Author Topic: 2015 Trip Reviews  (Read 70112 times)

Gilligan

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Re: 2015 Trip Reviews
« Reply #60 on: April 22, 2015, 10:35:49 AM »
What girly princess stuff?

sanddunerider

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Re: 2015 Trip Reviews
« Reply #61 on: April 22, 2015, 11:59:34 AM »
What girly princess stuff?


He must be talking about Casandre's outfits, they are very nice and elegant,  she does a song or 2 from the movie "frozen" and another animated film..

I have seen the new show 3 times, songs are all performed nicely and professionally..  (still don't get the girly part?) ??? ???

 @ laroy- "thanks for proving my point" ::) ::) ::)  LOL.  I didn't agree with you.

Dewayne

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Re: 2015 Trip Reviews
« Reply #62 on: April 23, 2015, 09:24:10 PM »
You still proved my point  ::) and yes it was the princess part and 1 other part I cant remember that made it girly. At first, I thought they were going to turn it cheesy after that. Im glad they didnt.

Swoosh

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Re: 2015 Trip Reviews
« Reply #63 on: April 23, 2015, 09:55:32 PM »
Leroy, agree to disagree and drop it already. 
It's fine if someone disagrees with you on here.
Just stop already.

SWOOSH

Duelist

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Re: 2015 Trip Reviews
« Reply #64 on: April 26, 2015, 04:45:09 PM »
Lots of comments on SDC's FB page on how crowded it was yesterday, April 25th.  Anyone from the site go yesterday?  Sounds like they're off to a great year attendance wise.
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sanddunerider

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Re: 2015 Trip Reviews
« Reply #65 on: April 26, 2015, 06:15:14 PM »
Lots of comments on SDC's FB page on how crowded it was yesterday, April 25th.  Anyone from the site go yesterday?  Sounds like they're off to a great year attendance wise.

They are off to a great start.. yesterday> almost 20,000 people...!   not bad for April.. ;D

mhguy77

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Re: 2015 Trip Reviews
« Reply #66 on: April 28, 2015, 08:22:06 AM »
I was there Sunday the 26th and it was fairly busy for a Sunday.  When speaking to the staff at Classic they said that each month this year topped last year so they are seeing an increase in traffic.  That's great news for Branson.  All this cheap advertising in the form of reality shows may be helping. 
The city looked good, I am impressed by the efforts they put out with the FL.  the ballroom was nice but seemed smaller than the old GG. Theming was well done but you would think they could do something with the ceiling in the firestation, it looked like the local gym, maybe paint it red.
They defiantly changed the toy store, cut the size down by 33% by removing the back room.  The portico that the wisteria used to grow on is gone and the back of the theater they left behind looks terrible.  They have now mounted 2 speakers on it and covered them in burlap, looks bad, plain and like the back of a warehouse.  Just not up to par.
Apple Dumplings were good, running 2 trains on all coasters and 2 arms on swings. 
We got there at 9:30 and there was already a fair crowd and left at 2:30.  They were still pouring in the gates.

biscuitcreek

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Re: 2015 Trip Reviews
« Reply #67 on: April 28, 2015, 08:49:23 AM »
We went on Thursday 4/23, was overcast and cool. Several school groups were at the park. Checked out Fireman's Landing first -- we both rode the fire wagon (knee space tight) with 5 others, and it is a slow, short ride. Got off that and my husband joined the line for the drop tower. Lots of screams from the teenage girls on the ride. FL is nice but I can see how it is going to feel crowded on a heavy attendance day.

Saw 3 shows and each was packed -- Cirque Zuma Zuma (very good), Stix on Steel (good but basically the same as in past years although they did have a guitarist join them for a couple of songs) and the 5 pc Slovenian girls band (good but a bit too much polka for me).

