dstephe9

It's very possible it might be a mixture of things.. one theory I heard the other day and have read on two websites now is a ski resort themed area. The site quoted a survey from several years ago that asked questions about a snow themed coaster. According to that site they called it an "Ice House Coaster". I never received that survey but I did receive one last year that talked about a new themed areas with multiple attractions and one of the themes was "snow".. another one was lumberjack (we already have a similar are to that) and I can't remember the rest.. it might of been a circus area.. I can't remember but the snow area stuck in my mind due to Dolly's abandoned plan to built a snow park in Nashville. A snow themed area would be great for Dollywood and could even include a snow park, several rides, and a lot of things! A ski themed area could very well have on site cabins! Would the be real and rentable? Or just stores and for looks? Hearing talk about cabins is very plausible because when people hear "truths" about projects, they hear them in parts.. cabins might be part of the theme if it's snow or ski resort themed Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Yeah, everything matches hints Pete and others have dropped about the new area.. when FC Express was built they said they needed the space for future expansion leading most to believe that one of the paths would be the maintenance road beside FC. A simple Google maps image shows that's the next best place for the area to attach to the park would be the retaining wall around river battle.. The area being cleared is headed up towards the train loop which was another of the hints passed along a few years ago.. All of that, coupled with the recent surveys from last year looking for theme ideas and more leads me to believe it's an expansion.. River Battle hasn't been very popular at Dollywood so I'm not so sure they are saving it for Dollywoods new area but they might be.. I'd say it's going to GA or they have it listed for sale online. Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

It's probably going to be the new area that Dollywood said they would be building during the last part of their 300 Million Dollar Project. It has been said for years that the new area would start working it's way up the train loop. If you look at Google Maps, the easier way to access that area is River Battle so that's probably going to be the new hub.. when LR was built Dollywood said they wouldn't build another coaster for a while as they had plenty of other projects they wanted to do Also late last season they sent out a survey about new theme ideas for the new area.. it's a huge area, I saw it a week or so ago myself.. to big for a coaster.. Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

I'm kind of doubting this since (non-expert observations ahead:) it's super quick to unload riders from the coaster, but time consuming when loading and checking restraints. That train in the unload station would probably still be waiting there for a while for the loading riders. If dispatch times were significantly faster, I'm sure it would constitute having a separate dock. Heck, Mystery Mine has two load/unload docks, but the park only uses the front one. As for the previous conversation, running faster/slower... I don't care, as long as it keeps running at all. Still a world class roller coaster, either way! Disney does it as they claim it's faster. They have unload docks for most coasters. And not having to wait for folks to get off does seem to speed it up. Yes the train still stacks but while it's stacked they go ahead and get the people off saving time at the load dock. Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

That's the thing, it doesn't help as much as one would think.. the other train stacks so badly that you really don't even notice it running two Probably why they only do it every now and then. Now if they had an unload dock and a load dock like a lot of parks are going to then two train ops on this might work out Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Double post sorry

No need to run two trains right now.. it's been a walk on with one train ops. They have been running two trains on the weekends if it's busy but the other train is back before the next launches.. it actually stacks pretty badly so I'm not so sure two train ops really help it much. They had two train ops several times during luminights Dollywood has never been a park to run multiple trains if they don't have to. And they will actually close rides down to unload the second trains if attendance stays low. Sometimes thunderhead will have two trains on the track but the second train runs empty if there is no line.. this time of year some of the coaster trains even disappear.. like nowhere to be seen on the ride (they take them away for refurbishment) Like he said in his post, shows are full this time of year, like full to capacity. Most folks go to Dollywood for the Christmas stuff and not rides Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

It will probably pop up every few months unless Dollywood puts a sign at top that says "No we aren't slowing you down" lol Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Just a quick comment on this, since it's come up a couple times - the brakes at the top of the launch hill do not come up or engage with the train during normal operation. They are only there if the control system determines the train needs to stop before cresting the first hill. If you watch closely you can see them popping into place after the train passes. Since the magnetic launch doesn't go all the way to the top, you'll definitely feel the train slow down before the airtime madness begins. But it's due to gravity, not braking! Jeff Irvine Ondrey Engineering Here is the post from last year when folks said the same thing "Train was being slowed down at the top".. See, people have been talking about this since early summer of last year... Meaning folks have noticed it slowing down way before the fires.. it's not new this year and has always been there As seen in this post, what you are probably hearing are the Trims popping into place after the train passes so yes you do hear them, but not when you think so i don't doubt a sound is there, IOE even says you will see the fins move when the train passes.. Please note, I'm not saying they haven't changed things since then BUT I am saying the slowing down isn't new like a lot of folks say.. it was there last year, noticable last year, and is nothing new. Several folks have been very vocal about it not slowing down last year but we had the same rumor then due to the same reason.. I road it a ton last season, from opening weekend and I always noticed a slowdown.. folks that posted here noticed it as well. So this is the second year of that rumor At times it might be more noticeable due to train weight and stuff, I have noticed the slowdown was worse on different rides so that might be why. A 5000 pound train will slow down much more than a 4000 pound (please know, those are random numbers) Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

It has always creeped over the top, search for threads before the fire and the same "rumor" was out last year about it.. Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

