Dollywood

Swoosh,

I take offense to you saying the locals are DUMB. I'm a local and host at Dollywood. That was just a plain rude comment.

I noticed that the robbery was gone this year. I was there last year and they had it and it used the script as SDC.

It has been discontinued since.

---

Swoosh said:
I think the thing that really ruined it for me was the locals. They are just DUMB, there is no way around it. Sorry to be so blunt, and yes as gardner said it is one opinion (however it is actually three as the entire MiG crew went).

---

Wow. What a very nice, prejudicial thing to say. Way to generalize about an entire community there, Swoosh! I take back everything I said in taking up for you in that other thread.

Nice going.

Yes it was. Bad Swoosh! Now go sit in Time-Out!

Looks like we have a nomination for jerk of the week with the comment of the locals are DUMB from MR Why Can't Dollywood Be Just Like SDC.

You are not planning on being in PR are you? If you do then you really stink at it.

Swoosh, the comment about the "dumb" locals was quite uncalled for. My recent and extended visit to Dollywood took me to a region of the country quite different than my home here in Massachusetts. For example, it was a mild "culture shock" to witness the level of Christian beliefs worn on people's t-shirts and bumper stickers. I could somewhat unfairly generalize about the people of the area being just a bunch of conservative Christians, but at the same time they could label me a Massachusetts liberal as I wore my Boston gay pride 2004 t-shirt around the park. However, despite outward appearances, I think we were all there to have a good time, and we all have a level of pride in our beliefs and in our heritage. I in no way think the locals are "dumb"...we're just different people coming from different places. Maybe the roads traveled by the "locals" and myself will cross paths or even join paths once again someday, and maybe our ideas and ideals will have been altered somehow by our shared experiences . *** Edited 8/21/2004 2:50:54 AM UTC by gardener14*** *** Edited 8/21/2004 3:18:25 AM UTC by gardener14*** *** Edited 8/21/2004 4:35:48 AM UTC by gardener14***

I do not find the DW Express BORING by any means. I ride it everytime I go, and I NEVER SEE ANYONE BORED, quite the opposite. DW and it's wonderful staff keep those beautiful steam locomotives in wonderful condition. Alot of people are amazed to be riding behind one of them, i know i sure am.

The Jealousy ends here, and now. DW is BIGGER, has MORE Rides, has MORE Gardens, sure, SDC will beat it in some places, but DW beats it in some too.

First off why the heck would we SDCers be jealous of you guys? Remember, we OWN you. Well, not we, but SDC, Inc. which turned into HFEC OWNS you, but same deal really.

How exactly do you know DW has more GARDENS than SDC? Did you personally go out and check to make sure that DW has more? You have never even been to DW CoastermanX, if I am correct. So until you have been to our park, you can not comment on which is better.

But you're right, we are jealous of you. But it's not because of the rides, the gardens, the beautiful mountains, all the trees, ect. It's because of one thing that SDC does not have...

IMPLANTS!!! ( . )( . ) :) *** Edited 8/21/2004 3:30:40 AM UTC by ReturnofCoasterBill***

How defensive the SDCers get, im gonna go out on a limb and say theyre all like this.

Oh and, The DOLLYWOOD Company owns a little more than half of the park, so there goes HFEC controlling even half the park. *** Edited 8/21/2004 2:48:31 PM UTC by CoastermanX***

So what, is HFEC too good for you guys now?

Fine we can drop ownership, would that satisfy you?

In all honesty I have never been to Dollywood. I am sure it is a magical theme park. Most of my posts are just to be playing devils advocate. I love SDC and I'm sure I would love DW if I got to know the park better. HFEC is a great company with excelent theme parks. They know how to manage a park well in every aspect. Everywhere from the janitorial staff to the big guys, it is a company that is run with pure professionalism.

Edit:where still better though. ;) *** Edited 8/21/2004 3:39:44 AM UTC by ReturnofCoasterBill***

CoasterBill, you act as if you ARE HFEC. From everything you've said, you are simply a fan and on-looker, why must you act like you own the company?

First of all, I want to extend my dearest of appologies to any of the locals that were offended by the wording in one of my posts. If there are any harsh and/or negative feelings towards me I completely understand and do not blame you. With that being said I do think that some of you need to look in the mirror and take the plank out your eye before worrying about the speck in mine. Impaired vision is a wonderful thing isn't it? Funny thing is, it's a two way street.

However I regress...during my visit to Dollywood I have a wonderful time on the rides. They were great and like I stated in several posts (which was apparent that quite a few skipped over on your quest to get your torches and pitch forks to come take me down) I stated that I did enjoy quite a few of the rides. With that being said I also stated on ways that the park can be improved. These comments did not sit well with some of you "fanboys" who think that the sun raises and sets on Dollywood. Newsflash, even the best park can become better. I nit-pick my homeparks to death, you can ask the parks about how annoying that can be, I just want them to become better.

Now for the "racial-slurs" that I made. As I stated above they are my opinion. I am not forcing you to feel the same way or to even accept them, however I am stating that you have to respect me in the aspect that they are my opinion. The day I was there must have been hick day. I concur that I had an extreme culture shock, but then you must understand that I grew up in a very urban area that does not communicate with each other in the ways that the visitors to the park were that day. If this is not normal operating procedure for the guests to behave in such manners, I take back everything that I have stated. However, last Saturday (August 14th) was perhaps one of the worst cases of stupid-itis that I have ever been in contact with. I do realize I am dealing with a completely different set of moral standards, customs and what-nots, but some of the things that the guests did that day was down right unacceptable. If you as "locals" take offense to my comments, do something about those that are making you look bad. When a guy from St,Louis does a bad crime, he makes all of Missouri look bad, when a hick from Tennessee acts like he has never been out in public, he makes the whole state look bad. THAT'S LIFE, if you don't like it you know what the alternative is.

Finally for the last time AND PLEASE READ IT THIS TIME! Dollywood was a fine park AS IS, they just could do so much more and that's what the point of all my posts in this thread. I like SDC, I like DW they can coexist. Just realize I live near SDC so it is only natural for me to expect SDC when I visit SDC, just as you would expect DW if you visited SDC.

He is without sin can cast the first stone, and I know NONE of you can do that.

[stepping off soap box]

See, now thats where you are most definitly wrong. I respect opinions, thats one thing. But I do not respect pre-judice. Thats not a racial slure, that is just being an idiot and generalizing. I'm from West Virginia, and yes, I get the jokes all of the time. But when someone makes an ass of themself and says something like "Oh the locals are dumb in WV", I get pissed because they aren't making a joke.

Then I feel pity for someone with such a closed mind. Its no different than saying disparaging remarks about other races, religions, orientations.

There is no acceptable reason to say something like that. That "Plucking the stake out of your own eye" is talking about judging people in the first place, which you are clearly doing. In that instance, the bible isn't saying that we can't be offended when somone is being an idiot and saying offensive things, and it is ironic that you use that, since you are obviously trying to pull out the splinters in those dumb people from tenn.'s eyes, when you clearly have a rafter in yours...

If that truely is your opinion, I'm sorry that you have such close minded opinions, and wish you the best of luck when you get knocked up side the head with the real world one of these days...

And as for your comment in "when one of this person does this it makes the whole look bad" crap, I guess when someone black commits a crime that it makes all black people look like criminals? When an adult male Pedophile molests a little boy that makes all gay people look bad? When a white man in a sheet and cone head kills someone for being "non-white", that makes you look bad? That is the most stupid thing I've heard all day, and there have been alot of stupid posts here lately.

Opinions matter, but prejudice is inexcusable. Open your mind. "culture shock" is not an excuese for those comments.

Maybe when you remove your foot from your mouth, I'll agree to listen to some more of that blather coming from you.

Noone here, btw, is casting stones because you are sinning. We're just upset because you make a remark that was totally unacceptable, and you keep preacing it, thus making you look worse. And in that other DW thread, I guess you want everyone to speak english? What about when you're in a "More Urban" area and people speak Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish? Should they have to cater to your needs as well? I don't care how people in line talk, I'm not trying to be all in the conversation they're having, I'm there to have fun. *** Edited 8/21/2004 6:27:59 AM UTC by TeknoScorpion***

"fanboys" who think that the sun raises and sets on Dollywood.

Just as you do Silver Dollar City?

Many moons ago I got bashed all to hell because I said "There is no proof that Celebration City will be a sucess", as there was none at the time with it being 4 months prior to the grand-reopening.

I know that this will not set with some of you but Dolly does not own Dollywood. It is still owned by HFE. Dolly has sort of a naming rights deal with them. *** Edited 8/21/2004 3:27:35 PM UTC by Jeff Mast***

i wonder something: about people in general.
when was the last time someone said, or thought: Wow, that guy from Ohio speaks w/such intelligence, he makes all ohioans look great...
everyone has an opinion, good or bad, right or wrong... but it's dollars and cents here: Go to the park, spend money and if you don't like an aspect of it, don't go back... I liked DW, found it nicer than the Parks in Ohio, both by it's workers and the crowd... didn't see any line jumping at DW. Couldn't say that for 6-flags WOA, CP or even PKI...

Dolly DOES on a percentage of Dollywood, ask anyone, even though, im thinking HFEC is still the controlling partner.

I travel with the most cynical, hypercritical people in the world : a bunch of teenagers. They don't have much patience with anything and if there's a flaw hiding anywhere, they'll notice it and complain about it for an hour. And in our annual schedule of a dozen parks, they get to see the best of every category, from coasters to trains to restaurants to shows. What a bunch of prima donnas.

And they love Dollywood.

They love the train. They rank it among their top five, along with Disneyworld, Busch Gardens, Kings Island and Cedar Point. They take rolls of film of the engines from various angles, especially crossing the bridge by the Old Mill. They act like kindergartners, asking questions about its history and wanting to climb up into the cab and see the controls. Some of them are railroad hobbyists or modellers and they consider the train just as important as Thunderhead as a reason to visit DW.

They love Thunderhead. They immediately moved it up to sixth place in their rankings of woodies.

They love Tornado. The girls are especially quick to complain about rough coasters, and they never mention this after riding Tornado.

They love the water rides. They consider them unique. They are original and well maintained.

They love the food. They still consider the single restaurant at Indiana Beach, The Sky Room, the best amusement park restaurant in the country; with Kennywood's Park Terrace and the total arrays at Disney and Busch Garden close behind; but they consider DW's total array the best of any park in variety, quality and service.

And they love the shows. Our school has an outstanding music program, and many of our kids are music majors, so one would assume they have some taste. They love the various shows. *** Edited 8/21/2004 6:15:46 PM UTC by Trekker Park***

Just to let you SDC fans know...DW is #1 in almost all areas of all HFE properties. This comes from Joel Manby, CEO of HFE. To name a few #1 in friendliness, return visits, new visits, etc. Also, DW is their major money maker.

Char

DW host