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[Swoosh]

Photo Trip Report from Opening Day 2022
https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2022/03/spring-ride-days-sdc.html

[Dewayne]

I got to the light just after 9AM, was hoping to get parked quickly, and get in right as they do the chain drop. The traffic for parking immediately stopped that. Both lanes were backed up almost to the light. Lots of people switching lanes back and forth. Lot 2 was already full. They just started to fill Lot 5. I decided to walk from Lot 5 for the first time. I forgot my mug, which was a HUGE mistake (normal mug, not SDC mug). The main entry plaza was packed with people because of the bottle neck wall. The turnstiles line was further up. I went to every locker area to look at the new Best Lockers and prices. The lockers behind the ticket booths were $15 for all day and these are the ONLY kind that are Large. This is why these are the most expensive. Went thru the metal detectors and bag checks. They still don't have an automattic conveyor belt machine! 🤬 UGH! I used my phone as my season pass. I had to turn the light on my phone up higher than any department/convenience store for these scanners to scan it and they still need to see my ID. Why have they still not using our season passes as an ID by putting our picture on them?!?! This would help SO MUCH!!!

First is Rivertown. I noticed that the music is the same Dixieland Jazz music as what they used to play on the dock for the Showboat. It's not really good or bad, but it's DEFINATELY an upgrade and MUCH BETTER than the crap music they play in all the other old areas of the park, plus it fits the theme much better too! I looked at Clara Belle's and I think it looks nice. The splash pad in front of Mystic River Falls is not nearly what I expected. Just 2 areas with water coming out of a rock inside each one and a small waterfall on one. I saw the new Water Bottle Filling Station for Riverfront Playhouse (I will address all of them together, as well as the water fountains at the end). Most of the lockers in this park are the same price and most are the same size, small. These were $3 for 2 hours and you can only use this location, or $10 and you can use every locker location across the park. There are extra lockers at this location, but they are in the uncovered overflow line on the other side of this locker/dryer wall. I walked the 2 overflow lines under the roof that have theming. This has got to be the best theming I have seen at this park so far! Saw all the employee towers. There are 5 total. I also loved seeing the infrastructure and emergency exits. Now to ride MRF. The rapids aren't nearly as bad as people say. I felt very safe and never felt like we would tip over. I rode with a family of 5. The conveyor belts, waterfalls, rapids, lift tower, trough, slide, and turntable were all so amazing! The trough reminds me alot of Waterworks Waterboggan, the raft hit the trough hard, and I felt like the raft was going to fall over the side because of the sides of the trough were so low. The trough was the only part that scared me. The slide was very easy and not scary. Didn't try to tip once. The splash looks alot bigger than the water that gets on you. There is definately a dry and a wet side. The cannons work, except 1. The turntable works great and they figured out a way to use it without keeping it wet with a hose. The goldfish are still in Lake Silver. The new pathway around Lake Silver is open and awesome! Overall, 8 out of 10. Rivertown is my favorite area of SDC now! MRF is 10 out of 10! RES really blew me away! They are a new ride manufacturer and this is only the third ride they ever made (first ever raft ride by them), and I felt like they ACED it! I also felt like they had lots of elements implimented into this ride that other manufacturers wouldn't be able to do. Riverfront Playhouse lockers are also small and prices are $10 to switch all day or $3 for 2 hours.

Firefall was a 20 minute wait. Got to 30 minutes after I got in line. I got pics of the new FITH. They have 2/3 of the concrete in place for the base, they have some rebar sticking straight up, they have gravel in the area without concrete, a guy was using a pounding machine over the gravel to pack it down, and the water lines are in place. We should be seeing it go up very soon.

TNT had a 30 minute wait with both trains running. TT said 150 minutes, but I felt like it was more like 90 to 120 minutes with all 3 trains running (yes, ALL 3 TRAINS RUNNING), every overflow was used, and it was backed up almost to the old photo wall. The Trailblazer Pass line was almost all the way down their staircase. Lockers are also small here and the prices are $10 to switch all day or $3 for 2 hours.

504 was the only steam train running. I think they were running 30 minute rides, even with a long line down the fence, because they only had 1 robber. Flooded Mine was 30 minutes. FITH was 35 minutes when I got there.

Wildfire was a 10 minute wait, but it looked like more than 1 hour because they had people going straight in. Not even going thru 1 overflow! Also, overflow 1 is no more. This is now the Single Rider Line and is the FIRST EVER Single Rider Line for SDC! YAY!!!! I talked to an employee about it, since it was closed today. He said they only use it when the line is long. This makes me like Wildfire even more! The Wildfire lockers were small, but also the cheapest. $8 to switch all day or $2 for 2 hours. American Plunge was closed for maintenance, but I could tell that the slide, pool, and the AP/WF bridge was brand new. I saw the fence around the burnt down Heartland Home Furnishings, Flossie's Fried Fancies, and Pork Rind Stand area. I also saw the bridge was gone that used to be behind Heartland Home Furnishings that had the big American Plunge sign over it. The fence was around this area too.

I heard Riverblast was closed for a while and saw a guy on the roof looking thru a door from the side of the train depot.

