Is it true that the carousel and balloon ride are closed for new construction?

leeannwriter · 06-25-2008, 07:51 AM

I just saw this in another thread and I am sooooo disappointed. Our family is going to SDC next week for our longest trip of the year (already been twice so far) but these two rides are among our favorites.

Are the rides closed for the season or does anyone know?

Medicineman · 06-25-2008, 08:04 AM

Was there June 10, 11, & 12 and both were operating. My youngest isn't quite 1 yet and he really gets a kick out of the carousel.

leeannwriter · 06-25-2008, 08:22 AM

It's true. I just called SDC and they confirmed it. When I mentioned our disappointment, the guy I talked with just say, "Yeah, well, when we build new rides, we sometimes shut down the old ones".

I left a message for customer service but so far, no reply.

It's both disappointing and frustrating to me that two of our family's favorite rides are closed, without advance notice or warning, just as Kids Fest is underway and the week before we're planning to go for our longest vacation of the year.

This year, I made the choice to buy JUST SDC passes because we thought it was the best value with the most for the entire family but now I'm wondering if I should have gone with CC instead or just forgot the passes at all.

Our family with three kids doesn't ride a lot of the "wilder" rides so the loss of two of the very kid friendly rides really hits us hard.

HappyPappe · 06-25-2008, 08:40 AM

We went and rode the balloon ride at least 4-5 times in a row.. It was the end of the day and she kept running them for us..

Well, at least we got to ride them this season. We are going back next week for July 4th. I can't believe they would shut them down during kids fest. How sad..

HappyPappe · 06-25-2008, 08:45 AM

We are leaving June 30th through July 6th. We have 3.5 boy/girl twins and love SDC. We too like the kiddie rides and not so much the wilder rides. CC is a good theme park for kids as well. We just purchase the all 3 season passes for the year, that way we get our money worth from Branson. Hope customer service calls you back and can ease your fustration. They are pretty good about returning calls.

How long are you staying? We are staying at French Quarter Condo's this time around. We usually stay out in a cabin on Idian Point RD but staying in town this time around..

Anyway, hope you have a fun time on vacation.

LoveToTravel · 06-25-2008, 08:47 AM

OH NO!!!! That is my daughter's FAVORITE ride. We were going to visit SDC on our Labor Day trip just so Madelyn could ride her favorite rides but not if they are closed down! We don't have season tickets this year like we did last year.

leeannwriter · 06-25-2008, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HappyPappe

We are leaving June 30th through July 6th. We have 3.5 boy/girl twins and love SDC. We too like the kiddie rides and not so much the wilder rides. CC is a good theme park for kids as well. We just purchase the all 3 season passes for the year, that way we get our money worth from Branson. Hope customer service calls you back and can ease your fustration. They are pretty good about returning calls.

How long are you staying? We are staying at French Quarter Condo's this time around. We usually stay out in a cabin on Idian Point RD but staying in town this time around..

Anyway, hope you have a fun time on vacation.

We're staying from next weekend up to July 4th. We have twin girls, now 12, and a little boy, 7. They all still love the carousel and the balloon ride.

tayday · 06-25-2008, 11:13 AM

My husband works out for the Herchend's and he came home last night and said that the rides will be closed for the year and will reopen next year. They are building a new family ride and thus have to close the others because they are in the same area. I was very disappointed as they are our daughter's favorite rides also.

SuperSteve · 06-25-2008, 04:34 PM

We needed another thread for this?

Anyway, don't let this put off SDC for you. These were but two fairly lowly-attended rides, though they obviously found favor with quite a few youngsters.
For now there are plenty of other rides and fun things to do all across the park.

The carousel was really getting on in years with many pieces deteriorating, and the Balloon ride probably needed a re-vamp as well, so this was coming inevitably as it needed to. Both rides will be back, with the carousel possibly in a much grander fashion than it was in before.

The new ride will bring with it a fantastic revitalization of the entire area that it's in, as well as a million new things for your kids to do.

leeannwriter · 06-26-2008, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperSteve

We needed another thread for this?

Anyway, don't let this put off SDC for you. These were but two fairly lowly-attended rides, though they obviously found favor with quite a few youngsters.
For now there are plenty of other rides and fun things to do all across the park.

The carousel was really getting on in years with many pieces deteriorating, and the Balloon ride probably needed a re-vamp as well, so this was coming inevitably as it needed to. Both rides will be back, with the carousel possibly in a much grander fashion than it was in before.

The new ride will bring with it a fantastic revitalization of the entire area that it's in, as well as a million new things for your kids to do.

