Photo TR: Amy's Only Major Park Tour in 2023

[AmyUD06]

Full trip report POSTED!
Click the links to jump to each part of the trip.

Part 1 - Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Day 1 and Day 2)
Part 2 - Fun Spot Atlanta (and adventures in Athens, GA!)
Part 3 - Lake Winnepesaukah
Part 4 - Dollywood (Day 1 and Day 2)

I'll be leaving the original post up for posterity's sake.

Thanks for reading, everyone!

********************ORIGINAL POST BELOW************************************************

Hey everyone!

So for a variety of reasons outside of my control, my park adventuring this year is going to be substantially cut back from previous years'.  I have no season passes anywhere, and am only taking one "big" trip, which is what this about.  Here's the agenda:

Day 1 - Sunday 5/28 - Drive from Delaware to Williamsburg, check into hotel, go to BGW from 4 PM - 10 PM (I snagged a two-day ticket from Tickets At Work for $60)
Day 2 - Monday, 5/29 - All day at BGW, 8 PM closing. (budgeted for Quick Queue if needed)
Day 3 - Tuesday, 5/30 - Drive to Atlanta, Check in, Relax.
Day 4 - Wednesday, 5/31 - Fun Spot Atlanta from opening until I do everything I want, relax and spend time with my friend who lives near Atlanta.
Day 5 - Thursday 6/1 - Drive towards Pigeon Forge, by way of Lake Winnepesaukah, spending time at that park, and checking in to the DreamMore Resort.
Day 6 - Friday 6/2 - All day at Dollywood (with Timesaver).
Day 7 - Saturday 6/3 - All day at Dollywood (with Timesaver).
Day 8 - Sunday 6/4 - Drive home to Delaware.

All of these parks except for BGW are new to me, and I haven't been to BGW since 2009 when Big Bad Wolf closed, so I've got a bunch of new credits there.  So naturally, I've got some questions.  But first, some of my "quirks" so people can make educated recommendations:

1.  For rides, I thoroughly enjoy coasters, dark rides, water rides that don't get you drenched, and flats that don't spin in too many directions at once.
2.  I eat like a 5 year old.  Pizza, cheesesteaks, pretzels, burgers, mac & cheese, sweet deserts, etc.  I am not opposed to fancier varieties of such items, but note that I generally don't do fruits or vegetables.
3.  I do drink alcohol, but only in extreme moderation (pretty much no more than 3 drinks a day) due to medications.

So, on to the questions...

1.  Thoughts on if I'll need Quick Queue at BGW on Memorial Day Monday?  Can I buy it in the park or is it like a Kings Island thing where you have to do it online?  I notice that InvadR and DarKoaster are only on Quick Queue Unlimited Plus which is $150 on that day.  My plan was to knock out DarKoaster either the previous night or first thing in the morning on Monday, and from what I've read that will be a one-and-done, but I'll probably want multiple rides on InvadR since I do love me some modern GCIs.
2,  Anything ride or food wise at Fun Spot, Lake Winne, or Dollywood that I shouldn't be sleeping on?  Yes, I know "Cinnamon Bread at DW."
3.  Anything that is owned and operated by decidedly pro-LGBTQ+ people in Pigeon Forge area that's worth checking out?  I'm hesitant to spend any money that is not necessary in Tennessee (see this thread if you need clarification on why), helped out by @bert425's comments there, and as @SharkTums suggested in that thread, I'm planning a sizeable donation to the ACLU of Tennessee to "offset" my spending tax dollars there, but if there's anything very cool that isn't going to help the efforts to harm the existence of people like me, I'd like to check it out.  I'll likely not be returning to the area anytime in the near future.
4.  Same question as #3 but about Atlanta.  Really the only cool place I know is Vortex Bar & Grill.  Georgia's ACLU will also be getting a donation, but I'd rather not support unfriendly businesses.
4.  Anything travel-related I should know about this route?  I'm very familiar with the I-95 issues in VA, but I'll be veering off onto I-85 south of Richmond, which I've only driven thrice before, to get to Atlanta.  Then I'll be taking I-75 and I-40 west/north/east from there to get to Pigeon Forge, and then I-40, I-81 and I-66 all the way to I-95 north of DC.
5.  Any other tips and tricks for this trip?

Thank you everyone in advance for your advice and suggestions.

[tndank]

2 days with timesaver at Dollywood seems excessive unless you like watching all the shows.

I'm guessing no interest in Carowinds?  Seems like it would be easy to hit on your way.

I'd recommend hitting Fun Spot when you get into Atlanta.  It's great at night in the dark.  That 9-10pm hour is prime.  Fox Bros has great BBQ.  We love Ponce City Market with the variety and access to the beltway. That's a great way to walk around downtown.

 

[bert425]

the only place I make a point to eat at (multiple times) when in Atlanta is Vortex, and you're aware of it. . tho I would highly suggest the location on Peachtree (Midtown) over the little 5 points location.
People will try to sell you on Varsity. . but I've found them just to be. . . ok.

 

as to Dollywood?  absolutely get your main meal at Aunt Granny's.    It's a "family style" place. . so you might need to meet up with others to go - tho they might serve single diners.   best food in the park. (it's all you can eat).