I also saw that basically every water fountain and water bottle filling station was turned off, except Hugo's Hill Street, Powder Keg (a janitor told me), and Red Gold Heritage Hall. I told Guest Relations and they said this was because they are expecting 1 more hard freeze before summer. I was afraid some idiot forgot to turn them on or that someone didn't care about their customers dying from dehydration. I started noticing when I was in Rivertown and I went around to Fireman's Landing, and Grand Exposition. We couldn't find a concession stand with a fountain machine near Fireman's Landing. I never noticed how hard they are to find. The pretzel stand next to Boatworks doesn't even have one. This is why I regret forgetting our mugs.

Finally, the Hospitality House lockers next to the restrooms are small. Prices are $10 to switch all day or $3 for 2 hours. I was there from about 9:45AM until 6:30PM.

[KBCraig]

Any reports on TnT?

[Swoosh]

Any reports on TnT?

It is open and was running two trains on Opening Day.   What type of report are you looking for?

[Okiebenz]

Any reports on TnT?

It is open and was running two trains on Opening Day.   What type of report are you looking for?

I think they must have done some work in it as that big painful bump in the tunnel appears to be fixed.  The bad spot out of the tunnel also appeared to be fixed as well.  Seemed like there were a couple of other spots that were rough but I did not think it was nearly as bad as it was the last several years.

[sdcfan88]

Any reports on TnT?

It is open and was running two trains on Opening Day.   What type of report are you looking for?

I think they must have done some work in it as that big painful bump in the tunnel appears to be fixed.  The bad spot out of the tunnel also appeared to be fixed as well.  Seemed like there were a couple of other spots that were rough but I did not think it was nearly as bad as it was the last several years.

I cannot find the picture in question now, but yeah there was a post made a couple years ago in one of these threads showing they were working on TNT during the past couple off seasons.

[Swoosh]

Any reports on TnT?

It is open and was running two trains on Opening Day.   What type of report are you looking for?

I think they must have done some work in it as that big painful bump in the tunnel appears to be fixed.  The bad spot out of the tunnel also appeared to be fixed as well.  Seemed like there were a couple of other spots that were rough but I did not think it was nearly as bad as it was the last several years.

Interesting.  I rode it and those were still there and there's new one going into the tunnel

[KBCraig]

Any reports on TnT?

It is open and was running two trains on Opening Day.   What type of report are you looking for?

I think they must have done some work in it as that big painful bump in the tunnel appears to be fixed.  The bad spot out of the tunnel also appeared to be fixed as well.  Seemed like there were a couple of other spots that were rough but I did not think it was nearly as bad as it was the last several years.

That's the kind of report I was looking for.

There have been complaints for years about the rough bumps. I wanted to know if it was better, or not.

[Okiebenz]

Swoosh said he rode it and those bumps were still there. I sure didn't feel it, but not sure if I want to ride it again to find out if I somehow missed it.

[ryan]

Is there fish served at any place to eat for lent?

[cowboy]

Is there fish served at any place to eat for lent?

Molly's has catfish, but it's a buffet so you'll have to skip over the other entrees, I have purchased the skillets before without the meat (not sure if they still do that), There's cheese pizza at the pizza place and a lot of other great snacks that do not contain meat (funnel cakes, potato twists, kettle chips, etc.).

You can always fill up on Cinnamon Bread....

Edit: And there are also the grilled cheese sandwiches over by Time Traveler - can't believe I forgot those.

Jay

[cowboy]

Went today, 3-27 and arrived at 8:40 am...drove right up to season pass preferred parking and no one was in front of us. The park was empty that early in the morning. We used our gold season pass, got in early, and rode everything that was open (temps were a little low this am).

Still at noon there were no lines and all the food we had was very good. We rode MRF and did get a little wet on this cold day...but that ride seems to be operating well.

The bumps on TNT are still there but we we're sitting in the middle of car 1 and the bumps didn't seem to be as bone jarring as before.

The train robbery was long....at first I thought they had changed things up to keep the brothers away from the train....however after several new jokes...they proceeded down the hill to get everyone's gold and silver. Was nice to hear the old with a bunch of new.

Jay

[Swoosh]

Bluegrass & BBQ Festival
http://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2022/05/bluegrass-bbq-sdc.html

Food
http://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2022/05/bluegrass-bbq-food-sdc.html

[Swoosh]

KIDSFEST Trip Report
https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2022/06/kids-fest-sdc.html

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES - ABBA Trip Report
https://www.midwestinfoguide.com/2022/06/summer-concert-series-abba-sdc.html

[Okiebenz]

We were at the park Friday and Saturday.  It did not seem particularly busy but then again with the trail blazer passes we did not really wait in line too much.  I will say it appears they have a ton of new employees that might be guest workers of some sort.  At times at the rides it did not appear they were very organized or knew what to do.  At one point at the TT there were a few of us in the TB line and folks in the regular line just walked up and got on whatever spots they wanted at the bottom of the stairs.  After that, we were assigned our spot and I saw people instead of waiting in the main line, they just sort of cut thru and simply got on a number and nothing was done about it.  At the barn swing, normally they tell you what seat to get in.  The 3 times we rode it, it just seemed to be a free for all with everyone just sitting wherever they wanted.  The new security theater at the entrance was nice not having to stop and be quasi searched.  We also got the tasting passport and the wife and I used 2 each.  I am still not sure if its worth it or not but figured I would try it.  We will probably use the rest next time we are there.