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[runner1960]

As much as I grew up with FM I would not be sad to see it go. It has been changed so often it is now just a shadow of what it began as. If they are not going to maintain it then let it die. I actually did not like it when they changed it to a shootout, so to me it was already gone.

I really do not buy into the rumor either , but if the mystery mine type attraction is true the theming could be just like the flooded mine. Remember Disney took a lot of heat when they removed Mr. toad and Snow Whites scary adventure in Orlando. Now look what they have. Great new attractions that surpass what was replaced.

It was kind of sad on 4th of July when FM was a walk on. When I debarked the ide operator thanked me and said come back and ride with us again. Kind of like he was begging for business.

[Citydweller84]

As much as I grew up with FM I would not be sad to see it go. It has been changed so often it is now just a shadow of what it began as. If they are not going to maintain it then let it die. I actually did not like it when they changed it to a shootout, so to me it was already gone.

I really do not buy into the rumor either , but if the mystery mine type attraction is true the theming could be just like the flooded mine. Remember Disney took a lot of heat when they removed Mr. toad and Snow Whites scary adventure in Orlando. Now look what they have. Great new attractions that surpass what was replaced.

It was kind of sad on 4th of July when FM was a walk on. When I debarked the ide operator thanked me and said come back and ride with us again. Kind of like he was begging for business.

I was at SDC on July 4th myself. Most of the rides were walk ons. I was there from park open until 4 or so. The only rides I had any significant wait on were LROTO and the train, but that was because they had whistle issues with one engine. My brother-in-law took his son back on FM while we were waiting for the train and they had a pretty decent wait. So I think it just all depends on when you're there.

Personally, I'd hate to see Flooded Mine go. I'd be perfectly fine with some updates being made to it. SDC needs a ride that is good for all ages, and FM is exactly that. Take that away and all you really have for all ages is the train, or RB, but many older folks will probably avoid that. Plus my own nostalgia clouds my judgment. FM was one of the very first rides I remember going on when I was a kid, and I can vaguely remember riding it before adding the shootout element.

[History Buff]

There's really no reason to continue to bash Swoosh (or anyone else) on here.  Keep the current conversation going.

[Tmboote]

There's really no reason to continue to bash Swoosh (or anyone else) on here.  Keep the current conversation going.

Whose bashing Swoosh?

[Tmboote]

1. Saloon Show
2. Ribhouse
3. Dockside Theater
4. White River Mercantile
5. Riverfront Playhouse
6. Echo Hollow
7. Flooded Mine
8. Grandfather's Mansion
9. Treehouse
10. Midtown Shopping Area
11. Boatworks Theater
12. Carousel Barn
13. ThuNderaTion
14. Kiddie Rides (the insects/frogs) in Grand Expo
15. Storytime Theater in Half Dollar Holler
16. Corkscrew Pass
17. Hill Street
18. Homestead Area's non-paved area
19. American Plunge
20. Frisco Barn

So, we know that Swoosh posted this list asking us to rate these items based on their importance to us, saying it was purely a "hypothetical survey". But, he posted it in Construction/Rumors and kind of hinted that this list could actually mean something.

So, if FM is leaving, is there anything else on the list that we could also see removed in the future?

[shavethewhales]

Anything could be removed in the future. Everything has an expiration date. That list doesn't necessarily mean anything in particular - it's just another example of him trying to be coy about the rumors he thinks he's picked up on. Obviously though we will eventually see a lot of things be replaced and/or phased out. It's been a topic since this site started that a lot of stuff is has been simply wearing out and it's not as simple as just replacing it with all the new ADA standards and custom parts and whatnot.

Just off the top of my head, there are five major development areas I've been expecting work to be done on at some point:

1. Midtown area with the tree house and what's left of the landing area. Also probably Grandfather's mansion.
2. Old waterboggin area and nearby pathways
3. Powderkeg/waterfall/Opera house queue area.
4. Riverside theatre and the empty space next to it.
5. Entrance up to the hospitality house

That's a lot of area development potential right there.

Then you've got FiTH, FM, Grandfather's Mansion, and American Plunge which all have their issues and inevitably need to be reworked or entirely replaced within the near future. FiTH will probably get the RMC treatment that Blazing Fury got, Flooded Mine will probably be reworked to some degree, Grandfather's Mansion will probably close for good (perhaps with a minor replacement in the same spirit?), and American Plunge will probably make way for a new water ride. Wouldn't even try to guess the order or timeline of all that though, it's just what I've always seen as inevitable. Enjoy it while you can and get excited for the next thing!

[mhguy77]

Sort of off topic but I didn't know RMC re tracked BF.  Why would get retract the ride with box track?  I love FITH but what could you do to the track to take advantage of their signature wildness.  Seems like an expensive mod for the ride.  Like putting racing tires on a model T.
Has anyone experienced BF after this change.

[shavethewhales]

^It was a refurbishment project, it's not like they were going to turn it into a new coaster. I rode it a month ago, it was notably smoother but the only thing that really stood out as different was the lack of the splash down. I'm not sure how much RMC actually did on the track, or if Blazing Fury was always that smooth since it's newer than FiTH. Seems like a no-brainer to give FiTH the same treatment, but hopefully they can jazz up the splash down replacement over what Dollywood did.

[Coaster]

I'm fine with updates of the old rides if it prolongs their life. Just losing FITH or FM would be a huge loss for the park. The historical attractions hold a special place in the park. Look at Disneyland, 14 of the original 18 attractions that were there on opening day are still in operation or something crazy like that. That's why Disneyland still feels like the nostalgic gem that it is even though it is overshadowed by WDW in terms of size.

