Rivertown Rider

I'm headed to Silver Dollar City this weekend. I was there about thirty years ago but obviously don't remember much about the park. Does anyone have any tips for navigating the park or favorite foods / rides, etc.? We are season passholders at Dollywood and from the maps, trip reports, and videos I have watched it looks very similar. We plan to be there two days but are debating maybe heading to Worlds of Fun on Saturday afternoon / evening and using our platinum passes / dining. Is it worth going the three and half hours out of the way to go to Worlds of Fun or are we better off just staying at Silver Dollar City the full two days? We both have to be back at work on Monday so we were going to drive part of the way back home to Northern Kentucky on Saturday night. Thanks in advance.

Overall I would say today is the busiest day I have seen the park this year. I also like all of the small changes they have made this year.

It is starting to get a little busier with temps increasing but it is still not bad.

It is a shame Michigan's Adventure doesn't get more love. It is a nice little park and deserves a nice coaster addition. Something small like Railblazer or Hangtime would be great there.

The Beast clearing is very minimal. It is just like every other year where trees are removed here and there. I do think it makes the most sense to use part of the former DA area for more flats and flattening out more of the area for a new set of Antiques. The park has one of the best overall coaster collections already. What we don't have is a deep collection of flats. Rides like a Musik Express or a Tilt a Whirl will appeal to people who may like flats but never ride coasters. I don't think a giga is coming in '19. We know Wonderland is getting a new coaster next year (based upon construction), it sounds like Carowinds is getting one, and both Dorney and Worlds of Fun have been rumored for one. I would like to see them focus on the other half of Coney Mall next year and some flats as well.

I'm 6'1" and SOB was rough on my knees as well.

Screamin' Demon, Bavarian Beetle, the Original Bat, and Screechin' Eagle.

General observations from preview night: The area around the Carousel, Coney BBQ, and Subway all look nice. Coney BBQ's food and layout was great. The restaurant blends in with the area nicely and looks it was always there. I was impressed to see Chef Major and Chef Nate both working in the kitchen and making sure everything was going good. The Dinos area looks like some trees have been taken out. It looks like they have been taken out selectively though. The Racer gives a good view as does the Eiffel Tower of this area. I'm leaning against the giga for next year and I wouldn't be surprised if they level some of that area out and put Antiques back there along with a flat or two. There is plenty of land that they could gradually build it up and eventually put a giga back there in the next 3-5 years. The LED lighting on International Street was nice. I really liked the bluegrass/folk vibe in Rivertown and the music was a nice touch. It is amazing how a simple item like music can really change the feel of an area. Also great to see the instrumental music back on IS.

I would say to get the full year dining plan. If you are going to eat over 9 meals in the park this year you will be over break even after 9 and then it will start paying for itself.

I'm really happy about the expanded Reds options. The smokehouse was one side every time I went as well. I am glad to see more variety in the options offered overall.

It is nice to see Flight of Fear getting some love in the poll. While The Beast is my favorite, Mystic is a close second and it would probably be number one if it were a tad longer.

The unlimited option is well worth it at Waldameer. You'll want to marathon Ravine Flyer II and that is the most economical way of doing it. They also have some great flats as well and Comet is a fun coaster for what it is.

On the 2018 map it does list International Restaurant as a dining location so I would guess it will be open for the regular season.

I think another key to dining in the park is trying to avoid the peak times. I always try to do lunch before 11:30 and lines are usually great.

I would expect this is to be the first of many food changes. I know several of the CF parks have made changes this year so I hope we do as well.

I like the look of the building as well. It fits the area nicely. I'm still curious to see if we get a Mac and Cheese bar somewhere else in the park in an existing restaurant.

Coney BarBQue is official. Go under explore on the KI website.

^ They usually announce them a couple weeks before the season. I expect we will see an announcement this week. Usually it is just updated on their web site.

I've read about half of the indictment and it is a shame that something like this happened when it easily could have been avoidable. I remember watching the Travel Channel show in question a couple months before the incident occurred and you could tell that Jeff Henry was almost like a mad scientist. While inventiveness in and of itself is not a bad thing there are limits (and should be limits) to how far someone is willing to push the envelope. Rides shouldn't be made just to get attention or get on a TV show, safety should be the key to any addition or attraction and if there are too many risks involved then changes should be made. Jeff Pike, the designer of Mystic Timbers, at Coasterstock last year said coaster designing was like No Limits but with Limits. There should be limits and companies owe it to the paying public, their employees, and themselves not to open something that is too dangerous to trust whether someone could live or die on it.

I wish they would put a flat on that big vacant circle.

I am totally for it but there is no reason for a ride to be taken out as much land as the park has. I've never ridden a Mack but Maverick is my favorite steel.

I hope it is something for the dry park but any addition is good.

Thanks for the pic. It is crazy to see how much additional ground has been moved since I was there in November. Opening up the park with additional lands and pathways is a great idea.

I'm hopeful that they will offer the same menu as the Island Smokehouse but also offer the Gourmet Mac and Cheese as well. I think inside it will look similar to the Smokehouse with outdoor patio seating. I would love to see more indoor seating though. I agree that we will see many infrastructure improvements around the park.

I would strongly suggest going to Dollywood on a weekday as you'll easily be able to ride everything multiple times with very minimal waits. My experience the last couple years a lot of the rides are walk-on during the week but some of them can easily get up near an hour on the weekends. Because of the parks smaller size the crowds can be more noticeable. Also because the season pass is such a good deal if you are going multiple days you might want to consider it.