A lot of folks who have ridden LR only a few times feel there have been trims added to the top of the lift.. Personally, I have always felt a slowdown at the top and last season OIE ( the company who did the control software) has said that the ride isn't trimming at the top, it's just slowdown as it leaves the launch area which doesn't go all the way up the hill.. they even told a few of us here on Facebook the same thing when the rumor crept up again.. is it true? Who knows.. yes there is a slowdown but is it because of trims? No one has said it was so who knows Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Easter around here is usually fairly nice.. Dollywood might actually be very crowded then if it's warm and sunny.. Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Looks like Dollywood is extending their season by two days this year.. they added the 2nd and 3rd of January to their schedule.. those in town might wanna check it out Dollywood extends Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival dates https://search.app.goo.gl/g9Pf Shared from my Google feed Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Exactly, I know last year they offered it but it wasn't after 3 (bc the park didn't open until to), but I don't know what time. Like the other poster posted, six sounds right. Just give them a call don't email, it takes weeks for them to reply (I have done that) Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

If they do it's not "next day after 3" it's normally a later time to get in the next day free.. gotta remember, most days the park doesn't open until 2 this time of year.. they would be basically giving all guest a free day lol Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

You on IOS? Android ride times are working fine but not sure if the app received an update or not.. I update all my apps in the morning and I had about 15 updates today.. no pending updates as of now so it probably updated this morning Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

I hate that rule of Dollywoods. SFOG will encourage you to stay on if there is no line but Dollywood makes you walk around. Sometimes they even say run which is more dangerous Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Nope, they were 100% correct.. I even saw a few LR launches with only 4 - 6 people! You could choose your seat and they had all rows open.. Wild Eagle was closed most of the day due to wasps (or so the sign said) but opened at night.. I road blazing fury 6 times and 5 of those 6 (all at different times, not in a row) it was only me and my GF on it.. saw a lot of trains on rides run empty just so they wouldn't be setting.. Good day but probably a money loss day for Dollywood Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

I mean its sad not seeing it setup at Dollywood this year haha.. I'm sure they still have it. Maybe it's at Dreammore Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Most parks with Christmas events have that style tree, that's one reason it is so sad not to see it at Dollywood, they had a smaller one up but not the giant massive one from years past Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

I saw where Carowinds put in a large tree similar to the one in Timber Canyon. I wonder if DW sold it to them or if they have it in storage until next year when the PFKARB (Plaza Formerly Known As River Battle) will be decked out for Christmas. Speaking of plaza, and take this with a grain of salt, today was dead but was a weekday meaning a lot of Dollywood management was out and about.. while eating we overheard three folks in Dollywood Polos with laptops talking about "Planning for the new area is coming along nicely and currently the only hurdle we are facing is trying to figure out the best way to get guest to the new area".. After that they moved on down the path to their next location I guess so I didn't hear anything else and was eating so didn't plan on following them haha. Again, no idea who these three folks were.. no idea if they were managers or not but they weren't dressed like regular Dollywood employees, they were taking notes, and had laptops. When the park is dead you just notice a lot more when you look around.. also they could of been talking about the new plaza so who knows.. or they might be talking about the clearing on the train route people keep mentioning (which I saw and not much was being done today but it was raining earlier). Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Like most activities around Christmas, it can be very crowded!! But it all depends on weather.. If it's cold the crowds will probably be light, at least until dark and folks will show up around dark for the Christmas activities.. But if it's a mild Christmas like we have had the past few years in the area, it might be fairly crowded!! Keep in mind though, the Dollywood Christmas crowd is older.. they aren't ride riders.. the are show seekers and shoppers.. I was there a few seasons ago for Christmas (late November though maybe early December) and it was one of the so called record breaking days.. folks parked at Splash Country.. it was a 70 degree day or so in late November or early December... Rides didn't have a significant wait though.. some may of been around 15 mins... Firechaser was the longest and the only ride we didn't ride that day.. but firechaser always has a longer wait than most, even today when it was open it had the longest wait in the park! 5 mins! Everything else was walk-on even LR. Park was dead though! Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Also to answer the question about Carol of Trees, it seems to be gone. They didn't even put the large tree up this year.. they have a smaller tree with just balls on it outside Market Square but the large tree isn't up! I found it kind of sad not to see the large tree but overall still a great time and beautiful lights.. Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

At Dollywood today and I'd say their are less than 1000 guest in the entire park.. possibly less than 500! You can walk entire sections and see no one other than host.. On a side note. Wild Eagle is still having an issue with wasps and has yet to open.. Firechaser is also having major issues today and didn't open with the park and has been down the majority of the time.. it opens here and there only to be closed again LR is running great and 0 wait! Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Thanks! That'll help plan the order of rides. Friday has a high of 58 and the park opens at 2 so hopefully we can get to everything in time. If anything is down we'll just put the day's admission toward 2018 passes and go back next year. Yup, you should be fine until dark. I will say the few "cold" nights we have had this season, the temp dropped very quickly after dark and it's getting dark around 6 now that the time has changed.. I'd imagine you will be fine until 7ish at least and probably later. It's supposed to hit the 35 degree mark before midnight though but I'd be willing to bet it'll be after the park closes at 9 before it gets that cold The coasters start closing in the low 40s (or that's what Dollywood says anyways) so just keep an eye on temps in my personal experience they don't close until the upper 30s.. so yeah just play it by ear and ride Tornado first if you want to ride it in the dark (it's probably my favorite coaster in the dark) Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk