SDC is an "idealized Ozark mountain village." If you have read the quaint "Arcadian" literature, history and folklore by such writers of years past like Vance Randolph, Amos Harlan, Otto Ernest Rayburn, or Cora Pinkley Call, you know they presented the Ozarks of times past as a hardscrabble but beautiful country, where men and women worked hard, living off the land, surviving by their wits, and a people rooted in Elizabethan Era speech and folkways. That is the way the founders of the park initially came up with in terms of their theme. Look at the SDC logo, an axe in a log with the Sun setting behind it, the letters of the park appear to be carved into the side of the log. Of course, since the 1990's, the park has been turned over partially or fully to others now who operate by looking at the bottom line. Nothing wrong with that, because if they are not profitable, they go the way of Dogpatch. The heavily themed rides of years past such as Flooded Mine, Fire in the Hole, Diving Bell, all are/were hidden inside a themed building. The outside rides like the train and float trip blended into the woods and surrounding terrain. Today, we have the Grand Exposition with its worlds fair theme, and big roller coasters, that no matter how well done, still feature elements that don't mix as well as the older themed rides. However, the "Ozark mountain village" area of the park remains well intact, with the more modern rides on the edge of the park, surrounded by woods. So, in the end, it all works out OK. I still wish certain elements were better themed, but understand why things are as they are. SDC is still a superior product than many other places out there one could go to. So I say "hats off" in salute to the current "citizens" who work so hard to entertain us and give us a good vacation day or two!