Island Fire at Riverfront had a very long line 45 minutes before showtime so we decided not to go. We passed on the Ireland show because we have seen the host and his wife, the harpist, many times and even though SDC always promotes the show as all new, it seems like it is repetitive (that's the jokes, folks). The saloon show had long lines, too. The Ecuadorian guys were doing their bit by the photography shop, and if you don't catch them at World Fest, you can always catch them sometime at Branson Landing.

Had the kettle chips with cheese and bacon from the stand in front of the Lumber Camp. We enjoyed them but don't recommend adding any of the seasoning salts because the dish is salty enough as is. Also, had a frozen lemonade from the stand across from the kettle corn. Big thumbs up on the lemonade.

Had a good first visit of the year!

I also received an email survey to rate my visit. Survey also asked if I had any suggestions for festivals that are not already being held.

Duelist

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Re: 2015 Trip Reviews
« Reply #68 on: April 28, 2015, 10:24:32 AM »
^ Did you have any suggestions for festivals for them or did they list some suggestions and ask you to rate them?
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DollarCityBoy

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Re: 2015 Trip Reviews
« Reply #69 on: April 28, 2015, 03:00:29 PM »
HOLY COW! Well...we were 5 of the 20,000 that were in the park on Sat 4/25! We returned on Sunday, to smaller crowds, but had a wonderful time both days. Weather was perfect both days, cool but sunny.

It was my parents, my wife and I, and our 6 month old little girl.

Ate lunch at Rib House Saturday, and lunch at Taste of the World on Sunday. Both great!

Stood in line twice to ride the balloons, broke down both times. One time we got all the way on, then they kicked us off to repair. Just wanted to re-live my childhood darn-it! lol

Rode the shot tower with my dad, and rode FITH with my wife. Only rode those 2, since we had our baby with us. But we did manage to catch 3 shows: Island Fire, Stix on Steel, & Ansambel Navihanke....all great shows!

Our three dinners in Branson included: Starvin Marvins, Landry's Seafood House, & Outback.

Also did Tanger Outlets, Grand Village, and Big Cedar Lodge.

We had another great family vacation, and it was extra-special since it was the 1st trip with our little girl! :)
« Last Edit: April 28, 2015, 03:06:57 PM by DollarCityBoy »
You have a great past just ahead of you.

Duelist

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Re: 2015 Trip Reviews
« Reply #70 on: April 28, 2015, 04:39:26 PM »
^ FYI- the flooded mine is a good place to lull little ones to sleep- LOL  It worked for us when ours were infants
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biscuitcreek

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Re: 2015 Trip Reviews
« Reply #71 on: April 29, 2015, 09:37:56 AM »
^ Did you have any suggestions for festivals for them or did they list some suggestions and ask you to rate them?

There were 5 blanks for suggestions. I suggested Americana/Folk and Ozarks Heritage.

HikerDan

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Re: 2015 Trip Reviews
« Reply #72 on: May 04, 2015, 10:32:30 AM »
My wife and I made our fourth 2015 trip to SDC yesterday, Sunday, May 3.  

We always arrive at park opening and in all three of our previous trips (one Saturday trip and two Sunday) we were out of the park by 1:00 because of the unusually heavy crowds for the World Fest this year. It always seemed to me that  World Fest was one of the lighter attended festivals. The SDC marketing folks must be doing a great job of getting people through the gates in 2015. I've noticed heavy attendance from our neighbors to the south coming in from Arkansas. Maybe there's recently been a heavy marketing campaign down there by SDC or something; maybe with a lot of discounts in areas around Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. On the Saturday we went, there was school bus after school bus of kiddos pulling into the place, so obviously the folks at SDC are swinging deals with school districts around the four sate area to schedule as many spring trips as possible to get the kiddos in the park.

