The Great Zo

Rain overnight in Sevier County produced another few tenths of an inch of accumulation, and there's one last batch of rain yet to go through. Rainfall totals are probably going to end up around 0.40"-0.60" in the Gatlinburg area. Wind speeds have diminished significantly as was forecast, and the smoke plume isn't as obvious on weather radar anymore. Hopefully this adds up to some good news, but the morning light is not going to be forgiving. Not seeing a ton of detail about the current status of things, but some info in an early-morning recap from the Knoxville News Sentinel: Hillbilly Golf is right next to the Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster, just north of downtown Gatlinburg. Reports are that the Ripley's Aquarium has so far made it through OK. Not seeing anything new on Dollywood, which is probably good news. Regardless of the details with respect to the tourist attractions, tons of people have lost their homes and livelihoods, especially on the various hillside communities around Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.

The first round of rain tonight produced only about 0.10"-0.15" of accumulation, which really isn't all that much. In the short term (i.e. the next couple hours) I doubt that's going to help that much. The next batch of rain is still an hour or two away from Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge, but it will be heavier and could have a greater impact, especially as the winds start to die off.

The Gatlinburg area is going to get a shot of rain tonight (probably under an inch) with more rain expected Tuesday night and Wednesday (hopefully a little over an inch). Also, the strongest of the winds are going to diminish in a few hours, which will help keep the fire from spreading so quickly after that occurs. With as bad as the drought is, though, it's unlikely the rain this week is enough to totally end the threat, especially with little-to-no rain in the forecast after Wednesday. Dollywood is closed as regularly scheduled tomorrow (Tuesday), but at least as of now, has listed hours of 2PM-9PM on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Downtown Gatlinburg is now under a mandatory evacuation. The wildfire is within a mile of the downtown strip, with very strong winds continuing to blow it to the north off the crest of the mountains. Rain is coming in tonight, which will help to some extent. edit: update that Pigeon Forge south of Traffic Light 8 (Dollywood Lane / TN-449) is also under an evacuation order.

Have really enjoyed this report so far. Good to see some parks that aren't on the normal circuit. I have family in New Hampshire and spent many summer days at Santa's Village and Story Land when I was younger. My first visits to Story Land were long enough ago that Bamboo Shoots didn't yet exist, though I'd grow to love it in the mid 90s! I got wet on Dr. Geyser's, lost a hat on Rudy's Rapid Transit, earned one of my earliest coaster credits on Polar Coaster, and to this day I'm upset that Voyage to the Moon no longer exists. It's been fun to revisit a couple parks I'm less likely to venture to as an adult, though Roar-o-Saurus is tempting! All the fried stuff at the fair, though, I can do without!

I've been on five: 1) Outlaw Run 2) Wildfire 3) Medusa 4) Storm Chaser . . . . 5) Goliath Honestly, the first four are outstanding, grade-A coasters, and would probably all fit in my top 20 coasters overall. Goliath is a good ride, but a definite step down. Hoping to add at least one more in 2017!

One of the most creative, well-coordinated ideas I've ever seen! Canada wins, though, because hockey. Close second to Krakeship Earth.

An Awful Zamperla Kiddie Coaster! No, no, no, dear goodness, why? Build a Miler! Build a roller skater! Anything else! Well, the good news is that the drop tower looks pretty awesome, and will offer some of the best views in the park.

Dollywood is now teasing an announcement for tomorrow morning. Drop in!

Great report from a park that exceeded my expectations! Probably the park's two best coasters, too. Both are simple concepts done right. You're spot-on about Calamity Mine, also. That's an outstanding (and well-themed) mine train. Might have to claim Challenge of Tutankhamen as my favorite attraction in the park, though! Heck, even Vampire was the best SLC I've ever been on -- which means it's somewhat painful yet still not really enjoyable rather than just skull-shakingly all-out horrible. No, all-out horrible was at the other Walibi park a few days later. The Grand Place in Brussels is probably the most jaw-dropping 360-degree architectural view I've ever seen. So glad we ventured into the city for a couple hours. The gyros were good; the waffles were better.

