Tag: Gatlinburg

Titanic Museum Attraction readies for world-class Ice Carving Competition on Saturday, Jan. 14

Posted by Rick Laney – January 6, 2012

Pigeon Forge, Tenn. –  World-class professional ice sculptors will compete at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge this month as part of the museum’s amazing kick-off to the 100-Year Anniversary of Titanic’s maiden voyage.  This unique, family-oriented, outdoor special event takes place in the parking area at the World’s Largest Titanic Museum Attraction.

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge will host the outdoor event with a major ice carving competition on Saturday, Jan. 14 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.  Due to anticipated interest, visitors are advised to arrive early for the best views to watch all of the ice carving action.  Last year’s ice carving competition at Titanic Museum Attraction drew nearly 5,000 people to the massive museum, and this year’s event is expected to be even bigger.

“This exciting one-day event will be produced by Titanic Pigeon Forge under the auspices of the National Ice Carving Association,” said John Joslyn, co-owner of the Titanic Museum Attraction.

“Visitors will be invited to come to Titanic’s outdoor staging center and watch professional and amateur sculptors turn 250-pound blocks of ice into frozen works of art. Kids and parents can view sculptures in progress, talk to the artists and learn the secrets of championship ice carving from the most accomplished ice artists in the entire world.”

Professionals and amateurs will compete for prize monies ranging from $500 to $2,000. The official NICA Judging Panel will announce the competition winners and award prizes at 3 p.m.

“After watching these artists at work, people will want to stick around to see if their favorite sculptor is the big-prize winner,” Joslyn said.

Although it has been open less than two years, the Titanic Museum attraction already is recognized as one of the Great Smoky Mountain Region’s top attractions, and draws approximately 100,000 visitors each and every month.

“As the whole world remembers the world’s most famous luxury liner on the 100-Year Anniversary of her maiden voyage, Titanic Museum Attractions will continue to open the door to the past in it’s one-of-a-kind way, letting ‘passengers’ experience what it was like to walk the hallways, parlors, cabins and Grand Staircase of the Titanic while surrounded by more than 400 artifacts directly from the ship and its passengers,” Joslyn said.

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is open daily at 9 a.m.  Reservations are strongly suggested (many days sell out entirely). Or, passengers may purchase tickets online at www.titanicpigeonforge.com or by phone at 800-381-7670.

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Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 441-2388
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

Titanic Snow Princess Brings Holiday Magic to the Mountains

Posted by Rick Laney – November 22, 2011

Titanic Museum Attraction's "Snow Princess"

Pigeon Forge, TN – The folklore of the Smokies tell of mystical characters traveling through the misty woods, bringing the winter snow and frost with them as they paint the region in sparkling crystal. From across the Atlantic, a new personality has arrived to bring the fantasies of the season to life in the mountains as the Titanic Museum Attraction welcomes the Titanic Snow Princess for the first time ever to the Smokies. With each magical visit, the princess’ arrival will be heralded with real, falling snow from the great ship’s bow.

“The Titanic Snow Princess is a shining star for this year’s Titanic Christmas in Winter Wonderland,” says John Joslyn, expedition leader of the first private exploration dive to the Titanic and owner of the Titanic Museum Attraction. “She represents the magic and mystery of the holiday season common to children in 1912 and today.”

The Titanic Snow Princess brings the fairy tale legends of her own home across the waters to the peaks and forests of the Great Smoky Mountains, delivering holiday enchantment beginning Thanksgiving weekend (Thursday, Friday and Saturday Thanksgiving week only at 6 p.m.) and continuing every Saturday evening at 6 p.m. through December 17 at the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge. The Snow Princess will arrive by horse-drawn carriage and, with the wave of her hand, will light the winter night with thousands of Christmas lights and decorations aboard the Titanic as the invisible sprites of the mountains magically create a snowfall from the ship’s bow to welcome the fairy tale royalty.

The Titanic Christmas in Winter Wonderland extravaganza features thousands of holiday lights, Edwardian-period decorations, costumed merry-markers, a magical Gift Shoppe brimming with original, one-of-a-kind gifts and a return of last year’s crowd favorite, the legendary weekend snowfall.

