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Visited American Dream on Sunday and had a really nice day! Did the Nick Park, Dreamworks Water Park, and got Mr. Beast Burger (for the child). Was surprised at how much was actually open on a Sunday with their bizarre Jersey laws! I definitely think the place is now worth a real full day visit!

Well these two posts are kind of the whole point. Zach is absolutely correct that at the moment the park is pleasing enough people to not have to make big additions. Billie also has a point and that situation could change at some future point if they have evidence there would be a good enough roi......................time will tell. As I have stated before, I have it on very good authority that the RMC conversion was in the books until the virus that shall not be named hit. I still think they would get the most bang for their buck in guest satisfaction for the short term if they could improve staffing issues. I will be interested to see what if anything the new park President, whoever that poor sod is, does once they get the mantle of command. Anyway we are out of here to warmer climates tomorrow for about 10 days. Plane due to leave at 10 am so we will literally be getting out in the nick of time, fingers crossed. Enjoy arguing and speculating while I'm gone and I hope everyone has a Happy whatever holiday you do or don't celebrate!

all too soon, it was time to head back to the airport and back to Texas. but not before I snapped a few final pics of the Smoky mountains and our view from the decks. Dollywood isn't open during the week, so the "smoke" in these pics are really why these mountains got their name. in the car on the way back, we passed by this factory with the HUGE smokestacks. I've never seen any that tall, so snapped a pic. the flight was uneventful, and tho the evening after getting home was a complete and total Cluster (won't get into it, but it involved notifications received about charges to my deceased Spouse's credit cards received when I took the phone out of airplane mode - that I had to deal with immediately. Will just say that by the time I was done dealing with things, the food I had picked up on the way home was way cold, and I didn't get to throw in laundry or even unpack anything until well after midnight - with getting to bed at 3am - after landing at 7pm). anyways. . swag bought. I didn't get the Dolly face Tshirt, as I liked these better (this one for the color) Front: back: this one for color and design: and this one for the design: bought this magnet from the giftshop at DreamMore another magnet I loved a magnet that matched the design on one of the shirts that I liked and those magnets that I tried for 2 days to get, but finally did. . and the saleswoman had pulled one for each color for me. I gave two as gifts and kept 2 all in all? it was a trip I'm glad I took, and hope to go back at some point in the future - tho maybe not in the wintertime

This thread is hilarious. Two thoughts. A company offering a product should attempt to please a consumer, more than a consumer should attempt to please the company. What I mean is that these bullshit loyalty claims throughout the industry of "supporting the park," with disregard to product satisfaction is really twisted. Giving to a corporation is not giving to a charity. For example, on a Silver Dollar City Facebook group I watched some lady get destroyed by fanboys because she simply said she wasn't going to renew her passes if the train wasn't operational by next season. She said her family enjoys the train the most. She was shamed for not supporting the park. My second thought, on behalf of parks, is that they also don't owe you anything. Parks are simply offering their product as is and leaving it up to the consumer to make their purchasing decision. They should, and only will please you, if it benefits their profits margin. Companies will change their product depending on current market target trends and profit. A company's goal is return on investment, which usually comes from customer satisfaction resulting in purchasing the product. The bottom line is about your money, not your feelings, despite them being typically related. However, the relationship is much less personable than people want it to be. If you're not satisfied with the product being offered, don't renew your passes. Corporate doesn't take this personal. You have a right to be pissed if you want, but there's really no reason to expect anything other than profit driven decisions. Six Flags Saint Louis is currently pleasing enough guests to justify their decisions to not add new attractions. If they're not pleasing you, there's no need to have blind loyalty. Wait for them to offer a product you want to pay for. Don't pay first and expect your desired product as a result of some false loyalty. That's counterintuitive. As for us, I'd love to not renew our passes this year, but Eve crossed the 36" threshold. There may not be anything new for me, but there's plenty new for her. We'll see.

