol. I'm not personally a fan of "karaoke" style shows myself though, but some people like it and there's plenty of other great music around the park this time of year.
That food during this fest has been on a downhill since they started it. Back when the fest was new, they brought in local BBQ shops from around SW MO and it was pretty neat. Later they scaled it back to just SDC setting up a few stands with different "styles" in Red Gold Hall. Now it sounds like it's more BBQ themed foods than BBQ, lol. Looks like there's a bit of BBQ around the park, but mostly at the normal BBQ places. I miss the Red Gold Hall setup as well - what are they doing in there instead? Just music?
Always good to hear how the city is doing, thanks for sharing.
-
Best I could tell the red gold had the headliner music guest - no food.
Kevin.
-
I am not sure why the barbecue never came back to Red Gold after the pandemic since attendance has definitely rebounded from it. I guess it could be a shortage of workers or they don't want competition that might take away from the other eateries & especially Rivertown Smokehouse. Probably a little of both!
Also they are not using the Opera House as the main headliner entertainment as in the past for Bluegrass & Barbecue. I guess they figure why try to fill the Opera House with Red Gold open and save on entertainment while their at it.
-
BBQ? What BBQ? Yeah I forgot to mention in my report that the BBQ festival was laskluster (to put it nicely) on my last visit. There wasn't even the BBQ tasting tent or BBQ related merch to buy like in years past. The day I went the smokehouse wasn't even open. I get the feeling the festival may get canned or rebranded for something else next season.
-
The barbecue tasting tent hasn't been there for several years.....not really sure how many. I can't imagine the Bluegrass & barbecue festival getting canned. Some of the entertainment seems to have gone more towards the country crowd with Country Music Days and a few concerts in recent years. Might be rebranded Bluegrass & Country Music Festival or something of that nature. Nowadays it is really difficult trying to decide exactly in which direction they are going whether it be rides or festivals.
-
Well I did notice the music was much more counrty/bluegrass than "hardcore" bluegrass.
Kevin
-
I did a quick trip on Saturday and can now definitely add my complaints about there being neither enough BBQ or bluegrass for this BBQ and bluegrass event. I think for the past couple years we were just grateful for whatever they could muster during the pandemic issues, but now I want to see things get back to where they were.
On a positive note, I did have the bbq potato chips from the stand next to the lumbercamp and they were good.
On the operations side, everything was indeed running great. FITH has a large line all the time now, going through the full queue and through the cemetery.
I do have to say that the park objectively feels more sterile now than ever. The missing signage around Wildfire/AP, cleaned out flower beds (no miscellaneous theming anymore), all the tack has been pulled off buildings, etc. We get a few new screen printed signs here and there but that's about it anymore. The massive new parking lot kind of sends it home. The biggest effort into theming now is all the Coke branded items. ::)
-
It's such a shame that it takes the closing of such an iconic & classic ride as FITH for people to realize that they will miss an iconic & classic ride. I guess in recent years people thought they could ride it anytime because it would always be there. I was there last Thursday and the park is really getting away from the 1880's theme park experience at a very fast rate. They wanted to do this 30 years ago and with the lighter sprinkling of an older look and painting with brighter colors on some of the newer buildings it seems they are slowly getting their way.
On a side note as we were entering through the metal detectors Jack Herschend was going around them and was stopped and told he needed to come through them. Well that was until they recognized him and changed their tune fairly quickly......kind of funny!
-
all the tack has been pulled off buildings, etc.
Perhaps the most disturbing detail yet. Doing so is not neglect but rather targeted removal, actual effort into not just failing to replace but also intentional change. That took man hours, man hours dedicated to eliminating the atmosphere.
-
all the tack has been pulled off buildings, etc.
Perhaps the most disturbing detail yet. Doing so is not neglect but rather targeted removal, actual effort into not just failing to replace but also intentional change. That took man hours, man hours dedicated to eliminating the atmosphere.
Wow
-
lol, well it is an intentional change. The tack got old and ragged, and the park is indeed moving consciously to more of a "clean" rustic look. Basically just wood siding and paint. No random saws and whatever on the sides of buildings. It's different, and I preferred the old look, but if there's one thing constant at SDC it's change. They'll probably go back to more theme items in a few years when it becomes a better point of differentiation vs the other parks.
