SDCFans - The Unofficial Fan Site For Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City & Celebration City Discussion => General Silver Dollar City Talk => Topic started by: Junior on July 22, 2010, 06:59:54 PM
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Back when SDC first charged admission in the late 60's, they had two tickets...one for just walking through the park and visiting shops and craftsmen, and a higher "passport" ticket that included admission to the treehouse, mansion, flooded mine, float trip, and steam train. All the passport attractions had a little booth where you got your ticket punched. The booth at the mansion was torn down when I worked there, around '79 or '80. The base of the tree with the staircase to the treehouse had a window where an employee was sitting to punch your ticket. The "window" at the base of the tree is likely covered with something now...probably some kind of sign, or something. The ticket punch area at the float trip was in the mill that now decorates the American Plunge. You just don't go through the mill anymore. Last time I was on park, I think the ticket punch area for the flooded mine was still there. It was the little hut right before you crossed the little bridge over the water to the main building. The ticket punch area for the train is now used as a gift shop. On the front of the building, the window farthest to the right was used by a "station master" to punch your ticket. Even when SDC began charging one price for everything in the mid-70's, they still kept employees at some of these locations to greet you as you came into the attraction. The last float trip "river rat" to work the line was a guy named Percy, and he held the job 'til the end of the 1978 season. In 1979 when I worked at the float trip, there was nobody in that position. The train had a station master on in to the 1990's, I think. In the early 80's, the guys from the diving bell had the responsibility of cleaning the mansion and treehouse prior to park opening. I was one of those guys. Sometimes we would be stationed to go back and forth between the two places during the day to keep trash picked up, and to visit with guests. My pal Tony did that quite a lot around '82 and '83. As time has passed, SDC has phased these employees out from those jobs...it's too bad...those folks, including myself, helped add a bit more of that ole SDC flavor to those attractions. However, time has marched on, and SDC does not staff those old posts anymore. It's part of the streamlining that goes on in big companies, I guess.
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^They still have a shopper's pass. You pay as depoist (full admission) at the Guest Relations and then get a receipt stating the time you were issued the pass. You then enter the park and have 1 hour to shop. If you do not return in the allotted time you do not get your deposit back as they assume that you decided to spend the rest of the day at the park. IF it is taking longer, you can have the store clerk call and let GR know.
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New one on me...but an interesting idea.
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the only reason I even knew it existed was because a lady used one while I was in the Guest Relations building last year.
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While we're on "secrets of the park" for the last couple of years we have ordered (in advance) from the bakery a birthday cake for our daughter. We then took it around to different workers at the park that had wished her a "Happy Birthday" (she's 6). A lot of the workers had no idea that the bakery did personalized birthday cakes. FYI.
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Wow, neither did I! Now if we can convince the funnel cake guys to come to our house and make 'em fresh for us....(I was a funnel cake guy in '79 but I don't remember how they mixed the batter up..and it's gotta be just right.)
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Do I remember correctly that you can tour Marvel Cave without paying park admission? It seems that many years ago this was the setup - since the cave was designated a historic landmark.
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I want to say that touring the cave is free WITH paid park admission. Part of the overall package.
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Yeeahh...but what about my question?
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I'm not aware of touring the cave separately from park admission. I guess the best thing to do is see if DocSpelo would address this, or maybe you can contact the park directly and ask. I don't think I've ever heard anyone come on out just to tour the cave. I guess they would charge an admission price, but I don't know what it would be. Just because they made the National list as a landmark does not mean they have to give a tour away, as they have a lease on the cave that was privately owned by a church and College of the Ozarks...it was initially donated to them by the Lynch Sisters. I want to say that sometime in the 1990s the cave and the land surrournding it were purchased by SDC...seems like I saw this in the Branson press, but there are those on this site who will say I'm wrong...and I could be.
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That would be a little hard to control since you can exit and walk out right by Phoebe Snapp's and the restrooms without anyone noticing.
I used to manage Guest Relations at WDW and we have a shopper's pass as well, but it is limited to two hours and like Swoosh said, you have to pay full price. If you aren't out within the two hours, you just bought yourself a ticket to the park. Oh, and we typically don't sell them when entertainment (parades, etc) are going on.
We also used to have a ticket system as most of you probably remember. I LOVE finding old places that still exist like that. Now I'll be looking around SDC for more of these old places that I like to call "negative spaces" because they aren't really used for anything but are just a hull.
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I know that back in the 60's 70's you had to add the cave to your ticket price if you wanted to tour it. For several years we did not go to the cave.
My parents still have punch tickets from when SDC did those.
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We have seen pictures of FITH behind the scenes, I want to see some Flooded Mine secret pics.....anyone have any?
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I have seen a pic of a "lost" scene from Flooded Mine. I forget where, but I want to say Junior had it posted somewhere. Anyway, it was a scene of what looked like an office of the mine with a guy that had went through the floor and was almost under a desk I believe.
If anyone knows what I am talking about, can that anyone tell me where that was???
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I think that i was the area where the fake rocks used to fall...the area with the sleeping guards...area that one time had ghosts in it...the "rockslide" area...that is where the flooded mine photo Junior posted from 1970 was taken. The "office" for the flooded mine was there.
