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These kids made their internet debut on YouTube.  https://youtu.be/dBdFe1MY3SQ
Ride in question is Saw the Ride at Thorpe Park.
Screen grab at around 0:59 went to an answers.com slideshow, and from there, memes everywhere.

I did this last year and it worked great, but as they say on those stock broker TV commercials, "past performance is no guarantee of future success".

Yup, I think a woodie is a perfect fit for the park.  I am just very concerned about the proposed theming. 

It is one of those cases where I like the concept, but am scared of the execution.  Up to now, most every attraction fits within the cohesive story the park is trying to tell.  Even GE technically fits.  But the theming described in the survey is almost like they found some kid working the front gate, and put him in charge with his only experience being having a copy of Roller Coaster Tycoon on his laptop.

So, I guess what I am saying is that even though I want to see a wood coaster in the park with everything in me, I would rather NOT see it if it is going to take the overall theme of the park in a different direction.

Well, since the Ice House isn't an option, I guess I'll throw in my $0.02 about the presented choices.

I've always wanted a wooden coaster at SDC.  But with that horrific excuse of a theme that doesn't really gel with the rest of the park, I reluctantly gotta go for the moon shot.  I can't stand those rides, but it is most congruent with the rest of the park.  I don't know where they are going to put it, but it's one of the few attractions that I could see fitting in to the space constraints of Midtown should they remove an old treehouse attraction that teases me with its previous glory every time I walk past.

I'd love to go opening day, but I got that pesky work thing that gets in the way.  I'm hoping by 8:35 am on Saturday the 19th, my son and I will be sitting down at Molly's with embarrassingly huge plates of pancakes.  If I'm not burnt out from the crowds from Saturday and the weather is cooperative, we'll go again on Sunday the 20th.  And I'm definitely staying far, far away on YCW.  The only time I've been pick-pocketed in my life was at Young Christian's Weekend.

Branson could be a good fit for a NASCAR track.  Yes, it's a HUGE risk, as there is absolutely no guarantee that it will ever be selected as an event site.  Yes, they'll have to be able to ride out close to a decade before the powers that be might bless it with an event.

But at the very least Branson is a market ripe for the ancillary money-making events that can keep a track going.  Track day events and a "Richard Petty Experience" drive-an-actual-stock-car-for-$500 attraction could conceivably keep the track from going too far underwater financially.

Plus stereotypes aside, factor in that Branson IS a destination that many NASCAR fars would desire to attend combined with the simple fact that Branson actually has enough hotel room inventory to accommodate a Sprint Cup size event, for someone with deep enough pockets, the risk starts to seem almost manageable.

If they can engineer a track that also has road course and motorcycle racing capabilities and not put all of their eggs in the NASCAR basket, the idea could have potential and could be a boost to the Branson economy.  Long story short, this is a risky gamble, but for the right investor, the risk might be manageable.

GG is certainly far from my favorite attraction in park, but it fills it's role of offering quite a bit of capacity and taking a big load off the rest of the park. Plus, it puts lots of smiles on lots of young'uns.

Yeah, it hasn't worn well. Yeah, it's not that attractive. But it fills a big need. And it's probably more theme-friendly than plenty of other things they could put in its place.

@backintime: I'm giddy with excitement. I posted that video on YouTube and figured no one would ever see it.  Sweeeeeet.

Gambling will attract a different demographic of Branson visitor. I will leave it to everyone to decide for themselves if a link between casinos and pawn shops, strip clubs, check cashing services, and massage parlors exist.
According to some stats I just googled, cities with casinos have crime rates 80+% higher than non-casino communities. Honestly, this decision needs to be made with time and polling. The Branson C of C should poll a wide selection of visitors to see if they would continue to visit Branson if gaming options were available. .
I'm convinced that the positive economic impact could be exceeded by development of a NASCAR track. Branson is one of a very few places in the US with enough hotel rooms to accommodate a track as well.

[What is your favorite fest-related show during KidsFest? Least favorite?]

OK, I'll play.

What is your favorite fest-related show during KidsFest? Least favorite?
Peter Gossamer, even though it was reminiscent of a Vegas off-strip production, and the pews in the Opera House needs to be reupholstered badly.  He and his staff are very good entertainers. 
My kids liked the stunt dogs; I enjoyed the air conditioning.

What is your favorite fest-related activity during KidsFest? Least favorite?
   Conceptually, I love the idea of Character Breakfasts.  It puts a focus on the dining experience.  It's the execution I don't care for. My kids, ten and six, would love to have breakfast with Doc Harris or Whoops E., or so they just told me.
My least favorite activity was dodging kids dribbling basketballs up steep hills. 

What is your favorite fest-related shop during KidsFest? Least favorite?
   I suppose if I must pick, my favorite fest-related shop was the one selling the yarn marionettes in that I could see those products being sold in the 1880's.
My wife asked me what I thought of the castle toys.  I said, "American kids play cowboys and Indians; European kids must play knights and castles."  The castle stuff just didn't connect with me and seemed a continent out of place.