As we've noted before, in the old days they themed the park by going to local thrift stores and loading up the wagon, back in the days when antiques were actual legit antiques and people didn't think anything of old saws and horse tack in the back of a store. Don't forget that when SDC started in 1960, the 1880's were only 70 years in the past! It was a celebration of the old days by the grandchildren of the people alive in the 1880's. Some of the junk that filled flowerbeds or adorned walls at SDC throughout the years would be priceless now.
-
Some of the junk that filled flowerbeds or adorned walls at SDC throughout the years would be priceless now.
And, some of the stuff that SDC dumped in the landfill would have commanded high prices at auction.
I'm happy for the Citizens who got first dibs and rescued some of it.
-
Just wondering if anyone has had the honor of using the priority gate entrance for gold & diamond season pass holders? In my opinion it is a very strange and somewhat comical perk. For anyone not familiar it is as you enter through the old arch by the big SDC sign. You go through the arch and in front of you is a little bridge to cross over that says for gold & diamond pass holders. So if not a preferred pass holder you should walk around the old way by guest relations and enter the line. Saves I am guessing about 100 feet of walking. My question would be why would anyone walk around when there is no line and no one that mans the little bridge? Seems to me like just such a small thing that it should not have even been implemented which will just irritate some people.
-
I'm a diamond pass holder - and I've not used that entrance, we're always buying another ticket for someone - so we just go around the regular way.
If it's just crossing the bridge and that's it - then yeah, just a marketing ploy. However, if the little bridge leads to a separate line through the gate - that becomes a bit more of a perk, especially on busy days. But I haven't even looked to see how that entrance works.
Jay
-
It's just an advertisement for the pass, I think. They needed something in the park to be a "perk" for the pass to make it seem more valuable on paper. The discounts are really what make the higher level passes worth it, not to mention BAF passes for those who use them. I assume that when it's more busy, they actually man the bridge, but what a pain to have to check passes and turn people away if one person in the group is "lower class".
-
I didn't really know where to put this but just looking at sdc's website and found they had vip tours. The price for one is around $1000 at the cheapest. I've done many vip tours at theme parks with universal being my favorite with that being half of the price. Has anyone done the vip tour at sdc yet?
-
I didn't really know where to put this but just looking at sdc's website and found they had vip tours. The price for one is around $1000 at the cheapest. I've done many vip tours at theme parks with universal being my favorite with that being half of the price. Has anyone done the vip tour at sdc yet?
I have never done this tour and don't believe I ever would. What I find is $489.99 plus tax per person with minimum of 2 & max of 10. Which I guess would be around the $1000 mark but I don't see anything above that price. What is interesting is this price doesn't even include admission to the park.
-
From what I read universals sounds like it’s a group tour unless you pay a higher price, it also use’s demand pricing and is around $350-$400 most of the summer.
I’ve never done any Theme park VIP tours. I’d like to someday but for now I don’t have the money to spend on that.
-
I went to the park twice on Saturday. I visited in the morning for a few of hours from about 8:30-11:30 and then in the evening from 8-10 p.m. Saturday started off cool and breezy with a little rain. We went and had breakfast at the Molly's, which was phenomenal. There was a line to get in that stretch almost clear back to the gazebo, I'm sure the rain caused people to want to go inside...however, it didn't take too long to get in. We then walked around the park and went to the Spoken 4 Quartet show at the Boatworks Theatre, highly recommend. Afterwards, we were going to ride the train, but a weather phase 2B was called and they shut it down and took the train back to the roundhouse.
We came back in the evening to walk around a bit. It was nice the park was open until 10. I will say, without Pumpkin Nights or Christmas lights, the park gets rather dark in areas after twilight. We were able to ride FITH, FSDL and TNT. All rides were walk-ons with PK being the only ride shutdown. FITH had four trains going, which seemed like a lot, but not complaining. TNT has one train (Green) as the other train was dismantled and only had 3 cars on the track in the maintenance area. I will say this about TNT...it was brutal. Now, in defense, I sat in the back row, but wow it was rough, and not just in the tunnel, it was everywhere. The only smooth part was the drop after the lift hill. I am not a fan of closing old Arrow Mine Trains, nor am I saying it needs to be...but for the first time ever, the thought of "this ride is in it's final days" did cross my mind, which was sad to think about. Overall, we had a great time, as we always do. I personally love the "Ozarks" theming in the merchandise and marketing. I live in Tulsa and we see SDC billboards all over town and TV commercials all the time with the Ozarks brand.
