Jump to content
  TPR Home | Parks | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram 

dstephe9

Members
  • Posts

    1,875
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by dstephe9

  1. Honestly, I never purchased much from them.. I believe my GF purchased a bag last year and I purchased some wall art stuff a few years ago.. But I'd imagine the booths sold enough to make it worth the sellers coming.. who knows Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  2. To me, those booths are what made it feel like a real festival.. When I think festival I think shows, foods, and crafts/items for sale.. Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  3. Plus, places like Cade's Cove have the same demonstrations for free. They have a blacksmith, they have a fully working Grist Mill, and various other demonstrations going on throughout the year and day With Dollywoods price increasing, I'm sure a lot of their core goes to other spots to see the same type of demonstrations.. The Dollywood price is great for folks wanting rides and other theme park attractions, but sky high for the shows now offered at Dollywood and demonstrations Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  4. One thing I missed this year are the vendors for festival of Nations.. while small and not many, I enjoyed seeing them selling clothing, bags, and other stuff from other nations.. I might just be missing the vendors but I haven't seen them this year on my visits. That would help them focus a little on their core.. Biggest issue is, their core won't pull in the larger crowds. Their core audience is getting older and a lot of people could care less about the shows and demonstrations.. I have noticed less and less people watching demonstrations.. shows remain packed, but more and more folks walk out of them after they start now.. their general crowd now is becoming younger it seems.. It's sad really haha because I actually enjoy the shows for the most part Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  5. Potential B&M invert themed to a ski lift a la Alpengeist? I could potentially see Dollywood lasting 20 years with no new rides at all with how much awesome stuff there is to do at the park currently, with the rides, the shows, the craft demonstrations. Hell, they could probably keep the lights burning on the cinnamon bread alone. Could they last that long without new rides? Yes probably, but look at Disney.. they tried to last for a long time without many new things and look how much Universal caught up to the with attendance growth? Was that due to the lack of new rides? Who knows but a lot of analyst think so, and they are building them like crazy now. Dollywood sees a jump in attendance everytime they have a big ticket item.. They want to be at least a national destination, and for that I do see them having to do several more big ticket items.. They offer a lot yes, but a lot of folks aren't interested in their religious shows or local demonstrations.. I feel I am seeing proof of this right now with the mountains seeing record attendance (as announced by the park service, attendance was up for GSMNP in Feb and March by close to 30% vs this time last yea), but so far I have seen no proof that Dollywoods seeing this record attendance that the area is seeing (I know it's still early and Dollywood was only open a few weeks of that time).. this time last year, Dollywood had several record breaking days.. as far as I can tell, they have yet to increase their hours on busy days which is something they normally do when attendance is very high.. this time last year they had done it 3 or 4 times by now. People that are coming for the scenery and local area (which a lot of the demonstrations at Dollywood are), just aren't going to Dollywood it seems. BUT as we saw last year, big ticket rides do bring people in.. With that being said, I have no way of knowing Dollywoods true attendance.. I just watch the wait times and see the parking lot when I am there (which is a lot) and so far I have seen nothing that compares to this time last season attendance wise Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  6. Last year with the announcement of LR, several interviews said that it would be the last coaster for a while at Dollywood.. So here are my thoughts for 2018 1.) They start their expansion to the new area.. this will include several flats.. a recent survey sent out by Dollywood was asking for theme ideas for a new area.. SDC sent a similar survey out a couple years before their newest area.. so this is an option for the next "big ticket" item at Dollywood.. it was also announced back when the resort was announced that part of their 300mil over 10 years would be spent on this. If they wait much longer, the 10 years will be up.. I know things change and plans change and that could very well be the case here but I'd imagine if they are really doing a new area it'll be soon.. 2.) 2018 might be the year of a new dark ride.. rumors have been around for a while on this.. Who knows when or if Dollywood will ever do this but surveys have been sent out about this but not recently.. I believe the surveys are really what got the rumor sparkes 3.) Dollywood hasn't seen new water rides in a while.. During the summer, the few they have are packed! A larger river ride would be nice or just a new water ride in general.. I haven't heard any rumors on this at all so it is very unlikely imo 4.) A snow park will be built at Dollywood.. this idea was planned and cancelled in Nashville.. the recent survey spoke of a snow theme.. Dolly doesn't let her dreams die and if she really wants the snow park like she did in Nashville, it will happen.. Just where will it happen? Dollywoods as good of a place as any.. heck, a small indoor one is being built right now for pegion forge anyways by the guy who owns goats on the roof. Could the snow theme in the survey be Dolly's Snow Park? Do I see a new coaster on 2018? No, I don't see a new coaster at Dollywood for 4 or 5 more years personally. Personally, I think we are about to soon see the day where Dollywood and SDC are going to be 100% independent when it comes to rides meaning both parks might build a big ride at the same time.. heck, we are already seeing it.. If Dollywood followed their own past trends, we wouldn't be seeing any rides built for 2017 at Dollywood and we are seeing two Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  7. https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ethemeparkreview%2Ecom%2Fforum%2Fviewtopic%2Ephp%3Fp%3D1738753%23p1738753&share_tid=23793&share_fid=42044&share_type=t&share_pid=1738753
