2012 Trip Reviews

[How-doFolks]

Great stuff Tiff, Thanks for sharing it with us all.

[How-doFolks]

well, bad news kids.. no review.. we always take 465 to get to 76, so we took a right to go to homestay inn before we ate & went to SDC. this was at about 1:30pm. well, the line to SDC was all the way to the lumberjack go-cart track!! like Trams said, i have never seen it that bad. the wife was also feeling bad from that nasal-head virus bug going around, & we couldnt decide where to eat. sooo, we decided to say to heck with it. drove back to springfield, ate at rib crib, went thru a antique shop, & drove 3 hours back home.

maybe we should'a had more pateince. but i had gotten up at 2:30, & the wife got up at 4:15 on sat. morning. our pateince would have really been tested that day, & when ya see a line like that, you lose ya'r mind & pateince. we have already learned not to ever go on a sat., guess we'll just have to take a day off work just to enjoy OTC. no offense to Trams, but i'm glad to hear other people turned around & said to heck with it. i'd almost bet SDC set a record attendance that day.

[Junior]

You should generally avoid SDC on Saturday. This goes for the summer when the kids are out, and includes Christmas time, too. If you can make special arrangements with work, family, and so on, go during a weekday...you will be surprised at the difference most of the time, some days in fall or early, early spring, you will almost have the place to yourself. Think about going on a rainy day, too, if you prefer shows, shopping, and food. The rain or other poor weather make the visit a bit uncomfortable, but it also tends to clear out the park.

[Gilligan]

Terry Sanders posted on FB that they had a record crowd of 23,000 Sat. That's no fun!  Hope you have another chance, How-do. I would have done the same thing.

[MissinTheGreenTrams]

Jeeze how-do, sorry to hear of the big turn around. What a bummer. But the crowd was  good deal for SDC, even if a pooper of a trip for us.

[Junior]

I remember working a summer day on park about 79 or 80 or 81 when they had a record day of just over 20,000. Packed streets, long waits, generally miserable conditions. Whew, that was one for the record books in more than one way. 

[How-doFolks]

Thanks for all the support ya all! I was really down on myself yesterday for leaving & driving all the way back home. Glad to see SDC had a record setting day tho'.

[Duelist]

Those kinds of days are what makes it possible to purchase rides like "Outlaw Run"...

[DianaGail]

We were part of the record crowd yesterday.  I have never, ever, ever seen it like that.  They were parking people in empty fields out past Indian Ridge and busing them in.  Every road shoulder was bumper to bumper parked cars.  People gave up on their buses and walked toward Notch and Indian Ridge.  Here is the review of the craziness that was yesterday:

Parked by 11:50.  We parked near stop 6, but didn't take the bus.  The line was too long, so we just walked up.  We were in the park by 2, as more than half of our party (and our free passes), were in line to get to the city.  Ate lunch, which was fine.  If you aren't a fan of leeks, the potato soup is definitely one to stay away from, but overall it was pretty good.  Off to the bakery for Cinnamon bread, red velvet cupcakes, and cookies.  Rode the train.  We would have gotten on the first one, but had to wait in the depot for the rest of our party.  It was a good train ride and by the time we got off the train, the people at the back of the line would be lucky to have to only wait for 2 trains before their turn.  Made a quick half dollar hollar stop, then tried to find a bathroom.  Couldn't get to the ones at Thunderation because there were so many people, so we headed to the Heritage Hall.  The worker wouldn't let us to the bathroom because of line for "It's a Wonderful Life".  Waited 30 minutes for the bathroom, then headed to the expo.  They closed the measuring station at 4:40?  BAD idea.  Waited for 30 minutes to ride the frogs.  Met with more of the party.  Broke off.  We waited for 15 minutes at the Kids Coaster, 15 minutes at the Regatta.  Took my nephew on the teacups.  Max 5 minute wait there, which was down from 30 minutes earlier in the day.  Brother and sis in law went to ride Wildfire.  Hour wait for that one.  Got great seats for the parade.  The key for the parade is to be at the start in the Grand Expo.  It is so much easier to sit there. 

Jingle Bell Junction was our next stop.  They have a big clearance wall, which was great.  That bridge between the glassblowers and candy makers really causes a huge bottleneck.  At one point, the wouldn't let anyone down the hill.  You had to go down the other way.  It took us 30 minutes to get from the Junction to the top of the hill, where Tracy Heaston was playing his first set of the night.  Normally he would play 2 times before that, but he got stuck in traffic and was late, so he missed 2 sets.  Watched the tree lighting.  Anna talked to the lights and the kids waved their new light up toys in time to the music.  Walked back out to the car.  Left the park and went to McDonald's in Branson West.  The worker that helped me had been at work since 2.  It was 8 pm.  No one had had a break since before she got there. 

All in all, it was a very good trip, but we are exhausted!  lol!

[runner1960]

So at what point do they close the gates? I know WDW parks will shut down entries until so many leave then open back up and allow more in.

[chittlins]

i'm sure today was heavy as well, I'm doing yard work in shorts and just taking a break and downin' a Boulevard.

[StaceySue]

Wow!  Craziness! We are going next weekend, but we are booked at Deer Run.  We won't go to SDC at Christmastime without a reservation there.  Worst case scenario--walk back to motel room from SDC.  We've done that one time....

[Junior]

They have parked folks down around Indian Ridge for decades when the crowds are heavy. I've never seen parking along the edge of Highway 76, though. In the past, during my era working there, there were dates when employees were required to park in the Indian Ridge area, and then they would be bused in, the regular employee lots were used for guest parking. Sounds like a crazy Saturday at the park, glad I was not there!

[How-doFolks]

great review DianaGail, i would'a been mentally exhausted..

[BackInTime]

We were in the City on Friday and yesterday as well. Friday was busy, but no sweat getting in and ride wait times were minimal if at all. Living four hours from the park, I do not have dozens of trips under my belt to compare it too, but I knew something was up when we got on the road to head to the park yesterday. At about 12:15, traffic was bumper to bumper from the strip all the way to the entrance of the park. There was a relatively serious accident about a tenth of a mile from the entrance that really slowed everything, but heard from a gas station attendant late last night that traffic was backed up for miles in every direction going toward the park all day long. I have never seen that number of people in the park at once. Ride wait times still weren't terrible considering the volume of people, but I was surprised to see just once train running on WF around mid afternoon. There were two running on PK and they shut down TNT late in the afternoon to add a second as well. The queues were completely filled on all three rides by late afternoon, but never waited more than about 45 minutes. We actually wound up leaving just before the 7:00 parade last night making the trek from GE back up to the entrance of the park. The volume of people lining the paths was immense. Shoulder to shoulder and 20 deep in places. The park employees were having a terrible time trying to clear traffic along the route. You could tell their patience was wearing thin rapidly. Just way too many people and nowhere to go with them.

Got to ride the train Friday night, which is always a treat this time of year, but regretted not making a second trip during the day to catch some up close views of OR. But it was just my Mom, my wife and our son along and I couldn't persuade the little one to go a second time. Saw the Duggar family there both days. They couldn't have been nicer to the many folks who approached them to say hello, or ask for a picture. Seemed like a very normal family with very polite kids. Enjoyed sharing the lights with out little one for the first time, and loved taking him on his first real coaster ride even more. TNT was the first ride of our two-day trip Friday and we wound up riding it seven times before we said goodbye to the City last night.

All in all, a great trip. Definitely glad we experienced the record-breaking day yesterday and learned a little about what to avoid going forward.

Still downloading the 475 pics I took over the weekend, but if I wound up getting any that give a good sense of the crowds, I'll be sure to share them.