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[Junior]

I'm curious. How do you find out about attendance projections for the day? Are they publishing this info somewhere, or are the employees just telling you when you are on park and ask? Back when I worked there, nobody asked about projections. We employees didn't volunteer the information. We did have a projected daily attendance chart the "head shed" had worked up based on the previous years attendance. We did refer to it regularly as we prepared for staffing, and to know what kind of onslaught of people to expect for the day. I do remember a day when 20,000 people came...that was an exceptionally high number at the time. It was a crazy day, hard to walk the streets cause they were so crowded, and we all hustled to get our jobs done. It was a hot day, too, and we all were worn out. I also remember a few rainy week days in the late fall when it was cold and wet and there were only a couple thousand on park. It was a much more relaxed pace. They even sent some employees home in early afternoon. Kind of boring, really.

[HikerDan]

Summertime usually gets real busy for me at work and I just don’t get many days off from the job this time of year. However, yesterday (Sunday), was one of those rare days off from the job.

My wife, Jane, and I mulled over several options of how we could spend the day together and SDC won out. We wanted to get in one more trip to the city before the weather gets really scorching hot out there on that asphalt around the city.

The forecast was for 50% chance of scattered storms and some rainy, stormy stuff did indeed pass through the Nixa to Branson area in the morning hours.  So we packed along some raingear and got off to a bit of a late start, arriving at the gates around 10am.  I was helped along by some amazing luck with the stop lights in Nixa, Hwy.160, and Branson West…don’t think I’ve ever rolled through all of them green, but I did yesterday.

The plan was to try and catch a few thrill rides in the hour and a half before attending the stunt dog show at 11:30 in the Red Gold Hall.  Then we planned to do a cave tour, as we had not done a tour at this point in ’13.  And I figured the waterfall would be running good in the cave.

So which thrill rides to try before the show?  Things were wet and misty, rainy…so we decided not to head for Powder Keg as we were certain that ride would not be operating anytime soon, if at all on Sunday.  I always hear it won’t run in the wet. I really didn’t want to spend  45 minutes waiting in line for Outlaw Run, but the crowds seemed very light yesterday morn, so we decided to try the Run and the Swing.

As we walked past the Swing we noticed that they had both swings running; I couldn’t believe my eyes.  So we took advantage of that and rode the swing twice.  We really enjoy being on the side where, on the back-swing,  we can look down on the Lost River and see the rafts floating by with all the leafed out trees around the river, pretty. And on the forward swing looking back directly behind and seeing the other swing on its back-swing; or the Outlaw Run if you’re on the other side.

Now we’re on to Outlaw Run, and three rides in just under 30 minutes.  So far we’re two for two with the rides being open and running.  I noticed you can really hear the metal track on the Outlaw whining, or singing, in a few turns of the middle portion of the ride; either from the friction of the wheels on the metal or maybe the stress on the track as the train speeds by.  Man, I love that ride.  I don’t think it’s too short at all; as wild as it is, a minute or so is plenty for me.  While on the ride we also noticed that Powder Keg was running at that time, wow, this day in the park is looking great.  So off we go for PK and hopefully a couple of blasts on that before the show.

Upon arriving at PK we were quite surprised that more people were in line for PK than there were for OR.  Figure that one out? It took about 15 minutes to ride, and when we were on top of the lift-hill we saw a train from Wildfire making its way up that lift-hill. I waved to the people on WF from my turning PK train and got a few waves in return. We swooped down the track, take the sharp turns to the left, and made it back to the station with plans of heading over to WF. 

We talked about the rarity of a day like this at SDC nowadays.  What with all the rides running at the same time, and with them all running multiple trains, on a Sunday even. We also noticed a lot of staff around the park and working the rides; lots of employees we had never seen before, training and helping with the rides and what not. We decided to take advantage of the day that was happening here and skip the dog show, concentrating on the thrill rides while we had the chance.  The park still was not getting very busy and you could ride anything you wished.  I think the weather forecast must have kept a lot of people from the park yesterday.

It’s on to Wildfire now. And can you believe that, two trains running for WF.  We almost were able to walk right onto the front seats of WF, one train wait.  We rode front and back one time each.  I noticed that the operator was letting the off-loading people a little time to gather their things from the cubbies before opening the gates for the on-loaders. A nice move, I thought, as there were no lines for the ride. 

Well, we may as well take a spin on Fire-in-the-Hole.  The seats on the train were pretty wet, so we knew there would be a good splash at the end…and there was. Got a good spray to the face, from riding in the back. Fire in the Hole!

Now across the park and onto the Flooded Mine.  Made the bird tweet, set off the TNT, and made the bull’s skull grunt, and we decide to take a ride on the train.