-
Yes, TNT is too rough for me now days even in the front trains. Last year at least. We have not been this year.
-
On my visits this year, I have found that I am in the minority in thinking that Thunderation isn’t that bad. I understand why people think it’s rough, but I have never considered it to be close to unrideable. I do always sit in the middle row of a car, which I think helps, instead of being in a wheel seat.
The operations this past Saturday were interesting. Right at park opening, when it was raining, TT, WF, and OR all had only one train running, but when we came back at 4 they all had two running. Then by 9, OR was back down to one train but WF still had two going which I found interesting since OR actually had a decent line (around 20 minutes).
PK opened at around 12:30 on Sunday after being closed all day Saturday, even though the board at the entrance said it was closed on Sunday. Once it reopened, it didn’t seem to have any downtime the rest of the day.
We also got to take advantage of the early ride time on Monday for season pass holders, which is a great benefit along with the first hour trailblazer for gold and diamond passholders. We were in the park at 9 and rode PK, FITH, Barn Swing, OR, MRF, Firefall, TT, and TNT before 10:30.
-
Went this weekend. It was hot as hell, but due to the low crowds it was easy to do everything in a few hours. Didn't even realize they were doing the 50 year anniversary cast reunion for the Saloon this weekend. I thought that was awesome.
Despite the heat, everything seemed to be running fine. Didn't notice anything closed except MRF in the mornings and PK on Sunday. I actually did ride MRF for the first time in a couple years - just can't stay away from the water rides on a day like that even though it was the only ride in the park with a line.
The new furniture store is just about done. They added a few trees in front, but the area is still quite a hole in the old tree canopy. On a day like this you notice were the shade is lacking.
-
I saw an announcement about the 50th reunion.
I thought, "That's impossible, because I remember when it was new, and I'm only... crap. I'm old!"
-
Anyone going this weekend? We will be there some on Friday evening, & Saturday morning - afternoon.
Anyone heard how the Labor Day weekend crowd was?
-
Went Sunday sept 10th. A decent number of people but not too busy at all, guessing about 9k-11k
3 thoughts from this trip:
SDC should really remove a row of seats on the bus at the front for a stroller storage area, with a safety strap that keeps strollers in that area. (It would be nice if the trams has a section too but it’s a lot easier to take a stroller on the tram and sit with it in your row)
The flooded mine has had a rough summer, many effects were not working. I was last on it in early July and most of the ride was working then. Hopefully they can get some fixed the next few weeks.
Sometime in the last couple of months the ozark marketplace was re-arranged making it more of a maze where you have to navigate around displays to get out. It’s no longer two nice clear paths to walk through if you don’t want to shop.
-
Sometime in the last couple of months the ozark marketplace was re-arranged making it more of a maze where you have to navigate around displays to get out. It’s no longer two nice clear paths to walk through if you don’t want to shop.
Unfortunate. It was already hard enough to get ECVs through there.
-
Anyone going this weekend? We will be there some on Friday evening, & Saturday morning - afternoon.
Anyone heard how the Labor Day weekend crowd was?
We were there in Labor Day. The crowd wasn’t too terrible. It poured for part of the afternoon, but the crowd didn’t thin as much as I’ve seen in the past. Line wait times were long as always. They really need to get some more rides in that can handle more than 15 people per vehicle. The small vehicles just clog up the lines and the load times are so long.
-
Went to the park this past Friday & Saturday. Just 4 of us, had plans for more people going with us, but they all backed out.
Got to the park around 5p Friday. Paid $117.00 for a 2 day pass. Went straight to FITH. Most everything seemed to be working, it was so much fun. Rode PK next, the crowd was very light. Rode OR next, that ride is so awesome! Then the wife & her daughter rode the GS. Got something for supper, wife & i had a BLT wrap, it was pretty good. Hit FM next, a few of the guns weren't working. It was starting to get dark, so of course we rode TNT. Not bad for a first day and getting there at the end of the day.
