Changes made at SDC, not adervised or mentioned

sanddunerider · April 18, 2011, 06:49:40 AM

New Speaker system at echo hollow. these things are MAssive.

sanddunerider · April 18, 2011, 06:50:54 AM

pics:

sanddunerider · April 18, 2011, 06:54:29 AM

1 more.

anybody else seen any other changes in the park? that has not been mentioned/advertised?

MissinTheGreenTrams · April 18, 2011, 09:54:22 AM

WHOA! Thats a Not In Miss Marys Time if I ever saw one!!!!!!!

joshblakebran · April 18, 2011, 01:20:21 PM

That was my first thought as well...I'm sure the new sound system sounds great, however, the speakers are definitely an eye sore to the theming of the stage...

Junior · April 18, 2011, 04:07:30 PM

I saw the work crews at Echo Hollow on opening day, and saw the stage improvements made on my trip to Worldfest recently. The speakers were sitting out on stage, but I thought they would be "themed" by placing them behind or within the wooden false fronts of the buildings on stage. Guess not. so I suppose that's as themed as they will get. I was surprised on my Worldfest visit to enter Red and Gold Hall for the first time in my life and see that really, there is absolutely no theming inside the theater. I compare Red and Gold with what was done inside the Riverfront Playhouse way back in 79 when it was the Courthouse Theater. Themed very well. I have not been inside Riverfront Playhouse in recent years, so I really don't know how it looks, but my guess is not much differently. Yup...just like "TRAMS" posted above regarding Echo Hollow speakers..."not in Miss Mary's time!"

KBCraig · April 18, 2011, 06:46:10 PM

Quote from: MissinTheGreenTrams on April 18, 2011, 09:54:22 AM
WHOA! Thats a Not In Miss Marys Time if I ever saw one!!!!!!!

No kidding!

SoTH has a great sound system, and you can't see any of it.

mhguy77 · April 18, 2011, 10:11:53 PM

It wouldnt take much and maybe they will take that on quickly.

sanddunerider · April 18, 2011, 10:45:31 PM

no doubt these could be hidden. but the GAC show works around them. So i think they are here to stay! In plain sight that is..

Zephon · April 19, 2011, 12:11:22 AM

FYI...theme in Echo Hollow has not been an issue since it's second year. Shows produced there have not been required to adopt the 1880's theme of the rest of the park. Some have been produced in front of sets that roughly fit the theme, but others have not.

The design of Echo Hollow presents difficult problems for sound engineers to overcome and there have been about 4 redesigns of the sound system down there since it was built. This is the best by far.

Junior · April 19, 2011, 08:19:28 AM

Zephon, can you explain to us "outsiders" how the company currently decides about "themed" and "unthemed" zones or items in the park? Echo Hollow and Red/Gold, probably the Opera House, all good sized theaters/special event halls...no real theming other than the occasional touches there? How about those misting fans in the lines at the attractions, or the company policy regarding the concessions that feature the modern coke refrigerators and frozen drink machines...and the concessions and food booths that stack cardboard cases or plastic racks of cokes/soft drinks. Of course, the TV/Entertainment center at the furniture factory, and some the other things I've harped about regarding "not in Miss Mary's time?" Not trying to put you on the spot, but, ya know, in those old days when I worked out there, none of that stuff would have been allowed. Thanks for anything you can tells us here, we do appreciate your insight, and maybe I've just been dwelling on this topic way too much.

Zephon · April 19, 2011, 01:13:57 PM

I can only speak to the entertainment side of things.

Quite frankly, neither you nor any other guest who comes to SDC would sit through the style of shows that were produced in the 1880's. You would find them incredibly boring. If you're trying to put together a 30 minute, 45, 60, or especially a 2 hour show, you're just out of luck when finding period material that today's guests will find entertaining. When I was in the Saloon, we were limited to choosing songs for solos and such that were pre-WWII era, but those restrictions have been relaxed as well. Still, the context and content of the show do dictate the theme of the venue to some degree. You wouldn't want to see the Moscow Circus performed on a set that was themed Old West. The venues you mentioned need to be generic because the shows within them change so often.

Junior, if you'll recall, there was a lot of stuff that we would consider modern sold at the park even when you worked here..."in Miss Mary's time." In this industry particularly, there must be a lot of trade-off between form and functionality. That said, I do agree that more could be done in the foods and concessions areas to disguise some of the modern necessities.

Junior · April 19, 2011, 03:25:07 PM

Thanks, Zephon! Always good to read your comments!

History Buff · April 19, 2011, 04:41:30 PM

I would just appreciate a little effort these days - beyond the theming of the rides.