“Every day, but especially at Christmas, we remember and honor the men, women and children who sailed on the Titanic. At this special time, our guests truly experience what it was like onboard the ship in 1912, and how it might have looked on a Christmas voyage almost 100 years ago,” says Joslyn.

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, opens daily at 9 a.m. Reservations are strongly suggested since many days sell out entirely. Passengers may purchase tickets online at www.titanicattraction.com or by phone at (800) 381-7670.

Cedar Bay Entertainment, LLC owns and operates the Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Missouri, and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. A privately owned-and-operated entertainment and development company, Cedar Bay is headquartered in Branson, Missouri, the site of its first Titanic Museum Attraction. Titanic Branson has welcomed more than four million guests and Titanic Pigeon Forge boards approximately 100,000 “passengers” each month.

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Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

Treat your little princess like a real princess at the Titanic Museum Attraction’s first-ever ‘Princess Tea Party’

Posted by Rick Laney – September 13, 2011

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. – A magical day awaits little princesses throughout East Tennessee when the Titanic Museum Attraction has its “Princess Tea Party” starting Sept. 24, 2011.  For the first time ever, young ladies from across the area will be treated like royalty and aristocrats on board the world’s most luxurious and most famous ocean liner to ever set sail.

An English tradition dating back hundreds of years will come to life at Titanic Museum Attraction’s Princess Tea Party.  The English began drinking tea in the late 1650s, but with the high costs involved, it was normally a drink reserved almost exclusively for the very wealthy.  But, on Sept. 24, all princesses will enjoy an “afternoon tea” during the Princess Tea Party.

Each princess will experience an afternoon tea very much the way First Class passengers aboard RMS Titanic did.  Maids played an important role in serving tea on board the ship and they will be on hand to serve guests and teach them proper etiquette, table settings and serving skills.

First Class Maid Jamie will also be teaching mini-manner lessons during this time-honored ritual in gracious living.  Guests will be served classic finger sandwiches and cookies and will be given a Titanic fun patch to commemorate their participation in this special event.

Once the princesses have finished their afternoon tea they will be given a tour of the Titanic Museum.  The museum, which has already been named one of the Smoky Mountain Region’s top “must-see” attractions, hosts approximately 100,000 “passengers” each month.

The Princess Tea Party is open to children, ages 5-15 and will be held on Saturday, September 24.  The cost is $22 per child and $25 per adult (this includes admission into the Titanic Museum and the Tea Party).  Seating for the party will be every hour, starting at 9 a.m., with the last seating at 6 p.m.  Space for this signature event is limited and reservations are required.  Please call 800-381-7670 to make reservations.

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Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

Time is running out to nominate that special woman for a starring role in ad campaign and a free Girlfriend’s Getaway

Posted by Rick Laney – August 10, 2011

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – Do you know a woman who makes a positive impact everywhere she goes?  Right now, you could send that woman (even if she’s you) on a free, over-the-top Girlfriend’s Getaway and land her a starring role in a national ad campaign simply by telling us about her.  But you need to hurry because nominations close on Monday, August 15, 2011.

The Sevierville Chamber of Commerce has launched The Great Girlfriend’s Getaway Search, an opportunity to nominate an inspiring woman for a chance to win a Girlfriend’s Getaway to

Sevierville, Tenn. (in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains) and a starring role in Sevierville’s new national Girlfriend’s Getaway advertising campaign.

The winner will share her Sevierville Girlfriend’s Getaway experience with three of her closest gal-pals from September 25-October 1, 2011 and be featured in the city’s 2012 advertising campaign.

“A Sevierville Girlfriend’s Getaway can be a high-end outlet shopping trip, a confidence boosting outdoor adventure, a golf excursion with the ladies, and so much more,” says Sevierville Chamber of Commerce marketing director Amanda Marr. “Our destination offers a tremendous variety of activities so your getaway can be whatever you love to do. We want to focus on that while also reminding women that it’s important to make time for themselves guilt-free.

