dstephe9

Not every major ride or star attraction has to be a coaster.. drop towers are considered as major rides to a lot of parks, especially one over 200ft tall like drop line.. Yeah, Dollywood will probably promote the heck out of LR again this season, taking some of the shine off the Drop Tower, but it'll end up being a star attraction to a lot of folks who visit the park.. As for future rides who knows when they will plan to open them.. I'm sure they could of had Drop Line and Whistle Punk chaser installed in time if they wanted unless they were last minute decisions to buy and build which I doubt.. I really doubt they said in June "Hey let's buy a drop tower for next year, yeah let's call and get it built".. I'm sure the decision was made much earlier than that meaning if they wanted it by March they could have it As fast as Dollywood is building their coasters it wouldn't surprise me if they went several years before the next one.. actually two years ago in one of their LR announcements they said not to expect another major coaster anytime soon. Passholder preview days usually have select rides open and select restaurants and stores.. just expect a few things to be closed. Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Can you confirm that? I hope you're right as I'll be visiting in late April. But like dstephe9 said, On Jan 7 at an ACE event, Pete Owens said that both Drop Line and White Punk Chaser are scheduled to open around Memorial Day. I wonder if this will be the start of a new Dollywood trend of their new rides opening around Memorial Day (before LR, many of their new rides had been open on Opening Day) I hope not, I hate how six flags does this but hey it's the normal for most parks now Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Wasn't that being built offsite like the drop tower? I know drop line isn't opening with the park.. Pete said that in a video posted on here about a month ago. I thought he mentioned the coaster was also being built late but I might be wrong.. I know most of the off season construction was actually refurbishing of a lot of buildings such as restaurants (backstage restaurant and lumberjack pizza), a new Human Resources building and other general refurbishing of the park while the new rides (Drop Tower for sure) wouldn't open until late spring early summer. Again, this was also mentioned in that video Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Wasn't that being built offsite like the drop tower? I know drop line isn't opening with the park.. Pete said that in a video posted on here about a month ago. I thought he mentioned the coaster was also being built late but I might be wrong.. I know most of the off season construction was actually refurbishing of a lot of buildings such as restaurants (backstage restaurant and lumberjack pizza), a new Human Resources building and other general refurbishing of the park while the new rides (Drop Tower for sure) wouldn't open until late spring early summer. Again, this was also mentioned in that video Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

It's cheaper than a lot of places in town with comparable quality. No, it's not Paula's or Applewood or Alamo or JT Hannah's, but it's as good as other $10-15/person places. Yeah, what with a gold pass the buffets are like $12 - 13 (roughly) and that includes drink and desert bar.. less expensive than Ryan's or Golden Corral (unless you have a coupon) and I like Dollywoods better.. The BBQ sampler during BBQ fest was only slightly more than a dinner at Buddy's BBQ (Tennessee owned fast food joint for those who might not be local) but plenty of food for 2! Was fresher (smoking it right beside the restaurant booth), their own special sauce and more And most skillet plates + drink (if you have a mug) are under $10 with gold pass for one person. Lumberjack is under $10 and that slice of pizza is plenty for two.. Just ask them to cut it in half and they will so two can eat at lumberjacks for $10 total! During festival of Nations last year, the plates with gold pass cost under $5 (or right around $6 for some plates) just keep in mind they are small but that allows you to sample more foods which is the goal I believe Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

The cinnamon bread might disagree with you. As would the delicious skillet dinners. Exactly! My favorite are the skillet dinners (steak and cheese is my favorite I'd say), the speciality foods during festivals, and Lumberjack Pizza. I try to eat the buffets once a year but I don't really go for them. Desert is always cinnamon bread or a bakery item. (Whichever I choose for desert I go to the other and get something for breakfast that I take home the next day) (a lot of times both the bakery and the mill have buy one get one free at closing so I get two things to take home) Of and don't forget the food truck! Those chicken sandwiches are the bomb haha but it's not open often in the evenings when I'm there. And when it comes down to it, with a gold pass, food is very very reasonable!! Especially for Theme Park food! My number one complaint is that I wish they had more specialty foods during festivals.. yeah festival of Nations has some good food but I'd like more unique food than Asian, Tacos, and the normal. I also wish the BBQ festival went on longer because that's some of the best BBQ around.. it's much better than the normal BBQ from the park Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

I actually go to Dollywood to eat all the time and only eat haha During the fall the park is dead, food is great, and makes for a nice evening out.. just walk and eat, might catch a ride or two but mainly walk and eat Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Pretty much Early Fall - Winter is geared for Christians.. the Gospel Festival is right before the winter one. Here's another way to look at the, the hotel, Dreammore isn't catering to the local crowd and the older local crowd, is the crowd that would pitch the biggest fit if the Theme Park starts serving alcohol.. Again though, I don't think it would be unreasonable for Dollywood to open a nicer restaurant in the future (like some of Disney's) that might offer alcohol I don't think we will ever see it outside of a restaurant though Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

