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[mhguy77]

I spoke with the lye soap folks, this booth will close in 2 weeks for good, buy your soap now.
Its a sad time as we are losing another craft, I am sure they will replace it with a family spinning ride or a slushy booth, something that " Makes memories worth repeating"  but whatever they decide you better buy your soap now and say goodbye.

[rubedugans]

Not cool.

[Junior]

Lye soap has been a craft on park since the 1960's. It was there when the Beverly Hillbillies came to visit. Sad to see this one go. Trends in theme parks change. The arts and crafts movement of the 60s/70/s/80s is long over. If people bought more lye soap, it would be staying. It joins basket weaving, and many other crafts that have ceased being produced at SDC.

[runner1960]

I guess I am part of the problem since I never purchased any in all my years. Never had a use for it, but it is still sad to see it go.

[rubedugans]

Used it all the time, never once got poison ivy, rashes etc after camping/ hiking .

For me it is disheartening, I actually did basketry in college, and independently did wood carving as part of our joint senior gallery show. I had aspirations to join Donnie, and Bob, and all the others that have split reeds, and woven on park, but that is now gone. My sister actually was a part of the lye soap making one day at the park. She donned the costume, and for a day was a soap maker stirring and mixing and pouring, I am oh so jealous and envious of her ability to say she worked at the park for a day....someday!

[palallin]

This is really a shame.

My family buys several logs a year for ourselves and some extras as gifts to others.  I hope there is some available this weekend so we have enough to tide us over till we find another source.

For me and my family, the lye soap is worth a dozen Outlaw Runs, but I recognize how atypical we are.  I also recognize that the City has to make money.

But I don't know, given the budgets involved, that it would hurt so much for the big-billed attractions to do a little more subsidizing of the back-woods stuff.

[Junior]

Got to admit it, if I were running the show, if it didn't make money it would be gone, too. Got to keep things in the black, or nothing will be there someday. I, too, hate to see things like the baskets, lye soap, and many other crafts and some of the old attractions go, but this park cannot sit still, it has to move on. They can make up for what goes by presenting what is left in a unique way and by continuing to emphasize customer needs and satisfaction, it is hard to do, but they have done an outstanding job for over 50 years. I do hate to see lye soap go, as well as other long standing attractions, but the times they are a changin'.

[History Buff]

Consolidation of some of these craft shops may be an answer.  Put them together and alternate demonstrations throughout the day - soap, brooms, baskets, etc.  Looking at the crowd, this Saturday, I still noticed a BUNCH of older folks - who are not there for the rides and gimmicky food.  They may not purchase the soap, brooms, and baskets, but they buy food and drinks while they are there, not to mention admission tickets.  I wonder if the current formula of building things that exclude the elderly is shortsighted.

[Gilligan]

Consolidation of some of these craft shops may be an answer.  Put them together and alternate demonstrations throughout the day - soap, brooms, baskets, etc.  Looking at the crowd, this Saturday, I still noticed a BUNCH of older folks - who are not there for the rides and gimmicky food.  They may not purchase the soap, brooms, and baskets, but they buy food and drinks while they are there, not to mention admission tickets.  I wonder if the current formula of building things that exclude the elderly is shortsighted.

Well stated!

[How-doFolks]

Bummer!! We are about to run out of lye soap, got just a little bit left.

[palallin]

  I wonder if the current formula of building things that exclude the elderly is shortsighted.

Of course it's short-sighted, but it is part and parcel of our culture's worship of youth and novelty, which, when you think about it, are the entithesis of SDC.

Too many people are addicted to the Latest, Greatest, Fastest, Up-to-THE-Minute, NOW, Adrenalin-laced, Newest Whiz-Bang-Gimcrack.  An institution dedicated to recalling the past, slowing down, and enjoying the roses (and trees, etc.) either has to abandon its essence or whither.  Either way, it will be lost. 

I intend to enjoy it all I can till that sorrowful day.

In any case, our whole society is afflicting itself with an unsustainable addiction.  I will mourn for SDC, but I fear for my children (and theirs).

[okiebluegrass]

Why is it that we have to give up all of our traditions to placate the youth? I fight this same issue at church all the time 

[LadyDrifter]

End of the lye soap?  Oh no.  And there is no way I will be there in the next 2 weeks.     I use it for stains, poison ivy, and the like.

[Ozarks Gal]

If only I known two weeks ago when I was in town for a wedding I would have made an effort to go by and buy up a bunch of soap.

[rubedugans]

Placation is the norm....spend $10 million on a ride, and then tell me that you cannot keep you true Ozark crafts being demonstrated because you are "losing money". Please, give me a break. The soap does not eat up that much of a cost comparatively. It is a minimal cost for a few workers sporadically placed throughout the week, I don't see many demonstrations in the past years anyway, it takes inexpensive items to make the soap...the profit far outweighs the investment. Sad day.