SDCFans - The Unofficial Fan Site For Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City & Celebration City Discussion => General Silver Dollar City Talk => Topic started by: SteamFreak on April 08, 2009, 06:44:20 AM
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Let's just have a thread where you can post after going to the park about your day and anything cool you noticed, instead of putting those stories at the end of other threads. Maybe this could get a sticky? Anyway, I was at the park last weekend, and it was beautiful, 70 degrees, no lines and the feet of fire show was amazing. Then, Sunday we froze our butts off, saw the balancing monks, rode the indoor rides and went home at 2...still not a bad day in the park...I got a cool new tee-shirt.
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There is Missouri weather for you. 70 one day, freezing the next.
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Well friday was a cold and dreary day, but it was a great day none the less. Bad weather only makes for short lines right? We saw the saloon show which was acually pretty funny (the charcters of "roots and coots" were the best) and rode fire in the hole quite a few times. I had a terrible performance in the flooded mine, so there's no way I'd post the score. We were 2 of 6 people on the Frisco, Conductor Jim (who looks and sounds exactly like Jeff Bridges) decided that the "free" admission wasn't low enough for the train ride. It made for some funny moments at the robbery.
Saturday was much better, at least for us, we saw Doc on his way out of the park...apperently not feeling very well. We started the day by with the weather hanging around the mid-60's in the afternoon we acually took our first rides on the Plunge and Lost River this year...it was still cold. There were some longer lines but nothing to complain about. Only one train was running on TNT so that was our longest line. Had a great lunch in "Ireland" of fish and chips, then went to the old standby of "family fued" from the big skillet, by far my favorate meal in the park.
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Yesterday was a great day, light crowds, great weather, yummy food, good performances. I think weekday worldfest is the best time to visit because of the small crowds. If I could only get my boss to let me take days off more frequently it would be great!
I loved the balancing monks! It was the second time I watched. This time they did not jump up the stairs on their heads so I'm guessing they had a minor concussion. haha from the hard floor
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SteamFreak
I was at the park for the Easter weekend. Friday was a cold day but you are right now waiting in the lines!!!!!!!!!! It was the first visit with our grandsons. I have now been to the park with five generations. Loved the new Saloon show and since it was slow the girls gave the boys special attention. Son in law a dummy, son and grandsons flirted with the dance hall girls and they responded in fun. Grandson took his first ride on "fire in the hose" as he like to call it. (He is 4) He also made his first walk through the cave, (I did the same in 1967 when I was 4) Saturday was much better and we also rode the water ride and the kids played at Tom and Hucks. Had to buy some new shirts when they were done. It was still cold. The little one tooks a beating on the lost river. Every drop brought a new wave crashing into him. Did not like the food in the mine. (This was not SDC standards) The wait for the trams on Friday was not good planning on SDC part.
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Today was a perfect day, weather wise. Saw the Zhejiang Acrobats, again, a couple of other shows, and the only long wait was for Powder keg! Enjoyed seeing Terry & Mandi. (Didn't see Doc, but he spotted me frowning at the "cave closed" sign!) Might be headed back down on Saturday, a perfect start for my vacation. ;D
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What a day it was saturday, one minute mid 70's clear the next down pour and mid 50's I did get a chance to catch up on all the worldfest shows, I've not seen all of them, the Invaders were pretty amazing, I watched their show first (while using my iphone to answer "WITC")
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^Your dedication to the game (Where In the City?) is staggering, SF!
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...I just...really have no life
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:D
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Well, it was a busy day today, got there at opening, left at 1:00...so crowded one could'nt hardly breathe, I did stop by the dulcimer shop and buy a mandolin and DVD...here goes nothing world...I'll see you at SDC tomrrow!
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We went to SDC today, too. SteamFreak is right; it was crazy busy in the early afternoon! We left about the same time and also got there at opening. We saw the balancing monks, but we didn't see the Feet of Fire. We're going to try to catch that in the morning. We rode Flooded Mine, and my daughter rode a few non-thrill rides. It was weird for us to not ride any coasters at opening, but we are expecting a new family member in September, so those rides are out for me. My husband declined to ride without me, even though I tried to get him to.
We rode a regular old trolley to the gate this morning, but waiting behind it was one of the new white trams. We were parked near stop 2. We did ride a yellow school bus back to our car about 1:00, or so. When we went into the park, the new filled-in part of the lot was empty. We when came out, it was packed!
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Went to the park tooday as well. It was packed. Saw Feet of Fire. Not really impressed. Rode almost everything once. They extended the park hours to 7pm. we got there before opening and ate breakfast and stayed till close. After 5:30 the park was almose empty. Rode the Lost River 7 times in a row... we were wet.... Going back in the morning. See you there. Oh yea.. there were 15,000 in the park today.
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Oh yea.. there were 15,000 in the park today.
Close, final count was 17,000 people in the park on Saturday.
With the influx of busses (at final count there were 50 there) it was strange to see that long of lines for the shows AND the rides. Usually you'll see long lines for the main shows, yet the rides are walk-ons.
Still think that your attendance is going to be down this year SDC?
I still think you should have finished the ride :-\
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We were at the park on Saturday the 26th. It was BUSY! We were at the park by around 9:30 and chose valet parking to avoid having to load strollers onto busses. We got through all of the lines in pretty good time, but that is because we only ride things that the 2yo can ride. The big coasters had some insane lines. And so did the Opera House. Anyway, the weather was beautiful. Food was great. One complaint...why in the heck is there only one guy running both the Happy Frogs and the Ladybugs? It creates some really bad lines for an age group that is not very patient.
Also, what is going in the quilt shop?
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I loved how the line for the Opera House stretched all the way up Hill Street to Christmas Junction. It was crazy insane. Never have seen it that long. IF you wanted to see the Acrobats you basically had to stand in line for 2 hours to do so.
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We're home now. We went in today for awhile. We wanted to see Feet of Fire since we decided not to wait for it yesterday. It was ok. I would've liked to have seen more dancing. I suppose they have to rest sometime, though.
Again, we only rode Flooded Mine since my husband didn't ride any of the thrill rides without me. We will ride those later in the season.
We did get to ride a new tram today. It does have plenty of room for your head, doesn't it?
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We just couldn't beleave it, we only rode the american plunge, the line was the longest I had seen one this year, as we were waiting we watched an evac from wildfire, which really made the lines swell. We just bought a couple of skillet bowls and went to the homestead pickers show, those guys are great.
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Couldn't see the show in the Opera House....at one hour before the last show the line was all the way down to close to Wildfire's entrance.
All the buses were from middle school kids. There was a band competition at College of the Ozarks, and everyone apparently decided to go to SDC.
I thought the Feet of Fire show was pretty good myself, although I do like that sort of thing.
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Visited the park on Friday 4/24 and Sunday 4/26 - Friday was busy but not unbearable (lots of schools visiting that day so lots of kids on rides), Sunday was busy too but not terrible. Did hear from friend in one of the shops that Saturday was VERY busy. The weather was perfect though. Took a lovely hike at Henning on Saturday morning and then spent the afternoon braving the crazy crowds at the shopping malls around the area. >:(
Angela
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I took a friend to the City who has never been before on Saturday. Despite the amazing amount of kids running around we had a pretty good day. We were on Wildfire during the evacuation. First ride of the day to! haha. I was really impressed with how well they handled the evacuation. I felt safe the whole time. Plus we had two little boys next to us that kept us entertained! All in all we had a pretty great day.
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I cant wait to go this year.Hopefully in June or July
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Still think that your attendance is going to be down this year SDC?
I still think you should have finished the ride.
On the other hand, doesn't it prove that they didn't need to make the investment to see the crowds swell?
One complaint...why in the heck is there only one guy running both the Happy Frogs and the Ladybugs? It creates some really bad lines for an age group that is not very patient.
There are often irate parents because of this, too. The parents have to entertain those 3-4-year-olds while they're in the lines. Twenty kids can be waiting in line for the HF and they have to wait for one kid to ride the LBs.
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Still think that your attendance is going to be down this year SDC?
I still think you should have finished the ride.
On the other hand, doesn't it prove that they didn't need to make the investment to see the crowds swell?
Well then what's the excuse for last year when they didn't add anything either?
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I'm a little late posting, but I've been busy going thru my vacation pics of the past week, including trips to Dogpatch. I was at the city the 17th, 18th (when the doors opened after the show, the downpour had begun, and watched the new parking lot washing over the road), and the 25th, a very crowded day, w/o the extreme amount of basketball bouncing in Grandfather's Mansion! ;D With all the shows & rides with long lines, it allowed me to sit back and chat with many of the "seasoned" folks at the city, which was quite a joy, not to mention finding out Mr. Johnson was once a neighbor, many years ago. I look forward to my next visit, hopefully this coming weekend.
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What happened on Wildfire... why was it evacuated?
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I took a friend to the City who has never been before on Saturday. Despite the amazing amount of kids running around we had a pretty good day. We were on Wildfire during the evacuation. First ride of the day to! haha. I was really impressed with how well they handled the evacuation. I felt safe the whole time. Plus we had two little boys next to us that kept us entertained! All in all we had a pretty great day.
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There are often irate parents because of this, too. The parents have to entertain those 3-4-year-olds while they're in the lines. Twenty kids can be waiting in line for the HF and they have to wait for one kid to ride the LBs.
Yeah, although every busy day I've gone there have always been two operators.
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Although the forecast called for 100% rain Saturday, we stayed perfectly dry! We arrived about 2:00pm and stayed well into the evening, it was crowded with school groups, any some unruly kids. Sunday was wonderful. Despite a mist in the morning, we had a great time. We were able to see the second to last church service before Pastor Deeds(former SDC sheriff). It was a tear jerker, members of the homestead pickers were in attendance recording the whole thing for some purpose. All around a great time at the park, and unfortunately like always I am back to the daily grind tomorrow-wishing I was still at SDC!
(Here is one of my first attempts at being a photographer on my old Kodak 110 camera in about 1987/88!)
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu218/rubedugans/Deeds-mid1980s.jpg)
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What happened on Wildfire... why was it evacuated?
