2012 Trip Reviews

[pintrader]

I usually just try to beat them to the punch and ask them if I can take their picture before they ask me.  They are usually in shock and picking their jaws up from the asphalt, then  I can sneak on by.

[cousin bubba]

  we got to branson at 5:30 p.m. on the 11th and met up with my sister and brother in law and headed for the landing. Old chicago was open, the pop corn store was gone, so was the build your own fragrance store.
  the next day (Thursday the 12th) we went to the city. shopped for a while and then caught the 3rd saloon show of the season. Same basic plot as last year with a few changes to keep it interesting. Miss Tilly does the old abbot and Costello routine "13 times seven equals 28". They dance to "wild women" but don't sing it. The song "popular" still in the act (my favorite).
   Saw the scissor dancer and it's a very good show. My best description is bread dancing while holding scissors.
   Saw the Italian show in the red and gold. It was ok. I'm not a big Italian show fan.2/3 of the sons of the silver dollar are in this show.
   Got robbed on the train. they seemed to put everything and more into the show. on a scale of 1 to 10 i would give it a nine.
    more to come latter.

[cousin bubba]

  On Friday the 13th we decided to pop into sdc for breakfast and the pickers because we were going on the showboat at 4 p.m. At the mill i ask for and got the special table. I had never sat at it ( I had seen it in action before) but my sister and brother in law had no idea what was going on. Once again a sdc resident ( the waitress) made a good situation great. at the "height" of our fun she offered to take our picture.
  The homestead pickers were once again in great form. I have all their cds but this time they told "the rest of the story" behind some of the songs. I'll never listen to "behind the sun" again without a tear in my eye.
  i didn't think we could just do breakfast and the pickers and i was right. We watched the street shows (acrobats and flag throwers). my wife liked the flag throwers because they were in tights.
   First time to do the showboat. Like the cruise, loved the magician/comedian. the rest of the show was ok. food wasn't that good.

more later

[Gilligan]

We made it!  World-Fest!  I loved every minute of it.  We were there Fri. (13th - yikes!) and had a perfect, perfect day!  The weather was great (no storms) and the crowds were low.  Hubs had a cinnamon roll at Delilah's which, in his opinion, was fresh and wonderful! By the way, did anyone notice they have new curtains? We made it to Main Street just in time to see the African Acrobats - very fun, upbeat performance.  A few minutes later the Italian flag throwers marched in, so we got to see that show w/o even moving.  This is the show I most wanted to see, and it didn't let me down! We sat through the performance by Ecuadoran Mantra twice and bought a cd.  The Mariachi Divas at the Opera House was great!  No wonder they won a Grammy.  No wait at the OH - walked right in.  We also saw the Italian opera, which is a comedy act, at Red and Gold and thought it was well done and very enjoyable.  We didn't have time for the scissor dancers or the Saloon Show (sorry Tiff).  Missed the train ride, also.  We didn't waste any time - just had a very full day and couldn't get everything in that I had hoped for.  I thought the international food offerings were very good.  We had the combo german plate and really enjoyed it.  I was listening to comments around me and didn't hear any negative about the food.  The nachos looked wonderful, but we just didn't ave time to get any.  I did try the ginger torte and highly recommend it!!  All I can say is...everything looked spiffy and clean.  The hubs was disappointed that the wood carvers wasn't open yet, but he'll be back in June.  I took a ton of pics - now to figure out how to put them on here.  It was a very un-SDC like day for us - didn't visit any shops, skipped the rides, and didn't even have a sasparilla.  BUT, IT SURE WAS FUN!  Since I teach, I never get the time off to go to World Fest, so we took advantage of everything that festival had to offer!  We left the park shortly before 5:00 to have dinner and make a stop at the winery (free music 5 - 7).  All I can say is that it was good to be back in the park.  It couldn't have been a better day.  The hubs and I would have loved to return the next day to finish up World-Fest offerings and see the GAC show, but it was a short trip and time to head home.  Next visit:  JUNE!!!

[cousin bubba]

   to finish up my trip report, on Saturday the 14th we started out trying to have breakfast at the Indian point marina restaurant (the floating cafe). it was closed. next tried to do the zip line at Shepherd of the hill, weather world not permit.
   For 40 years i have gone down the strip and passed by the baldknobbers and Presley's. i have kicked myself more than once for not seeing these shows earlier for traditional reasons.
Last year i saw the baldknobbers and this past Saturday i finally saw the Presley's. i liked the comedy better at the baldknobbers but the music better at the Presley's but i loved both shows. Sorry i missed out for forty years.
   went home sunday the 15th
                                             the end

[tiffanylynnt]

We made it!  World-Fest!  I loved every minute of it.  We were there Fri. (13th - yikes!) and had a perfect, perfect day!  The weather was great (no storms) and the crowds were low.  Hubs had a cinnamon roll at Delilah's which, in his opinion, was fresh and wonderful! By the way, did anyone notice they have new curtains? We made it to Main Street just in time to see the African Acrobats - very fun, upbeat performance.  A few minutes later the Italian flag throwers marched in, so we got to see that show w/o even moving.  This is the show I most wanted to see, and it didn't let me down! We sat through the performance by Ecuadoran Mantra twice and bought a cd.  The Mariachi Divas at the Opera House was great!  No wonder they won a Grammy.  No wait at the OH - walked right in.  We also saw the Italian opera, which is a comedy act, at Red and Gold and thought it was well done and very enjoyable.  We didn't have time for the scissor dancers or the Saloon Show (sorry Tiff).  Missed the train ride, also.  We didn't waste any time - just had a very full day and couldn't get everything in that I had hoped for.  I thought the international food offerings were very good.  We had the combo german plate and really enjoyed it.  I was listening to comments around me and didn't hear any negative about the food.  The nachos looked wonderful, but we just didn't ave time to get any.  I did try the ginger torte and highly recommend it!!  All I can say is...everything looked spiffy and clean.  The hubs was disappointed that the wood carvers wasn't open yet, but he'll be back in June.  I took a ton of pics - now to figure out how to put them on here.  It was a very un-SDC like day for us - didn't visit any shops, skipped the rides, and didn't even have a sasparilla.  BUT, IT SURE WAS FUN!  Since I teach, I never get the time off to go to World Fest, so we took advantage of everything that festival had to offer!  We left the park shortly before 5:00 to have dinner and make a stop at the winery (free music 5 - 7).  All I can say is that it was good to be back in the park.  It couldn't have been a better day.  The hubs and I would have loved to return the next day to finish up World-Fest offerings and see the GAC show, but it was a short trip and time to head home.  Next visit:  JUNE!!!

