u4icmusic

Topper track is tubular steel. It is not wood, except for the structure. Lightning Rod has be re-tracked with new Topper Track in rough spots. It didn't work, so RMC is replacing close to 50% of the Topper Track with I-Box track only in the high-impact or rough areas. They can I-Box every pothole and that is exactly what they are doing..

You are not taking into account the many guests I saw picking up the fudge, flipping it over to see the label to identify what type of fudge it was, then put it back on the table after seeing the $10.99 price on the sign, which spreads even more germs. It this was COVID related, they would have done this when they reopened, not just before they are getting ready to close for the season.

the Thunderhead does not use Topper Track. It uses a thin metal plate on top of the wooden structure. The topper track is tubular and identical in size to the I-Box track, that's why RMC can re-track only portions of the Lightning Rod and the trains will run seamlessly because both tracks are the same size. Lighting Rod was always a hybrid coaster. RMC and Dollywood had a marketing scheme and most people fell for it. True wooden coasters do not use topper track.

No, it would have not. RMC and Dollywood took a risk on a first-of-its-kind coaster with the Lightning Rod. The risk didn't pay off how Dollywood wanted it to. It's been mostly nothing buy bad press since it opened, I'm upsetting the park as much as its guests. When the Lighting Rod is running, which was very rare this season, it's a phenomenal hybrid coaster. If you want a wooden coaster at Dollywood, it needs to be the Thunderhead, which does not have the Topper Track.

Just got back from Dollywood. I left early because it was so crowded and after waiting 40 minutes to buy a Coke, I had had enough. Also, Dollywood also more than doubled the price of their fudge since two weeks ago. You used to be able to buy 6 pieces of fudge and get two free. It came out to about $20 for 8 pieces of fudge and $16 with a gold card. Now the fudge is all pre-packaged in plastic containers with 2 pieces for $10.99. That same 8 pieces of fudge will now cost you $43.96 plus tax without a gold card or $35.37 with a gold card PLUS tax.. Dollywood no longer cares about the guest experience and is only looking out for the almighty dollar. Dollywood should be ashamed of themselves. Even the employees were upset with this change. I'll never buy fudge there again at those prices.

The Southeast ACE group was informed that Dollywood was paying for the repairs and track updates. Did you read otherwise?

I'm not sure what you mean that "you wish more of the layout was staying wood." None of it is wood. It's all topper track, which is steel. Only the structure is wood and it will still be wood with the new I-Box sections they are putting in to replace damaged areas.

I have to agree with you. I think at this point, guests just want the ride to be up and running smoothly. I have a season pass and on almost every visit this year the Lightning Rod was closed for at least part of the day, but mostly for the full day. I'm sure Dollywood just wanted to get into the record books when they made the poor decision to build another wooden roller coaster with untested technology by outside vendors. Had they built Lightning Rod as a steel coaster from the beginning, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now and the guests wouldn't have cared less if it was steel or a wood/steel hybrid with a topper track.

Here is a photo of the I-Box track on the left and the all-steel Topper Track on the right. As you can see, the Topper Track is on top of stacked wood, but it is still a steel coaster as the trains run on top of and under the Topper Track. It is a marketing gimmick. The Lightning Rod is not a wooden coaster. It is a steel coaster on wooden supports. Now, depending on how much Topper Track they replace with I-Box track, then Dollywood may not even be able to get away with calling it a wooden coaster next season.

There is no wood track anywhere on the coaster. The Lightning rod uses steel "topper track" on top of the wood structure. I'm thinking the topper track is not as strong as the I-Box track and maybe with all the force of the trains, it is causing dips and bends in the track that an I-Box track would not experience. I think it was poorly designed to begin with and as fun as the ride is, it needs to start running all the time.

Christmas in the Smokies—a heartwarming tradition that families have enjoyed for 30 years—returns indoors to center stage at DP’s Celebrity Theater. Guests also can enjoy a new show, called Heart of the Holidays, which features several members of Dolly’s family and includes a mix of some of her holiday favorites alongside songs from her new Christmas album, A Holly Dolly Christmas. Heart of the Holidays takes place in the DreamSong Theater. Another returning guest favorite, Christmas with the Kingdom Heirs, can be found at the Pines Theater.”