There was a new actor playing Alfie; or one we had never seen before.  A young black guy who was maybe in his early twenties. He really put a lot of effort into the role and did a fine job, we thought. He got a quarter off of me and my wife during the train robbery.  People were really handing over a lot of coin to Alfie and Ralphie yesterday; that’s good to see. The woman claimed them as her sons.

We then rode FM one more time and it was on to Thunderation. I always love speeding into that tunnel.  One train running on that one, but there was no wait. We decided to make the walk back around again and ride up front one time on TNT. Great fun up there at the head of that runaway mine train. 

The sun had popped out by now and things were getting fairly warm. We entertained the thought of completing the ride sweep and getting on the Plunge and Lost River, but I chickened out and decided to save the water rides for our next visit in a few weeks. 

We stopped by the candy store, got a few samples, and bought some kind of fudge for Jane.  After a couple of refill drinks we sat around the gazebo/main street area for a bit and decided to end our day at SDC. 

We went to Branson Landing for a few beers (my wife had tea) and pizza at Old Chicago.  We walked along the riverfront for awhile and eventually took Hwy. 65 to Ozark and home to Nixa.

Great job on Sunday SDC!  Keep up the good work!

[LadyDrifter]

Great review. 

[sanddunerider]

Hiker, sounds like a great day, and with only 6500 people there, i am sure the park was easy to get around.!

love the cold beer at old chicago..!!

[Swoosh]

My crew will be there on Friday.  You've been warned.

[Gilligan]

What a great review and a fine day for you and your wife!  Did you notice if you could hear the horses clopping across the bridge?  I didn't hear it the last two times I was there.  I'm hoping it just wasn't operating those days.  I love that sound!  Always have and always will!  Isn't it crazy how it's the little things that intrigue us?

[HikerDan]

What a great review and a fine day for you and your wife!  Did you notice if you could hear the horses clopping across the bridge?  I didn't hear it the last two times I was there.  I'm hoping it just wasn't operating those days.  I love that sound!  Always have and always will!  Isn't it crazy how it's the little things that intrigue us?

Thanks Gilligan!  Yes, a fine day happened at SDC for my wife and I on sunday.  Great visits can happen at SDC in a variety of ways: if it be the festivals and all the fantastic shows, the nostalgia and tradition of the city, or the thrill of the variety of exciting coasters, and such, around the park; it can be a great place to spend a 'lil time.

I know that clopping of the horses across the bridge, and like you, I haven't heard it in awhile.

Sometimes we'll hear music, bluegrass or old-timey mountain music, playing through the speakers while waiting in line for the coasters; but some days we don't hear any of that traditional music at all in the park near the rides. We think maybe it just depends on wether particular employees remember, or care to, turn on those audio devices.

I sure enjoyed hearing the group "Asleep at the Wheel" as we waited to board Thunderation back in the day.

And I loved hearing "David Davis and the Warrior River Boys" while waiting to get on the Powder Keg last year.

Fortunately, the sounds of the Flooded Mine always play as we're floating through that working prison mine; I always have to rock the boat a bit during those short miner-music laden stretches.

I think the sounds, and the music, and the themes, play a huge role in the atmosphere of this park; and sometimes maybe the PTB lose focus on that fact.

I hope to hear the clopping of hooves upon that bridge in the near future.

[sanddunerider]

I am pretty sure the clopping was working on memorial weekend..?

I always listen for it, If it doesnt play I notice it immediately.

[DeweyBald]

yep...I heard them on Monday and Tuesday of last week.  It's working again!

[Gilligan]

Yay for the horses clip clopping on the bridge!!

[Kentucky Optimist]

My dad always suggested that the clopping hooves should have sleigh bells added during the christmas festival.

HikerDan- enjoyed the review, glad to see others out there that enjoy the ambiance of the park.  I can get a multi-million dollar roller coaster at any park, but it's the magic touches- old timey music, friendly citizens, ozark hills, train show, food and craftsman that make SDC special.

[Gilligan]

The bridge does have sleigh bells during OTC.  And, Kentucky, you are right.  It's the magic touches that make it so special! 

[Preachin_Bill]

Ah the hooves on the bridge!  When we noticed it wasn't working we were more than shocked.  Glad to hear the horses are up and running this year!

[Kentucky Optimist]

Clearly I need to get back to Ozark Mtn Christmas ASAP!  Since we moved out of state we've only been for week long trips in the fall.  I need to get my facts updated, I guess the PTB liked my dad's sleigh bell idea.

[Swoosh]

Pretty sure the sleigh bells have been around since the original "12 Days of Christmas" event