TEDodd
-
Posts
633 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by TEDodd
-
-
Quick search says it was $82, $119, and $129 last year.
I also remember the regular pass being less than 2 daily tickets.
Now the cheap "Silver" pass is $170. My 2020 regular pass was only $129 (no blackout dates) and Gold pass was $214.
-
1
-
-
I've always enjoyed April visits though the weather can throw some curve balls.
While not as bad as early April, I've seen some cold days in late April.
-
1
-
-
On 10/17/2024 at 7:43 PM, prozach626 said:
All good points.
A few OK things in there, but yeah. Way better than just pizza, chicken strips, and funnel cake options. You can eat at DW and SDC without coming out feeling like complete garbage.
Thankfully, parks are definitely doing better now. Even KI had an "organic locally sourced" restaurant up front.
As I said, what I typically have at home, and what my mother typically cooked.
Interesting you skipped potatoes, a staple for the 50+ years I've been around, eaten 3-4 times a week.
And cream style corn was/is 2-3 times a month thing.
For sure I'd say anything from the sit down restaurants DW is far healthier than most park food (or even the other DW options. 10 years as a pass holder and only ever at at those places a handful of times. Even then it was for special options during the festivals. For example, I only ever had BBQ during the Bluegrass festival)
I guess it's just a where you're from/what you're used to sort of thing.
-
Silver Dollar City has announced a $500 million future development plan, starting with a brand new resort!
https://www.silverdollarcity.com/press/resort-announcement/
Silver Dollar City, America’s #1 Theme Park, today announced plans to invest half a billion dollars over the next decade on the construction of new family adventures, including the development of 1,200 acres adjacent to the Ozark Mountain theme park. The strategic plan represents the largest investment in the company’s 65-year history and begins with the debut of the Silver Dollar City Resort, the first theme park resort in America’s Heartland.
“This is more than just growth—it’s a new era.” said Silver Dollar City Parks & Resorts President, Brad Thomas. “Over the next decade, we will mindfully transform 1,200 acres into an authentic, only-in-the-Ozarks destination starting with our first resort. The new resort will combine Silver Dollar City’s spirit of playfulness, discovery, craftsmanship and exploration with all that makes The Heart of the Ozarks so special.”
Already under construction and set to open late 2026, the 262-room resort will feature never-before-seen vistas of the Ozark Mountains and Table Rock Lake, along with unparalleled access to Silver Dollar City theme park. The new resort will also be located just a stone’s throw from the company’s other family attractions, including White Water water park, Showboat dinner cruises, Pink Jeep Adventure Tours and the Silver Dollar City Campground.
“This investment showcases Silver Dollar City’s commitment to tourism and economic growth in the Ozarks and for the State of Missouri.” said Missouri Governor Mike Parson. “We are excited to see this project bring thousands of new jobs and millions of new visitors to our great state.”
Additional resort details will be provided in the coming months regarding guest amenities, park privileges, room types, and group meeting spaces. For more information, visit silverdollarcity.com/resort.
-
3
-
-
On 10/5/2024 at 6:31 PM, throatytoast said:
The other rollercoasters were closed that day.
Overall, this park was better than most Six Flags parks, but I wouldn't say it's worth making a trip there. I'm trying to figure out why people like it so much. Maybe if you have kids? Or if you really like country music? I'm not sure.
Odd for TN Tornado to be closed. Mystery Mine and Dragonflier as well? Dang that a bummer.
Wild Eagle is one of my (now 20) daughters favorites. Fits the theme well, a gentle soaring flight. No scare elements like head choppers or key holes. Just an fun ride with great scenery.
LR is 3800 ft, Steel Vengeance is 5740, not double the length (that'd be 7600). LR comes at you so fast that you don't get to reflect on the elements as they happen because the next one is starting. Granted the new track sections and loss of the LSM launch change it a bit, but the elements are all still great and the integration with the landscape is unique. I've ridden ArieForce One and the quad down on it is not as fun as LR. And the wave turn has a lot more hang time than others RMC has done
Guess it depends on what you are looking for. It's a theme park, if you don't like the theme it won't do a lot for you. It not an amusement park like SF.
As for why people like it, it's a different experience than amusement parks like SF. At SF it's just getting from one ride to the next and waiting in line. DW, take your time and enjoy the journey. Stop at a show or demonstration. Look around a shop. DW has 9 coasters now, though 4 are family rides not thrill rides. But those are only part of the experience. There's a lot more to DW than just the rides. I spend as much time at shows as I do riding rides.
While it's been a while (2022) since I was there the food used to be much better then other parks (I think even better than SDC). Guess it depends on where you went. I tend to visit the restaurants like Aunt Granny's, Ham 'n Beans, Front Porch (though I liked more when it was Backstage), and Miss Lillian's (again, liked the Chicken House better). Also like when Aunt Granny's and Miss Lillian's were buffets and you served yourself.