Quote from: HollyAnn on April 27, 2009, 03:13:18 PM
I took a friend to the City who has never been before on Saturday. Despite the amazing amount of kids running around we had a pretty good day. We were on Wildfire during the evacuation. First ride of the day to! haha. I was really impressed with how well they handled the evacuation. I felt safe the whole time. Plus we had two little boys next to us that kept us entertained! All in all we had a pretty great day.
From what I could figure out, the train going into be unloaded got stuck so they had to stop us on the climb up to the first drop. We made it probably about a third of the way up when it stoped. They never really told us a for sure reason why it stopped. Just glad we weren't further on into the ride!
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Visited on Saturday, May 3rd. but waited until 4 because of the rain. Only got to ride Thunderation and the line was long due to the school group and the fact that they only ran one train. Took grandson to the Grand Expostition with the hope he had grown enough to ride the bigger rides, still an inch short. He was able to ride the frogs and bugs with an adult but I was unable to get the seat belts over my legs so my daughter had to ride with him. Just where do those basketball come from?
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Took my 3-year-old daughter yesterday for our first daddy-daughter trip (and my sister came along to help with bathroom and other "female" situations; my wife couldn't go as she's about two weeks away from having our second child!)...thank goodness the severe weather came through early in the morning because most of the park was closed until just after 11 a.m. while crews cleaned up downed limbs and debris scattered by the storm...one of the employees even said that there was part of a tree on the Frisco tracks that had to be cleaned up before the train could run.
Once everything opened up though, it was some of the best fun I've ever had in the park. The weather was cool and calm, and there was only about a 5-10 minute wait on all the rides. There were several school groups in the park and I expected this to be a huge downer, but the kids were all great and so were their sponsors. Rode the wave carousel at the GE with my daughter and I think I was more scared than she was!
Probably won't be back until July, but we'll be thinking about it every day until then!
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I am a single father and have 2 daughters one is 3 and the other 5. We use the Family Restrooms in the park so I do not have to send them in the womens by themselves or take them in the mens room. Their are several of them in the park. One is by thunderation and the other is in the Red Gold hall.
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Thanks for the info! That's a great location by Red Gold Hall considering the GE is right nearby.
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I can't tell you how thankful we are for the Family Restrooms. Taking both kids at the same time is a huge help. And they are always very clean.
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Saturday was an interesting day, got there before the park opened and got to say the pledge and sing the national anthem with the staff. Until about noon it seemed like I was the only person in the park, watched the homestead pickers twice (love those guys) and didn't hardly stand in any lines, except for FITH oddly enough, apperently people have found out about it. We took about a 2 hour break and went to the wheel of fourtune auditions...quite an experence, long story short, I won't be buying any vowels. Went back to the park and ate...and ate...then watched the GAC nights show which was OK...but then again I'm not a fan of country music. The guy who plays Bart and who played scrooge in the Carol has got an amazing voice, he really got to showcase it. Anyway, just another great day in the city!
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We were at the park on Saturday (16th). The weather was beautiful, the smokers were rolling so the park smelled of Hickory. It was a great day. The lines all moved fast everyone was jovial as always.
The kids got to see the character actors do their skit up on Main Street for the first time and DD thought that was hilarious.
Only glitch in the day was that the Happy Frogs were feeling ill and broke down several times.
Oh...and if anyone has not had one, get an eclair from Eva and Delilahs. They are heavenly.
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We had a great day yesterday. Got to see Rhonda Vincent and Next Best Thing, Rhonda was of course amazing and NBT were pretty good, just some timing issues. Didn't ride a whole lot of rides but did get to experence FITH with the water on...something Copper mentioned to me on my way out...I had forgotten how much fun that was. It was cool riding wildfire because all of the trees were bloomed out, usually one can the the train and it's entire route, not yesterday SDC has returned to the forest it should be, take that Ice storm! Also, just to let you know...no matter how many times you've ridden a ride with your phone in your pocket...TAKE IT OUT FIRST after I got off thunderation..yes TNT the baby of the coaster line up...my iphone came out of my pocket. But by some divine intervention it stayed on the train for not one but two rides. Sierra the RO was able to locate it for me...but talk about 15 minutes of fear...anyway, aside from that, pretty great day!
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Last Saturday was a great day, and I thought it was even "cool" to see all the long lines on most rides. I met up with 3 old classmates, enjoyed some great BBQ, the Balsam Range, and took a friend on her first ride of Powder Keg, she loved it! She thought the hour & 15 min. was worth the wait. (By the time we rode, it was 30 min. past closing, only 1 car ran all day) As for FITH, I can't remember when I got wet on the ride, before Sat.! :) Any chance they'll ever get the leaning water tower moving again, Copper? On a side note, some of you already know, but I had a heart attack the following morning, Sunday, at 7 a.m.. I have been released, with a month off of work, and will GREATLY miss my visits to the city! Keep me posted on events-
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^Take care of yourself. We would miss you more than you will miss the rides.
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We had a great time at the park on Saturday. All the rides were running smoothly and almost all employees were friendly. Some appeared like they wished they were somewhere else and i saw one on a cell phone. It disappointed me.
But, it was a beautiful day in the park. I loved sampling the sauces because they had some crazy things there. The lines were also longer than I've seen them in awhile and a ride op told us that there were 16,000 in the park while last year, there were 11,000 around this time. It's great to see that the park is doing well!
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Just got back from one of the best SDC days I've had. The Grascals gave the best concert I've ever seen. I rode the Waterboggin for the first time in years..holy crap...talk about an intense ride. I finally got Beth on the Swing...she never stopped screaming. Both Wildfire and The Giant Swing broke down and I think Powder Keg might have also...not totally sure. The train script has been punched up...to bad the actors haven't. The saloon show was fantastic as always mainly because of the actor who plays Fabian...just wonderful. Fire in The Hole has some new effects and the flooded mine has seen even more love. Also, the white trucks have been replaced with these awesome new trams that look like a big version of the old greens. Great trip!
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^I was meaning to go to the Waterboggan early but the line was already LONG at 10:30. The line is just too long to stand in for a short water slide. But it is really fun.
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Well everyone, I just had to post on our recent trip to SDC. We were in Branson for a motorcycle rally and 20 people of our group went to the park on Thursday, May 14. First impression: definitely much more crowded than same date last year, mainly due to large numbers of school groups. (Side note: when our group goes out, we have fun, lots of fun. We don't get vulgar, at least not in public. We are definitely memorable)
We check show times and headed for the saloon show. Basically same skit as last year, with one new saloon girl. She might have been there last year and the day we saw it they only had two. Don't know but there were three girls that day. Well, Fabian started it by interacting with one of the wives in our group. Next thing you know, he notices how large her husband is. We started playing off it and before you know it, him and the "producer" were laughing so hard on stage that they literally forgot what they were suppose to do. To make it better, when they recruited "volunteers", the "producer" selected the husband. When Fabian realized who she picked, he literally leapt over the bar. Funny as heck. Got some nice pictures of our "discussion" with Fabian outside after the show.
Enjoyed Wild Fire, FITH (looked better), Thunderation, pretty much everything.
Made out day when, while waiting at Frisco Station, T-Bone actually remembered us from last year. Told you we were memorable. Other poster was correct, they have one new conductor, definitely needs a lot of work. Anyway, we were having a blast with T-Bone. The new conductor was on our trip and the skit was REALLY, REALLY short. Later found out they had to evacuate the train earlier. I didn't ask. T-Bone asked us back for the 5:00 train (park closed at 6:00). When we got there, we were invited onto car 3, all by ourselves. T-Bone invited us to enjoy ourselves with the Bolins and spare no expense. We had to obey. Alfie (retained from last year) really enjoyed it. He came back to our car (T-Bone set him up) to search for "mom" and told Ralphie that no matter what he chose, it wasn't going to be good for them, no matter what. We didn't disappoint.
Oh, well, you all get the idea. We were truely impressed that they remembered us. We have a traveling mascot that got its picture taken with everyone. They all got business cards with the address on it and so many of them have viewed them and started chatting with us regarding out visit.
It is really nice to see that they enjoyed us as much as we enjoyed them. We also can be fairly certain that they will remember us next year.
This is why we keep returning each year. Where else can you get this type of friendly employees. I think the key part is that they don't hire cheap "kids". Keep up the good work SDC.
Sorry for the long post.
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The fruit tower at GE was absent, this Saturday - seems like it was still there in April - though I can't say I'll miss it.
Genesis was back at Wilson's Farm, but not working - again. The frog race needs to be revamped in that area, as the frogs seem to get stuck midstream.
We had friends with us. They hadn't been to SDC, and they hate rides. The three kids took their cues from the parents, but we were able to have a great time. The five-year-old was the daredevil of the family, and he rode everything we approached. It's always fun to experience it through the eyes of a newcomer.
We even went into Marvel and I think we even took a route around the top of the falls that we hadn't taken before - even after all those years of tours.
The park was very clean, including the restrooms.
Concerning parking (Warning: whiny complaints follow.):
I am convinced the parking has never been worse. Coming in, we parked in D lot and had to cross traffic to get to shuttle stop 4. The tram had to stop for every car and bus at every intersection and took forever to get to the front gate.
Coming out at 6pm, it takes about a dozen workers standing at the front gate just to tell people where to stand in line for the trams/busses/whateverrandomvehiclecomesalong. I know the parking task is a difficult one to figure out, but some signs at the front gate would easily save them some money in wages.
I am glad to see the pickups replaced by tram vehicles - I wish the busses could be uniform in size, shape, and color. I know in my heart that all of this could be fixed and would make the first and last experiences less stressful for guests.
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My weekend was great! I was supposed to be in Breckenridge CO, but that fell through so I traded my Rocky Mtns. for Ozark Mtns. The wife and I went in on Fri afternoon and rode nearly every ride in the park (including her first time on TGS). No lines anywhere except for in FITH. That was nearly a 15 min. wait.
