Messages

1

SDC Memories/ Park History / Re: I finally figured out why I dislike a lot of the upgrades and changes

« on: August 27, 2023, 11:22:07 AM »

Thanks everyone for the comments, I was hoping it wasn't just me.... all of them were things I felt but could not describe.

 I know the reality is - nothing can be done about any of it, but we can hope it is just a temp current management thing and will be corrected at some point... 

pipe dream..  SDC has finally become a victim of its own success.

my two cents
Kevin

2

SDC Memories/ Park History / Re: I finally figured out why I dislike a lot of the upgrades and changes

« on: August 25, 2023, 11:03:40 PM »

The longer park season, accessibility laws, and HVAC/energy are fair game for how park buildings are constructed.

Those things shouldn't change how they're styled, though.

A modern building can be clad in rough-sawn board and batten siding, and signs can still be hand-painted instead of computer printed.

Keeping things a bit crooked, warped, and slanted is part of avoiding the "too perfect" look. There's no reason to go "full Dogpatch" with ridiculous exaggerations, but you also don't have to make the park look like it was 3D printed.

amen brother.....

3

Other Parks / Re: New Park - American Heartland in NE Oklahoma

« on: August 25, 2023, 04:06:17 PM »

looks to me like the city is trying to grab up both sides of most major roads so they can get the tax money for any businesses alongside the road that may spring up.  300 foot easements would encompass most buildings and parking lots along the corridor.

got a long way to go before the first paying customer pulls into the amusement park lot.

Kevin

4

SDC Memories/ Park History / Re: I finally figured out why I dislike a lot of the upgrades and changes

« on: August 25, 2023, 03:57:42 PM »

All very good points above, and I am not unsympathetic as the the infrastructure problems the old buildings cause.

almost all older building have some form of supplementary cooling/heating and it many cases it is barely adequate. and for the first many years the park was closed in the winter and need no heating.

I just personally wish the new construction could be done with a emphasis on retaining the older look while still being better insulated, and other modern requirements. Things can be new and LOOK old, a bit more custom painting on the exteriors, using aging techniques and other effects type of decorations.

 One other thing I know must be a pain in the ass to maintain is the simple split rail fencing.  it adds so much but is never put in anymore - it ages quickly and fits the motif much faster.  Now we get stone retaining walls usable as benches, but far less aesthetically pleasing.  you can't stop change but I don't have to like all of it...

thanks for listening
Kevin 

5

SDC Memories/ Park History / I finally figured out why I dislike a lot of the upgrades and changes

« on: August 24, 2023, 02:53:03 PM »

I am gonna rant a bit and I am sure many will disagree.

before I start I want to say that I get that almost all of the ORIGINAL buildings ( older than 25 years or so) are becoming very worn, inefficient for heating and cooling and just generally falling apart in some cases, and I know that new construction is better in every way.

Having said that my feelings on the most very recent buildings(fried fancies, new FITH, new furniture store), are that thematically they suck. I think the new stuff, while keeping the style of time period, does not fit with the feel of the older sections of the park. I know a huge part is that the landscaping needs to catch up with buildings and once they are more filled in with trees and bushes etc  they will not stand out so much. I am attaching a couple pics of the old places and some new.

I think this change is the one that is so undefinable for me, I think the new FITH exterior looks like a "Disney version" for lack of a better descriptor. all perfect and new. For me the part of SDC I like is the fact that it doesn't look like a shopping mall. same with the fried dough stand.

The new furniture artist renderings look like it would fit in a strip mall anywhere. I think this is the part of SDC that is slowly vanishing and that's a shame, because the charm of SDC to me is it IS NOT DISNEY.

look at the photos and tell me what you think..    ( yeah I know "shut up and get over it..")

my two cents..
Kevin 

6

Other Parks / Re: New Park - American Heartland in NE Oklahoma

« on: August 24, 2023, 10:04:02 AM »

long way to go to get it done in two/three? years?  They have stumbling blocks already and they haven't even pissed people off yet.... time will tell.

I do not think it would be too far off the mark to say that every quarter that fails to see actual groundbreaking puts them back at least 6 months on opening.

great Ideas sometimes just never happen....

my two cents
kevin

7

Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC’s 2024 Project(s) and Park Developments

« on: August 22, 2023, 01:30:43 PM »

Agree with losing the guns on FM.  Reinstall the cave in.  Make sure everything works, and then leave it the heck alone.

