GateKeeper Media Day Video

I was lucky enough to be able to attend GateKeeper's media day at Cedar Point. Here is some off-ride video of GateKeeper I took. If you've been on any other wing coaster then know Gatekeeper feels exactly the same, only longer. I like airtime above everything else so I rank rides like Leviathan and SkyRush over GateKeeper. However, I will say GateKeeper is one of the, if not, the most visually stunning ride in the world today (followed by Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit at Universal Orlando which I think is one of the coolest looking rides out there). I also have to hand it to Cedar Point for putting on an outstanding media day event. The weather was perfect too, unlike the past couple of days that have seen three coasters valley: Maverick, Millennium Force, and Woodstock Express.

Cedar Fair CEO, Matt Ouimet, hinted at a new attraction, saying that he had given his team a new "challenge." I believe that challenge is creating a family dark ride attraction not tied to an existing Intellectual Property. What do you think?

New Thrills Connect Ad in AAA Magazine

Cedar Point (and Cedar Fair for that matter) are rolling out a new marketing campaign this year called Thrills Connect (which I detailed in an earlier post). I saw one of these new "emotion over promotion" ads today in AAA's magazine, Home and Away. In case you can't read it the white text says "If kids are going to wake you early, rides should be involved."

Dollywood Vacations "Ladybug" Cabin Review

I enjoyed a short weekend vacation by heading to Tennessee to check out America’s first wing coaster, Wild Eagle, at Dollywood. My full review of the new ride, with photo and video, will be posted on 101. Friday and Saturday night we stayed in one of Dollywood Vacation Cabins. Last year we stayed in One More Night which is in the Star Resort area. This time we were in Ladybug, a two story cabin with a nice view but a pain in the butt to get to.

Pictured below is a scan of the Dollywood Vacations resort map. The cabins Dollywood operates are mixed in with other cabins own by other resorts or individuals. The map is pretty deceiving because a lot of smaller roads are missing. Dollywood’s cabins look closer on the map then they actually are.

If you’re looking for cabins in the Gatlinburg vicinity, I highly recommend Dollywood Vacations. Cabin prices range from affordable to luxuriously expensive – but oh so worth it. Ladybug goes from $99 to $399 depending on the time of year. The Dollywood vacation package can include length of stay tickets to the theme park, including free parking in Lot B! Guests can take home free lanyards and plastic souvenir cups. Easily one of the best Pigeon Forge attractions!

One of my favorite features of the cabins, which you can see in the pictures and video I've added, is the hot tub on the back deck. This cabin also happened to have a Jacuzzi inside on the second story along with a pool table! Ladybug has two full baths and can sleep up to 6 people. We watched a thunderstorm roll in Friday night from the comfort of the hot tub.

Where is Dollywood you ask? Dollywood’s location is in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, land of the blue smoke, and the cabins for rent are located on the mountains behind the park. The main road to get to the park and the cabins is the second to last stoplight from the Smoky Mountain parkway leading to nearby Gatlinburg (a beautiful road to drive on). Once again, I highly recommend staying in these cabins, though I much prefer staying in the cabins closer to the park and the main roads. But trust me, you'll be able to hear the train whistle from any cabin in the area - it's loud!


FYI The address of the Dollywood Vacations Cabin "Ladybug" is: 2321 Foxberry Way.

Brochure Spotlight: Ontario Place 1999

After hearing the news that the Ontario Place rides will not reopen for the 2012 season I finally got around to scanning in my brochure and park map from Ontario Place 1999. I posted a video earlier of one of my personal favorite log flumes which will be missed. It was a very unique park so hopefully whatever happens to the property is just as unique!