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This past weekend I made a spur of the moment decision to buy Gold TB passes and the wife and I headed to the city Friday and Saturday.  Big changes since the last time I was there.  Parking lot situation somewhat confusing as I have been used the lots the way they have been for years.  Park was not super busy but glad I had the TB, especially for FITH.  Speaking of which, it was nice but just doesnt do it for me like the old one.  We upgraded our cups the free refill all season.  I do like this new addition.  I am sure any other changes at the park have been discussed at length already.

Branson seems to me like its even further ran down than the last time.  We stayed at the Thousand Hills hotel which was a first.  It was not bad but the clientel in Branson and at SDC is definitely changing.  Lots of torn down theaters and hotels, some of which is the same state they were 2+ years ago.  Plenty of other closed down hotels.  I see the Moon River appears to be boarded up and abandoned.

It appears Six Flags has changed their passes.  We currently have Diamond season passes that include access to all parks.  I can't remember how much I paid for them off hand.  I bought them right around this same time last year and that included the rest of 2023 and 2024.  I got a pop up in their app about big sale going on right now, bla bla bla.  I just looked into renewing at it appears their passes no longer offer access to their other parks, even the top pass now called premier.  You have to buy some sort of add one that allows access to all parks which is $225.  That seems insane and quite a bit more expensive than last year.  Also, previously the top diamond included a season refill drink cup.  Now that is not included either.  So, it seems the passes will not cost substantially more, and not offer the same benefits.  I will most likely not be renewing.  Will be considering SDC passes again as was my original plan to alternate every other year.  Except for this coming year the SF passes used to be reasonable enough that I considered doing both.

I had not planned on going to the city this year, but am thinking about a spur of the moment trip Sunday/Monday this week.  I thought about getting a season pass but remembered it would not be good until next year.  What are the cheapest options for day tickets?  I would think consider upgrading it to a season pass for next year if that is possible.  Does anyone know what the cost is to upgrade a day pass this year to a season pass for next year?  In years past I have bought passes well in advance and have never done the upgrade thing.

https://www.ky3.com/2023/08/12/branson-mo-music-community-mourns-loss-legendary-performer-shoji-tabuchi/

In case you have not seen this news story:

https://www.newson6.com/story/649a600ce5afae08fb58ffee/one-last-ride:-silver-dollar-city-prepares-to-close-iconic-rollercoaster

https://fox4kc.com/news/missouri-news/woman-sues-silver-dollar-city-claiming-she-was-injured-on-ride/

I caught something on Fakebook about this being the last year of WW and they bought some new property to relocate and call it dolly land or something to that effect?  Anybody heard anything about this?

It's after 10 am and still waiting in line to pickup my season TB pass. Took forever to even get in the gate. So far this seems like Christmas crowd levels. I realize it's spring break but I have been here many times on opening day and it has not been this bad. If this is the new norm this will for sure be my last year for buying passes.

Mass confusion today. At the cave they said you can go down to the midtown guest services to pick them up. Waited in line 45 minutes only to discover they did not have the bracelets, you get the lanyard there but have to go back to cave to get bracelet

I am seeing posts on Fakebook within the last few minutes of an explosion and buildings on fire at SDC?  Anybody else heard this?

Since the passes are now on sale for SDC, I did not buy passes last year and was looking at the prices and comparing to Frontier City/Six Flags.  Do the season passes at FTC not get you in their other parks anymore?  Is it only the memberships that do that?

With them being closed last year and they extended the season passes for this year, if you had the free BAF passes that were not used during the time the park was closed, are those extended to this year as well?  If so, does anyone know that the dates of the passes are?  After they expired I believe I threw them away, but if they are extended as well, I would assume guest services can reprint them if any would be currently valid.

I might be down in the Tampa/Orlando area at the end of the month for a couple of days.  What all is open down there?  Not really enough time for Disney nor do I want to spend that kind of money.  Any cheaper parks open?  Any parks closer to Tampa?

Anybody been to WW since it opened?  If so, how was it with the mask thing?  We are going up this weekend to take the kid on some of our free passes. 

Have we heard anything about the guest passes that have now expired that were for the dates they were closed?  Were they extended and can be used now, or are they just no good anymore?

It seems there are starting to get a lot of abandoned businesses and hotels in Branson.  It is starting to look bad up and down some sections of the strip.  I wonder how much if this was already coming and how much is virus related.

We went to a show last night, Branson acrobats or something like that.  They are performing at the Yakov theater.  Supposedly they were in town last year at a different theater doing a show on ice.  This week was their opening week and they thought about sending the troupe back to China but decided to keep them and see how it goes.  There were 6 people in attendance including the wife and I.  Kind of sad.  Anyway, that got me to thinking, why does Yakov perform down at the Caravelle or whatever it is called instead of his own theater?  This was the first time we have been in there since about 2006 or so when we saw him there.  Place still seems to be in good shape but is showing some wear around the edges from some deferred maintenance.

I noticed as we were leaving they are now selling whoopie pies at the cinnamon roll place as you leave. Does anybody have any real legitimate inside info as to where they came up with the idea for these?

When we rode fire in the hole the guy putting us in line said they had done a bunch of work to the track and it was now very smooth on the drops. He wasn't lying, it was quite a bit of difference. The ride looked and rode great. Hard to believe they would put work into it to just tear it down soon.

For giggles I was searching hotels in Branson on Travelocity and noticed there are several that are now Oyo hotels, such as the Windmill for example.  I have been noticing in other parts of the country they seem to be converting a lot of lower end hotels to these.

Has anyone been to Branson since the outbreak?  Is it a ghost town?  Anything even open over there right now?

Would I be correct in assuming that the trailblazer pass this year will not work on the new river ride?