TEDodd
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Posts posted by TEDodd
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14 hours ago, ytterbiumanalyst said:
Nah, no height limit here. They can make the humps as big as they want.
Funny, but yes there are height restrictions. But they can usually get a waiver.
As I recall Drop Line required a waiver. -
1 hour ago, u4icmusic said:
Don't you find that odd that a ride that can operate with 2 or 3 ride hosts gets closed down?
No. That's 2 or 3 people from each ride to help with rides than need a lot more people to operate and speed up operations for those rides with long lines.
If closing Barnstormer and WPC speeds up popular rides like LR and WE, which do you think would be better for guest relations?
That said I wish all of Owens Farm was more visible. Not much there anymore other than the bathrooms. Even the mill does most business downstairs now (I remember when upstairs was the main shop).
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I think it's staffing. Not the first ride I've seen closed with staffing given as the reason.
A few days ago someone mentioned Whistle Punk Chase being closed for staffing.
Just checked and the web site still show it closed. -
59 minutes ago, JJLehto said:
Otherwise...a length breaking inverted coaster w no inversions?
A long terrain following inverted coaster sounds like fun with the right terrain, no inversions required.
Having been in a helicopter sitting in the doorway at 60kts and 100ft AGL following rivers and through mountain terrain, replicating that sort of experience with an inverted coaster really sounds good.
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43 minutes ago, B Rip said:
Thanks! I had no clue about Blazing Fury and didn't even ride it on my first trip to Dollywood 2 years ago. Of course Blazing Fury isn't included on the TimeSaver Unlimited! LOL. Just my luck. Hopefully the line for that isn't too long
There are lots of rides that aren't in Timesaver, but the big one are generally included.
The bottom half of this page shows what Timersaver can be used with (rides and shows)
https://www.dollywood.com/themepark/Guest-Services/TimeSaver-Pass
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2 hours ago, u4icmusic said:
It was designed with Topper Track, which is and was tubular steel.
Well Thunderhead rides on a steel plate on top of the wood stack. Difference between topper is just the steel box replacing the upper layers of wood. Most people don't consider square/rectangular shapes tubes, tubes are circular, like a straw or pipe.
But my point was it was designed with the same criteria used by traditional steel topped wood tracks. That's quite different from how round tubular steel designs (like TT, MM, FCE, and WE) are done. And that's the differentiation to me, not the track material or the support structure. Could it be done with traditional track.
LR could have been built with traditional steel plate on wood, Topper Track, I-Box, or even they new 208 RetraK. Just a matter of longevity. Given what happened to the Topper Track, it would have chewed through traditional wood track really fast. -
2 hours ago, ytterbiumanalyst said:
pretending the parks have lifted all mask rules.
They have lifted the mask rules. Masks are no longer REQUIRED.
They might recommend or even request one but not required like before, entirely voluntary. Pretty simple to understand.
They also stopped the other restrictions, no temperature checks, no reservations (no capacity limits), no distancing. Back to 2019 operations. Well except for allowing masks which I'm certain would not have been allowed before.
But, while I refused to go to the park while masks were required, you are free to not go now that masks aren't.
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21 minutes ago, ytterbiumanalyst said:
You're still spreading disinformation. You know damn well that Six Flags wants unvaccinated guests and employees to wear masks.
Recommend is not the same as require.
tndank is correct.-
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2 hours ago, coasterbill said:
I expect all theme parks and tourist destinations to be extra packed all summer or longer based on pent-up demand from last year. That's just my guess though.
And it depends on how successful they are at getting employees at the park.
Most businesses are severely short staffed and can't get people to work. Most of the waffle house restaurants here are carry out only because they don't have staff. A few only have half the tables in use (not the alternate tables capacity limits, a chain blocking one side of the restaurant).
Even the local water park here may not open this season because they can't get people to work at the park. Neither concession nor lifeguards. Normal years they are fully hired for the summer in March.
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11 hours ago, JJLehto said:
Shame it now has to compete in my steel lineup, if wooden it'd be #1 by a mile.
It'll always be a woodie to me.
It was designed as such and will never compete with tubular steel coasters. Different design paradigms.
As for night rides, it's s whole new beast. When overcast/no moon, the drop is into darkness and no light til the quad down.
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1 hour ago, JJLehto said:
so I think it’s soon! Just a matter of how many rides can I get
The real shame is the park won't be open after dark today.
Night rides on LR are amazing, especially if a new moon or cloudy.
You'll have to come back for one
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8 minutes ago, teacherkim said:
Having driven in NYC and LA I would take either of those over Atlanta. Specifically LA, yes they have a lot of volume but people actually no how to drive and are rather courteous believe it or not. But probably not a discussion for these boards
Having been in the I5 and 405 parking lots more than once (I don't fly to LAX if I can possibly help it) or the same on 295/495 and every other route north from JKF, Atlanta generally isn't bad.
Not that it doesn't have it's moments, especially where 20 meets 75/85.
Thankfully I come in from the west on I20 and avoid all of 75/85 going to SFOG.
But I do have to go downtown often, just not during the week/workday.
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15 minutes ago, teacherkim said:
On a side note I had not driven through Atlanta in a number of years and don't think I will ever again with the absolutely ridiculous traffic and number of accidents we had to deal with. Guess I needed a reminder of why I vowed only to fly when going to FL
Guess it depends on you frame of reference and time of day/direction.
Atlanta is bad compared to Nashville but isn't half bad compared to NYC or LA.
