Erik Johnson

That certainly turned out to be a lot bigger than I thought. Looks pretty good.

Three more weeks!!

B&M: Iron Wolf Intamin: The stand up at Six Flags La Ronde. GCI: Gwazi...No, the new flyers no longer help.

Great reports!! Looks like a fun ride. I just hope that they plan on replanting some new trees in the area. It does look very barren around most of the coaster.

^ I sure hope that you would buy flood insurance.

Since I will be staying right around the corner I figure that I will be getting super early before opening. I am sure there will be a nice long queue a few hours before the park opens the day. I know it will be super crowded, but it should make for an interesting visit to the park. I will be hitting DCA on the 13th as well.

Anyone else going to be there on June 15th?

Looks good! Thanks for posting.

^ How about after he gets eaten by a shark?

I just looked on the site, and it's not listed. Are you talking about coastercounter.com? I should have clarified. It is on the coaster counter app.

I sure hope that anyone who uses Coaster Counter does not count Harry Potter: Forbidden Jouney as a credit. Yes, they actually do list that one.

^ Renee will love that one!

What was that, 8-bit German music?

Last February I was able to take a 7 day cruise aboard Holland America's ms. Ryndam. While I did have a good time, I honestly can not recommend Holland America to other TPR members. It is true that 99% of other cruisers on this line is over the age of 65. I have never seen so many people using walkers or motorized vehicles in one place. The service, food, and activities were pretty good, though I have to admit that Disney Cruise Line has really spoiled me in these departments. We did do the up charge restaurant one evening and it was really great. Anyways, here are a few photos from the trip. I mostly posted photos of other ships since this is more of a discussion thread. This is what we are sailing on. The Tampa Port is really super convenient to sail from. The Norweigan Star also disembarks from here. Goodbye, Tampa! You get to sail under the Sunshine Skyway bridge. The Oceania Marina. It is only one year old. The Carnival Valor. I finally made it to Key West. The Ryndam does have a great library. Goodbye Sun! Yum! We parked next to this huge looking floating hotel thing. Oh that explains it. Since you are in Jamaica, I guess it is required to see Dunn's Falls. Our ship looks a bit smaller when compared to the Allure of The Seas. Largest cruise ship in the world. On deck with the swimming pool. The Norweigan Pearl. Grand Cayman Guy Harvey's studios are located here. He released a book all about the Tropic Star Lodge which is Guy's favorite spot to fish. The book is dedicated to my Great Aunt and Uncle and is still owned by some of my family members. Hanging out with the cruise ships. Cruise Ship Porn. Yummmm.....chocolate night! We meet again, Allure of the Seas. I have decided that the next cruise I take will be on that ship. We are parked pretty close to this other ship. Holland-America's largest ship, ms Nieuw Amsterdam Lots of ships dock at Cozumel. Hanging out. Another day at sea. And we are back home.

Too Bad that they could not have scuba excursions of the ship in the meantime.

Awwww, I like Skull Mountain. At least we agree on #1.

Glad to hear that Cheetah is still running well. I will be hitting the park again sometime later this year. I really should, since it is my home park.

I agree that the front row left side is the best seat on the ride. Just make sure you sit on the very end.

I think a bit of both. I did run into quite a few people wearing Florida Gator stuff as well while in the park.

Great report as always. I am ready to go back. Hopefully it will not be another five years between visits.

^ I should also say that 2112 was listened to several times on this trip.

Great photos as always!

We stayed at the Ramada, which is really close to the front entrance to the park. It was not super expensive, and the room was just fine.

The Scandia Screamer is simply a terrifying ride!

