Silver Dollar City (SDC) Discussion Thread

[Jaykethekid]

I’m going to SDC for the first time ever (!!) on November 10th for a regional ACE event called Coaster Christmas. With the package, they give us fast passes for the rides.

 

My question is, how long will the lines be with the fast passes? I know at some places, even with the fast pass lines can be long for certain popular coasters. I am trying to determine if I should stay for Sunday as well.

I've yet to encounter a wait for the trailblazer passes on any ride during any time of the year. Even when Time Traveler had a 3.5 - 4 hr wait opening weekend, trailblazer passes were grouped in asap. You won't have to wait more than 5 minutes, more than likely, in a trailblazer line.

[JT325]

^Thanks for your input. That sounds great!

 

Is the whole park doable on a Saturday? I like lots of re-rides on coasters but I like to do everything else as well...

[ElvisLuv]

There actually are a ton of hardcore religious types there. You always see large groups of people with the signature flannel shirts or long denim skirts. I am sure opinions on Halloween vary among them, but SDC being the park it is doesn't want to step on anyone's toes. Not to mention the fact that SDC pushes itself as a Christian theme park far more than even DW.

 

That's exactly what I was trying to get across!

 

Regardless, I do hope they do something like DW does for Halloween. It could be something new that could bring in a decent amount of locals during what would normally be a little bit of a slower time of year!

 

I imagine they would keep the same type of schedule except for Fei, Sar and possible Sunday. It is during the school year and not too many schools around here give a fall break. That said last fri was a food day cause all the bikes in in ade NWA once a year and the locals flee, Fayetteville even closes school on the Fri of Bikes, Blues and BBQ, Branson is a refuge many head to.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

For those mentioning the usage of more blatant Halloween themeing at the park, its already been done before, back in the 90s to the early 2000's the Flooded Mine's final scene in the tower used to have some freaky looking ghosts with a laser show.

Oh yeah, that wasn't just a Halloween thing either. That was the full time ending. Really freaked me out as a kid. It was replaced with the current "Hurry before the guards wake up" escape scene. Honestly it was a better story when everyone died.

[Jaykethekid]

^Thanks for your input. That sounds great!

 

Is the whole park doable on a Saturday? I like lots of re-rides on coasters but I like to do everything else as well...

With the trailblazer pass, you will be able to get re-rides on everything at least once with the exception being time Traveler since you can only use a trailblazer pass on it one time per day until next year as SDC has that rule for any new attraction in its first year of operation. But if you want to truly “see” SDC to the fullest, I’d recommend at least 2 days minimum.

[JT325]

^Thank you. Very important note about the new coaster, I would have missed that. Maybe I'll stay for Sunday, I like taking my time in good parks. Only caveat is driving home alone as my friend has to leave on Saturday (and driving there alone as well). No biggie, I'm sure it's worth it.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Definitely go for 2 days. There's so much more here than just roller coasters, don't try to jam it all into a small amount of time if you can help it.

 

SDC closes early this time of year, usually 7 on Saturdays and 6 on Sundays. Bigfoot on the Strip, The Track, and the two alpine coasters are open later, so head into Branson once the park closes to continue the fun.

 

Take the cave tour.

 

Eat cinnamon bread.

[JT325]

^My buddy came to his senses and decided to stay for the 2nd day. Very happy! He told me "don't eat for like a week before you go," in prep to feast on all the goodness at SDC. We are also doing a mountain coaster Friday night, those can be fun. No brakes, please.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Sweet! Yeah, all the food is great at SDC, and pretty cheap too. Most things are under $10, and they definitely give you a lot.

 

If you only do one mountain coaster, do the Runaway on 165. It's one single long lift, and it gets going really fast at the end. Branson Coaster on 76 is fun too, but it has two shorter lifts, so the top speed is lower even if you hold it down all the way. Both coasters do a good job of spacing so that a slow person in front of you isn't so much of a concern, but of course it's always possible.

[JT325]

^Actually, we're already scheduled for group time on the Runaway Mountain Coaster. The dude who puts the events together for us got us a great $5 deal, and we get exclusive time too. Talk about a bargain. Supposedly there are "lights and stuff" all over the coaster. I'm thinking since it's just a small group of park/coaster enthusiasts, we might get a little extra room between sleds. Either way it will be fun.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

That's great. You'll have a good time.

[sdcfan88]

The park is slated to do an announcement for 2019 at 9:00 am this Friday.

 

Some are still speculating Dollywoods LumiNights is coming to SDC. Personally I wouldn't be opposed to more opportunities to be at SDC at night.

 

https://www.facebook.com/Silverdollarcity/

[thrillrider]

As others have mentioned...Take the cave tour.

[Kevin Long]

I was at the park during moonlight madness and it is rather strange that there is very little theme lighting for the non christmas season in the park. I know this is due to the park closing most days and weeks before night actually falls, so a lot of lighting is not really needed. it is rather jarring though. It's like walking in a neighborhood at night where everyone has porch lights on. The buildings and signage are not really lit.