The Walt Disney World Railroad is reopening soon, and when it reopens, it will have brand new enhancements! https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2022/12/walt-disney-world-railroad-returns-with-all-new-voiceover/?fbclid=IwAR2lHmwrUOWSTOEKFVLwaSNUEDXp3uF4CMhNfG0-fqlt-MWvw24ob2OXf1c Cast members and Imagineers are celebrating a moment of nostalgia at Magic Kingdom Park this week as we prepare to welcome guests aboard the Walt Disney World Railroad once again for the holiday season. This opening-day attraction returns with a completely refreshed track looping the park, and another new surprise for fans and first-comers alike. Not only did this historic train undergo track updates and maintenance—as 100-year-old vintage steam trains do—the creative minds at Walt Disney Imagineering also seized this moment to revisit the narration and introduce an all-new voice to bring guests into the beloved stories they encounter as they travel from one magical land to the next. “The familiar whistle of its steam engine will be complemented by exciting new sounds and voices,” the team of Imagineers shared. “A new conductor has assumed the role, carrying on the long tradition of warm welcomes and amusing anecdotes while adding fresh commentary and story to the journey.” The creative voiceover process is as detailed as the train operation itself, and it all starts with our conductor. For these meticulously restored steam trains, we know the scenic grand circle tour must be guided by a voice our guests can envision and resonate with. Someone who grew up on Main Street, U.S.A., dreaming of the day they’d be on the railroad. They’ve now achieved that dream, and they know everyone and everything at Magic Kingdom … an unofficial mayor of sorts. This conductor is humble, genial, and knowledgeable, and he’s eager to help passengers of these iconic steam trains get to their destinations around the park he loves so dearly. While our conductor points you to the familiar sights on your left and right, we embrace what makes Magic Kingdom a place unlike any other, where you can escape into completely new worlds and celebrate with characters you love. This legacy attraction now holds true the very nostalgia of opening day and blends it with the wonder of new adventures, immersing you into story after story as it loops around the park. You may even encounter a character or two along the way!

Well then they need to put down the crackpipe...

I went to the park with my daughter Friday. We rode Ice Breaker x2, Mako x2, and Kraken x1 and all were walk-on or a station wait. When we arrived at Manta they were advertising a 60 minute wait. I hadn't purchased QQ in advance and really didn't want to shell $30 x 2 to save time on Manta. I decided to ask about pricing at the nearest spot selling QQ. The cashier said it was $14.99 and that it was unlimited but didn't include icebreaker. When I paid, she asked if I had a membership. She scanned my pass and the total for two unlimited QQs was $14.99 + tax. Never hurts to ask. When we got to Manta, they were only sending people with QQ to one side of the station. So it was easy to get several rides in. Later in the day as it got a little busier they were using both sides of the station for non-QQ. The coaster itself is awesome. Probably my favorite flyer, even over Tatsu. We ended up riding Ice Breaker again (10 minute wait maybe), and many rides on Manta and Mako.

So Sunday we woke up and the weather cooperated in that it wasn't wet. . but it HAD gotten very cold. Park opened at 11. . but no one was in a huge rush to get to the park (all wiped out from yesterday) and besides, we were watching the temps and waiting for it to climb up high enough that things would actually operate. so I killed a little bit of time taking some morning pics. these were on almost every light switch, and I hadn't noticed them until this morning. OH MY! a better shot of the spiral staircase leading up to the upstairs loft (with the queen bunk beds, bathroom, pool table, deck, and arcade game) in front of the cabin keeping Amy company while she smoked view from the parking spot. from our decks we saw Flying Eagle start to cycle, so we headed to the park - with Cinnamon Bread on our minds - and got there just around 12:15 if I'm not mistaken. as we were headed to the Cinnamon Bread, we saw Lightning Rod had a 5 minute wait. . so we detoured over that way, and got in line. and as we climbed the stairs, heard a groan from above us, and people started exiting past us out of the line. We asked what happened, and LR had a roll back. and the people were stuck at the launch. we waited a moment to see if they could resolve, but when they started walking out to the train to evac? we called it and just went over to get Cinnamon Bread (as the digital signs in the park said LR was temporarily unavailable). got pics of the train sitting at the bottom of the launch tho - not blurry, as it