The upcoming Bluegrass Festival is gonna be real interesting on Saturdays with the legions of screaming teeny's swarming off the buses and mixing it up with the old-timers trying to get to the theaters to see the fine Bluegrass shows. The Bluegrass Fest is our favorite time of the year at SDC and I'm sure we'll be right in the middle of it all, trying to catch a few rides early on and then hopefully several shows throughout the day when we visit. I really wish SDC wouldn't cater to the schools on the weekends of the Bluegrass, as those buses full of kids couldn't care less about the music and sometimes it appears things get real crazy for the folks trying to get from show to show. Anyhow, it's gonna be interesting just how crowded the park could be in upcoming weekends.

And back to our trip yesterday. The park opened at 10 and it was obvious that another day of heavy attendance from the four state area was in store for all of us in the park. It was another beautiful spring morning in the park and everyone filing in was all smiles. Springtime at SDC, and in the Ozarks, is a magical time for my wife and I, there's no better time of the year for us. Except for all the sneezing and coughing so many of us were doing yesterday with all pollen and allergens floating around the hills and hollers! Allergy sufferers can have a tough go of it around here this time of year.

We were able to catch a small bit of the always well attended morning Pickers show and then headed off to catch a few rides on the awesome SDC coasters. We made our usual swing through the Powder Keg, then Fire in the Hole, and over to Wilson's Farm for Outlaw Run and the Barn Swing.  All of the rides were up and running at park opening and we were able to finish off the opening hour without a hitch. I think one good thing about the current heavy attendance in the park is the apparent effort by SDC to have their rides ready to board at park opening on the weekends. We feel that effort has not always been a priority with the folks at SDC, and that probably remains the case on weekdays, but on weekends things have been really good with early thrill riding.

We hopped of the Barn Swing at just a few minutes before 11 and then hustled over the the Playhouse in the hopes of catching the Island Fire show at 11. The shows for the World Fest have been somewhat difficult to attend if your not arriving early, especially the Zuma Zuma show. We were lucky enough last week to just squeeze into the 11:30 Zuma show and enjoy the performers. Amazingly, over the years, we had never took the time to see the Island Fire performance. We hoped maybe we could sneak into the show at the last second and grab a seat. But as we walked up the doors were closed and from outside we could hear the show beginning. We decided to walk past the restrooms and up the hill to the actual exit of the theater and peak into the doors of the little vestibule at the exit. There was an attendant standing in the doorway into the theater and she smiled and pointed to several open seats on the left side of the room. The place wasn't full and we got to sit in on the 35 minute performance.  Decent show, a little dull at times, and some bad jokes, but the fire knife twirling at the end was really good and we were glad to have finally seen Island Fire.

Upon leaving and walking past the Dockside Theater I noticed that the Slovenia group was only 5 minutes or so from beginning their set. We hadn't planned on seeing that show, but what the heck, let's give it a try. We zipped up to the little refreshment stand outside the Carousel Barn, got us a couple of refills for our handy dandy $1 refill mugs (yes they're still honoring the $1 mug for now) and slipped into the right side of the theater as the show began. We really liked the gals from Slovenia. They all played some type of instrument and they were very energetic. Those girls do a great job of entertaining with their overall liveliness with the Polka stuff and we'd definitely take time to see them again were they to return.

Time for a stroll around the park, just to look at everything.  The main walkways were getting pretty busy now, though not quite as busy as we had imagined earlier. We stopped for a ride in the back seat of Wildfire, love the drop in the back on that ride. Then we worked our way back up to main street, down to the candy factory for a little fudge and eventually to the train depot for a look around at the station and the Flooded Mine. Things were pretty busy down there as a train had just pulled into the station and let of its passengers. We swung on around over by the Heritage hall and walked through the tastes of the world building looking at the food offerings and how much they cost. Then we strolled though the Fireman's Landing for a look and eventually back to the Wilson's Farm for possibly another ride on Outlaw Run. When OR has two trains and is operating without glitches they seem to be able to keep the waiting times fairly short over there. I have been surprised that is the case a lot of times. We were on the coaster in a bout 10 minutes. I like riding in the middle section of that coaster as that area doesn't seem to beat us up as bad. We don't consider OR a rough coaster, compared to others around the USA, but the middle section is a bit calmer than the front or back.