A commercial was being filmed in the Pottery Shop of a demonstarting Craftsmen, but that is the only location I am aware of. They had all the lights off in the shop, and had huge reflectors and set lights shining in through the windows to get the "perfect shot". We were told to keep moving and not to stop and gawk, so we looked for a min or two and moved along, no sense in making their job harder.
Sat we went in about 5pm and browsed the park, got a Brownie from Eva & Delilahs then had some fried pickles and went to the GAC nights show. It was a bit slow in spots due to a lack of audience participation, but overall was a very well rehearsed show. My favorites were the parodies of popular songs (I am not an avid country fan usually so this was a stretch, but I enjoyed it). There was a touching speech regarding the D-Day Anniversary and out of the whole crowd 1 WW2 vet was present to stand and be recognized for their service.
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That explains why I didn't see you guys, I left around 5! You missed Jim Stafford showing up to film for a fun in the Ozarks video/show, and he played with the Homestead Pickers. The weather was great, and fit in 7 shows, back to back, Jeerk & the magic show were my favs.
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I was there saturday, great weather...lot of little kids...kids fest really isn't my thing..sigh...no lines anywhere really, there was a big one for FITH but with 4 trains running the wait wasn't too bad, BTW if you're lookin for a soaking the left side of the very last car is where to get it. Powder keg was running 3 trains which I've never seen before so the wait for a front row seat turned out to only be about 20 minutes. Had lunch with Doc and had a nice conversation with Terry. All in All, another great day!
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I also on my trip was able to try Elk Jerky for the first time. A bit tough for my liking, Ostrich is my #1 pick though. I spent a little time last night photo-shopping my weekend trip to make it seem a bit more adventuresome, This one used 3 photos from the park placed together, Let me know what you think...
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu218/rubedugans/NYC.jpg)
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We just returned from a brief but enjoyable trip.
There were five of us: my wife and I, and sons 18, almost 14, and 6. I'm the only veteran; the older two had been in 1998, but the oldest had vague memories, and the younger didn't remember it at all (but I think his memory was jogged while we were there). My wife and our youngest had never been.
We arrived just before 11, explored the homestead and Main St., watched some glass blowing (very disappointed; a bad presenter who could barely be heard, and who seemed to be mostly muttering out loud to himself instead of trying to explain what he was doing), ate lunch (Big Jack's), went through Grandfather's Mansion, then took the cave tour.
We headed down the hill toward the rides, and the youngest two rode the Plunge. Next we all rode the train (we had a pretty good crew; they were into it, and funny), then FitH. Momma was quite displeased with me for taking her on such an "extreme ride". ;D
In response to another thread, the five of us sat in the front car, and we all got pretty wet.
The oldest two then went to ride Powderkeg. They enjoyed the ride, but the 18yo's Blackberry Curve was launched into outer space at some point during the ride. We know he had it before the ride, because I talked to him while they were waiting in line; apparently he didn't shove it deep enough into his pocket. >:(
I'm glad he had insurance on it. If I had to replace it out of pocket, he'd be getting a Go phone. Naw... I'd be getting the Go phone, and he'd be getting my 5 year old LG 1300 with the broken hinge.
Then the boys and I caught the last ride on ThuNderaTion while Momma took a break. During the last plunge, the 6yo screamed, "IIIIIII doooon't liiiiike thiiiissss riiiiiide!" And of course immediately after the ride, he was begging to go again. ;D
We parked at the top of lot A16, so we just walked instead of riding the trams. The parking seemed to be pretty well managed, from my one day perspective. I wish they'd paint the trams green again, just for continuity sake. There is a mix of tow vehicles, including pickups and tractors with tram seating, plus the trolley bus.
I'm ready to go back. :)
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We were at the park Friday, Saturday, Sunday. It was a great weekend but it was scorching.
Spent most of our time in the Grand Exposition. However...I think that the park was the cleanest that I have ever seen. All corners appeared to be have received extra attention.
Question: Has the baldknobber at the mail coach in FITH gotten some new bling? It looked like they added new 'necklaces' hanging from his arm and on the ground.
Anyway...
We only ate at the park once, potato medley down by lumberjack and it was delicious. I have to say though that the old area by the waterfall is begging to have an attraction put in there.
We had a really great weekend.
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I've got to say, SDC has reached the point where you can no longer take it in in a day, or even the "after 3, next day free" deal. If anyone is riding rides, you need to plan two full days in the park.
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Really? I never have a problem riding everything I want to and seeing the shows I want to.
Perhaps we've just learned a method to the "madness" that works so that we can do so?!? ???
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Of course, it had been 11 years since I had been, and so much has been added or changed, plus I was playing tour guide for a bunch who had never been before. I was trying to get them to all the highlights, and they didn't really get a chance to explore the city on their own.
For a regular visitor, I'm sure it's no problem to just hit the favorites... you just have to figure out what the favorites are. :)
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Of course, it had been 11 years since I had been, and so much has been added or changed, plus I was playing tour guide for a bunch who had never been before. I was trying to get them to all the highlights, and they didn't really get a chance to explore the city on their own.
Ah that explains it ;)
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After a bit of driving around with a good high school friend, we made a quick visit to SDC yesterday. The weather was a bit warm at times, but the water rides fixed that issue. We rode nearly every ride and the longest wait time was in The Lost River, it was 25-30 min (although the chalk sign at the entrance said 60-75 min) Not too busy, got a chance to cool off in the cave, and overall had a great quick day at the park. Sarsaparilla, Succotash, and a lemon/strawberry ice (I had them combine the two), and LOTS of water. Fun time.
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^Quick visits are always nice. :)
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Quick visits beat no visit anytime! I had decided that there will be no more kidsfest saturdays for me...noooo sir...insanity
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It's me Doc...
just had to mention i did meet a few members of the list..
Rube most recently but it was time for me to leave on tour so i didn't get to chat much..
anytime you all are on park stop by and see if i'm there... we can have lunch in the lounge.....
it'll be my special behind the scenes tour of the park... lol behind the scenes right into our lounge .
i don't think there is an issue with me bringing someone to lunch. no one has said anything to me yet...
but i can only take one or two so don't bring a family.
I had lunch with steam freak and was expecting the almost-mrs steamfreak but she wouldn't have lunch with me.. lol how disappointing.
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Had I heard of these upcoming nuptials and just forgotten them?
I can hear the preacher now: "I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Freak."
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I'll have to take you up on that offer Doc! We came back in hopes to have you guide us through the cave, but you were already down. So we went anyway! I jealous that I didn't get to go in the Mammoth room last year in my lantern tour though, Is it worth the trip down to see that room Doc?
I wonder if Steam's nuptials will be taking place at the Wilderness Church...I tried to convince my Mrs. back in 06' to have them there, but she passed on that one. Something about screaming roller coaster fans, cloggers at the pavilion, and the American Plunge in the background that would be a bit distracting for her. She did agree however that sometime we could renew our vows there so that I could at least have that in the church.
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I miss quite a few of the list members...
Uncle Gene will say.... "so in so said hello" and i never know who he's talking about until i read the posts and say.. oh yeah! lol
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Doc, you're crazy, I had to show my little brother around the park which meant I had to show him the Big Skillet...we'll be there Thursday and I promise to have lunch with you then.
No, we're not having them at the church, I don't think even my side of the family could fit in there, much less steam's roundhouse of relatives.
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Uh, Mrs.??? Don't get ahead of yourself. The wedding's not for another 4 hours.
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Yesterday, I got to say hello to oklasdcfan. He wanted to go on my tour but he had his 3 annoying kidlets with him so i made sure he couldnt' get on the tour.. lol hahahahhahha just kidding..
The tour was full when he arrived....
so how was the rest of your trip oklasdcfan?
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The Trip was great. Had 2 full days on Park. We always go for breakfast and stay till the park closes. Did not end up going on the Cave tour. We went instead and rode more rides. I was a little disappointed that the show in Echo Hollow was the same songs as last year. I would have thought they would have changed them up.
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Still think the Laser/Water show from CC should be moved permanently to Echo Hollow
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Went to SDC Sunday and we saw JEERK -- show is way too long and repetitive for my liking.
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played at the city yestersay. had a good time but find that it is funny how my two year old grandson can still be short at 35 inches for the rides in the GE, except for the frogs and the flying bugs with an adult, and be big enough to ride the AP. O well, the look on his face at the end of the ride was priceless. he enjoyed him self on the boats in the FM and gave the train robbers a penny. Maybe by Christmas he will be tall enough to ride Fith.
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Its been a few years since I have visited Silver Dollar City and thought what the heck we will go for the July 4 weekend. We got there just soon after the park opened and rode a few rides at first and enjoyed it. As we walked through the park you would think that they would have entertainers walking through the streets but we seen 1 the whole time we were there. We took my 3 year old nephew to ride some of the smaller rides so he could enjoy the time of being there. You would think that some of the employees would enjoy there job a little bit more and not be so rude to the patrons that drive 4 hours away to spend the day at the park. We was having a good time until a couple of the employees were very rude and acted like they didn't want to be there. One particular ride was the little ships next to the big swinging ship that old man was so grumpy that half of the people in the line started leaving. And also the spinning cups what a joke the whole ride lasted maybe 30 seconds. I was so disgusted with the way some of the employees acted that I doubt I will ever go back. They have nobody watching the kids in the lines especially the roaring rapids my little nephew was knocked to the ground by a bunch of teenagers that were jumping over fences just to get to the front of the line. I can say that when Celebration City was Branson USA it was a much better park. I think the next time I visit a theme park I will visit Worlds Of Fun. I rate Silver Dollar City on a 4 on a scale of 1-10
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^Ouch. Sounds like most of your bad experiences came in the Grand Expo which I can relate to. The employees there do seem to be a little less engaging and polite. You also went on a holiday which could change things.
I'd give it another chance. What's to say that the same employees will be back next season? If they hate their job so much then they shouldn't come back.