I can't tell if it is the sun or shadows, but the left-hand track looks different. Can't tell if it has been removed though. It does look like the left track and part of the lower section of the right track were removed or modified somehow. I'll be there on Friday, so I'll check it out.

It is not safe to be inside a movie theater, a Dollywood show or any indoor activity at this time due to COVID-19 running rampant in the area. Even with reduced capacities in the theaters, everyone is still breathing the same air and germs swirling around. Not happening. I wonder if the health department signed off on the theaters reopening as the pandemic cases are soaring.

Unfortunately, I agree. I spent several days trying to get through to someone on the phone at Dollywood to renew my season pass that would not renew online. I finally got a call back and was able to do it over the phone, but here's the catch. If you upgrade over the phone, you can't use the payment plan, which I think sucks. Also, the $85 Gold upgrade was way overpriced for just 6 months of use. Over the last year I've written several letters of complaint and not once have I received a reply from anyone. Not even a form letter. I'm sure they are way understaffed because of COVID, but it is still inexcusable to treat season pass holders that way. I live in Knoxville and go to the park often, but there have been a lot of misses for the part this year. The Lightning Rod debacle was one of them. Another was their truncated schedule. I actually had a reservation in hand to go on my birthday. They decided to close the park that day to reduce their operating costs, which was wrong to do after they were taking reservations for that day.

Yesterday i was on hold at Dollywood for over an hour. Nobody ever picked up. I also did the think where you key in your phone number and a rep is supposed to call back before 8 pm. That didn't happen either. It still won't allow me to renew my 2020 season pass online. It still says "this pass is not eligible for renewal or has been refunded." Something is wrong and there is nobody at the park to help over the phone or via email.

Mine came in the mail yesterday. It's a fold-out brochure, not a letter. Don't you find that strange?

That renewal price is just for the regular season pass. A regular gold season pass is $219 plus taxes and fee (right now, it may go up). You are right, the "gold" add-on should have been at least half of what they are offering us. I still can't get the website to work for me and I've tried two different browsers. Not sure if we can upgrade at the park or not or only online.

It doesn't cost more than a full season pass. It is slightly cheaper, but it should have been a way better deal than they gave us.

Did you actually try to renew? Mine comes up with the correct price, but won't let me pay for it. $164 includes the renewal discount. Like I said in an earlier post, not much of a discount for only 6 more months extension.

I keep getting this warning and nobody is answering the phones at Dollywood either. Even if I uncheck the box that says "Don't renew this pass," it automatically rechecks itself.

I tried to renew just now and it says, "This season pass in not valid for renewal or has been refunded. Neither of those are true. I just used it a couple of weeks ago. Maybe they are having website issues. Did anyone else have success renewing? Thanks.

This showed up in my USPS Informed Delivery for last Saturday, but it never got delivered to my mailbox.

The pricing is really disappointing and Dollywood originally told us that we would be getting a "deal" to extend out current passes. This isn't a deal at all except for an extra bring-a-friend pass.

How do Knox county residents get the $30 off? I was supposed to get a postcard from in the mail from Dollywood on Saturday, but it didn't get delivered. I get emails daily with photos of the mail I'll receive that day from the USPS Informed Delivery program, which is free.

I agree. I have friends that only go for the shows that don't ride any rides at all. However, I still believe people pay $79 plus tax for the rides at either a theme park or an amusement park. Dollywood doesn't even have any indoor shows this year, so they surely can't be going for the shows now. I also think people ride the rides over and over, and how many times can you walk through a gospel museum? That is for a small niche market of people. I don't know anyone personally that has ever walked through that museum. Obviously Dollywood no longer thinks the museum is a good fit and that is why they didn't renew the lease on the building. I have a Dollywood season pass and I also go on the "soot train," check out the eagle habitat and sometimes just walk around and take in all the sights, while people-watching. I've seen all the shows, when they were running, but "my" main reason for going is the rides.