The anticipation for the brand new and fully re-envisioned Fire in the Hole coaster and dark ride at Silver Dollar City is officially heating up. Fans and press alike have had the chance to experience the new version in recent weeks ahead of the official Grand Opening of the ride on March 30th, and I'm thinking a new ranking of Silver Dollar City coasters may be due soon. Meanwhile, whether you're a frequent visitor or a newcomer to Silver Dollar City, there are plenty of fun facts you may not know about the ride.
Let's run 'em down before the tower blows!
It Cost $30 Million To Build.
Frankly it's a great time to be a coaster enthusiast in the Midwest, and with Fire in the Hole replacing Fire in the Hole, the attention to detail has been incredible. For me, the set piece on the burning covered bridge in particular made me really feel it was about to collapse, and other moments like that just hit right in the pocket for me. Plus, while there’s nothing wrong with good old-fashioned steel rides, the smell of new wood always brings a smile to my face as well, and the new Silver Dollar City ride has this smell in spades. Finally, if there’s one word that longtime fans are using to describe Fire in the Hole, it’s “smooth” -- a definite upgrade. It's no wonder the price tag was a notable $30 million bucks.
Not Only Is It Based On An OG Ride It’s Actually Based On A True Story... And Some Local Lore
Listen, you may have known Silver Dollar City was built on what used to be an old mining town, but you may not have realized the story in Fire in the Hole is fully based on local fact and lore. The ride’s set in the real-life town of Marmaros, a community for miners that was burnt down in a fire in the 1880s. The urban legend that grew out of the incident involved a gang called the Baldknobbers burning the town. The burning happened, but the why and the who of it is unclear years later. The end result is that the town was abandoned, but the story lives on nw through 14 new iconic scenes set on three levels of track.
The Devil Is In The Details, And That Even Includes The Signage
One thing I learned while touring the brand new dark ride is that special attention was paid to the signage, which is illuminated by night and was set up so it could change season to season. It was specifically pointed out that the ride will change that detail around major holidays, including Fourth of July, and I can’t wait to see what the different displays will look like. So even outside of the ride itself, the park spared no expense when it came to attention to detail.
Silver Dollar City Also Thought About The Music Component
Bluegrass is a key genre in Southern Missouri and the theme park spared no expense when getting those period details right. In fact they employed group Dailey & Vincent to create the “Fire in the Hole” theme song for the new version of the ride. The Grammy-nominated duo will have you jamming no matter if you are at the front or back of the coaster as the ride progresses. It’s a nice touch and you can check out the track outside of the ride.
Watch Out For Easter Eggs (And Surprises On The Third Floor)
There are plenty of Easter eggs on the ride, including the fact the theme park kept one of the cubby holders from the original Fire in the Hole and inserted it into the first scene you’ll see when the ride juts off. (Hattip to Marcus Leshock.) Brad Thomas, Silver Dollar City's Company President, also told longtime ride fans to look out for surprises on the third floor, so there are plenty of Easter eggs and homages to the original peppered on the new ride. With so much detail in each of the 14 scenes, there's sure to be something new you catch every time you ride.
Know Before You Go:
-The trailblazer pass is available for the ride, with varying options allowing either 8 line skips or unlimited use in one day.
-The ride is inside but much of the queue is still outside.
-Other new attractions include Sadie's Pretzel Cafe and Flanders Dry Goods Store.
-Merch at the latter include some Red Flanders pajama pants people can't stop raving about, as it's about time Flanders gets his pants back!
