Longest record stay at SDC

How-doFolks · July 29, 2011, 09:17:25 PM

This is for visitors only, past or present citizens do not count because ya worked there. Sorry Junior & Zephon.. Unless ya wasnt working there at the time.
Who has the longest stay at SDC? Did ya go for a week or 2 straight back to back? All we got is 4 days straight, back in 2005.
So, who's REALLY got it?!!

rubedugans · July 29, 2011, 09:34:55 PM

6 days I believe is the longest streak for us.

Zephon · July 29, 2011, 10:47:50 PM

Ahhhh, where's the love? Depending on whether you're talkin' days in a row (leaving at night and going back to the motel, home, or whatever) or actual time spent on the park during one visit---- My longest stay on park is 39 hours straight, some years ago. Consecutive days at the park? 25 or there abouts. Working? Well?......I guess some would call it that.

Ok, I don't count...you may continue with your game.

How-doFolks · July 30, 2011, 07:19:30 AM

I know Zephon, i'm sorry..

I'm just curious how many days back to back a guest went to SDC. Why was ya at the park for 39 hours? That would make a interesting story.

sanddunerider · July 30, 2011, 07:38:35 AM

oh! I CAN ANSWER THAT ONE!

The winner will be joshblake from colorado! They drive in a couple of times a year and go every day for like 2 weeks or so..

His competition might be the lady and her husband from wisconsin..? but i cant think of her member name right now... They cam down for 2 or 3 weeks also, but i dont know if they went to the city every day.?

Junior · July 30, 2011, 09:20:23 AM

Zephon chimed in so I will too...my longest stretch at the park...during my employment 1978-1984.

1978: July and first half of August: five days a week
Second half of August through October: Sat/Sun only (In high school)

1979: April/May: weekends only (still in HS)
June/July/Aug: 5 days per week
Mid August-Oct: weekends (Back to HS)

1980: April/May: weekends
Rest of the season: 5 days per week all summer, select days after starting college.

1981-1983: 5 days a week all summer, select days in spring and fall as I was in college.

1984: Three weeks in the month of August only. (Had to start getting serious with college after that!)

During this period how many times did I have to pay to get in: NEVER!

LOL (In fact, they paid me!)

sanddunerider · July 30, 2011, 11:38:58 AM

Now thats a real scam! get paid for what you love to do!

joshblakebran · July 30, 2011, 03:31:39 PM

You're right Sanddune...when we go to SDC we go usually for 3 weeks at a time...and yes, we go to our beloved SDC every single day...looking back on it, I can think of a time when we were there for almost a full month...we went down for the last week of the Bluegrass Festival and stayed for a week or more into the kids fest...that was the year Ricky Skaggs performed at echo hollow...we counted up 26 days straight that we went to SDC that time...I probably have a better chance of winning this little competition than the where in the city...

Junior · July 30, 2011, 09:24:36 PM

As an addition to what I posted above...top rate of pay for me was $4.35 per hour. That was when it cost about $9.95 to get into the park. I grossed $300 and took home $250 every two weeks...that averages to $125 per week after taxes. I thought I was rich! That paycheck from SDC paid the rent and utilities, and took care of running the car. The biweekly earnings at Hee Haw Theater after taxes were $175. That was "fun" money for dates, records (33 and a third speed), eating at the exotic places to eat in Branson at the time like McDonald's, Wendy's, or maybe every now and then at Uncle Joe's BBQ. Most fun stuff on days off was free...part of the pass exchange program in effect at the time for SDC employees. I never paid to get into the music shows, Shepherd of the Hills, Dogpatch, Corn Crib Theater, Mutton Hollow, wax museum, and many of the other attractions around town at the time. Ah, those were the days when life was simple and uncomplicated. It was a great time.

eagle1 · July 30, 2011, 09:30:49 PM

Quote from: sanddunerider on July 30, 2011, 07:38:35 AM
oh! I CAN ANSWER THAT ONE!

The winner will be joshblake from colorado! They drive in a couple of times a year and go every day for like 2 weeks or so..

His competition might be the lady and her husband from wisconsin..? but i cant think of her member name right now... They cam down for 2 or 3 weeks also, but i dont know if they went to the city every day.?

Cheesehead57!

They went just about everyday but not sure exactly.....

Zephon · July 30, 2011, 11:05:49 PM

Quote from: How-doFolks on July 30, 2011, 07:19:30 AM
I know Zephon, i'm sorry.. I'm just curious how many days back to back a guest went to SDC. Why was ya at the park for 39 hours? That would make a interesting story.

I was working in the Opera House, getting the lighting ready for a show...hanging and focus, programming, etc. That particular time, I got to a stopping place, went home for 4 or 5 hours of sleep, and then was right back at it. There was a period of time some years ago where it was not uncommon to put in 100-110 hours a week during setup. Our tech crew was not as large as it is now. That doesn't happen any more, but 70-80 hour weeks are still common for some of us when putting up a show.

Junior, I started at $2.10 an hour, and you're right...it seemed that we had plenty of money to meet our needs.

Now, now, sanddunerider...let's not call it a scam...it's more like pure genius. I would hope all of you are getting paid for doing what you love to do. If not, why not? But you know what? I cannot remember the last time I went out to the park on my day off, if ever.

Junior · July 31, 2011, 10:02:07 AM

I remember that my starting rate of pay in 1978 was $2.35 per hour! I was able to save over $600 by the end of that summer, I was just rolling in money! (Or so it seemed at the time...after all, mom and dad paid the rent, utilities, well, everything. My money was my money, unless they needed to borrow some every now and then.) I was 15 years old back then.

How-doFolks · July 31, 2011, 12:32:43 PM

yip josh, i think ya got this'n!!

joshblakebran · July 31, 2011, 01:51:15 PM

It's nice that our schedule will allow us to visit the park and Branson for that long. We always open and close SDC when we're there...Used to we would spend all day at SDC and then head over to Celebration City and stay until closing...Even though it got a bit repetitive, we do miss the laser show at CC.

sanddunerider · July 31, 2011, 02:44:22 PM

OK.. OK.. Maybe "scam" is the wrong term.

..

But that sounds like it would have been a great deal/ expierence/

I am envious of you guys..