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[Coaster]

http://www.ky3.com/content/news/Silver-Dollar-City-rings-in-new-year-with-2017-attendance-record-467731443.html

SDC had more visitors in 2017 than in its entire 58 year history. I found two things very interesting in this article. The fact that almost 25% of the visitors for the ENTIRE year came in November-December for the Christmas festival is amazing. I think we can all say that Christmas in Midtown was a resounding success. The other thing from the article I found very interesting is the quote from Brad Thomas. He calls SDC a resort destination. I find it interesting because SDC is not currently a resort, but I find it telling that he uses the word to describe it. I wonder just how close we are to seeing SDC become a true resort with a hotel onsite.

[kbosch1]

Wilderness doesn't qualify it as one?

[sanddunerider]

Considering the NASTY weather the last week... 

That number could have easily been 80-100,000 more people, If not more...

[HumphreyHawk]

Wow....the whole amusement park industry had already been copying SDCs Christmas success and SDC just raises the bar again. 

I hope they are reading posts on here about the need for more indoor activities and how the classic rides make SDC special.  Maybe we can get some reinvestment in the classics to ensure they remain and help with the ridiculous crowds before they turn away too much business.

[shavethewhales]

http://www.ky3.com/content/news/Silver-Dollar-City-rings-in-new-year-with-2017-attendance-record-467731443.html

SDC had more visitors in 2017 than in its entire 58 year history. I found two things very interesting in this article. The fact that almost 25% of the visitors for the ENTIRE year came in November-December for the Christmas festival is amazing. I think we can all say that Christmas in Midtown was a resounding success. The other thing from the article I found very interesting is the quote from Brad Thomas. He calls SDC a resort destination. I find it interesting because SDC is not currently a resort, but I find it telling that he uses the word to describe it. I wonder just how close we are to seeing SDC become a true resort with a hotel onsite.

Yes, my ears are perking up at the word "resort" too. It's a matter of time...

I could have sworn they had already achieved 2.2 million at some point, but I guess not. Just a few more good weather days and they would have made it this year. I'm certain it will happen next year.

This could mean speedier development in general too. DW easily had the most potential for growth ten years ago while SDC was kind of flat lining, so they got a lot of capital injected. I'm sure they will still get the lions share for the time being, but SDC is showing massive growth potential again. You've got the general growth of the area (mainly NWA), some new businesses and development coming to Branson, and the park is simply big enough in general now to draw a lot more people from outside of the usual 4 hour radius.

[Joy]

I wonder how much of the influx of visitors for Christmas in Midtown are people who'd never been to SDC before but were looking for a place to see something similar to the Osbourne Lights. I know I saw a LOT of people on various Disney forums complaining that those lights went away, and at least one well-known Disney Park Youtuber (TimTracker) did a multi-video series on Branson & SDC, highlighting CiM and the food and stuff.

[runner1960]

I wonder what the average daily attendance was for the year? To get to the record they added several Wednesdays to the schedule at the last minute. I wonder how this factored in to the final totals ? It is a great accomplishment but I am sure it comes with a added cost to operate those extra days.

[chittlins]

Redo or relocate Whitewater into a top notch waterpark along with a resort with an large indoor water area and they'd hit 3 Million in short order. It goes without saying that SDC itself needs a larger footprint as it's bursting at the seems on Saturdays

[Coaster]

Wilderness doesn't qualify it as one?

That's a bit of a stretch in my opinion. They've never used Wilderness in advertising to call SDC a resort, and other major theme park destinations do not use campgrounds to designate their properties as resorts.

[sirwillow]

Happy for them.  I knew that it was going to be a big year for them attendance wise, and the weather- especially in November and December was as good as I think they've ever had for the Christmas season.  So that's great that they set a new record, and by a pretty decent size as well.

It has shown some areas that they need to work on, infrastructure wise, that if they don't have a plan in place then they need to get one and soon in order to keep this up.

The entrance area needs to be redone.  It is such a log jam now, both coming and leaving.  They've got to find a way to open that up.  Whether it's the OMP, the turnstiles, Guest Relations (which needs to be enlarged and staff increased), etc.

They've expanded parking, but it looks like they need to do some more there as well.  Including a new employee lot that they will always have available. I felt bad for them on the busy Christmas days because they were really shuffled down the road.  But they've got to figure out a way to get cars moving into those lots faster.  I had a couple of times where I was stuck sitting on Indian Point road, practically parked there, for 45 minutes to an hour because the cars moving into the lots were log jammed.

And they need more places in the park for people to go.  Various things have been mentioned- a new multipurpose fetival hall/ theater; more indoor rides/ attractions that stay open during weather; really they need a new expanded area of the par with things in it- places that can absorb some of the crowds.

I know one sign of the increased crowds is the increased rarity of the "Ma" show on the train, which is a longer show.  If they've got a line for the train, they don't do Ma, and it seems like that's the majority of the time now.

These are all good problems to have. Very good problems. But they are ones that you want to address in the near future as opposed to long distance, and do them well.  Or it could backfire and you lose the increased crowds because people don't like dealing with the mess that comes with them.

[cowboy]

I really think the "Resort" comment was referring to Branson Area as a whole........not just Silver Dollar City.

"Record-breaking attendance signals the growing popularity not only of Silver Dollar City, but of the entire Branson area," said Brad Thomas, President of Silver Dollar City Attractions. "Record numbers of families and adult couples are discovering what makes us a fun, thrilling and entertaining resort destination. We look forward to continued significant growth with the opening of Time Traveler, along with our other exciting plans for the future."

Jay

[shavethewhales]

Yeah but that's no fun Jay, I prefer to look for Illuminati signs that point to what they are planning to do 

Probably still at least five years off in any case though. Just so much to do to get the park to handle the current crowds.

[KBCraig]

Wow....the whole amusement park industry had already been copying SDCs Christmas success and SDC just raises the bar again.

Amusement parks aren't the same as theme parks, of course.

When it comes to Christmas-themed theme parks, there's Santa's Village, operating since 1953.