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TR: SDC 11/09/2002 long-ish
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Jim Wolgamuth
Nov 10, 2002, 12:46:53 PM11/10/02
to
Ran down to Branson and swung by the new Celebration City to gauwk at
the new coaster some. Then Karen, my wife, and I went over to Silver
Dollar City.
In hindsight we should have realized just how busy the park would be
but we were amazed. Several factors as to why such a huge crowd; it
was a saturday, temperature was in the 70's, and Branson is packed to
the brim with vetrans this being vetran's day weekend.
We get to the turnoff road that leeds to SDC and there are park
traffic workers waving everybody on down the road. I think "well we
might have to park at the lot where the park stores stuffs" but we get
waved past that lot as it is full. We drive the mile to the Notch temp
parking lot and see that cars are being waved past it as it is also
full. SDC was parking people at the Kimberling City Bank, roughly 3.1
miles from the SDC parking lots and bussing them into the park. I have
never seen so many people at SDC before.
The overflow lots get dropped off and enter/exit the park at the Red
Gold Hall gate. Noticed while entering that the Wilderness Waterboggan
rehab has begun as the flumes/trough/tubs (not sure the technical
term) are all removed from the structure. There was a rumor that the
Waterboggan was going to be removed this year but in the season pass
renewal packet there is blurb about it being rehabbed. Glad it is
staying.
SDC does an awesome job of decorating the park for the holidays with
Christmas lights blazing everywhere you look, buildings, trees,
ThuNderaTion's lift hill, etc, just lights twinkling all over the
place.
Even with the huge amount of guests in the park Karen and I got some
rides on ThuNderaTion, Fire In The Hole, and Wildfire with very
reasonable waits thanks to ride crews being very fast and efficient.
Wildfire was running in almost total darkness with only some lights on
the cobra roll and the lights from the brake run being the only lights
on the structure. Riding up the dark lift hill Karen I pointed out
some constellations to each other; I am a huge astronomy fan and some
of my love for the that topic has rubbed off on Karen.
Took in the Christmas in the Ozarks show, lots of singing and dancing
like a Rockwell painting come to life but it is pretty entertaining
though, and at the end there was an announcement that next year the
show will be replaced with Dickens' A Christmas Carrol which should be
cool because I will take ghosts over Norman Rockwell anytime (not a
slam to Norman Rockwell fans, just an opinion, Thomas Kinkade on the
other hand I will slam, yuck).
Karen and I went over to the Christmas ornament kiosk and picked up
our ornaments. If you go to all of SDC's festivals throughout the
season you get a free ornament. The gentleman working the kiosk
jokingly asked us if we camped out inside the park; we hit SDC alot
this year.
Seemed odd to be at the park for the Christmas festival and it not
even being cold enough to where you wanted the hot chocolate, wassail,
smores or anything. The only thing we did not ride this visit that we
ussually hit was the train ride. The line for the train stretched from
the packed station down the road past the taffy shop and up onto the
bridge that crosses the railroad tracks and leeds down to Tom Sawyer
childrens area. Karen and I were just stunned and decided we would
ride the train some other time:)
Little bit before 10pm we head out for the bus ride back to our
Porchia (sic) Race Escort Station Wagon(PRES) and headed for home.
Snuggled in our bed we slept with visions of night time Wildfire rides
dancing in our heads.
the new coaster some. Then Karen, my wife, and I went over to Silver
Dollar City.
In hindsight we should have realized just how busy the park would be
but we were amazed. Several factors as to why such a huge crowd; it
was a saturday, temperature was in the 70's, and Branson is packed to
the brim with vetrans this being vetran's day weekend.
We get to the turnoff road that leeds to SDC and there are park
traffic workers waving everybody on down the road. I think "well we
might have to park at the lot where the park stores stuffs" but we get
waved past that lot as it is full. We drive the mile to the Notch temp
parking lot and see that cars are being waved past it as it is also
full. SDC was parking people at the Kimberling City Bank, roughly 3.1
miles from the SDC parking lots and bussing them into the park. I have
never seen so many people at SDC before.
The overflow lots get dropped off and enter/exit the park at the Red
Gold Hall gate. Noticed while entering that the Wilderness Waterboggan
rehab has begun as the flumes/trough/tubs (not sure the technical
term) are all removed from the structure. There was a rumor that the
Waterboggan was going to be removed this year but in the season pass
renewal packet there is blurb about it being rehabbed. Glad it is
staying.
SDC does an awesome job of decorating the park for the holidays with
Christmas lights blazing everywhere you look, buildings, trees,
ThuNderaTion's lift hill, etc, just lights twinkling all over the
place.
Even with the huge amount of guests in the park Karen and I got some
rides on ThuNderaTion, Fire In The Hole, and Wildfire with very
reasonable waits thanks to ride crews being very fast and efficient.
Wildfire was running in almost total darkness with only some lights on
the cobra roll and the lights from the brake run being the only lights
on the structure. Riding up the dark lift hill Karen I pointed out
some constellations to each other; I am a huge astronomy fan and some
of my love for the that topic has rubbed off on Karen.
Took in the Christmas in the Ozarks show, lots of singing and dancing
like a Rockwell painting come to life but it is pretty entertaining
though, and at the end there was an announcement that next year the
show will be replaced with Dickens' A Christmas Carrol which should be
cool because I will take ghosts over Norman Rockwell anytime (not a
slam to Norman Rockwell fans, just an opinion, Thomas Kinkade on the
other hand I will slam, yuck).
Karen and I went over to the Christmas ornament kiosk and picked up
our ornaments. If you go to all of SDC's festivals throughout the
season you get a free ornament. The gentleman working the kiosk
jokingly asked us if we camped out inside the park; we hit SDC alot
this year.
Seemed odd to be at the park for the Christmas festival and it not
even being cold enough to where you wanted the hot chocolate, wassail,
smores or anything. The only thing we did not ride this visit that we
ussually hit was the train ride. The line for the train stretched from
the packed station down the road past the taffy shop and up onto the
bridge that crosses the railroad tracks and leeds down to Tom Sawyer
childrens area. Karen and I were just stunned and decided we would
ride the train some other time:)
Little bit before 10pm we head out for the bus ride back to our
Porchia (sic) Race Escort Station Wagon(PRES) and headed for home.
Snuggled in our bed we slept with visions of night time Wildfire rides
dancing in our heads.
Thanks for reading my ramblings
Jim Wolgamuth
Surf Dance Chris
Nov 10, 2002, 1:14:44 PM11/10/02
to
Is Silver Dollar City open year round?
"Surf Dance" Chris,
who will ride the Flip "N" Out before any coaster!
http://members.aol.com/surfdancec
#1 Mondial fan- Super Nova, Top Scan, and Shake
"Roads? Where we're going we don't need roads!"
Jim Wolgamuth
Nov 10, 2002, 8:40:14 PM11/10/02
to
surfd...@aol.com (Surf Dance Chris) wrote in message news:<20021110131444...@mb-fs.aol.com>...
SDC is open April thru December.
Jim Wolgamuth
Read more about SDC and other parks at www.themeparksonline.org
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