The Silver Dollar City/Dollywood dis

That's fair, but I think we should both take your advise and chill. As a midwesterner, you guys just came off as a bunch of east-coast snobs needlessly mocking something in the midwest just because it's in the midwest. I understand that wasn't your intent, but it just came off as very elitist and the five dollar store comment really bothered me. I know I shouldn't take these things personally, but when people trash a place I love and the region where I'm from for seemingly no reason, it does bother me. I also understand that the comment section on YouTube is ridiculous and that having such an experience would make you more defensive, but I haven't seen anyone here wishing you or your family harm (if I missed it, I apologize) and I don't have any ill will towards you or any of the other hosts / agents. Growing up in the midwest, we did go to Silver Dollar City and Branson for family vacations. We also went to Disney World. We also went on a Disney Cruise when I was really little. I have co-workers who took their families to Branson / Silver Dollar City this year and I've visited Disney World once this year and I'm planning a second trip later this year at my DVC. I'm certain that the intent wasn't to be snobby, but that's just how it came off to me at the time.

Let's just take the amusement park distinction for a second. Do you consider Disney World an amusement park or a theme park? If you consider Disney World a theme park and Silver Dollar City an amusement park, then how can you possibly make that distinction without ever going there and without having any prior knowledge of the place's existence? From my perspective, calling it just an amusement park comes off as a bit of a put down. I know that on the show that Disneyland is often referred to as a locals park, but I wouldn't call it just an overpriced regional amusement park with light theming and fair food or make comparisons to Six Flags because that would be an unfair and inaccurate description. Much like how I think that such characterizations of Silver Dollar City are unfair and inaccurate.

I have also pointed out that Silver Dollar City has been recognized by national publications and by the industry for being a great park. It has world record rides (Outlaw Run, Time Traveler, and Mystic River Falls), it has won awards for its cleanliness, family friendliness, its rides, its food, its Christmas event, for its beauty and for being a really good park. I also think that Craig calling people names like weirdos for reviewing it on TripAdvisor was somewhat uncalled for given that reviews are such a major part of the channel's content. It's not like Silver Dollar City has only 11 reviews, it has over 11,000. If you have a right to your opinion, then don't those 11,000 people have a right to theirs? What about the national publications? The industry publications? The other vloggers on YouTube? Tim Tracker is a Disney World vlogger and he seemed to have a very good experience when he went a few years ago and that was before they got my favorite coaster in the park. In their review, his wife said, "I really, really love this park. It is beautiful (and) the rides are amazing."





I don't expect normal people to know of every park in existence, but since you're a person who is in the industry selling trips to theme parks like Disney World, Universal and Disneyland; I guess I just had the false assumption that you'd have more knowledge about other parks outside of Orlando and LA. It's not like Silver Dollar City / Dollywood are small parks that no one has ever heard of by some fly-by-night operation. Silver Dollar City is celebrating its 60th Anniversary this year and the original cave attraction that the park was built around has been welcoming tourists since 1894. Personally, I'm just fascinated by rides, parks and their history along with my passion for all things Disney. I know I was wrong to assume that you shared that same general fascination and I apologize for that. I understand that this is not the product that you sell, but it's by no means a bad product. I think you'd find that the product is actually quite good, especially for the price. As Fiasco might say, it's an excellent price per value.

Having your preferences is perfectly fine, but I think it would have been better if you learned something about the place before coming to a conclusion. If it's not for you, it's not for you. That's totally cool.

Also if you have no desire to go anywhere that's not Disney owned, that's fine too. We all vacation differently. There's no right or wrong way to do it.

Im not quite sure where to start...but I will review for you that I never said anyone here made death threats. I said that it happened in the past. You should go back and reread what I wrote. You see the difference....right?

It seems to me that you are projecting a lot of stuff onto us and this discussion that wasn't there and extrapolated stuff that it seems you've made up...like this "a bunch of east-coast snobs needlessly mocking something in the midwest just because it's in the midwest." I had never heard of Silver Dollar City and had no idea where it was located. Im still not sure because I don't care enough about it to find out.

You've assumed a lot of stuff, the least of which is that we all love amusement parks. We don't. We aren't all from the east coast

I haven't watched your videos (and wont) and the testimonials are kind of pointless. As Ive pointed out....Im not interested enough to invest the time.

I will be blunt. Ive never heard of Silver Dollar City and have no interest in it. I am not interested in amusement park regardless of where they are located.

As you've had no trouble making assumptions about me or my intent, would it be fair for me to make assumptions about you? Its uncomfortable. Can you see that?