It has been exactly five years since the last time I have been to Dollywood. You can read all about that visit here: http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=35155&p=375895 It was time to head back to Dollywood since a lot has been added which includes the entire Wilderness Pass area. So I decided to meet some of my other TPR friends at the park and make a weekend out of it. Dollywood is still one of my all time favorite parks. It has a great collection of coasters and attractions, plus amazing atmosphere and food. With that said, I am sure that you are more interested in hearing more about Wild Eagle, right? Wild Eagle: Wild Eagle is such a great addition to the park. When the coaster was first announced, I have to admit that I was a bit underwhelmed. I was honestly hoping for another S&S family launched coaster much like Silver Doll City's Powder Keg. Other than the new Wing Rider style trains, the track layout seemed to be quite uninspired. It turns out that after riding it six times last weekend, that I was pretty much dead wrong. I liked the coaster quite a bit. While it does not make it into my top-ten list, it certainly will make it into my top 25. The new seating does make a difference for me, especially the font row. We ended up waiting for the front row (Front Row-Far Left was my favorite) four out of the six times we rode it. The view from the top of the lift hill is breathtaking as you overlook Thunderhead off into the distance. I was surprised that the coaster actually had some forces on it, especially the first drop and in some of the turnarounds. The first zero-G element was my favorite part of the ride. There are quite a few foot choppers and near misses with the trees in that section. I did not notice any rattling while riding this new style of train. It is one of the absolute smoothest B&M coasters I have ridden so far. While it is a different style of coaster, it does remind me somewhat of Silver Dollar City's Wildfire. Both a mid-sized B&M coasters with an amazing location. Both of them have a very sudden and steep first drop into the first inversion. You should check it out! Thunderhead: Boy, it is running really well this season. They have done quite a bit of trackwork in the off season. Thunderhead was always one of my favorite GCI coasters, but after this visit it is now my all time favorite. The sudden pops of airtime seemed more significant this time around, especially the first drop in the back row. It is now in my top 5. WOW! Mystery Mine: I always liked the theming better than the actual coaster itself. It seemed to be running pretty much the same as it did opening year. Most of the effects were working other than the big movie sequence during the 2nd lift. Raging Fury: Still a fun ride, but I was really sad that the water section was removed for the new magnetic brakes. Tennessee Tornado: Still one the all time greatest Arrow multi-looper coasters. Make sure you ride the back row on this one, the first turn around and drop are simply amazing! Well, let us get on with the photos....shall we? I wonder what I shall do this day. Well good morning, Chuck and Cameron! It is actually pretty accurate for a snow globe. They actually have one with the name Cameron on it. There is plenty of new items to buy this season. For some reason, most of them have Wild Eagle on it. Dollywood: World Showcase. Well....I guess if you are into frogs. The Q2Q system is your best friend at Dollywood. Plus they are quite inexpensive. Well hello there Wild Eagle. Just a reminder where we are at. Yeah, the bird is quite large. Like everyone else has said, the station is quite nice. Looks like God approves as well. Quite detailed. You can now get a good view of the Blazing Fury building. The new trains do look impressive. Loading up a train. The eagles on the train do look impressive. A train full of riders. The front row is by far the best row. They really did build the coaster up on a mountain. These riders are about to get an amazing view. Wheeeee! Over by the Sidewinder Falls queue, you can get some up close photos of Wild Eagle. Wild Eagle is such a great addition to the park. Theming? Ok, one more. One final shot of the eagle. Before Tennessee Tornado. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee! After Tennessee Tornado. Oh no! Thunderhead is burning! Thunderhead is running amazingly good this year! Lots of work in the off-season=amazing ride. Look how happy they look. We see you way in the back row Cameron and Candace. Looks like I will never get to ride Timber Tower now. I would also require people to have to ride Mystery Mine after eating this. Speaking of Mystery Mine. Most everything was working except for the movie inside the second lift. I like how the supports look cracked for theming. The backside of Mystery Mine. Adventure Mountain is such a great addition to the park. Yes, one of the walkways includes water. For me, this was quite scary. The complex is huge, plus it is NOT an upcharge. Hi Blazing Fury! Now with new brakes and no water. Oh yes!!!! It is made here. Yum!!! All the original attraction of the park has this plaque. This includes Miss Lillian's. Miss Lillian seems to have fazed Chuck. I finally got to ride Sidewinder Falls. It is worth the trek to the top of the hill. Barnstormer was new for last year. A bit of history. All ready to ride. Wheeeee! Which side will you choose? Looks like the Veggie Tales have been kicked out of the park. I always like the extra bits of theming in the park. I wonder if it is safe to drink. Must be train time! Train!! Thunderhead is now my favorite GCI. You should ride the train, if you never have. Wild Eagle....through the trees....while on the train. Always a Gator fan. I have never done this. Our car awaits. No texting and driving Cameron! POV!! Such a nice park. Sad to have to go! Do I really have to go?? Totally retro! Bye Dollywood! The next morning, we took the scenic route home. I simply love this drive. Pretty....no? Take the tunnel! Vertical loop ahead. Yes, I like nature. We are getting a bit higher now. Yep. I wonder if I should go back to Maine today. The path looks pretty clear. My first attempt of hiking the A.T. That is actually a cloud. All about Clingman's Dome...The highest point in Tennessee. There it is. It has been 30 years since the last time I have been here. Oooooooooo...I wonder what it looks like for real. Awwwww.... More people walking up to the tower. Bye tower, hope you are here for another 30 years. My second attempt also ended in failure. New wallpaper for my Iphone. Goodbye!