As I mentioned before, on our previous three trips we left by 1:00, but the crowds really didn't seem to be getting as huge yesterday so we decided to stick around for awhile and catch the Ecuador Manta show at the Gazebo and then the Pickers down at the pickin shed. My wife has always enjoyed hearing the soothing sounds coming from these Andes musicians. It was getting very warm outside and I decided to splurge a little a grab a couple of ice creams from the parlor a short walk away. One great thing about yesterday and the days before was that the temps got pleasingly warm without any humidity at all. If you got a lil warm you could step into or sit in the shade and be perfectly comfortable. Beautiful weather. Great time to sit at the Gazebo and down at the Pickin Shed and comfortably enjoy two great shows. We walked out the gate at 2:50, headed to Tanger for a little shopping, and to Branson Landing for a late lunch, and on home to Nixa to relax on the back porch and watch the sun go down on a splendid Ozarks day.

See ya'll next weekend for the Bluegrass and BBQ and Rhonda Vincent and the Rage!    
« Last Edit: May 04, 2015, 10:39:18 AM by HikerDan »

joshblakebran

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Re: 2015 Trip Reviews
« Reply #73 on: May 04, 2015, 01:44:50 PM »
My wife and I made our fourth 2015 trip to SDC yesterday, Sunday, May 3. 

We always arrive at park opening and in all three of our previous trips (one Saturday trip and two Sunday) we were out of the park by 1:00 because of the unusually heavy crowds for the World Fest this year. It always seemed to me that  World Fest was one of the lighter attended festivals. The SDC marketing folks must be doing a great job of getting people through the gates in 2015. I've noticed heavy attendance from our neighbors to the south coming in from Arkansas. Maybe there's recently been a heavy marketing campaign down there by SDC or something; maybe with a lot of discounts in areas around Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. On the Saturday we went, there was school bus after school bus of kiddos pulling into the place, so obviously the folks at SDC are swinging deals with school districts around the four sate area to schedule as many spring trips as possible to get the kiddos in the park.

The upcoming Bluegrass Festival is gonna be real interesting on Saturdays with the legions of screaming teeny's swarming off the buses and mixing it up with the old-timers trying to get to the theaters to see the fine Bluegrass shows. The Bluegrass Fest is our favorite time of the year at SDC and I'm sure we'll be right in the middle of it all, trying to catch a few rides early on and then hopefully several shows throughout the day when we visit. I really wish SDC wouldn't cater to the schools on the weekends of the Bluegrass, as those buses full of kids couldn't care less about the music and sometimes it appears things get real crazy for the folks trying to get from show to show. Anyhow, it's gonna be interesting just how crowded the park could be in upcoming weekends.

And back to our trip yesterday. The park opened at 10 and it was obvious that another day of heavy attendance from the four state area was in store for all of us in the park. It was another beautiful spring morning in the park and everyone filing in was all smiles. Springtime at SDC, and in the Ozarks, is a magical time for my wife and I, there's no better time of the year for us. Except for all the sneezing and coughing so many of us were doing yesterday with all pollen and allergens floating around the hills and hollers! Allergy sufferers can have a tough go of it around here this time of year.

We were able to catch a small bit of the always well attended morning Pickers show and then headed off to catch a few rides on the awesome SDC coasters. We made our usual swing through the Powder Keg, then Fire in the Hole, and over to Wilson's Farm for Outlaw Run and the Barn Swing.  All of the rides were up and running at park opening and we were able to finish off the opening hour without a hitch. I think one good thing about the current heavy attendance in the park is the apparent effort by SDC to have their rides ready to board at park opening on the weekends. We feel that effort has not always been a priority with the folks at SDC, and that probably remains the case on weekdays, but on weekends things have been really good with early thrill riding.

