Well, when they had super busy days they would run dual cycle mode. However, this season there has been no report of running dual cycle mode. I always heard if you run 7 cars, the ride would throw many errors the next day, and would be a maintenance nightmare.
Plus if they E-Stop'd, and all 7 cars were running, it takes wayyyyy longer to evac all riders.
I don't think you will see any activity around Slidewinder. It is definitely a local favorite, and I believe they will have a proper send-off.
However, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that 2019 will be the last year for it.
Insider info: Look for Car 7 to return on Mystery Mine soon! It has been MIA this entire year for a rebuild.
Another valid reasoning to removing Mountain Slidewinder is the fact that it is not ADA friendly.
All other rides at Dollywood are ADA friendly.
I have a feeling that Barnstormer's days are numbered as well due to low ridership.
If you look at where Mountain Slidewinder is located and they removed this ride, this frees up a lot of real estate.
Maybe they could keep Barnstormer and the popularity of this ride can change with a new ride in that location.
I have a feeling this area will be addressed after phase 2 of Wildwood Grove.