Silver Dollar City (SDC) Discussion Thread

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Having seen it in person, the video does make it look faster than it really is. Should be fun, glad to see a POV, if only a teaser.

[Vonni]

How has attendance been at the park during these brutally cold temps?

[Shavethewhales]

Pretty low. I think the new record this year was 26,000 in one day (but not all at once). Most good weekend days saw at least 19-20,000. The last few days have been just a few thousand. When it gets below freezing all day they start counting by the hundreds. Basically just a dinner crowd.

[prozach626]

I would imagine the park doesn't turn a profit when the crowds are that sparse. If the park were owned by Six Flags Corp it would announce that it was closing within a few hours of operation, with about an hour notice.

[DoinItForTheFame]

We went last year when it was below freezing (Not on purpose) and there was actually a surprising amount of people there. A LOT of people were Christmas shopping! Obviously none of the rides were open, but there was still a decent amount of people in the park.

[larrygator]

I would imagine the park doesn't turn a profit when the crowds are that sparse. If the park were owned by Six Flags Corp it would announce that it was closing within a few hours of operation, with about an hour notice.

 

I don't understand why this is a bad thing. Businesses operate to make money.

[Kevin Long]

I would imagine the park doesn't turn a profit when the crowds are that sparse. If the park were owned by Six Flags Corp it would announce that it was closing within a few hours of operation, with about an hour notice.

 

I don't understand why this is a bad thing. Businesses operate to make money.

 

well that is true, but imagine if you went to the movies and you were the only one there. An announcement comes on and they said "Hey we are going to lose money cause there aren't' enough people at this showing, so we will only be able to run 35 minutes of this movie sorry for the inconvenience, thank you for visiting our theater and hope to see you again soon."

 

it becomes a concern when a "event/experience" purchase becomes a bait and switch to the purchaser. you pay for a full day at a park, you want all the time you are paying for. Barring dangerous situations (I guess extreme cold could qualify) simply not making money should not be the patrons fault. Reducing their experience when they are paying full price, because of operational planning errors on the parks part is not fair.

 

I think that was his point (beat to excess by me)

 

Kevin

[prozach626]

Don't get me wrong. I understand the purpose. However, I can't say I particularly enjoy being in that situation as a consumer. I could go into my story about when SFGam shut the park down with an hour notice, despite the weather starting off crappy and ending up good by the time of the announcement. This was disappointment for us since we made the five hour drive to the park.

 

When the weather is bad a park closing is completely understandable. When the policy is used as an excuse for poor attendance, despite the park opening when the weather conditions were drastically worse at the time of park opening, that strikes me as bad customer service. From what I understand this is common place with Sf Corp.

 

At King's Island a terrible thunderstorm rolled in over three hours before the park closed. The park stayed open and ran Flight of Fear and the haunts, despite the continuous downpour and frequent thunder and lightening after the initial bad storm. This is an excuse where I would have been more than understanding if the park closed, especially when the Doppler looks bad. However, the park stayed open even despite a few hundred people remaining.

 

At Busch Gardens in July, a bad storm rolled in around 4pm. It poured constantly for well over an hour and again when the storm was finished there were probably a few hundred people remaining in the park. The weather was mostly clear until closing time and all of the rides were able to operate without interruption, so the park remained open. I have heard of instances like this where SF closes, despite clear weather after the storm and hours of operation remaining, because it was an excuse to save money. Imagine what a buzz kill that would be if it was the one day your family went to the park and you rode out the storm, or if you traveled hours to visit.

 

SF has proven itself with its new business strategy to focus on more cost effective rides AND more cost effective customer service. It's the new budget brand Walmart park. I'm completely OK with that, because I keep realistic expectations when I visit, but it doesn't change the fact that their customer service as a whole is far from Herschend parks.

[larrygator]

With any outdoor experience, the buyer needs to be aware that weather can affect the event. When Six Flags greatly reduces hours (for weather or other reasons) their policy it to hand out free tickets. However, if you read the back of any amusement park ticket or the signs at ticket booths, or the legal on websites you are agreeing take your chances with the weather.

 

Every enthusiast knows they are taking a chance when they travel to visit a park in bad weather. Sometimes you come home bragging about all the marathoning and sometimes it is not in your favor.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Pretty low. I think the new record this year was 26,000 in one day (but not all at once). Most good weekend days saw at least 19-20,000. The last few days have been just a few thousand. When it gets below freezing all day they start counting by the hundreds. Basically just a dinner crowd.

