What happened to Pinnacle Falls?

sdcforever · April 10, 2008, 07:40:56 AM

I've been thinking about this and I think WW will be fine. It has a history, and people are connected to it. They've been visiting it for years. Plus, it's accessible to everyone; WW ticket prices are pretty reasonable. These resorts (especially Pinnacle Falls and Indian Ridge) are geared to people with money. A City Hopper pass is a good deal, too, and that gets WW a lot of its visitors.

I've been trying to figure out how these waterparks will work. Do you have to make a reservation to get access? Or can you just show up for the water park? Indian Ridge is out in the middle of nowhere. I can't imagine people who are just visiting Branson wanting to drive away from everything else just to go to a waterpark. Plus, how annoying for those who want a quiet getaway. You've got all these people who aren't even staying at the resort like you are showing up to go to the water park. Not to mention if you want a quiet round of golf, and nearby is a giant water park...

I think these resorts are forgetting the fact that people come to Branson to do things. They don't want to stay in a secluded resort for their entire stay. They want to go to shows, play mini golf, and lots of times visit places like SDC, WW, and CC. For me (and I'm sure for a lot of people) SDC, WW, and now CC are connected to Branson, and it's like I haven't visited Branson if I haven't been to at least one of those parks.

Copper · April 10, 2008, 04:25:52 PM

This is a new trend within the hotel/lodge industry. This is a way that hotels can assure reservations. Guests see that you get more amenities then a typical hotel and they choose the one with the water park. Great Wolf, Kalahari and even Holiday Inn are involved in the indoor water park business. They are very successful and most think that the trend will last for a while. We just talked about this today in one of my classes.

The Indian Ridge plans on having a hotel and resident homes. The industry thinks this is a great thing to offer to guests. It has been working in other places, so I guess they believe it will work in Branson. They aren't necessarily targeting people staying at other hotels. They want you to stay there and play there too and I'm sure they will offer discounts to Branson attractions.

You won't have to make reservations you simply go directly to the water park. The golfers probably won't even notice you are there. I don't think that Indian Ridge is located too far from Branson, people travel to Biog Cedar and Branson Creek for things other then mini-golf and theatres.

I'm not pro or against. This is just what I have learned in my Hospitality class.

sdcforever · April 11, 2008, 04:29:34 PM

^I don't feel pro or against it either. Hey, if it brings tourism dollars to Branson then it's good for everyone. Plus, I'm sure some people that come to stay at the resorts will visit SDC, CC, or WW. I just feel that with all the water parks being built HFE needs to come up with something, whether it's a promotion, reinvention, new ride, or a combination of all three I don't know. But something needs to be done in the next few years to bring WW to the forefront if it's going to tread water with all of these other water parks. (Please forgive the bad pun!

)

Zephon · July 06, 2008, 10:22:51 PM

I've never seen a more wanton rape of the land than the Indian Ridge project. No thought put into saving any of the trees, just scraped them all off. It's absolutely disgraceful.

Swoosh · July 06, 2008, 10:53:32 PM

Quote from: sdcforever on April 11, 2008, 04:29:34 PM
But something needs to be done in the next few years to bring WW to the forefront

Keep watching what has been happening to Dolly's Splash Country to get an idea of what to expect in the coming years.

betamike · July 07, 2008, 02:48:41 PM

Quote from: Zephon on July 06, 2008, 10:22:51 PM
I've never seen a more wanton rape of the land than the Indian Ridge project. No thought put into saving any of the trees, just scraped them all off. It's absolutely disgraceful.

Man, that is horrible. The Ozarks are so special in the respect to virtual untouched territory. I am always mystified when this kind of thing happens by people wishing to "cash in" being sold to people who say they "love" this area. Grrrrr.

Old Guy · July 07, 2008, 03:12:59 PM

It's happened a lot unfortunitly. Branson South in the 90's ended in a big law suit. Camalot at Blue Eye was the same. Scrape off a development sight, try to find investers, then bail out and leave the mess for someone else.

sdcforever · July 07, 2008, 04:56:18 PM

^It is really unfortunate what tends to happen when investments fall through.

Camelot is horrible. What a waste. Check out http://undergroundozarks.com for a picture gallery of the remains of Camelot. I would also point out the remains of Dinosaur World in Beaver, AR, a much larger investment of land and money that is now abandoned. Here is a link to find out more about Dinosaur World: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/8415.

These are just two examples of attractions that are now abandoned, rotting in the sun. I would put Dogpatch USA in Marble Falls, AR in this group, but it is thankfully undergoing some revitalization.

I sincerely hope none of these resort investments end up in abandonment.

Old Guy · July 07, 2008, 05:41:33 PM

WOH! Wierd to see Camalot again. My wife and I were some of those poor unfortunates that got taken. We went there to work after leaving SDC. One day we were all (Cast)told to grab our things and never to return as it was in the hands of the coarts. My wife painted that window on the front entrance tower (and never got paid for it). Wierd to see it still there while the rest of the tower has no paint left.

Grapeslie · January 16, 2016, 02:15:59 PM

Okay so I know this is WAY OLD but what ever happened to this? Obviously it never happened was it just the recession?

shavethewhales · January 16, 2016, 05:01:27 PM

Like most over-ambitious proposals, it was a flash in the pan that didn't have much chance of happening even without the crash. It would have been interesting to see if a scaled-down resort would have happened if it weren't for the crash though. There's still a lot of demand for nicer resort properties in Branson, but recouping $600 million would be a tall order.

Mel Bilbo was involved in this one right after he was let go from SDC (apparently largely due to concerns about CC). It seems like most of the big projects he's ever been apart of have fallen apart.

I'm curious if the Cushman family still owns the land. It seems like they might be waiting for the right developers to come around again.

Junior, too! · February 07, 2016, 08:50:57 PM

Last I heard, Cushmans still have it...seems like plans were a thumbs down at the planning commision meeting. Excuse was town already has too many mixed developments. Went to high school with David Cushman, who runs things now, I believe. I wish him and his family well, but hate to see the rest of Mutton Hollow bulldozed and concreted.