[AmyUD06]

48 minutes ago, tndank said:

2 days with timesaver at Dollywood seems excessive unless you like watching all the shows.

I'm guessing no interest in Carowinds?  Seems like it would be easy to hit on your way.

I'd recommend hitting Fun Spot when you get into Atlanta.  It's great at night in the dark.  That 9-10pm hour is prime.  Fox Bros has great BBQ.  We love Ponce City Market with the variety and access to the beltway. That's a great way to walk around downtown.

 

I do plan on checking out all of the shows, and the time saver pass was included with the stay at the on-property resort, so it's not really any more money out of my pocket haha.

I've been to Carowinds several times, including last year, and though Fury is in my top 10, without a CF pass it's not worth the stop.

Yeah, maybe I will hit Fun Spot if I'm not too tired after the drive.

49 minutes ago, bert425 said:

the only place I make a point to eat at (multiple times) when in Atlanta is Vortex, and you're aware of it. . tho I would highly suggest the location on Peachtree (Midtown) over the little 5 points location.
People will try to sell you on Varsity. . but I've found them just to be. . . ok.

 

as to Dollywood?  absolutely get your main meal at Aunt Granny's.    It's a "family style" place. . so you might need to meet up with others to go - tho they might serve single diners.   best food in the park. (it's all you can eat).

Thanks for the pointers!  I've never been to the Midtown one, but I'll try to check it out.  Is there convenient parking nearby?  My hotel is outside of the city proper making rideshare a bit impractical.

[bert425]

19 minutes ago, AmyUD06 said:

Thanks for the pointers!  I've never been to the Midtown one, but I'll try to check it out.  Is there convenient parking nearby?  My hotel is outside of the city proper making rideshare a bit impractical.

it's easy walking distance from the Midtown MARTA stop. . so you could park at any MARTA station and take the train then walk the few blocks (up to Peachtree, then 2 blocks down).

the Midtown location is connected to the Vortex Live Comedy Club, and has more of a 'biker bar / outlaw" feel. . . even tho both locations are 21+, the Midtown location is the one I'm way more comfortable at.
(and it's directly across the street from "Bulldogs" - one of the better known gay bars in Atlanta, so you could always look up Bulldogs and know you're across the street from the Vortex

 

[AmyUD06]

19 minutes ago, bert425 said:

it's easy walking distance from the Midtown MARTA stop. . so you could park at any MARTA station and take the train then walk the few blocks (up to Peachtree, then 2 blocks down).

the Midtown location is connected to the Vortex Live Comedy Club, and has more of a 'biker bar / outlaw" feel. . . even tho both locations are 21+, the Midtown location is the one I'm way more comfortable at.
(and it's directly across the street from "Bulldogs" - one of the better known gay bars in Atlanta, so you could always look up Bulldogs and know you're across the street from the Vortex

 

Hmm....I am not a big public transit person at all.  But I'll try to make it work!  And I think I'll have to check out Bulldogs too!

[tndank]

Strange.  The other vortex is in heart of 5 Points, the hippie/artsy part of town next to a huge thrift shop. And looks more cool on the outside.

Homegrown in a great morning spot in Atlanta.  Home cooking, thrift store in the dining room, and usually someone playing music.  It's unique.

 

[bert425]

8 minutes ago, tndank said:

Strange.  The other vortex is in heart of 5 Points, the hippie/artsy part of town next to a huge thrift shop. And looks more cool on the outside.

Homegrown in a great morning spot in Atlanta.  Home cooking, thrift store in the dining room, and usually someone playing music.  It's unique.

 

have you been to the Midtown location?

THIS is in the entrance hall. . the Phallus Shrine.
(rub for luck)



yeah. .the vibe at Midtown is much more "adult". . and the food is better

 

Pics from multiple years of Dragon*con. . told ya, we go several times during Con.. this Vortex is amazing, and the vibe in there at night is amazing (most of these are lunch stops, as it's less crowded and less wait for a table)
 

[AmyUD06]

So the trip is going well so far...no major issues and the weather has been mostly cooperative.  Got to spend a good amount of time catching up with my old friend and checking out the nightlife scene in Athens.  I even hit 300 coasters along the way, but you'll have to wait for the full report to find out what it was.  I will say this, though:

AireForce One has no business being in such a shitty little park as Fun Spot Atlanta.  And I told the ride ops as much (though I did phrase it nicely LOL).

@bert425, I did go to the Midtown Vortex, and of course rubbed the Phallus for good luck.  The food was not as good as I remember, sadly.  I'm also disappointed that they got rid of their other signature drink that came in a collectible glass...not the Skull Crusher, I already have that glass, the other one.  For future reference Bert, there is a paid public parking lot on the very next block from the Midtown location, just in case you find yourself driving the next time you're in the area.

I checked in to the DreamMore resort at Dollywood today, and I just have to say that this has impressed me to no end.  I've recently been stepping up my hotel selection on these trips (from the cheapest possible that I won't get murdered at to mid-level hotels in the $150-$200 a night range), but this absolutely blows me away.  I have not seen a facility and amenities this nice outside of Vegas or Atlantic City.  Maybe there is something to this whole "Breakers or bust!" philosophy at Cedar Point?