Day 2 we didnt do too much. Only stayed until 1p or so, it was getting pretty busy. Got an ECV kart for the first time ever. I was pretty sore from the day before, i have bad hips & arthritis in my knees. That kart was so helpful! Went straight to FITH again for our last & final ride until next year. Sorry to see the ole gal go, but am really looking forward to the NEW FITH, i think its going to be great. We waited on OR for about 20 minutes, for them to do their final checks. When it opened, we were the only ones on the coaster. My brother & i rode in the front. OR is such a wicked ride, that we bought an OR shirt. Went & watched the Saloon show. My wife has never seen it, so that was cool.
Everyone was so tired from the night before, & getting up WAY too early. All of us are used to getting up between 4-5a during the work week in normal life. It is hard to sleep late when you know you have things to do all day. It was a great weekend at SDC. Can not wait to go next year & ride the new FITH!!
-
A mostly great trip yesterday! Tons of little kids and grandparents in attendance. The longest wait for a ride was MRF and it was about an hour. Everything else was close to a walk on all day.
There were some glaring missteps though. Within 10 minutes of Pumpkin Plaza, they ran out of cashew chicken for the cones. They could not tell you how long a wait for that would be. The line for Taste of the City ran at a snails pace due to only having one ordering line. Food lines at lunch were well over 30 minutes…some closer to an hour. Thankfully we ate before we got to the park. And the tram situation was embarrassing. We waited over 15 minutes for one to take us to the park around noon. We walked back to our car at stop 2 around 8:45. Probably took us closer to 10 minutes because of the amount of people walking and my daughter loosing a sock. In that time, we never saw a tram or bus pass by us to go to stop 2 or 3. They were loading busses and trams when we headed down our vehicle but they never delivered any passengers. Took 5ish minutes to get settled in the car and pull off. Still no one had arrived via transportation. I hope they fix things before Christmas because it will be an absolute nightmare if they don’t improve it.
-
And the tram situation was embarrassing. We waited over 15 minutes for one to take us to the park around noon. We walked back to our car at stop 2 around 8:45. Probably took us closer to 10 minutes because of the amount of people walking and my daughter loosing a sock. In that time, we never saw a tram or bus pass by us to go to stop 2 or 3. They were loading busses and trams when we headed down our vehicle but they never delivered any passengers. Took 5ish minutes to get settled in the car and pull off. Still no one had arrived via transportation. I hope they fix things before Christmas because it will be an absolute nightmare if they don’t improve it.
We saw the same thing on our last visit in August. We got in line for a tram and waited over 20-30 mins before ever seeing one come down to stop 3. We saw 1 or 2 hit Stop 2 during our wait. I am not sure if they are planning it this way, or if they don't have workers, but for their 2 biggest festivals, hopefully they figure it out
-
I have noticed that for a while too, I have suspicions this is the beginning of a "perk" gimmick to push preferred parking sales.
"Guests utilizing preferred parking also get expedited access to the park with faster tram routes!"
-
And the tram situation was embarrassing. We waited over 15 minutes for one to take us to the park around noon. We walked back to our car at stop 2 around 8:45. Probably took us closer to 10 minutes because of the amount of people walking and my daughter loosing a sock. In that time, we never saw a tram or bus pass by us to go to stop 2 or 3. They were loading busses and trams when we headed down our vehicle but they never delivered any passengers. Took 5ish minutes to get settled in the car and pull off. Still no one had arrived via transportation. I hope they fix things before Christmas because it will be an absolute nightmare if they don’t improve it.
We saw the same thing on our last visit in August. We got in line for a tram and waited over 20-30 mins before ever seeing one come down to stop 3. We saw 1 or 2 hit Stop 2 during our wait. I am not sure if they are planning it this way, or if they don't have workers, but for their 2 biggest festivals, hopefully they figure it out
We were there this Thursday and Friday. The trams arrived very quickly both days. Also the line for food was getting long at the Riverside Smokehouse and they opened an additional serving line. I wasn't even aware there was a different serving station to the right. So they did great in our eyes those days.
-
Trams were pretty continuous on my last trip in August. I'm guessing it's just a typical issue of staffing and trams being down. I'm sure they are aware and will fix accordingly. Some days are just better than others with operational issues.
