Disability advacacy group files suit against Dollywood

Do any buzzers approve of Dollywood.... I was thinking of planning a trip there but I havent heard much about the park......

nascartheridein05?, Dollywood is a neat park, with a moderate selection of flat rides, a darned good Arrow looper (with a drop feature that reminds me of Dragon Mountain), and a full-size steam train. It's a beautiful wooded setting, and when I was there a few years ago during their Christmas celebration I noticed that their major show was in fact a Christmas show, with no apologies. I can see where the terrain of the park may present barriers uder the terms of ADA, but it isn't because the park hasn't tried to fix the problem...

--Dave Althoff, Jr.

Hmmm, I wonder whether the person who thought to sue was disabled or able-bodied.

As I became disabled a few years ago (no big deal nowadays but it freaked me out at the time) I have found I have become a 'target' for ambulance chasers. If they have reps on the street then I tend to be 'targeted' with a *sympathetic (ie patronising)* face.

If this was a park looking to actively keep disabled patrons out of *sight* then sue with my blessing. I have to say though that it looks like just another 'get rich quick' scheme where the main benefactor is the lawyer who took the case on.

If I appear to be ranting, I apologise - I just don't like being a 'cash cow' for anyone :( I go with the flow - if I can't ride I'm not gonna throw all of my toys outta the crib, I'll look outside the box. See you all on Dragster in 2004 :)

Jim ;)

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life is sweet even on elbow crutches ;)

The park is beautiful with a good selection of rides for the whole family, however the location is nothing BUT terrain and some of is inaccessable to the disabled. Dollywood has however made alternative routes available for the disabled and as far as I can tell they do NOT miss out on the whole experience of the park.

Sometimes they may not be able to go the same exact way as the flow of traffic but they CAN reach every attraction with little or no trouble.

This is what I like to call a fishing expedition where this group is just fishing for some quick cash and they picked someone who can do NOTHING about the problem other then what they already have.

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Flying over metal is a beautiful thing!

TNcoasterman

TNcoasterman - couldn't agree more!

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life is sweet

I'm not familiar with the particulars of the lawsuit, and I've never been to Dollywood. I am the father of a handicapped child.

When disability groups such as this sue public accomadations, the objective is usually to improve access, not to obtain any sort of significant cash settlement. Except in extreme cases or employment related suits, there usually isn't a whole lot of money available in disability lawsuits. That's why you don't see many lawyers advertising on television for these cases.

In fact for many disability related cases lawyers want cash up front before they will represent you. The exception is when there is a personal injury or malparctice case involved, then the ambulance chasers move in.

One of these days I'm gonna cut off my legs.

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Kingbob wrote this.

I've Always thought Dollywood was one of the more Handicapped-Friendly Parks out there. All of the Attractions can accomidate Guest in Wheelchairs (By Assuming the Disabled Guest can get out of the seat and into the ride vehicle), Except the Mountain Slidewinder, but that is only one attraction out of 22. Like mentioned in the Article, the park also lets Disabled Guests Come in Free.

I wonder why they filed it against Dollywood directly. There are many other parks out there who are much more unfriendly to Handicapped Guests.

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"Grit Your Teeth, Bare The Load, Enjoy your ride, on Thunder Road"

The reason is because it's "Dollywood". One of the major partners is a famous country western personality. This alone guarentees at least fifty percent more press than if it had been a SF, Paramount or other park.Now, without seeing the actual suit and the alleged deficiencies,it's extremely difficult to determine if it's a legitimate action, or they're on a "fishing" trip.