We hopped of the Barn Swing at just a few minutes before 11 and then hustled over the the Playhouse in the hopes of catching the Island Fire show at 11. The shows for the World Fest have been somewhat difficult to attend if your not arriving early, especially the Zuma Zuma show. We were lucky enough last week to just squeeze into the 11:30 Zuma show and enjoy the performers. Amazingly, over the years, we had never took the time to see the Island Fire performance. We hoped maybe we could sneak into the show at the last second and grab a seat. But as we walked up the doors were closed and from outside we could hear the show beginning. We decided to walk past the restrooms and up the hill to the actual exit of the theater and peak into the doors of the little vestibule at the exit. There was an attendant standing in the doorway into the theater and she smiled and pointed to several open seats on the left side of the room. The place wasn't full and we got to sit in on the 35 minute performance.  Decent show, a little dull at times, and some bad jokes, but the fire knife twirling at the end was really good and we were glad to have finally seen Island Fire.

Upon leaving and walking past the Dockside Theater I noticed that the Slovenia group was only 5 minutes or so from beginning their set. We hadn't planned on seeing that show, but what the heck, let's give it a try. We zipped up to the little refreshment stand outside the Carousel Barn, got us a couple of refills for our handy dandy $1 refill mugs (yes they're still honoring the $1 mug for now) and slipped into the right side of the theater as the show began. We really liked the gals from Slovenia. They all played some type of instrument and they were very energetic. Those girls do a great job of entertaining with their overall liveliness with the Polka stuff and we'd definitely take time to see them again were they to return.

Time for a stroll around the park, just to look at everything.  The main walkways were getting pretty busy now, though not quite as busy as we had imagined earlier. We stopped for a ride in the back seat of Wildfire, love the drop in the back on that ride. Then we worked our way back up to main street, down to the candy factory for a little fudge and eventually to the train depot for a look around at the station and the Flooded Mine. Things were pretty busy down there as a train had just pulled into the station and let of its passengers. We swung on around over by the Heritage hall and walked through the tastes of the world building looking at the food offerings and how much they cost. Then we strolled though the Fireman's Landing for a look and eventually back to the Wilson's Farm for possibly another ride on Outlaw Run. When OR has two trains and is operating without glitches they seem to be able to keep the waiting times fairly short over there. I have been surprised that is the case a lot of times. We were on the coaster in a bout 10 minutes. I like riding in the middle section of that coaster as that area doesn't seem to beat us up as bad. We don't consider OR a rough coaster, compared to others around the USA, but the middle section is a bit calmer than the front or back.

As I mentioned before, on our previous three trips we left by 1:00, but the crowds really didn't seem to be getting as huge yesterday so we decided to stick around for awhile and catch the Ecuador Manta show at the Gazebo and then the Pickers down at the pickin shed. My wife has always enjoyed hearing the soothing sounds coming from these Andes musicians. It was getting very warm outside and I decided to splurge a little a grab a couple of ice creams from the parlor a short walk away. One great thing about yesterday and the days before was that the temps got pleasingly warm without any humidity at all. If you got a lil warm you could step into or sit in the shade and be perfectly comfortable. Beautiful weather. Great time to sit at the Gazebo and down at the Pickin Shed and comfortably enjoy two great shows. We walked out the gate at 2:50, headed to Tanger for a little shopping, and to Branson Landing for a late lunch, and on home to Nixa to relax on the back porch and watch the sun go down on a splendid Ozarks day.

See ya'll next weekend for the Bluegrass and BBQ and Rhonda Vincent and the Rage!   
Our favorite is the Bluegrass and BBQ festival too...sadly it doesn't coincide with our district calendar to where I can get down there.
« Last Edit: May 04, 2015, 01:45:27 PM by joshblakebran »
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sanddunerider

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Re: 2015 Trip Reviews
« Reply #74 on: May 05, 2015, 02:30:14 PM »
@ Josh. Have you got picked out yet.  Would like to see you and yours again....... ;D