ernierocker Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 (edited) Following the lead of Chuck's BGW thread, I have decided to make my own similar thread for Dollywood. With my close proximity to the park, I generally take five or six trips to the park a year, so I figured why not cover as much of the park as I can and share it with you guys! My goal for this thread is to hopefully provide the forum with a comprehensive look at the entire park from the rides, food, shows, shops and seasonal events that Dollywood has to offer. From just posting general trip reports to concentrating on specific areas of the park, hopefully there will be something in this thread that you will find beneficial as you plan a visit here. Also, if you are planning a visit to the park in the future, be sure to check out this thread: Erik & Misty's Smoky Mountain Adventures You will find a TON of great information not only about Dollywood but the area surrounding it! So, let the thread begin! __________________________________________ Spotlight on Barnstormer (Scroll Down) Trip Report featuring the National Southern Gospel and Crafts Celebration! (Part I) Trip Report featuring the National Southern Gospel and Crafts Celebration! (Part II) Video Update! Blazing Fury Lights-On Tour! Smoky Mountain Christmas Trip Report - November 11th, 2011 Spotlight on Craftsman's Valley - February 12th, 2011 National Roller Coaster Museum Exhibit - September 17th, 2012 _____________________________________________ Part 1: Spotlight on Barnstormer I decided to begin this thread with a section dedicated solely to the new for 2011 ride, Barnstormer. It seems that with the timing of Wild Eagle's initial announcement in early spring, this S&S Screamin Swing has kind of taken a backseat in coverage on this forum and other social sites. I guess a $20 Million first of its kind roller coaster kind of does that. So, hopefully this report will show that not only is Dollywood getting a great new ride next year, they have already put in one this year! And not only did the park add the new ride, they also added a play area for young ones called Owens Farms. So, as the older kids ride the rides, the younger kids can have fun as well! Edit: I forgot one of the best things about the new area! It is literally only a few short steps from Cinnamon Bread as the upstairs entrance to the Grist Mill is right across a short pathway!!! Alright enough talk, on to the photos! Barnstormer is located smack dab in the middle of the park right next to the Mountain Slidewinder. It replaced a kid's playing area and splash pad. Head straight up Craftsman Valley and you will eventually see this sign pointing the way to the new area! Up a short hill and there it is! Such a drastic change to what was here before! The ride is very well themed and it is evident as you enter the new area. The basic back-story behind the ride is you are here to watch a stunt duo named The Fearless Flanagans as they attempt to "Storm the Barn" as their final big stunt. And let's meet our entertainment for the evening! I can't think of anything that could possibly go wrong here... And here is our "legendary" pilot, Stormy Severs. It is probably no big deal that he has left his contact lens at home. He can just wing it. The theming continues throughout the queue. Speaking of the queue, it is themed to look like your ordinary barn. Long story short, the barn storming isn't very successful and the fiery, deathly crash has effectively split the barn in half. Being the resourceful company that they are and the fact that the crash just happened to be in a theme park, S&S thought..."Hey, why not plop one of our Screamin' Swings down here!" Here you can see that the ride consists of two separate swings that each seat 16 passengers (8 facing forward and 8 facing backwards). Let's check out a couple of photos of the ride in action! Here you can see how high the ride actually goes. The ride really has some surprisingly, strong forces. Much more than the one at Lake Compounce. The ride's theming actually spills over to the gates leading to the backstage area. As I mentioned above, this area is also home to the new Owens Farm play area. Which consists of three play areas for young children. Granny's Garden is a play area dedicated to toddlers. (Perfect for my two kids!) Lil' Pilots Playground is a play area for the slightly bigger kids. (notice the smartly placed benches surround the play area) And finally there is a splash pad which conveniently makes up for the park losing its previous one. Kayla thinks that Owens Farm was a great move by the park. You gotta love a theme park that not only looks to add thrill rides but also locates things for kids to do nearby! In my opinion, this is the smartest edition to the new area. A covered area with benches and fans for the parents to hang out while the children play. There is also a family restroom right around the corner. These next couple of photos serve the purpose of helping you to get your bearings of where Barnstormer sits in relation to Slidewinder. The rides are really RIGHT next to each other! Noted! I really do love how the park has themed this entire area! For those not from the south, "maters" are not the same thing as "breeders". One final look at Owens Farm. They do have l o c k e r s conveniently located in front of the ride in case you are wondering. I did not see how much they were though. So, there you have it. Barnstormer is a fantastic addition to an already amazing park! Be sure to check it out on your next visit! Edited September 17, 2012 by ernierocker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueerRudie Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Awesome thread there, Eric- and love to see the pics of this interesting ride. I'm looking forward to seeing the park again next summer- and watching people on said rides... (Both of them: Slidewinder and Barnstormer... I'll be happy to be the bag-man for those rides.