Theme parks are places of constant change. They are always looking towards the future and what new thing is going to draw in guests. But they’re also places of incredible nostalgia. Many parks and their attractions have been around for half a century or more, meaning that multiple generations have experienced them. Oftentimes if a popular ride survives to a certain point, the idea of seeing it replaced seems all but impossible. But at the end of this year, the impossible will happen at Silver Dollar City when the 50-year-old dark ride/coaster Fire in the Hole closes forever . And while it may be blasphemy to say so, I think this is for the best.
I had never actually ridden Fire in the Hole, or even been to Branson, Missouri’s Silver Dollar City until very recently, but knowing that the 50-year-old ride was in its last year, I made a point to check out the storied attraction. While as a theme park fan, I can appreciate the attraction and understand the attachment that people have to it and why many may not want to see it go, I couldn’t help but feel that whatever Fire in the Hole was once upon a time, that time has come.
Why Is Fire In The Hole Special?
Built in 1972, Fire in the Hole is a strange ride. It technically qualifies as a roller coaster, but that's not a very good description. The track and carriage, while clearly dated, would match that name, but the coaster only occasionally gains any significant speed. The focus is actually more similar to a dark ride, with sets and simple animatronics telling the story of a town burning to the ground thanks to a vigilante group called the Bald Knobbers. It’s all a reference to the real-life burning of the town of Marmaros, Missouri, where Silver Dollar City is now located.
The ride would have to be called quaint today. Certainly, it’s all pretty old, and the animated figures are of the simplest variety. The ride has been updated and refurbished now and then, as nearly all theme park attractions are, but by and large, it’s the same ride it was 50 years ago. That’s by design, of course. People who rode it decades ago as kids are now bringing their kids, or their grandkids, to Silver Dollar City, as they want to show them the same good time they once had.
Nostalgia Isn't Enough To Keep A Ride Around
I understand the nostalgia for theme park attractions. People make strong connections to experiences and then hate to see the attractions that created those experiences go. People are still upset with the fact that Splash Mountain is getting replaced despite the fact that we've known it was happening for years.
I remember the first time I visited my first theme park and what an incredible experience it was for me, and I have brought my own daughter back to some of those same parks in hopes that she will make similar memories. But the fact is that she'll never have the same experience that I did, and that's ok.
Even the popular rides that are still around aren't the same. The history of Pirates of the Caribbean is one of near-constant change. The version of Star Tours that exists today isn't the one I first rode. My kid loves all things Frozen at Walt Disney World, but she'll never know the Epcot ride that was there first called Maelstrom. I get it, I do, but as somebody who holds no nostalgia for this particular ride, I can see clearly that Fire in the Hole is ready to be retired.
Fire In The Hole Is Showing Its Age
As a ride, Fire in the Hole is pretty rough. I’m sure the track has been replaced in the last 50 years, possibly more than once, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it. When the ride is moving at a steady but slow pace, it’s good enough, but when the ride does try to pick up speed and feels more like a roller coaster, it’s physically jarring and not at all comfortable. It's not the smooth speed of a roller coaster; it's much more erratic.
And the roller coaster element, while maybe the most fun part, is a problem for the rest of the experience. The ride is so loud because the metal wheels are clanking along the metal track that it was difficult for me to even follow what story there was. The various characters had plenty to say, but I couldn't understand the majority of it.
When the brief ride was over, I was honestly more than a little disappointed. I experienced a combination of two different attractions and I didn't really feel like it did either one well.
I've ridden it once, but I'm honestly not sure I would again. It's not that it is old, it's that it feels old. There are rides from the opening day of Disneyland that don't feel as old as Fire in the Hole does.
What's Next For Fire In The Hole?
If there's an upside to any attraction closure, it's that something is going to come along to replace it. It's clear that something is slated for the space currently occupied by Fire in the Hole. What that is has yet to be revealed, but I for one will be looking forward to learning more.
It wouldn't shock me at all if whatever new attraction is coming will pay tribute to Fire in the Hole in some way. We could see Easter egg-style references, or maybe we'll get a modern version of what is essentially the same ride. History is a big part of what Silver Dollar City celebrates and that's unlikely to change. Nobody is going to forget this ride, but it's time to move on from it.
I know that for fans, what I'm suggesting may be crazy. Plenty of theme parks have rides that are older than Fire in the Hole, and if they can survive, why can't this one? But that's nostalgia talking, and if nostalgia is the only reason to keep a ride around, then it's time to try something new.
There are certainly attractions that I hold a nostalgic connection to, and if one of them were announced to be closing, I would be in shock. However, I would also be excited for what is to come.
