Silver Dollar City (SDC) Discussion Thread

[chrguy606]

Have they started their Christmas celebrations yet? Anyone go?

 

I went yesterday, and yes, their Christmas celebration is in full effect. I was a nice atmosphere, and the weather was really great, except when the storm came by at around 6:15 and rained us out.

[chadster]

Vote for Silver Dollar City as Best Public Light Display

 

www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-public-lights-display/christmas-on-main-street-silver-dollar-city/

 

Christmas on Main Street, part of the park-wide An Old Time Christmas event at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Mo., sees the park bedecked in some 5 million lights. Taking place from November 1 to December 30, the highlight of the event is the 5-story special effects Christmas tree covered in 350,000 LED lights, which along with the lights on nearby storefronts and trees, dance in unison during the Light Spectacular several times each evening.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

^ Voted! The Christmas display is truly incredible, for anyone who hasn't seen it. We'll be down there this weekend.

[BrianGC]

I'm going to the park this Saturday and I can't wait! Plus I'm really overdue for more night rides on Outlaw Run!

 

The display does not disappoint. I attended last year, and it was very well done.

[GCI Wooden]

Could you guys take pictures and post them here? That sounds absolutely spectacular! 350,000 lights on ONE tree, that is impressive all by itself, but an additional 4,650,000 lights makes it astounding.

[Shavethewhales]

^I was just at the park this weekend and took loads of pictures. I'll try to post them here tonight when I get off of work. I'll post them here first so I don't forget like I did with the coaster christmas pics that I still need to post.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Today the Springfield News-Leader published a story from former mayor Tom Carlson about the origins of Silver Dollar City. No new information here, and the article is definitely one-sided, but if you're not familiar with the story, it's a good read.

 

http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2014/12/06/woman-behind-silver-dollar-city/20021773/

 

The history of Silver Dollar City can't be told without telling the story of Mary Herschend.

 

Like Moses in the Bible, who didn't want the job God had in mind for him, the last thing Mary wanted back in 1949 was to move to the Ozarks and become an entrepreneur. She would have preferred to live out her life in a nice Chicago suburb as a mother and the second wife of Hugo Herschend.

 

But, like the biblical hero, she accepted the task life presented her, even though it was not her choice.

 

Today, more than 60 years after Mary came to the Ozarks, the imprint of her efforts is evident in the nation's largest family-owned theme park corporation, which employs 11,000 people in 10 states and includes such diverse attractions as theme parks, aquariums and the Harlem Globetrotters.

[CaliforniaPinto]

Wow. This new area is looking awesome, though it kind of looks like another Grand Expo area with some of the details that are emerging. Oh well, still an improvement over what used to be there.

 

http://www.midwestinfoguide.com/silver/2014/12.13/

[K1ngdaKa88]

Look what I found in a swiss newspaper.

It was about roller coasters, and also over outlaw run. But look at it and tell me how many mistakes they made with the facts!

Sorry if the translation isn't very well

Count the fact mistakes

[no_brain_er]

Not necessarily coaster-related, but I was digging through the vinyl records at my local Goodwill a few weeks ago, and stumbled upon an unopened copy of this gem in great condition for less than a dollar:

 

Not my picture; I grabbed it from Amazon, since I'm away from my record collection right now.

Needless to say, as both a theme park nerd and a record collector, I was thrilled. I don't know what it was doing in northeast Georgia or how it got here, but it's a cool little piece of early 80's theme park nostalgia that I thought y'all would appreciate.

[Shavethewhales]

^Nice find! I know people who would kill to find that record. I've heard it mentioned a number of times. The park used to produce a lot of quirky and creative stuff like this to increase it's brand recognition.

[thrillerman1]

^^NICE!

[Jaykethekid]

I know I'm gonna be hated for asking this question, but how do you think the park will expand. Like what do you think will happen in the future, like so and so ride will be rehabbed, or removed. If you know what I mean.

[CaliforniaPinto]

I know that this has been discussed earlier in this thread but there are several expansion pads the park can use for expansion. In fact you can see two of the most obvious from the new expansions. There is a spot for a coaster left open in Fireman's Landing between Fire Wagon and Fire Spotter. There is another between WildFire and PowderKeg (it's also earmarked for a coaster). There are also plans to relocate the round house and eventually expand into the parking lot on that side of the train tracks expanding from Outlaw Run. There are plenty of spots still and this only the tip of the iceberg

[Shavethewhales]

I know I'm gonna be hated for asking this question, but how do you think the park will expand. Like what do you think will happen in the future, like so and so ride will be rehabbed, or removed. If you know what I mean.

 

That's the essential question, isn't it? Not sure why you think that's a controversial query, but here's my take on it.

 

Here's a recent article talking about SDC and Branson's performance this past year: http://bransontrilakesnews.com/news_free/article_72b450d0-92bc-11e4-9efc-5f39b498c962.html

 

In the article SDC releases a rare attendance statistic, stating they met their goal of 1.9 million visitors for the year. This is a nice number for a regional theme park, certainly bigger than most parks, but it's roughly the same the park has seen for the past 15 or so years. Other parks in the region seem to be growing, but SDC and Branson are still stuck with questions on how to move forward without loosing what has made them popular in the first place. There's lots and lots of questions there for SDC as I've ranted and discussed over many times over the years.