Also, this was my first time every driving down the "Tourist Strip" between the Interstate and Dollywood (I think its called the Parkway?)....and just could not stop shaking my head and laughing.  It would probably take a month straight to do everything there, and I'm pretty sure you would be kicking yourself at the end of it for wasting so much time and money.  I did see a couple of real credits though (not mountain coasters!), so I may have to swing back by that way on my way home on Sunday.  And I saw a billboard for an actual, honest-to-Satan, Action Park-style alpine slide! ......that unfortunately costs $50 to go on since you have to buy a wristband to that resort.

[bert425]

^ I'm sorry the food disappointed on your visit, but I'm thrilled you got to rub the phallus for good luck!

parking lot is interesting, but I never have a car when in Atlanta.  The MARTA station is in the airport, and goes right to the convention area. . . so I just do that, and then Lyft/Uber to anything I want to do that's not near the MARTA tracks

(such as the zoo, or SFOG)

[AmyUD06]

I guess now that I've started my Halloween park trips after a coaster-less summer (aside from this trip), I should probably get these reports up, huh?  Obviously with the delay in reporting, these are going to mostly be ride recaps and photo dumps, but hey, something is better than nothing, right?  So, here goes:

Busch Gardens Williamsburg Day 1, Sunday May 28th

I hadn't been to this park since 2009, the year they removed Big Bad Wolf, so there was a lot new here for my to experience.  Unfortunately, my first day was filled with on-and-off rain and thunderstorms, so I didn't get much in, nor did I take a single photograph.  Here's what I did do on day one:

-Arrived to the park around 3:30 and found it to be a lot colder than anticipated, so bought a super-cute hoodie that just happened to be in the trans pride flags' colors (seen here - photo to be added latter).
-Was quite hungry, so I grabbed two pretzels and a bottle of water from the dedicated pretzel place in the Germany section of the park - $30!  They were decent, but totally not worth that much.
-Rode DarKoaster (38 minute wait for the back row).  I didn't really notice any difference in the scenes between the first and second laps, but is definitely a good family coaster, but not really worth an almost 45 minute wait or whatever kind of wait this ride would see on a packed, clear weather day.  6/10
-Rode InvadR (one train wait for the back row, but only running one train) - This had a spectacular layout with plenty of airtime and twists, but has no excuse for being this rough at its age.  3/10
-Rode Verbolten (three train wait for front row) - The very first thing I said in my notes video was "I miss Big Bad Wolf, I really do" and that was my initial reaction pulling back into the station.  The drop track was kinda cool (my first time experiencing something like that), and kinda forceful at the end twisty sections and the inside sections were nicely done....but it doesn't live up to the ride that previously was in this location.  6/10
-Rode Tempesto (half-train wait for the front row) - Direct quote - "Whatever, it's a SkyRocket, don't even care." I really don't care for these rides.  1/10
-Rode Pantheon (half-train wait for the back row) - EASILY the best ride in this park, no question.  Totally had an RMC feel all of the outward banked turns and odd airtime moments, but I wasn't a huge fan of the little "bump" during the forwards-backwards-forwards launch sequence, which I am still not big on.  9/10

With the storm coming in harder at this point, I kinda gave up on the day after that (around 7:15) and went back to my hotel for a good night's sleep after my 5 hour drive to get down to Williamsburg.  I was able to get almost all of the new-to-me coasters here, so even if the next day turned out bad, it was still a win.  Did it?  Read on to find out.

[AmyUD06]

Busch Gardens Williamsburg - Day 2, Monday May 29th.

Would this park be packed on Memorial Day Monday with stellar weather?  Nope!  Reasonable waits for everything (at least as long as I was there!)

I arrived at the park shortly after opening, and headed first for Apollo's Chariot, where I met a 12-minute wait for front row.  This was really a one-train wait though, since most of it was waiting for the crew to finish up their morning checks.  Solid ride, a great mid-tier B&M hyper.  7/10.

Next up was another lap on Pantheon, this time in the front row!  Three-and-a-half train wait.  This is definitely a front row ride...wow this ride is pretty good!  It squeezed into my Top 10 Steel at #6, between Millennium Force and Banshee.  I'm still not a huge fan of the backwards launch sequence, but holy shit is the airtime coming over the tophat after the final forwards launch is nuts.  11/10.

Now it was back to Verbolten - 9 minutes locker to locker for back row; amusingly they forced me to put my bag into a locker this time, when they didn't on the previous day (it was the same exact bag).  Yeah, still not as good as Big Bad Wolf.  And what a waste of a first-generation 911!

Next up was Alpengeist, which is always a spectacular ride (22 minutes locker-to-locker for back row, right edge).  With the removal of BBW, this is easily the second best ride at the park.  10/10.

I then gave InvadR another shot, this time in the front row (forgot to note the wait time).  Up there, it's a much better ride...still a weaker GCI, but a lot better than my experience the previous day.  7/10.

Thought about giving the Le Scoot log flume a go, but for some reason didn't.  I always remember from my childood the actual sawblade right before the final drop (I think), which freaked me out as a kid.

