Dollywoodlover20

I've been looking around to read comments from the GP about the coaster being closed and the reaction, not very happy. Some are getting told March 24th some are getting told April 8th (Thrills in The Hills). One woman even called concerning vacation plans and wondered if it would be opened by July and the parks response was that they did not know. I have faith in Dollywood but I don't want Lightning Rod to lose its shine and place in the spotlight, due to a majority of their guest peak (May-early August) not getting to ride.

From Instagram Mystery Mine got stuck with people on the trestle right before the drop, so the ole mine is already off to a bumpy start. Is it just me or does Mystery Mine have a bit of down time throughout seasons? I mean I love the coaster to death but usually when I go through out the year it's getting stuck somewhere. I have actually gotten stuck on the brakes before the second lift. Yes next time we are down we are actually gonna spend an evening just traveling the roads out past Dollywood. There are roads here near my house that are like the non inverting loop is supposed to mimmic. We call them "kiss your ass curves" but they aren't normal curves, they're usually blinded by the mountain side, banked, and you're going up hill. Kinda like this one, but a bit more banked. Yes it's possible.

The closer you get up to the quad down the hard it is to see being its so low. It honestly looks like the twisting roads do as you drive out towards Dolly's house or anywhere out away from the Pigeon Forge area. Those roads back that way are pretty much a constant up and down side to side manner. I can hear Dolly referencing something like that in her childhood during the media event.

If you guys can see it, after the LSM's you'll see there is a little space then there is some more that are either more LSM's or trims. Can you tell? I hope they aren't trims right after the launch :/ I didn't realize the area would have an actual street look to it now and I love it! I know Pete said it would look like you're walking on the streets on Sevierville, but I didn't know he meant literally. The area looks so much better!!!

I literally laughed out loud and enjoyed that! The "I wonder when my trains will come" part got me. But yea, Dolly is working on her new album along with a new world tour so they also have to work around her schedule when getting her to open up these rides and kick off the seasons. For she's going to be there next week (the 24th) the coaster may be running by then, only time will tell. They have The Pines Theater in Jukebox Junction but it's on the side closer to Adventures in Imagination. They could easily block the area off. Here's the thing though, when the park opens people will be standing around watching Lightning Rod like crazy taking pictures and videos of testing. Unless the park prohibits it somehow. So that's a plus, we'll get to see a video of the quad down and inverting half loop, and it's enormous trust me.

I'm curious as to if they'll keep Jukebox Junction closed off until the coaster opens as well? I mean what's the point in having a newly renovated area open based around your coaster when the coaster isn't open? Plus I think it would be better to unveil the new things along with the opening of the coaster. Of course you can't block of Reds and Rockin Roadway so they'll fix something up if they were to go that route.

I knew when the park workers themselves were doubting the opening due to it not running enough full cycles I knew they realisticly wouldnt make opening. We were going to go to opening to ride but now we are planning late April/May for our first ride. But I'm fine with that, as long as the coaster is safe and runs like it's supposed to. I'm blown away by the actual speed on this thing though! It literally flies over the false drop and drop, then even faster through the wave turn. My mouth dropped when I seen it going into the quad down but the video was over

Hmmm, very interesting. I just now seen the commercial for the coaster on TV. Didn't have any date on it, just "Spring 2016" but it is running now and I usually see commercials running for them from now until the end of summer. Danny Robbins commented on IG that he's not too sure if it'll open Friday. The test video hasn't been filmed yet because they haven't had enough time to get a film crew out to film it due to all the work being done. Someone asked if cycle testing was done and he said "definitely not"

It is honestly like Tennessee Tornado and Thunderhead had a kid. A kid with beautiful cherry red trains that shine perfectly in the Tennessee sun. Yes I do think this will be another coaster to put Dollywood on the map. They've been going up ever since Wild Eagle (by going up I mean taking things to the next level). They were actually taking baby steps by doing that back in '07 with Mystery Mine, but Lightning Rod is visually pleasing and I'm sure it will not disappoint. I literally laughed when the workers came to a dead hault when I drove towards the bridge/pre launch. It was like they were saying "nothing's going on, everybody don't move". When I see the car slowly stopping and an enormous coaster literally 15ft from my truck.

So I visited Locust Ridge, the park, and then looked at Lightning Rod from the apartments on the hill and all I can say is WOW. Here's what I noticed. So, we pull in the old Dolywood exit and as you approach the coaster the first thing you'll notice even from outside the park is the newly renovated area. Things are everywhere and the colors are bright! Another thing is the ENORMOUS non inverting half loop. My Dad actually said "is that a weird loop or a turn because I literally can't tell what it's doing". It's banked more than 90 degrees all the way up that it looks like it does in invert. The quad down was hard for me to see except for the last turn, because of the way it hugs the terrain so much. Now the part you're probably wondering about, was the ride testing? Yes. Did I see it make full circuit? No. But that's because when we pulled up the first time it was rolling through the brakes. Then they stopped it there, and all the worker's focus was on me. Second time I heard the coaster, but when I ran to the ridge I could just hear it. I'm guessing it was going down the quad down. Another thing, they are working day and night because they have construction lights up the hill that the launch is on, at the top of the hill, around the bottom of the area (station) and in the ravine.

And the older crowds could care less about the coaster, they just want to see Dolly! Haha Well today's weather is in the low 70's with some rain so hopefully they'll try some testing in the rain. I'll try to update you guys with anything I see it any, and if I do see any movement, I will be sure to go by the parks wishes even though I'm not an employee.

Just got settled in the hotel after eating and walking around town. So it was extremely hard to find a hotel because there's apparently this huge cheer competition going on, spring break coming in, and the girl at the front desk said people are starting to come in for Dollywood's grand opening. She was like "Have you heard what's over at the park?" I was like "Yea, Lightning Rod, a pretty big deal in the coaster world." She was like "Oh no, you have no idea, have you seen the thing moving yet? " then just smirked. So just stepping into town and the hype is big. Oh and thanks so much for the directions, I will be sure to put them to good use tomorrow!

I also want to drive out to Locust Ridge to see the actual homeplace (Yes I know you can't go on the land) but in all my 21 years of going to Pigeon Forge, my family and I have never traveled out that road. I know you turn opposite of the old Dollywood entrance, but that's as far as I know. Haha Anyone ever done it?

I'm heading down to Pigeon Forge for the night, and most of the day tomorrow. I would drive out to Dollywood but I fear I would get attacked by the team "NO PHOTOS NO PHOTOS, SHE DOESNT WANT TO BE SEEN YET" haha which I just want to see it with my own eyes. So I may try and take the road where those old apartments are and take a peek, not sure yet though.