It's not definite at all that either or both rides will be back. I talked to some folks at SDC and the best they could say was "maybe" the two rides - one or both - might return next year.

SuperSteve · 06-26-2008, 07:13 PM

^It's not rock solid definite in that anything could happen, but I've heard from a couple of people directly related to the project that both rides will in fact make it back into the park. It's possible that they will be upgraded or that the rides themselves will be replaced with newer models, but I'm positive that there will be a Balloon race back in SDC by 2010 at the very latest.

You can't always trust what SDC employees say unless you know them to be in a management position. A friend of mine chatted with employees about additions to the park earlier this year and they all told her that a massive wooden roller coaster was coming in 2009.

OkieAnon · 06-27-2008, 07:59 AM

the wooden roller coaster rumors have been around since last summer when the ACE meeting was announced and internet rumors began spreading on different sites about a new coaster.

the first thread on this new water ride was about a week ago in the chit chat part of this forum, had to do with a survey someone had taken. I posted a link there to the Dollywood ride that it's supposed to be based on.

my problem with this isn't really the loss of the two rides, but rather the loss of another "dry" area. come the Christmas season and when the water rides and water area's shut down you've got a pretty long stretch with nothing much going on, one theater, few shops and a couple of eating places will be about it.

swinslow · 06-27-2008, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OkieAnon

the wooden roller coaster rumors have been around since last summer when the ACE meeting was announced and internet rumors began spreading on different sites about a new coaster.

the first thread on this new water ride was about a week ago in the chit chat part of this forum, had to do with a survey someone had taken. I posted a link there to the Dollywood ride that it's supposed to be based on.

my problem with this isn't really the loss of the two rides, but rather the loss of another "dry" area. come the Christmas season and when the water rides and water area's shut down you've got a pretty long stretch with nothing much going on, one theater, few shops and a couple of eating places will be about it.

During the Christmas season, this is one of the busiest areas of the park, as it is where Santa is.

leeannwriter · 07-03-2008, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperSteve

^It's not rock solid definite in that anything could happen, but I've heard from a couple of people directly related to the project that both rides will in fact make it back into the park. It's possible that they will be upgraded or that the rides themselves will be replaced with newer models, but I'm positive that there will be a Balloon race back in SDC by 2010 at the very latest.

You can't always trust what SDC employees say unless you know them to be in a management position. A friend of mine chatted with employees about additions to the park earlier this year and they all told her that a massive wooden roller coaster was coming in 2009.

It was a member of management who told me that the rides might - or might not - return.

We have just returned from four days in Branson, mostly at SDC. Although we did have fun, we also missed the carousel and balloon ride. It's not just those two rides, though, the big climbing Tom and Huck's fort is also closed and scheduled for removal. I noticed a lot of people talking about their disappointment that the rides were closed.

I've been going to the park for more than forty years, since I was too small to walk but I see things changing. I see more thrill rides as opposed to mild, family friendly rides. I've always loved Lost River but I don't like the cannons on both sides that folks can use to blast those riding it. Being sprayed in the face by someone cackling on the side line isn't my idea of fun.

ozarksportsgal · 07-03-2008, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leeannwriter

I see more thrill rides as opposed to mild, family friendly rides. I've always loved Lost River but I don't like the cannons on both sides that folks can use to blast those riding it. Being sprayed in the face by someone cackling on the side line isn't my idea of fun.

I agree 100%. Although I do like the "thrill rides," I am wondering why they seem to be straying from the family friendly rides. (I seem to remember a quote a few years ago about how they wanted rides that "grandma" would ride. Maybe that was a different park?)

About the spraying...

We like to stand and observe Lost River almost more than ride. There are days we don't ride any rides, due to the fact that we don't want to get wet/messy. We may have something planned in the afternoon and won't have time to change.

Just recently we were standing near the rib house, watching. When a jet of water whooshed over and doused my husband and mother in law. They were very wet.

Riding the ride...yeah...I expect to get wet. Otherwise I would not be riding.

But standing, watching...NO..

When you go to a football game, on assumes that a player is not going to come flying into the stands and tackle you. (unless it is at an NBA game, maybe) You are there to observe and be entertained, NOT to become part of the action.

SDC needs to, at least, put up a warning sign that you can and will get wet along that fence line.

Yeah...my MIL was very upset. Her clothes were doused. It pretty much ruined the day for her. The husband...He didn't get it as bad as she did.

Me? I saw it, but didn't have time to yell "incoming."

Please, don't tell me I am a cry baby, spoiled sport. My MIL was NOT dressed to get wet, at all. She is 73 and had taken careful pains to look "just right" that day.

Next time, I'll be ready. Lesson learned.


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