Now it was time for one my favorite features of this park:  The numerous transport rides!  This time it was the Skyride (Germany to England, 2-car-wait), on my way to my next destination.  Any guesses what it was?

That's right, it's Loch Ness Monster!  How does this classic Arrow hold up after all these years?  Unfortunately not all that well (walk-on front row), as it gave me quite the headache.  Super excited for the renovations that are happening for next year.

I then took a ride on the train to attempt to relax and soothe the headache, snapping a bunch of pictures of things that I saw.

RIP Drachen Fire....you were taken before your time.

What is this building back in the old Drachen Fire area?

Next up was a ride on the Skyrdie England to France (17 minute wait), and of course more pictures!

That brought me to around 2:00, and unfortunately my Loch Ness Monster induced headache hadn't really gone away, and knowing I had a long drive ahead of me the next day, I headed out.  Oh, and at some point I rode Grover's Alpine Express just for the credit, but I guess it was so forgettable that I didn't even make a notes video or take a picture.

This park really is beautiful, and offers plenty of shade in most areas, and I will be back in a few weeks to experience their Halloween event for the first time (along with processing my pass for next year - my first time having a BGW pass!).

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for some adventures in the Atlanta area up next!

[AmyUD06]

So, basically May 30th was a complete travel day...boy is that drive to Atlanta, even starting in Williamsburg instead of Delaware, brutal.

The next day, I headed out for my first trip to....

Fun Spot America Atlanta - Wednesday, May 30th

Now, I've been to the two Fun Spots in Florida, so I kinda knew what to expect...but I did not expect this.

Wow...yeah. 

Anyway, my first ride here was Hurricane, their Miler.  Its a coaster, and that's all that can really be said about it.   This was about the closest I've come to feeling like I was going to die on a ride in a long time, and not in a good way. 1/10.

Here are some more pictures of the grounds....

Three things a normal person never expects to see on the same sign...

Their "arcade" was something else.  First, a long open area with a few ticket-producing games.

Which opens into a bigger area with some more ticket-producing games...

Complimented by some 1990s-era true video games.

Including Sega's F355 Challenge Deluxe (one of the few arcade games to actually provide a clutch pedal and full 6-speed H-pattern shifter) and the always awesome Super GT.  Of course, I had to drop a few bucks here.

The arcade also featured this....

So you know how in a walk-through fun house attraction, there's usually a stationary platform where you walk down a rotating cylinder around you, intending to provide a physical prop gag to affect your balance?  That was literally all this was - just the tunnel.  For 50 cents.  I never LOL'd so hard.  Was this part of a larger fun house at some point?  Seriously...like I cannot believe that this was an attraction at a permanently standing amusement park.  Pure hilairty.

Some more of the park's "ambiance:"

Anyone know what used to be under here?  Guessing just picnic tables.

No, that very unsafe looking Skycoaster was not operational and did not appear to have been for quite some time.

Seriously, what did this artificial rock formation use to be?

But now, onto the reason that anyone would ever travel to this park from a distance:  Aire Force One!

Okay, stupidity of the name aside, I actually think the queue and ride itself were quite well themed.  How did it ride?  ABSOLUTELY BONKERS!  I rode in both the back and front row (both walks ons), and then went around for a few more laps of each, but holy shit is this ride absolutely insane, and has ZERO business being in a park this shitty.  I do have to agree with what everyone else has said about the slam into the final brakes and the final bunny hops, but still a great ride and not too rough on your thighs to be non-re-rideable.  9/10.

Oh, and I also rode their kiddie coaster too.

I also took a lap on the Samson go-kart track here, which had an awesome layout and underpowered cars (much like their Florida counterparts).  When I say I did "a lap," I mean literally that - there was no one else on it, and go-karts are weird by yourself.

But yeah, AFO is absolutely nuts.  Is it worth a trip to this park if you're not going to be in the area anyway?  Not really...but ride it while you can since I have no idea how this park survives.

Anyway, after the park, I swung by Vortex Midtown Atlanta, and the ambiance was awesome as always, but the food was kinda meh.  I was also super disappointed that they got rid of the other signature-glass cocktail in addition to the Skull Crusher; I was planning on trying one.

After that, I met up with my good friend Jessica who I've known for over 20 years (and wow does it hurt being able to say that), and we went out and hit the town in Athens.  I don't remember the names of the bars we went to, but it was an awesome little town, totally accepting, and even had rainbow-painted crosswalks walks (not expecting to see that in Georgia).  I think next time I'm down in the area this is where I'm going to try to get a hotel.  I leave this part of the TR off with a photo of me and Jess (me on the left), taken from some rooftop bar:

Next up:  Lake Winnepesaukah!

[AmyUD06]

When traveling between Atlanta and Pigeon Forge on an amusement park tour, you'd be advised to not skip...

Lake Winnepesaukah - Thursday, June1st

This is an often overlooked quaint little park along the lines of Waldameer, Idlewild, or Quassy, and while they do have one full-scale coaster, it is not the star of the park.  What is, then, you ask?  Press on...

Even their own signs abbreviate the the full name!

