Tag: Rick Laney

Santa Spotted Surfing, Sliding and Splashing at Secret Sevierville Getaway

Posted by Rick Laney – December 8, 2009

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Sevierville, Tenn. –  Everyone knows December is a busy month for Santa Claus.  With all of the festivities leading up to the holidays, the always-elusive Santa was spotted this week at Wilderness at the Smokies resort in Sevierville, Tenn. enjoying summertime fun in the middle of winter.  When he isn’t dashing through the snow, the Jolly Old Elf can “hang ten” like a pro – and he proved it, much to the delight of throngs of young onlookers.  Click on the image of Santa below to watch a music video of Santa’s visit to Wilderness at the Smokies resort.

Click Photo to watch video of Santa at Wilderness

Click Photo to watch video of Santa at Wilderness

Dave McGregor, general manager at Wilderness at the Smokies, said he could not confirm nor deny the special visitors, but eyewitnesses claim they recognized Mr. and Mrs. Claus the minute the couple arrived and quietly headed for Runaway Canyon, the resort’s newest waterslide attraction that opened Thanksgiving weekend.  Santa told one guest that riding the new Runaway Canyon slide – with its winding channels and gargantuan tunnels that send riders blasting through explosive turns and 360-degree loops – was like flying behind his reindeer on Christmas Eve.  After numerous rides on the five-story high Runaway Canyon, Mr. and Mrs. Claus slid into lounge chairs next to the indoor wave pool to kick back, relax and read for a while.

Before heading back to his room, Santa spent some time in the wave pool and hot tubs with Mrs. Claus, he then grabbed a bodyboard and hit the SurfRider – where 19,000 gallons of water per minute create a five-foot, ocean-like wave.  Guests were amazed that a resident of the North Pole could have such wild surfing skills.  When he finished riding the waves, Santa received a standing ovation from his adoring fans. 

SurfinSantaWireWith holiday and winter specials and promotions, guests at Wilderness at the Smokies resort can save big on their family getaways right now.  On New Year’s Eve, the waterpark will stay open until midnight and a free New Year’s Eve Party will be open exclusively for hotel guests. The Wild Perks! program offered by Wilderness at the Smokies resort is also available at no charge to all guests and allows visitors to accumulate points toward free resort stays or Cabana Rentals simply by staying at the resort. 

Wilderness at the Smokies, located minutes from Interstate 40 and situated in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, is establishing a new standard for family vacations to East Tennessee.  With two outdoor waterparks, an indoor waterpark with a wave pool and surf rider, hot tubs, and countless waterslides and attractions, Wilderness at the Smokies has something for all age groups.  For more information about Wilderness at the Smokies, visit www.WildernessAtTheSmokies.com.

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

Southeast’s Largest Indoor and Outdoor Waterpark Opens New Attraction – Runaway Canyon

Posted by Rick Laney – December 8, 2009

Sevierville, Tenn. – Wilderness at the Smokies in East Tennessee, the southeast’s largest indoor and outdoor waterpark resort, opened its newest attraction, Runaway Canyon, last week.  Runaway Canyon is located in the Wild WaterDome indoor waterpark at Wilderness at the Smokies resort.

RunawayCanyonSmallRunaway Canyon is a five-story high enclosed waterslide measuring more than 450-feet and featuring a total drop of almost 60-feet.  Using more than 8,000 gallons of water per minute, Runaway Canyon propels up to four people in rafts through a series of exciting, totally enclosed twists, turns and drops.

Runaway Canyon sends entire families rocketing through winding channels and gargantuan tunnels.  This dark journey has you blasting through water curtains, climbing high onto steeply-banked walls, and leaning into explosive turns, 360-degree loops and pulse-pounding dips.

General Manager David McGregor said Runaway Canyon represents an additional local investment by Wilderness at the Smokies of more than $1 million.

“Our guests are going to love Runaway Canyon,” McGregor said.  “It is an exciting slide for the entire family.  Guests are going to recognize that Wilderness at the Smokies plans to give them something new every time they come to stay with us.”

The name “Runaway Canyon” was selected by fifth grade students at Catlettsburg Elementary School in Sevierville.  With the help of Principal Jerry L. Wear, Wilderness at the Smokies asked students to help them pick the name of the new attraction.  As a reward for selecting the name, fifth graders from Catlettsburg Elementary were among the first people to experience Runaway Canyon when it opened.

Wilderness at the Smokies resort opened in June 2008 with the Stone Hill Lodge and Salamander Springs outdoor waterpark.  Six months later, River Lodge and the 60,000-square-foot Wild WaterDome indoor waterpark were added.  In May 2009, Wilderness at the Smokies expanded again with the addition of Lake Wilderness, the resort’s second outdoor waterpark.  Lake Wilderness features Cataloochee Creek Adventure River, the Wilderness Rapids Wave Pool and a set of poolside cabanas.

Wilderness at the Smokies, located minutes from Interstate 40 and situated in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, is establishing a new standard for family vacations to East Tennessee.  With two outdoor waterparks, an indoor waterpark with a wave pool and surf rider, hot tubs, and countless waterslides and attractions, Wilderness at the Smokies has something for all age groups.  For more information about Wilderness at the Smokies, visit www.WildernessAtTheSmokies.com.

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

Watch any NCAA or NFL football game in the “Wilderness”

Posted by Rick Laney – September 21, 2009

Wilderness017Sevierville, Tenn. – Wilderness at the Smokies resort in Sevierville, Tenn. now has ESPN “Game Plan” and “NFL Sunday Ticket” with coverage of every NCAA and NFL football game on Saturday and Sunday in the Hidden Trail Restaurant at Stonehill Lodge.  The restaurant, which is open to the public, is next to the Sevierville Events Center at Bridgemont.

While enjoying their favorite games on the restaurant’s eight flat-screen, high-definition televisions, football fans also have access to an all-you-can-eat pizza and wings buffet for just $10.  “There are very few places you can go in this area to watch any game from any part of the country,” said David Hayes, director of food and beverage for Wilderness at the Smokies resort.  “People love it.  Some of our guests come and stay for one game – others come and stay all afternoon and into the evening.”

Wilderness at the Smokies, located minutes from Interstate 40 and situated in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, is establishing a new standard for family vacations to East Tennessee.  With two outdoor waterparks, a 60,000 square-foot indoor waterpark with a wave pool and surf rider, hot tubs, and countless waterslides and attractions, Wilderness at the Smokies has something for all age groups.  For more information, visit www.WildernessAtTheSmokies.com.

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

Nation’s largest Verizon retailer, Cellular Sales, hires Ackermann

Posted by Rick Laney – August 12, 2009

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Knoxville, Tenn. – Ackermann PR has been retained by Cellular Sales for public relations services.  Cellular Sales is the nation’s largest exclusive retailer of Verizon Wireless.  Headquartered in Knoxville, Cellular Sales is a 15-year old privately held company.  The company currently operates stores throughout the United States, and is expanding every month.  By year end, Cellular Sales will open 50 new stores – bringing their total number of physical locations to over 300.  Last year, Inc. Magazine named Cellular Sales one of the nation’s fastest growing privately held companies. 

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

Guests invited to jump in the lake at Wilderness

Posted by Rick Laney – August 11, 2009

Sevierville, Tenn. – With summer in full swing and temperatures heating up, guests at Wilderness at the Smokies resort in Sevierville, Tenn. can now navigate the rapids, ride the waves or simply relax in a private poolside cabana – all features of Wilderness at the Smokies’ newest waterpark attraction.  Lake Wilderness, the newest phase of the full-service waterpark resort, is now open to those staying at the resort.

Guests look out from their balcony at one of two outdoor waterparks at Wilderness at the Smokies resort near the Great Smoky Mountains.

Guests look out from their balcony at one of two outdoor waterparks at Wilderness at the Smokies resort near the Great Smoky Mountains.

Wilderness guests can grab a tube and jump in the Lake Wilderness 12,000-square-foot Wave Pool – where waves within the pool can crest as high as five feet.  Also winding around the outdoor waterpark is Cataloochee Creek, a nearly 1,000 foot rapid-moving river with water spray features located along its path.

“We have been extremely pleased with the acceptance and success we have received with the recent opening of the Wild Waterdome Indoor Waterpark, and are excited to further enhance our guests’ experience with the opening of Lake Wilderness,” says David McGregor, general manager of Wilderness at the Smokies “With another exciting attraction now in place, we feel as though we have one of the premier indoor/outdoor waterpark resorts in the country.”

The ten private poolside cabanas situated around Lake Wilderness are available for guests to rent, with each cabana featuring shelter from the sun, cabana-style lounge chairs, a flat panel television and a personal cabana host.  An outdoor bar and grill is also located within the outdoor waterpark to help satisfy those afternoon cravings.

With the opening of the Lake Wilderness Outdoor Waterpark, the Wilderness at the Smokies Resort boasts two outdoor waterparks and the Wild WaterDome Indoor Waterpark, making it the largest resort of its kind in the southeast.

Appropriately named the Wild WaterDome, the indoor waterpark spans more than 60,000 square feet with a see-thru, energy-efficient Texlon™ roof that allows UV rays to permeate the structure so guests can tan indoors year-round. The waterpark is home to the Smokies SurfRider, the state’s only surfing simulator that uses 50,000 gallons of water a minute to create a continuously moving sheet of water on which people can surf or boogie board. “It’s like riding an ocean wave, but indoors,” McGregor said.  “Parents and kids alike will love the thrill of riding a wave in a safe and controlled environment.”

The waterpark also boasts the Storm Chaser, a four-person tube slide that begins with a 58-foot drop into a giant orange-and-white funnel where riders swoosh back and forth up the sides of the funnel, causing shrieks of delight and flip-flopping stomachs. Other activities at the Wild WaterDome, which is reserved exclusively for resort guests, include the Great Wave, a 10,000-square-foot wave pool capable of generating waves up to five feet high. In addition, two tube slides, an indoor/outdoor hot spa, a multi-level play structure with a gigantic dumping bucket and 50-plus play-and-spray features, along with a special toddler area with mini-slides and a swing tree are sure to keep the whole family occupied for hours.

Wilderness at the Smokies, located minutes from Interstate 40 and situated in the scenic foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, is establishing a new standard for family vacations to East Tennessee.  Phase I of the resort opened in June 2008 with a 234-room hotel and outdoor waterpark.  The Wild WaterDome Indoor Waterpark opened in December 2008 and the resort has just opened its Lake Wilderness Outdoor Waterpark which features an Adventure River and a 12,000 square foot Wave Pool. 

The developers of Wilderness at the Smokies Resort are the owners of Wilderness Hotel & Golf Resort – America’s Largest Waterpark Resort in Wisconsin Dells.  For more information on the resort or for reservations, visit www.wildernessatthesmokies.com or call 1-800-867-WILD (9453). 

Media contact:
Rick Laney, Ackermann PR
865-584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com