I’m Going to be on The Discovery Channel!

**Thank you Marketplace Homes for sponsoring me for the Brandcation:  Blog Cabin conference.  Think you can’t move?  Think again and contact Marketplace Homes today!!

While I was staying in the absolutely beautiful cabin in the Smokey Mountains for the Brandcation:  Blog Cabin event, I had the opportunity to visit Dollywood.  I was very excited about Dollywood because I hadn’t been there since I was a kid shortly after they opened in 1986!!  Boy has it changed!  Some of it looked familiar to me, but I can tell Dolly’s been busy expanding her park!

One of the first things we were told when we arrived was that The Discovery Channel was at the park filming one of the roller coasters (Wild Eagle) for a show about roller coasters (we were not told the name).  I was excited, yet nervous.  I haven’t been on a roller coaster in 10 years!  But…there was NO WAY I was going to turn down the opportunity to be on The Discovery Channel!!  That’s a once in a lifetime opportunity!  So at 10 a.m. sharp, we headed to the Wild Eagle!

Upon seeing the roller coaster, my stomach fell.  Look at that drop after the first hill!  But again, The Discovery Channel was here and I was not going to miss that.  So I put on my big girl pants, signed the waiver that said there is a chance I could die (no I joke…it didn’t really say that) and got in line with everyone (after testing out the sample seat…wanted to make sure everything fit properly before getting up there)!  Once we met the director and the hosts for the show, we were immediately put at ease.  Not only were they hilarious, but they truly are fun and you could tell they loved their job!  How could they not…they went around riding and designing roller coasters…it’s just like my son wanting to be a video game designer when he grows up, gotta do what you love…and get paid for it!

Finally it was time to ride the coaster.  I decided I wanted to go big or go home so I chose the second row of seats (they left the front row empty for some reason).  After getting buckled in, my riding partner and I started noticing all the cameras and recording devices attached to our seats.  Holy cow…the we were definitely going to be seen on the show!  The director came over to check the cameras and informed us that we were riding with the “hero cams”.  While I thought that was cool, all I could think of was “Leah…don’t swear.  You don’t want them bleeping you out on The Discovery Channel”.

 

 

I loved it!  And it’s a good thing I did because I had to ride it three times in different parts of the roller coaster before I could get off!  But believe me…after that third time, I was more than ready to be done!  Once we were done riding, the director had all of us and the hosts of the show stand outside the ride and talk about the roller coaster.  We listed the things we liked about it and the things we did not like about it.  I personally did not like riding on the inside.  I felt like it was jerkier that way and the outside was smoother.

After filming was complete for the day (I feel like such a movie star saying that!), we headed for lunch and then Candy and I decided to ride the Wild Eagle one more time.  This time from the very front seat.  It was that ride that did me in.  My roller coaster riding for the day was done.  It was fun, but that split second where you seem to just float at the top of the hill facing the ground while the rest of the coaster is moving up the hill was it for me.

Stay tuned for Part Two of my day at Dollywood!  We had so much fun there that it HAD to be split up into two posts!  I promise, as soon as I know when this roller coaster show will be airing, I will let you all know!

**While attending Brandcation:  Blog Cabin, lunch and admission to Dollywood was provided.  This review and all of the content in it is solely my opinion and was not influenced in any way.