Messages

556

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: 2017 Trip Reports

« on: March 24, 2017, 05:17:34 PM »

Enjoyed a nice morning and early afternoon in the park today.  Basically had a very nice stroll playing with my new camera and shooting pictures like I've wanted to do for quite a while in the park.  Watched their new welcome show.  It was nice that they gave out free t-shirts as part of it, but I miss the flag raising and the veterans' procession that they used to do.  I don't miss some of the cheese, a bit sad that the street troupe isn't part of the opening anymore.  In fact, I didn't see any of the street troupe at all.  Just Terry Sanders and Whoopsi Daisy.  I hope that's not a trend for the whole season.

As I posted earlier, they had over 19,000 Thursday, which is a ridiculously busy day anytime.  Today was much more modest and was actually nice crowd wise.  But there were signs that they weren't ready even for what they had.  Powder Keg opened with only one train running and a full queue and the line going all the way down the hill.  No clue if they got one running later or not.

After wandering a bit I heaed up and took a ride on the train, where they were doing one of the old routines I used to do (Yankees with the "fight um" routine) but no Ma on a 30 minute schedule.  They guys out there had been there a while and they did a decent job, getting some good laughs.

I then took a ride on the Flooded Mine which has obviously gotten a lot of love, TLC and freshing up for it's 50th.  (Steve, I told you there, but I'll say it again- you and your help did an incredible job!  And it was great to see you)  Fresh paint, new lighting, old effects and stunts working again that haven't in a while, and so much more.  I'm actually regretting not taking a second ride.  I can't encourage you enough to take some rounds on it this year.  And skip the new guns for at least one ride and just enjoy looking.

Did some more walking around and shooting photos around the park.  There are many places showing signs of fresh paint and investment in the off season and I tried to get photos of as much of it as possible.

Ate lunch at the new Percy's eatery- my review is on the thread for it- and just had a great time seeing the park, shooting photos, and saying Hi to people.  I headed out at 1pm, before the rain came in, but it was a great half day.  Hoping all goes well and I can make it out on the 1st to see some friends playing out there, and looking forward to a great season.

Photos (all 400+ of them) are available to see, if you'd like on my photo pages at Smugmug.  Direct link to them is: https://sirwillow.smugmug.com/Amusement-Parks-Roller/Mid-USA-TX-MO-OK-etc/Silver-Dollar-City-March-24-2017  (there's still about 100 photos left to upload as I write this)

557

SDC Memories/ Park History / Re: Flooded Mines 50th season, 2017

« on: March 24, 2017, 03:06:52 PM »

I'm bumping this request. I never noticed until now how few photos I have of the interior of FM. Every camera I've had has been terrible at moving, dark, indoor shots.

That's not the camera's fault. Cameras need light in order to take a photo, and if there isn't much, then they need to stay still while taking the exposure because it takes longer to get that photo.  It doesn't work if it's moving.  If you want a camera that can take a quick photo in a dark area, you're going to need an expensive lens with a wide aperature- an those lenses can often cost in the 1000's of dollars (think like what you see photographers at indoor sports events shooting with)

I'm getting ready to look at what I shot today and see if any of them came out or not.  But I have to say it looked wonderful when I rode today!  There has very obviously been a lot of time, work, and TLC put into FM during the off season and it shows.  You need to go take a ride (several!) on it this year.

558

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: New Mexican Restaraunt..

« on: March 24, 2017, 03:01:57 PM »

The opening ceremony calls Percy's an ozark-mex restaurant lol

I noticed that this morning as well.  Gotta love how Terry Sanders sums it up.  :-)

ate lunch there today and had the ground beef tacos.  The meat and rice were very good!  I was impressed with that.  And really enjoyed the queso that the put on the chips. Good taste and flavor to it. And loved that the chips were fresh and obviously cooked there.  Those were great.  And the variety of toppings was very nice.  I was a little disappointed that they didn't have just plain tomatoes, but only fire roasted or mixed in as pico de gallo.  I think it would be nice if they offered regular fresh ones as well, but not a biggie.

My only real complaint was the corn tortillas for the tacos.  Very very dry.  As in cardboard like.  And no corn flavor.  I understand why they want a thicker, dryer tortilla, so they don't shred and fall apart.  But these were just bad. Not the first taste and texture you want to hit your mouth when taking a bite. Next time I'll probably go with a burrito or the nachos so I don't have to have those again.

Other than that- which was easy to overlook, I really liked the food and the set up.  The price wasn't bad for the amount of food that you got either- a little  high, but that's expected in a park.  Overall a nice addition.

559

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: 2017 Trip Reports

« on: March 24, 2017, 10:01:36 AM »

Word in the park today is there was over 19,000 people here yesterday.
(edit- made my voice to chat into comprehensible English. lol)

560

Random Talk / Re: Your Travels outside of Branson for 2017

« on: March 18, 2017, 11:32:25 AM »

We're heading to KC for a couple of days at Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun.  Haven't been there before so it'll be new to us.

We have hopes of going to California and Disneyland at the end of July/ first part of August, but we'll see if it happens or not.  A lot of it is going to be dependent on how much side income we can earn before then, and if it will be enough to cover the costs of the trip.  If we can't make that, then we'll go somewhere else that won't cost as much.