-
Had a wonderful trip this weekend, my first of the year. I was on the fence for a variety of reasons to visit now or just wait until December, but I bit the bullet and ultimately I'm glad I did.
One of the big reasons I was hesitant was because I slipped on the ice in January, and had to have ankle surgery. It's been a long recovery process, and for much of the last year the ankle can only take so much before it needs to rest. Furthermore, it's been very sensitive to inclines and slopes-something SDC has more of than most any other park I can think of. I'm happy to say that I may have turned a corner, because at no point did my ankle give me any grief during (or after) my two days at SDC!
In terms of unambiguous improvements, I have to say, the parking lot redesign was much needed. Granted, I only parked near the new Stop 2, but the process of getting out of the lot especially has been streamlined for the better. Overall I felt the new lot is much more functional and fixes problems I hadn't even realized were problems. The aforementioned issue with trams was not one I experienced, and in fact I'd say they were among the best staffed I have EVER seen with trams. They had plenty running and were getting people to and from the park very quickly-I was actually very impressed with how smoothly everything ran.
The park was slammed, so ultimately I didn't ride many of the coasters. At this point, I've done them all so many times that I'm just not willing to wait beyond a certain threshold, and that threshold was reached many times over during the last two days. As much as I love the original, more quaint areas of the park, on days like this weekend, pretty much everywhere was slammed, and it was quite clear that many of the older smaller structures and areas of the park (Bakery, Grist Mill, etc) were struggling to meet demand. To the park's credit, it seemed like the park was for the most part staffed appropriately to handle the crowds.
There is palpable enthusiasm for everything FITH at the moment, which is nice to see. I really hope they deliver with the new version, because it's clearly been embraced as a park signature by guests. By contrast, I am a bit concerned for the future of Flooded Mine, which also seems primed for an overhaul (basically none of the guns in my boat worked properly, in addition to the ride being visibly quite old in every respect), but pointedly has always seemed to me a distant second in the mind of the public when compared to to FITH, even before that ride's closure was announced. I must confess that while I appreciate that it's there, I don't know if I can really say I love it in the same way I love FITH, so perhaps I'm just projecting my own feelings and presuming to speak for everyone else on the topic here. But the fact that the ride on most days only gets a line around the time the train boards to me is pretty telling. They certainly could/should invest in a proper refresh and make the entrance to the ride more noticeable, but will they? I'm uncertain that they will.
It was quite cold on Saturday, and I didn't put enough thought into the weather when I packed, so it was quite chilly much of the day. Definitely my fault for failing to adequately prepare for the conditions. At least I wasn't one of the teens riding Mystic River Falls after the sun had gone down and it was 50 degrees (but it was fun to listen to them scream as they came to realize what a bad idea it was to go on that ride in those conditions).
Foodwise, new to me things I tried were the Pumpkin Whoopie Pie, the Pumpkin Chili, the Salted Caramel Chocolate Cheesecake Funnel Cake, the Sausage and Potato Skillet, and the chicken sandwich from Time Traveler's Stop. The whoopie pie was too sweet for me, but I really enjoyed everything else.
Entertainment-wise, I'm happy that I got to see the 50th Saloon Show and 'normal' train robbery (though I was a bit too far back to hear what was being said-they could stand to invest in better mics here), but the real surprise was walking by the Homestead and seeing Aunt Judy! For whatever reason, she is the one person I remember from my first visit to the park in 05, and so to me she IS Silver Dollar City in a way no one else quite matches. In my head she had retired (I'm fairly certain the last time I saw her was a few years before covid), so it was a pleasant surprise to see her there. And when she finished, I was in place for the Pickers. In my head, Danny had already retired during the summer season, so it was a shock to see him come out and perform with the group, but very much a positive one. He's going to be hard to replace-so much of the comedy and antics come from him and him alone. I also saw the new show at the Dockside, and I have mixed feelings-on one hand, it was nice to see something a bit more modern at the park, but the musicians didn't quite mesh with each other in the way they needed to for the music to really soar. I did notice at one point when I was over by the pottery store that I heard music that sounded distinctly louder and more modern than what I'm used to hearing at the City, and eventually it became clear that it was from this show. Not bad, per se, but an idea/group that could benefit from a little fine-tuning IMO.
