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Our oldest 2 Grandsons did the ride several years ago and had the time of their lives! I was in Branson for work at the same time and caught up with them the day after and had so much fun hearing about it from them.  It's well worth the expense and trouble of getting tickets.

Thanks for the feedback!

Has anyone ever ridden the Polar Express at the Branson Scenic Railway during the holidays? We were thinking about buying tickets for our family this year. Trying to decide if it's worth it and, if so, which departure time is best (easier to see things in daylight or more fun to see lights at dusk/dark?)

Thanks for the photo updates, Swoosh. Looking through these, I just happened to wonder for the first time since the official announcement -- with the load station being so much closer to the walkway through the new Rivertown than LR's was, where is the line going to form to handle large crowds? Won't it back up and crowd thru-traffic in the walkway?

My family will not attend the Pumpkin Nights deal. We love fall and pumpkins and all things of that nature. But we dont go to SDC for 20.00 bubble wands and to listen to hip cool dance music. It is just not us. I hope they do not get rid of the craft portion, its my fave.

Its great they are trying to draw in the youths. I think its great more memories are being made for others. Shoot when I was a youth they had Nickelodeon there during Kids Fest and that was amazing!! (NOT on brand, much like dance parties at PN) So I get it. They drew me in with shiny cool things. I am a life long visitor now because of the memories I made then.

Maybe next year they will expand the PN to include something besides black lights and dance parties?

I still love the craft/cowboy part better though.

I totally understand where you're coming from, but I would still say it's worth checking out. There's definitely a charm to everything that they've put together for this festival. Great attention to detail and fun atmosphere. The dance party is fairly well sequestered in the back of the park. It is definitely not at the center of everything and can be completely skipped if desired. I don't really remember being able to hear it much beyond that area. There are pumpkin figures at each of the shops along the way that mimic the art/craft at each shop (e.g. a blacksmith pumpkin and a glass blower pumpkin, etc.). Plus it's finally getting cooler and there's just something about being at SDC in the fall. All that to say, consider giving it a shot!

I kind of felt the same way. We went last Thursday night and noticed how busy that area of the park felt even though there weren't a ton of people in the park. We enjoyed what we saw and the kids had fun riding Grand Expo rides in the dark. The dance party was a fun idea for little ones, but it still felt a little un-SDC to be listening to a DJ blasting Bruno Mars and the like. Pumpkin Plaza also felt a little bare and just slightly underwhelming. All of the pumpkin displays were great though. Incredible detail and great art concepts. Lots of folks stopping to take pictures of them with tripods to counter slow shutter speeds for nighttime shots. I, too, could not believe how many parents forked over $20 for a bubble wand. One of the kids standing behind us had one, and I think ours enjoyed the bubbles coming from him more than anything else in the Plaza. We barely escaped without a fit thrown as we passed those conveniently-located retail carts on the way back out to the Grand Expo.

I noticed all of the Christmas lights were on down at FL. Does anyone know if that's just to light up that area in the evening hours? It was a little odd to walk down the owl path and see Christmas lights through the trees.

Visited the park this past week and thought I'd share just a few minor observations from our train ride. The MRF loading station is framed and a crane was putting roof trusses in place over the Smokehouse dining area. Saw some workers hanging pumpkin-headed owls along the new Pumpkin Nights walkway.

Awesome.  Did you happen to get any photos?

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Sorry folks I have another marching competition this weekend but I'll be down on October 5-6 to get photos from the new festival and of MRF/RTSH construction

Sadly, no. I was wrangling little ones most of the day.

Visited the park this past week and thought I'd share just a few minor observations from our train ride. The MRF loading station is framed and a crane was putting roof trusses in place over the Smokehouse dining area. Saw some workers hanging pumpkin-headed owls along the new Pumpkin Nights walkway.

Very cool. The area looks really nice. We already know they've gone to great lengths to place a ton of rockwork and other landscaping that will surpass what was there before. The whole area already looks better and is easier to get around, and I can't wait to see the finished product.

I love that this will be a longer ride than the old Lost River. Definitely will be worth the long waits that it will get in the summer.

Wish there were more indoor sections like the old ride (not that they ever utilized the old indoor section very well), but at least there will be some kind of little cave/tunnel.

Hope the vertical lift doesn't give them fits.

The theme is awesome. I really really love the emphasis on Marvel Cave and the origins of the park. Really excellent work sticking to the central theme of the park instead of doing something generic.

Overall it's a fantastic addition. Gives me even more hope for future "redevelopments" of old areas of the park.

I agree. I think this is going to have a really great visual impact on that area of the park. Love the back story, the theme and all of the details shown in the drawings. If that lift is designed to move multiple rafts at a time, I guess the pace of this ride could be pretty quick. Should move quite a few people through at a decent clip.

I'm excited to try the new barbecue restaurant. If I'm seeing it right, it looks like the Smokehouse may have the largest seating area(s) of any restaurant in the park.

Spent the afternoon at the park on Saturday and noticed they are landscaping (large rocks, possibly a waterfall) around the upper rim of what will be the new boundary of the condensed Lake Silver. It's not too far from the new ride's station and is also very visible from the train. I have a photo, but haven't had any luck trying to attach it. Oh well.

There also appears to be a vendor stand/small shop going up on/just off of the new dining patio, to the right of the Ribhouse. Guess it could be for dry lockers, as well, but I'm not exactly sure where the queue will start, either.

What are the odds the name ends up being what the social media hashtag has been all along? Seems like that would be too obvious.

Unless something flew under the radar the two likely names with either be Lost Caverns or Mystic River Falls.

I'm still holding out for Pearl's Float Trip.

What are the odds the name ends up being what the social media hashtag has been all along? Seems like that would be too obvious.

There are slide pieces in the woods... 

Is that what all those grey/black rectangles are?

Also, do you know what those two long buildings are that are just north of OR? They look pretty big but they are kind of out on their own at the end of the service road.

Are you talking about all the crafter sheds?  No those are the not slide pieces. The slide pieces are on the side of the hill in the trees.  Those long buildings that kind of look like an L are apartments

Ahh, those are crafter sheds. That makes more sense looking at them now.

There are slide pieces in the woods... 

Is that what all those grey/black rectangles are?

Also, do you know what those two long buildings are that are just north of OR? They look pretty big but they are kind of out on their own at the end of the service road.

That updated image also appears to show the old rafts stored just off the maintenance access road just south of the Dollar General. If I remember correctly, Swoosh had posted photos of those taken through the trees from 76.

Another Teaser on the Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sdcattractions/photos/a.68684542602/10157398654342603/?type=3&theater



A Brazen Expedition is coming... SilverDollarCity.com/Expedition20
#LostCaverns

The lady holding the parasol is Miriam Lynch. The caption of the photo I found doesn't mention the names of the other three ladies in the photo, simply referring to them as guests at Marvel Cave Lodge. Photo came from the Silver Dollar City Archives.