561

Random Talk / Re: Missouri Centennial Passport

« on: March 17, 2017, 12:39:53 AM »

Nice!  I love it when I see new channels.  I'll have to find some time to check it out.

562

Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC's 2017 Project Part 2

« on: March 12, 2017, 08:23:04 PM »

There's a photo of what's left of the tree house and the new ride station coming up on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1423424644571459/

I can't find the post with the tree house...

yeah, looks like it was taken down.  I'm guessing that it was because it was posted a couple of days before the park opened?  After Wednesday it won't matter since there will be lots of photos of it I'm sure.  But I guess the PTB don't want it known any earlier than they have to admit it.

563

Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC's 2017 Project Part 2

« on: March 11, 2017, 03:06:45 PM »

There's a photo of what's left of the tree house and the new ride station coming up on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1423424644571459/

564

Branson Talk / Re: Bigfoot is Growing

« on: March 08, 2017, 06:46:31 PM »

I was going to say that maybe this is only part of the tower, but this news article that I just found seems to indirectly state that they changed the plans around and now this attraction is just a standard S&S tower:
http://www.ozarksfirst.com/news/first-sighting-of-bigfoot-on-the-strip/659532801

Reading between the lines, it sounds like the slingshot ride will now be on it's own independent tower apparatus. The glass elevator seems to have been written off.

That makes much more sense compared to what I was seeing.  I just couldn't figure out how the concept was going to work with what they were installing.  Thanks for clarifying that.

565

Branson Talk / Re: Bigfoot is Growing

« on: March 06, 2017, 08:39:01 AM »

So I have to admit, I'm a little confused at this point.  The tower that is going up right now looks about the same size in width/ length as an S&S double shot tower.  Drove by it Friday, and it's not a large circumference structure- at least not as large as I was thinking it needed to be for what it's supposed to do.

It can do the launch/ drop ride, but I'm having a hard time seeing how an observation tower type ride that can fit more than 2 people is going to possibly fit inside of it.  Especially when you look at the pipes and hardware that are in it as well (which also look very S&S like at this early stage).  So I'm really wondering how this is all going to work out.

566

Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC's 2018 Project(s) and Park Developments

« on: March 04, 2017, 04:36:58 PM »

It is interesting.  If you look at these two photos- the work area and what some are thinking it is going to be:



I'm not sure that it totally lines up.  There seems to be more footers spread around, including looking like a possible turn around some of the trees, than the steel coaster in the image.  While the footers are all grouped at one end, essentially in both, the patterns and quantity have a pretty big variety.

It's certainly got me wondering.

567

Dollywood Discussion / Re: Dollywood 2017

« on: March 03, 2017, 08:29:18 AM »

^Yeah, well they built a whole extra amusement park in Branson in 2003 and that didn't work out so well for them, meanwhile Pigeon Forge is booming so they got smart followed the money there for awhile. Investment in SDC is only going to keep ramping back up with the resurgence of Branson, growth of NWA, and the boost from the big new coaster.

True- instead of competing with themselves it's to bad that they didn't take that same money and put it into SDC and developing/ expanding it.

But investment in SDC isn't "ramping up"  It's maintaining about the same pace as it has for a long time.  A new coaster every 4-6 years, and this one is looking to be smaller and lower capacity than the other coasters they've added.  Firemans landing was a "redo" of an area that was badly showing it's age with a lot of used rides they already owned, so it wasn't a major investment.  This season isn't showing any major investments either.  Really, outside of Outlaw Run, when was the last time there was a major investment?

And outside of the new coaster that has now been delayed a year, what signs of other major investment is there? 

Maybe I'm cynical from having worked there, but to me it appears more of a "maintain and milk the crowds" rather than investing for actual growth.  Which is a very different plan than Dollywood had.  No plans for expanded areas, no plans for a resort, no plans for major investment- all of which Dollywood has done over the years, and much of which was known or speculated about 10 years before it happened. SDC has no such plans or real rumors.  :-(

568

Dollywood Discussion / Re: Dollywood 2017

« on: March 02, 2017, 04:01:34 PM »

I will agree with Swoosh and also it was a surprise to me as I figured they were done with new rides for a couple years after LR. But yes its pretty obvious that Dollywood is the main focus for HFEC's investments with new additions.

Goodness if you look at the development that Dollywood has received over the last decade or longer it's been obvious that it's far more the focus than SDC has been for a long time.  Rides, infrastructure, expansions, parking, resorts... it's not even a close comparison.

569

Branson Talk / Re: Branson loses and Icon to the community.

« on: March 02, 2017, 03:53:34 PM »

Wow, what an impact one person made.  Going to be a lot of people missing her.  Never got to meet her, but I know many she's touched and affected.  Prayers for comfort and peace to all who knew her.

570

Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC's 2017 Project Part 2

« on: February 24, 2017, 02:52:56 PM »

Hopefully its better Mexican/Southwestern food than the stuff they had at Worldfest.

that's my big hope as well, as the "Mexican" food at Worldfest wasn't good- so untypical of food at SDC.

However, in looking over their promos and what they've released, this looks like a massive improvement over that in just about every way.  I'm actually looking forward to trying this.