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We went Wednesday, July 1 and found the day so enjoyable that we stayed longer than we usually stay. Concerning workers in Grand Exposition, I remember thinking- "did they get rid of the grouchy old people?" We didn't spend a lot of time in Grand Exposition, but no one ever gave me specific instructions of how to sit in the Bugs if Wonder. (This is turning into my pet peave. . .I'm 37 years old . . .I'll fold my legs however I dang well please when I'm crunched in a small place.) The lines were. . . existent. . .so we caught Jeerk and Veggietale (AGAIN). I thought Jeerk could easily have ended their show a little earlier and still wowwed me. Absolutely hated their rock "band" impression. Loved the overall show.
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We never made it into Grand Expo, so I can't comment about the employees there. We never encountered anyone in the rest of the city who were anything other than polite and helpful, though.
I was also a bit surprised by the lack of Citizens wandering about and interacting with guests. I guess the street shows are a thing of the past.
The other thing I missed from years past, was the lack of live music. Back in the day, almost anywhere you sat down to rest your feet was within ear/eyeshot of a live performance of some type or another. Now, it seems like all the shows are destinations that you have to deliberately seek out (and stand in line for). It made me sad to pause on a couple of different benches, and hear bluegrass coming from speakers disguised as rocks.
Honestly, I don't want to see a show. But I do really appreciate live performers, even if it's just a bluegrass duo at the Gazebo.
Oh, and I really dislike that they've turned the Gazebo into more of a performance venue (with amplification!), instead of just a relaxed peaceful place where acoustic bands play.
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Throughout the year we have encountered a variety of attitudes in the GE. One trip I actually asked the person to change his tone with my child...it takes a lot for me to speak up. However on our last trip the elephant operator actually remembered my daughter and joked with her. I was also amazed that the person running the frogs would stop it at the smallest whimper from a kid, but when my little one puked on the big swinging ship they made her finish the ride. It is like the people working just don't have very good intuition about people...they only do the minimum required in the handbook. Like I said we have had a lot of different experiences this year.
For as odd as the attitudes are in the GE, I can't compliment the guys and gals at the LRotO enough. They were fun and energetic and made my daughter at ease for her first trip. Also the folks at FitH seem to be having a good time this season.
And of course, just like most others, I really miss the interesting characters and impromptu scenes.
I have never seen a day there so bad that I would not go back...it is still the best place you can take your family IMO.
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I think they need to hire more actors. I mean, Terry's doing something like five characters, just himself! He can't be in all areas of the park at once. They need some face characters in the various areas.
I personally think they should get Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, etc for the Landing. And maybe some carnies for GE. And whatever happened to all the great characters for Geyser Gulch?
Anyway... About the employee complaints... There must be something being done differently either in training or hiring for the GE area. I haven't personally had a bad experience there, but I have noticed a general difference of attitude in GE as compared to the rest of the park. I think they need to try, somehow, to integrate GE more fully into the park. Maybe the employees in GE are feeling cut off or something...
Joy
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^I have never seen a character in the Gulch. Or in the GE.
Did they used to have some?
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^When the gulch first opened, it had an elaborate storyline and cast. Sadly, much of this was cut, and now it's just a giant, funky building hodge-podged in the back of the park.
It surprises me that SDC is having so much trouble with employees all of the sudden, but I guess it's not hard to figure out: all those ex-CC employees got put on the kiddie rides. I don't know why they would have such bad attitudes though. Hopefully SDC will notice these complaints right away and take care of the problem.
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We've been three times so far this year (and we're headed back next week for a week-long stay), and we've never had issues with employees, even in the GE. We even saw some kind of street show in the square early in the day (noonish) and some of the performers came over and gave our daughter a deputy's badge and took their picture with her...she thought it was the coolest thing ever! She proudly displays her badge in her room and mentions it almost every night before she goes to bed (and this visit was four weeks ago!).
It might be worth considering that bad employee experiences are, from the standpoint of the employee, brought on by a number of factors (i.e., grouchy patrons with a sense of entitlement). Combine the occasional irritable guest with heat and humidity and everybody probably gets a little antsy late in the day. I know I can only speak from my personal experience, but in my first year with a season pass I already consider it to be some of the best money ever spent (even I though I got it as a gift, but will definitely renew at the end of the year). Each time we've been this year, the citizens have been very hospitable, from the ones that greet us at the gate to the ones we encountered cleaning up after the big storm that blew in the second weekend in May.
Anyway, our visits this year have been great and I'm stoked for another trip...five days and counting!
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I had a great time in the park yesterday! The park wasn't too packed but the lines were there. The park has done a good job with Kidsfest this year as there was plenty to do. I didn't get to do everything I wanted. (No cinnamon bread from the bakery! :() We also didn't make it the the Expo.
Our cave guide was really funny (I looked for you Doc!) and he told me a lot of things that I did not know. It seems like I learn something new each time I go down there. All the rides were running smoothly and I got to ride the toboggan for the first time in a few years. I was never willing to wait in a long line for a waterslide but at the end of the day the line was only to the scale.
If you get a chance during KidsFest you should definitely watch the cloggers in the gazebo and try out for the banana split contest. The cloggers were really awesome and great with the crowd.
Another perfect day in the city!
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Sorry Kerrydale but it was not hot the day that we went it was a cool 80 degrees July 4TH. And you would figure that if you are a season pass holder you would have visited the park as all Americans celebrated their Independence. We had a great time in other areas of the park it just seemed like most of our problems happened at the Racing Regotta whether a customer before us made him mad or not still don't give the gentleman any right to be the way that he was. One thing to remember THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!! We got to the park at the time that it opened so we was there till 30 minutes before they closed and never saw but one entertainer and that was a Duck as soon as we walked in te gate. Being a holiday weekend you would think they would have had alot more entertainers. I will not be back anytime soon to far to drive for a park that is rated at 5. I can say back in the day Silver Dollar City was the park to visit but I was 11 years old then. Hopefully they will get the park back in order.
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Sorry Kerrydale but it was not hot the day that we went it was a cool 80 degrees July 4TH. And you would figure that if you are a season pass holder you would have visited the park as all Americans celebrated their Independence. We had a great time in other areas of the park it just seemed like most of our problems happened at the Racing Regotta whether a customer before us made him mad or not still don't give the gentleman any right to be the way that he was. One thing to remember THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!! We got to the park at the time that it opened so we was there till 30 minutes before they closed and never saw but one entertainer and that was a Duck as soon as we walked in te gate. Being a holiday weekend you would think they would have had alot more entertainers. I will not be back anytime soon to far to drive for a park that is rated at 5. I can say back in the day Silver Dollar City was the park to visit but I was 11 years old then. Hopefully they will get the park back in order.
That's not true. Anyone who works in the service industries (including amusement parks) can tell you that.
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Sadly, when there are economic issues, "extras" are cut first. Thankfully, I am unaware of any characters being cut. Many of the people have more than 1 job, in fact, I think Terry works like 80 hours a week! Considering all the clothing they must wear to complete their costumes in the heat, I'm sure they're under paid! Each time I've gone, I've seen a minimum of 5 characters, Tue-Sat, (most have their days off set to the slowest days of the week, I believe). These people are no different than you or me, they have outside issues, such as deaths in the family, illness, etc., yet they always greet people with a smile and laughter.
As far as the Grand area, it is the hottest area, with the lack of shade. I've only seen some issues with 2 of the older guys, seems like they lack patience. Regardless, I've had a great time, each of the 14 times I've been there this year, rain or shine! ;D
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SDC knows things happen, and they (being primarily a service industry) have built in a guarantee. Unless the policy has changed, there is a money-back guarantee. Just voice your concern at customer relations. They don't want grumpy employees (and I know they can be grumpy in the GE area at times).
I am wondering why you would sign up as a member of a fan forum to voice these complaints. You do realize that SDCFans is not affiliated with the park, don't you? Like you, most of us long for a return to many of the past amenities, so I would hope you would wait a year or two and give it another try. It sounds like you're not the season pass candidate for SDC, but a return trip every two to five years probably wouldn't be out of line. And if you don't like it, let someone at customer relations know about it. They will at least try to satisfy you.
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I don't have any problem with people who want to complain about something here.true,if they want the complaint looked into by SDC then they should talk to SDC directly.
I think a forum such as this is for people to give praise or vent about something they don't like
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We must accept the good with the bad.
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THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's not true. Anyone who works in the service industries (including amusement parks) can tell you that.
Absolutely. The theory behind the saying is that one unhappy customer will be able to persuade other potential customers from coming. But there's the flip side: customers who demand too much time and attention from staff, or who raise too big a ruckus, will themselves drive away other paying customers. Customers who create an unpleasant environment have to go.
In practical application, what the phrase really means is, "Front-line employees don't get to make the decision, but should treat the customer as if they're right while a manager is summoned."
Of course, all customers should be treated politely, even those who are so bad they have to be kicked out. And never, under any circumstances, should employees treat customers as anything other than unique individuals who have nothing to do with the jerk that just pissed them off.
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THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's not true. Anyone who works in the service industries (including amusement parks) can tell you that.
Of course, all customers should be treated politely, even those who are so bad they have to be kicked out. And never, under any circumstances, should employees treat customers as anything other than unique individuals who have nothing to do with the jerk that just pissed them off.
That was a great way to put that.
Also...I love SDC more than most places that I could spend a day. I have never had an experience that would turn me away from the park. I do see disparity in the GE area from all other parts of the park; it seems like different park.
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I worked for Sears during the height of the "Customer is Always Right" craze - I can't tell you how miserable it was to have people say that to you day in and day out. Whenever you didn't give them a deal or an expired coupon they'd say "but the customer is always right". Personally, and I am a huge proponent of raising the wages of servers and those in the service industry, I think that there are ALWAYS exceptions to the rule. Sure, maybe the employee was having a bad day (maybe just cranky or maybe something really bad happened to them) or maybe the same for the customer. My point is, no one is always right (not employee or patron). Sure the employees are "customer service" but service doesn't mean that the patron is always right and they are lowly (which, honestly, is how a lot of people treat those who work in the service industry). Three cheers for the workers who have to deal with BS day in and day out and three cheers also for those patrons who realize that the employees are wonderful people too and just trying to do their job. :)
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My point is, no one is always right (not employee or patron).