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazekiddd Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Awesome! I can totally use this thread plus the park index to plan a trip soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteornotes Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Dollywood is one of the greatest parks in the world. If you haven't been, you really need to make a trip there. I've been there twice, and am really hoping to visit again next year. dt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intimidator305 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I'm a passholder to Dollywood (along with KD) even though I don't get down there but 2-3 times a year and I was very happy with the way Barnstormer and the surrounding Owens Farm turned out! Barnstormer is one of my favorite flat rides around (definitely my favorite flat at Dollywood) and the whole area is just so much better now. I rode it 8 times in a row one day as it never gets old, and the crews on Barnstormer both trips I've been this year were amazing (friendly and quick). I'm looking forward to this thread since I can't get down there as much as I wish I could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernierocker Posted October 18, 2011 Author Share Posted October 18, 2011 (edited) Awesome! I can totally use this thread plus the park index to plan a trip soon! That's the goal of the thread! Awesome thread there, Eric- and love to see the pics of this interesting ride. I'm looking forward to seeing the park again next summer- and watching people on said rides... (Both of them: Slidewinder and Barnstormer... I'll be happy to be the bag-man for those rides.) Yeah, unfortunately Slidewinder is one of those rides that isn't very accessible because of its location and setup. But now you see that you will have a nice comfy spot to wait it out while you are the bag man! Also, the area is in extremely close proximity to cinnamon bread!!! The upstairs entrance to the Grist Mill is literally across a short pathway from Owens Farm! YUM!!! Edited October 18, 2011 by ernierocker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCW_Nut Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Can't wait to try the Cinnamon Bread next year on the New Hotness trip. MMMMmmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gisco Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Yes to the hot cinnamon bread. I think I better start a diet now before going to the park next year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPDave Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Amazing thread Eric! I never knew the backstory of the Barnstormer before, that's got to be the best theme for a screaming swing out there. Keep the epicness coming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moose Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I loved Silver Dollar Ciry and everyone tells me Dollywood is even nicer, so I'm sure I'll love this park when I finally get to it. Thanks for this detailed look! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygator Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Eric - Can't wait for the post within this thread devoted to the Cinnamon Bread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinschroder Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I love Screaming Swings! So simple, yet so full of airtime! And great that they managed to incorporate a story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy524 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I'm loving this thread already! We're thinking about heading up to Dollywood sometime next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gisco Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Eric - Can't wait for the post within this thread devoted to the Cinnamon Bread. Me too! I love that stuff. We have a small bakery here that makes some. We bought a loaf left it on the kitchen counter and went out to dinner. When we came home all we found was the empty wrapper and two dogs that looked very guilty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazekiddd Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Eric - Can't wait for the post within this thread devoted to the Cinnamon Bread. Me too! I love that stuff. We have a small bakery here that makes some. We bought a loaf left it on the kitchen counter and went out to dinner. When we came home all we found was the empty wrapper and two dogs that looked very guilty. Please remind me not to read this while I'm AT work! I'm already starving now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueerRudie Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Awesome thread there, Eric- and love to see the pics of this interesting ride. I'm looking forward to seeing the park again next summer- and watching people on said rides... (Both of them: Slidewinder and Barnstormer... I'll be happy to be the bag-man for those rides.) Yeah, unfortunately Slidewinder is one of those rides that isn't very accessible because of its location and setup. But now you see that you will have a nice comfy spot to wait it out while you are the bag man! Also, the area is in extremely close proximity to cinnamon bread!!! LOL- I never thought about that (Accessiblity!) My thought was: Mountain Slidewinder scared the CRAP out of me, and led to a line of profanity that's still hovering over the Pigeon Forge valley to this day- Rode it once- and NEVER again! As for the swings: Same thing... On the bright side, the Cinnamon Bread WOULD be a good diversion while I'm the Bag man... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osm Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 I really like this thread. I have no plans to go to Dollywood anytime soon, but it's still a unique look at a beautiful park, and I agree that it would be a great trip-planning resource. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernierocker Posted October 19, 2011 Author Share Posted October 19, 2011 (edited) This next installment will feature a more conventional Trip Report of my visit to the park this past weekend. (October 16th, 2011) We were able to bring my parents this visit with a pair of tickets that we won on Dollywood's Facebook page! We entered this photo that my wife Candace took: http://themeparkreview.com/parks/pimages/Dollywood/Wild_Eagle_Construction_Tour_2011/wild_eagle_14.jpg into their Boomsday Photo Contest and it was selected as one of the 3 winners! The prize was two free Dollywood passes! Since we already had a Season Pass and my parents were nice enough to drive up from Nashville to babysit the kids Labor Day weekend, we figured it would be a nice gesture to let them join us with the free tickets! Let's move on with the report! When you see this, you know you have come to the right place! When you see this, you know you are in the south! The park is currently celebrating their National Southern Gospel and Harvest Celebration which takes place for select days in October every year. This event takes the place of a traditional theme park Halloween event and features several national Gospel music acts, special craft exhibits and seasonal "harvest" decorations scattered throughout the park. Speaking of park decorations, here are some of them. Pretty pumpkins, corn husks, leaves and other things that make you think of Fall. We will get back to the more of the decorations in a bit, but first let's take a look around the park! It is always smart when visiting Dollywood to head straight here upon arriving! Dollywood's Queue Skipping system works very similar to Six Flag's Regular Flash Pass. You find the ride you want with the Q-bot, queue up your ride and then wait until your ride is ready. The system is set up to where you wait for the same duration that it would take to go through the standby line, but I have always found that your wait is usually shorter. Another HUGE plus of this system over other parks is the prices! Only $15 per person and the sixth person is free! You get a 15% discount with a Gold Season Pass. And here are the rides and shows that were available! As we always do, we went straight to the Q2Q building on Sunday. We figured we would go ahead and get one since the parking lot was already filled to Parking Lot C when we had arrived that morning. The lady at the counter asked us if we were wanting it for the shows or the rides. Not being big show people, we of course said the rides. She then informed us most of the people were at the park for the gospel shows/concerts. So, the rides had hardly any waits at all and we should just save our money! I just don't see something like that happening at Six Flags... (On a side note: After visiting Dollywood several times now, one thing I have come to learn is that you can never judge how crowded the rides are going to be by how full the parking lot is. I have seen the parking lot almost completely full and the rides were walk-ons all day! ) The seasonal shows are a HUGE draw for the park and the Southern Gospel acts featured this month were no exception! Here is a look at some of the acts that Dollywood had invited this year. The Southern Quartet were featured in the Valley Theatre next to Miss Lillian's Chicken House. Here is a blurry picture of the guys in action! A couple of the featured acts in the Celebrity Theater at the front of the park. By the way, Soul'd Out...ha! These guys were amazing and never missed a key once! As I said above, the shows are not really my thing, so unfortunately that is it for the Gospel part of the festival. But don't get too sad because it is time to move on to the rides! How about we start in Timber Canyon? Which is home to Thunderhead, a fantastic GCI wooden coaster! The lady at the Q2Q counter knew what she was talking about! No lines! Only about a three train wait for most rows! (I recommend the back row!) Thunderhead's crew is one of the best in the park and the country for that matter. They fly through dispatches! Like most GCI coasters, Thunderhead features a Station Fly-Through! It is required by law that you go "Wheeeee!" throughout this entire element. Another train full of satisfied riders! The ride was running fantastic Sunday morning but unfortunately it broke down later on in the day. One of the great aspects of Dollywood is that there is usually something for young children to do throughout the park. And Timber Canyon is no exception. This playground area is located almost literally in the footprint of Thunderhead! Our kids are 2.5 and 1 yrs old right now so we spent a lot of time here while taking turns riding Thunderhead and Mystery Mine. One of my future installments will be dedicated to these children areas but for this report I will give you a little hint: There are some great angles of Thunderhead to be had from here! The ride was really flying through its course! After riding Thunderhead, it is only natural to walk over to Mystery Mine next! So, that is what we did! And that walk is starting to look drastically different than it used to! (If you would like to see more photos of Wild Eagle's construction check out my report here: http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1100981#p1100981) Mystery Mine is the park's