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Idk lol, I just know when the rumor came up last year and earlier this season IOE said it wasn't happening.. with that being said, this was much earlier in the year when they said it, after the long spout of downtime. Something could of changed this summer.. But again, all we have to go by is video, amature video at that, enthusiast and riders like us and the only semi official people is IOE I have noticed that it does feel like it slows down more at the top but is it just in my mind! I have hundreds of rides on it by now so it very well could be Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

But IOE has confirmed this is not happening and said if it was being trimmed at the top, they would have to be notified.. This rumor about trims came up last year as well and IOE posted on this forum that it wasn't happening.. when the rumor came up this year, a few forum members asked IOE about it and again they said no changes like that have been made. I know we feel like it is yes but it's like thinking of ants.. you feel ants crawling on you after you think of them but they aren't really.. last year the train slowed significantly at the top as well after it left the launch area Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

I'm not really sure if that's what the insiders Is for, it's more of tips and tricks for people who aren't from around here from folks who visit DW a lot haha As for LR it's been pretty much up aside from them only running 1 train.. this winter, watch interviews with Pete for the best info Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

I don't necessarily think it looks budget I think they had to chop some of the ride off due to how tight together Cyclone was.. plus all the rolls it does, takes up more space than traditional track that wrapped around it's self like Cylcone did.. This looks pretty sweet to me! Can't wait for it! Six Flags Over GA is still my weekend getaway park! Who else offers "Memberships" for under $5/month and then offers meal plans for $35/year! Also with great rides and being such a pretty park, it's still one of my favorites out there Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Lazy River is my HH guess Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

I was there last week and it was still only running one train, I'd imagine that's all they plan on running the rest of the year But it was running fine, had shorter lines than normal but still over half an hour wait Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

My church usually prohibited two piece but had no rules on skirts or shorts Heck, when I was a aquatics director for the Boy Scouts of America (the local council for Dollywood GSMC) we required a one piece for the girls but just to avoid any issues between the guys and girls haha.. with that being said, shorts or skirts weren't required I guess my point is, you can't Shelter yourself that much.. If you do, you have to live in a bubble! I mean, you can't even go on vacation without seeing people in bikinis at the hotel pool.. lol, and the beach. Do they never take their kids or family to the beach? Even at Disney I have seen people in bikinis at the resort waiting on the bus to the water park. Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

So I take it this lady never takes her family to the beach? Never to swim parties at the YMCA (Young Man Christian Association)? I guess the never go to church pool parties? Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

I think the smart decision for HFE is to send it to WA.. I mean, they would be able to get a 5 Million Dollar ride for nearly nothing (yeah I'm sure HFE would have to pay Dollywood Company for a portion of it plus there would be moving cost) but it would make a good family attraction for WA HFE has only owned the park for 10 years or so and have been mostly trying to stabilize the park, so I'm sure every bit helps haha Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

I can see them setting up a temporary playground while they work on the expansion in that area, I just don't see them taking out a five million dollar ride for a playground haha.. I do wish they had a few more "splahs pads" around the park.. quick way to cool off and quick place for kids to have fun as well Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

There probably is room there for a coaster, if it shares the hill with wild eagle but it would be cramped I think. I still think they are using the area for their expansion because that area is still the closest to the service road.. If they open the new area on the hillside though, I do see a large Mack coaster going up there! But remember when LR was built, it was said in several interviews that Dollywood wouldn't be building anymore coasters for a while and had other ideas to keep the park more well rounded.. now how long is that while? Who knows! Might be a couple years or might be 10+ haha You know they built like 3 coasters in under 4 - 5 years so a while to them might just be a few years haha Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

The biggest issue with Dollywood playgrounds is they take a lot of space yet aren't utalized much. Dollywood has tested and tried more interactive areas than most parks I know and while they used to be crowded, over the years less and less people used them.. even the new ones they tried were used less and less.. My favorite area, which was used a lot early in Dollywoods history was the Lego and imagination area but as I grew up I noticed it was used less and less.. now it's an empty barn in the fair (might not actually be empty but you know what I mean haha) While parents like playgrounds so they can rest, I don't think people travel to amusement parks for playgrounds so they aren't a big attendance grabber.. now I know, a well rounded park needs more than attendance grabbers but Dollywood is fairly well rounded without the playgrounds.. the small few they have aren't ever very crowded Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

One of the interviews I read about AM being removed had to deal with the same issue.. it allowed for future expansion up the train loop.. With all these very new rides being removed, it has to be for a "big" reason.. maybe they were told, you have to remove these or it won't be possible to get up the mountain? By an engineering firm and maybe this is why they are waiting towards the end of their 10 year plan to do this.. they wanted more time out of their rides, especially a 5 million dollar one like river battle Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

I figured they would start at firechaser bc the service road already connects with wilderness pasd but if that was the case why close RB now? So I now see them starting there at RB personally with a small area for now and building from there Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Dollywood has a TON of land up there so there is plenty of room for tons of areas! I remember, we talked about the possibility of Dollywood eventually putting a station up there and turning the train into a transportation system.. Also, just random and I know it won't be soon but how long until you think Dollywood builds another resort? I think of this everyday when I pass the road "Dollywood Resorts BLVD" plural! I know this is probably 10+ maybe even further down the road but I see it happening.. maybe a value option? Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