Any trip report with Le Maca is sure to be a winner! A very good and fair review of Bobbejaanland. If it wasn't among my favorite parks on the trip, it's only because of how many really great parks we went to. Between that and the one at Movie Park, I guess I'm just not a fan of the concept. I think there were screen problems at both locations, actually. You get ten seconds to start spinning before you hit the next brake run! Yeah, it ain't Winjas or Crush, unfortunately. Oh my, did it ever. This ride is a family hit. Clearly one of the most popular at Bobbejaanland. I have no idea why it hasn't been cloned and built at other parks all around the world. Or maybe it's the most terrifyingly awesomely horrible thing I've ever been on, and obviously I was too appalled to actually participate in the insensitive, xenophobic ride experience, as I'm sure the pictures will show. ...scrolls down... ...did someone steal my hat and pretend to be me? Darn you and your photographic evidence.

Can't even imagine how unbelievable this is going to look when it's finally done. Some day the whole world will know of the awesomeness of that ride.

This is pretty exciting news. The area near Balder / Kanonen is the only part of Liseberg I felt was more "typical amusement park" than "beautifully themed" -- this two-year refresh will take care of that. Both rides look like big upgrades from what they're replacing. I'm glad I got on Kanonen this year, and it's not a bad ride, but it's far and away my least favorite Intamin launch coaster that I've been on. Valkyria, in addition to having an awesome name, looks like a great fit. Some numbers, just for reference, in comparison with Valkyria's closest neighbors: LENGTH Valkyria: ~700m Baron: 501m Krake: 476m HEIGHT Valkyria: 47m Baron: 30m Krake: 41m DROP Valkyria: 50m Baron: 37m Krake: 41m MAX SPEED Valkyria: 105kph / 65mph Baron: 90kph / 56mph Krake: 103kph / 64mph

I'm a heavy Twitter user. For my interests (coasters, hockey, music) I find it to be the most direct and simple means of providing content of value, without a huge overhead of fluff. It can be conversational if you want it to be, but for me, the most important part is the ability to have a curated, un-filtered feed of exactly what I'm looking for. Furthermore, Twitter's also a much more suitable platform for academic / professional communication than other social media, and it's the best way for me to keep up with my peers and colleagues in my career. Finally, Twitter's a little less personal than Facebook, which I'm 100% fine with! So it's pretty much everything I need from a social platform in one place, and why I don't really bother with any others.

The first three elements (drop / hang / turn) are basically coaster perfection, especially with the setting.

Catching up on this great trip report! Europe sure puts some fantastic theme elements on some good-but-not-great GCIs -- the statues on Wodan, the unfurled flags on Joris, and the killer soundtrack on Troy. I think I liked Wodan a little better than the rest of the group, but Blue Fire was my favorite at the park. We threw on the movie (Arthur) late one night in the hotel room, and yeah, the ride is better. Snoop Dogg features prominently, and hilariously inappropriately, in both. Actually, one of my favorite themes from the whole trip, and that's a trip with some very good ride themes. At the risk of blaspheming, it was my favorite at Europa. Beyond just looking great, it stays busy incredibly late. At this point we were all used to leaving parks in the 4PM-6PM range -- even Europa wasn't open past dark. Grona Lund was still hoppin' at closing time, which I believe was 11PM. Still not totally dark (thanks, axial tilt) but enough to get the whole lit-up atmosphere, which was fantastic. I'd have rather caught them too, but that was still a really fun evening -- no way we were turning down a free show from the balcony! An assessment that matches mine, and most of the group from what I could tell. I'm wondering if part of the sluggishness in the ride's final third is a breaking-in thing. We rode Wildfire on what I think was only the 3rd or 4th day of public operation. I just think back to some of the questionable reviews Storm Chaser was getting early in the 2016 season, only to find that by the time TPR visited in late July, it was flying through the entire circuit and pretty much trying to kill us. Only wish Wildfire was somewhere a little easier to get back to for another go. Thanks for the look back, the great pictures, and amusing commentary.

This gets a bump, as I'm a bit delayed in catching up on trip reports. Asterix looks pretty nice! I wonder how much of the park's overall reputation is wrongfully built around Goudurix? Based on your report, that definitely seems unfair, and my view of Parc Asterix has been given a boost. There are plenty of things to do in Paris to make me want to return again in the future, but I think Parc Asterix will have to be on that list. That sure seemed to be a theme throughout the trip -- much different than in the US, where pretty much every rapids ride runs the risk of a complete soaking. I kind of wish I'd gone on a few more over there, but it's not always easy to tell in advance. This could easily be amended to "all of Paris." I've never seen so many selfie sticks. Speaking of places I need to visit on my next trip to Paris -- wow! Great shots, can't wait for the rest of the report.

