If you would have asked me two months prior to our trip to Missouri if I would ever get an opportunity to visit Silver Dollar City, I would have told you no way in hell. Things change though, and I suddenly had an opportunity to check this elusive yet world-class theme park off the list. Check out the video recap below of our full day at the park:
My fiancé and I have some good friends a few hours north in St. Louis, and with a recent change in my career we were afforded the time to plan a visit to SDC. Baking in two extra days, we booked a rental car to make the four-hour drive over to Branson prior to spending the weekend with our friends.
We visited Silver Dollar City on a Thursday in May, so unfortunately the park was only open from 10am to 7pm (no night rides sadly). However, thinner crowds more than made up for this abbreviated operating schedule. Our longest wait of the day was around 30 minutes for Powder Keg, with most lines coming in around the 10-15 minute mark. We arrived at the park a few minutes before scheduled opening, and as soon as we were in the front gate we headed straight for…
Time Traveler: This was probably the most anticipated ride at the park, but even still this coaster blew my expectations away. The placement of the attraction is amazing, and I love the RCT-like design of the elevated station with the fantastic first drop right off the loading platform. The theming of the queue and station area are excellent as well, with the queue music and ringing-bells providing the icing on the cake.
The ride experience itself is incredible, and I would highly suggest a ride in the very back row (as we were able to secure for our first lap). The backwards yet spinning drop out of the station is one of the best moments I’ve experienced on a coaster, and it was a hell of a way to get things started. The rest of the ride is fantastic—definitely not the most intense of launches—but the elements are so graceful and the faint spinning of the cars just adds another wtf element to the whole experience. Honestly, this is one of the most fun coasters I’ve ever been on, and this thing shot up my rankings as soon as we were off. We were able to get a mid-train ride later in the day as well. From there, we made the short walk over to TT’s neighbor…
Thunderation: I had heard some good things about this one, but it wasn’t one of the attractions that I was really looking forward to (unlike TT and Outlaw Run). This coaster was a pleasant surprise, especially when it comes to Arrow mine trains. Pretty smooth throughout, and some excellent terrain and foliage interaction makes it one of the more memorable rides of this type. Up next, we made our way to the back of the park to get in line for…
Powder Keg: What an interesting one this is. A former water coaster, this ride is definitely one of a kind, and it offers a similar ride experience. Another great setting (a common theme amongst SDC coasters), this coaster delivers a powerful launch and a traverse through the Missouri hills. The restraints were a bit clunky but otherwise the coaster provides a smooth and enjoyable ride. The initial launch is definitely the star of the show here. Next, we made our way over to…
Outlaw Run: My second highest anticipated coaster behind TT, Outlaw Run did not disappoint. Although I would say it is amongst the middle of the 9 RMC creations I’ve ridden, my first topper track coaster was a wild experience. After riding both front and back, I think I would prefer the front on this attraction. The airtime was still phenomenal and the views were top-notch, while the back beat me up a bit more and was borderline violent in a few areas. Not a complaint at all, on the contrary, I appreciate a more intense ride. I just enjoyed the front seat on this one a little bit more.
The last criticism that I had of this ride was the overall length, although with no more than a station wait it was easy enough to hop back in line for another lap. So not really an issue at all, because it more than packs a punch in its short amount of track. After a quick break for lunch, we were able to get a ride on…
Fire in the Hole: What a fun indoor attraction. I had no idea what to expect going into this one, and honestly it was one of the more memorable experiences of the day. Janky as hell, but definitely a good time to be had on this one. I am a sucker for these original/old-school attractions, outdated theming and all. This one was no different, and the splashdown drop at the end was a great surprise finale. From here, we made the short walk over to the last coaster of the afternoon…
Wildfire: Although TT and Outlaw Run were my most anticipated coasters, this came in as a very close third. The elusive sit-down B&M model, I have been in awe of this ride’s setting since the year it was installed. Unfortunately, I had heard some less than stellar things about the actual ride experience, so I was tempering my expectations a bit with this coaster. One front row ride later, those expectations were put to rest again. Nothing super special in terms of the ride itself, but the landscape of this attraction absolutely makes it a must-ride. No rattle to speak of in the front row, but I can’t speak for other locations amongst the train. Again, a very pleasant surprise from an otherwise underrated coaster.
We were also able to get a ride on the Flooded Mine attraction as well as a lap on the park’s train, both of which were great fun and should not be missed on a visit to SDC. For lunch, my fiancé had a skillet bowl that she enjoyed but also noted that it could have been a bit fresher. I ate at the new BBQ location they had near the raft ride, and while the options were great I can’t say that I was blown away by the quality of the food itself. Not a bad choice for park food but nothing amazing. The snacks options are really where SDC shines, as we saw some unique treats that I have yet to see at other parks in the US. Of course, we had to try the famous cinnamon bread which more than lived up to the hype.
The other thing we loved about this park were the demonstrations and exhibits we saw from local craftsmen, artisans, sculptors, blacksmiths, you name it. Honestly, you could make a whole day at SDC just experiencing these one-of-a-kind offerings and taking in the fantastic entertainment they have to offer. It gave the park a certain level of charm that I have only seen at very few other world-class theme parks (Busch Gardens Williamsburg comes to mind).
Unfortunately for us, the caverns were closed due to flooding in the area. This would be a theme for us come about 4 o’clock, as more rain started to unleash during the finale of our train ride. This would mark the end of our time at this magnificent park, but SDC made such a great impression on us that we can’t wait to get back. I would highly recommend a visit to this beautiful destination.
Ride Counts:
Time Traveler x2
Thunderation x1
Powder Keg x1
Fire in the Hole x1
Outlaw Run x2
Wildfire x1
After recovering at our hotel for a bit, we ventured back out into the downpour to grab some dinner prior to our scheduled show that evening. We found a cool little sports bar called Saint’s City right down the street from our hotel, and we could actually end up back here for some more late night drinks after our nightly entertainment.
The show that we had tickets for was called The Haygoods. A group of six sibling musicians (5 brothers and 1 sister), this show was a bit of a shot in the dark for us. The Haygoods had gotten excellent reviews online, and after realizing their theater was right behind our hotel, we decided to go for it. The show lived up to the incredible hype it receives, and I would highly recommend this one to anyone visiting the area. Even though we were the youngest in the crowd by a long shot (marketed as a family show), we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The special effects, and more importantly, the musical talent on display was absolutely mind-blowing. It was a great way to cap off our exciting day in Branson.
Overall, we had a fantastic day trip over to the Live Music Capital of the World (had no idea that was Branson’s motto but here we are). The trip from St. Louis was very manageable, and even though our 36 hours in town were mostly a wash-out, we were fortunate enough to have a full day at Silver Dollar City prior to the opening of the heavens. Olivia and I both loved SDC and could definitely see ourselves making a return trip at some point in the future. Thanks again for reading along with another trip report, be sure to stay tuned for more adventures in the near future!
– Walker
Texas-Ranger Travels 