ytterbiumanalyst

Thanks for letting us know! We had such a good time at your park last year. Glad to hear good things are happening; Chicago needs a park focused on younger children after the loss of Kiddieland, and you guys are really filling a need.

^ That's disappointing, Wildcat was really good as a "large" coaster in a park with almost exclusively kiddie flats. My daughter (6 at the time) raved about it, and I'd say it's the best Galaxi I've been on. They really put a lot of effort into landscaping around it, too. That was July 2014, so things must have happened in the last year.... Hopefully they're able to get another family coaster to replace it; the park would really suffer from not having a "large" coaster. The park is designed for little kids, yes, but families with small children often have one or two older ones also, so it is an important demographic for this park. They should not get anything inverting or launching at this point, since they only have a Dragon Wagon and a Wacky Worm. Larger and not inverting is the need. I say "large" because since the park is focused on the under-36" crowd, even a small family coaster would stand out as large here. Something like Spacely's Sprocket Rockets or Steel Lasso would be great.

It closed almost immediately after opening, might have been into 2002. There were major problems. I've heard "re-opening" so many times over the last decade, I don't know what's real and what's not. Wikipedia says it closed in 2007, and that sounds a bit late to me, but might be true. I have heard rumours that they were allowing admission at various times--rumours that always went to the tune of "Quick! Before they close it again!" So to get back to the topic at hand, if the Herschends open an aquarium on the old Celebration City lot, it'd probably do pretty well. The Butterfly Palace is right across the street, and the Tiger Sanctuary's just down the road. Branson needs to attract younger families who don't care about hillbillies or old country music stars, and animals are a great way to do that. As for the shops, the Herschends tried that once with the Grand Village. It did better than the Grand Palace, and they kept the Village around longer, but Branson doesn't really need another strip mall. The Branson Landing has done very well, but I'm not sure having another one on the opposite end of 76 is really what the city needs. The Highroad isn't getting extended. The project hasn't been delayed, it's been canceled. The Highroad works for people coming from Springfield to bypass 76 and get to SDC, and that's all the function it needs. I still think the best thing they could do with CC's land is to relocate White Water there. The road infrastructure is so much better there than their current location next to the outlet mall.

^ I hear you, was there 2 weeks ago in 102 degree heat. We knocked out the coasters and interesting flats in about an hour and then hit the waterpark the rest of the time.

^ No, SDC didn't need any of those rides. Jackrabbit and Thunderbolt were horrid coasters, and the rest of those rides were just average. The only rides that stood out at Celebration City were the go-karts, shot tower, and Ozark Wildcat. All that leftover Branson USA crap was sold off, as it should have been.

Ride it in the back. If you've never been on an RMC, you will be blown away. Goliath was my second RMC, so I couldn't help but compare to Outlaw Run, and while Outlaw Run is better, even the worst RMC is still one of the best coasters in the world. Goliath is short, but they didn't phone it in. It's an amazing ride, and you'll love it.

Don't be skeptical, just be disgusted over Johnny taking his sweet time. It'll be reopened. It's full of living things now http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2015/03/18/big-changes-ahead-wonders-wildlife/24988721/ That aquarium was open for a few months in 2001, then has been closed "for renovations" for 14 years. The only project in town with more delays and restarts is the Heers building. Let's call it what it is; it's a nonprofit subsidiary that exists solely to be a tax write off.

Hmm, "hoodlums" you say? I think the million self-titled rednecks in the state would disagree with that word being used to describe hunters. Hunting is a HUGE part of our culture, and you don't have to go very far outside KC to see that.

A Wacky Worm at the Ozark Empire Fair. Wade has more coasters than that, but it's the only one they ever bring here.

^ I can totally see a big game hunt ride going over very well in western Missouri, especially if it's done with the 3D effects like Justice League has. SFStL is Worlds of Fun's primary competition, and lately WoF's additions have been similar to rides added to Six Flags a year or two earlier (for example, Bonzai Pipeline/Predator's Plunge; Skyscreamer/Steelhawk).

^ I would trust anything Chadster has to say about SDC. He's an expert. Shavethewhales is too. Those two know probably more about SDC than anyone else on this board. Regarding the control panel, while RMC built the ride, the control panel was done in-house so that it could be serviced quickly and without having to contact RMC when breakdowns occur. Yes, they used parts of Ozark Wildcat in various places around the station. In many ways, Outlaw Run is the relocation of Ozark Wildcat we were all asking for.

My town's tallest building is a two-story home, so here's the skyline of the city where I work: Springfield, Missouri. The black skyscraper is the John Q. Hammons Tower, the tallest building in the city at 22 stories and named for the Mr. Burns of our Springfield, a hotel magnate. Most of the rest of these buildings are dorms for Missouri State University.