Pricing?  Pricing.  And yes, it is rather expensive for a thrill seeker, but is totally worth it.

As the name implies, there is a Lake, that actually features into the star attraction...

I love when parks put up cute little drawn maps like this, even if its not up to date (the last-one-in-the-US Eyerly Fly-O-Plane had been removed several years back).

They've got some small park staples, such as a Baloon Race...

...Ring of Fire...

...CP Huntington Train...

...Flying Elephants...

...Tilt-a-Whirl...

...and a small Ferris Wheel.

But they also have a super-rare Moser Rides Maverick asymmetrical Top Spin clone so originally called "Twister."  It was not operating, but seriously click through that link.  These look even more bonkers than a regular Top Spin.

There were of course some food stands...

...and no park would be complete without any games...

Their pirate ship, mounted over the water as they should be.

Some of the kiddie rides (there were plenty):

Including a Hampton Amusements drum:

Most parks have at least one spin-fast-in-a-circle ride; this park's is their Matterhorn.

For those fans of the spin-fast-in-concentric-circles, we have a Scambler:

The required drive-'em cars.

A mini golf course

And the not-quite-as-rare-as-I-thought-before-park-traveling jungle gym:

It was around this point that I was approached by a security officer and asked what I was doing taking pictures of everything, resulting in my usual spiel about how I catalog different parks and write reviews, showing him some of my past TPR reports, yada yada.  Funny how this only happens at tiny little out of the way parks...we all gotta get them more exposure and popularity so they're used to it haha!

Anyway, it was time for some rides!  First up was their dark ride, Wacky Factory.

Seven-and-a-half minute wait.  Cute enough exterior design (at least the front of the building), and I couldn't find any manufacturer information on the internet about it...anyone have any ideas?  Either way, it was meh overall, with lots of different things hobbled together over years...there was one well designed scene (which I won't spoil because I didn't record what that scene was in my notes).

Next up was one of two coasters here, Wacky Worm, interestingly located right behind the Wacky Factory.

Meh, whatever, it's a wacky worm, 2 laps.  Amusingly they did not apply the brakes at all when going through station after the first lap, resulting in some surprising laterals going around the unbanked turn before the lift.

They also have a 1916 PTC Carousel, for those into that sort of thing:

Some of their other rides, starting with an Orbiter and a Hrubtez Round up in the background.

One of those weird "don't get wet" water slides and a Conestoga-themed magic carpet.

A tiny tiny ARM drop tower (named the "Oh-Zone!" of all things) and a Paratrooper in the background

Some bumper cars...

...a Frog Hopper...

...and a Wave Swinger round out this park's collection of flat rides.

And finally we come to the main reason most enthusiasts come to this park, Cannon Ball:

A 1967 PTC woodie with lever-controlled skid brakes and buzz bars?  Yes, please!  Walk-on for the back row, plenty of airtime and great laterials  This was my 300th Coaster, and it was a worthy addition to the list. 8/10.  But this was not the star attraction here! 

This was:

Introducing the Boat Chute, a 1927 mill chute ride, believed to be the last original style chute operating in the US.  Since someone else already wrote about the history, I'll let them talk about it:

Sure, all it does is go down a straight tunnel for a while, make a u-turn, climb a rickety lift hill, then splash down into the lake, but you are literally riding history and a one-of-a-kind experience.  5 minute wait, didn't get too wet, pure awesome, 11/10.

And that wraps up Lake Winnie.  Without kids, there is admittedly not a lot for adults here, but park enthusiasts and history buffs would be well served to stop by just for Cannon Ball and Boat Chute alone.

Onward, towards the final and largest part of this TR, Dollywood!

[bert425]

 

15 hours ago, AmyUD06 said:

 

 

that building - WAY back when - used to be the roof for the carousel.

back when I visited this Fun Spot - in 2018 with TPR (!) - that space was blocked off and being used to store Go Karts (that were not being used).

 

 

 

as to that rock formation?   that used to be part of the GORGEOUS Mini-Golf that Fun Spot used to have and ripped out for Aire Force One - yet oddly, seem to have left many of the gold course lights there!     

yeah. . that tracks with how fucked up ambiance Fun Spots tend to have.

[AmyUD06]

16 minutes ago, bert425 said:

 

that building - WAY back when - used to be the roof for the carousel.

back when I visited this Fun Spot - in 2018 with TPR (!) - that space was blocked off and being used to store Go Karts (that were not being used).

 

 

 

as to that rock formation?   that used to be part of the GORGEOUS Mini-Golf that Fun Spot used to have and ripped out for Aire Force One - yet oddly, seem to have left many of the gold course lights there!     

yeah. . that tracks with how fucked up ambiance Fun Spots tend to have.

Awesome, thanks for the info.  I don't know what it is, but I've always been curious about "mystery abandoned stuff" at amusement parks.  I remember being like 10 years old and going to Action Park with my parents, always looking off to the left on the ski-lift for the Alpine Slide and seeing something that looked like the remnants of a log flume in the woods trying to figure out what it was haha.

[AmyUD06]

Okay, time to wrap this up!

Before I get to the park, I need to talk about the DreamMore Resort at Dollywood.  Now, this is my first time ever staying at an on-property park hotel (the shitty Super8/Travelodge/etc in the parking lot at Kings Dominion does not count), and WOW!  This place blew me away.  Valet parking, bellpeople for your bags, a great assortment of food options, the spectacular buffet, the incredible pool...everything about this place was stellar.  Easily the best hotel I've ever stayed in outside of Las Vegas or Atlantic City.  If anyone is questioning it, it is totally worth the money.

Here are some pictures of my room:

And the view from my room:

And the awesome pool, after a biological incident caused them to have to clear it which entertainingly made all of the parents bring their screaming brats back to the room, enabling the pool to be relaxing:

Alright, now that that is out of the way....

Dollywood Day 1 - Friday, June 2nd

So I hopped on the awesome shuttle service from the hotel to the park, and arrived shortly after opening, and my first stop was the hotel guest Timesaver redemption booth.  Did I not mention that by staying at the hotel, you get free Timesaver skip-the-line passes?  Yeah, yet another bonus.

As this was a new park to me, I took a ton of pictures of everything, so you get to enjoy them too!

The entry/ticketing area:

This park really is beautiful (this will be a recurring theme).

My first stop was the problematic monster known as Lighting Rod:

Nope, not waiting in that for it to maybe not open soon.

So I continued my way up towards Blazing Fury, taking in the sights.

Yes, I am absolutely aware of starting Pride Month in Tennessee, but it was still not a bad time.

Jumping out of sequence here, but I had to represent.

First ride of the day:  Blazing Fury! 

I loved these screens they had up at the entrance to every major ride showing the wait times as well as those for other rides.  Very nice touch!

So what did I think of this classic?  I wasn't quite sure if it was a coaster or dark ride, but RCDB counts it, so I guess I will too.  Cool little ride with a few drops.  Half-train wait for the back row, 7/10.

Onwards towards Tennessee Tornado!

From my notes video:  "This is an Arrow?  If only they had not gone bankrupt from building X, this would've been an incredible future."  The ride was a little on the short side, but was insanely smooth, everything was properly banked/heartlined, no headbanging.  This was absolutely incredible, and the fact that it's an Arrow just gets it more points.  Three-train-wait for the front row.  9/10.

Firechaser Express was not yet open...

...so my next ride would be....

...yup, Wild Eagle! 

Admittedly, not very easy to photograph from the pathways, but this was a lot of fun.  Not bad ride, through the middle portion I almost thought it would be my favorite B&M Wing, but Thunderbird at Holiday World still holds that title.  I noted that this ride was very short, too, just like Tenn. Tornado, but that's not a theme that held on.  Five-minute-wait for back row, right outer seat.  6/10, mostly for the length.

I liked this little kiddie splash area (at least that's what I think it was) they had set up:

I continued onward on the path, admiring the scenery...

...to my next destination, Mystery Mine.

While I was thoroughly impressed with the theming and many of the effects in the dark-ride-parts.  The ride itself was a little rough, but it's a Gerstlauer, what are you gonna do?  Definitely a unique layout which was quite fun.  10-minute-wait (with Timesaver) for the back row, far left.  6/10.

I did not ride their drop tower either that I was there, but it did look quite nice...rare to see one of these painted a color other than white LOL.

My next ride was Dollywood's kiddie coaster, Whistlepunk Chaser.

Learning is fun!  Seriously, I had no idea that this was even a thing.

It's a kiddie coaster, not much more to say.  Got 3 laps, 8-minute-wait for the back row.

Next up was....

Thunderhead, which I didn't take any other pictures of during my initial stop here.  This. Was.  INCREDIBLE.  Easily the best coaster of this trip so far, let alone Dollywood.  Super-smooth, twisty, airtime, you name it, this coaster has it. 11/10, and found itself a home as my new #2 woodie (ahead of Mystic Timbers and behind The Beast) and #5 overall.  There are not enough words to describe how incredible this ride is.

After that, I grabbed a personal pizza from the Lumberjack pizza place near Dropline.  Sauce wasn't too tangy.  $10 for an 8" round pizza (a much better value than CF or SF pizzas), not bad.

I then made my way into Wildwood Grove, and took in the sights.

I love it when parks have these bounce-around areas for kids...something I wish CF and SF would take the liability risk and put in.

Anyway, my next ride was Dragonflier!

I really wish that ever park that has one of these Vekoma family coasters would install these mildly-swinging-suspended trains, they absorb so much of the nonsense that you get on the earlier models like Flying Ace at Kings Island.   Overall a fun family ride, nice and smooth. 10-minute-wait (with Timesaver) for row 8.  6/10.

Big Bear Mountain would not be in the stars for me right now....yep, 90 minute wait at around 1:00 on a Friday, and not on Timesaver at this point.

Grabbed another shot of the insane Thunderhead...

...and some more of the awesome scenery and theming at this park...

Did I accidentally step in to 2023 Florida or Arkansas somehow?

...and made my way to Daredevil Falls, their log flume.

This was a great log ride with some dark-ride-esque scenes, and didn't get too wet at all despite the substantial drop.  8/10.

