coasterdude5

I was at the park on Monday for the season passholder preview and Lightning Rod seemed to be running just fine, only closing for a thunderstorm. The real story is the ongoing Thunderhead retracking. Wow. Such an improvement. Overall, I enjoyed the day, but it was definitely a very different visit: https://www.coaster101.com/2020/06/16/changes-youll-see-at-dollywood-in-2020/

I was at the park on Saturday and was amazed at the size of the area under construction. I created this crude overview of the area: More photos are available here: https://www.coaster101.com/2017/11/21/dollywood-2019-2020-land-clearing/ Whatever it is, it's going to be big.

Wow, talk about a blast from the past. I promise I didn't pay this guy to bump my thread. But while it's on page one... I did just publish a book about Memphis' former Libertyland amusement park. It's great for coaster and/or Memphis history fanatics: https://www.arcadiapublishing.com/Products/9781467126472

Same here...Libertyland was a huge part of my childhood and partly the reason I became an enthusiast. Let me know what you think of the book!

^ Thanks for featuring the book, Simon! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Tiger Lane is very nice (and is separate from the Libertyland site), especially with the growing success of Memphis' football program. But I agree that the lack of space didn't help the park. I don't think Memphis will ever see another park. The economic base just isn't there. Thanks for buying the book!

Thanks! I can't take credit for the photo, though. It was taken by Robert Dye, who photographed for the park. Awesome - thank you so much! It was a labor of love but incredibly rewarding. The photographs were sourced from local libraries, historical archives, former employees, visitors, etc. The entire book was really a community effort. There are so many names deserving of a spot on the cover. Now that's a Zippin Pippin story if I've ever heard one. And now I want to eat ice cream while riding a coaster. Eh, I don't think the park's demise can be traced back to any one person. I tried to steer clear of politics in the book, instead focusing solely on the facts and photographs, the latter of which tell the best story. I do wish Graceland would have picked up the Pippin. The people of Green Bay adore the replica. If only...

I've been hard at work since last summer writing a book about Memphis' former amusement park, Libertyland. And I'm excited to be able to share it with the world! The book is available on Amazon and other online retailers. I'm happy to answer any and all questions about the book! As a Memphis native, I thought I knew a lot about Libertyland prior to writing this book. Turns out, I did not! More information is available at LibertylandBook.com.

What guts me the most is that Universal is (by all accounts) scrapping it. Why not send it to one of the under-construction parks in Beijing or South Korea? Most riders would be none the wiser. Or sell it to a park far away from the Orlando market? Are the Universal bigwigs too prideful to let it live somewhere else but not too prideful to keep it open where it is? I would have loved to be a fly on the wall in the meeting(s) where this decision was made. I didn't realize I'd be this upset over its closure. I know it's not the end of the world, but it sucks.

If only public outcry (if there is much beyond the coaster community) could do for Dragons what it did for Whizzer at SFGAm... Granted, the replacement here will probably (hopefully) be better than a S:UF clone, but still...this sucks.

My experience was a bit different last month. A pop-up storm closed the outdoor rides roughly two hours before the park was scheduled to close (as I was about to board the next train, might I add). The storm ballooned to form a giant blob over the area. We were given the option to wait in the station, but the thought of being without my phone for that duration and having to interact with people face to face sent chills down my millennial spine. So we waited in the pavilion across from the ride entrance. Fast forward to 10 minutes before park close, and the ride reopened. My friend and I had an entire train to ourselves. The darkness of the night and the light rain made for a very somber last ride. So in my case, I have to give kudos to whoever made the call to reopen the ride with 10 minutes left in the day. That day marked my first and last ride on the Dragons, and I'm thankful I got to experience them in the daytime and nighttime. I wrote some more words about the day here: http://www.coaster101.com/2017/08/14/last-ride-dueling-dragons-dragon-challenge/ Since the coasters weren't dueling, I made them duel after the fact. Thanks, Photoshop!

I'm headed to the park(s) this weekend also to pay my last respects to Dragons. I last visited IOA in 2006 and didn't ride either — I regret it to this day. I'm sure the crowds will be heavy, but will the standard Express pass be sufficient to get rides in on all the major attractions in both parks on Saturday? Priority are the coasters, of course. Any other pointers are much appreciated.

Thanks for the recommendations — I'm actually not a fan of spinning, so I'll be okay if I miss that one. I'd rather go straight to Fahrenheit.

I'm a first timer visiting the park this Friday, and I'm debating on whether or not to invest in the $75 Fast Track Pass. I of course want to ride each coaster at least once, but I'd also like some time to enjoy the park itself. Any thoughts or suggestions? Also, do any of the coasters have a single-rider line?

This is the only video I've seen post reopening: https://www.instagram.com/p/BVfJDzAl-OJ/?taken-by=ohiovalleycoasters Video I took last June: I see no difference. It has always slowed a bit at the top, because the launch ends well before the peak. As long as the quad-down is unaffected, I don't care. But even if it is noticeably slower, I'd rather ride a noticeably slower Lightning Rod rather than stare at a closed Lightning Rod.