I306

I visited the park for the first time since March on Saturday. Lightning Rod was down intermittently throughout the day, but they were able to reopen it relatively quickly each time. The coaster was definitely smoother than this time last year, but when compared to its opening season, it’s noticeably tamer — still the best ride at the park, though. I do hope they are able to reintroduce the second train someday, because that line is brutal otherwise. A TimeSaver pass is a must (or the single rider line).

Haha that's my photo! (shameless Coaster101 Twitter plug) I was surprised by the little pop of airtime that drop provided. It's deceiving. I didn't even notice the trims until one of the "grumblers" pointed it out. If they were turned on, I didn't notice.

What’s most concerning about PF and Gatlinburg is that the visitor demographic tends to skew older to the more vulnerable populations. I told myself that all the seniors I saw were probably already vaccinated, but that’s unlikely given the number of people in the state and surrounding areas who aren’t taking it. The day is still young, but it appears LR is already struggling. https://www.dollywoodwaittimes.com/ride.php?ride=Lightning Rod&day=2021-03-29 Sigh.

I guess I’m aloof, but I felt that mask compliance was well over 50%. And I was surprised by the number of employees I saw reminding guests to wear them correctly. I’m very covid-conscious (a lifelong germaphobe) and never felt that uncomfortable aside from a few spots in queues where physical distancing was nonexistent. But I can at least control the space between me and the party ahead of me. Leading by example. Thankfully, the storms thinned out the crowds so it was never too bad. And Timesaver definitely helped prevent spending too much time waiting in line close to others. Plus, I think it’s widely agreed upon that the risk of outdoor covid transmission is incredibly low, so even moderate crowds don’t concern me that much. And the park is large enough that it’s fairly easy to steer clear of any bottlenecks. Pigeon Forge, on the other hand, was a total clusterfuck. I went straight from the park to my hotel. I felt like I was driving through the covid convention. I feel for the park and the ongoing issues with LR. The one good thing I guess is that the money they spent on the new track will ensure that the coaster is here for the long-haul. Hopefully they’ll be able to get it working reliably — with both trains. As much as I love it, an hour is the longest I can wait.

Eh, it was alright. The rides were up and down due to the weather. I did get my first-ever Lightning Rod rollback which was a fitting way to end the day. Seems like it still doesn't play well with the rain. Speaking of which, it doesn't look like it had a good day today: https://www.dollywoodwaittimes.com/ride.php?ride=Lightning Rod&day=2021-03-28

Yeah I ended up getting one. I should have asked the guy there how many they typically have on hand each day. They’d know better than customer service. But it makes sense that they’d have at least some at the park to account for no-shows.

Just bought one at the park. But I was there a little after 9, so not sure how fast they will go.

Someone in one of the Dollywood groups on Facebook said they called the park and were told that the Timesaver reservation facility inside the park is allocated 100 each day. I guess I’ll find out soon enough.

Has anyone had luck buying Timesavers at the park? I tried buying one online but they are sold out for my date.

I can't count how many times I've sat in the scorching sun outside of the station because someone boarding refused to accept that they couldn't fit in the seat. Everyone should be entitled to a 30-second shot clock. After that, time to pack it up.

I was excited about the renewal offer until I saw the $85 upgrade fee for gold. Not sure a 6-month extension is worth that much, even though I'm sure it would pay for itself for a lot of people. Just seems crazy that an upgrade would cost more than the pass itself.

^ May I ask how that works since wait times are only shown on the app if you're in the park? Just curious. Also, thank you for this service! Hopefully someday I won't have to reference the site so often to check on LR's status...

I'm planning to visit the park tomorrow. To those who have been this season, is it worth it? I should be there all day. The primary driving factor is my fear of getting stuck in one of the indoor queues (Mr. Freeze, Batman, JL, etc.) with people not wearing their face masks.

I’m planning to visit on Thursday and Friday of this coming week... Should I splurge on Fast Lane?

^ Good to know. Thanks!