ARM supplies flashy swing ride to Branson Strip
AT: Tim Baldwin
BRANSON, Mo. — Fun is thriving in southern Missouri. Area attractions near and on Table Rock Lake are boosting tourist options with new activities, entertainment and rides.
The bustling Branson Strip has a new iconic eye-catcher. The Branson Sawmill has installed the latest swing ride from ARM Named Buzzsaw, the high-flying ride helps the facility develop itself under a new name. Under the operation of FACE Amusement, the parcel of real estate first welcomed guests in 2017 as The Branson Coaster. Using the dramatic elevation change at the back of the property, a Wiegand alpine coaster traveled down the valley not once, but twice by incorporating two lifts. Now the property is expanding into an entertainment center and has chosen a logger theme.
“It’s a hearkening back to the history of the Ozarks and the loggers,” said Rosemary Rose, COO, FACE Amusement. “It goes back to everyone who settled the area.”
Toby Turner, uniquely called head coach instead of general manager, oversees operations at The Branson Sawmill.
“The sails on the ride resemble a saw blade,” said Turner. “The places where people hold loose articles are shaped like stumps.”
Along with the theme come characters and mascots. Sawmill Sam and Sally are pioneers, joined by their lumberjack friend Bucksaw Bob. Reuben the Raccoon and Henry the Hound are known to create a little mischief.
Turner reports that the ride opened the first week of June. Buzzsaw stands 123 feet tall and transports 24 passengers at a time. Hourly capacity is capable of 460 riders per hour.
“We had some extra property and we knew we wanted to add some development there,” said Turner. “We originally were looking for a different ride, but we saw the additional capacity of the [Vertigo] ride, and we are happy with how accessible it is with the 48-inch height requirement. It has such good throughput numbers.”
Mike Gill, president of ARM, says the Buzzsaw project solidified shortly after the IAAPA Attractions Expo last November. “We put this discussion together in late 2018,” he said. “I originally started talks with Mark Larkey, president of FACE. That quickly grew into a meeting and park visit that included Bucky and Rusty Mabe, owners of FACE. We got to work through some added features to the ride with the customer.”
“[Our ride] is the first ARM Vertigo ride to have an entertainment package,” said Turner. “There is a separate speaker system that plays independent music for the ride when it is running.”
“There are some additional graphics and lighting on each passenger seat,” added Gill. “There is a JBL audio system that is battery operated, along with the lighting system that is battery operated.”
Gill noted that the batteries used were lithium batteries, which offers the advantage over other battery systems by outputting a steady voltage for a specific time and then shutting off when not in use. Traditional battery systems are continuously running and voltage can drop as the battery is depleted. The diagnostics, built-in fire protection and LED screens that come with lithium add to the productivity of their use.
“We also used a special paint at their request,” said Gill. “It’s a metallic paint system that was unique to any other ride we had ever done. There are just a lot of added features with the help of the FACE organization. They are really deep in talented people. I worked closely with Rusty though all of the added feature details. They have a graphics department that was able to put together the look and feel that they were trying to achieve on the theming of this ride. Along with their help and direction with what graphics they were looking for, it led to some really cool features that will be options for other customers in the future.”
The LED lighting comes courtesy of EWorks. “We are the main supplier to ARM and build packages for them,” said Lars Koch, vice president. “We always have lights shining on the outside of the tower, but this was an experiment because we also added lights inside the tower illuminating the actual structure of the tower — this was a first. It looks fantastic; it came out better than expected. This is proof that it can make a difference by changing the lighting on the inside as well.”
EWorks has been in business since 1994. All LED lighting products from the company are manufactured within the United States and never outsourced, ensuring highest quality standards.
One ride on each of the two rides is $23.99, but the facility has responded to requests and made an all-day package of just $29.99 to ride both rides as much as the customer wants during the day. For the first time, season passes are also offered at $99.99.
Below the loading area is “grass” carpeting rather than typical asphalt or concrete, which helps unify the new direction the complex has taken. Music is also played throughout.
“Guests love the ride and comment on how smooth it is,” said Turner. “It is a beautiful view of the Ozark Mountains in the area. We sit on top of a valley, so when you are 123 feet in the air, it feels much higher than that with the sightlines during the day. At night you have a wonderful view of the Branson skyline, which has a lot of great attractions that are lit up. We’ve had guests from ages seven to 84 ride, and they’ve all had a great time.”
Also new is HeartWood, a new restaurant eatery. The menu, developed by Michael Thompson, executive chef at FACE Amusement, includes Ozark-inspired flatbreads and pizzas.
Merchandise and retail have also been expanded within the center’s gift shop.
At the opening of the swing ride, Mayor Edd Akers stated, “We’ve got exciting things in the show area and we have things going on that will shore up year-round employment in Branson.”
This article appears in the AUGUST 2019 issue of Amusement Today.
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