Messages

1

Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC's 2023 Project(s) and Park Developments

« on: March 13, 2023, 09:16:48 AM »

Everything changes. There is no future otherwise.

SDC has never been about the future:  it is--or has been--explicitly about the past. 

I would be perfectly satisfied--nay, delighted!--with the SDC of 1970, prior to ALL of the coasters.

SDC wouldn’t even be here today if they never changed. They’re a business, just because their theme is about the past doesn’t mean that they have to be stuck in the past with business.

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Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC's 2023 Project(s) and Park Developments

« on: March 10, 2023, 06:55:41 AM »

I guess that makes sense. I assumed that the cameras were more of a turnkey rental program and not necessarily an outright purchase.

It’s more like a lease through Kodak. They provide all the equipment (ride cameras, photo cameras, computers, servers, screens, etc) and their tech support. I’m not sure how much SDC pays for it when they went in-house, but I’d assume that amount would increase for each on-ride location they add. They planned doing the same thing for Mystic River, as in a photo-op location like TT, but COVID ruined both that idea and TT’s photo-op.

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Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC's 2023 Project(s) and Park Developments

« on: March 09, 2023, 11:59:49 PM »

Can confirm that it will be a photo op and not on-ride. No use in spending so much $$$ on a new camera, building, computers and servers for a farewell season. The new FiTH will have one on-ride.

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General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Train Crash?

« on: March 05, 2023, 10:02:54 AM »

While the cause of the train incident is undisclosed, it has been confirmed that it is at the fault of no SDC employee. I am close with the train crew, and they are so passionate in their job that they wouldn't have let any of this happen. The maintenance foreman also declared it is nobody in the train maintenance crew's fault. It is extremely hard to wreck SDC's train unless you are going extremely fast, and considering the train settled on the inside of the curve, speed was not a factor.
I believe it had to do with a kingpin connecting a truck to the frame of Car no. 3. In an on-ride POV filmed 4 hours prior to the wreck, you can see the car is riding a lot rougher than the others, especially on the curve it derailed.

They won’t listen, it doesn’t fit their narrative of “SDC is going downhill and they don’t care!”

Freak accidents happen, and can happen more than once in a span of a year. The fire was a simple grease fire that got out of control too quickly for anyone to even do anything. The worker on TNT, bless his soul, died because of his own error, not the parks or any other employees. And like you said just said with the train. But hey, SDC bad!

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General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Train Crash?

« on: February 28, 2023, 10:51:16 AM »

I guess I am surprised that there was not more of a change in the operational leadership at the park.  Maybe there is and we don't know.  2022 had some serious leadership issues.  Fire during operations, the train derailment with people on board, and the death of an employee.  All of these were preventable, and each of them was not prevented.    We like to talk about the theme going to heck and destroying the park, but a history of unsafe practices will end the park.  I hope that the management has made operational changes and does not believe that these were one-off accidents.

These were one-off accidents, speaking as an employee during those incidents.

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Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC's 2023 Project(s) and Park Developments

« on: February 19, 2023, 09:16:54 AM »

I don't see how they are going to have all that done within a month.

That’s because it’s a two year project.

“ A few  notes on parking:

1️⃣ This is a 2-year project.

2️⃣ It’s being done in phases so there will be minimal guest impact during the construction.

3️⃣ Once completed  we will have added over a thousand new spaces. And more than double the amount of cars we can park at one time! This will help get you into the City quicker and easier than ever before.

4️⃣ There will also be a SECOND turning lane added to Hwy 76 (to clear up those pesky traffic backups on nice days 😉)

5️⃣ We’re also adding new tram-only and pedestrian-only tunnels along with a new traffic flow that will make parking much simpler and more pleasant.

6️⃣ Unlike pretty much any other theme park in America, our parking will still be free! (Along with paid premium options too)”

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Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC's 2023 Project(s) and Park Developments

« on: February 17, 2023, 05:08:20 PM »

I would think if the water effect was that damaging, they wouldn't include it in FITH 2.0. And rumor and pictures of foundations seem to point to a water splash on the new coaster too.

Jay

Technology and construction has changed since FiTH was built, though.

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Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC's 2023 Project(s) and Park Developments

« on: February 13, 2023, 08:33:40 PM »

One progress step forward is three steps away from "not in Miss Mary's time". I have not been to sdc since 2017 because I just don't like the changes. Color me unimpressed.

I guess this big announcement thing is to try and push season pass sales for this year so people will show up to ride it before it is gone.  This is the first year in at least 10 years I have not bought season passes.  The park is rapidly moving to ward just a roller coaster park.  If that is the case, might as well do Six Flags which already has a much better variety of coasters, and it is cheaper.  Oh wait, that is what I did for this year.  Might perhaps do SDC for 2024 to see the new ride but after that, who knows.

Sounds good to me, that just means shorter lines and less rude people. 

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Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC's 2023 Project(s) and Park Developments

« on: February 13, 2023, 12:02:25 PM »

I’m not sure why you all expected them to announce FITH 2.0 with this announcement. They’re saving that to push for 2024 season passes. You guys complained they never gave Lost River a “final” season announcement and they now since they’ve corrected that you now want them to announce the replacement with the final season announcement? Swooosh is right, all you guys do is complain. 


Anyway, it’s good they ripped the bandaid off. They knew there’d be backlash with the announcement. but it’s cool to hear a high quality version of the theme. It’ll be sad to see it go, but there’s only so much you can do for a 50 year old ride until it’s cheaper and safer to start from scratch. I’m hopeful for its replacement, with the rumored powered trains you really can’t add any gimmicks. I’m glad that future generations will still be able to experience SDC and Fire in the Hole, even if it isn’t the original.

EDIT: They uploaded the theme song to YouTube in high quality: https://youtu.be/70-qOr-tgYE

10

Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC's 2023 Project(s) and Park Developments

« on: January 18, 2023, 09:53:15 AM »

I’m glad they’re reworking the parking lot/entrance situation. It’s a much needed upgrade to handle the amount of people that come in, and the tram/roadway crossing heading to lot 3 was dangerous and confusing for new visitors. Hopefully once they start working on the landscaping they put some fully grown trees back in.

A much needed upgrade for a very crappy parking lot.

11

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: 2022 Crowds / Trip Reports

« on: November 24, 2022, 04:10:48 PM »

Missed getting a Christmas ornament by 1 festival and the employee refused to sell it to us. Said we had to come back next year in order to buy one. We were waffling on buying 1 season pass and using BAFs like we did this year but the extra high price on the pass plus the attitude of the employee confirmed our decision not to buy so we waited in line for 30 minutes for nothing.

Glad they stuck to their gut and didn’t sell it to you to be honest. Seemed like you were the one with an attitude and not the employee, they have their own rules to follow. 🤷🏻‍♂️

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General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Train Crash?

« on: October 27, 2022, 04:15:25 PM »

For me personally, I won’t ride again until they have a very transparent announcement of what went wrong, what they are doing to prevent it from happening again(and that plan being believable to prevent it), and what other safety enhancements they are adding(seatbelts maybe?)

It seems pretty unlikely to reopen this year, I’d expect an investigation to take at a bare minimum 6-8 weeks but likely more. I do hope they come up with a way to have story time with grandpa somewhere. I think The dockside theater would be a good place for that, but I don’t remember what they usually have there at Christmas.

I do wonder if the passenger cars are just too wide for the narrow gage railway that they have.

More room for us who enjoy it, then. Freak accidents happen sometimes. The passenger cars aren’t too wide at all, they’ve been running for 60 years without issue and many years before that on other narrow gauge railroads.

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General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Train Crash?

« on: October 26, 2022, 10:29:55 PM »

https://www.ozarksfirst.com/local-news/local-news-local-news/heavy-emergency-responder-presence-at-silver-dollar-city/
Here's a link to Ozarks First with a picture

"...and passengers had to smash the windows to climb out."

Windows? What windows?

Probably the ones on the front and back of the passenger cars, but they also said the wheels were made of rubber so I don’t really know what they’re smoking.

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General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Train Crash?

« on: October 26, 2022, 09:15:00 PM »

It should be interesting to find out the cause.  Can anyone answer why the cars would come unattached from the wheels?

That’s how all bogies are attached to the car with any train. They rest on top of the bogies and the bogies test on top of the wheels

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Construction/Rumors / Re: 2023-2024 Announcements

« on: October 25, 2022, 08:42:41 AM »

I’m trying to figure what the “2nd turning lane into the city” would be. Would it be along 76, due to how it bottlenecks there?

Everything else seems like a huge plus. Student housing to help with employment, HF coming back and even Fried Fancies. The buildings being spaced out looks great, hopefully they’ll put trees where they’re clearing for some shade.