Feels Like You're There

We tried out Ripley’s 5D Moving Theater while we were in Gatlinburg, with mixed reviews: our littlest guys loved it, while the older (more motion-sickness prone) members of our family weren’t so sure they’d do it again.

They were playing a double feature the day we were there. The first film put you in the driver’s seat of a four-wheeler — kicking up mud, cutting through cornfields, and swerving over cliffs.

It definitely had us ducking and flinching and clutching the arms of our seat.

I’m deathly afraid of fourwheelers (comes from being married to a doctor who takes trauma call), so this was a good, safe way to experience something I’d never do in real life — but my head’s starting to spin a little just remembering that movie!

The second feature — a snow tubing adventure — was my favorite, probably because of all the “snow” falling from the ceiling during the entire film.

Having done some real-life snow tubing on this trip, I must admit that the virtual experience offered some appealing advantages: the hills in the films were infinitely higher, so the slides lasted much longer and could be enjoyed without wet clothes, soggy shoes, and chattering teeth.

Both of these films were cartoonish (not live-action) and were appropriate for all ages. Just remember to pack some Dramamine if you’re easy-queasy.