The "CAVE IN" was before my time. Can you describe it and where in the ride it happened?

it was actually, if I am remembering correctly, where the convicts are climbing the rope to escape.

Just above your head in that area there was a chicken wire ceiling. a recording would yell ,, watch out rock fall or rock slide I am not sure and there would be a loud rumbling then some strobes would go off and a lot of foam boulder shaped rocks would drop onto the chicken wire. it was pretty cool and effective.shortly after there was the ore washing station and that had a few jets of water the would turn off as you approached leaving you dry.

anyone else whom remembers PLEASE correct me if I missed anything or am mistaken.

my two cents
Kevin

8

Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC’s 2024 Project(s) and Park Developments

« on: August 22, 2023, 09:13:52 AM »

Agree with losing the guns on FM.  Reinstall the cave in.  Make sure everything works, and then leave it the heck alone.

This ^^^^   and replace the exterior water effects as well

my two cents....

Kevin

9

Other Parks / Re: New Park - American Heartland in NE Oklahoma

« on: July 24, 2023, 01:28:18 PM »

2B is a LOT of money for a attraction that is not a usual "destination" place. The question is will it be enough of a standalone draw to cover its expenses and infrastructure costs. Aside from the nearby lake and Tulsa an hour away, will it be a place people will want to return to time and again?. does it survive 3-5 years aftr opening.

I am a freak and I drive 3 hours one way several times a year to SDC.  Most people aren't that loyal.  This will not be a park you visit one day when going to the area. Maybe if you visit Tulsa.

The Amusement park industry is filled with "gonna be" projects that never go very far. Everything fits on paper and your imagination.. reality costs 10-20% more at least and 10-15% longer to do. I wish them luck, they will need it...

my two cents

Kevin

10

General Silver Dollar City Talk / SDC now anti branson....????

« on: July 19, 2023, 12:05:07 PM »

I just visited the park Mon and Tuesday and I gotta say it pretty obvious that the park is really leaning into the "Ozarks Mountain" angle and leaving "Branson" in the dust. All new merchandise has this brand now as well as a ton of signage. Does anyone know the actual reason for this change? Distancing from the " OLD folks"- Branson image?
Quarrels with the Branson Chamber of Commerce? At one point it was an easy way to let people know where you were regionally, do they think they have been around long enough now to make the break from Branson?

With so much of the old style of the park being replaced with updated, simulated 1860's theming and flat out destruction of the ambience of the original. I am just curious if this is a move to just recreate the entire park using updated amusement park standards and practices -- IE wider paths, more vending and merchandising sales, larger and more intrusive food court seating areas.

my two cents...

Kevin 

11

Random Talk / Re: Do some dang research....

« on: June 21, 2023, 09:25:02 AM »

We all need to remember that while everyone here is /should be a fan of SDC- not every one has the same computer skill level. Not everyone knows how to research well or find things on a giant forum like this. or even how to google and find what they are looking for.

A good example is I have no Idea if this site or forum has a FAQ section. I have never really looked for it. If it doesn't maybe we should help out and make one or maybe PIN one to the top if there is such a page.

Sometimes annoying things are not intentional, we should try to help those that need it, not yell at them.

my two cents..

Kevin 

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General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: SDC Logo

« on: June 15, 2023, 04:13:02 PM »

well it may look good on twitter and socials, but any person who has done any logging will tell you limbs very rarely grow in the opposite direction, that is why it looks funky.

 Even more so now that you can't unsee it..  This was done by an artist to create "symmetry" in the design. upon closer look now it looks not like a log but a brown banner with tabs or something..... 

looking closer
my two cents.
Kevin

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General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: SDC Logo

« on: June 14, 2023, 09:24:00 PM »

^^^^^   good point........

Kevin

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General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: SDC Logo

« on: June 14, 2023, 10:29:12 AM »

not sure anyone analyzes the logo that closely. except maybe the maker to justify the cost.....

"""the branch directions are meant to signify looking ahead to our future while looking back at our past simultaneously. There’s no top or bottom on the log."""

my two cents

Kevin

15

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: Disappointed in SDC website orders

« on: June 07, 2023, 09:22:56 PM »

just a heads up you may already know --  UPDATE your phone app if you use it for entry. Mine was not updated and I spent 30 min in guest relations trying to figure out why my pass was not accepted on the app.  kept saying not valid
 did the update and no problem....

just a heads up

Kevin