This is true, but the days I've been when it's that cold they've filled 5 parking lots after dark. Lots of people coming to see the lights. These people also buy hot drinks, browse the heated gift shops, etc. They don't publish spending per guest, but I'd guess it's pretty good based on what I've seen. They may not have as many guests as they would like, but as long as those guests spend money, they can make a profit.

 

With any outdoor experience, the buyer needs to be aware that weather can affect the event. When Six Flags greatly reduces hours (for weather or other reasons) their policy it to hand out free tickets. However, if you read the back of any amusement park ticket or the signs at ticket booths, or the legal on websites you are agreeing take your chances with the weather.

This is wise, and I agree with what you're saying. SDC is one of the few parks that actually does give rain checks. If the rides can't run for more than 90 minutes, they'll give you a free ticket good any day the rest of the season, and this late in the year, it's good any day through the rest of next season. They totally don't have to do this, since as you say guests should know the weather going into it and accept that, but they do it for great customer service.

[prozach626]

With any outdoor experience, the buyer needs to be aware that weather can affect the event. When Six Flags greatly reduces hours (for weather or other reasons) their policy it to hand out free tickets. However, if you read the back of any amusement park ticket or the signs at ticket booths, or the legal on websites you are agreeing take your chances with the weather.

 

Every enthusiast knows they are taking a chance when they travel to visit a park in bad weather. Sometimes you come home bragging about all the marathoning and sometimes it is not in your favor.

Yeah, I still totally understand that, Larry. I guess we just have differences of opinion on what we feel is considered good customer service. Unlike a lot of consumers, I can comprehend that a consumer - business relationship has to be mutually beneficial to survive. Regardless, I'm thankful the chain is doing well and has found its niche.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Trip Report: An Uncontrollable Urge for a Teenage Riot on Blue Monday

 

The offseason has finally come, but I had an uncontrollable urge to visit Silver Dollar City one last time, and I want to tell you all about it. Yep, that's right, I went to a theme park in January! It was a high of 20F today, so no chance of any rides being open at Silver Dollar City, but the park was still open and had a special lineup of shows for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day!

 

Maybe it was time travel, maybe it was dyslexia, but instead of the 1890s, it was the 1980s at Silver Dollar City. There were probably more employees than guests in the park, but the few of us who braved the cold were treated to a super fun day. I keep saying that this is a park where you can ride nothing and still have a blast, and they keep proving me right. It's got style, it's got class. It's so strong I can't let it pass.

 

yeah yeah yeah yeah yeahyeahyeahyeahyeahyeahyeah yeah!

 

Whenever I'm alone with you

You make me feel like I am home again.

Whenever I'm alone with you

You make me feel like I am whole again.

Whenever I'm alone with you

You make me feel like I am young again.

However far away, I will always love you.

 

First show of the day was Biff Barker's New Year's Radio Show. The Saloon was dressed up like a 1950s radio station. Yes, it's totally out of theme for Silver Dollar City, but they're breaking theme just for the last two days of the season. Get over it. The show felt very Dollywood to me, and they even had old timey commercials in it. I've been to the Grand Ole Opry (R.I.P. Opryland), and it felt a lot like a smaller version of that show. It only had a cast of four, the scenery and props were minimal, which would make it very cheap to produce. It was still fun and cheesy in an SDC way, and even had a Time Traveler related surprise.

 

Well, we found a little place that really didn't look half bad

I put a quarter right into that can, but all they played was disco, man

But that's all right, 'cause we're looking as cool as can be

We're gonna rock this town, rock it inside out

We're gonna rock this town, Make 'em scream and shout

We're gonna rock till we pop, we're gonna rock till we drop, we're gonna rock this town, rock it inside out

Well, there's a real square cat, he looks a 1974

We're gonna rock this town, we're gonna rip this place apart!

 

I went out into the bitter cold once again, but only to make my way to the Riverfront Playhouse for juggler Albert Lucas. He put on a good show, very entertaining and very hard to photograph.

 

Those who came before me

Lived through their vocations

From the past until completion

They'll turn away no more

And still I find it so hard to say what I need to say

But I'm quite sure that you'll tell me

Just how I should feel today

And it just feels like spinning plates....