Gerstlauer Eurofighter which was added in 2007. Naturally, Dollywood has themed this ride out the ying yang and has both indoor and outdoor portions. Make sure you pay a visit to the ride's mascot, the talking vulture! Before we can ride, we have to make sure we will fit in the seats! Hmm, I don't think Kayla quite fits yet! Dylan is a little closer but I think he has a few more years to go! He is however almost old enough to work in the mines! While the kids train for their new jobs, let's take a look at the line for the ride! Not too bad. With the way the line was moving today, this was only a 5-10 minute wait! By the way, you get a great view of the rest of Timber Canyon from the top of the stairs! Like I said, Mystery Mine has indoor and outdoor sections. This trestle bridge connects the first vertical lift and drop. The rest of the outdoor section features a couple of tight turns and drops before re-entering the ride building. This section was riding particularly rough today, as compared to earlier in the summer. After a few surprises inside, you enter the ride's grand finale! And of course, Dollywood's theming can be seen throughout the station's queue and surrounding areas. Moving on, we rode Mystery Mine and then proceeded on into Wilderness Pass where we were greeted by this sign. No rides on Splash Battle today or for the rest of the season, bummer. I really do think though this has been a fantastic edition to park! Lot's of fun and kids of any age can ride as long as they can sit up straight in your lap! Splash Battle may be closed for the season, but that will not keep me from heading back to this section of the park for the rest of the season! Now at this point, I really must apologize. We had made our way all the way to the back of the park wasting away most of the morning, and had not yet had any cinnamon bread! But we are so far away!!! We need something that can get us over to the Grist Mill quickly! Oh look! This will do! Yay! It worked! We're here! The sign points the way to pure goodness. This location is easy to overlook if you do not know what waits inside. And here it is! Pure amazingness baked in a oven fresh for you and me! Here are the prices! Evidently they sell other stuff here. I did not know that! : And here it is in all its glory! Cinnamon Bread! Do not leave the park without trying some! Since you obviously can not ride anything after engulfing your entire loaf in two minutes, let's check out some more of what the National Southern Gospel and Harvest Festival has to offer! There are several craft exhibits and demonstrations featuring artisans from around the country spread throughout the park with a large concen tration being in Craftsman Valley. Here is an example of some of the exhibits. And yes. They all have stuff for sale! Anybody needing a new rug or wooden spoon? Speaking of wooden spoons... Not only can you buy wooden spoons, but you can also exfoliate! This was one of my favorite booths of the day! Hopefully, if you buy one of his games, they come with instructions as I had never heard of most of these games! Actually, I take it back. This had to be my favorite exhibit! Chainsaws are always good fun. And to wrap up part 1 of this report, here are a couple more photos of the park's decorations for the event. You can not have a harvest celebration without a scarecrow! Well, I guess you could, but it would probably suck. And saving the best decoration for last... I present you with the great Pumpkin Tree! Part 2 will be coming up soon. Featured in Part 2 will be Tennessee Tornado, the train, my son's first coaster credit!!!, and much much more of our day! Now, I need to go finish off the rest of this cinnamon bread from Sunday. Edited October 19, 2011 by ernierocker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gisco Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 That is pretty cool bringing all that stuff in for the holidays. It is more than an amusement park. I especially liked the cinnamon bread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cherryblossom Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 mmm Cinnamon bread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteornotes Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 There is no such thing as too many photos of cinnamon bread. dt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernierocker Posted October 19, 2011 Author Share Posted October 19, 2011 Perhaps, I should have named this thread "Eric's Cinnamon Bread Thread!" instead. Did I just rhyme 3 straight times? Part II coming up later tonight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerstlauer1 Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 Perhaps, I should have named this thread "Eric's Cinnamon Bread Thread!" instead. Did I just rhyme 3 straight times? Part II coming up later tonight! Hahaha you did! Looking forward to it Eric! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moose Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 I've never had this famed cinnamon bread, exactly how good is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueerRudie Posted October 19, 2011 Share Posted October 19, 2011 I've never had this famed cinnamon bread, exactly how good is it? To paraphrase a line from "Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy"- "To experience Dollywood's Cinnamon Bread would be like being hit in the head with a heavy brick wrapped in gold." I think without question, it's the most popular food in the theme park universe, and well worth missing ERT for. It's that good. A day at Dollywood without Cinnamon Bread is not a day at Dollywood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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