What would you omit if you were in charge of KidsFest?
I would omit the connection with Nickelodeon.  The whole thing reminds me of when Batman and Robin showed up at Dogpatch USA.  Even as a young kid, I was upset by the sheer audacity of it; it's just doesn't go.
I'd really like to see the stats of the effect of licensed characters on ticket sales.  I'm hard pressed to think that Dora the Explorer will cause a family three states away to decide on Silver Dollar City over other potential destinations.
This whole character thing smells of "Disney-envy."  At least Silver Dollar City is not alone in this as just about every park wants recognizable characters.

What would you add if you were in charge of KidsFest?
First, I would add enhanced kids menus to a few restaurants.  A "buffet" of three types of mediocre pizzas doesn't cut it.  SDC should once again be renowned for dining.  And if I can't be in charge all the time, I'll use my influence during KidsFest to ramp the quality of dining back up where it needs to be.
SDC is a theme park.  Somewhere, someone should have a "storyline" for any normal day. This was probably produced back in the early '70's and sits in a file cabinet somewhere.  It was probably something simple like "A town hidden in the Ozark woods gets separated from the rest of society for close to 100 years.  When it's rediscovered, the citizens invite folks from the outside to experience their world with them." 
KidsFest requires its own story; it's obvious that the current story is "park officials want lots of parents to bring their kids and spend a lot of money."  All it takes is a simple premise like "a small Ozarks town in 1880 has special activities planned to celebrate children today.  The events go smoothly except that a few mischievous miners are sneaking around trying to wreak havoc at the festivities." 
This opens up the possibility for more image characters; which KidsFest, and Silver Dollar City, needs.  Guests don't need to know the story, they will subconsciously pick it up as it goes along.  This will deeply add to the suspension of belief.  Of course, it helps to be conscientious to not have 1989 Mercury Cougars parked in front of the train barn in plain site from the train.
I would also add more focus on involving the kids into the traditional crafts at the park.  I can turn on my TV just about any time around the clock and the kids can see SpongeBob.  Seeing a blacksmith or glassblower is not an everyday occurrence and should be treated as it is...special.
One concept from Disney parks that could be well adapted and modified is that of the Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party.  It's a bit like a mini-parade that goes around the central spoke of the Magic Kingdom a few times a day.  Upbeat music and dancing that takes up little real estate, costs little to implement, lasts for 15 minutes, and provides a nice, pleasant diversion for those who are in the area; it's a nice "stumble-upon" surprise.  It would also get rid of the tents on the square

Truth be told, I wanted to head up, check it out, and post some dance party goodness on Youtube.  But the chil'uns wanted to ride the evil frogs and teacups all evening.

Anyone know where to send the pic?  I'd love to see it dealt with in a prompt manner.

"Magic After Hours" parks seem to have higher attendance that day as Disney has manipulated patrons into choosing the park which produces the most value that day.  Then, that park gets even more crowded when the other parks close and the park hoppers decide to get a few more rides in for the day.  I decided my last trip to Disney to NEVER attend the Magic Extra Hours park of the day. 

But, alas, onto Silver Dollar City.  I went Sunday, August 8, because I had promised the kids we'd go to Moonlight Madness and figured the last day was better than breaking that promise.  Here are my thoughts in a few brief blurbs:

With little food and no shows, the median age of visitor plunged through the afternoon.  By 9:00 pm, the average age of patron appeared to be 15.  Also, the amount of people I talked to claiming to be first time visitors was much higher than normal (for me).
 
Parking shuttles either underestimated demand (unlikely) or couldn't get enough labor to show up to meet demand (more likely).

I intentionally avoided the dance party to maintain my good attitude.

It was great to ride the wet rides in the dark (something you can't do at Christmas).

Then I saw THIS in the entrance queue to the flooded mine:

Sorry about the terrible quality. 1) It was dark and I had to adjust the contract to pull out the graffiti.  2) It was from my iPhone and the battery was about gone.
This covered the entire front of one of the crates in the entrance queue to the Flooded Mine.
Knowing how quickly such things are dealt with in the City; I assumed it to be very fresh.

I don't know why I let this bug me so much, but it pretty much put a damper on my fun for the night.  Why do I take such things so personally?

On the ice wagon at the entrance?

As a PURIST who believes that HFE has forgotten just about every concept of what made SDC special, I moan about every misguided change they make and every compromise made to the park theme.  Moonlight Madness last year was a slap in the face IMHO.  However, this thread has given me hope. 

I've been deputized at the City since I was 3 years old; and I have never got to arrest anyone yet.  Personally, I'd like to see the Marshal deputize a whole large group of kids en masse, give 'em badges, AND send them out through the dark, underlit park to find and arrest Alfie and Ralfie Bolin, or any escaped convicts, with some offer of a bounty.  Huntin' down Baldknobbers would be quite a tie-in, but it might be a bit intense for some 5 year olds who are up way past their bed time.  It would also have the added benefit of distributing some attendees away from the square and through the park. 

Or at very least, with no fanfare, no announcement and no attention drawn to it, have Eli Tolts' diving bell partially surface in Lake Silver for a few seconds every hour in the darkness of night.  That would truly make me smile.