They might make some incremental money but I don't think it would be a killing. But who knows, no one wold know unless it happens. I don't know if there are financial implications to add a liquor license to business the size of Dollywood, but I don't think Herschend would want to deal with the hassle, stray from their core values or worry about a possible public outcry from their core constituency. The park is not struggling for new revenue streams especially after just opening Dreammore. Dreammore already has alcohol so the liquor license shouldn't be an issue. Also they allow you to drink alcohol around the pool and anywhere on property at dreammore.. so I don't think HFE is afraid of doing it BUT I do think they are afraid of hurting their older crowd and upsetting them.. during the fall the older southern crowd makes up 75% of their attendance at Dollywood I'd be willing to bet Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Here's the thing, as Dollywood transforms (like it's doing now) I do see alcohol possibly in the future BUT I don't ever think it's going to be like some think. I don't think it'll be like Epcot where you can walk around with it.. I don't believe you will be able to enjoy alcohol on a bench people watching.. I bet they will regulate it like SFOG and Magic Kingdom.. maybe build a nice indoor restaurant with a bar or something. But I bet they won't let you leave with it.. SFOG has a security officer in both restaurants that offer alcohol (at least when I'm there) so there is no way of it doing much harm.. Not sure about Magic Kingdom, I know when I was there I only ate at one restaurant that offered it and honestly, no one I saw had alcohol.. it was all soda or tea so not sure how well it's going there.. but there would be no way to get the alcohol out .. I did see a lot of people try to order alcohol at quick service restaurants and then get mad because they couldn't, but that's a different story. Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Yeah I haven't tried at Dollywood yet either.. before bag checks they didn't have an issue.. my bottles are to expensive to lose though.. I know Six Flags only allows empty bottles but they at least don't confiscate them.. I need to ask Dollywood on their policy now haha Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

I was at SFOG last year and they had trays filled with water already so you didn't have to wait in line. It was a hot day but still in their standard tiny shot glass cups haha Dollywood usually makes you ask but like I said, they give nice sized cups unlike six flags.. Disney also offers free water in places that don't deal with bottled drinks only.. Disney offers nicer sized cups as well At Disney though, they let you carry on water bottles already filled so I just take my giant HydroFlask filled with ice Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Yeah, a good perk of Dollywood is free water.. nice size cups with ice unlike six flags that gives you tiny cups! Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

They opened early March last year to I believe.. past few years they have opened a few weeks before Dollywood Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

I don't believe Dolly herself is against it.. they do have Alcohol at Dreammore.. I feel it just had to do with the older southern generation that Dollywood attracts, especially during the fall Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

I said change, not kill. I'm sure it would change things, and not for the better. At 95* you didn't need something to dehydrate you further. And you paid for water? It's free at any place with soda fountain (well except the Mill where they apparently have a screwed up fountain that only dispenses carbonated water) Exactly.. Working in the outdoor industry we send people to the hospital weekly for dehydration and everyone of them usually has to do with to much alcohol. Hardly ever to the soda drinkers dehydrate. But it is all about personal regulation Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Oh they totally would, but it would be ridiculous since Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg both have huge nightlife / bar scenes. Hell, Pigeon Forge just opened up a Margaritaville hotel. Yes... a Margaritaville HOTEL which is in the same complex with Ole Smoky Moonshine, Bootleggers Winery, Margaritaville (obviously), Changes in Latitude Bar, Dick’s Last Resort, Dudes Daiquiris and a bunch of other restaurants that serve alcohol. Gatlinburg was (up until recently) famous for free moonshine, and even know you can get hammered on moonshine samplers for ridiculously low prices all over the town. Tennessee is the go-to place for American moonshine and whiskey so I fully expect Dollywood to hop on the bandwagon eventually. And they are building a Margaritaville in Gatlinburg but remember, these Margaritavilles are a little different than most.. Due to local rules, they can't leave liquor or drink mixes in the room like most Margaritavilles.. You have to bring it or buy it (from the hotel bar). All the rooms have are the machines.. Actually, if you look at Yelp or Trip Advisor this is the biggest complaint about Margaritaville. People expect the liquor to be in their room with the machines but not allowed (at least that is what the hotel claims) I think this page here is the main reason this will probably never happen at Dollywood http://www.dollywood.com/about-us/mission-and-core-values I don't drink but at the same time it wouldn't bother me if Dollywood allowed it but regulated it like SFOG or Magic Kingdom.. Both parks it can be purchased at a very few select locations (4 or 5 locations at Magic Kingdom and 2 at SixFlags over GA) and it's not allowed to leave that restaurant.. This allows both safe and fun consumption of Alcohol for those who want it and limits the accidental "drunkin fight on the street" The only issue it was causing at Magic Kingdom when I was there early Jan was people getting upset because they waited in line for a beer only to find out it was only available at a few locations and a lot of folks fussed about not being able to leave with it Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Especially those adults who would want a weekend job for a little extra cash.. Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

They still employee mostly teenagers yes.. so they would have to come up with some program to attract college students or something. But during the winter months I'd imagine being open only on the weekend wouldn't matter if highschool students worked there or not Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

They still employee mostly teenagers yes.. so they would have to come up with some program to attract college students or something. But during the winter months I'd imagine being open only on the weekend wouldn't matter if highschool students worked there or not Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Year round parks usually do maintenance differently than regular parks.. look at Disney for example. they put a ride on "refurbishment" and have refurbishment schedules when rides need major work such as painting and cleaning and stuff.. From what I have heard and read, year round six flags parks have something similar when a ride will close down for several weeks to be repainted or something.. Trains can be worked on during the week when the park is closed or be worked on in the evening and at night. I think soon we will see regional parks opening more often with shorter off seasons.. look at Dollywood for example.. they used to be closed 2 or 3 days a week in Oct and they closed early everyday in Oct.. next season they are open more during October than their Christmas festival. They will be open everyday and late everyday in October which is similar to their summer hours. Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

With the mild winters it could be open year round now I guess ha-ha Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

The mild winter has probably helped them out a lot I'd imagine Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

That's good to know they still do! Like I said, I hadn't seen it any this year but I normally miss the busy days.. out of the times I went this year, only 3 days where busy. One day parking was at Splash Country.. but they didn't run both trains that day either! But that may have been when one of the trains was sent off for refurbishing.. I don't remember Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Hardly every so that may be the reason they advertise as 70 now I actually can't recall them running two trains in years! Even on busy days they only run one from what I have seen recently. Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk