[coasterdude89]

I just happened to be going to look up something about Dollywood, and noticed that they totally redid their site! It is so cool...much much more informational. It is in flash. has photo galleries...they even redid Splash Country. This comes at a bad time, especially since I am in the process of making the only known Dollywood fansite... (more info coming soon.)

<a href='http://www.dollywood.com/' target='_blank'>Check it out</a>

I finally signed up for the newsletter since they used to make you give them your address and everything...which I am very cautious at doing...now you just do like carowinds does!

What do you think of the new site?

(oh, and sorry about this being off topic, but I know how much everyone here loves Dollywood!)

[coasterdave]

I like the pic of the Ozark Wildcat on the site.

[coasterdude89]

Yep...reminds me of how Carowinds never advertises Top Gun with a different colored inverted coaster!

[swampfox43]

Yeh, I noticed that was the Ozark Wildcat photo they were using and I know this sounds petty but that is one of my biggest pet-peeves with park chains and web sites (and commercials).

Why on earth can't they use an actual picture of Thunderhead?? It will cost ZERO extra dollars to change that picture. Whether the general public realizes this as not being Thunderhead is not the point here. It's simply false advertising. PERIOD!

The same goes for Carowinds. In the 7 years that Top Gun has been open, they have yet to use an actual picture of that ride in a park brochure.

and it's not just Carowinds. Many of the theme parks do it. The only park I can think of that does not do this is Cedar Point.

OK, I'm finished ranting :unsure: I feel better now.:rolleyes:

I really am in a good mood tonight.

[bgwfreak]

^^ You're not alone. That gets on my nerves too.

The OW isn't as obvious as the PGA Top Gun is though.

I've seen parks advertise a new ride and the ride in the brochure is nothing like the actual ride because they used a sister parks picture. :rolleyes:

[Carowinds44]

When I went to SFOG I bought a Georgia Scorcher shirt and a while later I realized that it isn't even the Georgia Scorcher on it, it's the Mantis lol.

[coasterdude89]

Yep.....I don't get why parks use other parks coasters to advertise their own!

[shamless plug:Oh....and the site that I am working on is called Premier Dollywood if you must know...I am so mad at my computer right now....I am having trouble getting the background to upload!--end shamless plug!]

[swampfox43]

When I went to SFOG I bought a Georgia Scorcher shirt and a while later I realized that it isn't even the Georgia Scorcher on it, it's the Mantis lol.

LOL! That reminds me of 2 different t-shirts I remember seeing at Carowinds in the mid 90's. One was a Carolina Cyclone t-shirt that was clearly Drachen Fyre (now defunct) from Busch Gardens in VA. The other t-shirt, and I wish I had bought one of these, was simply a Paramount Carowinds shirt that showed a suspended coaster, similar to the Big Bad Wolf at BGW, on it.

[Dukeis#1]

Yep.....I don't get why parks use other parks coasters to advertise their own!

The average park visitor wouldn't know/care that a picture of another coaster is being used. Just as long as they look similar. (Sometimes not even that)

If it's a new ride, the park might not have any pictures of it yet, so they'll just use stock images of a similar ride. Things like brochures and other promotional materials are printed months in advance of the park's opening...

A few years ago, Dollywood used filtered video footage of Kumba at BGT in commercials to advertise Tennessee Tornado.

Anyway, looking foward to your new Dollywood site!

[swampfox43]

Yeh Duke, but you have to admit, Dollywood should be using actual Thunderhead photos on their new website. Not Ozark Wildcat.

I mean c'mon. Thunderhead is such a pretty ride in a beautiful setting. You'd think they'd want to show it off. How hard would that be?

I fully understand that the GP generally doesn't know one coaster from another but I still think it's deceiving to a degree. When I was 5 years old I looked at every detail on park brochures.

I can accept this practice on a coasters first year of operation when the parks do not have time to get photos on that seasons brochure but after that.....there's absolutely no excuse, IMO.

Oh well, I ain't the one makin' the decisions so I just live with it and move on.

[montumax]

<a href='http://dollywood.com/press-room/press_releases.aspx?id=83' target='_blank'>Dollywood 2006</a>

Topple Tower....

[Jonathan]

Sounds like Thunderhead Gap will be a little busier next year. With the restaurant there now there won't even be a reason to leave that section. I just hope the topple tower isn't as mild as I've read they are.

[coasterdude89]

I read that earlier today on Screamscape. Sound awesome....I hope that it is intense. Now Dollywood just needs to add a floorless, hyper, flying, basically any type of coaster and then some more flat rides...and the park will be better than ever!

I will be at Dollywood/Splashcountry Aug 1-3...can't wait to go and ride thunderhead again!

[swampfox43]

Here are some on ride & off ride video clips of a Topple Tower in action.

<a href='http://infovv.free.fr/ElVolador-offride.wmv' target='_blank'>Off ride</a>

<a href='http://infovv.free.fr/ElVolador-onride.wmv' target='_blank'>On ride</a>

[coasterdude89]

Looks really fun...though a bit short in the whole tumbling/sidways motion...but looks really neat!