What kind of fan are you?

[rubedugans]

I am by far an old fan...if you count the 28 yrs of park visits- even though that is the same amount as my age... I grew up in a great time for the park, and that is a lot of what I remember

[Swoosh]

^Born in 1980?  I was born in 1981 and my wife Dec 1980.

[rubedugans]

^Dec 26! Yes good old 1980. The eighties were great there. Buying crackers for the goats, the diving bell, hucks hideaway, pre-shootout flooded mine, gandy dancers, FITH, the Dillards, Shad, The Rainmaker, Tom sawyers landing, The swinging Bridge all hold great memories for me. I was on a year round school schedule-we would go 9 weeks-and then have a break for 3 weeks, etc etc. so every summer and fall we would come to SDC at a time when there was no one except a few tour busses. We would park in Lot A, and walk 100 yards and be in the park...LOT A!!!! No traffic, no rude people it was a great way to experience the park.

[Swoosh]

^ha.  My wife is Dec 8th. 

[kctx]

Ditto!  The eighties were an awesome time to grow up visiting the park.  I was born in 81 and have been going a few times a year to the park ever since.  I love an old tintype of me (where I might have been 2 or 3 years old) dressed like a prairie girl holding a Raggedy Ann Doll.  I believe it was taken at the outdoor photo area they had by the train (that is now a smoking area).  My parents always had them taken of us every year and were so adamant that we use the outdoor area and that we were not smiling so they looked more realistic. lol They could drop us at Tom Sawyers and let us play on the ropes for hours with the only worry that we would go to see the goats and they would eat our shoe strings.  I can't imagine not having those memories! 

[sdcforever]

^I have fond memories of the 80s at the park as well.  We got tintypes done and in one of them, when I was about six years old, I'm holding a shotgun and I have the meanest look on my face!   My parents would also drop my sister and I off at the Landing and let us play on the ropes and in the ball pit for hours; we would also visit the old petting zoo, where I would definitely get my shoe strings eaten.  Every single time.  Ah, I'm definitely a nostalgia fan, through and through.

[bobber620]

1980'S were good. i too remember the crackers for the animals ect. cause one of my brothers wasn't paying attention  when my dad handed him the cracker and it immediately went into his mouth of course my mother freaked out. my brother thought it was for him and of course couldn't understand why my mom was doing everything but the himelich manuver to get the cracker out of his mouth. once everything calmed down they discovered that it wouldn't hurt him but it sure made for a halarious scene. We too were lucky to have parents that gave us a time and a place to meet and let us run off on our own. oh the good times

[rubedugans]

The crackers were , or were very similar to Ry Krisp Crackers. They looked, smelled, and even tasted (don't ask) like the very bland fat free low cal crackers that I have in my pantry right now (and no I do not have any goats)