Fire In The Hole on-ride video (Circa 2011)

sdcfan88 · August 16, 2018, 04:50:22 AM

Fire In The Hole ride-thru video circa 2011

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g-wRxPZImw

From this clip alone it sadly shows how this ride (like Flooded Mine) in recent times has been reduced to a shadow of its former self. Scenes removed or not functioning most of the time. Particularly the gunfire and the train at the end. (while the Train segment is still there, my last couple visits it either had no audio or no light functioning)

mhguy77 · August 16, 2018, 09:15:57 AM

Several years ago Knotts invested a good chunk of change to refresh the 2 original rides the log floom and the calico mine train. (MIllions) Both were very SDC like and 50 years old. Its interesting that they are aware of the value of the classics and were willing to invest but SDC apparently has decided to move forward and not look back. When viewing other coaster sites its interesting that whenever they take pics of Knotts its 90% of the time "Ghost Town" the area that looks very very similar to SDC. Even with milion dollar coasters they still gravitate twords the themed areas. Specifically "Ghost Town" (Or old town, whatever). I wonder why SDC thinks that the classics are no longer important. ROI? You may sell a t-shirt for outlaw run but its the tickets that keep the gears grinding and the classics are very important to the adults that are paying for the tickets. If they removed the mine and FITH they have pulled the heart out of the park. These rides were ridden by our grandparents and we are taking our children on them sharing the fun. ROI is a short sides way of looking at the situation. Why does Disney reinvest and "plus" because they are aware of the value. I question the corp leadership at the park with some of the decisions made.

DollarCityBoy · August 16, 2018, 03:07:48 PM

Our family is on it's 4th Generation SDC visitor. My grandmother, my parents, myself, and now my daughter. We have ALL ridden FM. Just this last visit when we visited and rode the FM with my 3 year old, I look at her and thought to myself: "her great-grandmother has ridden this ride." That is an amazing legacy for such an attraction, 4 generations, that can't be said for many places...let alone a ride.

I hope corporate sees this, and truly knows how special of a place SDC is to so many people. FM and FITH hold many special memories for many generations.

I got the opportunity to speak with Jack & Sherry Herschend about 2 years ago in the Pottery Shop. I told them my sentiments about the place and what a special place it was for our family over the years. They were both such down-to-earth people, and I could tell it meant a lot to them that we stopped to visit.

All that being said, SDC is more than a place full of attractions and thrills, it holds a huge emotional connection. I truly hope FITH, FM, and even GM are invested in for future generations to come.

mhguy77 · August 16, 2018, 03:55:57 PM

Agreed ! Don't fix what ain't broke.

shavethewhales · August 16, 2018, 05:03:59 PM

I'll have to watch the video later, but I was under the impression that not much on FITH has really changed. A few things tweaked here and there on a couple scenes, and sometimes the train light or the music doesn't work, but overall it's the same. FM is where the lack of budget really shows since it has so many more actual animatronic pieces.

Unfortunately when people complain, I think management views the rides more as problems that need to be gotten rid of instead of valued assets that should be taken care of better. Just a matter of time until they "refresh" the mine by throwing out all the authentic props and details and put in projection screens.

Duelist · August 18, 2018, 11:58:39 AM

I don't think the PTB have given up on those rides (FITH and FM) yet. Like most of us I'm not so sure on AP though.

sirwillow · August 20, 2018, 10:23:32 AM

Quote from: mhguy77 on August 16, 2018, 03:55:57 PM
Agreed ! Don't fix what ain't broke.

Sadly the problem is FitH and FM are broke and getting "broker" and they're not fixing them.

One of the guys out there (who posts here sometimes) put a huge amount of time, investment and effort fixing up FM last year, and it was looking great last season, especially at the beginning. But it almost seems like last offseason and this year the park is refusing to do anything other than basic work to keep them running and ignoring everything else with the rides. Which is tragic.

sanddunerider · August 20, 2018, 02:29:25 PM

Quote from: sirwillow on August 20, 2018, 10:23:32 AM
Quote from: mhguy77 on August 16, 2018, 03:55:57 PM
Agreed ! Don't fix what ain't broke.

Sadly the problem is FitH and FM are broke and getting "broker" and they're not fixing them.

One of the guys out there (who posts here sometimes) put a huge amount of time, investment and effort fixing up FM last year, and it was looking great last season, especially at the beginning. But it almost seems like last offseason and this year the park is refusing to do anything other than basic work to keep them running and ignoring everything else with the rides. Which is tragic.

Tragic. will be the day they announce they are replacing the ride with a new attraction..

KBCraig · August 21, 2018, 09:23:17 PM

Quote from: sirwillow on August 20, 2018, 10:23:32 AM
One of the guys out there (who posts here sometimes) put a huge amount of time, investment and effort fixing up FM last year, and it was looking great last season, especially at the beginning.

Our friend who also busted his butt volunteering at Dogpatch?

He definitely loves the parks and their history.

mhguy77 · August 21, 2018, 10:05:59 PM

QuoteOur friend who also busted his butt volunteering at Dogpatch?

He definitely loves the parks and their history.

Everyone should soft step that friend, in the conversation online, politics are everywhere.

sirwillow · August 22, 2018, 11:01:18 AM

Quote from: KBCraig on August 21, 2018, 09:23:17 PM
Quote from: sirwillow on August 20, 2018, 10:23:32 AM
One of the guys out there (who posts here sometimes) put a huge amount of time, investment and effort fixing up FM last year, and it was looking great last season, especially at the beginning.

Our friend who also busted his butt volunteering at Dogpatch?

He definitely loves the parks and their history.

That would be the one. He's also taken a ton of photos around the parks, including the one I use as my profile picture on here. :-)

chittlins · August 23, 2018, 07:50:40 AM

Quote from: sirwillow on August 20, 2018, 10:23:32 AM
Quote from: mhguy77 on August 16, 2018, 03:55:57 PM
Agreed ! Don't fix what ain't broke.

Sadly the problem is FitH and FM are broke and getting "broker" and they're not fixing them.

One of the guys out there (who posts here sometimes) put a huge amount of time, investment and effort fixing up FM last year, and it was looking great last season, especially at the beginning. But it almost seems like last offseason and this year the park is refusing to do anything other than basic work to keep them running and ignoring everything else with the rides. Which is tragic.

I'm sure someone thinks that FM would make a good water feature turn around for a new coaster for the Water Bogging area.

Let's be honest, SDC got Fireman's Landing sans a coaster but Dolly got the coaster that fit that theming but none of the rest. Fireman's Landing needs an appropriately themed firefighter coaster, but that's currently FITH and it's detached from the area. I fear it would be very expendable along with the Playhouse for a new coaster. The pottery shop and Boatworks would stay