I did an Ocean City to Ocean City trip last weekend (NJ to MD), and though I wasn't totally sure what to expect, I really liked both of them -- probably my two favorites of the several beaches I hit along the way. The atmosphere on that Friday night at Ocean City NJ was awesome. Definitely a low-key all-ages crowd, eating pizza and ice cream. Ocean City MD is far more built up and resort-ish, but still has its charm, and a great pier -- just 50 cents for spectators. Really liked Cape May also, though that's a very different clientele and feel. I did drive through the Wildwoods but didn't stop. Oh, and the beach tags aren't in effect after Labor Day, so I was good there. (Least favorite was Virginia Beach, in case anyone was wondering.)

I passed through Ocean City tonight. My trip was unrelated to Gale Force, but I was sure hoping it'd be up and running by now. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. But hey, whatever, have some pictures anyway because I feel like it! The figurative sun has yet to rise on Gale Force, so have this sunset photo instead. It looks like what you'd get if a Premier launch clone and Lost Gravity had a tiny-size kid. Spokes of the wheel. Hazy evening at the beach. I was not paid for this wedding photography. A look at Castaway Cove from the beach. The wheel and super shot were running all evening. Even the birds are waiting impatiently for the thing to open. Sorry, another sunset picture. OK, one more. Reflections are cool. The main boardwalk entrance to Castaway Cove at night. Long exposure on the wheel provides a neat effect. Grr. So close, and yet... A wider view of Gale Force. Because everything at Castaway Cove is packed in so tightly, it's hard to set up for good night photography. So, yeah, I rode the spinner. Credit granted. Cha-ching. I'm horrible. It's no Jungle Twist, but it was fun. For some reason, the train got sent around for 6 or 7 laps. About 5 or 6 more than I really needed. Somebody here will probably appreciate this shot, so here you go. Some day, Gale Force. Some day. A distant view of Castaway Cove from the Music Pier. The north end of the boardwalk at night. It was really, really hazy, which was fun for photography. Looking down the boardwalk. It's after labor day, but as it was a Friday night, there were still a lot of people around. OK, this isn't Castaway Cove -- it's the wheel at Gillian's. Had to post this one. One more from Gillian's to close it out -- a 10-second exposure from down on the beach. Will never get tired of shooting Ferris wheels at night! That's it! Oh, and that spinner was probably my last coaster of 2016. What a way to end it.

I could not have been more excited for this coaster, which always forces the question -- will it be as good as anticipated? Will it live up to the hype? It did, zero question about it. Plus, we only almost broke it that one time at the top of the lift. It's 'cause the park's new mascot is a bee, right? Insects stick together. And I'm seriously thinking of going there on a trip east in a couple weeks, so maybe it's me that's psychotic.

Spot-on review of an interesting place. Lots of good, but some eyebrow-raising inconsistencies that never quite seal the "Disney" feel. Agreed on Blue Lagoon -- in a park without a ton of great restaurant options (a stark difference from WDW) that was pretty good. Not getting to Remy's is one of my regrets. I'd say that in its initial configuration, the Orlando version was better. In its "just before closing" configuration, it was worse, if that even seems possible. I gave the Paris version a ride for nostalgia's sake, but, yeah, once was enough.

Pigeon Forge is known for pancake houses and kitsch, but if you are looking for something completely different, I found Smokies Cuban Cafe. It's on the southbound side of the main Parkway, about a mile from the park. A little piece of Havana (or Miami) in eastern Tennessee, and I thought it was fantastic.

You rang? Love it! So strange. That building's so huge it's got its own weather patterns. Great start to the report, and nice to see a comprehensive photo TR on a park I know very little about. Crazy how much the theme park industry is changing right now in the UAE.

I was kind of worried after the SLCs in Europe, but sanity has prevailed.

Chiapas! Chiapas Chiapas Chiapas! It's one of my favorite rides from the entire trip, and definitely my favorite non-coaster. Plus, it's in the Mexico area, which is simply stunning all-around. I should have gone on that a few more times, rather than Temple of the Boring-Coaster-in-Complete-Darkness and Hollywood-on-Meth Tour. This was a fun park that I'd love to spend some more time in, especially with that Intamin thing that just went up.