wasn't moving how had I not seen the weird statues thruout the park yesterday?? kids riding on trees all over in this section while headed to the Grist Mill for Cinnamon Bread there was still a line - even tho the park was EMPTY (due to the cold). . but way shorter than last night. So we got in line. YUM!!! it was so cold, we actually went to the BarBQue place across the walkway - with the heated dining area- where some in the group bought food, so we could sit and eat in the heated area. so good! (and reheated well. . since I ended up taking 1/2 of my loaf home and it still tasted great 2 days later, after 5 minutes in a 350 oven). proof I had official Dollywood Cinnamon Bread we continued around the park, and I think we may have stopped at Blazing Fury for another ride. . but today really was about getting the few things missed yesterday, and Londyn shopping and riding the kiddie stuff. so really 1st on the list was Firechaser Express. not a walk on, but only 15 minute wait today. it's a fun family coaster, that looks way more extreme (and high) than it is. The backwards section is short, but memorable, and I enjoyed it. Didn't think it was great enough to get back in line to ride again, but I'm glad I got to ride it. Amy had missed out on Mystery Mine last night, as only Joseph and I had ridden it - so we headed that direction next. stopping for Photo Ops as I passed them tho, of course the old section of track still remaining is behind this tower. That "U" shaped wave turn. it's weird they left it.. but also, I kinda like it. we didnt' get to ride tho, because as we walked up, we saw them walking people from the back area (a group of girls) and the front of the ride was closed off. hurm. . . Oh well, I had gotten to ride it yesterday, and the only thing I really had remaining on my list was DropLine (which is close by). No one else wanted to ride, so I got in the walk on line. . and the group of girls we had seen coming out of Mystery Mine ended up right behind me. So I asked them if they had been evacced, and they freaked out telling me yes! and from the Vertical lift. that they had used a cherry picker to get them out of the train, and it freaked them out. but the park had given them skip the line passes. (not that it mattered, it was so cold park was dead). So that's two now that had to have people walked from down coasters - I have to assume the cold weather was affecting? anyways, DropLine was fun - tho very short. and it does have the added seatbelt restraint now. And oddly, the operator was discussing the Orlando drop tower incident with the guys sitting next to me on the ride (it came up because one of them was telling his friend someone had been injured on this ride and that's why it had been closed earlier this year). more polar bears around DropLine's setting. . which I hadn't noticed yesterday, as they were just glowing blobs by the time we came by here in the evening. I like this pic tho as you can see Thunderhead and the new Bear Mountain coaster in the background (along with the flyers). it really was a bit too cold to ride anything, and folks were just meandering. . . . luckily LOTS of photo ops all over the park. i particularly love this pic. Thru the trees! I wanted a daytime ride on Thunderhead even tho it was cold, and others were willing. . .so we headed over that way to get our ride. Londyn was excited because Whistle Stop Chaser is right next to it. . so she got to ride that 3 times. . . riding with most of us in the group. here's my turn. . pic courtesy of Xander. and then we go to go on Thunderhead. SUCH a great coaster, tho it was running a bit rougher during the daytime than it had been the night before. I still think it was fantastic, but some in the group said it hurt their back a bit. whee!!! more photo ops. . . we knew with the light crowd today, we wouldn't have any issue getting into the "headline" show, and sure enough, it wasn't a full auditorium for Christmas in the Smokies. it's an indoor theater, for an ~1 hour show. . so we went for it. very well done, with some really nice voices, and carols. (and way less Jesus-y than I had expected (I thought it was the story of Jesus, really). . . Amy said for that we'd have to watch the Nativity show) the show is. . . odd tho. it starts out with a story - folks coming home to the Smokies for Christmas, and visiting family, and singing. . then they all go sledding. . . then there's a cabin inside a church. . then Jesus is born (I think?). . then they are all Angels. Or something? I was told by a show aficionado that the "storyline" has been the same since it started, and yeah, it makes no sense as a complete story. I just took it as "they all died while sledding and came back as singing Angels" regardless, it was very entertaining, with some Broadway style set changes, and great voices for the most part. this cabin "unfolded" on the stage for a giant indoor set. . the show finished. . and we swung by