To nominate an amazing woman in your life, go to www.OfficialGirlfriendsGetaway.com.  Nominations may be submitted from now until August 15, 2011.

Sevierville is located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, is Dolly Parton’s hometown and is The Official Destination for Girlfriend’s Getaways™.

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Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

And you thought the “Royal Wedding” was over …

Posted by Rick Laney – August 3, 2011

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. – To honor the 12 honeymooning couples on board the RMS Titanic, the Titanic Museum Attraction and Star 102.1 FM will give away their own “Royal Wedding.”  The million-dollar Grand Staircase of the Titanic Museum Attraction creates a luxurious magic unlike anyplace else on earth.  Steeped in history and romanticism, the centerpiece of the world’s most famous ocean liner is exact in every detail to the one passengers walked on board the RMS Titanic – and it’s where the Titanic Royal Wedding will take place.

Couples wishing to enter the contest must complete an online form (www.TitanicAttraction.com) and submit a video introducing themselves, telling about their relationship, and explaining why they should win the “Royal Wedding.”  Once videos are submitted, three finalists will be selected and the public will be able to vote online beginning in December for their favorite couple after watching the videos.  One couple will win the Titanic Royal Wedding in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. and another couple will win a Titanic Royal Wedding in Branson, Mo.  Online voters will also select the bride’s gown, the wedding cake and the flowers for each of the weddings.  Winners will be announced on January 16, 2012.

The Titanic Museum Attraction and Star 102.1 FM’s Royal Wedding Contest is just one more special way the museum is honoring the 100 Year Anniversary of Titanic’s maiden voyage. It has been 99 years since a lookout in the crow’s nest shouted, “Iceberg right ahead!”  For the twelve months leading up to April 15, 2012, when it will have been a century since the RMS Titanic was lost, Titanic Museum Attractions will pay respect to and honor those 2,208 passengers and crew members with an ongoing series of special events, activities and ceremonies.

As the whole world remembers the world’s most famous luxury liner, Titanic Museum Attractions will continue to open the door to the past in it’s one-of-a-kind way – letting “passengers” experience what it was like to walk the hallways, parlors, cabins and Grand Staircase of the Titanic while surrounded by more than 400 artifacts directly from the ship and its passengers.  As visitors touch a real iceberg, walk the Grand Staircase and third class hallways, reach their hands into 28-degree water, and try to stand on the sloping decks, they learn what it was like on the RMS Titanic by experiencing it first-hand.

Each and every day, Titanic Museum Attractions provides a gateway to 1912, where First Class Maids and a variety of Officers and crew members bring the stories of the fabled ship and its fascinating passengers to life by retelling their stories in vivid, dramatic detail.  The priceless artifacts throughout the museum shed additional light on the lives of those passengers and crew members when guests see the actual belongings of those on board and artifacts that sailed on Titanic’s maiden voyage.

The Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. opens daily at 9 a.m.  Reservations are strongly suggested (many days sell out entirely). Or, passengers may purchase tickets online at www.TitanicAttraction.com or by phone at 800-381-7670.

Cedar Bay Entertainment, LLC owns and operates the Titanic Museum Attractions in Branson, Mo.  Titanic Tennessee, LLC owns and operates the Titanic Museum Attractions in Pigeon Forge, TN.  Both are privately owned-and-operated entertainment and development companies.  Cedar Bay is headquartered in Branson, Mo., the site of its first Titanic Museum Attraction.  Titanic Tennessee, LLC is headquartered in Pigeon Forge, TN.   Titanic Branson has welcomed more than 3 million guests, and Titanic Pigeon Forge boards approximately 100,000 “passengers” each month.

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Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

Nominate inspiring woman for free “Girlfriend’s Getaway” and she could be featured in national ad campaign

Posted by Rick Laney – August 2, 2011

Sevierville, Tenn. – August 2, 2011 – Do you know a woman who makes a positive impact everywhere she goes?  Right now, you could send that woman (even if she’s you) on a free, over-the-top Girlfriend’s Getaway and land her a starring role in a national ad campaign simply by telling us about her.

The Sevierville Chamber of Commerce has launched The Great Girlfriend’s Getaway Search, an opportunity to nominate an inspiring woman for a chance to win a Girlfriend’s Getaway to Sevierville, Tenn. (in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains) and a starring role in Sevierville’s new national Girlfriend’s Getaway advertising campaign.

The winner will share her Sevierville Girlfriend’s Getaway experience with three of her closest gal-pals from September 25-October 1, 2011 and be featured in the city’s 2012 advertising campaign.

“A Sevierville Girlfriend’s Getaway can be a high-end outlet shopping trip, a confidence boosting outdoor adventure, a golf excursion with the ladies, and so much more,” says Sevierville Chamber of Commerce marketing director Amanda Marr. “Our destination offers a tremendous variety of activities so your getaway can be whatever you love to do. We want to focus on that while also reminding women that it’s important to make time for themselves guilt-free.”

To nominate an amazing woman in your life, go to www.OfficialGirlfriendsGetaway.com.  Nominations may be submitted from now until August 15, 2011.

Sevierville is located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, is Dolly Parton’s hometown and is The Official Destination for Girlfriend’s Getaways™.

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Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

East Tennessee gets second chance to see ‘Jenny & Ashley’ after Wilderness concert tickets disappear in 15 minutes

Posted by Rick Laney – July 7, 2011

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – With people camped out in the parking lot at Smokies Stadium for nearly 12 hours, passes to the Jenny & Ashley concert and video shoot at Wilderness at the Smokies resort were grabbed up in just 15 minutes this morning. Fortunately, those who want to see the rising music and television stars perform will get a second chance when they rock Smokies Stadium on Wednesday evening, July 20, 2011.

Jenny & Ashley

Jenny & Ashley will perform during the Smokies’ home game against the Carolina Mud Cats. The sisters will also meet with fans and sign autographs before and after the game. Tickets to the Tennessee Smokies game are available at www.smokiesbaseball.com or at the team’s ticket office. Don’t miss this last opportunity to see Jenny & Ashley perform in East Tennessee.

Jenny (15) and Ashley (14) Cooke are originally from Wisconsin, but moved to Pleasanton, Calif. when they were in elementary school. The sisters discovered their talents early while performing in a number of theatre productions and quickly made the move to acting and modeling. Jenny appeared as a model and cover girl for Kohl’s television and print advertising and also started acting. Ashley quickly caught the bug too, and modeled for both Levi’s and Kohl’s in television and print advertising. They followed their dreams to Los Angeles, where Jenny and Ashley picked up television work with both Disney and Nickelodeon.

Quickly realizing their love and passion for music, the girls switched gears and headed to Nashville. Jenny & Ashley caught the eye of some very important players in Nashville and soon found themselves in-studio recording their first EP. The EP, “Songs About You,” has songs the girls wrote as well as great songs from famous Nashville writers. Darran Smith, Tim McGraw’s co-producer and lead guitarist, produced the entire product and Tim’s band, The Dance Hall Doctors, tracked every instrument you hear on the EP. “Songs About You,” available now on iTunes, is an upbeat pop/country album which includes the song “Indescribable,” co-written by Ashley, that is receiving national radio airplay.

Following in the footsteps of Disney superstars Miley Cyrus (“Hannah Montana”), Selena Gomez, and the Jonas Brothers, Jenny and Ashley Cooke are skyrocketing to stardom. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see them perform up-close and live.

Rick Laney, vice president of Knoxville-based Ackermann PR, is serving as a production consultant for the concert/video shoot. Laney has worked with National Geographic Television, MTV Productions, Travel Channel and other national and international television networks.

All additional details for the Jenny & Ashley appearance will be updated online at www.ackermannwire.com and at www.wildernessatthesmokies.com .

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Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

New teen sensations Jenny and Ashley will shoot concert video at Wilderness at the Smokies resort July 16

Posted by Rick Laney – June 30, 2011

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – Following in the footsteps of Disney superstars Miley Cyrus (“Hannah Montana”), Selena Gomez, and the Jonas Brothers, Jenny and Ashley Cooke, better known as “Jenny & Ashley,” will perform and shoot a video at Wilderness at the Smokies resort in Sevierville on Saturday night, July 16, 2011.

