Another "old" commercial! (1994)

[Joy]

Just doing some random surfing on YouTube for SDC related vids and came across this great commercial from 1994!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l-haXyDaME

[History Buff]

Nice to see all the characters.  That commercial is very quaint.  I'm surprised there weren't any rides to show.

[orient express]

i remember seeing many more sdc commercials in the past. i can only hope someone has them and will post them

[Coaster]

Not one clip of Thunderation which was the big thing at the time. Very surprising. Neat little commercial.

[Joy]

When I found it, I couldn't believe it... I actually *remember* that commercial!

1994 is the year I first visited the park, at the rip old age of 9. Now I'm almost 25 and have introduced the park to my 2-year-old niece.

I like the emphasis on the Citizens. Wish they'd do more of that in their advertising these days.

[Ozark Outlaw]

Yeah, I was surprised to see no mention about Thunderation as well.

Hey, did anyone notice that the narrator stated it was "1894?" I thought Silver Dollar City was set in the 1880's.

[Junior]

If I recall correctly, in the early 90s, park management tried to shift the theme of the park to the Victorian era, they renamed Main Street, Gaslight Square. Some of the buildings were made to look like they were Victorian. People balked, and management moved away from the idea, back to the original SDC in the 1880's idea. Thank goodness! (See, management does listen to it's customers, if they shout loudly!)

[Joy]

Yeah, I kinda remember that. Or at least, I remember it being the 1890s when I first started visiting the park. I'm glad they've gone back to just the 1880s.

[StaceySue]

I may be mistaken, but I thought until the year 2000, the park was exactly a hundred years before the current year.  So, in 1994, it would have been 1894.  It worked like that when I was a kid in the 1980s, it seems, but I'm not sure.

[Ozark Outlaw]

I may be mistaken, but I thought until the year 2000, the park was exactly a hundred years before the current year.  So, in 1994, it would have been 1894.  It worked like that when I was a kid in the 1980s, it seems, but I'm not sure.

From a marketing standpoint you’re probably exactly right. I was just a young lad at the time, and didn’t remember.

[Zephon]

There was a short period of time, mid 80's to early 90's, when they took that approach, but it was abandoned shortly.  We used to talk about it..."What are they going to do when they have to allow cars on the streets?  No way to widen them."  There were those of us at the time who thought it wasn't a very good idea, but you do what the man says, with all the enthusiasm you can muster.

[Ozark Outlaw]

I believe the approach they have now is perfect. For example this year is 1880 for 2010, and next year will be 1881 for 2011, and then 1882 for 2012, and so on until 2020 when the whole process is repeated again.

[History Buff]

^I don't think we have heard of this process at all.  Where did you get this information?

[Junior]

What Ozark BBQ says above is pretty accurate. I'm not sure how "official" it all is, but it's pretty much the same kind of formula that they've always used. When I worked there in the 70s, they told everyone it was the 1870s, in the 80s, the 1880s....in the 90s, they said it was the 1890s...and so on. But I'm glad they are stuck in the 1880's. That's about as modern as I'd like it to get. There anyway!

[Ozark Outlaw]

Here are some examples of my method for madness. If you notice the water clock at the front gate, it changes years depending on what year it actually is.

For example, 1887 for a 2007 Picture
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skinnytie/1098426426/
(Photo Credit: Beta Mike)

and, 1888 for a 2008 Picture
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dustinholmes/2391327192/
(Photo Credit: Dustin Holmes)

and, 1880 for a 2010 Picture
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30708145@N02/4444082623/
(Photo Credit: tinmann620)