 

In comparison with other parks, it's virtually a near blackout situation. It's a shame because the park is so beautiful and would be even more so with lighting on more buildings and attractions and scenery. I am sure with a little trial and error SDC could come up with a period style of lighting that would look good yet not be too modern for the park.

 

my two cents

 

Kevin

[Canobie Coaster]

^ I was stunned how dark it was Memorial Day weekend!

 

But I sort of thought it helped with the old time theme. The only problem is that my first day at the park was an evening and it was a royal pain to get around.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Remember that until very recently SDC was never open at night except during Christmas, and it's very bright with the Christmas lights. Sunset in July is after 8 pm, and with the park staying open until 10 most days in Moonlight Madness, it's not dark for that long. I doubt it's worth the expense for a couple hours a day for a couple of weeks.

[Shavethewhales]

I've never had a problem with the lighting... but then again I've been going to this park my entire life and could probably get around blindfolded. They used to have a lot of Victorian lighting from back when they were experimenting with moving the theme of the park forward in time slightly. I think they are pretty conservative with lighting because they don't want to ruin the ambiance with harsh lighting or drown out the Christmas lights. I agree there's probably a better middle ground though.

 

 

As for the announcement, this is pretty interesting and a change of pace for "off years" between major projects. Usually they just do a typical media release in early November when season passes go on sale. In the year following a coaster, they almost always focus on touting their festivals, new food options, and maybe a new show or something during one of the festivals. This could just be them getting in line with standard park social media practices, or it could mean there is something bigger coming.

 

Luminights could be what they are drumming up a big announcement for. DW's has done so well, SDC's version is something I am really looking forward to, even if I do love the usual SDC fall emphasis on crafts and cowboy stuff.

 

This is also the last year for It's a Wonderful Life at SDC - it might be moving to the showboat next year. That leaves a void for another big Christmas production. The other festivals need refreshment too, especially with the competition now mirroring a lot of what made this stuff unique back when SDC started doing it.

 

I'm expecting a ton of festival announcements, basically. I would be very surprised if a new ride announcement sneaks in here, but anything is possible.

[Kevin Long]

I've never had a problem with the lighting... but then again I've been going to this park my entire life and could probably get around blindfolded. They used to have a lot of Victorian lighting from back when they were experimenting with moving the theme of the park forward in time slightly. I think they are pretty conservative with lighting because they don't want to ruin the ambiance with harsh lighting or drown out the Christmas lights. I agree there's probably a better middle ground though.

 

I agree I would not like industrial lighting or anything that detracts, but there should be even a temp solution that would look good. maybe even kerosene type lamps retrofitted with LEDs - on the buildings.... it just a shame that you can't see the place in the dark when it is not christmas.

 

they need something

[Canobie Coaster]

 

I mean they work so well on the cave tour.

[tinaalsgirl]

So, SDC announced its plans for 2019 this morning. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to wait for a TPR rep to post the press release before saying anything about it? I'm gonna put SDC's link for the 2019 overview page, but please delete it if I'm jumping the gun on this.

 

https://www.silverdollarcity.com/theme-park/2019Overview

[Shavethewhales]

I'm honestly almost as excited for all the shows and stuff next year as I was for Time Traveler. This stuff might fly under the radar for most people on this site, but it's these kind of things that help make SDC unique and special.

 

I am really looking forward to the big pirate production this summer. It might sound cheesy, but if they are spending a million bucks on it, it's going to be quite the show. SDC has some amazing shows already, and this is the biggest non-Christmas show they've put together in a long time.

 

The way they are integrating the pumpkin festival sounds perfect. They are carefully introducing it to the park in a thoughtful manner so that it compliments the existing fall stuff instead of just taking DW's concept and splashing it in.

 

I'm also a bluegrass fan, so getting more and better bluegrass is awesome news to me.

 

All-in-all, I'll probably be at SDC a lot more than usual next year.

[Shavethewhales]

I've never had a problem with the lighting... but then again I've been going to this park my entire life and could probably get around blindfolded. They used to have a lot of Victorian lighting from back when they were experimenting with moving the theme of the park forward in time slightly. I think they are pretty conservative with lighting because they don't want to ruin the ambiance with harsh lighting or drown out the Christmas lights. I agree there's probably a better middle ground though.

 

I agree I would not like industrial lighting or anything that detracts, but there should be even a temp solution that would look good. maybe even kerosene type lamps retrofitted with LEDs - on the buildings.... it just a shame that you can't see the place in the dark when it is not christmas.