One new-to-me happening was seeing them use the Shingle Saw on Saturday. Mostly I overheard this while watching the Pickers, and by the time I made it over, I had missed the demonstration. But I talked to the citizen over there, and she explained that it was the first time they had fired it up since 2019 (I had never seen or heard of this happening and was convinced it was just a static prop at this point). She encouraged me to come back at 3 where they would, if the machine cooperated, do the demo one last time. I didn't quite make it in time, but did get to hear some of the stories. I don't believe the Shingle Saw fired up for the 3:00 demo, and it appeared that there may have been an issue, because there were no signs of life at all yesterday. The citizen I had talked to recognized me and must have felt bad that I missed the demo, because she insisted I take a cedar shingle that had been cut from the saw for my closet, which is definitely the most unusual park souvenir I've ever received. I'm bummed that I missed seeing the shingle saw in action, but hey, I got a free shingle out of the experience at least!
I'm sure the pumpkins were expanded from last year, but it didn't really feel like it to me. Personally, I'm ready for them to change it up a little at this point.
The Pathfinder, which shrunk in 2020 but then grew back a bit last year has shrunken a bit again. I don't much care for being directed to look up the seasonal menus through a QR code. Not something that's the doing of SDC here, as more and more parks just don't offer maps or brochures at all anymore, but disappointing for me as someone who likes to collect these things.
Overall it was a great visit and I'm so happy I visited! Hopefully the OTC visit will be just as enjoyable.
-
Great review TPF!! We head down this week, and looking forward to it.
-
Had a great trip to the city this weekend. The weather on Saturday was a bit rough, but it kept the crowds down. Every ride we wanted to ride was operating, and the lines were all walk-ons. I've gotten to the point where I'd rather visit the city on bad weather days because of the diminished crowds. Plus, the rain just adds another dimension to the park, particularly in the fall.
I felt like the city was firing on all cylinders this weekend. All of the crafters we expected to see were there, plus a few more. The old carousel barn, i.e. Cowboy Emporium, was full, whereas last year it felt empty. Our family loves this festival, and look forward to visiting with the craft vendors every year. We appreciate the fact that the PTB recognize that this is still important to some visitors to the park, and would love to see it expanded back to what it once was. We visited with 3 generations of family, and the park really offers something for every generation particularly during the craft festival.
As far as rides, ride operations seemed to be going very well. There was a 35 minute wait for FITH, and at one point they had to stop and add a 4th train. Lots of love is being shown to the ride in it's final days. Flooded Mine has had some updates including new uniforms for the inmates. The only ride ops issue I had was on our train ride. We were in car 1, and you could not hear Alfie and Ralphie at all in our car. Also, I did not ride TNT, but others in my group did, and they said it was REALLY rough.
We watched the saloon show, and it was great as always. We also watched Emily Flatness, and she's just a jewel. She will be a great addition to the Homestead Pickers. We got to visit a bit with Terry Sanders and some of his multiple personalities.
All in all, it was a great trip, and another weekend of family memories made in the city!
-
I visited the city on Saturday, and was pleasantly surprised with the crowd size. Several citizens told me there were 22,000 through the park. I've been there when 29,000 came through on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. While I'm sure the PTB likes the big numbers, the smaller crowd made the visit much more pleasurable. We were able to ride a few rides, get food without waiting an excessive amount of time, and actually walk on the streets and in the stores!
I'm sure it must be a total crap shoot for the PTB to estimate crowd sizes, and make a determination about inventory needs, staffing, etc. The weather was great on Saturday, and I would have bet anything that it would have been terribly crowded. But, when compared to prior years on the same weekend, it was not.
-
The traffic and parking lot upgrades seem to be doing a good job. We arrived just before 4 on Thanksgiving and were surprised to not hit traffic until the paid parking booths. It wasn't for lack of people arriving, the lots that you can see from the paid parking booths were already filling up.
-
I've been told crowds in general have been lighter this year. Between the costs of inflation causing some to pull back on vacations, people waiting for next year since there hasn't been a new ride in awhile, and people scared of the crowds from previous years - it feels like the park has been fighting the headwinds lately.
