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[shavethewhales]

Yeah I got a bunch, but I'll probably wait till tomorrow to post them since I'm tired.

First impressions: it's a little different than what I expected somehow (even though I was there for the construction tour), but overall I'm very impressed and pleased with it. The rides don't "blend" as well as I thought they did just from looking at the photos, and the area in general is tighter than a photo perspective will give you. However, the details and theming are superb, so it is absolutely as good as it could be with the given rides and space. It's beautiful, but does indeed feel a bit amusement-parky.

The highlights: lots of cool interactive details, neat little details in the theming (like the ladder canopies), phone charging stations, good theming detail inside the buildings and out, awesome color palette and paint job on the rides, Firefall is very fun. Like I said, the area is beautiful, and it does include a lot of SDC theming conventions, including individualized "store" name signs on the buildings next to the fire station.

Low points: The "soundtrack" to the area includes lots of annoying jokes and IN-PARK ADVERTISEMENTS that boom out LITERALLY EVERY TWO MINUTES OR LESS. This gets annoying very fast if you are having to sit around in the area. I hope that will be adjusted at some point. Really, there's never a good excuse for in-park advertisements, especially like this. If people are hungry, they'll find food. No need to remind them every two minutes about Crossroads pizza and riverside ribhouse.
Also: they kinda destroyed the toy store. I mean, there's still a toy store there, but it's a small shell of what it used to be, and it's ugly, especially with the plain backside of the theatre butting out there with nothing to decorate or block it. I don't get why they got rid of the ivy overhang and left it like this.

They're really forcing the Lucky character. I'm still not sure why they need to, to this extent.


Fireman's Landing for me kinda drove the final nail into the direction the park has taken towards being a truly "rides-based" park. It's a little weird seeing so many rides smashed into a prominent area of the park now. On Lake Silver you can now see all of Fireman's Landing's six rides, plus TGS, Lost River, and Outlaw Run. That's very different than the SDC we grew up with, but I think they've done as much as they can to make it not feel like a run-of-the-mill theme park even with all the ride additions that are now the meat of the park. Fireman's Landing is a whole class above any "family" area of it's kind at any other park. I can remember over a decade ago worrying about the park becoming what it is now, but now that we're here I'm happy that the SDC spirit is still displayed in all these new additions, even if the park is so very different from what it used to be.

[Dewayne]

  Haha Shave! Now you know how I feel standing in line for Outlaw Run. Finally someone understands!!! There is a loud, annoying voice that comes on the speakers every 15 minutes, on Outlaw Run, talking about what the ride does, when people either already know what it does, or dont want to know because they want to be surprized. Plus, they "have" to play that stupid, annoying horse sound every time you leave the station.

I havent seen Firemans Landing in real life yet yet. I will be going on Wednesday. From what Ive heard, it sounds great. No ride ever looks exactly like the animation, but close enough. I like that they are doing park commercials. It feels more like 1880s when Coca-Cola came out. Everybody likes hearing jokes. Thats why I have some in my music mix.

[DianaGail]

Just a quick note before I go ride the balloons...again.  This is an amazing area for the kids, and me because apparently I'm 5 and just as exicited as my kids!

[Dewayne]

TOTALLY!

[Tmboote]

Plus, they "have" to play that stupid, annoying horse sound every time you leave the station.

Theming.

[Dewayne]

So??? No other ride does it!!

[History Buff]

The horses are not stupid!  They are pulling the stagecoach.

Wildfire has a steam release - or is supposed to - upon each launch.
Riverblast "fills" each bucket on the top of the vehicle before each launch.
PK blasts you out of the station with an explosion of fire and noise.

Each has a different theme, so each has different launch effects.  I would hate to ride a runaway "stagecoach" without horses pulling it.  Even my 11-year-old daughter recognizes that it adds character.

[Tmboote]

Let's get back on topic.

[shavethewhales]

Haha Shave! Now you know how I feel standing in line for Outlaw Run. Finally someone understands!!! There is a loud, annoying voice that comes on the speakers every 15 minutes, on Outlaw Run, talking about what the ride does, when people either already know what it does, or dont want to know because they want to be surprized. Plus, they "have" to play that stupid, annoying horse sound every time you leave the station.

I mean, that's the safety spiel... that's kinda important and standard practice. What I'm talking about is a booming voice that interrupts the ambiance music with ads for places within the park. Totally unnecessary and grinding. You'll understand when you visit.

[Dewayne]

I mean, that's the safety spiel... that's kinda important and standard practice.

Safety spiel??? Standard practice? What are you talking about??

[History Buff]

Oh boy.   

[Dewayne]

  ?? What does he mean by it?

[shavethewhales]

Oh wait, now that I think about it, I know what you were referring to. There is a spiel over OR's sound speakers that talks about what the ride does aside from the usual safety spiel... I had forgotten about it since I just tune it all out now. I think they added that to save a little skin in court in case anyone was too "surprised" at the forces on OR and made a fuss over it. Fair warning, basically.

Like I said though, you'll get what I'm talking about for Fireman's Landing when you visit. It's a whole different kind of annoying.

[Dewayne]

Haha! I dont think anything has been annoying to me since OR. Firemans Landing sounds perfect to me in every way. I think im going this weekend instead. Wednesday shows rain.

[Tmboote]

Yeah I got a bunch, but I'll probably wait till tomorrow to post them since I'm tired.

You gonna post them yet?