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[legoerosion]

I guess that makes sense. I assumed that the cameras were more of a turnkey rental program and not necessarily an outright purchase.

It's more like a lease through Kodak. They provide all the equipment (ride cameras, photo cameras, computers, servers, screens, etc) and their tech support. I'm not sure how much SDC pays for it when they went in-house, but I'd assume that amount would increase for each on-ride location they add. They planned doing the same thing for Mystic River, as in a photo-op location like TT, but COVID ruined both that idea and TT's photo-op.

[Old Guy]

I was upset when both the Float Trip and the Diving Bell were replaced by less themed replacements. Today those replacements are looked on as classics. Every generation attaches memories to these points in time, and the same will go for the experiences that SDC will replace the current batch with. Lossing FITH is tough because it is our attachment to our past, but these are personal views for each of us. I will be sad if the mine goes soon, but I have my memories for the rest of my life, no different than the ones of the lost ones I rode them with all those years ago. Everything changes. There is no future otherwise.

[cowboy]

I'm upset that I never experienced the "Float Trip" - we were there when it was in existence, but somehow my parents kept that hid from us.

American Plunge used to be a really great ride when the tunnel had all the effects within it. Now it's just concrete walls. I do wish they would do something, but replacing that concrete would be extremely expensive.

Jay

[mg]

Still lots of construction going on in the parking lot today. The new toll booths make it much easier on the workers. My only issue with them is that they need a green/red indicator on which ones are open. Even though some of the lanes didn't have cones, the booths looked empty even though there was someone in them.
Also, there are now 2 tunnels. Neither are being used yet.
Excited to see the parking project get completed!

[sdcfan88]

Wait so there's toll booths for just the Preferred Parking or is it for all parking now? Thats news to me.

[mg]

Wait so there's toll booths for just the Preferred Parking or is it for all parking now? Thats news to me.

Just for paid/handicapped parking. Stay far left like normal to get to free parking.

[mg]

Instead of driving past the paid lot, doing a 180, driving back by the lot to get to the booths, and then two left turns to park, you drive in and the booths are in the general area where the 180 turn was before. After paying/showing season parking, you just turn right into the paid lot. Much easier than the previous setup.

It may not be quite as far as where the 180 turn was before. So my map illustration may be a little off, but it's the general idea. With all of the clearing and construction, the actual location wasn't super obvious.

[palallin]

Everything changes. There is no future otherwise.

SDC has never been about the future:  it is--or has been--explicitly about the past. 

I would be perfectly satisfied--nay, delighted!--with the SDC of 1970, prior to ALL of the coasters.

[legoerosion]

Everything changes. There is no future otherwise.

SDC has never been about the future:  it is--or has been--explicitly about the past. 

I would be perfectly satisfied--nay, delighted!--with the SDC of 1970, prior to ALL of the coasters.

SDC wouldn't even be here today if they never changed. They're a business, just because their theme is about the past doesn't mean that they have to be stuck in the past with business.

[pintrader]

Everything changes. There is no future otherwise.

SDC has never been about the future:  it is--or has been--explicitly about the past. 

I would be perfectly satisfied--nay, delighted!--with the SDC of 1970, prior to ALL of the coasters.

SDC wouldn't even be here today if they never changed. They're a business, just because their theme is about the past doesn't mean that they have to be stuck in the past with business.

When SDC came into existence the top 3 television shows were westerns and 8 of the top 30 tv shows were westerns.  That 1880's style was popular but today it is really just a footnote in time.  Kids in the 60's played cowboys & indians with their six shooters and bow and arrows.  Good luck finding kids playing those types of games today.  The 70 SDC might survive today but the business aspect would not be even close to what it is.

[Okiebenz]

It is almost as if they need 2 separate parks.  A theme park with rides and a separate park that is like SDC originally was.

[cowboy]

The park wouldn't survive like it was without change, I hate that things change, but that is what has to happen to survive. They tried the two-park thing and that didn't work - maybe they could have done something different at Celebration City, but ultimately the "ride" park failed.

Also, when I was at SDC last year, they were in search of a blacksmith and hoping one was coming in a couple weeks...craftsmen are hard to find and I guess part of the employment issue they whole park has been suffering from. Does SDC have an apprenticeship program to keep the art of craftsmanship alive?

But I don't know why all the disappointment in the park, it's one of the best in the world. Could they be even better, absolutely, but our family loves SDC and it is one of the only parks in the US that everyone in my family loves to go to. My wife and daughter don't like the rides or shows but they love to shop and eat. My two grown sons love the rides and go from one to the other. My grandkids love the kid and family sections of the park.

I love it all - I've even go sometimes without them just to watch people, visit craftsmen, shop, ride, take in the natural beauty, explore the cave, etc. - there is so much that is awesome at SDC and I love the park (even if it's going to crap :-) )

Jay

[KBCraig]

Even when SDC was all about the theme... well, they weren't really, so much.

The blacksmith shop (even during Shad's time) made and sold a lot of cast aluminum trinkets, and did very little forging.

The knife maker was a stock removal "grinder", not a bladesmith.

The glassblowing shop made fancies, as they still do today. Nothing that was practical or suitable for a rural 1880 village (not to mention the gas ovens and kilns).

Yeah, I'm nostalgic for that 1970s SDC, but it was never about authenticity. It was a combination hillbilly and Wild West theme.

[mg]

New concrete pad for the little swings in Fireman's Landing.

New foundations in Lake Silver. Could these be for the return of REJOICE? They seem to be too spaced out for anything structural like a wider walkway so I'm am guessing decorative.

There was quite a bit of active construction on the new Fried Fancies happening yesterday.
Also, there was active construction happening in the building behind fireman's landing. It looks like quite a bit of steel has gone up in the building.

And most importantly, there is an express line outside Clara Belles for the original cinnamon bread. My only issue with it is that it is Dollywood style where there is no icing on the cinnamon bread and they give you a container of icing. The icing is cold and not warm like it is when they put it directly on the warm bread.

[underdog250]

I'm upset that I never experienced the "Float Trip" - we were there when it was in existence, but somehow my parents kept that hid from us.

American Plunge used to be a really great ride when the tunnel had all the effects within it. Now it's just concrete walls. I do wish they would do something, but replacing that concrete would be extremely expensive.

Jay

What kind of effects did it have in the tunnel of American Plunge?