2024 is shaping up to be a good year though. Once they get that resort going I think they will rise another notch in attendance since full fledged theme park resorts are very attractive for a lot of families.
Will be interesting to see the impact of the Vinita park in the long term though... but I guess they will cross that bridge when they come to it seeing as the Vinita park still has a lot to prove.
-
Will be interesting to see the impact of the Vinita park in the long term though... but I guess they will cross that bridge when they come to it seeing as the Vinita park still has a lot to prove.
There’s zero concern about the “Vinita park” within the ranks. There’s little to zero chance that park ever gets built and especially not at the budget that they’re quoting.
-
A few weeks ago we received a postcard in the mail from SDC offering 4 Bring A Friend passes for any day other than Saturday for $20 each and 4 Bring A Friend passes for Saturdays during OTC for $40 each. I was really surprised to see them offer discount Saturday tickets seeing as how Saturdays can get insanely busy anyway.
-
The family is planning on visiting next week sometime. Is the park comparable to last year?
We are excited to ride the train into the woods to hear from Grandpa. Last year, listening in the wood chips area was neat, but it will be good to get back to tradition. My littlest wants to ride Fire in the Hole, and it would be their first and last chance on that particular ride. So many memories...
-
The family is planning on visiting next week sometime. Is the park comparable to last year?
We are excited to ride the train into the woods to hear from Grandpa. Last year, listening in the wood chips area was neat, but it will be good to get back to tradition. My littlest wants to ride Fire in the Hole, and it would be their first and last chance on that particular ride. So many memories...
We've been to OTC twice this year. The train is running this year, and most days they have 2 trains going so the line moves pretty quick, no matter how long. Crowds are are on point on Fridays and Saturdays, as most years. I've seen some posts, recently, of slow days during the week. FITH will have a LONG line too, but they are moving pretty quick. We were just there Friday and the line was longer than the queue they have for it and it took less than 30 mins. Most rides are relatively low wait times during OTC, it seems. Just get there when the park opens (or even a littler sooner), and you'll be fine.
-
I'm gonna try to get one maybe two more trips in this year, definitely gonna pick a Monday for sure. That seems to be the best day if you don't wanna battle the crowds during this event.
-
Made it up there this past weekend for the last visit of the year with my family. Rode FITH a few final times. Friday was rainy off and on in the evenings, so crowds weren't too bad, but on Saturday it was packed as usual. I waited in the longest line for FITH that I've ever waited for it to get my last ride. It stretched almost back to the Powderkeg sign.
Bitter sweet to say goodbye, but I'm looking forward to the new one.
-
We were there too. Wish I knew you were there; would have stopped and said hi. I also stood in quite a few lines for fire in the hole but they were very efficient in getting riders on the trains and I never waited longer than 30 minutes.
-
not many trip reports from the holiday season -- has the sparkle left the world best holiday display?
or is it the economy, bidens fault? trumps fault? just seems strange -no highway horror stories or glowing reports...
any Ideas?
my two cents...
Kevin
-
As for the highway stories, I think that the road changes on 76 have had a huge impact. We were there Monday and Wednesday this week, and Thanksgiving night and never hit traffic. We were really surprised.
Overall, we thought operations were great last night. It wasn't super packed, but very busy. We did enter through the side gate that goes down by the cave and enters the park by the candy shop. Lines looked long for food, but they all seemed to move quickly.
We've been down about 5 times so far for An Old Time Christmas and haven't had a bad experience! I tend to just post on Facebook and Instagram... never thinking to post a report here.
-
I did not get passes this year, or next year. Maybe the year after.
-
With my wife still unable to walk until her surgery, we didn't get to use our passes last year or this. Then I got RiF'd, so no passes next year . . . .
-
We were there on Dec. 9th and to be honest after dark the extreme crowds drowned out the lights. When all you see is a sea of people the lights are secondary. Got there about 10 AM and left about 7:00. Getting out was a disaster. The path between hospitality house and Ozark marketplace was at a standstill with people going in both directions. Scooters and wagons made it even worse. We had a good time early in the day but as it got dark not so much. Ended up walking to stop 3 because the tram lines were so long to get out. Only 1 tram passed us on the way to the lot. Seems they were having trouble dispatching them with all the buses and trams trying to get into the correct spot.
