As anyone who has been to a theme park knows, sometimes a ride has to come to a stop. Different parks will call these situations different things but they’re all essentially the same. Maybe a handicap person needs a little extra time boarding a vehicle or maybe there’s a pukey situation that needs attention. Whatever the cause, rides will sometimes stop for a while so that a situation can be resolved. Most of the time, the rides then resume or guests are evacuated off of the ride if there’s a situation that means it needs longer downtime.
One TikTok user has gained millions of views off of a situation like this at Dollywood. While sitting on the Tennessee Tornado, the lift hill came to a stop and the guests were told an attendant would come to evacuate them. Although not the most fun situation, it’s also not a bizarre, newsworthy event. What might be more newsworthy is that the woman proceeded to hold her phone out in front of her and calmly state that she was “terrified”. What would follow is a bizarre series of attention-seeking efforts that are truly impressive.
@morgancscott83 The scariest part was they told us they were letting us off then 10 minutes later, it started up. @jennifer.l.scott1230 #dollywood #fear #rollercoaster
But of course, that wasn’t enough. Had it been, it would have been a cute, hyperbolic family video. After getting millions of views out of a mundane situation, the woman followed that up by claiming the coaster would later make a loud “bang” and show a blurry photo of her family terrified as they had their picture taken. What she fails to mention is that the photo is taken on this ride as you go under an interior section and you’re nearly finished with the ride. Why you would be scared as you near the end of the attraction which is using gravity in a normal manner to perform normally is beyond me. The “bang” she’s referring to would have been the release of the locking mechanism and the start of the lift chain. If you’ve ever been on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or Space Mountain at Disney World, you’ll be familiar with that sound on a lift hill when the vehicle first reaches the chain.
@morgancscott83 Update on Dollywood Tennessee Tornado Coaster Scare! We are alive! Lol. Thank you for everyone that asked if we are ok!! @jennifer.l.scott1230 #dollywood #tennesseetornado #ohno #OscarsAtHome #update #fyp
And because the photo was so blurry, she follows this mind-numbing drama with a closeup which reveals a totally normal-looking ride experience. It’s nothing like she has alleged.
@morgancscott83 Reply to @3.too.love
Of course to any sane person this is clearly chasing attention as all that happened is a momentary ride stop that millions of people have experienced. It’s 100% normal and the woman’s demeanor when she says she’s terrified clearly shows she knows that too. But after she began to be called out for the silliness of it all, she did what you might expect… claimed that women should be able to stand up for themselves:
@morgancscott83 Over it! #dobetter #karen #standingupforyourself #SmellLikeIrishSpring #willsmith
And now, with this audio, we’re giving all of this ordeal even more attention, which is probably what she would like. But can I give all of you some advice? If you’re stuck on a thrill ride momentarily, don’t hold out your phone and record a video or take a selfie. Have fun with your fellow riders, your friends, your family. If the ride starts up soon, it may be a bit jarring and you could lose your phone you’re holding. If you’re on a gentle ride and something cool happens, like maybe the lights in Pirates of the Caribbean turn on, go ahead an film it. If you’re at the top of a lift hill, however, probably not the best place to take out your phone and calmly state you’re terrified. That is 1) how phones get broken and 2) how overly dramatic adventures begin.
Dollywood has not yet responded to the woman’s “ordeal”.
For all the latest on news that should be fun, keep checking out That Park Place! Do you think the woman was in the right through all of this or was she overly dramatic? Let us know in the comments below.
