Shavethewhales

What's interesting to me is that I would think the Peanut's Playhouse would be a much bigger draw than yet another small family coaster. I mean, when you look at where the kids spend most of their time, it's usually in play areas where there's lots going on. Family coasters of the type they're going after really only fit a small proportion of park guests very well.

Wow, some of those photos are amazing. I still haven't made the trek to DW yet, so I'm always pleasantly surprised to see how well the park's atmosphere is being kept up, even with all the big new additions. That's the number one thing that I truly appreciate about both the major Herschend parks. Great stuff, thanks for sharing!

It looks really good! I hope they re-paint the supports as well - maybe a burnt orange or grey... It's just nice to see a major coaster be painted something other than red.

So did the rain really push them off schedule, or are they just really good at putting bents together? It looks like they've got most of the bents done already, and the footers haven't even been poured. I guess this thing will really spring up once the base is dry.

No one's going to be shocked, but once again, it is lame. It looked like it had a few nice rides, albeit the total package was mostly just a vekoma/zamperla showcase. It's too bad this will mean the end for the Starliner. It's too bad about the animals too.

Gah, if only the Herschends weren't so busy being frugal this might be a great buy for them. Just a couple of years ago they tried to buy the most of the SF parks that were up for sale, so this wouldn't be that large of a risk for them, relatively. CF can fix the place just as easily, but I wish the Hard Rock concept had worked. If they'd only focused more on families...

I've heard about this, but I keep getting it confused with all the other g-fighter projects going on. I don't understand the site. What's going on with the door and the candle? What's the theme of the ride?

Well, it's interesting at least. I'm really just going to have to see it to understand though. Is the main idea that the cars spin around, or do they tilt, or both? It looks like a flying spinning coaster to me - which could very well be completely awesome. Very imaginative.

^They're both owned by Herschend Family Entertainment. CC was supposed to be SDC's sister park, operating in the night hours as something to do after SDC, but it never worked and they kind of stopped trying. It was really tough just getting to the park after SDC closed. All you could hope to do was get there in time to get a few rounds on OzCat and maybe a couple of spins on the other credits.

I'm very disappointed that the Celebration City concept didn't work out. There was some very quaint theming, and the original idea was great I thought. They just didn't stick to the plan, and the park never found it's footing. I don't agree that it wasn't up to the chain's standards. It wasn't as high-profile as SDC or DW, but I always found it to be a really nice place. If it weren't in Branson it would have gotten a lot more attention and celebration. I'll be happy to see it turn into something more unique though, if that means OzCat stays and SDC is focused on more heavily in the rides department. I'll miss what little quaint theming the place used to have though... I always imagined that it would eventually become something like one of the classic trolley parks of old.

Is it possible they'll try to put some sort of finish/paint on the wood to make it seem deteriorated? I have the feeling they're probably just going to throw some junker cars aroud the queue and call it good. After all, the theme here is really meant to be more of an advertisement, not an experience in itself - though hopefully I'm wrong. Maybe when the movie is forgotten, they'll fix it up with a more sensible theme. Still, I'm so, so pleased with this ride. The layout has all the aspects that I've come to enjoy from GCII's - awesome twisty drops, sweet curves, swift laterals, and tons of air pops hidden throughout the ride. It really looks like one of their best creations yet. If only they had some terrain to work with - then it would be perfect.

Forgive me, I haven't watched too many of these GCI's be built, but has it ever been pointed out why they use the slab technique in some cases and not in others? If it's such a good technique, why aren't they doing it with Prowler? It just easier for them to do it at SFMM because the ground is level? I just don't get how it's better. Seems like a massive hassle to maintain.

Meh, this is a tiny little park, so capacity isn't a huge issue I don't think. I mean, it could have two trains still, so 16 people at a time isn't bad for a kid's coaster. That's the thing to keep in mind too - this is a kid's coaster. It's not meant to eat crowds, it's just a cool little unique ride. I hope they throw in some good theming with this. Some trenches would really make this ride.

Sounds like a kiddie ride to me. Good to see the concept revisited by Intamin nonetheless.

It does seem out of place. I really don't see the strategy behind it. It probably came down to the bottom line of how much each ride cost and their respective attendance boosts. I guess they think this will be more bang for their buck? I'm hoping for a little longer layout with this one. I loved Steel Hawg, but I think they could do even more at a slightly larger park like FL.

Wha...? How do you go about making that big of a screw-up? What does this say about the rest of the ride? Let's hope it was just a miscalculation for that specific piece only.

This all means that we're going to have a hole in the centre' of the park for an entire year now. Oh well, the good thing about SDC is that you don't even need to ride the rides to have a complete blast. I'm just sad that we got caught up in this at such a time - we were so close to getting our own Mystery Mine! We'll have to wait till 2011, or even 2012 now.

So the news came in today that SDC's new Splash Battle is being put on hold. In fact, all the 2009 Herschend projects are on hold (that means Adventure Mountain too). Very lame, but this is much better than cutting jobs, especially at SDC where many workers have been there around 20 years.