I love being mentioned in Trip Reveiws lol

[sanddunerider]

""""I love being mentioned in Trip Reveiws lol"""""

You know your an official member of SDCFans when you get mentioned by name!!

[tiffanylynnt]

""""I love being mentioned in Trip Reveiws lol"""""

You know your an official member of SDCFans when you get mentioned by name!!

[biscuitcreek]

We went on 4/14. Got there in time for opening. First thing we rode TNT and then went to the train for the first train trip of the day (saw lots of construction progress).  Started raining while we were on the train; the robbers and the conductor got very wet. Got off the train and went to the Flooded Mine. We each hit one of the "special" targets so we each finished with well over 100,000 points. The rain had quit by the time we got out of FM so we went over to the Grand Exposition. Some rides were running and some were shut down. We rode the Tea Cups and then went to the Peruvian Scissor Dancers show. Liked the dancers but the music was very repetitive. The emcee was Tom Johnson of Sons of the Silver Dollar and sometimes  Bob Cratchit of DCC).

Went to the La Bella Musica and really enjoyed it. Red Gold is set up with a bistro area of tables and 2 chairs in front of the stage and the tiered seating in the back. There is comedy with 2 Italian chefs (2 guys that you will recognize from DCC) that starts before the show is scheduled to start.
The music features songs of Dean Martin, Perry Como, Tom Jones, and some popular classical "O Sole Mio" which is also the tune for It's Now or Never (the Elvis hit), one Italian aria by the soprano (you will recognize the tune), "Funniculi, Funnicula", etc. It was so great that there was a 9 piece band on the stage -- guitar, stand up bass, keyboard, mandolin, horn section.

Also went to the Hawaiian Country Music Show in the Riverfront Playhouse -- very good.  But the best was the Mariachi Divas in the Opera House.  Extremely talented women and can see why they have won a Grammy and been nominated several times for Grammys.

On the down side, food prices have gone up.  We tried to buy food at Mary's Springhouse (turned out to be closed) and in the food court.  Waited in a line for 15 minutes that didn't move. Souvenir mugs are 10.99 this year.  Most meals around the park started at $8.29 and kid's meals were $5.29.  Most placed did have menus with prices posted outside but Sandwich Jack's and Aunt Polly's did not.

Had hoped to go back Sunday but the weather was awful. 

[Joy]

  the next day (Thursday the 12th) we went to the city. shopped for a while and then caught the 3rd saloon show of the season. Same basic plot as last year with a few changes to keep it interesting. Miss Tilly does the old abbot and Costello routine "13 times seven equals 28". They dance to "wild women" but don't sing it. The song "popular" still in the act (my favorite).

Oh, yay! I was hoping they'd keep "Popular"! I was just watching various stage versions of the song the other night and decided to watch the vids I'd gotten of the Saloon Show version. I love it so much!

Does Fabian still do "You Made Me Love You"? I've got brilliant video of him singing it to my friend, and it's hilarious! When he first came out singing "Me gusto queso! Y mi gato es en fuego!", she burst out laughing--the only one in the audience--'cause she understood what he was saying! Best video I've gotten at the Saloon so far, I think.

[tiffanylynnt]

Went to the La Bella Musica and really enjoyed it. Red Gold is set up with a bistro area of tables and 2 chairs in front of the stage and the tiered seating in the back. There is comedy with 2 Italian chefs (2 guys that you will recognize from DCC) that starts before the show is scheduled to start.

I'm just wondering, but which two from DCC?

[biscuitcreek]

Went to the La Bella Musica and really enjoyed it. Red Gold is set up with a bistro area of tables and 2 chairs in front of the stage and the tiered seating in the back. There is comedy with 2 Italian chefs (2 guys that you will recognize from DCC) that starts before the show is scheduled to start.

I'm just wondering, but which two from DCC?

The guy who in some shows is the town crier at the beginning (and he may be the one who is also in Sons of the Silver Dollar) and the one who plays Mr. Fezziwig.

[Ozarks Gal]

World Fest 2012 starts this Thursday. Come see Mark and Michael as singing chefs at Red/Gold Pavilion. Tom will be hosting George Kahumoku's Hawaiian Country Music Show at the Riverfront Playhouse! What fun!

[cousin bubba]

Fabian is still doing "you made me love you". What i want to do is see every saloon show done in one day. I'll have to buy some show lover passes and go by myself. i once did the show twice in a day and the actors had changed roles in the second show. like them both.

[biscuitcreek]

World Fest 2012 starts this Thursday. Come see Mark and Michael as singing chefs at Red/Gold Pavilion. Tom will be hosting George Kahumoku's Hawaiian Country Music Show at the Riverfront Playhouse! What fun!

There was no host for the Hawaiian Country Music Show. Tom was hosting the Scissor Dancers at the Boatworks, and I know it was Tom because he introduced himself at the beginning of the show.