Jenny & Ashley

Not only will the video shoot be free and open to our guests and some members of the general public, but everyone who shows up for the video shoot will also receive a pass to come back and spend an entire day for FREE at Wilderness at the Smokies resort.  Although the resort has been open for three years, it has never been open to the general public (only resort guests can use the waterparks at Wilderness at the Smokies). During the concert, a limited number of outside guests will be permitted to watch the concert and participate in the shoot.

The concert / video shoot begins at 8 p.m. ET and those who wish to be in the video are asked to be at the resort by 7 p.m.  Special parking will be provided at Wilderness at the Smokies and those who wish to participate in the music video shoot will be directed once they arrive.

To get a free pass to participate in this event, you will need to make a donation to Soles4Souls, a charity group that gives shoes to those in need.  We will know in coming days where people can drop off new or gently used shoes in exchange for passes to the Jenny & Ashley concert event at Wilderness at the Smokies.  Please note that ONLY those who have obtained passes to this concert by donating shoes to Soles4Souls will be allowed to attend.

Jenny and Ashley’s complete touring band will be joining them at Wilderness at the Smokies and a production team and director are coming in to manage the music video shoot.  Rick Laney, vice president of Knoxville’s Ackermann PR who has also worked with National Geographic Television, MTV Productions, Travel Channel, and has produced live concert DVDs in the past, is serving as a production consultant to the project.

Those who come to the video shoot are asked to bring their swimsuits.  Although some people will be directed to be in the water during the video shoot, not everyone will be and many of our attractions (waterslides, Surf Rider, etc.) may be closed.  You may be asked to follow the direction and instructions of the production crew while the video is being shot.  After the shoot, Wilderness at the Smokies will show our appreciation for your involvement in this production by giving everyone in attendance a FREE wristband good for one entire day – from open to close – at our waterpark resort (to be used any time in the next two months).

Jenny (15) and Ashley (14) are originally from Wisconsin, but moved to Pleasanton, Calif. when they were in elementary school.  The sisters discovered their talents early while performing in a number of theatre productions and quickly made the move to acting and modeling. Jenny appeared as a model and cover girl for Kohl’s television and print advertising and also started acting.  Ashley quickly caught the bug too, and modeled for both Levi’s and Kohl’s in television and print advertising. They followed their dreams to Los Angeles, where Jenny and Ashley picked up work with Disney, Nickelodeon and Fox Television.

Quickly realizing their love and passion for music the girls switched gears and headed to Nashville to pursue music.  Jenny & Ashley caught the eye of some very important players in Nashville and soon found themselves in studio recording their first EP.  The EP, “Songs About You,” has songs the girls wrote as well as great songs from famous Nashville writers.  Darran Smith, Tim McGraw’s co-producer and lead guitarist, produced the entire product and Tim’s band, The Dance Hall Doctors, tracked every instrument you hear.  “Songs About You,” available now on iTunes, is an upbeat pop/country album which includes “Indescribable” co-written by Ashley and received national radio airplay.

Stay tuned to find out how YOU can join us for a FREE evening of music and fun while Jenny and Ashley shoot their music video on July 16 at 8 p.m.  We will also be announcing the drop-off location where you can donate shoes in exchange for passes to the concert.  Jenny and Ashley will stick around after the concert to meet our guests.  As our way of thanking you for helping with this video production, we want you to then bring your free passes and come back to Wilderness at the Smokies and enjoy all three of our waterparks for the entire day.  Visit www.AckermannWire.com regularly for all updates and more details as they are available.

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Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

Titanic Museum Attractions will send 12 people on free trips to RMS Titanic birthplace

Posted by Rick Laney – June 16, 2011

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. and BRANSON, Mo. –  To commemorate Titanic’s Irish heritage, Titanic Museum Attractions in Branson, Mo. and Pigeon Forge, Tenn. will give away six 11-day trips for two to Belfast beginning today. The 12 winners of the “Back to Titanic 100th Year ‘Tour Ireland’ Sweepstakes” will go to Belfast where they will visit the birthplace of the world’s best-known, most luxurious ocean liner.