Not sure what you mean by healthy stuff. Aunt Granny's and Ham 'n Beans are basically home-style meals similar to what I eat most nights. Pot roast, meatloaf, catfish, fried/baked chicken, chicken pot pie, pinto beans, mashed potatoes, creamed corn, roasted potatoes, carrots, green beans, turnip greens, cabbage.
And the Front porch has fried cauliflower, fried green tomatoes, fried chicken (w/ mashed potatoes, gravy, pickled tomato & collard greens), shrimp and grits with sausage, pork loin chop (with potatoes, gravy, and collard greens), even a past dish (rigatoni, basil oil, tomato sauce, parmesan)
-
1
-
-
2 minutes ago, SoCalJasonland said:
I just compared meals, line skipping, rentals, and photos benefits and even those do not transfer across the chains in 2025. This is kind of screwed up. The All Parks is good for both chains but your season meals is only good at your legacy chain, etc...
It's basically still 2 separate chains other than the basic admission & parking.
Of the non shared items the only one that really irks me is meals since I don't do any of the other stuff.
But it still comes out to and extra $300+ to add the other all park pass and meals just to get meals at the 2nd chain.
The all park pass sounds good at first glance but if you plan to eat at the park too it's suddenly not a great deal. (Or if you do fast pass or photos)
I was really considering getting a pass again with merger and a single pass option in the $200 range, but after looking closer seems less likely.
-
1
-
-
5 hours ago, prozach626 said:
I'm not talking about currency...
And no. There's pretty much nothing healthy at Six Flags.
I wasn't either.
The food in the park is no worse than other fast food fare. A burger or chicken sandwich in the park vs McD, BK, Wendys, etc. Similarly the pizza isn't any worse than Pizza Hut, Dominos, Papa Murphy, etc.
-
1
-
-
2 hours ago, prozach626 said:
There's a much greater cost in the short term and long term by eating that much park food. Or any...
Well 50 visits was a high estimate for year round parks. Basically once a week.
15-20 would be more realistic. As for park food, depends a lot on what food you choose.
But not really any worse than fast food outside the park.
The point stands, whether you eat X times at one park or spread across 5 different parks it shouldn't be nearly twice the price. Making it one price would incentivize visiting other parks, with an increase in sales for those visited parks.
-
10 hours ago, SoCalJasonland said:
Is that a typo or does the Gold pass at Knott's really not include parking?
I'd expect both on the right to include parking, Gold just adding Soak City, and the Prestige to add preferred parking and VIP stuff.
-
11 hours ago, SoCalJasonland said:
I just need all-season Hilton and America Airlines to go with it. I'll get my two meals a day at the parks.
What, $10k for Hilton and $20k for AA?
-
3 hours ago, bert425 said:
^ again. . just looking at my Fiesta page. . .
I see the Dining add on for 99.Hmm, I was lookin at SFoG as it's the only one close enough reasonably use as my home park. $55 gold, $99 prestige.
So Fiesta is $65 Gold +$120 all park. Home park Dining $99 and not even offered if you select the all park add-on (unlike SFoG)
-
14 hours ago, tndank said:
2025 passes now on sale. ~$350 for All Parks add on to a Prestige pass seems a bit over priced and crazy in my opinion.
But $125 to add to the Gold Pass isn't bad.
$155 for all SF dining seems high when home park is only $80.
But then the CF version is also $155 vs $95 for home park.
Still seems high to add dining for other parks. So I visit home park 50 times and eat 100 meals.
or travel and have 10 of those visits to other parks instead. Still the same number of visits and meals.
The whole all park situation seems to discourage visiting other parks rather than encourage it.
-
17 hours ago, bert425 said:
yeah. . weird.
yours is ringing up different than mine. I guess because I'm so much closer to the park?
You have the prestige pass not the Texas2splash pass.
Not sure if that matters. I don't see the Gold pass or Prestige pass on the Schlitterbahn website.
-
5 hours ago, lond said:
"an essential part inside the pipe construction was missing."
"insufficient demands on how they were to be manufactured and on the manufacturing process"Wow. So the contractor didn't build to spec (and QC didn't verify) or the spec was wrong?
-
On 3/24/2024 at 8:22 PM, TrippinBillie said:
I saw a side by side of 2016 and 2024 Lightning Rod that was synced up at the exact same time after the crest of the first hill; I have to say it's extremely neutered. I'm sure they will take uptime and reliability over the guest frustration and guessing game of open/closed each day, but that thing is definitely a shell of it's original form. After watching the official TPR on and off-ride, you can tell that thing isn't as whippy and out of control as it's v1. As someone who rode in 2016 and then 2020, I noticed a HUGE difference in pacing and a slower launch. I can't imagine how clipped it must feel now.