Here is a link to Juniors Flickr photo of it...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juniordugan/4619068362/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/juniordugan/4619068362/)
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There is a separate admission for the cave and several people do it each year. I remember one year as a guide I gave a tour to 70 Mennonite people, it was a blast. You can do it by purchasing your tickets through Guests Relations.
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As far as behind the scenes photos of flooded mine...I wish when I worked there I would have taken some. There are several hidden areas behind the scenes in the building, most are just small areas, or areas to walk through. There is a small break room behind the loading area, just through a door and up a few stairs. (Used to have a bunch of girlie pinups in there!) The Flooded mine does look much different with the work lights on...so much better in the dark. In the dark..that's the magic...with work lights on, rather boring. Sorry, no behind the scenes photos from me. Maybe some of the current insiders can slip in and take a few.
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Is that break room what is behind the door on the left marked "do not enter" (or some such) as you enter the boat loading area? I've noticed the door is not locked (it actually moves if you lean on it). Never had the nerve to open it and see what's behind...
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Yes, that's where the flooded mine break room is. However, I do not reccomend that you go into any area of the park that you are not supposed to...that is unless you have a friend or relative that is an employee and you are with them.
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I believe this has been mentioned before, but I wish Silver Dollar City offered regular behind the scenes tours including employee only areas, maintenance shops, and even the theme warehouse. Granted if you have a family member, or friend who works at the park then that may help "get you in the door" so to speak. Also, I know that on certain occasions Silver Dollar City has held open door special events. However, for us "regular Joe" visitors, I wish we could sign up for such a tour! ;D
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Alot of the magic of the park is the stuff you see...I can tell you, behind the scenes, it's bland. The Wagon Works Restaurant, the General Store, and the shop next to it are themed to look like separate, small structures, but in reality it's all one big building. There is an employee area behind those shops and it used to have a rest room, trash compactor, and small office/break area. The back side of those shops to my memory was just painted plywood...grey or brown at that. A utility area, with no magic. Same thing with the employee cafeteria, and the commercial kitchens and a ware house behind the mine/mill restaurant. Utility areas. A few offices, costume shop, and so on. However, I admit, as a new employee back in 1978, I was fascinated with these work areas of the park...because it was such a contrast to the park that guests see where all the magic happens!
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It is kind of like going to Oz and not knowing what is behind the curtain. I mean it is still great to be there, but there is always that wonder of what is back there.....And even if I knew, it wouldn't change my lookoout on the park itself. Sometime I will get a look....Just to fulfill my curiosities
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I personally am enthralled with the "not so pretty" side of special places like SDC. Having worked there, the actual number of backstage locations aren't all that plentiful (attractions with lights on not withstanding). But all in all, I loved having that touch of reality coming to work each day with all the sights and smells of the 1880's and then clocking in and working half my day in an industrial looking candy factory in a basement. We all want a taste of the anti-theme!
It's just the thought that most people didn't know it was there that was neat. I think the same can be said of the Disney tunnel system. I pass through there several times a week and it's great to see the underbelly, if you will, of the happiest place on Earth.
But I'll just caution this to everyone: once you have looked into the face of the normalcy of anywhere behind the scenes, there isn't anything left to "discover"
And there ends my Aesop fable, y'all.
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I wouldn't call this a secret but it was interesting. I was told all of the ice cream except sugar free was made on site at the ice cream parlor. Also, I was told by a worker that 80% of the candy was made on site at the candy factory. I was wondering if this percentage in the candy factory has changed over the years (increased or decreased).
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They still make everything that is chocolate, brittle, fudge and hard stick/pillow candy. They have indeed increased their "repackaged" candy (like Runts, licorice, red hots) but you can tell which is crafted and which is repackaged.
I would say 80% is still made there.
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This topic is almost a year old but I found out something I didn't know last weekend so I thought I'd reopen it. We were going through the queue line for Lost River of the Ozarks when one of the workers there told us about the different colored flags they put up above the "watch tower" on the ride ( the tower the citizen sits in before you get to the cave). Anyway he said a red flag means the wait time for the ride is one hour; a yellow flag means 45 minutes; and a green flag means 3o minutes or less. The flag was yellow for 45 minutes but we waited anyway and got through the line and off the ride in about 30 minutes. So I guess the wait times are worse-case scenarios. I thought I'd pass this helpful info along.
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now that is an interesting idea.. I will try to rmemeber to look for flags next time down..
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Wow, I had never noticed the flag colors. Very interesting tidbit! Now, I will have to purposely look for it. ;D
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Good catch! I will have to jot this down and take it with me for reference!
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Very interesting. I will definitely watch for this.
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I'm going to guess it was the late 80's or early 90's when I took a cave tour as a young kid and, the guide went by the name Jimbo. I purchased my picture on the way out of the cave, and I wanted Jimbo to sign it. If I remember correctly, there was an office/common area where Jimbo was working at a desk, and I got to go back there and get his autograph. As a kid, that was very, very cool for me to get to go "behind the scenes" at the City. I've still got that picture and it's one of my favorite SDC mementos.