The RMS Titanic under construction in Belfast, Ireland

Winners receive airfare to and from Ireland, ground transportation, and hotel accommodations. The Back to Titanic 100th Anniversary Tour begins in Belfast, where winners will learn the history behind the world’s most famous ocean liner. Their journey continues in Dublin where they’ll take advantage of everything the beautiful city has to offer. They’ll also have a special presentation by Rory Golden which will include the first-ever images of the discovered Titanic wreck and the impact Titanic has had on society. Winners will experience many breathtaking areas of Ireland with guided tours and exclusive events taking place in Belfast, Dublin, Cobh and Kilkenny offered only to these travelers!

To enter the “Back to Titanic 100th Year ‘Tour Ireland’ Sweepstakes,” simply visit www.TitanicAttraction.com and click on the sweepstakes banner to register. Each person entering the sweepstakes may enter one time per day between June 13, 2011 and Feb. 1, 2012. The winner will be drawn in early February 2012.

In May 1911, the RMS Titanic slid down Slipway No. 3 at the Queen’s Yard of Harland & Wolff and settled on the waters of the Victoria Channel in Belfast, Ireland while more than 100,000 people looked on. At the time, she was the largest movable manmade object on the face of the planet. In the coming months, RMS Titanic would complete numerous successful sea trials with Irish workers and crew members on board.

The following April, when Titanic set sail on her maiden voyage, the world watched as the A-List celebrities of the day – the Astors, the Strauses and Guggenheims – boarded alongside everyday working-class people. Four days later, after striking an iceberg on her starboard side, those same diverse passengers would carry out amazing acts of generosity, kindness and heroism as well as unthinkable acts of cowardice as they struggled for their lives in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912.

It has been 99 years since a lookout in the crow’s nest shouted, “Iceberg right ahead!” For the twelve months leading up to April 15, 2012, when it will have been a century since the RMS Titanic was lost, Titanic Museum Attractions will pay respect to and honor those 2,208 passengers and crew members with an ongoing series of special events, activities and ceremonies.

As the whole world remembers the world’s most famous luxury liner, Titanic Museum Attractions will continue to open the door to the past in it’s one-of-a-kind way – letting “passengers” experience what it was like to walk the hallways, parlors, cabins and Grand Staircase of the Titanic while surrounded by more than 400 artifacts directly from the ship and its passengers. As visitors touch a real iceberg, walk the Grand Staircase and third class hallways, reach their hands into 28-degree water, and try to stand on the sloping decks, they learn what it was like on the RMS Titanic by experiencing it first-hand.

Each and every day, Titanic Museum Attractions provides a gateway to 1912, where First Class Maids and a variety of Officers and crew members bring the stories of the fabled ship and its fascinating passengers to life by retelling their stories in vivid, dramatic detail. The priceless artifacts throughout the museum shed additional light on the lives of those passengers and crew members when guests see the actual belongings of those on board and artifacts that sailed on Titanic’s maiden voyage.

The Titanic Museum Attractions in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. and Branson, Mo. opens daily at 9 a.m. Reservations are strongly suggested (many days sell out entirely). Or, passengers may purchase tickets online at www.TitanicAttraction.com or by phone at 800-381-7670. For more information and details about the “Back to Titanic 100th Year ‘Tour Ireland’ Sweepstakes” visit www.TitanicAttraction.com.

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Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

Wilderness at the Smokies is a premier eco-friendly resort

Posted by Rick Laney – June 8, 2011

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – It is only natural that a resort called “Wilderness at the Smokies” is doing everything it can to preserve the environment and be an environmentally responsible business.  Although thousands of visitors travel from all over to experience the resort’s indoor and outdoor waterparks every day, many of them don’t realize all that Wilderness at the Smokies is doing to be a leader in environmental-friendliness.