On the podcast, we talk, we joke, we discuss, we laugh. For you to hang this much "feeling"on what I or anyone else think (or don't think) about an amusement park that YOU love seems like a lot.
 
No one here is making death threats. There is a difference between the robust but civil exchange of ideas among fans in a forum like this one and the gross, anonymous extremity of your typical comments section.

The DIS Unplugged isn't a fan forum. It's a show that averages 40,000 viewers a week on YouTube, plus however many people listen in podcast form. The channel has nearly 150,000 subscribers. Whether it's the main part of their job or not, the panelists are in the public eye. They have a responsibility to do their research, lead with kindness, and listen to their audience.

When listeners say "It's a bummer to hear you making fun of parks you've never been to and know nothing about because they're not Disney," don't say "You're taking things too seriously." Say "Wow. These parks offer so much more than we realized. Thank you for telling us more about them and why they're important to you."

When listeners say "It's racist to have all-white dining show panels who can't be bothered to learn the pronunciation of the most basic of non-American foods," don't say "You're overreacting." Say "Thank you for bringing that to our attention. We want our dining reviews to be accurate, enjoyable, and informative for everyone. We'll do more research in the future."

When the next topic like this comes up in the future, I hope the response will be "We're listening. Thank you." That's all it takes.

Just a little background.....we found out about this topic minutes before we recorded. The last time I did research on my phone during a show I was told I looked bored and that I was disrespectful.

Thank you for writing the dialogue you think I should recite and I appreciate your interpretation of my job description.

I hope you are not disappointed when this doesn't happened.
 
This is a thread where people are arguing over a supposed comment about amusement/theme parks. With all the things going on in the world right now, this thread is the quintessential example of when saying “you’re taking this too seriously” is appropriate.
 
For me, this thread opened my eyes to Silver Dollar City as a potential place to visit. I don't care if someone calls it a carnival, a street fair or the Taj Mahal, the fact remains that it now has my interest as a place to spend a vacation. That wouldn't have happened if the OP and other commenters didn't express themselves.
 


No one here is making death threats. There is a difference between the robust but civil exchange of ideas among fans in a forum like this one and the gross, anonymous extremity of your typical comments section.

The DIS Unplugged isn't a fan forum. It's a show that averages 40,000 viewers a week on YouTube, plus however many people listen in podcast form. The channel has nearly 150,000 subscribers. Whether it's the main part of their job or not, the panelists are in the public eye. They have a responsibility to do their research, lead with kindness, and listen to their audience.

When listeners say "It's a bummer to hear you making fun of parks you've never been to and know nothing about because they're not Disney," don't say "You're taking things too seriously." Say "Wow. These parks offer so much more than we realized. Thank you for telling us more about them and why they're important to you."

When listeners say "It's racist to have all-white dining show panels who can't be bothered to learn the pronunciation of the most basic of non-American foods," don't say "You're overreacting." Say "Thank you for bringing that to our attention. We want our dining reviews to be accurate, enjoyable, and informative for everyone. We'll do more research in the future."

When the next topic like this comes up in the future, I hope the response will be "We're listening. Thank you." That's all it takes.

cringed reading the last part of this. Racist to mispronounce food, wow.
 
I just never like to downplay the quality of a product that I have no experience with or knowledge about. I wouldn't want to assume that makes someone elitist or they don't like a certain area of the country.

Kevin do you appreciate your insight into many topics on the dis team. I know you're a busy dude but a real contribution to the discussion would be to say hey "I glanced through the videos I don't think its something I would be interested in because of x or y reason". Quite frankly at Silver Dollar City or Dollywood especially around Christmas time in particular there are tons of older people who I would definitely not consider "amusement parks fans". The admission price is worth the shows and the lights alone. The Tim tracker videos are a really high-quality watch for people who actually wanted to get an idea for what I am talking about. Also damn I miss parks pre covid and I hope they are able to that kind entertainment in the future.

I think people should remember that the dis is openly invested in making money off disney vacations and now orlando real estate. Although I really respect that pete in particular can be critical of disney sometimes I wouldn't expect them to spend any time to endorse anything else. Being a travel agent is often a crappy job with terrible hours as it is and kevin probably works a ridiculous amount of hours.

And yes hertamaniac one of my main points was that there are places outside of disney where you can still have a great vacation and fill the itch for a great park while getting a better value. I am sure a number of members here could offer you great tips on how to budget effectively.
 
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Im not quite sure where to start...but I will review for you that I never said anyone here made death threats. I said that it happened in the past. You should go back and reread what I wrote. You see the difference....right?

