ytterbiumanalyst

When we were at Silver Dollar City this past weekend, there was a very excited woman in line for Outlaw Run who was cheerfully yelling out statistics (she was very loud too). So I learned that Outlaw Run has a 162-degree drop. RMC continues to amaze. But hey, I'm glad she had a good time. Outlaw Run's not picky; it'll thrill the mathematically challenged just the same as everyone else.

Oh, now Thursday and Friday are completely different. Labor Day weekend is really only Sat-Sun-Mon. Thursday and Friday will be significantly less busy, as all the local schools are already back in session. You still may see a bunch of people there for the shows, as the Southern Gospel festival really brings the show lovers in, but the ride lines should be very short. Those coming on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday will find MUCH longer lines indeed. Also, SDC does not sell the Trailblazer pass on weekdays except during the summer peak season, which has past.

No discount. It isn't really made for season pass holders; it's made for people who buy the one- or two-day passes. Season pass holders are likely just going to come back on a day when it's less busy. That's how I see it, at least. It's no big loss to me if we decide not to do a ride because of the line. We'll be back again, and it will still be there. Makes each visit a little different, too.

Among the worst of the entire year. An hour plus for all the big ones. It's a weekend to avoid for sure.

Mid-November the park will be open from around noon until about 9PM. Weather in November is usually highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s, so the rides will shut down around nightfall due to low temperatures. This is the Midwest, though, and it can be unpredictable. There was a weekend last December that had a high in the 70s; positively everyone and their brother was at the park that day. So maybe you'll get lucky. But most likely if you get there at opening you'll be able to ride it a few times in the afternoon. As others have said, the shows and lights are the thing during the Christmas season. Don't miss the train ride after sundown; it's so popular they build a temporary queue out into the plaza for it. There are Christmas light displays along the entire route; it's amazing. Oh, and the wassail is a requirement. Trust me on this. It's only available during the Christmas season, and it is amazing. It's everywhere, too; they convert the frozen lemonade stands to serve wassail and hot chocolate. No excuse not to get some.

For me, I have to say I don't love coasters. I love theme parks. Perhaps that comes from growing up in the Ozarks. Silver Dollar City has never been a coaster park, and I doubt it ever really will be. They have more coasters now than ever before, but the real draw is the amazing theming. That may sound odd to a lot of you, but there really are a lot of people who come to SDC and never ride a roller coaster. They walk around and look at things, browse the shops, see the shows, and never get on a ride at all. So that's the theme park I grew up with: the home of the sixty degree, 100-foot drop on a path. And that's the experience I look for when we go to other parks as well. I don't really have any desire to go to Six Flags; it's just a collection of rides lacking an experience to bring them together. Batman's great, so is Mr. Freeze, there are a few worthwhile ones that really are a lot of fun. But the experience is the thing, not any individual ride. The best any roller coaster can do is give you a great two minutes, but a park can give you a whole day to remember.

Arrow: ThuNderaTion B&M: Batman, SF St. Louis CCI: Boss Dinn: Timberwolf Gerstlauer: Spinning Dragons GCI: Ozark Wildcat Morgan: Mamba Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters: Screamin' Eagle Premier: Mr. Freeze, SF St. Louis Preston & Barbieri: Caterpillar (traveling Wacky Worm), Ozark Empire Fairgrounds RMC: Outlaw Run SDC: Galaxi, Cliff's Amusement Park Vekoma: Ninja, SF St. Louis Zamperla: Grand Exposition Coaster

SDC closes at 6 or 7 every day, with the exception of these two weeks and the Christmas season, so the 10PM closures are especially popular, as the locals come out to get that rare nighttime ride. Notably, PowderKeg's pyro effect during the launch is really something at night. And of course, this is the first opportunity for nighttime rides on Outlaw Run. Add to this the unseasonably cool weather, with highs in the 70s and 80s at a time of year when we're usually in the high 90s, and everyone will be there. Personally, we're going to try to get down there this weekend, but if I weren't local, and were taking off work to do it, I'd definitely go on Tuesday. Yes, you'll lose a few hours in the evening, but you'll more than gain that back with the ride queues of 15 min. or less all day, versus 1 hour or more on Saturday.