That may not be true - Swoosh is always right! ;D
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Lol, anyway - back on the subject of visits, I'll finally be heading out to SDC this weekend. Finally get to see those glorious mounds of dirt for myself again. I'll have a full photo TR on the site by Monday night.
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It'll be August before I can get back to the park. I look forward to your photos and insight.
Taking anyone with you?
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We went on Wed, July 14th. Overall we had a GREAT DAY! The problem was the the lows (and there were some) needed the highs to make it a great day. First the things we did not like. Buffet Breakfast at Molly's. Close down when you want but do not stop taking care of the guest you let in. 10 people in line 3 plates left, all were dirty. When the ladies were told they acted put out. Keep the food on line hot and fresh. (Hint) When not as busy cut down on the amount you put out. Ran out of breakfast rolls, cold pancakes, and fresh fruit. All oranges does not count.
Second had the Raft ride break twice on us in one day. Then were told it was shut down on Tuesday. Get the ride fixed and then open back up. I know money is tight but guest do no like to hear the same ride broke twice in one day, or three times in two days.
Train conducter was terrible. Learn the lines and do not talk when the train whistle is blowing.
Splash Harbor was great, banana split eating contest was fun, lines were managed well and move at a great pace. Great job by rest of the cast. The family had a great day.
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Ah, Bastille Day! All the best citizens were probably storming the jail. Viva la France!
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Had a pretty good day in the city today. It was just me and the parents this time, and I pretty much split off and amused myself most of the time while they took care of some of their Christmas shopping a few months early.
Got there almost an hour before park opening via the shuttle and headed to PK first thing for a few rides before the lines hit. Then I headed over to the expo, stopping at TGS first, to see if any of the issues with the employees had been resolved. From what I could tell, they have been. Everyone was friendly and courteous to me at least.
Spent a long time checking out the construction site - I'll post my observations there in the construction forum.
I noticed some various improvements around the park including even more theming to the coaster queue lines and some touch-ups to the Fireman's cemetery. I guess some of that might have been from last year, but it was good to notice again if so.
The only downside to the day was the increased cost of food. Still better than most parks, but they've definitely upped their prices a bit. Drinks especially bugged me. I seem to remember being able to buy a bottle of soda for less than or close to $2 in the last couple of years, but now the lowest price is $2.50. That's a lot better than the upwards of $3.50 at Cedar Point, but I can never bring myself to pay twice as much for something like a drink just because I'm on their property. At least they still have water fountains.
Overall it was a really good day. Good weather, nice employees, and some great food.
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Had another great visit today. A lot more of the same, but today I also stopped by the magic show. It was GREAT: very energetic and humorous with a few great tricks thrown in. I also ate at the Lumber camp and had a full meal with dessert for less than $12. Maybe food prices haven't gone up as much as I thought.
I noticed that every single special effect and novelty the park had was running. Even the ghost trap below Huck Finn's Hideaway was working, and I'd never even seen it work before. It looked like the park had been gone over with a comb and everything was fixed up. Even the Expo had a couple of theming additions, and the trees are really starting to fill the place out. It's hard to believe it was a parking lot 3 years ago.
All the craftsmen were out all day doing their stuff. Even the steam-powered saw near the homestead was running.
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Nice. I've never seen the ghost trap doing anything except hanging out. Maybe there was heightened paranormal activity around that area.
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I'm so excited, after over a year of waiting to get back to the park, I'm finally getting back there next weekend. And for two days! We'll be there Sunday and Monday, so we'll be there for the first day of Moonlight Madness! YAY!
Man, I cannot wait for this. I think what I'm gonna do is focus on pics & video on Sunday (since it'll be my 1 1/2 year old niece's first time there), then leave my electronics at home on Monday and just make myself fully enjoy myself. I've found that since I got a camcorder and digital camera, I haven't let myself get immersed enough in the park with focusing so much on camera shots and stuff.
Joy
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^You should try taking extreme closeups of signs and weird angles of things for some stupid online fan game! You'll get some strange looks. It really makes you appreciate the finer points.
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LOL... I might just do that... I feel like I haven't gotten to contribute too much here yet. I want to take TONS of photos and video; kinda stock up, as it were. LOL
Joy
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My wife loves to take photos of the park. With kids and without them. We could put a book together from all the pics we have of SDC and the cave. I think that is why we plan two days now. One for pics the other for fun.
That is one great thing about SDC. When I was a boy you could see the park in about six hours. Now it takes at least two days to do everything. They need to open early in the morning so the guest have more day.
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When I was a boy you could see the park in about six hours. Now it takes at least two days to do everything. They need to open early in the morning so the guest have more day.
Or stay open later. I've always thought it was crazy that they close when there's a good 2-3 hours of daylight left.
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I think "Moonlight Madness" should just be regular hours, at least during the summer. Especially now that they don't have CC open.
Joy
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stay open later would be great. The coasters are more fun in the dark.
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I can't wait to be at SDC for Moonlight Madness next week! I've ridden Wildfire in the dark (during Christmas), but none of the other rides. It's gonna be awesome!
Joy
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It would be nice if they could stay open until 8 P.M. in the summer. It is really a sad time with the kids when you have to leave right after dinner.. 7P.M. seems to come up so fast.
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I can't wait to be at SDC for Moonlight Madness next week! I've ridden Wildfire in the dark (during Christmas), but none of the other rides. It's gonna be awesome!
Joy
Be sure to tell us everything! I wonder what it's like to ride those rides in the dark without a coat and gloves. :)
We hope to go to Moonlight Madness next year.
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Oh, don't worry, I plan to write a very extensive trip report. Seeing as how this is going to be my niece's introduction to SDC, and my probably-future-bro-in-law's first trip since he was very young, it's gonna be FUNNNNN!
And I'm hoping to get down to Marvel Cave on Sunday and get on Doc's tour. It'll be the first SDCFan member I'll have ever met!
Joy
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And I'm hoping to get down to Marvel Cave on Sunday and get on Doc's tour. It'll be the first SDCFan member I'll have ever met!
Joy
Probably not.. i've got your picture at the desk and told them to make sure you don't get in on my tour! ;-)
hahahhaha
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LOL!
And *that* is why I can't wait to take your tour. You have a crazy-awesome sense of humor!
Joy
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I think he does not want any of us on his tour because he has to make sure not to miss anything.
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I promise to be vewwy, vewwy quiet. You won't even know I'm there. *shifts eyes*
Okay, maybe you will, as I'm probably gonna be the straggler at the back of the group, huffing and puffing before we ever even make it to the Huff'n'Puff staircase... The last time I toured Marvel Cave, I got worn out far more than I thought I would.
Oh wells, I just can't wait to get to SDC on Sunday. It's gonna be fun, fun, fun. I wonder how tall my niece is now, though... Dunno if she'll be tall enough for anything beyond the train and the Flooded Mine. Girl is 16 months old, and still fits 9/12mo clothing. She's got the build of a gymnast.
Joy
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I'll be at SDC Fri-Sun next week ( Jul 31-Aug 2) but don't expect any pictures...my $300+ camera is now somewhere in a waterfall in the mountains of Colorado...I went up to photograph an old mine shaft, and on the way back down, my camera went MIA, I am assuming when I crossed the water, it fell out since I backtracked 3-4 times to find it with no success...needless to say I was pretty bummed out about it, and the 1GB memory card in it, let alone all the photos of our crew mountain climbing and exploring... BUT I am still going to the city cameraless.
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^Wow, that really sucks, you'll just have to write an extra-long trip report to make up for it! :D
Seriously though, let us know how much they've progressed on the splash battle. Hopefully they'll be something noticeable by then.
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Maybe since I don't have a camera I will bring along a courtroom artist to draw all of the happenings and follow me around all day!
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I'll be there Sat & Sun, after I take pictures for the Ozark Empire Fair; i bought a new camera, I'll loan you my old Sony, it seems to take better pictures! ;D
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I'm gonna be there tomorrow (plans had a little snafu and we weren't able to go today). Can't wait for Moonlight Madness--riding Lost River in the dark sounds like such BRILLIANT fun!
Joy
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We took a little daytrip to SDC today for Moonlight Madness. I posted about it on the Branson Board. It was a last minute thing. We had a great time. Rides kept shutting down off and on for lightning, but it didn't rain and the rides always opened again. It was humid, but not unbearable.
It didn't feel too crowded, but maybe the lightning issues caused some people to leave. Sometimes, rides were only running one train. I think that caused lines more than crowds. I'd certainly go again!
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I was there Monday as well StaceySue! There were A LOT of folks that left once the rides started shutting down. I was checking on going on the cave tour when this flood of people hit us. We simply walked around and checked out the shops a while, then they opened all the rides back up and we were back in business. Stayed there from opening till closing. First time I ever spent 12 1/2 hours in the City! What a blast. We ended up taking the final tour of Monday night at 8:30 and the bats were crazy at that time. I almost was hit several times during the tour. :o
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We were there Monday, but left around a quarter after 7. We had gotten there just before noon and had done quite a bit. It just wasn't getting dark fast enough, and my niece was getting cranky (tired herself out), so we went ahead and left, especially since the rides kept getting closed and opened and closed and opened. Just didn't feel like waiting around.
I gotta say, though... When the first round of ride closures happened, we went over to Fire in the Hole, and that was the longest I've EVER waited in line for that ride (that I can really recall).
I wonder if any of us ran into each other and never realized it... Here's the pics I have from our day; there aren't a lot, and there isn't one of me. I'm heavyset, I'm a redhead, and I was wearing a KC Royals T-shirt, and when not in line for a ride, I was wearing my glasses and green neon SDC cap.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/album.php?aid=2010855&id=1582655832
Also got my Flooded Mine score on there... Pretty good, considering I did it one-handed (I can imagine getting carpal tunnel if I did too much one-handed shooting with those guns; the triggers are a tad hard to pull), since I had my other arm around my niece, making sure she stayed seated.
Joy
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Wow, Dewey! 12 1/2 hours! I never would have made it right now. Next year, maybe. . .
