This was my first trip to the City since 2009. Forgive me for a long review. Just trying to cover what I saw and how it has changed in the five years since I last visited.
Arrived to the park around 8:30AM. Needed to purchase a season pass as I had not done so before arriving. Quickly got one at the ticket booth and then proceeded to the breakfast buffet at Molly's. Food was delicious and the price was right (9.95 + tip for the buffet and OJ with the season pass discount.) Really loved the buffet.
Finished up breakfast shortly before the rope drop. Managed to browse the shops (and SDC Jail,
, so many childhood pictures in that jail.) in the square a bit before the rope drop. First thing that struck me was the light crowd. Most likely due to being the middle of the week and the threat of thunderstorms, which was a bonus for me. First stop was Thunderation. Great as always. Rode another couple of times since there wasn't a line.
After Thunderation, I headed towards Lost River of the Ozarks, but didn't realize that it didn't open until 11AM. I guess this is the case with the other water rides too, so I decided to head to Fire in the Hole. Always loved Fire in the Hole. This time was no different. I noticed that they had a plaque by the queue honoring the dalmatian that used to hang around the entrance. Managed to get photos of all of the tombstones in the fireman's cemetery out front. Are they selling pictures of you on the ride now? Noticed several flashes on the final drop. Seems like they are going the route of Six Flags and trying to get you to buy anything. One other oddity about the ride was Red Flander's pants, they were sagging big time. Also noted a few other minor changes to the ride that were different than 5 years ago, but they were minor.
Not so much a fan of roller coasters that go upside down, so I didn't visit Powder Keg, Outlaw Run, or Wildfire. I did walk by them, but too intense for me. Same with the grand expo. Not really a fan, but I did walk by to see it.
While waiting for the water rides to open, I went to Grandpa's Mansion and the Great Shootout in the Flooded Mine. Grandpa's Mansion was just as I remember it with a few exceptions. It was nice to see that they refurbished the felt on the pool table in the lower level. No longer do you see the worn area marking the path of the 8 ball. However, I did notice the mirror that had the old hag light up when you stood in front of it, now has several rows of lights. Kind of disappointed that changed. Also noticed a few changes in some of the photos in the lower level. Still had the musty smell upon entering, which always takes me back. Love it!
Next up was the Great Shootout in the Flooded Mine. I rode this a couple of times in a row due to no line. Don't really know what to say with this one. This ride was great as a kid. Keep in mind that it's always had guns since my first visit in 1993. Now the ride is... meh. First off, the guns on several boats can't keep score properly. They would jump from 9,900 to 100,000, skipping the 10,000's. Kind of takes the point away. Several guns were malfunctioning also. Several of the special effects didn't trigger when the target was hit. Kinda disappointing. Additionally, the part where the two prisoners are pumping water. Well the problem was that it was bone dry around them. No water in the little area. Overall, there were some minor character changes (i.e. different heads, beards, etc) from what I remember.
After this Lost River and American Plunge were open. Lost River was great, but getting to the ride took a while due to an employee selling ponchos and waterproof bags. It was rather annoying. Lost River was exactly as I remember it. Got soaked and had a good time.
American Plunge was next up. Ride was good, but theming was horrible. I don't remember if the tunnel was boarded up the last time I rode this, but what happened to all of the little scenes within the tunnel? Pretty lame. This needs to be changed!
Golden Opportunity: Shortly after this ride I was walking through the square trying to decided where to eat for lunch when I was approached by a SDC survey taker. I was able to mention my concerns about theming and ride experience. He seemed concerned and said that he would mention it to the higher ups. We shall see...
As a kid I remember eating at the Lumbercamp and watching the waterfall around the back from the second level. Ended up getting a skillet and eating up there watching the waterfall. Nobody around, quiet and very nostalgic at that moment. Excellent.
Next up was the cave tour. Can't say enough about how awesome it is. Always fun to go in there. When I got back from the cave tour, I checked the radar on my phone... Looked like only about a half hour before the skies opened up and most rides would shut down. Ended up riding Thunderation and Fire in the Hole a couple of time before the storms hit. After 2:30PM it seemed that a majority of the day would be a washout so, I just wandered about the park for another hour or so, dodging rain in-between shops and killing time in Grandpa's Mansion.
On my next visit I hope to ride the train, see the saloon show, and do several other things that I missed out on. Thanks for letting me give a long-winded review. Hopefully I can get some pictures uploaded at some point in the future.
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