I'll let the photos do most of the talking, but I have to say that SDC remains hands-down the most kick ass park I have ever made it to yet. My visit was like a dream where everything went right: the weather was perfect, the rides were running great, crowds were just right, prices were low, and the food was delicious. This park has the theme park business down pat, there's hardly anything more I could ask of the park besides more of the same. This is the only park I've ever been to where I can not ride any rides and still have the time of my life. Maybe I'm just getting old, but I really appreciate that. I still have to ride the rides every time though, because there's just no beating the airtime that PK serves up in every seat. I leave you with another shot of Wildfire. I have plenty more photos, there's lots more of the park to see. I'll try to get some more posted soon. Splash Harbor was still open, despite the 70 degree temps. TGS is still pretty kicking. TNT is still hauling. This is how you calm down your kids at SDC. Really? Yeah, the food here really can't be beat. These guys are awesome. You rarely see the old-time hammer dulcimer played, let alone see it played so masterfully. Obligatory Wildfire shot. It's still running great. Loads of air in the back and really stunning views in the front. What makes the food even better? Having this view to go along with it. Medium drink w/refills, large burger, basket o' fries, apple pie with whipped cream: $11.66 It was delicious too. This is the main new attraction for 2008: a culinary school. There's not that much left on the other side. What will become of the remains of the River Fort? I'm hoping they're planning to make what's left into something, but it's a far hope. Apparently it will wrap around this tree. This is what I came here to see - the new Mack Splash Battle is well on it's way. The cave is definitely worth the effort it takes to get down there. "Don't touch that nitro!" This is why you want to head to PK first thing in the morning. It's the only ride in the park to hold an actual wait during the day. This guy was making authentic wine barrels - with the fire set in the center and everything. Stalls litter the crowded streets, offering all kinds of authentic crafts from around the country. They're not just flea market booths, you actually get to watch the craftsmen as they work. Harvest Fest is quite possibly my favorite festival. Craftsmen and women are everywhere - more than usual that is.

I'm obviously quite biased, but I think that if you like DW for it's good theming, atmosphere, and somewhat unexplainable awesomeness, SDC will blow you away. Like has been said many times, while DW has excelled with their new rides, they've started leaving behind a lot of the simple goodness that has made both parks so special. SDC, on the other hand, is a bit slower in heading that way. Additionally, SDC just has a lot more shops, craftsmen, and history behind it. It doesn't have as many spectacular rides as DW, but what's there is pretty amazing. It's really hard to say what day will be the best, you simply just have to use your intuition and hope for the best - SDC, like DW, is the type of park that can be crowded on any particular day, but weekdays are better, and sundays are somewhat better than saturdays. As far as food goes, both of the major bakeries (the one next to the entrance and the one in mid-town) are pretty amazing. Also, the Riverside Rib House is one of my favorite places to eat. Branson Landing is a good place to stop by for additional shopping in Branson. I was pretty impressed with it. Not a whole lot of really big name stores, but there's lots to check out. If you're going to be there for several days, and are going to all 3 of the major Herschend properties, consider either the 3 park pass or a Season pass for SDC which offers discounts on CC and WW tickets. I actually don't know when the water rides shut off, but there's a good chance they'll be down by October. It kind of depends on the weather. There's a possibility that the American Plunge (log flume) and the rapids will be open, but the water boggin and Geyser Gulch will be already down for the season. Hope you have fun!

Holy crap! Big Mike actually came to my home town? I didn't think you'd actually hit up Kiddie Park, I don't even think they allow people on the Little Dipper without kids. (It's officially called the Little Dipper in my book - the Little Fire Ball branding was added by CMS collision, who built the new trains.) Meh, at least Bartlesville has some awesome architecture. Did you see Price Tower? Not bad for a little OK town.

Best SDC PTR ever - glad to see someone really take in the entire park for once rather than just stopping for the credits. Did you stop by any of the other cool little gimmicks like the authentic 1880's cabin or the recreation 1880's town? Did you take a look at the construction going on in the middle of the park? There used to be a great ropes course there - too bad you didn't get to mess around on it.

Where's this at? http://www.intaminworldwide.com/iag/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=33 It looks like CP's next ride.

Different strokes for different folks. Hearing this viewpoint has got me thinking though, about how much we take for granted when parks like SDC abandon their time-honored traditions and suddenly dive into standardizing everything and adding these huge rides. I, like so many others, have lamented that this new direction of the park has taken away so much of what made the park great in the first place, but it's TR's like this that remind me of the stresses the park is under to perform to so many different expectations now that it pulls in over 2 million a year. Like I said before, the park is definitely in an awkward transition phase, and it's really interesting to watch how they're pulling it off. They're definitely almost completely focused on adding thrill rides, but they're doing it with a finesse that you just don't see anywhere else. Just look at any of their attractions and you'll see a painstaking attention to detail, a deep back story, and an obvious effort put in to make it part of the overall experience rather than just another ride. Just some stuff to think about, thanks for being honest with your opinions CP_RULES

Good to see a different perspective of the park, but I think you simply went in there with the wrong idea of the type of park SDC is. SDC isn't your typical rides park - it didn't even have more than a dozen rides before 2006. You go to SDC to see the shows, shop at the dozens of real (and fake) craftsmen, go through the cave, and just have an overall experience. I've been going there for most of my life and I love it to pieces; I've never found myself bored there. In fact, like many people, I actually liked the place more before they started adding rides. I guess now that they do have a few major rides it's a race to get enough of them so they can get out of this limbo of being half amusement park half cool ozark experience.