u4icmusic

That looks like a REALLY short coaster. Maybe 45 seconds, max.

Packed at Dollywood today. Park is still understaffed. Took about 30 minutes just to get in the park with my season pass. Lightning Rod broke twice in the first hour, the second time while I was on it for a rollback. Not sure if it ever opened up for the rest of the day because I left early because ride wait times were 2 hours. They also closed the Timesaver check-in inside the park and built a new Timesaver building outside the front gates that also houses a rental annex for scooters. They also built a new security building so all the white tents are now gone. These two new buildings look much nicer. Not sure what they will do with the old Timesaver building, but that entire area of the park is looking desolate. Big Bear Mountain appears to have all its track in place too.

Dollywood paid big money for RMC to retrack parts of Blazine Fury last year, so I doubt it is going anywhere.

That is great news. The weather has been so cold and wet that I haven't used my annual pass yet this year. Those were my complaints over the last two years too.

The track for Big Bear Mountain is starting to arrive at Dollywood in the Wildwood Grove area.

Yes it is, but you have to be 55 inches tall to ride with a maximum weight of 287 pounds (this is new) The old height requirement was 48 inches tall before the ride closed. I think that is the highest height requirement in the park.

It is slower cresting the first hill because Dollywood took out an entire section of LSM's when they determined the bottom of the first two hills were getting damaged from the force. I've been riding it since it opened and it is much slower going up and over the first hill once they removed those LSM's. However, the rest of the ride feels the same.

I was hoping for spinning cars, like Time Traveler. I guess there's always 2025, lol.

Yes, I am totally serious. The entire ride was rough and I ride every time I'm at the park, as I go every week or two with my annual pass. I literally had to leave the park because I couldn't walk. I'm just glad it was the last ride of the day and not the first. The ride has been rough in the past, before the new I-box track sections, but I've never been in pain from the ride like I was this time. Thunder Head was my first ride of the day (I always go to the left when I get inside the front gates) and it was super smooth. Not sure what the issue was with Lightning Rod that day.

Lightning Rod is a mess. I was at Dollywood this week and Lightning Rod had two rows of seats near the back of both trains roped off and closed. Of course, this made the wait times horrendous for people in the regular queue. I went into the single rider line and got on in less than 5 minutes, which was good. I've ridden Lightning Rod around 100 times since it opened and I live close by and my one ride on it this week was horrifying painful. This was the roughest ride I've ever had on Lightning Rod, even when the old Topper Track was damaged and rough. As the train pulled into the station, I could hear others in front and back of me complaining about how rough the ride was. I typically ride it a few times every time I go to the park, but once was enough this week. I could barely walk when I got off the ride and my back hurt for two full days. I'm not sure I want to ride Lightning Rod ever again. I'd also like an explanation from Dollywood as to why it was so rough.

I think it is impossible to guess what a ride's height restriction will be when it hasn't even been built yet. Since it will be a family coaster, I'd expect it to be in the lower ranges.

The press release said a portion of the $10,000 with go to charity, not most of the money.

I've been to Dollywood three times already this season and the issues plaguing the park for the last two seasons are still happening. Lightning Rod is still having down time and long waits when it is running because they are mostly running it with only 1 train. Wait times have been over two hours when I have gone, so I use the single-rider line to get on much faster or I use the first hour for gold and diamond pass holders to use the Timesaver line. Lines for food and drinks are LONG and many of the food outlets are closed. Strangely, other rides are also experiencing down time. Mystery Mine has been down several times and broke once while I was on the ride. They had to manually lift the restraints and we had to walk along the side of the track to get out. I guess Dollywood's offer to pay for college tuition for staff hasn't helped with staff shortages.

They sell the exact same cinnamon bread at the bakery right at the front of the park and the line is much shorter.

Right, especially since LR is at the opposite side of the park, nowhere near Wildwood Grove.