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Dollywood Pigeon Forge, Tennessee Event: Coasterstorm Weather: Sunny and Cold Crowds: Moderate Lines: Minimal We had a head start on this trip since I’ve moved to the northern suburbs of Atlanta, trimming the long 4 hour drive to around 3.5 hours with stops, and 3 hours straight through. We were bleary-eyed but awake as we headed out around 8:30. We were still recovering from seeing U2 the night before, but registration for our ACE event stopped at 12, so we just had to suck it up. We took our normal route through the Great Smokey Mountains National Park and got to Dollywood right around noon. We were informed that there would be no exception to the 40 degree rule for ERT, so we kept our fingers crossed, but I was pretty pessimistic. So we were off into the park, heading right for Thunderhead. Not a terribly long line, with a full station and one train, it was about 15 minutes. We didn’t mind that too much, but the ride operator was brutal. He must have thought he was auditioning for a roll on “Bad Improv Comedy” the way he used the down time between unloading/loading as a chance to chat with the crowd and attempt to be funny. If guests aren’t allowed to distract the operator while the ride is running, he shouldn’t be allowed to talk to us. The ride, of course, was outstanding as always. We figured we should wait for a shift change, so we moved on after the one ride. County Fair was next, and we hit the Aviator, Dizzy Disk, and Tea Cups. Their flat ride package was a great addition, though I was disappointed by the pain inflicted on the Disko. There has to be a better way to restrain riders. Let’s just say it’s a good thing I don’t have ovaries. We moved onto Craftman’s Valley and walked on Blazing Fury (I have the shoulder bruise to prove it). Tennessee Tornado was next; we gave it a couple rides, seeing as it was also walk-on. Things were getting chilly, so we decided to work our way back to the car to get our extra clothing. The temperature was dropping, but it was still above 40 degrees, so ERT was still possible. We hit Thunderhead on our way out, and a few more times before it was time for the group photo I’m right in the center, back row, sporting my Georgia Tech sweatshirt. We had about 30 minutes until our Thanksgiving buffet dinner, so we went back to Tennessee Tornado for one last ride. Dinner was great, easily the best meal at an ACE event I’ve ever had. We had the entire Thanksgiving spread, without the annoying but required interaction of distant family members that you just don’t remember. While the temperature was still holding, we were given tickets to their 8pm holiday show since no one thought it would still be warm enough by 9pm. So we saw that, and it was as extravagant and cheesy as I expected. It also was awfully preachy; it went from singing Christmas carols in a Smokey mountain log cabin, to reenacting the nativity and then singing gospel songs in purple satin robes. I was a little caught off guard, but I guess I shouldn’t have been so surprised. We had our own little miracle, by 9pm a thick cloud cover had rolled in, and it was 45 degrees and holding. Thunderhead ERT was on, and I was on the first and last train of the session, getting in every other ride (too crowded to stay on, had to walk around). We got about 8 rides in during the hour, and we hoped the adrenaline would hold us over for the long drive back to Georgia. It didn’t, but we managed to make it back safely shortly before 2am. This is my last park trip of the season, but things will start back up with Goliath Media Day in March! Here’s a quick summary of my respectable 2005 season: New Parks – Lunear (Rome, Italy) – 3 new coasters Six Flags Darien Lake (Darien, New York) – 4 new coasters Visited Parks – Busch Gardens Tampa (Tampa, Florida) – 2 new coasters Visionland (Bessemer, Alabama) – 1 new coaster Dollywood (Pigeon Force, Tennessee) – 2 visits Six Flags Over Georgia (Austell, Georgia) – 2 visits Back to Trip Reports
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