Ooh, good job catching that last one was from 2001.

Congratulations to you.

 

Now to get some good eats from the park whilst I still can. Not much was open today, but they did have one skillet place. Awesome!

 

Look at you with your mouth watering

Look at you with your mind spinning

She's just the skillet, the food U want

 

Next up was a concert by Members Only, a local 80s hair cover band (and the inspiration for the 80s music theme to this report). They played all the earworms:

 

"Jump"

"Any Way You Want It"

"Jesse's Girl"

"Billie Jean"

"I Love Rock and Roll"

"Footloose"

"Don't Stop Believing"

 

By now you should realize that I love 80s music, but clearly more on the side of new wave than hair bands. Still, it was a fun concert, and they really did a great job imitating the style, not just musically but also with stage presence and antics. It was great fun. Billie Jean was probably the song they played the best.

 

Say it, don't spray it

Spirit desire

We will fall

Everybody's coming from the winter vacation

Taking in the sun in an exultation to you

You come running in on platform shoes

With Marshall stacks to at least just give us a clue

Ah here it comes, at least it's someone I knew

Teenage riot in a public station

Gonna fight and tear it up in a hyper nation for you

Now I see it, I think I'll leave it out of the way

 

There were two other shows, one a gospel trio and one a Christian rock group. Barf. So the only thing left was to get some cinnamon bread!

 

This is the bread, the bread U want.

 

Now I know all you readers of TPR know good music, so you of course know all the references in this trip report, but just in case any of you need a refresher, here's a bibliography:

 

[Nrthwnd]

That's a pretty good day there, Andrew. Thanks for sharing it.

How much time did you spend at the park, altogether?

[ytterbiumanalyst]

About 3 1/2 hours total, almost all of which was spent inside. They let people into the theatres well before the shows actually started just to be out of the cold. All 30 guests really appreciated it.

[Nrthwnd]

^ Very nice. When we visited the Chinese Lanterns Display on the PNE grounds, I wished they had enclosed the seating area in some kind of tent, for viewing the live shows when they happened. We saw the setup and decided that by 6:30pm, the first show would already be c-c-c-cold. Too cold for us. And not getting a fast queue for any of the hot drinks sold at the "Hot Bar" didn't change our decision. They had small tents with heaters in them for rest spots, as well as a couple of them for smokers.

[Jaykethekid]

Was Fire in The Hole open during your visit? I was there Saturday and my phone showed it was a brisk 25 degrees yet they managed to open FITH with a 2 train service despite its 32 degree temperature limit. Do they normally open it below operating temperature? Either that or they measure the temperature inside the building. MY experience was much like yours on Saturday. There was literally no one there. We were told that there were 400 people in the park by an employee as we walked in to the the Dickens Christmas Carol. *amazing show by the way* Every attraction (3 rides and 2 shows) was a walk on, even the cave and the train. We had a group of 20 people join us on the cave which was a great way to warm up thanks to the constant 60 degree temps. We ended up doing the cave twice because of the warmth. Rightfully earned myself some cinnamon bread I must add

[larrygator]

I approve of any trip report that incorporates Sonic Youth's Teenage Riot

[ytterbiumanalyst]

^ Very nice. When we visited the Chinese Lanterns Display on the PNE grounds, I wished they had enclosed the seating area in some kind of tent, for viewing the live shows when they happened. We saw the setup and decided that by 6:30pm, the first show would already be c-c-c-cold. Too cold for us. And not getting a fast queue for any of the hot drinks sold at the "Hot Bar" didn't change our decision. They had small tents with heaters in them for rest spots, as well as a couple of them for smokers.

Oh, outdoor shows, wow. Assuming that was around Lunar New Year....phew, that's gotta be cold. Yeah, nothing was going on outdoors in any way. Just a few scattered people getting as quickly as possibly to the next indoor venue, and there were also about 3 hot chocolate stands and one skillet stand open. Everything else was happening indoors.