You know, when my group of folks were waiting in line at Wildfire at around 9:00 p.m., I saw several bats flying above the line of people outside just before we got inside the que building.
Joy, I always wonder if board members are there when I am, too. Since I couldn't ride much, I had more time to just sit and watch people enjoying the evening. I did ride Flooded Mine, though.
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I am in fri-sun, looks like rain sometime sat, so I am going to venture out in the moonlight tomorrow, and then probably come back in on Sunday. Depending on the weather heck we might be in all 3 days, It isn't like there is anything else worthwhile to do in Branson!
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Great weekend. We were able to do soo much in the 2 days that we were there. I visited the exterior of CC for some much needed photos, and had a nice long talk with the Security Guard there about the funny happenings and hoodlums they deal with on a daily basis-go figure big un-staffed roller coaster w/in walking distance of so many hotels!My favorite was a story of 2 women who were attempting to climb the lift hill of the Wild Cat to have their picture taken of them at the top!!! I took photos until the storms rolled in, and was forced to retreat for the time being.We took the lantern tour on Sat (my second time, my wife's first. Unfortunately Doc was running the 4:30 tour we had the 4:00- but Steven was great, and the tour lasted 2:15!!! Talk about your moneys worth. We attempted to stay in for some night riding, but the amount of people coming into the park, and the amount of people already in line DEFINITELY outweighed any thought of staying in past 6pm. We took a few laps on Sunday to buy our essential driving snacks and a few other items, and I was able to meet up with TinMan and talk SDC for a few minutes Unfortunately the drive back and TM's hectic schedule did not allow us much time, it was great to put a face to yet another SDCFAN! Hope to be back in town soon enough!
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Was there Saturday and honestly had a great day until Moonlight Madness started. There was a huge influx of people then that either used free passes or the reduced admission then. Add into the fact that Powder Keg had been down since 2PM and the fact that they were using a very extreme skeleton crew across the park, SDC was rather overwhelmed. Lines for food were up to over and hour. WildFire for some reason refused to open its inside queue line area so the line stretched up to American Plunge. TNT had a line through the extened queue in the station down the stairs. Grand Expo area rides all had lines filling their queues. American Plunge had a line down out the entrance to the furniture store, but wouldn't open the extended queue line either.
Oh and when PowderKeg reopened at about 9pm, the line for that swelled through the entire queue and the line was down to the entrance arch down near the Saloon area. It was well over 2 hours wait.
While I did not mind the lines for the rides, the lines for the food got under my skin. 'specially the at Lumbercamp. The lady taking orders was slow as molasses. Then on top of that she had the nerve to whine she had been there since 11am to everyone in line.
The event is getting there , but I think they still have a ways to go before they have it to "SDC level".
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Our the rides running at max capacity or just one train per coaster?
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TNT - 2 trains
WildFire - 2 trains
PowderKeg - 2 trains
I honestly thought they should have thrown the 3 train on PK, but I doubt they wanted to press their luck since it had been down since 2pm.
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Geez, this is what I was worried about. Why would you start a promotion that's sure to draw immense crowds and then run everything at anything but max capacity? I thought they would have learned by now, but I guess they're making lots of money off the cheap passes and skeleton crew combo. I just wonder how many moonlight madness memories will be worth repeating.
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Well I had a "Silver Dollar Day" until about 6pm and then it became a "Six Flags Day" the rest of the evening (in other words I was NOT "Lovin' it")
Also if they are going to do this event, they need to either install more lights for the pathways or put up the Christmas Lights earlier. It is way to dark and a potential safety nightmare in some areas.
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Seeing it both on Friday, and Saturday, I have no inkling to attend! If I want to see a roller coaster in the dark I will shut my eyes next time I ride Powderkeg so I can avoid the masses of people.
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Sounds like they need to committ to a full scale operation or they risk some repeat visit issues for the future.
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We have had issues with one of the ladies at the lumberjack camp. She is not SDC stuff.
I would think they would want to do this right and build sales for next year. My guess is that when they run extended hours they do not have the staffing hours to keep from running into overtime. Many profits are lost when you start running time and a half.
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Then I would say that the profits vs what it "costs" are not worth doing this a third year.
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I say make it a summer-long thing to be open 'til 10pm (seeing as how CC is currently closed). Maybe the crowds won't be quite as big because people will have all summer to check out the park during those hours...
Or, I dunno, take some cues from WoF's schedule... I seriously think SDC could do well having night hours; I mean, if the Tracks and mini-golf and stuff can stay open 'til 1-2am, why can't SDC, as least during the summer, stay open 'til, say, 10pm Mon-Thu, 11pm or 12pm Fri-Sat, and perhaps 8 or 9pm Sunday...?
Sure, they'd have to do something more crew-wise, but perhaps they'd get good returns and it'd pay for itself in the end...
I'd say the thing that grated on me the most when I was there Monday was when my sis and I were walking back to her BF and my niece after riding Wildfire, and I suddenly heard "This Diamond Ring" starting to play in the park... At first I started to complain, but then checked my watch and saw it was 6pm and remembered about them playing modern music for the Moonlight Madness hours....
Yeah, didn't fly too well with me. It was just TOO WEIRD hearing Golden Oldies streaming through an 1880's mining town. I mean, honestly, I doubt any of the people coming to ride the rides would give a fig if they were to play thematic music instead of freaking Oldies....
*takes deep breath*
Okay, okay, I will calm down now... *shrugs sheepishly*
Yeah, I really wish the SDCFans members had creative control over the park. As a whole, they're doing okay still, but there are certain details that really need to be reworked...
Joy
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I'm heading to SDC to see Aunt June this Thursday!!! Yipeeeee!!!! ;D
See some of you around the City!
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Awesome day in the City on Thursday. Hardly any lines and I got to meet Copper...cool!!
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Took a trip with the wife and kids today. Great weather for August! When we arrived at the park, we got a parking spot at the top of old C lot. I don't think I have ever had that good of a spot. I felt like George Costanza and hated leaving such a great spot at the end of the day.
I have to say the new trams and system are starting to work out nicely. I was skeptical at first, but they are a big improvement over the old green machines. The tram operators and parking attendants were top notch today and greeted everyone coming into the park. It was a nice touch.
We rode the water rides in the AM and were pleasantly surprised to be able to walk right on the Lost River and The Toboggan. I hadn't ridden the Toboggan in years and was surprised at how fast it was moving. The family laughed non-stop to the bottom. I didn't remember getting that wet before either. I couldn't have gotten more wet if I had jumped in Lake Silver.
We had a great day. We rode everything kid friendly (3 & 5) including two trips through Grandfather's Mansion. My kids have discovered a treasure, as they absolutely love that place. I only wish I could take them through the Tree house!
The only complaint is the one that seems to be becoming common. There were a few of the citizens that not only don't want to be there, but actually despise their jobs. I've worked with the public in some much less interesting fields and know that it can be tough, and isn't for everyone, but I knew that going in. These people are just plain gripey and shouldn't be sacking your groceries let alone "entertaining" you at a theme park.
Like I said we still had a great day, but here are a couple of examples. Four teenagers were getting into a boat on the flooded mine and were excitedly trying to decide who was going to sit where. They weren't jumping or yelling they were just discussing where to sit. Suddenly the ride op bellows, "get in, sit down or get off the ride. I know sometimes ops probably get tired of shenanigans, but the protocol should be “please have a seat boys", or “for safety purposes I can’t start the ride until you guys have a seat…..thanks”. However, when he starts out with the big guns he made almost everyone on the boats wonder who the heck this joker was talking to. Another incident was in the candy shop. My wife started to bring out her pass for the ten percent discount before she quickly remembered that that was only for the eateries, but before she could put her pass away, the comically cranky "semi-retired" guy shouts and I mean shouts with his hand in a stop position...."NO!" I laughed and ask my shocked wife "what is he shouting about"? Once again proper protocol should be, "sorry mam, but that is only for the eatieries". How does any logical person think that shouting NO is going to have a posive outcome? We took our final purchase ever from the candy store which was an over priced, tiny bag of fudge and taffy fetching $12.70, and walked out of the store in amazement that this crankster was ever able to dupe someone in human resources into hiring him.
On a positive note, kudos to the young gal running the Lady bugs who smiled and laughed with all of the little kids who in turn laughed and waved at her during the whole ride. I suggest they fire the cranky types that apparently were drafted to work at SDC without their consent, and give her a raise.
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They can take the lady at the lumber camp with them. On their way out stop by Molly's and pick up a couple of the lady's from there.
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I don't think this has been brought up, but (sorry Swoosh, you'll hate this :)) I wonder if some of the less than hospitable citizens might be due to the job market? People lose their jobs and will literally take anything (I mean ANYTHING) to make ends meet. Sure, you can try to weed them out in the hiring process, but if they really know the interview process they can sweet talk themselves into getting the position. (I'm sure we've all done this to some extent).
Maybe if the job market is better next season there won't be so many inhospitable citizens.
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Maybe the Grumpy ones were the ones brought in from CC... I know that last year people complained about the exchange students that were working but at least they were nice.
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Everyone needs to remember to email the park when you have a specific complaint against an employee. Plenty of people have complained about the same half-dozen or so employees, so we should really let the park know what's going on at some point.
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I did right the park. Once this year and once in 2005 about service issues. I recieved NO response. I just figured it was because the Hershelds were gone and SDC was not being run the same.
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^That's weird. ??? I've written the park the past couple of years (emails) and have always received phone calls in response.
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In which way did you contact them, Firstvisit? I've found that every time I fill out their feedback form on their website, they reply fairly promptly and with a real reply instead of an automated one (well, I think you get an automated one saying they got your reply, then later I got an actual reply from a woman in the office).
It's been a while since I've used the feedback form... Should do it again.
Joy
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How are these out-front jobs not a lot of fun most of the time? There are going to be some bad times, but I've worked in the tourist field and most of the time people on vacation are looking to have fun. Tourists are usually not grumpy themselves unless they perceive that someone is not offering a deserved service. With some of these complaints, it seems the pimple-faced brats working the drive-through at McDonald's are nicer (and that's a job that can make you grumpy).