 

It's really hard for me to wrap my head around sometimes. SDC is so good to the consumer, and the other parks in the region are "meh" to bad when it comes to treating their customers well. SDC has free parking, amazing staff, great food, great operations, great scenery, a great line-up of rides, the park is enjoyable to visit even if you don't ride anything, and yet attendance isn't growing by leaps and bounds each year. What's missing?

 

I think they need a new and different marketing push to show consumers what they're actually getting at SDC beyond just a bunch of rides. They also need to get back to setting themselves apart as an institution and a unique attraction. For the past decade there's been this growing divide between the aging population of the area that grew up with and appreciates the "classic" SDC and the newer generation that started coming in the years following the addition of Wildfire when the park started shifting more and more focus on adding rides similar to their competition. A lot of the park fans have always worried about the slippery slope to becoming just another run-of-the-mill amusement park, but apparently that's what works at the moment? I just don't get it sometimes.

 

As far as Branson is concerned the message has been clear for years: the town needs to get it's crap together. The town is a mess, with lousy run-down developments thrown around all over the place, poorly laid out roads that can't handle the traffic, and absolutely no vision or target in mind about what the town is supposed to offer other than a few scattered theatre attractions and time shares. If it weren't for the lake the town would be dead by now, but even that isn't going to save it forever as more theatres close and other properties get more and more run-down. There are glimmers here and there when old stuff gets knocked down, but it just gets replaced with more chain restaurants and hotels that are just plopped down willy-nilly. There is a plan out there called "Spirit of 76" that looks promising, but it's not enough on it's own. They need a large, cross-town transportation system kick things off.

 

Oh, and to actually answer the question, I think the park will continue to focus on the younger family demographic into the foreseeable future. I think they'll look into adding their own version of Firechaser Express near Fireman's Landing, and the employee parking lot behind Heritage Hall will eventually become part of the park so they can expand the Grand Exposition add more rides there. As far as rides changing, I think the American Plunge's days are numbered, and they'll be forced to do something with FiTH this decade...

[Jaykethekid]

I personally wouldn't see them getting something like fire chaser. It's alainched family coaster, which is what powder keg is. I mean, what I would like to see is a super terrain hugging wing coaster and such. I thought it would be cool to do a zero g roll cresting over a hill, where it looks like your head would hit the ground. Anyways, i feel they could get a small invert. Fit the park nice!

[CaliforniaPinto]

Actually, have ridden both, FCE and PK are nothing alike. The launch on PK is much more forceful whereas the ones on FCE is not. The ride is pretty much a given for SDC.

[gerstlaueringvar]

I think a terrain Mack spinner would be really great for the park, it wouldn't be too similar to Powder Keg but is still a great family coaster. Mack is using trains so SDC can keep up the great operation.

[DoinItForTheFame]

I would love to see the park get a nice terrain hugging flying coaster or wing coaster. I know the park could theme it very well to fit into the parks existing theme, and having it hidden mostly at or below tree level like most coaster at SDC would make it that much more amazing, and it would really put the park on the "Must Do List" for a lot of people.

[Jaykethekid]

That's what I think too! I feel a goliath like inverted stall on a wing coaster going over a hill would be really cco!

[Moose]

The problem with wing coasters is they require such a wide area, if most of it is below tree level then most of those trees will need to be removed.

[ElvisLuv]

I think a terrain Mack spinner would be really great for the park, it wouldn't be too similar to Powder Keg but is still a great family coaster. Mack is using trains so SDC can keep up the great operation.

 

How about a spinner with an inversion. Would that not be a US first to market to the masses. The place still needs a junior woody or steel coaster with lots of bunny hops.

[gerstlaueringvar]

I think a terrain Mack spinner would be really great for the park, it wouldn't be too similar to Powder Keg but is still a great family coaster. Mack is using trains so SDC can keep up the great operation.

 

How about a spinner with an inversion. Would that not be a US first to market to the masses. The place still needs a junior woody or steel coaster with lots of bunny hops.

It would be a great idea, if the force won't exceed limit on the train (I don't think SDC will get something that runs single cars)

 

Junior woodie would be good, but steel coaster with a lot of bunny hops isn't needed as much because SDC already has two airtime machines.

[ElvisLuv]

I think a terrain Mack spinner would be really great for the park, it wouldn't be too similar to Powder Keg but is still a great family coaster. Mack is using trains so SDC can keep up the great operation.

 

How about a spinner with an inversion. Would that not be a US first to market to the masses. The place still needs a junior woody or steel coaster with lots of bunny hops.

It would be a great idea, if the force won't exceed limit on the train (I don't think SDC will get something that runs single cars)

 

Junior woodie would be good, but steel coaster with a lot of bunny hops isn't needed as much because SDC already has two airtime machines.

 

Mack spinners have trains.

 

And one is a launch coaster and another is an extreme woodie, not all kids are daredevils at 11.

[gerstlaueringvar]

^ That's why I thought Mack is probably the only possible manufacturer. Intamin, SBF and Zamperla don't really match the need of SDC and other manufacturers don't offer spinner train.

 

You can always put bunny hops on spinner