 

they need something

[attachment=0]lantern.jpg[/attachment]

 

Oooh, I just came across this on Reddit. Should pass this along to SDC:

https://www.reddit.com/r/inTheKnowInnovation/comments/9po8sm/the_latest_innovation_in_led_bulbs/

https://rigalshop.com/products/led-flame-effect-flickering-fire-light-bulb-with-gravity-sensor

[Kevin Long]

^^^ that is awesome and at 50000 hours once installed they should last the life of the park nearly... only 7 watts too. here's hoping.....

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Cool, all the new shows sound good. It's been a long time since they had a great summer show. Nickelodeon used to put on some great ones...oh...25yearsagolet'snottalkabouthowlongit'sbeen.

 

The biggest announcement, though, is the Pumpkin Nights. The park will now be open after dark basically four months of the year. Add to that the short lines typical for the craft festival...yeah, this is gonna be fun.

[jedimaster1227]

Silver Dollar City has sent us a press release release announcing their 2019 entertainment lineup as a part of "The Year of Shows & Festivals."

 

A hallmark of Branson’s famed tourism industry is live entertainment and production shows, with Silver Dollar City having proven decades-long leadership in presenting great and unique talent. Today’s announcement of the 2019 lineup strongly builds on that tradition, with Silver Dollar City beginning a new era of even bolder entertainment with “The Year of Shows & Festivals.” The 1880s internationally-awarded theme park is planning millions of dollars in additions with new and original productions, larger-than-life shows and festival adventures.

 

Topline features include a new $1 million, original mega-production show for Summer, Reuben’s Swashbuckling Adventure; and new for Fall, a spectacular evening and nighttime experience, Pumpkin Nights with thousands of glowing pumpkins artfully brought to life throughout the streets of the City, creating the biggest Fall in the park’s nearly 6-decade history.

 

Other large-scale elements include a globally-acclaimed acrobatic French-Canadian lumberjack production show; a slate of evening concerts in the Echo Hollow Amphitheater including Bluegrass Nights in Spring and then, throughout the season, legendary rock, pop and country performers; the new Kid Magic summer show; plus The Festival of Wonder with visually-stunning, globally-inspired production shows.

 

Summer Mega-Productions

Imagination comes to life on stage in a huge production opening with Star-Spangled Summer -- the all-new, original production, created exclusively for Silver Dollar City, Reuben’s Swashbuckling Adventure. The $1 million Broadway-style musical is a magical journey of discovery with a colorful cast, flying characters, state-of-the-art sets and special effects. Also new for summer is a show featuring the world’s youngest magician and illusionist, Kid Magic, starring Kadan Bart Rockett & Brooklyn, direct from America’s Got Talent.

 

Supercharging Fall

The City transforms into a glowing-orange wonderland in Fall 2019 as Silver Dollar City presents Pumpkin Nights. This evening lighting event with thousands of pumpkin creations and larger-than-life icons includes giant scarecrows, cats, owls and other characters shining in the dark. A new Pumpkin Pathway leads to Pumpkin Plaza with a dance party and fall activities. The park stays open until 9 pm, with rides running too, creating a new nighttime experience for families.

 

Fall daytime debuts a pulse-raising French-Canadian production show -- an acrobatic musical about singing and dancing lumberjacks in a high-energy internationally-acclaimed stage show. Also by day, in a setting filled with colorful pumpkins, Silver Dollar City craftsmen welcome visiting artisans, with select new crafters each week.

 

Spring kicks off the year with The Festival of Wonder, billed as “A Most Amazing Entertainment Experience,” designed to spark curiosity by presenting several hot-ticket shows such as Phoenix Fire which is a black-light, laser and fire production, and new circus-inspired extraordinary acts for CirqUnique.

 

New for Bluegrass & BBQ is Bluegrass Nights, featuring nightly concerts with top bluegrass artists in Echo Hollow Amphitheatre. Following Southern Gospel’s 12 biggest days for Southern Gospel Picnic is a new event for September: Country Music Days presents 13 back-to-back days of iconic country music and Saturday Night Celebrity Concerts with classic country stars.

 

The grand finale to the year is Christmas. The City transforms into one of the world’s most recognized holiday celebrations, An Old Time Christmas, with over 6.5 million lights, the dazzling Christmas In Midtown, Rudolph’s Holly Jolly™ Christmas Light Parade, original musical productions A Dickens’ Christmas Carol and It’s A Wonderful Life, plus a towering Special Effects Christmas Tree – all for a Christmas season bigger and brighter than ever.

 

“We are, and always will be, respectful to our roots of presenting great crafts, unique music and family-friendly shows,” said Brad Thomas, President of Silver Dollar City Attractions. “This coming year, we will add many colorful layers, boldly building a new era of entertainment into our traditions. Guests are seeking new adventures and always looking for something they haven’t seen before. We promise we will deliver new experiences while embracing favorites as we support our mission statement of Creating Memories Worth Repeating,” Thomas said.

 

Season passes for 2019 go on sale November 1. For details and additional elements: 800-831-4FUN(386), or http://www.silverdollarcity.com.