^ Adults can ride alone. As long as you're 42" or taller, you're good! No upper height limit or other restrictions.

Interesting. I had heard they were involved on both White Water and Frontier City, then sold both to Six Flags. Thanks for the correction. Well, if the theming isn't theirs, it's certainly in their style, which is a very good move on Frontier City's part.

Thunderbird has two trains, and 20 seats per train. So it's far from high capacity, but a short ride duration and AWESOME operations keep things moving. Most parks' stated capacities are rarely achieved, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Thunderbird's actual capacity is pretty close to its theoretical.

^ & ^^ I really got that vibe too when I was there earlier in the year. It is such a spectacular park that it's hard to imagine it getting any better, but you can't help but see them rising, and cheer them on. I was just there two months ago, and I already can't wait for the chance to go back. Quite simply, Holiday World is everything we who love theme parks want every theme park to be.

IIRC, they cited cost. There weren't very many visitors in 1995, and the service gate was smaller and required less staff, plus it was a bit closer to the parking lot, so they could do away with the tram. Basically Cedar Fair's first mission was to stop the bleeding so they could fix up the place and add big new rides like Detonator and Mamba.

And now the photos! Diamondback warming up Great looking parking lot coaster! Look at it from the parking lot! Entrance plaza was small but very nice. Look at that plaza, all entrancing and stuff. The Chuck E. Cheese band has a side gig here. Here's where the launched wing coaster is. Just like at Silver Dollar City, you enter and exit through the gift shop. It's also where you queue for Diamondback. Straight to the back for Silver Bullet! Then on to tame the wild cat. The ferris wheel was remarkably good for being a pretty standard ride. Location is everything. No one was on the train yet. Not when all the coasters are walk ons! Tin Lizzy was an uninspired layout, but in all fairness, there's probably not much else they could have done with that hillside. Who's up for some roulette? If you've got an ailment.... Have they got a cure for you! See? It's totally legit! The park had some great theming in general. Shops like this all over the place. Really felt very Herschend-esque, The kids really enjoyed these play houses in Timber Town. Authentic frontier outhouses! They also have flash passes, in that you are able to flash your pass for a discount on food. Robot cows don't stand a chance against the Steel Lasso. Mini tea cups. Always a good time for the kids. Quick Draw was a bit disappointing. These days you've got to do a lot more with a dark ride if you want to impress. Mystery River was a great flume. I love the fountains on either side. On the plus side, it has this random train car on its backside! Heh, them city slickers thinks they knows how to spell far'. Warriors of the winged variety. Rodeo Round Up was down all day. Seems to happen a lot to Enterprises lately. Sidewinder was running, and decently popular it seemed. Thunder Road is the park's totally thematically appropriate go kart track. Frontiersmen would often use these devices to herd cattle on the long drives. These rapids follow their own rules. Take the tunnel! Wild West Water Works was nice to have in the hottest part of the afternoon. There's a food stand here too, just the one. I didn't use any filters here; it really looks washed out and old-timey. Amazing theming! Why, you're welcome! Anything else you want to say, my good sign? Why yes, I do!