Not now Cinnamon Bread; I'll be back for you later.

At this point in the trip, I made a note that the "Best way to describe the vibe of this park is Cedar Point's Frontier Trail, but it's the entire park" and I think that holds up.

I admittedly only took in one show (the bird show, which I'll talk about later in this report) after realizing that all of them were country and/or Jesus music, but I will say that the venues were nice.

Next up was a ride on the train, the Dollywood Express, the oldest ride at the park, opening in 1961.  I was a sucker for steam trains when I was a kid, and still am.

That said, the train ride wasn't as entertaining as some others that I've been on.  20 minutes for the ride and 30 minutes for the setup for the ride once we boarded.  They literally took half an hour, explaining numerous times that "this is a real coal-fired steam train and you might get embers on you and that's okay, don't panic"...like, seriously?  For a lot of the trip, it's just woods, it's just woods, and I know I'm in the south, but the spiel-er was absolutely unfunny despite his best attempts and no one laughed.  Like not even a courtesy chuckle.  4/10 just because it's a real steam engine.  That said, here are some pictures of the most interesting parts of the train ride.

After the train ride, which drops you off where it picked you up, I took some pictures of this section of the park, aptly titled Country Fair, containing some typical carnival-style rides.

 

And fish,

And fountains.

While riding the train, I saw that Lightning Rod was running, and once I got off I checked the app which confirmed it, so I made my way over, snapping plenty of pictures of the well-themed queue.

Which I had plenty of time to do, during my 54-minute wait to not reach the front of the line at the level below the station...when, what do you know, there was a rollback, which for some ridiculous reason requires the train to be evacuated before they can try to launch it again.

So they clear the train, wheel it back in to the station, send a few test cycles...and the very next train with people, and it rolls back again.  "We're sorry, but Lighting Rod is experiencing extended downtime...."  Ugh.

So, it was back around to Thunderhead for another ride, but not before snapping this picture of cool old-timey stuff:

This time I had a half-train wait for the back row.  As expected, it did not disappoint.  As I said in my notes "It's Mystic Timbers but longer!"  Tons of air, speed, twisties, and laterals...it is awesome in every single way.

I then made my way back into the (unfortunately unshaded) Wildwood Grove for Big Bear Mountain, whose wait had substantially decreased. 

As is typical for this park, awesome theming in the queue.  But did I say Big Bear Mountain earlier?  Perhaps I should've said Big Bear Desert or Big Bear Deforestation, because this is what you see 90% of the time that you're on the ride:

Like seriously, if they built such complex rides in the 1960s to today with the construction technology of the time, they did not need to remove this many trees to build this ride.

But how did it ride?  Pretty good, a great family coaster!  The on-board audio is a little corny, which I guess is to be expected, but the barren wasteland that is the terrain around everything but the station is very out of place for this park, and this ride.  34 minute wait for row 9.  7/10.

From my notes:  "The Wildwood grove section is as long as the entire rest of the park is, but only has one way in and out.  Why did they not do something to make it an additional loop so you don't have to backtrack through the completely unshaded area?"

OMG is this day one trip report not over yet?  Nope!

Onward to another coaster that I had skipped earlier in the day, Firechaser Express!

Another incredibly well themed queue and station, including ride-specific uniforms for most of the ride operators.  I don't know if it was an intentional design choice, but I loved how the train backs into the station the same way an actual fire engine would.  As for the ride itself, it was quite fun, but I was not a huge fan of the backwards-running part.  The ride operators also actually helped load bags into the cubbies, which was awesome and something that I haven't seen since my trip to Holiday World last year.  Three-train wait for back row.  7/10.

I saw that LR was operating again, so I made my way back over to try my luck once again.  After 20 minutes of wait (with Timesaver), I was literally standing in the station, at the gate, ready to board the next train on the front row.

I hear the entire crowd in the station groan, and see them turn around.  I do the same, and see, once again, the train rolling back down the lift hill.  After another 15 minutes, there came the announcement:  "Extended Downtime."  *sigh*  So, they were handing out some one-time Timesaver passes, so I grabbed one, confirmed it would be valid the next day, and went back to my favorite ride at the park....

Thunderhead!  Which was of course awesome.  Three-train-wait for back row.

After that, it was around 6:30 and super-hot, so I decided to just hop the shuttle back to the hotel, changed into swimwear, and relaxed down by the pool for a while before hitting the hay.

And that, finally, wraps up my Day One report from Dollywood.Stay tuned for the epic conclusion!

[Zand]

I'm sad to see everyone hating on Hurricane at FSA. I was laughing my ass off by the end because of how janky is was. The last two airtime hills have more severe ejector than anything in AF1 and then that sudden 90 degree angle turn before the brakes was so bad that it was good. 

I understand that kind of jankiness isn't everyone's cup of tea but I loved the damn thing haha.

[AmyUD06]

41 minutes ago, Zand said:

I'm sad to see everyone hating on Hurricane at FSA. I was laughing my ass off by the end because of how janky is was. The last two airtime hills have more severe ejector than anything in AF1 and then that sudden 90 degree angle turn before the brakes was so bad that it was good. 