-
With my wife still unable to walk until her surgery, we didn't get to use our passes last year or this. Then I got RiF'd, so no passes next year . . . .
Sorry to hear you lost your job, Palallin! We would be happy to get at least 2 of you into the City with our guest passes if you can go sometime. And they send us coupons to get as many as 4 in at a greatly reduced price, ie $20 each.
-
not many trip reports from the holiday season -- has the sparkle left the world best holiday display?
or is it the economy, bidens fault? trumps fault? just seems strange -no highway horror stories or glowing reports...
any Ideas?
my two cents...
Kevin
Went last Sunday, it was busy. Very busy. Saw Santa, the parade, and lights.
I really wish they would add a little more to the parade.
Decided to pay for parking when we saw how busy they were so we could walk to our car easily when we left.(when we left we felt very validated for making that choice)
Santa was fantastic as always..
The bells were a nice addition but it felt like a missed opportunity that they weren’t moving.
-
Sorry to hear you lost your job, Palallin! We would be happy to get at least 2 of you into the City with our guest passes if you can go sometime. And they send us coupons to get as many as 4 in at a greatly reduced price, ie $20 each.
Thanks, Mark! I appreciate that very much!
-
I debated on going this weekend or after Christmas but idk. I have a feeling the crowds will still be crazy from here on out with it being the last week of the season. I will have to see.
-
Does Main Street/Midtown still open an hour before the official opening time?
-
Does Main Street/Midtown still open an hour before the official opening time?
Yes
-
Looks like SDC's marketing campaign to boost attendance with the closing of FITH has worked. Saw a 120 min wait time on the app earlier.
-
So did anyone on this site get in a ride on Fire in the Hole on it's last day? We were there December 15th - 16th and rode about 6 times.
-
We had the honor to be on the final train on the Original Fire in the Hole!
We were lucky enough to be on the first train of the season and on the last of the season!
A huge surprise was the handcrafted gifts that were made in the City! The first was a piece of the original track! Second was a handcrafted mug that has the final ride date.
It was a very special night that our family will never forget!
-
^ Congratulations! Now that's a memory worth creating!
-
That is awesome mg, so glad one of us could have that experience.
-
Hoping to make it to the city sometime in '24 and really looking forward to riding the new FITH. I've said for a long time SDC needed a traditional dark ride with rich theming and it sounds like this is it!
For those who have been there I'm curious to know how they worked out the new train track crossing at FL?
-
We had the honor to be on the final train on the Original Fire in the Hole!
We were lucky enough to be on the first train of the season and on the last of the season!
A huge surprise was the handcrafted gifts that were made in the City! The first was a piece of the original track! Second was a handcrafted mug that has the final ride date.
It was a very special night that our family will never forget!
That's awesome MG! I was also in the final 48 to ride. I was the guy dressed up like Red Flanders!
-
As for the highway stories, I think that the road changes on 76 have had a huge impact. We were there Monday and Wednesday this week, and Thanksgiving night and never hit traffic. We were really surprised.
Overall, we thought operations were great last night. It wasn't super packed, but very busy. We did enter through the side gate that goes down by the cave and enters the park by the candy shop. Lines looked long for food, but they all seemed to move quickly.
We've been down about 5 times so far for An Old Time Christmas and haven't had a bad experience! I tend to just post on Facebook and Instagram... never thinking to post a report here.
I always come via Kimberling City, often find allocated hooch at Harter House, lol
-
I always come via Kimberling City, often find allocated hooch at Harter House, lol
We always came via Kimberling City in the '70s and '80s. We rarely went into Branson, sticking to SDC and SOTH.
76 was just two lanes, and turning left was an adventure. We went to some music shows, and were grateful for those folks who would stop to let you turn left.
-
We had the honor to be on the final train on the Original Fire in the Hole!
We were lucky enough to be on the first train of the season and on the last of the season!
A huge surprise was the handcrafted gifts that were made in the City! The first was a piece of the original track! Second was a handcrafted mug that has the final ride date.
It was a very special night that our family will never forget!
That's awesome MG! I was also in the final 48 to ride. I was the guy dressed up like Red Flanders!
👋 It was such a fun thing to experience!