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2 hours ago, u4icmusic said:
Rumor has it that Dolly Parton will make an appearance at the park on Wednesday after her interview from the DreamMore Resort in the morning on GMA. Not sure what time her interview will air, but it is tomorrow.
GMA is broadcasting live from Dollywood. But GMA starts at 7am, runs 2 hours, and the park doesn't open until 10.
https://www.wkrn.com/news/good-morning-america-to-broadcast-live-from-dollywood-wednesday/So Dolly is in town and on the property. She could make an appearance at any time.
Historically she makes appearances at the big indoor shows and the parades.
Maybe the Westward Road show at the Pines Theater? Or Harmonies of the Heart at Dreamsong? I think she has shown up at Hartsong in the past too.
I don't see anything in Celebrity and the Kingdom Heirs are off (Showstreet). -
10 hours ago, prozach626 said:
Companies should never put profits first. Shame.
That's all companies should do. Their whole reason for existing is go make a profit.
But it's short sighted to to put profit today over bigger profit tomorrow. Guest experience today is important for profits tomorrow. One sale today or multiple sales for years to come.
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21 minutes ago, bert425 said:
wait. .didn't Motley *swear* they would never tour again? even making that big deal about signing a contract saying they would never tour again?
yeh, like the multiple Kiss farewell tours.
This was originally suppose to be last year (2020) and they pushed them all to 2021.
Crue, Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett.
As far as I know Mick will be there (he said so back in Nov 2019).
He was supposed to release a solo album last year, so he's still playing fine. I don't expect him to be mobile though.
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3 hours ago, u4icmusic said:
Does your son and your teen that loves Dolly go to Dollywood to listen to the Kingdom Heirs?
Not just for the Kingdom Heirs, but they both like the music in general. From the live acts to the recorded music played elsewhere. And yes they go see the Kingdom Heirs along with other shows.
My daughter's favorite live music at the park is the small Bluegrass groups.
Like me they both listen to a wide range of music, not just the current pop charts.
They'll go see Dolly in concert and then Poison, Cheap Trick, and Journey, then 21 Pilots and Imagine Dragons. We saw Blackberry Smoke last month and have tickets for Foreigner later this year.My son and I will see Motley Crue if the tour ever happen and we saw Metallica in 2019.
Then we'll see Broadway musicals once that starts back up (Season tickets at the Fox Theater in Atlanta).
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2 hours ago, u4icmusic said:
How many times can someone go see the Kingdom Heirs?
Typically twice a year. Once in the spring and once at Christmas.
Not sure what you mean by appealing to an older crowd. Me in my 40s? Or my son in his 20s or my teen who loves Dolly.
I have a lot more disposable income to spend at DW now than I could have in my 20s.
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44 minutes ago, bert425 said:
^ it worked so well for Hard Rock Park tho!
5 whole months.
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21 hours ago, u4icmusic said:
I would be happy with way less, country, gospel and religious music than they have now. I'd love to see more pop, rock and other types of music. It would open it up to a wider audience.
For every one like you there are a dozen that are the opposite. Changing the music (which fits the craftsman/country life vibe) would cause a lot to not come back. I suspect a lot more than would suddenly show up.
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21 hours ago, tndank said:
Seemed Drop Line was running a different cycle today. It rotated as it went up. Then, near the top it stopped lifting and did a 360. Then, it slowly starts rising and drops immediately after 5 or 10 feet. Good stuff.
That's the only cycle I've ever had on Drop Line. I knew others were possible, but never been on it when they were in use.
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On 5/2/2021 at 12:42 AM, sdcfan88 said:
Though on a serious note I do feel Hershend did invest more into DW over SDC up until the past decade which also contributed to the bigger draw.
Without Dolly the park wouldn't have had the traffic to justify the investment which further increased the traffic. I visited in the 80s ('88 or '89) from a town 350 miles away. Would not have happened without Dolly's name.
Then more recently, 2012 took the family 5 hours to the Smokies but the prime draw was Dollywood, and it's kept us coming back multiple time a year since.If it was SDC it wouldn't have happened. My son and I would have gone to Six Flags for coasters and the family would have gone elsewhere since the girls (wife and daughter) had no interest in coasters.
I've suggested SDC since and no interest. They wanted Dollywood because of Dolly.
Even the rest of Branson isn't enough of a draw.
You could put TH, MM, WE and LR at SDC and it wouldn't have a big impact on the traffic,
(Most of the traffic isn't coaster enthusiasts).
Dollywood already had the traffic to justify the investments.-
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3 hours ago, u4icmusic said:
Was it a typo or is an announcement going to come soon?
Typo since it only one of 3 lines and the other two just say Dollywood.
As nice as SDC is, Dolly is a big part of the draw and without it DW would just be a little regional park (like it was before she got involved).
Just compare the activity in this thread to the SFC thread. This one might be 350 pages if it was SDC East instead of DW.
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Esp in areas like the South (lived in FL during the 1st waves, then lived inthe Northeast later, huge difference in how people cared/seriously they took it)
Interestingly I didn't see the NE much different when I was CT and NYC back in October.
Silver Dollar City (SDC) Discussion Thread
in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Posted
DW has had problems before. They had a license to play some songs in the park and got in trouble for performing them in a show because they didn't have a license for that.
Here's one https://www.wbir.com/article/entertainment/dollywoods-response-to-song-lawsuit-yeah-we-used-it-but-we-did-nothing-wrong/51-08f13219-2155-4279-ae11-988c92271d2e