I understand that kind of jankiness isn't everyone's cup of tea but I loved the damn thing haha.

I think at a different park, it would've been tolerable...but at this place, it legit made me fear for my safety.

[Zand]

5 minutes ago, AmyUD06 said:

I think at a different park, it would've been tolerable...but at this place, it legit made me fear for my safety.

Fair point!

To be honest the Miler in Kissimmee made me kind of feel the way the Atlanta one made you feel. Biggest difference is those mouse style hairpin turns taken way too fast are about 50 feet higher in the air lol. And then that high speed low to the ground turn that is very poorly designed and seems to exert way too many forces on those janky Miler wheel assemblies.

[AmyUD06]

And now, for the (not-so-)thrilling conclusion!

 

Dollywood - Day 2, Saturday June 3rd

After a relaxing night at the pool, a good nights sleep, and a delicious breakfast buffet at the HeartSong restaurant, I made it back to the park around 10:30, and immediately made my way over to Lightning Rod.  With the one-time pass they issued yesterday and my Timesaver wristband from staying at the resort, I had two skip-the-queue rides waiting for me here, and I was determined to get them both.  Facing no mechanical issues this morning (thankfully), I succeeded!

Front row (10 minutes) and back row (6 minutes)  This strange launched RMC was very good, and lived up to the hype...but did not take the crown for "Best Ride at Dollywood" from Thunderhead.  This ride was a bunch of firsts for me:  RMC without anything on the zero car, RMC with headrests, and the first RMC that I had ever been on that was not the better ride in the back.  The back row had a ton of rattles and shakiness that weren't experienced in the front.  Quality ride?  Of course. but a mid-tier RMC, if you ask me.  9/10.

I made my way up the main right-side path, taking in another ride on Tenn. Tornado (2-train wait for row 7).  This was still very good, even in the middle of the train.  Along the way I snapped some pictures of Barnstomer, and while these type of rides are not my cup of tea, the theming was once again impeccable.

With all of my checklist rides at this park, accomplished, I headed back over to Thunderhead for a few more laps.  5-train-wait for front row and 3-train-wait for back row.  Still awesome, and still my favorite ride at this park.

I then lapped around the park again to take in the Wings of America: Birds of Prey show, but not before grabbing another picture of the historic schoolhouse....

...and a bite to eat:  I opted for the chicken tenders from Hickory House BBQ, which were absolutely spectacular. 

After that, it was time for birds!

The show was quite cool, but came with a bit of a sad story:  All of the birds housed at Dollywood are unable to be released into the wild, due to either injuries or issues they've had since birth, but Wings of America does their thing and keeps them healthy here.  The show was about 25 minutes long, and featured around 4 or 5 different types of birds, but did have a decent amount of southern "puns" that no one laughed at.  Enjoy some pictures of the show!

Back to Thunderhead for more laps!

6-minutes for front row and 2-train-wait for back row would close out this trip for me rides-wise (I had an early morning planned for my long, long drive back to Delaware the next day), but I did wander around a bit taking some more pictures...

And of course got some Cinnamon Bread from the actual Grist Mill place (and a hoodie and shot glass from the big gift shop up front, in traditional AmyUD06 fashion), and brought it back to my room.  Holy crap was that incredible...normally I'm not a huge cinnamon fan, but combined with that icing dip....just wow.

I'll close this report out with some videos of the incomparable Thunderhead (which, as a result of TeamFourStar's FFVII Machinabridged series on YouTube, I cannot take seriously).

 

 

All-in-all, this turned out to be a wonderful trip, and I will definitely be back.

Thanks for reading everyone, and I welcome your comments.

[pianojohn]

On 9/23/2023 at 8:26 PM, AmyUD06 said:

It was around this point that I was approached by a security officer and asked what I was doing taking pictures of everything, resulting in my usual spiel about how I catalog different parks and write reviews, showing him some of my past TPR reports, yada yada.  Funny how this only happens at tiny little out of the way parks...we all gotta get them more exposure and popularity so they're used to it haha!

Same thing happened to me on my one and only trip there years ago. However, this security guard harassed me implying I was doing something illegal. I wrote a letter to the park telling them about my negative experience. Don't know if I can ever bring myself to support them again. 

[cfc]

On 9/23/2023 at 4:52 PM, AmyUD06 said:

What is this building back in the old Drachen Fire area?

Little late answering this, but it's Drachen Fire's old maintenance barn. They've used it for Howl-o-Scream mazes, but now I think it serves as a dressing room. 

[AmyUD06]

6 hours ago, pianojohn said:

Same thing happened to me on my one and only trip there years ago. However, this security guard harassed me implying I was doing something illegal. I wrote a letter to the park telling them about my negative experience. Don't know if I can ever bring myself to support them again. 

Yeah I know this feeling.  This has also happened to me at one of those small parks in New England (can't remember which) and Steel Pier in Atlantic City.  Thankfully I've never been threatened with legal action.

38 minutes ago, cfc said:

Little late answering this, but it's Drachen Fire's old maintenance barn. They've used it for Howl-o-Scream mazes, but now I think it serves as a dressing room. 

Cool, thanks for the info.  It looks newer than that haha.