TEDodd

I sure take the back way (Veterans off 411 east side of Sevieville instead of the Parkway. Doesn't help with crowd at park but I generally avoid the parkway.

Hail State! Nice to see props for the school here.

Says it was Amber Davis, listed as DW Publicist https://blog.dollywood.com/index.php/meet-the-bloggers/ She's had several other recent posts.

Interesting timing... https://blog.dollywood.com/index.php/2018/04/17/best-tips-for-avoiding-lines/

Me too. And if it's affecting tamer established rides what will it do to new more extreme rides?

I'll take it. I've been called worse. The weigh-ins were for loading and just a double check (people do stupid things, like have someone else stand in for one weigh in). The waiver was just schtick (until it wasn't and as we see meaningless anyway). They could, but won't anytime soon due to the bad publicity around Verruckt. Any tall slide will be compared to it, bringing up the tragic incident and court cases. I just don't see any operator/designer wanting that association. As for need, extreme rides aren't about need. Insano and Kilimanjaro didn't need to be built either.

One unspecified injury every 14 days with how many cycles per day? 400? 500? Say 1 injury in 5600 cycles (400 per day). 3 riders per cycle, so 1/16800 = 0.0006% chance of injury on any given cycle. Need to see what the odds are on other activities.

Tragic incident. If they can prove charges they deserve what they get. But... Call me crazy, buy I'd still ride Verruckt or any of the park's rides. Given the number of loaded rafts that cycled v/s the injuries known, the odds favor a safe ride. Sucks that operations (improper loading) and maintenance (worn out Velcro)were so bad. Safety margins could have been better and allowed for more variance in loading. Now you have to travel out of the USA to get a similar experience, and unlikely any US park will build a comparable ride before I'm too old to ride it.

Just know that it happens in every field. Aircraft, automotive, medical equipment, bridges, even nuclear power.

As an engineer I agree completely. A degree imparts no practical application experience. I've seen experience trump math many times. I've seen engineering fail or yield unworkable results.

They are merely accused. No charges have been proven yet.

Exactly. They can claim practically anything in an indictment. Proving any of it is a different matter. But ask Richard Jewell about clearing one's name afterward.

Agree. I don't get them not rescanning or trying the strip.

No doubt the ticket window and the clerk could have handled things better. I just don't get the card not scanning/reading. The card I used last fall was 4 years old.

Interesting. I won't get a new card for a few months but will be sure to check that. FWIW, I've never had problems with old cards that were renewed.

Maybe out for repair/refurbishment?

Free TimeSaver (1 ride) for pass holders on opening day. Other goodies too. https://blog.dollywood.com/index.php/2018/03/13/exclusive-offers-for-season-passholders-on-dollywoods-opening-day/?cid=smc_000130

$400k because she tripped and hurt her wrist catching the fall? Talk about by he classic slip and fall fraud. I've tripped and caught my fall before. Never more than a few days discomfort. Does she weight 300 lbs?

Same for most traveling fair rides. They never looked exceptionally safe but were always fun.

Pick one. A bit disingenuous to leave out the part about the second quote being a prediction. Oh no, he's totally right. As I hit the submit button, my exact thoughts were even "well someone is just gonna have to call me out on this Well I didn't find a generic prediction judgmental. I think predicting it to be more forceful than modern B&M's is reasonable. But how much more is the open question. I'm not judging it either when I say it won't be as forcefully as Lighting Rod. I can still be a fun ride. I like B&M wings. Certainly not forceful, but lots of fun.

Pick one. A bit disingenuous to leave out the part about the second quote being a prediction.

XD love it.

Fresh paint would be good, but I hope they don't change it like they did Backstage. Aunt Granny's dates back to the earliest days as Dollywood (main entrance used to be right across from it, before Showstreet existed)

Happens all the time, that's why they have the trams. Other places have walkways lines off on the ramp where the do it more often/closer to terminal.

Small airports seldom have a jetway, so everything is by stairs. I've boarded 707 and 747s that way. And I've used stairs at some bigger airports (Memphis, Atlanta, Dallas), though for smaller planes (mostly turboprop)