Inside the Wild Water Dome at Wilderness at the Smokies resort.

Just this month, Wilderness at the Smokies resort launched a new towel program designed to give guests the high level of service and convenience they are accustomed to from the resort while significantly reducing the amount of washing and drying it does and the energy it consumes.  With every waterpark pass, guests are issued a towel card which allows each visitor to have two towels at all times.  As the towels become wet, guests simply trade them for dry towels.  The new towel card system has already resulted in a huge reduction in energy use by the resort.

The first thing many families notice when entering the indoor waterpark at Wilderness at the Smokies is that it feels like you’re outside on a beautiful summer day – even in the middle of winter.  The see-through Texlon™ roof that covers the indoor waterpark allows sunlight and UV rays into the 60,000 square-foot indoor waterpark.  The Texlon™ roof not only allows guests to tan year round, it allows real plants to thrive indoors and dramatically reduces the resort’s energy consumption.

According to John Regnerus, operations director at Wilderness at the Smokies, the resort uses 300 to 400 less therms of natural gas per day to heat the indoor waterpark during the colder winter months because of the Texlon™ roof.  One therm is the energy equivalent of burning about 100 cubic feet of natural gas and the average U.S. household uses roughly 1,000 therms per year.  “It significantly lowers our energy consumption,” Regnerus said.  “Over a three or four month period, we can reduce our natural gas usage by 30,000 to nearly 50,000 therms.  That’s a considerable reduction in our use of fossil fuel.”

The difference between an indoor waterpark with a Texlon™ roof and one with a standard roof like one would find in a gymnasium is the difference between night and day.  The transparency of the Texlon™ roof and the natural light it allows into Wilderness at the Smokies brings the outdoors in throughout the year.

The natural lighting provided by the Texlon™ roof at Wilderness at the Smokies also allows the resort to lower its electric consumption by not using artificial lighting during daylight hours.  The roof has a built-in ventilation system to circulate more air in the summertime and reduces the resort’s use of air conditioning when it’s warm outside.

“Because of the roof at Wilderness at the Smokies, guests can literally forget they are inside,” said Dave Keim of Aquatic Development Group, the company that supplied the Texlon™ roof to Wilderness at the Smokies.  “In the middle of winter, guests are surrounded by live tropical plants, getting a suntan and splashing in the water attractions.  The energy savings are important, but what the guests remember is the experience.”

Wilderness at the Smokies is a member of the Green Hotels Association.  In addition to the Texlon™ roof over the resort’s indoor waterpark, Wilderness at the Smokies uses energy-saving compact florescent lighting in many areas throughout its facility and all of its appliances and kitchen equipment are the latest Energy Star rated design (using 30 percent less energy than older appliances).  Guest rooms at River Lodge are equipped with state-of-the-art key-controlled occupancy sensors which save electricity by turning on lights and the HVAC system as guests enter their rooms.  Tinted windows in guest rooms are also designed to reduce energy consumption and motion-sensing paper towel dispensers in the common areas reduce paper usage.

“Wilderness at the Smokies is adjacent to one of this nation’s most valuable natural wonders – the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,” said Steve Cruz, the general manager of Wilderness at the Smokies.  “The environment is one of the primary reasons guests come to the Smokies.  We value nature and the environment the same way our guests do.  Being environmentally responsible is everyone’s job and Wilderness at the Smokies wants to be a leader in this area.”

Wilderness at the Smokies resort opened in 2009 and is the Southeast’s largest indoor/outdoor waterpark resort.  With two outdoor waterparks and a 6-acre indoor waterpark, Wilderness also has six restaurants, a deli, gift shops, convenience stores, mini-golf, and a 36-hole championship golf course.  Wilderness is connected to a 200,000 square-foot conference and event center capable of hosting events for 10,000 people.

Wilderness at the Smokies, located minutes from Interstate 40 and situated in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, is one of the area’s only year-round vacation destinations.  For more information about Wilderness at the Smokies, call toll-free 877-325-9453 or visit www.WildernessAtTheSmokies.com.

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Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com