It seems to me that you are projecting a lot of stuff onto us and this discussion that wasn't there and extrapolated stuff that it seems you've made up...like this "a bunch of east-coast snobs needlessly mocking something in the midwest just because it's in the midwest." I had never heard of Silver Dollar City and had no idea where it was located. Im still not sure because I don't care enough about it to find out.

You've assumed a lot of stuff, the least of which is that we all love amusement parks. We don't. We aren't all from the east coast

I haven't watched your videos (and wont) and the testimonials are kind of pointless. As Ive pointed out....Im not interested enough to invest the time.

I will be blunt. Ive never heard of Silver Dollar City and have no interest in it. I am not interested in amusement park regardless of where they are located.

As you've had no trouble making assumptions about me or my intent, would it be fair for me to make assumptions about you? Its uncomfortable. Can you see that?

On the podcast, we talk, we joke, we discuss, we laugh. For you to hang this much "feeling"on what I or anyone else think (or don't think) about an amusement park that YOU love seems like a lot.

That's perfectly fine. You do you. I apologize for making you feel uncomfortable. For clarification, those aren't my videos, they're Tim Trackers. He's a Disney World vlogger on YouTube with 799k subscribers, but if you don't care about his videos either then that's perfectly fine too. Do what makes you happy.

I was just trying to articulate why I had an issue with it while admitting my own faults and I apologize for wasting your time.
 
I have to agree with @hertamaniac and say this thread has really elevated my interest in both SDC and Dollywood. I especially enjoyed @Helvetica explanation of what it is. Thanks everyone for the tip!!

I wasn’t offended by what the team said when I heard it the other day. I did listen to it again closer. I am assuming and from what I read the issue is when John said it’s right next to the $5 and under store by 192. I didn’t get it, the comment went over my head, since 192 is a highway in Florida so it didn’t make sense. What is a $5 store? Is it a rich person’s dollar store?

Was it a dad joke, the pun between the words $5 and silver dollar? (My guess)
Is it to imply SDC is a small side of the road operation? That’s not remotely accurate, but not offensive.
Is it meant it’s shoehorned into its location? DL is the shoehornest of them all, so that shouldn’t be held against any other operators.

And... I have to admit it crossed my mind if the $5 and under store comment meant that their audience is largely poor people or discount travelers. I very highly doubt John would intent that so I didn’t take it that way, but yeah if you told me that’s how you took it, I can see the offense.

The other thing was Corey’s comment about 8 people named Jolene and I thought that was a clever joke after the Dolly Parton song.

So I guess it comes down to what the $5 store comment meant. I didn’t understand it, but I can see how it easily may have been taken different ways. Unfortunately with the tone and laughing, it frames it more negatively.
 
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I went to Europa Park last year and was blown away by the amount of things there was to do is specially at that price point. It made me even more disappointed at the lack of rides per dollar that Disney gets especially given how much they charge and how many guests they get year round.
I have not been to SDC yet but I do love Dollywood and the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area. I am hoping to get back there again next year. Europa Park is also on my bucket list for parks. However, I don't think this statement is a real fair comparison. These regional parks might add more rides at times but they are not nearly to the same scale an immersion of Disney and Universal rides. A huge year for these parks is a new coaster or attraction around the $25M range, whereas a new Disney/Universal E ticket ride is generally upwards of $100M. Plus recently both have been adding quite a bit. Disney world has opened a new immersive land each of the past three years that have included 2 new attractions.
So I agree that some of these smaller parks like SCD/Dollywood and some international parks deserve more attention and praise I don't feel like Universal or Disney has been slacking either.
 
I laughed when John said that (and really-he didn't say it in a snide voice either) because of this
https://www.dicks5and10.com/
Want to talk about a tacky tourist trap? That is one. Doesn't mean they aren't fun! Heck I dragged my family on a roadtrip earlier this summer to multiple tacky roadside placed (Corn Palace, Wall Drug for example)

As I said earlier-For those who enjoy our area we aren't gonna stop enjoying our great weather many months of the year, beauty of the Ozark mountains in the fall and the low cost of living along with our "regional" theme park. Not everyone's preference for sure! For Roller Coaster enthusiasts the "regional" parks are the place to go.
 
I've been to Dollywood, Silver Dollar City, Disney, and Universal. Silver Dollar City and Dollywood are on par with the major theme park players. There are great rides, great shows, good food, and lots to do. I was actually debating on a trip to Dollywood this year, but I put it off until next year due to the global situation.