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How are these out-front jobs not a lot of fun most of the time? There are going to be some bad times, but I've worked in the tourist field and most of the time people on vacation are looking to have fun. Tourists are usually not grumpy themselves unless they perceive that someone is not offering a deserved service. With some of these complaints, it seems the pimple-faced brats working the drive-through at McDonald's are nicer (and that's a job that can make you grumpy).
Exactly! We have a great time in spite of the grampuses, and my kids always thank the ride ops after they are exiting a ride. We don't let it affect our day in the least, but I do hate to see such a classy park slide down to the cookie cutter flavor of others. I hope it doesn't lose that uniqueness, but alas maybe it is a sign of the times in this hurry up world, and becoming another cherished memory lost forever.
And yeah, man I feel for everyone working in a fast food restaurant! Those poor souls have a brutal occupation. I don't expect anything but my food minus the spit when I go to those places, and I usually give them the biggest smile I can and plenty of "thank yous" and "please", in honor of their valor. Some of those drive through employees look like air traffic controllers juggling orders, money and headset conversations. Not for the feint of heart.
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I wonder how many smiles a day Terry gets. ( I do not know the man just his work). My kids look for him whenever we go. Seening them excited makes my wife happy......which in turn makes for a great day.
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I wonder how many smiles a day Terry gets. ( I do not know the man just his work). My kids look for him whenever we go. Seening them excited makes my wife happy......which in turn makes for a great day.
Terry is great and loves what he does. He is just as great when he is out of character as he is when he is working. I think this is why he is such a great addition to the park.
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We were there Saturday 8/8. Had a wonderful day.
The park was packed. And the weather was hot.
We had no lines in the GE really and everyone was happy and helpful. The bathrooms were spotless and I saw a lot of people sweeping the streets.
Since we were there as an early birthday present for my daughter, we did a few special things. She got to buy a parasol with her name...and she watched her do the designs on it. And the highlight of the day was that we ordered her a birthday cake from Eva and Delilahs. As soon as we got there we placed our order and they called us within about 40 minutes to tell us it was ready. Our daughter went and dipped her own candles to put in her cake, then we headed back to the bakery. The staff snuck out and sang happy birthday with us and they were all so wonderful. It truly made my daughter feel special. Oh, and the cake was delicious! I highly recommend this, and the cake was the same price as ordering from a grocery store bakery.
Also almost every citizen who saw my daughters balloon stopped and said happy birthday to her.
My son got to ride the GE rides for the first time. What a blast. It is amazing how the kids having fun can make the heat seem less devastating.
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What a great idea for a birthday party. I think I will do this for may grandson 5th birthday in December.
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I went on Friday afternoon/night. The place didn't start getting crowded at all until Moonlight Madness hit. Even then, it wasn't too bad at all. My youngest son (just turned 3 yesterday) rode FitH for the first time. I think the only part he and his older brother (turning 5 next month) didn't like was getting wet at the end.
I didn't encounter any grumpy people, not have I really the previous time I went this year. Not sure if I am just lucky or others are unlucky. ;)
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I was wonderng what the weather has been like the last couple of weeks in Branson. Has anyone been that could fill me in? I know I could just check the Weather Channel (and I do...Branson is one of my presets on my Desktop Weather), but sometimes the difference between forecast and reality are several degrees and a crummy day. We went back in April and the forecast was 62 and partly sunny and we got 44 and drizzle.
Anyway, just wondering if someone could let me know about the weather up there...I'd like to get away in a week or two.
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We were there yesterday--Oct. 17. Definitely sweatshirt weather, and in the morning, maybe gloves and jacket. I tend to like cooler weather, though, so I wasn't as bundled up as some people. It was cloudy, but the sun popped out here and there, especially in the afternoon.
We had a great day. Short waits for rides in the morning and moderate waits in the afternoon. There were many people walking around, but it didn't seem unbearably crowded. Construction was going on in the new ride area. They were working on a roof mostly.
The trams were very efficient, much more so than earlier visits this year. We can't wait to go in Nov. for Christmas!
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I was there on Friday, it was cool but not bad. It is hard to predict what the weather will be at any one time of the year. I have gone Thanksgiving weekend for the past 15 years and it has been 32 with snow flurries or sunny and 72. You just take you chances. The crowds were not that bad, there were more kids there than I expected for a Friday, but the lines were quick. We were able to ride all the major rides and cover the entire park in 4 hours.
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Went Saturday. Froze to near death. Was privileged to meet cornshuckdoll in her booth. Was going to look for SteamFreak, but the family was too cold and we never made it to the depot area.
I've noticed more of the same type food being served in more spots lately - the big thing now is the Philly (which I think does not have enough flavor to bother with.
We spent some time in the saloon show. I disagree with many in this forum who think this show is back. It's nothing like the old shows, the only similarity being the name of Tilly - an undeveloped character if I ever saw one. We sat right at the stage and felt the breeze from the kicks - a little close for my comfort. Granted, the show is better than it was a year or two ago, but character development is absent. One character that stood out was the male in the Root and Scoot pair (or whatever their names were) - real name Joe Joe Joe.
Had some trouble parking. We were there relatively early, but were directed to a small lot across the street. Six cars were sent into a dead end where there were no spaces and had to back out. When we finally made it out, there were no parking attendants anywhere to be seen. I made the executive decision (as the driver) to cross into the old C lot and the fellow in the street threw himself in front of our vehicle and started telling me I was going against the one-way street, when I was just crossing said street. Of course, I was blocking traffic from all directions, and the guy had little choice but to let us pull into the parking place. I'm not one for such confrontations, and this guy was just doing his job, but three of his buddies had just directed us into a dead end where we had to convince the folks behind us to back out before we could do the same. It was strange that they couldn't see there were no spaces down that aisle and even stranger that they vanished. It didn't ruin our visit, but I hate that it might have bothered our friend the traffic director. The parking continues to greet guests with bad experiences before they ever hit the front gate.
We stayed on Indian Point for this trip and saw about 18 deer through the course of the two nights we stayed, including three budding bucks and some other deer outside our room.
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Oh I see how it is...get a little chilly and no one comes to see me...hmph
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As a relatively new guy to the site...I didn't know that SteamFreak was actually some one at the park. We were there over last weekend and if I had known, I would have said -Howdy! It was a cold weekend, that's for sure, but I make it around the park at least four times every time, just taking up the scenery. A coworker had a booth at the Missouri hands area, so that was an unexpected bonus. I enjoyed Terry's work as always, although I wish my "work" was that much fun. Now my family knows who he is and watches for him all over. I will be going back in November/December, but don't know when yet. I sing with the Dickens Carolers here in KC during the season, so my getaway time is difficult to get.
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Last Sunday started off chilly, but the day ended up being beautiful. All lines were short, (first time being the only one on F-I-T-H), and the shows were a pleasure, as always. Enjoyed visiting with the Sanders couple & Violet Hensley, as well as the many fine folks there. Sorry, Steam, I stopped by the depot several times, but never saw you! Only 2 weekends left of the Harvest Festival!
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Yesterday was Violet's 93'rd Birthday and they had a celebration at the City yesterday. What an amazing woman.Self taught Ozark native, Violet Hensley was born in Montgomery County, Arkansas, in 1916. Because of her skill, a lot has been written about this self-described "oldtime hillbilly." She's a regular and — perhaps the most famous — craftsmanship demonstrator at Silver Dollar City. She's been coming since 1967. She has appeared on the Beverly Hillbillies Show, the Art Linkletter Show, and Captain Kangaroo. This "Arkansas Living Treasure" has stories that amaze anyone. From her storeis about her first dress she sewed that was simply a pillowcase with 2 armholes and a headhole-soon she was sewing for the neighbors. She learned to shoe horses "by doin' it", same with fiddles. If you get a chance she is an amazing woman to visit with.
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu218/rubedugans/violet.jpg)
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu218/rubedugans/photos097.jpg)
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu218/rubedugans/photos096.jpg)
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Here are a few press photos from Violet's many appearances
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu218/rubedugans/Hensley_Kangaroo_f.jpg)
(http://i649.photobucket.com/albums/uu218/rubedugans/Hensley_Linkletter_f.jpg)
Photos from : encyclopediaofarkansas.net
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We're going to the park on Friday, anyone else going to be there (by choice)?
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Hmmm... I'd love to go on Friday or Saturday. I'm hoping to find a friend with a car who wants to be my second person for the SDC Times coupon I've got.
I'll let ya know if I manage to get down there!
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Ahhhh, miss Violet. During the craft festivals, she used to have a booth right outside of the Candy shop and it was so neat to take a break from brittle making and chat with her. What a legend!
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I'll be at SDC tomorrow (Saturday). Although I just realized my coupon won't be good, I'm going anyway. And I'm paying for a friend, too, as his Christmas gift. I don't mind... It'll just make me more frugal about my eating habits (which have not been very frugal lately, as a college student--I need to go back to my $2.50 a day budget [which really worked VERY well] and stop with the Domino's and Taco Bell, LOL).
Joy
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Yep, the BAF tickets are never good right after Thanksgiving.
There were 15K at the park yesterday the last time I checked. It was busy but still easy enough to enjoy oneself
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It is INSANE here. We parked in Lot GLEN (across 76 from Notch Inn). The line for PK is long, but moving pretty fast; faster than some times when it was a shorter line... Wonder how many trains they're running.
Will be stopping to say howdy to Terry after this. Can't wait til after dark. My friend has never been here for Christmas before.
Will check back in later.
Joy
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I love it there at Christmas. I went the first week of Nov.. I really want to go back before the end of the season. tinaalsgirl ride Fire in the Hole for me........
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Sounds like you're having a great time Joy! I love SDC at Christmas. I want to go back, too. I don't know if we'll get to or not. My husband is working crazy hours right around Christmas, and I'm booked up for the weekends this month. Here's hoping...