The announcement says "We have a number of innovative ideas" and then it goes on to say "to help the park prepare for these" which is why the are closing it.. To me "a number" means several things are coming.. "to prepare" means RB has to close before they can even start their next idea.. Remember, when they announced their 10 year plan they said it would include the start of their new area expansion.. at that time they said the expansion was to be up the train route and that there will be a lot of work involved to get there.. new infrastructure, new utilities.. everything.. (find some old interviews about the 10 year renovation and you will see what I mean) Earlier this year Dollywood sent out a survey about theme ideas for a "new area" Look in this photo at the close proximity of RB to the train loop service road. What better place to expand to their new area than this! Retaining wall is already there, service road is already there which can be used as part of the new area.. I'm sure the new area will be another "loop" like Dollywood has been building so the exit/entrance of the other side of the loop can be the service road beside firechaser I'm like earnirocker and believe this is the start of their expansion and RB was just in the way of it Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Unless the park is that very profitable, which I doubt considering its close proximity to SFOG, there is no point in keeping a park like that open. If a company is profiting off of a park, they're going to invest in it and it doesn't seem like they're investing in this park much at all. This park should get a coaster before SDC or Dollywood even considers adding one. First of all, consult a map. Second of all, no. There is no corellation between CAPEX and profit. Exactly, Wild Adventures isn't any closer to SFOG than Dollywood is.. it's way down in GA probably 3 hrs or more away (not that I actually know I only pass the exit for it going to Disney lol and have never stopped) Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Yeah at this point Herschend should just sell the park because they aren't really adding to it enough for it to make sense. This might be reaching but I always felt they bought that park for the animals with plans to eventually have them at and move them to Dollywood or SDC.. I always felt it was part of their quest to be Disney.. Again this was just my feeling about that park when they purchased it and nothing has ever been said to make me feel this way.. it's just me Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

They have something huge planned for the area, they have to.. River Battle opened in 2008 and was 5 - 6 million wasn't it? You don't just demolish a ride that new and that expensive unless you have something big to take it's place.. I am like Ernie and feel this is the start of the expansion.. They announced it with the 10 year plan, they know they have a lot of work to do to make it a reality, plus early this season or very late last season (I don't remember) the survey about themes for the new area came out to select folks.. if I were a betting man, I'd expect the expansion to be officially announced before winter! Or at least teasers Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

I am going to disagree on this. I think there is too much involved with building inside the loop and that idea is scrapped. They need power, plumbing, pathways up the mountain, etc. Plus it would ruin the view of the train ride. I think if they are going to expand a new area, it would go behind the country fair area in the big field. I suspect that they will go with another family area with a few flats and a play area like Fireman's Landing at SDC. That's the issue, they already have pathways up the mountain that way.. yes they are service roads but not as much involved as you think. They aren't expanding into the train loop yet but up it. I'd imagine a lot of it had already been planned and even engineered when they announced it four or five years ago.. that was when they started cutting some of the service roads. My only other idea is they are using the river battle area for a show building.. it's a large area and would make room for a new dark ride. But expanding up the train loop has been their plan for a while and they even mention there would be a lot of infrastructure that would need to take place before it happens.. I mean, they know this is going to be a huge expansion and I feel they are prepared for it But with that being said, the service roads, the junk piles they have hidden on the train loop, and other things already take away from the looks of it. Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

I'm sure it'll move to another HFE property somewhere or be sold.. it should have plenty of life left in it.. not sure if it will move to Splash Country, they honestly struggle with space there as well.. Might move as a free attraction to Dreammore but I doubt it.. I'd bet it'll show up at wild adventure if they don't already have something similar.. That park doesn't seem to have the funding other HFE parks do. Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

This is my guess too because that's the location close to the expansion if older rumors are correct.. Dollywood has said themselves that their plan is to expand up the train loop and having room in that area to rework paths would really be helpful Now, a lot of people seem upset about this, Dollywood might wanna make an announcement sooner rather than later about their plans and why this is needed.. Also, River Battle is only fun when it is full and it's not full very often except on busy days Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Thanks, that makes sense. Everyone else I saw were groups of 3 so I was just curious, we all laughed about it cause it was definitely different lol Haha yeah, now it would be awkward if we were matched with an older family, or family with young kids or something but we got matched with a college couple so it was all fun and games.. we actually followed them down to the water coaster and was matched with them again then parted ways after that haha Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

No, the announcement didn't include any closures or any new rides.. odd that the rumor is still floating among ride ops so I guess JDWades source might still be correct. I'm sure it's safe to post the ride name but it will be welcomed with "it's probably not true", "hope it's not true" and typical rumor stuff haha no problems with that though! We have all learned that you must take Dollywood ops with a grain of salt.. well this is true for ops at any park, most know the same we do and get their rumors from the same place.. Dollywoods management wouldn't tell ride ops anything official at this point because it would "leak" out Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Happened to me on big bear last season.. by the end of the ride all four of us were all over each other.. luckily we were both young couples so we thought it was funny If you sit Indian style on it, you bounce on that ride, or used to when they allowed you to sit Indian style.. like bouce enough to almost fall out Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk