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Now I'm wondering why Brad lied(or the decision was forced by corporate)
Anyways, I think it's a pretty bad decision on SDC's part. If project 2027 is a Mack hyper like rumored, the park will lack a true family coaster- something for 8 year olds to get used to thrill rides. The jump between FITH and powder keg is pretty big. Whatever replaces TnT won't be here until '29-'30 at the earliest. If they had to close it, they should have pushed it until after project 2027 opens.

Maybe Brad didn't technically lie. Maybe the new ride will be a "new" Thunderation. Thus TNT will be there in 2027.

Does anyone else find it odd that they are building this new ride practically on top of 3 other rides?  (Powderkeg, Wildfire, American Plunge)  They have so much land between the new hotel and the park, why cram these rides all together?

I just saw this comment on a prediction video on youtube. It's 3 months old but pretty interesting if true.

If SDC is getting a coaster like Big Bear Mountain, it could be ready for next year potentially. Big Bear didn't have track show up until September 2022 and the ride was done on May 12, 2023. So if SDC gets track in very soon, it could be ready to go by late May or June 2025.

They are going to put in a coaster like Dollywood's Big Bear Mountain except maybe not as long, but a smooth family coaster.

Thunderation's days are numbered, unfortunately, but it is hard for them to maintain.

And you know this how?

It's never bad to pay employees more

[/quote]

It may never be bad, but it doesn't happen for nothing. You either have to bring more people to the park or charge more for tickets.

Gonna be extra disappointing now when today's announcement is just them winning that #1 theme park award again

Well...

Yep. Extra disappointing.

Whoa, that's a lot more than what I was expecting. I'm trying to process this. So we're getting a new land, new updates throughout the park, and a massive new coaster with indoor/outdoor sections? So like an improved Big Bear (or what Big Bear was supposed to be)? That's incredible.

That's what I'm seeing. And with Terry Wayne Sanders wearing aviator gear, Im hoping for a flying coaster. The only negative thing I'll say is the ride name is too close to Fire In the Hole.

From the official SDC Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1075465731274846&set=a.695023275985762

SILVER DOLLAR CITY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OZARK MOUNTAINS, Mo. (April 2025)
IT'S TIME TO UNLEASH THE LEGEND OF OZARK HOLLOW
A new chapter is beginning in the heart of the Ozark Mountains.
Silver Dollar City is proud to unveil its largest expansion in park history: Ozark Hollow — an immersive new land filled with thrills, storytelling, and heart-pounding adventure. The centerpiece: Fire in the Ozarks, a record-breaking family coaster that takes guests deep into the untamed wilds.
And that's just the beginning.
"We are writing a bold new future for Silver Dollar City," said Brad Thomas, President of Silver Dollar City Attractions. "This land connects to the spirit of adventure that runs deep in this region, in this park, and in the hearts of our guests. From the soaring heights of the mountains to the mystery of underground caves, the Ozarks come alive in Ozark Hollow — plus handcrafted dining, frontier shopping, and never-before-seen shows."
This long-awaited addition has been carefully crafted to honor the heritage of the Ozarks while offering new experiences to all ages. The new coaster features multiple launches and indoor-outdoor thrills through mountain caverns and misty valleys.
Along with the opening of Ozark Hollow, Silver Dollar City is enhancing guest areas throughout the park, increasing shade, updating pathways, and expanding dining. All of this is just the beginning — the future is blazing bright for Silver Dollar City and generations to come.

I've also been wondering about how much longer Outlaw Run will be a wood coaster. The pothole at the bottom of the drop can be brutal, and the general public thinks its a "rough" ride. Personally, I like how it runs, but the ride struggles with ridership because of it's image. Plus, there have been reports of a car having a rollback on the Barrel roll, caused by the pothole. Considering how Lightning Rod had its track turned into IBox, I cant help but wonder if HFEC is considering that option. Outlaw Run is reportedly a maintenance nightmare, and I'm sure IBox would help, but then the coaster would lose it's uniqueness and world records. IIRC it still holds the wood coaster inversion record. I also think that SDC knows this and is trying to keep it a wood coaster. They could convert just the bottom part of the drop to IBox, as that is the area with the most trouble, but then the technicalities come in. Is it a full circuit wood coaster? Should it win "wood" coaster awards? LR had these issues before fully becoming a steel coaster.
I really hope that SDC can either keep it fully wood, or convert only the bottom of the drop to steel. The ride is my #1 because the wood track makes it feel "out of control." Unironically, velocicoaster might be my new #1 if outlaw run becomes steel.
If they have to convert it, so be it. But man would that be disappointing.

I always thought Outlaw Run struggled with ridership because of its location. It's so far off the beaten path. They really need to connect the loop through the dead end where the old Fire In The Hole is.

IF this ends up being a Giga or Hyper Coaster, it will be the first in history to be labeled a "family attraction"

Did I miss something? Is it confirmed to be a "family attraction"?

@TPF just posted this video with some info. I'm perplexed about the Thunderation clue.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pfzH9qvHb74

I'm looking forward to pics of the new plaza on opening day. Wish I could be there.

Mixed emotions surrounding an announcement that felt like a mere formality from day one. While some aspects of a dedicated resort seem appealing, the building rendering feels little more than a scaled down cousin to DW's DreamMore, with a hint of Disney's Grand Floridian sprinkled in for good measure. I'm sure it will be well done and ridiculously overpriced like everything else is now.

Hard to know what the master plan holds, but as others have pointed out, it seems counterintuitive to not be prioritizing significant park expansion and infrastructure in the short term. The huge crowds in a smaller park have grown to a point that's really starting to dilute what used to be the park's best feature – charm. Attendance numbers certainly don't seem to indicate people being turned off and turning away due to overcrowding, but it would be hard to argue that park volume isn't contributing to a far from ideal experience for many patrons at this point. It's just hard to understand why HFE wouldn't want to start expanding the footprint of the park now to help thin the herd and give people new places to explore.

The last 10 years at SDC have netted Fireman's landing, Mystic River Falls, Time Traveler and Fire in the Hole. An investment totaling less than $90 and all within the existing footprint. I'm sure the park will look dramatically different by 2034, but it will be very interesting to see how $500 million gets "spread out" beyond the cost of resort construction alone.

I think the new festival area next year is expected to help with the crowds somewhat. But if that isn't enough, I'm sure other steps will be taken. It's a 10 year plan, so we must be patient.

They'll never go back to the 'Disney' music for sure, but there's still room for improvement. The bigger issue is that they lost a lot of their best performers. It's still a timeless show and story, but they will have to keep working at it to get close to where they were back in the glory days.

Looking at satellite maps, it looks like they have room to double the plaza area from what currently exists, but that would require bumping out to the road. Looks like they'll also have to lose a few more trees...

The big announcement is only a week away. One has to assume part of the reason behind the plaza enhancement is to make more room for the bigger and bigger crowds that will come as SDC turns into a multi-day resort destination. I'm almost surprised there wasn't more announced in this regard. In recent years, they have made a number of big redevelopments of areas of the park to accommodate larger crowds. The areas around Time Traveler, Mystic River, and the furniture factory are all unrecognizable from a decade ago. I guess without really bulldozing the rest of the park there aren't many other pinch points left to "fix" other than the entrance itself. Surprised that Ozark Marketplace and the Hospitality House are still sticking around, but I would be surprised if they are still here in five years.

Another thing not mentioned in this year's announcements: anything related to the old FITH space...

If the train tracks weren't there, they could make the new plaza start and blend in from where the old Toboggin ride structure is. I'm talking that area between the where the current path is, to the side of Red Gold Theater.  Is the area behind the plaza (next to the highway) buildable? Seems like I remember a steep decline to the highway.

They have to do something with the old FITH building or remove it, and they need to connect Hill Street to Outlaw Run. Also, they should link the two dead end roads at Wildfire and Powerkeg together.