The train can be re-routed if they take out the employee parking lot that's back there, which they probably will end up doing regardless. Or the coaster can go over the tracks; Outlaw Run goes over the tracks twice without any interruption to either ride. Not to mention the giant structure that's there right now that's built right over the tracks and served as a queue for decades. I don't think the train's going to be an issue. Noise, yes, and for that reason I just don't see them getting another B&M. Wildfire was one of their most successful additions to the park, so they certainly don't have any bones to pick with B&M; I just don't see them going that direction. I would be totally satisfied with a Mystery Mine type coaster; it would fit well in the space and would hit that family thrill market that is their core audience. Wildfire is very quite to me. You can hear it as soon as you enter the park, especially if you get there at opening. And I think it is a valid point that the Riverfront is pretty much a shopping district and a noisy coaster would detract from this lucrative area of the park.

The train can be re-routed if they take out the employee parking lot that's back there, which they probably will end up doing regardless. Or the coaster can go over the tracks; Outlaw Run goes over the tracks twice without any interruption to either ride. Not to mention the giant structure that's there right now that's built right over the tracks and served as a queue for decades. I don't think the train's going to be an issue. Noise, yes, and for that reason I just don't see them getting another B&M. Wildfire was one of their most successful additions to the park, so they certainly don't have any bones to pick with B&M; I just don't see them going that direction. I would be totally satisfied with a Mystery Mine type coaster; it would fit well in the space and would hit that family thrill market that is their core audience.

My least favorite element on any coaster I've ever been on was Rattler's infinite helix. It just dragged on and was not fun in any way. Glad they took out all the helices on the new version. They sucked.

The park is getting something big in 2015, that much we know for certain, and it is likely to be a roller coaster. I think whatever it is will be a big deal to the park, but I don't know if it will be another groundbreaking coaster. Remember in 1999 SDC built Buzzsaw Falls, a "first-in-the-world," then followed it up in 2001 with Wildfire, a B&M looper, and then in 2003 with Ozark Wildcat, a GCI woodie--both very standard rides in their construction, yet outstanding in their quality--before trying another coaster that pushed the envelope, Powder Keg, in 2004. So I think it'd be wise for the park after Outlaw Run to build something a bit less edgy. Personally, I'm hoping for a Eurofighter, possibly in the space between Geyser Gulch and the Grand Expo, where the Waterboggan used to be. It's a small space, and a Eurofighter would fit it well. Plus, since the park is definitely geared toward families with younger children, I think a Eurofighter would fit better in the park than a wingrider would. So, you are considering Celebration City an, at the time, up charge extension of SDC for OZ Cat. Whitewater needs lots of help. One of those concept GCI wooden shuttle coasters would fit in well where the Waterboggan was and would keep HFE trend of going for firsts or one of the firsts ride offerings. But they supposedly have this deal already done. Yes, Celebration City was marketed as an add-on park. All the advertising at the time showed SDC during the day and CC at night. So it very much was intended to be the place you go after you've done everything at SDC. And agreed on Whitewater. I'm not sure exactly how much land HFE owns around that area, but I've always thought that if they're going to keep it in the current location, they ought to move the parking lot across Pat Nash and expand the park right up to the outlet mall and Gretna Rd. That'd give them plenty of space for another pool and a couple of slide complexes, which would really help give a sense of value for the money. Whitewater's just too expensive for what you get.

The park is getting something big in 2015, that much we know for certain, and it is likely to be a roller coaster. I think whatever it is will be a big deal to the park, but I don't know if it will be another groundbreaking coaster. Remember in 1999 SDC built Buzzsaw Falls, a "first-in-the-world," then followed it up in 2001 with Wildfire, a B&M looper, and then in 2003 with Ozark Wildcat, a GCI woodie--both very standard rides in their construction, yet outstanding in their quality--before trying another coaster that pushed the envelope, Powder Keg, in 2004. So I think it'd be wise for the park after Outlaw Run to build something a bit less edgy. Personally, I'm hoping for a Eurofighter, possibly in the space between Geyser Gulch and the Grand Expo, where the Waterboggan used to be. It's a small space, and a Eurofighter would fit it well. Plus, since the park is definitely geared toward families with younger children, I think a Eurofighter would fit better in the park than a wingrider would.

My daughter didn't want to ride Outlaw Run, but the family in line in front of me was doing parent swap, and their kid only wanted to go once, so I'm not sure. All of the water rides let our kids ride twice.

I tend to rank favorites in the most literal sense of the word, that, if I were in a given park and had my choice, if all the rides were open and there weren't any lines, this is the ride I would favor. I also have a hard time ranking rides I've only ridden once high on the list, though, on the premise that I haven't really gotten to know the ride yet. So the ones highest on my list tend to be those that are closest to home, and that I've had a chance to ride at least several times. Currently the top five goes as follows: 1. Outlaw Run 2. Wildfire 3. Prowler 4. Mamba 5. Batman

Hmm, not sure what to make of your story here. Our kids got to ride twice in a row on Lost River of the Ozarks when we went, and they would have let my daughter go twice on American Plunge, but she decided once was enough. Maybe just that operator? I don't know. The parent swap just made our day much more relaxing, since we weren't having to spend all day with half of us in line while the other half waited.

Outlaw Run. Only a ten minute wait today!

We were pleasantly surprised today at SDC. Upon entering the park, we were informed about the new Parent Swap program. So it is real! I had heard rumors that they were implementing such a program, but I hadn't heard anything but rumor. It was very well done; every ride we went on, the ride ops knew exactly what to do, no resistance from any of them. And it applied to every ride, even Outlaw Run. None of my kids wanted to ride OR (they're still pretty little), but in line in front of me was a family that was doing Parent Swap on OR. Totally awesome! It made our day that much better.

1. Sideways airtime. It was completely unexpected the first time, and it's just so weird. 2. The transition from the 135-degree inversion to the left turn. Very quick and disorienting. 3. First drop. The unusually large pre-drop combined with the incredibly steep angle makes it feel like a freefall. Honestly, the barrel rolls are just barrel rolls. Great hangtime, but if you've been on a double barrel roll, this one's pretty much the same. It is a great finish, but it's by no means Outlaw Run's only trick.

If I had to pick a favourite flat ride, it would be the 1904 Ferris wheel at Six Flags St. Louis. It's enormous, and easily the most underrated ride in that park. It ought to be the headliner--it's really that good.

Glad to have had you visit our fair land. What did you think of Missouri?

Timber Wolf yesterday. Very rough these days, but still fun.

For just start-to-finish intensity, Batman and Outlaw Run.

People start lining up in front of the rope about a half hour before opening. No one will lead you there; it's run as you can. Most people will take the Hill St. path past Wildfire, but it's faster to take the Main St. path by Grandfather's Mansion and the waterfall. On a Saturday, be prepared to wait even if you're there at opening. On Sunday, it's a bit better, but unless you get there really early and go straight to Outlaw Run on the most direct route, you'll be waiting even at opening. Outlaw Run is simply the biggest thing to happen to the park in years, and it's peak season for Branson.

No, there is unfortunately no such program. Trailblazer Pass is your only option if you're not wanting to wait. However, except for Outlaw Run and Wildfire, everything is pretty kid-friendly. There are three family coasters; Powder Keg and Thunderation have a 42" min height when riding with a parent, and Fire in the Hole's minimum is 36" with a parent. Wildfire has excellent operations, and the queue can be out the front door and still take under an hour, even on Saturdays in the summer. So Outlaw Run's really going to be your only long wait, and this year there's just no getting around that. Powder Keg will also have an hour + wait. I meant the only long wait for a ride kids wouldn't want to or can't ride. If we want to talk long waits in general, Lost River of the Ozarks and American Plunge are frequently over an hour too, but those are both very family-friendly.