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[WolfHunter]

Just been thinking it looks a little out of place.

[KBCraig]

It's always been a little out of place. The 1880's World Fair theme was a great idea, just half-heartedly executed, and allowed to linger on too long until it has no context.

[Junior]

At some time in the past, probably the 1990's, Jack and Pete Herschend, co-founders, more or less retired and left day to day activities and decisions to others. Although the company remains one of the strongest...and is the largest family owned chain of themed entertainment, there was a shift in thinking that resulted in several rollercoasters and the GE being built at SDC. What was once billed as an 1880's mountain village with its own post office and chamber of commerce and mayor...well, those days are gone. Since its founding in 1960, the theme has been altered. Originally to capitolize on the 1960's Western craze on TV and in film, the park did have a strong "western" theme, which was altered to the 1880's Ozark Mountain Village theme with tons of arts and crafts. As interest in arts and crafts waned in the mid-80's, the park has moved away from that and the hillbilly stuff, which no longer is as popular either, and moved to the present incarnation. Today you won't see as much ad-libbed entertainment or hillbilly characters on the streets, as entertainment has primarily been moved indoors to air conditioned theaters. The types of shows have changed, and now very un-1880's type stuff is in them...instead of a boxing show or Hatfield Haint show, you have Nick Wallenda, or trained animal acts. Instead of traditional country and bluegrass all over the outdoor theaters, you have contemporary gospel, Cajun music, and so on. They still have the front porch pickers, they still have Hatfield/McCoy feuds, they still offer that steam train and Flooded Mine, but you won't find a diving bell or float trip, you see things like Riverblast, and several big rollercoasters. Every theme park will change with the times, as management has to follow trends to keep pulling folks in the gate. Enough of the old stuff from thirty to fifty years ago remains so the long time fans like myself can say they still can see the saloon show or ride FITH, but the new stuff like the current rollercoaster, GM, big swing, and other new attractions are really pulling folks in. My grandson who is Kindergarten age made his first trip to SDC this year with grandpa (me) and loved the stuff in GE that he could ride. He also, thank goodness, loved the American Plunge, Grandfather's Mansion, and Flooded Mine..all three places that his grandpa worked at in the early 80's when he was in his late teens and early 20s. Memories worth repeating...

[How-doFolks]

ah junior, you always word it so well.. 

[sanddunerider]

I think it is out of place, BUT in my case I dont have any little ones to entertain.

What I do like about GE is IF it REAL busy with lots of kids and parents....... All of those people are not out in the rest of the park,., So i guess in one way it took off part of pressure frome the city..

I personally would like to have seen HDH also built over in the GE area for the same reason, Keeping all the kids in one area... BUT probably that would made a huge overload in the GE area,,

Now all of you out there with kids..........  NO OFFENSE intended to your and your families.... IF i had kids again, I am sure I would have a complete different outlook.

[MissinTheGreenTrams]

GE is okay. I think they did a fine job of making it wher ya have to hoof it far enough it feels like your leaving one park and entering another. It isnt visable to my knowledge from anywhere. Nice time jump. It relieves the stress of having little ones and the yearning to ride rides. The last time we went to SDC in June my kiddo had no intrest in it. But the time before he rode several of the rides......

[Duelist]

It is a little out of place but was a quick way to install 10 new rides at the same time and was a Godsend for those of us with little ones.  Especially after they took out Tom Sawyer's Landing.

[shavethewhales]

We've certainly discussed this a lot over the years, but however I've felt about it in the past I now feel like it was a great compromise for the park that allowed them to add a bunch of rides while keeping the charm of the rest of the park in tact. I have heard that they originally looked at putting GE in the middle of the park to replace the landing. That move would have essentially turned the entire place into just another amusement park over night.

I wish they did a little more with the thematics of the area, especially now that all of the nice original signage is starting to go missing, but it's an OK corner of the park now that all of the trees are starting to mature more. The flying dumbo's are definitely the worst part and IMO are the only thing that absolutely doesn't mesh well with everything else. I don't know who thought that was a good idea, but at least they're back in a distant corner.

[Junior]

Real estate is becoming harder to find in that neck of the woods, but I still wish they had not built the edge of the park so close to the Indian Point/Highway 76 intersection. That shortage of real estate is why we are loosing the isolation around the tracks at the train, goodbye old Robbers Shack, hello giant swing and roller coaster. Time marches on...

[chittlins]

Could the rides have been themed better?  Absolutely!  Custom themes on flat rides and for that many at one time would have been outrageous.  It's been hashed out but the rides were needed and filled a giant void. The idea for GE was right but  most of the rides don't fit. The swing and teacups do, I can even go the electro spin, but the pirate themed uncovered  Himalaya doesn't but is one of my son's favorites.

There is no reason a new Diving Bell attraction couldn't be put in with the human interaction and with today's technology it would be off the chain. I think most that are not huge fans that visit multiple times a year think the park is one of the best themed parks there is outside of your mega parks like Disney World.

I find FITH a classic but honestly it's end is jerky and a bit rough. My kids are not impressed with the visuals as I was in 82, the first time as a 7 year old that I rode it.

Coasters and thrill rides are a necessity and the park needs a couple more after the Ozarkian Beast they are building out back. I still don't understand why they yanked out the Waterboggan without an immediate plan for the area considering that Dollywood's version is still going.

[How-doFolks]

i wish they could incorparate bumper cars into the themes of SDC....

[Junior]

Well, if they could figure out a way to theme the bumper cars, I remember they had a bumper car ride at Celebration City, that, if they have not sold, could be placed at the park. I don't know how they could fit it into the theme? Ideas, anyone?

[Gilligan]

Bumper cars that looked like the Beverly Hillbilly's mobile would be cool! 

[sanddunerider]

all i can think of is to paint them to look like wagons/horses....

Unless they completely rebuilt the "bodies" and added wheels and son on to look like wagons, or maybe ore cars//???

would be a little tricky to theme the cars themselves....

[Copper]

I agree with all of you- they stopped short with theme.  It does provide a place for the little ones to enjoy rides with their parents or older siblings.  My problem is like Shave's, the elephants and pirate ships.  These could have been themed appropriately.  I would also like to see Victorian colors, the place is so pale and boring when it comes to color.

As for bumper cars: They could be themed as bulls and placed by the giant swing. lol