Obviously I know changes need to be made. Things updated and/or made safer. I'd be sad to see GM go as well, even though I think it could be updated quite a bit and improved. I think re-doing the entrance and Hospitality House area is something that really needs to be done. It becomes way too congested. I would hope that a lot of the charm of the area remained though. There's a lot of history right there as well.

[chittlins]

I'm fine with updates of the old rides if it prolongs their life. Just losing FITH or FM would be a huge loss for the park. The historical attractions hold a special place in the park. Look at Disneyland, 14 of the original 18 attractions that were there on opening day are still in operation or something crazy like that. That's why Disneyland still feels like the nostalgic gem that it is even though it is overshadowed by WDW in terms of size.

Obviously I know changes need to be made. Things updated and/or made safer. I'd be sad to see GM go as well, even though I think it could be updated quite a bit and improved. I think re-doing the entrance and Hospitality House area is something that really needs to be done. It becomes way too congested. I would hope that a lot of the charm of the area remained though. There's a lot of history right there as well.

Small World is going back in time.

[runner1960]

^It was a refurbishment project, it's not like they were going to turn it into a new coaster. I rode it a month ago, it was notably smoother but the only thing that really stood out as different was the lack of the splash down. I'm not sure how much RMC actually did on the track, or if Blazing Fury was always that smooth since it's newer than FiTH. Seems like a no-brainer to give FiTH the same treatment, but hopefully they can jazz up the splash down replacement over what Dollywood did.

I have heard that FITH has more structural problems that may not make it feasible to rehab. Not sure if this is true, but if so re tracking would not help in that regard. If it was to be completely rebuilt from the ground up just think what could be done with the story line with today's technology.   I rode this thing the first year it opened 72 I think .So it is near and dear. I would hate to see it become a shadow of itself which is what it is slowly trending towards.

[DeweyBald]

I'm fine with updates of the old rides if it prolongs their life. Just losing FITH or FM would be a huge loss for the park. The historical attractions hold a special place in the park. Look at Disneyland, 14 of the original 18 attractions that were there on opening day are still in operation or something crazy like that. That's why Disneyland still feels like the nostalgic gem that it is even though it is overshadowed by WDW in terms of size.

Obviously I know changes need to be made. Things updated and/or made safer. I'd be sad to see GM go as well, even though I think it could be updated quite a bit and improved. I think re-doing the entrance and Hospitality House area is something that really needs to be done. It becomes way too congested. I would hope that a lot of the charm of the area remained though. There's a lot of history right there as well.

I agree.  It is the historical attractions that sets SDC apart.  Sadly, if they lose FM, FITH and GM...they will also lose me.  I'm not much on roller coasters and SDC now has 5.  Tearing down a family ride to put in another coaster will do it in for me.  They REALLY need to concentrate on a theme ride.  I do not count PK as a theme ride.  It's nothing more than a coaster with a tag line.  A theme ride to me is something like the Diving Bell, or the Jim Owen Float Trip.  I would love to see them give the older rides some love.  Think about how cool FITH or FM would be if they invested as much as the cost of a new coaster!

[History Buff]

Agreed.  PK does tell the story - though it could be better - of mining guano from the cave for gunpowder, which is actually more in theme than Wildfire.  There has to be more of a storyline to keep the theme.

I just see more and more that this isn't the direction it's heading.  Last year, one of the older employees told us he was afraid that this is true.  Sadly, they will still succeed as far as profits go, but the park will lose its older patrons when there is less and less geared to them and as more and more teenagers run amok.  Six Flags Over Branson is not what we want.  I've adapted for the last decade or two, but there may come the time when they jump the shark.

[Hollwood]

Sort of off topic but I didn't know RMC re tracked BF.  Why would get retract the ride with box track?  I love FITH but what could you do to the track to take advantage of their signature wildness.  Seems like an expensive mod for the ride.  Like putting racing tires on a model T.
Has anyone experienced BF after this change.

We just rode it last week... Not sure where you got this info but a Retracking of an I box track with I box seems pointless... BF has ALWAYS been smother than FITH.

[Preachin_Bill]

Agreed.  PK does tell the story - though it could be better - of mining guano from the cave for gunpowder, which is actually more in theme than Wildfire.  There has to be more of a storyline to keep the theme.

I just see more and more that this isn't the direction it's heading.  Last year, one of the older employees told us he was afraid that this is true.  Sadly, they will still succeed as far as profits go, but the park will lose its older patrons when there is less and less geared to them and as more and more teenagers run amok.  Six Flags Over Branson is not what we want.  I've adapted for the last decade or two, but there may come the time when they jump the shark.

I'd just like to add that it isn't just the more "seasoned" patrons of the park or older generations that hate to see this.  I'm 28 and my wife and I love the park for it's tradition and uniqueness.  The same can be said of my many sisters and cousins that go to the park and bring their many kids every year.  We pass by a lot of parks to get to SDC.  The kids love SDC for a lot more than just the rides, and two of my nieces say FITH is their favorite ride and a nephew loves FM the most.  All these kids are about 8-10 and have ridden everything.
What they are really chasing with the new coaster thing is the people that travel to different parks every year for the "new" coaster.  There's no real loyalty.  Eventually that coaster is just like all the others found everywhere else in the U.S.