SDC's 2023 Project(s) and Park Developments

[Swoosh]

Opening Weekend Parking Lot
https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2023/03/city-update-parking-sdc.html

Opening Weekend Lumbercamp
https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2023/03/city-update-lumbercamp-sdc.html

Opening Weekend Park Upgrades/Updates
https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2023/03/city-update-sdc.html

Opening Weekend Fire in the Hole Area
https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2023/03/city-update-fire-in-hole-sdc.html

[KBCraig]

Opening Weekend Park Upgrades/Updates
https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2023/03/city-update-sdc.html

Interesting. That rubber at the crossing could be set in a way that it flexes down for the train wheel flanges, but not be noticeable to foot traffic.

[Swoosh]

^Yes we were wondering that ourselves.  It would definitely keep strollers from getting caught... and they'll obviously do that treatment over at new FITH and Pumpkin Plaza as well

[tmstephe]

We were waiting for a tram at the end of the day Thursday and a parking attendant got to chatting.  He said when it's all said and done (likely next year), people will NOT be directed to a specific lot and can park wherever they want.  He also said the shuttles/trams will run one continuous loop rather than going to one specific stop.  He did confirm that there will be two underpasses - one for pedestrians and one for trams. 

I know employees don't always have accurate info, but I thought I'd pass it along with a grain of salt.

[Swoosh]

We were waiting for a tram at the end of the day Thursday and a parking attendant got to chatting.  He said when it's all said and done (likely next year), people will NOT be directed to a specific lot and can park wherever they want.  He also said the shuttles/trams will run one continuous loop rather than going to one specific stop.  He did confirm that there will be two underpasses - one for pedestrians and one for trams. 

I know employees don't always have accurate info, but I thought I'd pass it along with a grain of salt.

I'm fully expecting that all parking will be paid parking once the lot is completed.  You have to pay at all of their other parks already.

[Swoosh]

Weekend #2 Parking Lot
https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2023/03/city-update-parking-sdc_18.html

Weekend # 2 Lumber Camp
https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2023/03/city-update-lumbercamp-sdc_18.html

[Okiebenz]

It appears they have a fence around the water tree with trash barrels in front of it?  Does not look like you would be able to see that anymore.  Perhaps it no longer works or nobody cares anymore.

[tmstephe]

I took my daughter to see it.  There is a low fence, but the tree is still “running”.

[Swoosh]

^ it still works

[cowboy]

We were waiting for a tram at the end of the day Thursday and a parking attendant got to chatting.  He said when it's all said and done (likely next year), people will NOT be directed to a specific lot and can park wherever they want.  He also said the shuttles/trams will run one continuous loop rather than going to one specific stop.  He did confirm that there will be two underpasses - one for pedestrians and one for trams. 

I know employees don't always have accurate info, but I thought I'd pass it along with a grain of salt.

I'm fully expecting that all parking will be paid parking once the lot is completed.  You have to pay at all of their other parks already.

I looked at Dollywood's parking prices and if SDC gets anywhere close to those - there will be major heartache. The general parking was still free to the silver and gold season pass holder but everyone else was $22.80. The Preferred lot was $41.

The SDC Season Passes are less expensive than Dollywood but all you heard earlier from SDC fans was how it was now too hard to take a family, etc. Just wait until they implement those more expensive passes with blackout dates, etc. and paid parking on top?

We'll still go and have a good time whatever they decide to do, but I can already hear the gnashing of teeth from a large demographic that visits.

Jay

[mg]

The general parking was still free to the silver and gold season pass holder but everyone else was $22.80.

At Dollywood, parking is free for Gold and Diamond. Silver season pass holders have to pay parking.

[shavethewhales]

Yup, get ready for a lot more complaining, and not just from us old timers on this site. In the end, it'll just be another change that people "get used to". Ultimately SDC is just another theme park with an interesting history and great theming. There's no fighting the inevitable, but the free parking has been awesome all these years.

After all, this new parking lot is costing them millions. Most parks charge out the @ss just for crappy pavement they put over a field 20+ years ago. At least this time we're paying for heavy civil work, lol.

Thanks for the updates!

[cowboy]

The general parking was still free to the silver and gold season pass holder but everyone else was $22.80.

At Dollywood, parking is free for Gold and Diamond. Silver season pass holders have to pay parking.

I just thought that might have been a typo left over from an earlier year. I saw where it said, gold and diamond, but I couldn't find on their website where you could purchase a diamond season pass. Was that a limited time thing?

Jay

[mg]

Yes, they only sell a limited number of Diamond passes each year.

[Lampie]

From SDC Facebook: New for 2023, brand new strollers and coming soon new ECVs
 
Another pretty big investment in infrastructure, I reel think they are planing a big expansion the next few years. It does seem like price hikes have to be coming with all this infrastructure spending, hopefully that’s not in the form of paid parking, but the new setup sure looks like they at least put the infrastructure in place to charge in the future if they want to. It sure looks like they have a second set of 4 tollbooths behind the first set. The islands can be seen in some of the recently posted photos but no toll shacks have been built on them thus far.