^^From what I've gathered, SDC was originally set to build their own version of Mystery Mine for 2009. This would have cost around $17 million, easily topping the $14 million they spent on Wildfire. However, after Branson traffic started to slip, the park sent out a few surveys about the economy to some of the season pass holders. Apparently they didn't like the results, because just a few months later they started building the Splash Battle instead.
And now, after another few rounds of surveys and yet more slips in Branson tourism and the economy in general, the park is once again scrapping their plans and opting to wait it out for better times.
So we've gone from a huge new coaster to a splash battle and then to nothing in about a year.
I just hope this strategy pays off. It seems like the smart thing to do, but all the other parks in the state are really ramping up and are actually seeing higher attendance. It's just a really tough time for Branson and SDC as they transition from one crowd to another. The new coaster would have really aided that transition...