  8. Well again, the ride op posted on here might be wrong as well lol, so who knows. Sounds to me though, he leaked info he shouldn't have which is why it was quickly deleted. It's hard to believe anything you hear about LR now days, even if upper management says it. Even upper management will say something and then say something else that is completely opposite of their original statement haha Either way, he oil leak has been around since last year.. I asked he question because I thought it was part of the themeing, I was like "that's interesting" lol Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  9. Last year we were told that the train is supposed to leak oil. We were told that on wood coasters they oil them most days to help protect the wood, rails, and everything else and this kept staff from having to walk the track and do it manually. It was the front of the train that did this oiling so the front "drips" when i sits in the station. Like all oil leaks, oils gathers stuff like dirt and grime making it look much worse than it actually is. About twenty minutes after the post, the post was deleted. I was actually the person who brought this up on the forums last year when I noticed the pan full of kitty litter then. The person who mentioned this was also the person who leaked a lot of Dollywood LR info.. so again, this is another case of "ride ops don't know everything".. Not saying I know which ride ops was correct but it's two different stories by two different ops once again lol Like I said, the post was deleted but I'm sure if you search you can find a lot of our responses to it. Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  10. I used to love lumberjacks pizza but just look at that pic!! Those that don't believe the post of quality going downhill, just look at the pic for proof haha! Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  11. The fires last year brought the area national attention. I would not at all be surprised if that has anything to do with it. I'm sure that has something to do with it, I just hope Dollywood is benefiting from it.. so far from my visits, they don't seem to be but looks aren't official numbers at all lol. Or maybe it's just proof that the folks who visited Dollywood last year for LR could care less about the National Park and didn't even visit it.. With 30% more folks in the area than last year, you would hope Dollywood would see some of those people. If they don't, I wonder if the increase in ticket prices are the reason? Something to speculate about. Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  12. What concerns me some is that according to the National Park Service, national park attendance is up 30% already this year vs this time last year for the Smokies, however, I have yet to see Dollywood have any record days yet and most days they seem to struggle getting parking up to lot F. It would be interesting to hear what Dollywoods attendance has been so far this season but last year we already had record breaking days by now and days that had parking all the way up to splash country.. so I haven't seen any signs from the outside saying Dollywoods attendance is up Obviously people are visiting the area, I wonder if Dollywood is seeing growth so far this season Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  13. Everything at 0 makes me think they are having an issue with the wait time system lol.. This time of year, they are having a lot of school field trips so I'd imagine something has at least a 5 min wait lol Even on dead days FC has a 5 - 10 min wait haha.. Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  14. For sure. A real douche. Not a lot on YouTube, but he chooses to post one of the dumbest things he's done. Posted as if he's proud of it of something (added slow motion effects) And how'd he get the phone back at all? I didn't think they'd retrieve lost articles, especially something that was so flagrant a violation. I mentioned putting stuff in zipped pockets. I won't even ride wearing sunglasses cause 1) they might hurt someone, and 2) I don't want to loose them ($100+ to replace, but less than most phones). I'll even drop them down my shirt if I forget in the station. Certainly a pro. Does he not know how to stop the recording instead of just flashing to random locations while standing? Or hold the device straight? He does claim he won't put a phone in a pocket on a ride again. "I had kept my phone in my pocket many times on many rides. But I never will again." Not sure I believe that though. Old habits... And either he got a lot of nasty comments he deleted or he knew they were coming as comments disabled on that video (but not he other 2 on YouTube) Actually I was at Dollywood once and they closed wild eagle while looking for a guys wallet haha so they do retrieve some stuff.. I know SFOG retrieves stuff like this after the park closes and makes you come back the next day for it.. I bet Dollywood does something similar. I was actually at SFOG for a late night concert one time that ended after park hours.. ops walked under the coasters with lights for about an hour looking for stuff.. I was surprised.. Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  15. That's the only one I found when I searched.. and this is exactly why everyone should listen when they say no loose articles on the ride lol.. I'm out of style (according to my GF who works at Old Navy) and still wear cargo shorts with button pockets.. my phone gets locked in there! Funny thing is, whenever I wear my straight leg shorts she's like "hold my phone, hold my wallet" and I say, according to you cargo is out of style so I didn't wear them. Can't hold it. She gets so mad haha Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  16. Not run down but could use some TLC in some areas. They are making the right steps to upgrade and renovate the parks.. one of the biggest things they planned for the off season was to get rid of a lot of the ugly AC units and "hide" them better.. This really helped the looks of the park a lot.. they also updated and upgraded a lot of the restrooms.. but still, there is a lot of work to be done and hopefully they continue to update things.. I hope they update more restaurants like front porch Cafe.. it's very nice but still retains the Dollywood charm and the "age" of the park.. Lillians could use some of that, and so can a few of the other restaurants.. imagine an updated aunt grannies with larger capacity but still the charm of aunt grannies! I think the biggest complaint that the OP had on this subject was some of the rides and I do agree here.. again, if an element breaks down, it seems as if Dollywood is just removing it such as the bear scene on Daredevil Falls.. little things like that do a lot for rides.. But I agree, the speakers all over Dollywood Kill me.. like you said, new speakers that are clearer and louder on blazing fury would go a long way.. the speakers in the sawmill on Daredevil Falls sounded blown on Sunday. Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  17. I thought the waterfall was working on blazing fury Sunday, but I agree, it does need work. I mean I didn't notice it not working and my GF even made the comment that she loves the chlorine smell when we passed the falls Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  18. Yup, this has been my experience as well.. for any ride at SFOG for that matter.. Superman assigns seats as well but if you say "I want the back" or whatever, they usually honor that request Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  19. Depends on the OP.. they always control the dock yes but they don't always tell u the line to join.. but yes, they have told me in the past what line to go to.. Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  20. I'm honestly not sure the OP actually meant looks run down.. I feel he means elements not working which Dollywood does have issues with ride elements not working.. as for looks, I feel mystery mine looks great.. I haven't been on it this season so I'm not sure about elements working but last year most worked fine Same for Daredevil Falls. The cave portion of it last week didn't have sounds.. the bats weren't working.. it looked like just a wood tunnel.. of you have never been on the ride, I'm sure it just looks like a wood tunnel but.but it actually had cave themes... so elements not working there.. half the sawmill on it was also down and the speaker sounded blown.. this was on Sunday. Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  21. Daredevil falls has been rundown for a while IMO.. when something stops working, they just remove it.. I didn't notice the bear in the tent when I rode it Sunday? Has it been removed and if so how long? Plus both this year and last, the boats seem to drag the bottom the entire time on Daredevil Falls.. this has actually happened for a while.. they have updated the "logs" recently.. and a few years ago the entire falls itself was down and it took most of the season to repair it. (Ride was working, the waterfall just didn't have water on it) Speakers dont work very well on Daredevil Falls anymore either. They have repaired some of the "mountain" recently as it had a lot of holes in it. So they are trying but Dollywood just doesn't seem to be as good at "looks" maintenance of rides as a lot of parks are.. you can also tell it had a much lower budge than log rides at other larger parks.. maybe this is why it looks more run down? The mountain isn't built nearly as well as other mountains on rides. As for mystery mine, someone told me the fog/mist is gone due to it messing with sensors.. essentially the same reason Batman coasters at six flags have stopped using mist. But I haven't noticed Mystery Mine being very ran down personally.. Speakers on it don't work often either but they do fix the fire every few years.. last year it was working fine. Sounds like speakers at Dollywood is always an issue, half the time the blazing fury speakers don't work well either. Imo, a lot of Dollywood could really use a little TLC.. this past off season, they gave it a lot of TLC but it could use a lot more.. a lot of the buildings still look old and outdated.. not a "theme" outdated, really outdated.. country fair could still use a lot of work and fresh paint but does look a lot better this season. There are so many unused and empty buildings now that they should put to use! The old Lego place in Country Fair? The old furniture shop that only seems to be used for Christmas now? Other buildings and stores never used.. theaters are outdated.. the list goes on and on.. they are headed in the right direction, a lot of the park is just old.. Older than even Disney in Florida My biggest complaint about the looks of Dollywood are their junk piles.. if you look around, they have a lot of junk piles visible to the public. All you have to do is look and you will see tons of them Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  22. Makes the most sense to me knowing the size of the area and everything so I firmly believe this is the reason as well Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  23. AH, totally makes sense. You're right with the footprint for the drop tower. Yup, now a drop tower might of never been planned for the area.. that was always a rumor but the footprint is small and now that they did decide to put a tower in that location, I'm sure that limited the design to a handful of smaller models For the space, I personally think this is the perfect model.. it's tall, it has decent capacity being a round carriage, and it doesnt look like a cheap carnival ride in the area If they went with many of the other models that offer a small footprint, I feel capacity would be an issue.. a lot of the other models only allow 2 - 4 people per side (with square carriages) and Dollywood in general is trying to become a much larger park so they needed something with decent capacity Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  24. With the pouring rain I'm sure it is dead lol Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
  25. Dollywood does have a ton of unused land and their plan is to advance up towards the train loop with a new section eventually What I meant with the limited space post is when Dollywood got rid of timber tower they left it's station, lines, and everything unused like they had a "plan" to put something in there.. The space is actually very small and compact so not much will fit. This is why Dollywood has had a drop tower rumor for so long. With that being said, a drop tower like the one at SFOG would not fit in that area, those towers are huge haha even though Dollywoods is taller Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use https://themeparkreview.com/forum/topic/116-terms-of-service-please-read/