The best thing about Silver Dollar City and Dollywood is there is something to do for every member of the family. From the little ones to the thrill seekers to the grandpas and grandmas, there's something for all ages to do. Usually, there is a family play area near the big rides so the little ones have something to do while the big ones ride the big rides.
Haven’t been to Dollywood in years and never been to silver dollar city but to say they are on par is absurd. When was the last time any of these parks invested half a billion to 1 billion dollars in one of their parks? Disney is constantly investing large sums of money into their parks and resorts. The “bubble” that Disney created in Walt Disney world is unlike any theme park area in the world and nothing else compares to this experience
 
Haven’t been to Dollywood in years and never been to silver dollar city but to say they are on par is absurd. When was the last time any of these parks invested half a billion to 1 billion dollars in one of their parks? Disney is constantly investing large sums of money into their parks and resorts. The “bubble” that Disney created in Walt Disney world is unlike any theme park area in the world and nothing else compares to this experience
Of course Disney is able to invest large sums of money...they are like Amazon they own everything lol. But investment is investment and should be seen as that. Regardless of just how much is spent isn't a comparison with a company that is a conglomerate. It isn't as if Herschend Family Entertainment doesn't do any investment either.

Let's not pretend that Disney didn't invest in their parks much at all for a while. It seems like quite a lot recently because they didn't do a ton for a while. Epcot for example..is a big one. And let's not also pretend that the reason Disney created this bubble is they got land, secretly on the cheap so many decades ago I'm not even sure that part is relevant anymore and when word got out the price of the land went up way back when. Do you really think Disney if seeing the prices today would buy as much land? Eh doubtful. Oh I'm sure they would still want a 'bubble' but I highly doubt it would be as expansive as it was able to be. It would quite simply cost too much.

Just keep things in perspective when you're talking about a comparison between them.
 
Of course Disney is able to invest large sums of money...they are like Amazon they own everything lol. But investment is investment and should be seen as that. Regardless of just how much is spent isn't a comparison with a company that is a conglomerate. It isn't as if Herschend Family Entertainment doesn't do any investment either.

Let's not pretend that Disney didn't invest in their parks much at all for a while. It seems like quite a lot recently because they didn't do a ton for a while. Epcot for example..is a big one. And let's not also pretend that the reason Disney created this bubble is they got land, secretly on the cheap so many decades ago I'm not even sure that part is relevant anymore and when word got out the price of the land went up way back when. Do you really think Disney if seeing the prices today would buy as much land? Eh doubtful. Oh I'm sure they would still want a 'bubble' but I highly doubt it would be as expansive as it was able to be. It would quite simply cost too much.

Just keep things in perspective when you're talking about a comparison between them.
Correct
 
Haven’t been to Dollywood in years and never been to silver dollar city but to say they are on par is absurd. When was the last time any of these parks invested half a billion to 1 billion dollars in one of their parks? Disney is constantly investing large sums of money into their parks and resorts. The “bubble” that Disney created in Walt Disney world is unlike any theme park area in the world and nothing else compares to this experience
I don't think anyone is saying they are "on par". The closest comparison was the debate over whether people stayed for a week in Sevier County the way guests stay in the bubble at WDW. Each experience has value, particularly in a comparison. Dollywood "gold" pass offers mostly the same benefits as a platinum pass to WDW (parking and discounts) but costs $224 instead of $1195. Dollywood does somethings better, a lot better, than WDW. WDW does other things better. WDW is not near the Smoky Mountains, which for me at least, is a huge advantage to Dollywood, but for others is utterly meaningless. They are just different experiences.
 
I don't think anyone is saying they are "on par". The closest comparison was the debate over whether people stayed for a week in Sevier County the way guests stay in the bubble at WDW. Each experience has value, particularly in a comparison. Dollywood "gold" pass offers mostly the same benefits as a platinum pass to WDW (parking and discounts) but costs $224 instead of $1195. Dollywood does somethings better, a lot better, than WDW. WDW does other things better. WDW is not near the Smoky Mountains, which for me at least, is a huge advantage to Dollywood, but for others is utterly meaningless. They are just different experiences.
The post I was responding to said that they were on par which is why I made my post
 
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I just never like to downplay the quality of a product that I have no experience with or knowledge about. I wouldn't want to assume that makes someone elitist or they don't like a certain area of the country.

Kevin do you appreciate your insight into many topics on the dis team. I know you're a busy dude but a real contribution to the discussion would be to say hey "I glanced through the videos I don't think its something I would be interested in because of x or y reason". Quite frankly at Silver Dollar City or Dollywood especially around Christmas time in particular there are tons of older people who I would definitely not consider "amusement parks fans". The admission price is worth the shows and the lights alone. The Tim tracker videos are a really high-quality watch for people who actually wanted to get an idea for what I am talking about. Also damn I miss parks pre covid and I hope they are able to that kind entertainment in the future.

I think people should remember that the dis is openly invested in making money off disney vacations and now orlando real estate. Although I really respect that pete in particular can be critical of disney sometimes I wouldn't expect them to spend any time to endorse anything else. Being a travel agent is often a crappy job with terrible hours as it is and kevin probably works a ridiculous amount of hours.

And yes imjustafatkid one of my main points was that there are places outside of disney where you can still have a great vacation and fill the itch for a great park while getting a better value. I am sure a number of members here could offer you great tips on how to budget effectively.

I certainly think that's a fair point and one that I wasn't thinking about at the time. I know things are bad in the travel industry, but I guess I don't know how bad it's gotten for them. I know they've talked about having to cancel all of these vacations, which is absolutely devastating for them since commissions is how they pay the bills. As a guest, being in a nearly empty Oga's Cantina was incredible, but I can see now how that would be very devastating for cast-members and agents since selling those products is how they make a living. I can't imagine being in that industry right now especially when so many of the products that they depend on are simply not available to sell.

I really do hope things get better for them soon as well as for the rest of the economy.

Playing off of Craig's car analogy, I think a major part of the confusion for me was that while I wouldn't expect a Chevy dealer / Disney sponsor to sell me a Toyota, I'd be similarly perplexed if they had never heard of a Toyota Supra. It's not like a Supra is super-exotic or from a no-name manufacturer. I wouldn't expect them to know that the Supra has an I-6 or that the engine is currently manufactured by BMW, but I'd kind of just assume that if you sell cars that you have some greater knowledge about the wide-world of cars. Being overly prepared and overly researched is what I do in real life, so I know that's not a fair assumption to make, but come on... It's a Supra.

I guess that could also explain why I have such a problem with car dealers.

I have to agree with @hertamaniac and say this thread has really elevated my interest in both SDC and Dollywood. I especially enjoyed @Helvetica explanation of what it is. Thanks everyone for the tip!!

I wasn’t offended by what the team said when I heard it the other day. I did listen to it again closer. I am assuming and from what I read the issue is when John said it’s right next to the $5 and under store by 192. I didn’t get it, the comment went over my head, since 192 is a highway in Florida so it didn’t make sense. What is a $5 store? Is it a rich person’s dollar store?

Was it a dad joke, the pun between the words $5 and silver dollar? (My guess)
Is it to imply SDC is a small side of the road operation? That’s not remotely accurate, but not offensive.
Is it meant it’s shoehorned into its location? DL is the shoehornest of them all, so that shouldn’t be held against any other operators.

And... I have to admit it crossed my mind if the $5 and under store comment meant that their audience is largely poor people or discount travelers. I very highly doubt John would intent that so I didn’t take it that way, but yeah if you told me that’s how you took it, I can see the offense.

The other thing was Corey’s comment about 8 people named Jolene and I thought that was a clever joke after the Dolly Parton song.

So I guess it comes down to what the $5 store comment meant. I didn’t understand it, but I can see how it easily may have been taken different ways. Unfortunately with the tone and laughing, it frames it more negatively.

From the initial discussion, I didn't know that Kevin didn't know about Silver Dollar City. Some of the panelists seemed to know about Dollywood, a park formerly known as "Silver Dollar City, Tennessee," so I just thought that they knew about Silver Dollar City too since they're sister parks that used to share a name.

I also didn't realize that everyone didn't have the list in front on them. Its location is on the list and for those that don't know, Silver Dollar City is in Branson, Missouri which situated in the Ozarks.

I think the major error that I made is that I took it wrong. I think you're right and that it was meant to be a really bad pun, one that I still don't understand. Instead it just rubbed me the wrong way and I found it to be a bit insulting.

The make up of the top 10 was five Disney Parks, three Universal Parks and two Herchend Parks.

To me, that's a really good showing for their product line. I just didn't see the need to laugh at the one park in Missouri. When I heard it, I was like, "what did we ever do to you? People in Missouri spend money on Disney vacations too, you know." Right or wrong, that was my gut reaction and I know I shouldn't take things like that personally. I suspect that there are others who would take a similar tone if they felt that someone was mocking their state or where they're from in some way, even if that wasn't the intent behind the comment.

The problem with jokes sometimes is that if you have to explain the joke, then it might not be a very good one. Clearly, I just didn't get the joke and I took it the wrong way. I don't claim to be a perfect person and perhaps I didn't do the greatest job of expressing myself either.
 

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