Week 2: Frontier City To save money, our summer vacation is consisting of several extended weekends rather than one big trip, and the second weekend's destination was Frontier City. It was overall a very good experience. We were there on Friday, arriving at opening and leaving about 8. We got to ride everything we wanted to, re-ride the best ones, and spend some time at the waterpark as well. Lines were minimal all day, due to it being a weekday and a forecast of thunderstorms. The rain never actually came to the park at all outside of two brief drizzles, but it did make for a lovely cool and cloudy day. There were plenty of rides for families, so we loved it, though some who are looking for higher thrills may be disappointed. Theming : Above average. The Herschend touch is very much a part of this park, even so many years after they sold it off. It really felt like we were at a more compact version of Silver Dollar City, from the national anthem at opening right down to the ubiquitous puns. How deep does the theming go? Brain Drain had a backstory--of being the latest sideshow medical cure for all sorts of ailments. Bonus points for that one! Food: They had many food stands throughout the park closed on the day we visited, likely for staffing reasons. That made for a bit of a hike for snacks and drink refills. Food quality was good everywhere we went. The stalls had well-marked queues that kept the lines from going out into the paths, but in several places condiments, napkins, etc. were placed prior to the window, not after, so that guests would have to reach through the queue to get what they needed. Definitely some room for improvement here, but overall well done. Operations: Frontier City knows how to run one train with two attendants. It’s amazing how a bit of hustle makes so much difference. It was hard for us not to contrast it with Magic Springs, since we had been there just the weekend before. What Frontier City did was to only allow the people who were going to be on the next train in the station and hold everyone else back. They then dispatched the train, and while it was running, brought in the next group and went through all the safety spiels so that the second that train came back they loaded the next one. All the coaster crews were doing this parkwide; it worked wonderfully, and they really kept lines moving this way. Waterpark: They do have a full size waterpark across town, but the distance is great enough that they include a small slide complex at Frontier City as well. It’s essentially playground equipment with a giant waterbucket. We spent about an hour and a half there, and the kids had a lot of fun. One complaint, though, is that the highway noise is really noticeable in that area. Yes, I realize the park is right next to I-35, but you can’t really hear the highway in most places in the park. At Wild West Water Works, it’s really noticeable. Water rides: Both are quite good, and most welcome in the persistent Oklahoma heat. Mystery River – What do you do when you don’t have much land but want a long flume ride? Build it underground! The extended darkness provides some relief for the heat, but there are also scenes throughout the ride as well. Reminds me of American Plunge pre-Wildfire. This was our longest wait of the day at around half an hour. Renegade Rapids – This was unusual, at least among the rapids rides I’ve been on, in that it has a near-constant bouncing motion rather than the more common set-up for a big splash. It also features eight-person boats and separate loading and unloading stations, so the line went very quickly, about 20 minutes. The park set up fans every few feet and covered the queue, so the wait was probably the most comfortable of any ride. Dark ride: Frontier City’s dark ride is Quick Draw. It was merely okay; it didn’t seem to have a coherent story line, but was just a series of scenes with stuff to shoot. Also, and I found this odd for a park with such an emphasis on family rides, each car only held 2 guests. We’re used to riding this sort as a family, so having to split up the group made for some unexpected logistical decisions. Flats: As one would expect of a small park, it has a large number of flats, so I’ll review a few of the notable ones. Brain Drain – This was my most anticipated flat. The Larson Super Loops are a bit polarizing around here, and I wanted to see for myself. It’s a great fit for this park; it’s one of the biggest rides, in a great location, and provides a much-needed high thrill for a park that is a bit lacking in that area. For me, personally, though, it went just a tad too long. I don’t do too well with spinning rides, but I am a fan of pirate ships, Screamin’ Swings, and the like, so usually as long as there’s no lateral movement, I’m good. With this one, I was loving it through the first 7 inversions, but by the time it finished the tenth, I was a bit queasy. I think if it had had 8 inversions (4 each direction), I would have really enjoyed it, but as it was, I rode it once and was done. Sorry Brain Drain; it’s not you, it’s me. Casino – This ride looked really cool. I didn’t ride it, but my wife and 2 older kids did, and they said it was really fun. I don’t think I’ve seen one like it, even at the fair. Grand Centennial Ferris Wheel – My youngest daughter’s favourite ride by far. We went on it four times throughout the day. It’s built on top of the park’s largest hill, so you get a great view of the surrounding area, which despite the freeway junction (I-35 & I-44) is somewhat undeveloped and there’s a nice view of rolling hills. Winged Warrior – This seemed to me to be larger than Holiday World’s version, but that may just be because Frontier City’s is elevated on a wooden deck structure. It was pretty fun too, but there was quite a bit of wind, so the cars twisted more than I would have liked. Coasters: Frontier City has three outstanding coasters. Nothing that should be in anyone’s top 10, but fun and providing a variety of experiences in a relatively small footprint. Diamondback – This was the one disappointing coaster. It didn’t really launch, had a much too sharp dip into the loop, and rattled too much throughout. It wasn’t really painful, just wasn’t fun. Once and done. Silver Bullet – This was my first Schwarzkopf looper (not my first Schwarzkopf in general, as I’ve been on Zambezi Zinger and Whizzer as well). The loop was utterly perfect, but it kept great pacing throughout, with several bits of airtime, and screaming through the tunnel nearly sideways for an exhilarating finish. Despite this being 40 years old and relocated several times, it’s the park’s smoothest coaster. Steel Lasso – Vekoma can make a good coaster! Steel Lasso was very fun from start to finish. The first drop was more forceful than I thought it would be, and the final helix was very good as well. It was my oldest daughter’s favourite coaster. Wildcat – This was my son’s favourite coaster. It was relocated from the old Fairyland Park in Kansas City, which I don’t remember at all. The pacing is very good, and it’s not rough at all. The only flaw is the awkward brake right before what would have been the water splashdown. Other than that, it was a lot of fun. Wild Kitty – I rode this one with my five-year-old. He enjoyed it, but it was quite painful for me. We rode twice in a row, and then I was done. Fortunately, there were also two other, much better coasters for the kids as well.

It's at Frontier City in Oklahoma City, and it's a very good family coaster. My 5-year-old and 7-year-old both loved it.

Well, the next place I'm going with rides will be the Ozark Empire Fair in Springfield, Mo., but the next non-county fair I'm going to will be Kiddie Park in Bartlesville, Ok.

Diamondback at Frontier City

Steel Lasso