the Emporium where I finally was able to purchase the Magnets I wanted (long story. . but it took multiple tries, as they were sold out EVERYWHERE in the park, and had to keep checking to see if they restocked. . but the ladies knew I was looking for them, and pulled some aside for me and had them ready for me when we came in). Lightning Rod was showing a 5 minute wait, so we excitedly headed over that way. . only to see: yeah. ok then. we decided to hang around the area and do some shopping - back into Dolly's Closet and the other stores over here. Londyn wanted to ride the cars that were over here. . and we needed a toilet break. . which are right next to LR. while coming out of the restrooms, saw it start testing. . .. . so we hung around, and a few moments later, they took the sign away and opened it back up and we rushed with the small crowd to get in line. it was a fun ride again, and when we got back there was NO line. So I said "let's ride again".. we're here, it's running. . let's! the others begged off (Jonathan and Xander had to head back to the airport, and Amy was just too cold).. but since Londyn was on the cars with Jamie anyways, I got back in line. . and as a single rider, got put in the front row! yup. .I got a front row ride on Lightning Rod. (and froze my face off). . . LOL Came off Lightning Rod so cold..everyone was pretty much done with Rides, other than Londyn - who wanted to go back to the Country Fair section to ride a few of the family rides. So we headed that way to do that and do some shopping. . snapping a pic of the lovely (and very Pink) Dolly's Closet as we passed by oh look. .they sell Genital Lice (Crabs) in the Squishmallow store! I really was tempted to buy it, as it looks so happy . .LOL as we headed towards the front of the park to pick up some fudge, and shop on the way out (it really was simply too cold to ride anything more, and tho we stopped and listened to some performers as we passed by, the moment you stopped walking the cold just shot thru you). . I said to Amy: "oh. . I never got to see Dolly's house. .it's supposed to be here, right?" and I asked that literally as we were walking by it - something we had walked by multiple times in the past 48 hours and I just hadn't noticed. so good timing on my part, and we swung in to take a look. by then it was close to 7 and we were ready to be back at the cabin, so we went down the main street so I could get some pics SO pretty at night. . and you can see from the "crowds" how busy it was this day. In the sweet shop, I felt seen and then we waved our goodbyes to Dollywood. .it was a great experience, despite how cold and I'm so thankful for my friends for encouraging me to go in honor of Nick. End result was that I *did* get on every coaster at Dollywood at least once, and a few of them multiple times. So a very successful trip, and 9 new coasters for me! next up. . swag !

Awesome TR. Shawn and I went there for Christmas a few years ago and just loved it. Also, they bake and sell the cinnamon bread AT the hotel! We may or may not have had it for breakfast two mornings in a row. (we did!!) IMG_9262.MOV

Part 2 - evening on Saturday, 12/3/22 as mentioned above, it got dark really quickly. . and by the time we had finished with the Teacups and the *hot* Hot Chocolate incident, and came back up to try and catch the train that was leaving in 20 minutes, it already looked like this. just gorgeous over here. by the way..the train depot is on the left out of picture range. . and this picture is taken from where we ended up in the line for the NEXT train, that was scheduled for 45 minutes from now! as noted, we debated, and decided just to stay in line, as the train was a must do, and we were here already. So just enjoyed the lights, and sipped our drinks. the folks that joined the line BEHIND us shortly after. . and partially why we decided to just stay in the line. yeah. . the train during the Holidays is popular (you'll see why in a moment) after about 20 minutes, the line in the walkways was funnelled into the train depot - well, some of it was, there was still quite a few folks who didn't make it into the depot and would have to wait for the next train. Luckily, we made it in and moved towards the front of the station - which they packed solid with folks, telling everyone "if you're in the Depot, you SHOULD get on" it was a lot of people, but they were packing them in the train rows like sardines, so we felt pretty confident in getting on. and success! here's the group I was with: back row: Amy and Scott our row: Me, Londyn, Jamie, Joseph, Xander and now. . . a handful of blurry pics from a moving train. (apologies for the blurry pics, but thought some might wanna see them, so included some of those that were blurred from the moving train) the new coaster. . . big portions of it built up already. and looks like almost all the track is on site and stacked up ready so if you've never taken