 

Was Fire in The Hole open during your visit? I was there Saturday and my phone showed it was a brisk 25 degrees yet they managed to open FITH with a 2 train service despite its 32 degree temperature limit. Do they normally open it below operating temperature? Either that or they measure the temperature inside the building. MY experience was much like yours on Saturday. There was literally no one there. We were told that there were 400 people in the park by an employee as we walked in to the the Dickens Christmas Carol. *amazing show by the way* Every attraction (3 rides and 2 shows) was a walk on, even the cave and the train. We had a group of 20 people join us on the cave which was a great way to warm up thanks to the constant 60 degree temps. We ended up doing the cave twice because of the warmth. Rightfully earned myself some cinnamon bread I must add

I don't think any rides were open. Train might have been, and I did see a Flooded Mine op in the prisoner uniform coming out of that ride's exit. Never went over there to check. FITH was for sure closed; I checked on that, since riding a coaster in January would be awesome, even if it's an indoor one. When we were there on Friday getting our last rides of the year (hit a high of 41F), they never opened FITH because of ice on the track. I'm sure that track condition has more to do with it than the outside temperature, and 32F is just there to represent ice.

 

Christmas Carol is a great show, and I always approve of cinnamon bread. Thanks for pointing out the cave is 60F year-round. This makes it a great way to cool off or warm up depending on what the surface temperature is doing to you.

 

I approve of any trip report that incorporates Sonic Youth's Teenage Riot

I knew you were a classy guy.

[jynx242]

Thanks for the trip report! It just looked cold (especially to a southerner like me.)

 

I also heartily approve of your music tastes - any report that starts with the Cure and includes New Order makes me smile in my tragic and misunderstood little heart

[boldikus]

Haha brilliant work, Andrew. Thanks for sharing.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Thanks for the trip report! It just looked cold (especially to a southerner like me.)

 

I also heartily approve of your music tastes - any report that starts with the Cure and includes New Order makes me smile in my tragic and misunderstood little heart

So cold. This is unseasonable for us. Usually we have highs in the 40s and lows in the 20s, so we get that lovely black ice. This event would have been a big hit if it weren't so ridiculously cold. Fortunately, they've already published next year's schedule and they do intend to do it again and stay open through 1/1/19. Hopefully there's better weather next year at this time.

 

Haha brilliant work, Andrew. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks! Given our shared musical interests, I'm sure you found it entertaining.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

http://www.ky3.com/content/news/Silver-Dollar-City-rings-in-new-year-with-2017-attendance-record-467731443.html

 

Silver Dollar City rings in new year with 2017 attendance record

 

Posted: Tue 3:22 PM, Jan 02, 2018

 

NEAR BRANSON, Mo. (News Release) -- With national headlines focusing on Silver Dollar City’s festivals, features and the Year of Food and Crafts, the 1880s-style theme park in Branson, Missouri hit record attendance in 2017, topping 2.1 million guests (actual total 2,115,522) and setting a record for the highest attendance in the park’s 58-year history. The 2017 wrap-up is some 42,000 people over the previous year.

 

Visitors to An Old Time Christmas also hit record numbers, surpassing 500,000 guests in the two-month period of November-December for the first time. The growth was spurred by the addition of Christmas In Midtown and national accolades including the #1 ranking in the USA Today/10 Best poll for Best Theme Park Holiday Event.

[prozach626]

That's great that no major attraction was opened last year, yet the park still broke their record. That says a lot that word of mouth and positive experiences from customer service focused strategy can peak attendance all on its own. Although I'm sure the buzz behind Time Traveler partially contributed to that, even if the attraction had not yet opened. Here's to hoping that record is broken again next year.

[Shavethewhales]

They spent a lot on the new Christmas stuff though - that was basically the new attraction for this year.

 

It is great to see the park really taking off again though. They have been bursting at the seams and actually losing customers because of how busy they've been during Christmas and how overcrowded it has been. The new coaster next year will really set things over the edge. They need more parking, a bigger entrance, wider walkways, etc...

 

I have a feeling a Dollywood-esque period of investments and expansions is near. Maybe not $300 million worth over a decade, but I expect a resort announcement any year now. I don't know if we discussed it already here or not, but a huge new water park resort has been proposed just down the road from SDC. They are losing out on opportunities here if they don't spend some money to increase SDC's capacity and get started on more resort amenities.

[EliHorton]

Wait? New water park? That's great! I have not really ever liked White Water that much. It had such terrible capacity so that nearly every slide had at least a forty-five minute wait. Is it possible that the new water park would be built where Celebration City used to be? It'd be great if Herschend started doing some major investing into SDC within these next couple years! I wonder if the opening of Heritage USA (reopened Dogpatch USA) in 2020 will at all affect how Herschend invests into SDC?