I'm certainly not one to cause problems or throw shade, but I'm a bit shocked and disappointed Rob continuously replied to comments on his POV YouTube that "I couldn't tell one bit of difference". I'm not sure if that is genuine, or if he was wanting to help the PR train with Dollywood....but it's sad to see videos of the old vs new with this coaster. That quad down in 2016 was literally absolute chaos and insanity. If you look at POVs from this year, that thing is crawling over that first return up and over to start the quad down. But, again, I'm sure Dollywood is happy their big investment has more uptime. I just wish people would admit to the glaring difference in pacing and how it runs.
I'd be curious to see that comparison. Specifically to know when each was filmed.
I know a bunch of 1 vs 2 comparisons that had vastly different temperatures, and LR was always slower in the cool months (like March/Nov/Dec). And even then March 20th one year could be significantly colder than another year
This year it wat 61 at noon. 2020 it was 68 at noon. 2016 it was 45.
I guarantee a video at 45 is a lot slower than at 69.
Even the same day could see 20-30 degree change from morning to afternoon and you could really tell the difference.
So you need videos at similar temperatures to compare with. -
3 hours ago, throatytoast said:
Question - I'm planning a trip to Dollywood in September this year, and I'm wondering if they usually keep most of their rides running during the weekdays in September, or are they like Six Flags parks where half the rollercoasters are going to be closed. Does anyone know? I have the option of going there on the weekend too, but I'm leaning towards a Monday or Tuesday. Probably planning the last weekend in September. Thanks!
Check the calendar for the days they are open. They have a few closed days the first week of September.
The rest of September and October is Harvest Festival.
https://hfe.widen.net/s/hm2pjhbzhb/24dw_opcal_festivals
Everything runs every operating day, whether permitting, from March to Jan.
https://www.dollywood.com/themepark/Rides/Ride-Temperature-Guideline
Of course rides can have down time, and getting parts can take days/weeks.
And water rides, like Daredevil Falls and Smoky Mountain River Rampage, and are closed when it's too cold, but not an issue in September. -
11 minutes ago, prozach626 said:
There's no controversy in this thread. wtf
Nothing controversial.
It's clear what devices have issues.-
1
-
-
Pixel 7a, Chrome.
Thumbnails show properly.
Videos play properly
-
1
-
-
19 minutes ago, tndank said:
Not advertised. But it's there and will appear on mobile ordering for verification. I was sort of surprised it didn't appear at other parks.
I am not talking about membership dining plans. This is for 2024 diamomd season passes and dining plans purchased since August. Not a huge deal but I thought it was interesting.
I see.
I was looking at the purchase page for the Black Friday deals. It just say:
"Enjoy lunch and dinner every visit today and throughout the 2024 Season. Only a 3 hour interval between meals. Drinks not included."
Nothing about a snack
-
1 hour ago, tndank said:
Heads up, the new dining plans include a snack currently when visiting Over Georgia.
I'm not seeing that on the website.
-
43 minutes ago, tndank said:
Lightning Rod is closing on the 30th for a high speed chain lift to be installed. Top speed will remain the same.
October 30th, not September 30th.
Sadness.-
1
-
-
43 minutes ago, tndank said:
Big Bear opening May 12. Passholders that purchased early can sign up for exclusive time slots starting earlier that week. https://www.dollywood.com/themepark/festivals/big-bear-mountain-preview-night/
The 12-14 have 4hr blocks that appear to be passholder only.
That's an unusual way of opening.
Maybe some exclusive time Friday, but Sat and Sun too? -
On 4/22/2023 at 10:14 PM, tndank said:
Also just learned after I left, it overshot the brakes again and they were doing another evac off the brakes. This seems to be happening a decent amount. Can't imagine warmer weather is going to help that.
I'm going to have to get there soon before they install trim brakes before the quad down.
No, warmer weather will not help at all. I was waiting till mid-late May for it to get faster but that may be a double edged sword now.
-
On 4/12/2023 at 2:12 PM, Hilltopper39 said:
Several time train went out with empty seats because the grouper 1 floor down had no idea they hadn't sent enough people up to fill a train, it made no sense at all.
Sounds like people not going where assigned more than the grouper making a mistake/miscounting.
But that goes back to my funding it less than useful. They didn't try to fill the trains. Group of 3 goes up and they never ask for/send a single to fill the seat (I've seen similar happen at other parks too).
-
1
-
Dollywood Discussion Thread
in Theme Parks, Roller Coasters, & Donkeys!
Posted
Sevier County Spring break Apr 14-18.
https://www.sis.sevier.org/28455_2
But looks like the surrounding counties had spring break last month. Several will be out for Good Friday though, and it's not uncommon for many students to miss the Thu before or leave at lunch.