the Dollywood train (and most of us had not) - it actually goes outside the park, and up the mountain! resulting in some fantastic views of the park. . . but what really makes this a must do during the Holidays? up in the mountain, there's a big "turn around" (the train uses the same tracks going up and down the mountain) that circles a large field. during the Holidays? Dollywood covers the field with *millions* of LED lights that play in patterns and colors. oh, and the train plays Christmas Carols by Dolly, and her telling stories over the speakers while the train is going. anyways. .here's some looks at the field of lights: and then you turn around and head back down the mountain, so the other side of the train gets some great views. again, that's the new coaster on the far right (orange track) coming back into the station, we were greeted upon disembarking by an acapella show. the "Mistletones". . . hokey name, but dang, they were good. So we stood and listened for a bit. then we headed towards the section of the park we hadn't been to yet - and had seen from the train - the area with the tree/Mystery Mine/Thunderhead, and wildwood grove. to get there tho, we had to pass Blazing Fury first - which looked lovely at night. Londyn wanted to "mine for crystals" - so they stopped there to do that while myself and the guys headed towards the tree. Scott hadn't been on Blazing Fury yet. . .so we stopped and took a ride. what's interesting. . is literally 30 seconds after I snapped this pic? the whole ride went dark - all lights on it out, and folks streamed out of the queue building. so we barely missed getting trapped and evacced from Blazing Fury (which would have been cool. . but there was only so much time left in the day, and way too much we still wanted to do, so I'm glad we weren't on it when the power went down) strangely the power outage only affected Blazing Fury. . the giant (and absolutely beautiful) area of icicle lights next to it that led up to Tennesse Tornado and Firechaser remained lit up. beautiful. . and color changing. . . looking back towards Blazing Fury eventually, we all met up at the Dollywood Christmas Tree. and to say I was impressed is an understatement. it was beautiful, but I didn't realize that the LED lights on it were going to tell a story. . and the whole tree is color changing! the speakers in the area came on, the crowd gathered, and the tree told us a story thru images and words. and there was quite the subtext in the story too. . . supposedly it was about a Polar Bear and a Brown Bear who are "friends" and the Polar Bear travels from the North Pole to spend Christmas with the Brown Bear. . . where they sled together, wrap presents together, and hold hands. yeah. . . LOL... never thought I'd see a gay interracial relationship celebrated at Dollywood (hey, that's how *I* took it) awww. . reaching out to hold hands and then, once they touch hands? yeah. . it started "snowing". . . . Dr. Frued ? analysis please? LOL but, it was so neat, really. recommended viewing. this is Scott's WTF is this face when the snow started "erupting" . . . LOL I have this as my desktop at the moment. perhaps my favorite pic I took on the trip: once the tree show was done, Joseph and I headed over to Mystery Mine, to grab a ride since it was close to walk on. I braced myself for the roughness, even tho I had heard that they had done some major track work on it (and in fact, the old U-shaped banked turn is still there! the new track just bypasses it). but at the end of the day it's a Gerstlauer, so I was prepared to hate it. . but was gonna ride regardless as all the coasters here were new to me. and you know what? it wasn't bad! yes, this park has a decent Arrow, a very good Vekoma (Dragonflier) AND a decent Gerstlauer. it was a Christmas miracle! (and it looks pretty amazing at night) after our ride, we all made our way down to Wildwood Grove to meet up with Amy and family who had continued walking while we stopped to ride. very overcast, but loved how the lights reflected off the clouds. big fences up for the new coaster. . lots of dirt and construction over here, where the station is gonna go. the tree they had put in the center of this area (that I had forgotten I'd heard stuff about when it first opened). I thought it was recycled materials or something about conservation (when I saw it from the train, I REALLY thought it was a 'trash tree'). . but getting closer? it's covered in LED lit Butterflies. very pretty, even if I couldn't tell what it was until we got close to it. what's this? ride a bear? oh my gawd!!! can adults ride it? I was embarrassed to ask, so instead we went into the gift shop next to it. and watched it. but then I saw like, 7 adult men get in line with no kids. . so quickly joined in behind them. OMG. . how awesome! it's not a Carousel. . but my goofy ass loves this crap. so much I even got the ride attendant to snap a pic for me. look how happy! what else is down here in this area? let's take a look: it was getting late, and park close was in ~ 1/2 hour. . but we decided that since we were here and DragonFlier was posting a 10 minute wait? we'd go for it. low to the ground, and seemed to be running pretty fast for a "family" coaster. they were only running one train tho - the only coaster we'd seen that on today. the flyers across from the queue looked fun, but we were tight on time, so would save those for tomorrow. soon enough it was our turn, and I adored this. so fast, so low to the ground, and that tunnel! I didnt' expect a dive into a tunnel. A little short, but really. . a Vekoma in the USA that's this good? be sure to ride it if at Dollywood. so fast, that the best I could get of the train was a blur as we walked by to try and get to Thunderhead before park close. we made it! walk on. . . we rode in the back, and it was SO good. so much airtime, and in the dark, no idea what was going on with the track. I loved it so much, we decided to try and get another ride in, even tho it was park closing time. operators told us we'd have to exit and walk around, but there was still a few minutes left, so to do that. . so we did. and ended up near the front of the train (more airtime, but also quite a bit rougher - maybe because it wasn't a full train). . but we got the last ride of the night, as they closed the queue just after we got back in it. The operator even announced it was the last train of the night and to make some noise. Amy had never had that experience.. so I'm glad I got her to ride with me again, even if the roughness of this second ride did hurt her back a little bit. woot! and before leaving the station to head to the front gates, was able to get this pic. . which I also love. Arctic Passage - which is a tunnel of lights leading back to the front of the park. and comes out right by the preferred parking entrance/exit. But we wanted to shop, so followed the crowd around to the Emporium. and I'm glad we did. . because not only was it "snowing" over here too? but Santa was waving goodnight to everyone, since the park exit at night is thru the Emporium. Ho Ho Ho ending the day in a deserted park, with a lit up version of the pic I started the day with. we were (shockingly after that huge lunch earlier) a bit hungry this is when we discovered that pretty much everything in Pigeon Forge was closed - at 9pm on a Saturday ! Amy's googling found that some of the restaurants at the Island were open until 11, including Margaritaville. I'd never been there, but was game, so we all headed over there for Margs and food. (having never been there, I didn't know that the "large" comes in a plastic souvenir cup shaped like a blender. sheesh. . my empty cup got gifted to Londyn) walking back to the car park, I snapped some pics of the ferris wheel at the Island. it was pretty, but also cold, and we were wiped out from a long day. . . . so the hot tub was calling. So just took some pics. and with that, we headed back to the cabin to soak and then crash. it had been a fantastic day - even tho we didn't get any Cinnamon Bread (when we passed it on the way to the tree, the line was really, really long. . so we decided to wait a day for it so we wouldn't miss anything). a Great 1st visit to Dollywood. I managed to get on every coaster except Firechaser and the Kiddie Coaster (which I didn't care about). . multiple rides on some of em. . and most of the flats I cared about. so tomorrow the only thing I really wanted to do was: Firechaser, DropLine, and Thunderhead in the daytime. anything else would just be gravy. so I went to bed this night very happy I had come, and I had dreams of Nick, that made for a really great night's sleep. tomorrow? Day 2 at Dollywood. (and it was freaking cold! ) thanks for reading along!

Sad story, shame that just trying to have some fun turns horrible in basically a split second... https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/east-rutherford/2022/12/14/american-dream-mall-man-dies-snowboarding-big-snow/69726358007/ "A 24-year-old Long Island man died last week after falling while snowboarding at Big Snow at the American Dream mall in East Rutherford, according to a Newsday report. The family of Peter Mathews, of Bay Shore, New York, told Newsday that he fell backward on Thursday night while snowboarding, hit his head and became unconscious. The family told the newspaper that Mathews was wearing a helmet and other safety gear. He was taken to Hackensack University Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. In a statement, Big Snow representatives said: “We can confirm that our ski patrol responded to a guest incident last Thursday evening. First aid was administered, and the guest was transported to a local hospital for further care. In the interest of the guest’s privacy, no additional information will be provided. Our thoughts are with this guest’s family at this time.”