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Not too bad this year for Thanksgiving weekend. I wasn't able to get into any shows, but the Homestead Pickers were great outside. Most of the rides were packed from 3-7, but calmed down considerably during the last two hours. I waited 45 mins. for PK at one point, then it broke just as I was going to get on it. I ended up waiting there for another 30 mins or so watching them fix and test it. Apparently they have some troubles occasionally with the compressed air mechanism that releases the restraints.
Lots of fun watching the glassblowers and woodcarvers as always, and the guy doing basket weaving is really nice.
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Wait. Were you there yesterday?
My friend and I had tons of fun yesterday. He'd never been there for Christmas, so it was fun to introduce him to that.
Finally got to see the new tree in person. To be perfectly honest, I miss the old tree. I always liked the trumpeting angels on it, and I feel like the lights on the new tree are a bit too blocky.
BUT.... I LOOOOOVED the synchronization with the surrounding trees and buildings!!! OMG, that was so awesome! Next year I'll make sure to take video (I had my camcorder with me, but just forgot to dig it out).
We rode all the rides except a couple in the Expo, Fire in the Hole, and the Flooded Mine. STILL have not had the chance to ride PK at night, as when we went back to ride after dark had settled in, the ride was closed. Walked over to the Giant Swing to ride that in the dark, and IT was closed... So, went over to Thunderation and had a blast.
We ended up leaving at 8:30ish, 'cause my friend was getting tired and he was the one driving us back up to Springfield. By the time we got out onto the open road, it was 9:30. So I think we left at a good time.
Got myself a mug; LOVE SDC's hot chocolate... SO much better than Starbucks. We both got one of the giant cookies, too, but they were a little too crispy for our liking; we both prefer gooey soft cookies.
I got a Christmas present for my niece as we were leaving; I'm SOOO excited about it. I can't wait to give it to her. And it was very cheap, so now I can get one or two other things for her, too.
Got to stop and say hello to Terry over at the Carousel Barn. I love his elf costume; I told him he looks like he's from Who-ville. He said he's had more than one person ask if he's the Grinch; of course he isn't! He's a GOOD elf! :-)
All in all, a great time was had.
Joy
PS: Just wanted to mention how much we enjoyed the ride operator on the teacups last night. We didn't look at his name badge, but he had long hair and a trimmed beard; I thought he looked a bit like Kid Rock. Anyway, he was really funny and entertaining, so my friend and I both wanted to give him a special mention in case anyone "official" comes by and reads this thread.
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At the park on Friday and it was pretty full. Took Grandson Hunter (2.5 years) to the Offical Measuring Station and he finally came in at 36.5 inches. Took him on the Flying Elephants, The Mighty Gallion ( Which he hide his head most of the time), and Fith ( He screamed out loud at the train drop). Granddaughter Hailey (4 months) seamed to be intriged by all the people and the activity. Had a blast on TGS ( First time I heard my son-in-law say " I love this ride" and scream like a little girl) and Wildfire after dark, PK's line was too long. Overall we had a good time, the weather was great at 65 degrees but got chilly after dark.
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It'd been, oh, I think 4 years since I last rode Wildfire in the dark. I'd forgotten just how thrilling it is! The only light is on the lift hill, and with the color of the track so dark, you feel like there's nothing ahead of you. Absolutely BRILLIANT.
Still can't wait to ride PK at night. Oh well. I'll be there May 1, and I believe the park is open til 10pm that day? Plus there'll always be Moonlight Madness and Christmas.
~"Becky" Joy~
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^You are correct. :) The park is open 9 AM to 10 PM on May 1.
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Yeah. I plan on being there all day. Yes, 11 hours of SDC goodness! Can't wait!
Joy
PS: Well, technically more like 12+ hours, 'cause I'm gonna spend the night at Deer Run so I can be over there as early as they will let me in. :D
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COASTER CHRISTMAS THIS SATURDAY ;D ;D ;D
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Wow, sounds like we could have had a real SDCFans meet-up, half of us were there! Next time I'll be sure to let everyone know when I'm going to be there.
Tch, I'm glad I talked myself out of trying to go to Coaster Christmas, with finals to study for any everything, but I wish I could be there. One of these years...
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Left our house at 8am.
17K on property today (Saturday) - One year ago, we helped set the all-time record attendance of 27K.
Parked in the quarry, below tram stop #3 - got right in but we were there 45 minutes before the park opened.
Saw Swoosh early in the day, and expect some pictures from the RB to be posted soon, since some of the ACErs were able to go beyond the boundaries to tour the site.
We saw the first showing of a Christmas Carol, then got in line for Santa pictures. This was a different Santa than we've seen in recent years, but a good one. He related well with our daughter. The photos are little expensive, but you gotta get one, right? We just get the acrylic snowflake every year and hang them all on the tree.
Walked over to GE and let our daughter ride a couple of rides, but it was pretty cold and the Wave Carousel pretty much did her in.
By that time, we had missed Frosty a second time, and I'm thinking that show should be moved to the Riverfront Playhouse. I'm really ready for another indoor show venue.
The train line is always too long - it has been ages since we rode it at Christmas. We saw SteamFreak, but couldn't meet him due to the crowds and our timing. Instead, we rode FM - the easiest ride to stand in line for since it's inside. The prisoners donned Santa hats, but beyond that there was no redecorating for Christmas. We reminisced about the Candy Mine the one year they went all out in the mine with decorations; it was strange, but fun.
Made our way to Grandfather's Mansion - crowded. I've noticed the mansion seems to be more populated with visitors in recent trips, but I don't know why.
Hungry? I discovered that Tater Soup at the Wagon Works (at the corner of the main square and Hill Street) is half price when you order it in a cup and not in a bread bowl ($7.59 divided by 2 equals only $3.80!). Plus it's bacony and cheesy and delicious.
Finally, we viewed the initial lighting of the tree. I recommend the tree performance, but if you haven't gone for Christmas, I recommend that you skip the first lighting show and opt for later shows that are less attended. The best performance of the tree is the one with the Polar Express theme song - this one really gets the main square hopping. It's the first time we have stood on the building side of the tree and were able to enjoy the lights on the shops getting into the action along with the Christmas tree lights and surrounding tree lights.
My mistake was waiting until now to get hot chocolate - note to self: get hot chocolate the first time you see it. We love using our mug with the one dollar refills for this, but I insist on getting hot chocolate with the works. Some places don't offer "the works", so you have to use discretion when buying this decadent pleasure in a cup. Having waited until the entire 17,000 guests were on Main Street, we had to wait in line for 20 minutes before getting our mug refilled.
After a long wait (since you have to stake a claim well ahead of time), we got to see the light parade (We see it every year and remind ourselves that it's always the same - not really worth waiting a half hour for.), at which point we were too cold to continue. Made it home by 10:30.
Not a bad trip - very satisfying. I noticed there seemed to be more artisans actually demonstrating on property than I've seen the past few visits, but I am still disappointed that Terry Sanders is the only real character who interacts with guests. Used to be every employee had an 1880s persona and stuck to it. Please bring back a real street troupe to spontaneously burst into hilarity for the guests.
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The weather turned out nicer than expected! The lines were insane, so I skipped all the shows, except Frosty (Justen Case is the raccoon), visited some folks, then headed down to see Terry as Barney Fife at Big Cedar, followed by a great dinner & backstage tour with the Lennon Sisters & Tony Orlando, had a blast!
Terry said the total yesterday was 19,000+, and sadly most of the characters are involved with the shows & parade (Shorty & Justen are at Frosty, Whoops is in the parade, and Granny is at the turnstyle; I too, greatly miss the characters!
I also added new pics to my Tom & Huck album on flicker...
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Tch, I'm glad I talked myself out of trying to go to Coaster Christmas, with finals to study for any everything, but I wish I could be there. One of these years...
You missed out. It was by far the best one yet, with tours of both Wildfire and PowderKegs's maintenance buildings plus the River Blast tour
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UG, I'm going to start setting aside funds for next year. It's still a good thing I didn't try going this year though as I suddenly had to attend a funeral.
Yeah, next year we just need to get a bunch of SDCFans folks to go!
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There is a slight CHANCE that it might be moved to November next season due to the fact that ERT almost always gets "chilled" out in the morning.
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I also added new pics to my Tom & Huck album on flicker...
I'll try to get my onsite construction photos up by Tuesday
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Hmmmm... I'm thinking, who does SDC make the most money off of, as a group? All the SDCfans and their family & friends, or ACE? I've attended 30+ times this year, meeting many friends there, and taking many with me, and I know Rube has been their a few times this year... I'm thinking WE, as a group, could do something like Coaster Christmas! :)
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^Well this year, ACE as they had the national convention there. ;D
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I agree! I think I have made the trip from StL between 5-8 times this year, and I have definately 2 more before the season is over! WOO HOO!!! I was going to attempt the opening day, and closing day, but thats not gonna work this year!
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Financially, I've not been able to go very often. But next year, I plan to be extremely frugal with my money so I can go at least enough times to get the ornament.
I wanna get a huge group together to go for May 1st. I'm thinking of maybe staying at Deer Run the night before & if we get four or five people to a room, it wouldn't cost much.
Then we'd be right there to be able to get into the park the minute the turnstiles.
Joy
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I wanted to camp out (you know like Black Friday Shopping camp out). That would be hilarious for them to come to open the turn styles, and see me in a pop up tent.
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I'd totally camp out, too, if it was allowed. :-)
It'd be like those people who camped outside of Disneyland the day the Pirates of the Caribbean movie premiered.
Joy
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I wanna get a huge group together to go for May 1st.
I'll be there for the media event, but I imagine I could still meet up with you guys.
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Well, I'm hoping that maybe we'll have an agreed upon T-shirt design before then so that all the SDCFans who are there May 1st can be wearing them... We'll overrun the park! They shall bow to their new overlords!
;)
Joy
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The park will be quite overrun that weekend. The Ozark Mt. Daredevils are coming out of retirement to do a concert that weekend. It will be crazy packed.
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Yeah, I'm staying away the day of the concert. I'm not familiar with the group anyway. I'm just interested in May 1st. :-)
It'll be cool to watch the fireworks at Echo Hollow... Can't wait.
Joy