TR: Dollywood 4-21-07

[Jive]

We flew into the Knoxville airport, which is tiny and extremely easy to navigate. Getting to Pigeon Forge was also pretty straight forward and it's only about an hour from the airport in Knoxville. An event that goes by the name of Rod Runs made Pigeon Forge the worst possible place to be. It took over an hour and a half to get across town and to the cabin that we had rented. If you can avoid this mid April event I would recommend it. Everyone within a six state area that has a hot-rod shows up and cruises the strip to show off their car. Onlookers put chairs along the road to watch the event and everyone that's not involved becomes involved whether they like it or not.

 

The cabin was pretty much as good as it gets for $100/night/couple. It was 3 levels with 2 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 2 hot tubs and two full sized decks that looked out into the woods. It was clean, comfortable and away from the loud strip. If you're out that way be sure to check out Mountain Vista Getaways.

 

We got up nice and early Saturday morning in an effort to beat the crowds to the park. The traffic wasn't an issue at all at 8:30am and the cabin was only a couple of stop lights away from the park, so it was a quick and easy drive. Our Silver Dollar City All City passes got us free parking and we scored a spot in B-Lot. We would have walked, but a tram was just sitting there so we took the easy way out. We got into the park just after 9am and again the Silver Dollar City passes came in handy because admission was also covered. We went straight to Timber Canyon and found an extremely short line at Thunderhead. We had a one train wait for the front and then a walk-on for the back. Both rides were simply amazing. I've now been on 31 wood coasters and this one moved right to the top. The only straight section of track is the station fly through, every other part is twisty speed filled airtime.

 

Next up was Timber Tower. This was a 1 cycle wait and it was a fun ride but didn't require a 2nd attempt. I never suggest this but it might have actually been better if it got everyone wet. It teases riders with water and with man eating beavers but doesn't come through on any of them.

 

Mystery Mine was part of the reason for the trip but it didn't open with the park and the line had already reached an hour and a half even though it wasn't moving. We decided to skip it and come back later in the day.

 

The park was starting to fill up so we decided to eat before the lunch rush and found a Philly Steak place right near the fountain. The SDC pass scored us a 30% discount so the sandwich, home made potato chips and drink were only $10. The chips were great and the sandwich was average. We should have waited a little while longer because we saw better options as we headed up towards the Tennessee Tornado.

 

We hit Blazing Fury first and found that it closely resembles Fire in the Hole at SDC. It might actually be an exact copy. Like Fire in the Hole it's a fun ride and with a 10 minute wait early in the morning it's well worth the stop.

 

Tennessee Tornado was right next door and only had a 10 minute wait as well. We tried the back and found it to be very forceful. It's definitely one of the better Arrow loopers out there, but still not our kind of ride. It's probably because of the way that I fit into their trains. At 6'4" I just don't fit very well.

 

We made our way down to the County Fair section and took a spin on Sky Rider. It was a 20 minute wait and even though it looks really great it's pretty tame. Families will enjoy it if they can talk the little one's into riding something so tall. I prefer the wave swingers.

 

We met up with Ben and Sarah around this time (11am or so) and took a ride on the train. If you decide to ride the train try and sit near the back. It's coal powered and the closer you are to the front the more noticeable it is. I had small flakes of coal landing in my lap from the engine and the smoke just about killed me. The ride is self was scenic and long.

 

While on the train we spotted the cars over at Rockin' Roadway and had to ride them. It's probably the coolest car ride around. The cars are 50's and 60's models and the station is themed to a used car store. The cars even play old music and commercials.

 

Everyone was ready for a real lunch, so we made our way to Granny Ogle's Ham N' Beans. It's a sit down joint with outside seating and great food. We all had something different and everyone enjoyed their meal. It's good to sit down out of the sun and take a break every couple of hours and Granny's is the perfect spot to do it.

 

Another attempt on Tennessee Tornado was next so we trekked back up the hill and gave it another try near the front. It was the same result but this time included a 25 minute wait.

 

It was time to make our way back over to Mystery Mine and this time it was open. A 45 minute wait didn't seem to bad for a brand new ride. We just weren't big fans of the ride though. The theming is great but the ride is lacking something and I just can't put my finger on it. The drops are pretty good but I got banged around by the restraints and that's just not something I enjoy. The one ride was enough for us.

 

We went back to County Fair to get some more flat riddin' in. On the way we stopped for some sweets at the Spotlight Bakery near the front gate. This was another great idea. The eclair that I had was on par with eclairs I've had from even the most expensive bakeries. The Country Fair area was packed except for the Waltzing Swinger. It was only a one cycle wait and Janessa and I squeezed into a double seat. Once it started tilting our seat started twisting like crazy and it increased the fun factor on an already fun ride.

 

Ben and Sarah split off and headed for Blazing Fury while Janessa and I decided to pan for precious gems in the Luck Seven Mine. She landed several gems from the small bag.

 

We had to finish the day at the star attraction, Thunderhead. It was a 25 minute wait but well worth it. I didn't want to leave the park regretting not riding. Our final ride was in the back again. I couldn't decide whether I liked the front or the back more and Janessa was set on the back so we went with her vote. I can't say enough good things about this ride. There really isn't a dull moment.

 

In summary the park is really hilly and spread out so take your walkin' shoes. At the end of the day we were absolutely beat. It's an attractive park with great scenery and theming. Over crowding became an issue as the park filled up. The walkways were clogged and the low capacity flat rides had extremely long lines. Be sure to get there early and hit the big rides before the crowds develop.

 

Coaster Ratings

Thunderhead: 8 out of 10

Mystery Mine: 5 out of 10

Tennessee Tornado: 5 out of 10

Blazing Fury: 3 out of 10

 

Flat Ride Ratings

Timber Tower: 4 out of 10

Sky Rider: 4 out of 10

Rockin' Roadway: 3 out of 10

Waltzing Swinger: 5 out of 10

 

Park Photos

[jarmor]

Next up was Timber Tower. This was a 1 cycle wait and it was a fun ride but didn't require a 2nd attempt. I never suggest this but it might have actually been better if it got everyone wet. It teases riders with water and with man eating beavers but doesn't come through on any of them.

 

If its in the early morning and not that warm, you wont get wet but if its later on in the evening you will! The ride is on a random cycle so you may or maynot get wet! Also for MM, its one of those coasters where yo have to know how to ride it especially in the front lol!

[kraken613]

I think MM is better than a 5! Thunderhead is atleast a 9 in my opinion is a 9.5. Im so sad i have to scrape my trip to Dollywood that i planed for this weekend becaus i broke my wrist in 4 places.

[Jive]

It really seems as if we're in the minority with our MM opinion. We just didn't dig it.

[Manic Monte]

I thought MM had terrific theming, much better than either of the Mummy rides, and thank God for that because the "coaster" portion was a bit of a let down. I had heard great things about euro-fighters, but these rides do nothing for me. I did like the presentation of the ride though, VERY good job there. Overall I think Dollywood will have a hit with this ride.

 

I agree about Thunderhead. I'm not a big fan of the early GCI rides, but with this one, KY Rumbler and Ozark Wildcat, they really hit their stride. Not all coasters have to be about extreme airtime, and these latest GCIs are surprisingly wonderful, twisty masterpieces with fabulous floaty air to boot.

[Jive]

^ You said it better than I did.