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I totally understand how you are feeling.  Avoiding embarrassment costs some of us way too many
Opportunities for fun.
Flooded Mine
There are no bars or belts on The Flooded Mine, but you have to be able to get down and up two steps.  There are sturdy bars on both sides, but you will be stepping up out of the boat. 

American Plunge
This is a log ride that requires stepping into and back out of the log.  At the end of the ride, you pass through an observation area where people watch everyone coming down the big plunge.  No belts or bars that I remember.

Lost River

This ride has a belt, but you can ask for an extension.   Again, this requires stepping into and climbing out of the boat.

Fire in the Hole

This one has a bar, but it might work. If not, it would be pretty embarrassing to leave as lines of people are watching as they wait.

The train ought to be perfect.  The best view of the action is on the right side of the cars in the middle car or the one behind it.

I can't tell you anything about the roller coasters or newer rides.

The only turnstiles are at the front gates, but you will go through the gate with your cart.

Don't attempt to go down Cardiac Hill.  Go the route to the left side. It will get you down the steepest part and there are stores along the way.

The positive: the shows are great.  Be sure to see the saloon show first to avoid a longer wait later.
Everyone else will be worn out, but having an electric cart will make it much easier for you.

It is an amazing place.  You will not regret going.   Just get excited about shows and see them when your group is doing the "not for everyone" rides.

Dr. M. Graham Clark knew about the cave under his property.  He told me about how National Geographic had taken pictures of it and told him it was one of the prettiest caves they had seen.  He hadn't been in it himself since the only way in was to rappel into it. Since Dr. Clark was friends with Johnny Morris, I can't imagine he didn't share the same story with him.  I am just not buying that he was surprised to find it.  No doubt he was surprised for it to open up, but its existence was no surprise to people who spent time with Dr. Clark.

It could have been Ray Jones.  I don't know if he did etchings, but he was a glass blower and fits the description.

I was wondering what items from SDC we love the most.  Is there something that will be in your home for the rest of your life?

For me, it is a beautiful pink and gold swirled paper weight that Ray (jones), glass blower, made for me.  I worked with him at SOTH. 

About this time every year, I get dissatisfied with living in the city and dream of getting back to Branson.  I'm probably a tidge hard to live with while I fight within myself about how others have walked away from where they had a comfortable life to follow their hearts.  I look through ads for homes looking for the log cabin from my dreams. Eventually I realize how stuck I am for now, and I settle back down.   Making a living still matters.

Do any of you have the blues as fall at SDC approaches...sort of a seasonal discontent?

I know I'm dredging up an old topic, but I'm new here and it's all new to me. 

I love all the great info. of the Toby Show.  I was in the audience at the reunion show at the 76 Country Music Hall.  The thunderous applause and standing ovation Molly got that night still brings tears to my eyes!

In a music Class I had at School of the Ozarks, we were required to form a group and create a musical instrument. We had an experienced musician in our group who made a washtub base with a twist.  Instead of pulling the broomstick back and forth the way George did in theBaldknobbers, he drew fret lines on it. While everyone else demonstrated plinging random notes on boxes, with rubber bands, he made that old tub base sing a rather rousing " Smoke on the Water." I suppose I still owe him for that A!

Some years ago, I was in search of the perfect Christmas present for my grandmother, and I found it.  She was the one who started our family vacations in Branson around 1960. 

Over the years, her health failed until her SDC, Baldknobbers, and fishing days were over.  My gift was to bring  a piece of those good times to her. I bought a Baldkobber show VCR tape, but I needed some help pulling off the best part.  Jim Mabe, Droopy Drawers, met me at their Christmas party, stepped out, and recorded a personal message to her at the end of the tape.

When he said "hi, Momminy, " (our name for her), she said "well, hi." before it sunk in that he had recorded his message.

Hands down-my favorite Christmas gift ever!

I remember trying to swim in the swimming hole that was made by pouring gravel to block off the current.  It was just a little way from the bridge.  It was FREEZING.  It seems like it pretty quickly became a better duck habitat than swimming hole.

As an adult, I often took my daughters to have a picnic under the bridge.

For $5, we would stop at the grocery store and buy a loaf of bread, can if Pringles, package of Balogna, box of Little Debbie brownies, and 25 cent sodas from the machine outside.  This was
The early 90's.  Imagine feeding three people and a gaggle of ducks and geese on $5! 

Yep, apparently I CAN get more homesick than I was in my last post!

Do you remember Chick Allen's Museum on the right side of the road on the way to SDC?  He had a Baldknobber effigy hanging out front.  As a kid, I thought the place was scary, but I loved to look around while my daddy talked to Chick.

I think I remember him jigging at SDC, but I'm not sure that's where it was.

I had a wooden dancing doll bought from his place, and he taught me how to put the wooden paddle under my leg, hold the doll over the board, and make it dance.

Can I get any more homesick?

I know I'm dating myself here, but I wonder if anyone remembers when The Baldknobbers were down by the lakefront.  We would camp under the big tree just over the tracks.  A car with loud speakers would come through inviting everyone to see the show.  Their wives sold tickets and concessions. 

If you remember this, then you'll also remember Wild Man in his crazy black wig and tall, thin Chick Allen.

I forgot to mention who Ed is in my last post.  I'll bet everyone on here has seen him! 
He was the guy in the White Water commercial that said, "palm trees in Branson.". He
Played Buck Thompson at SOTH, and he was THE Mean Murphy in the Silver Dollar Saloon.

In the movie, he is sitting with Mike Coffelt who played Lem Wheeler at Shepherd. 

In the square dance scene, watch for these characters from Shepherd, too:  the sheriff (who was also the stagecoach driver at SDC many years ago, one
Of the Dad Howitts, and several others.

Another big inconsistency on imdb is that it links the Ed Marshal, who was in it, has been linked to a porn star by the same name.  Several SOTH actors can be seen in the background scenes like at the square dance.

I just watched it last week, and I was surprised at a few lines that were realllly close to lines from the SOTH play. Example: the reference to "no telling how much 'would be if'n it were rolled out flat." when talking about 40 acres. 

I wish I could remember the other overlaps.

The SOTH cave is shallow. There was talk of blasting it out to see if it connected to a bigger cave system, but that would have had to happen right under the highway, so the idea was scrapped.

I didn't realize it had been shut down.  My dad used to run it for daytime tours.  He ground corn, explained how it worked and it's importance to the community.