Dollywood Discussion Thread

[simaticable]

Good grief man I was just there Monday haha. I think I may try to find a random day to go within the next two weeks as hopefully it'll stay open LOL. Sheesh, trying to get a ride on this thing this season has been a complete crapshoot for me.

 

Are you actually from the Atlanta Georgia area? If the ride is actually open I would like to go with other coaster enthusiasts if anyone is down for a meetup!

I'm from the Atlanta area and definitely down for a meet up.

 

If it makes it into next week I'll likely go next weekend.

Weekends are no go for me. I work on the weekends.

[kickflipbacktail]

Good grief man I was just there Monday haha. I think I may try to find a random day to go within the next two weeks as hopefully it'll stay open LOL. Sheesh, trying to get a ride on this thing this season has been a complete crapshoot for me.

 

Are you actually from the Atlanta Georgia area? If the ride is actually open I would like to go with other coaster enthusiasts if anyone is down for a meetup!

I'm from the Atlanta area and definitely down for a meet up.

 

If it makes it into next week I'll likely go next weekend.

Weekends are no go for me. I work on the weekends.

 

Ah damn. I work Monday's through Fridays.

[dstephe9]

It's because I ripped them a new one in the customer satisfaction survey they sent me last Friday [emoji14] that's the only reason it's open! Ha-ha jk

 

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[tykunkel1031]

^ They still have one as a backup, but the flywheels usually work fine.

 

I was out of the loop during construction of Thunderbird. What system does it use for its launch?

LSM powered by a flywheel. It would've been drawing too much power at once, so they decided to use the flywheels to just be able to slowly charge up for the launch. They have one big generator (last year it was 2 further down the hill) there as back up systems in case the flywheels were to fail. I think this is mainly because it's the star attraction. They can't really afford for it to go down, or they'll have plenty of angry guests in the park, since it's the only steel coaster there.

 

Backup systems don't constantly run and emit smoke like that. They were using it as a primary draw last year. You could see the engines belch smoke when the trains would take off.

Yes but that was last year. As of this year, the flywheels are constantly running. I have yet to see the generator be used.

 

Glad to hear LR is finally open though! Hopefully the problems are fixed for at least a few weeks now!

[thrillerman1]

^Haha it's all good.

 

Nashville park meet up....oh yeah. Some day? Polercoaster? Oprywalk? Anything? Williamson county fair this weekend haha.

 

I have my DW trip planned for next weekend, hoping I waited late enough in the season. Either way I'll have a great time, I love that park. Glad to see it's running. Nashville is just far enough away to make a day trip difficult. I've done it plenty of times, but it's not my favorite.

 

Yeah it's a bit of a haul from Nashville. Done the daytrip too. If LR seems to be consistent I want to get over to ride weekend after this!

[bluestreak]

So does anybody know if LR is still running?

[dstephe9]

Dollywood doesn't have it listed as closed in the app for wait times.. it's not even listed anymore but that is probably a good sign!

 

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[Jccoasterfan]

^ Yet they still have the "Lightning Rod is currently closed......" notification up on the website. I've heard from others on twitter saying that it is running today. Not sure at the moment, though. Someone also said that were only running one train.

[pkdcoaster]

I am here today, they opened it at 1030 with 1 train, me and my kids were on the first train out. Has been running all day so far, we just got back in line and they are adding the 2nd train now.

 

Jeff

[Djwadeknox]

I am here today, they opened it at 1030 with 1 train, me and my kids were on the first train out. Has been running all day so far, we just got back in line and they are adding the 2nd train now.

 

Jeff

 

 

How was it?

[BBparks57]

^Haha it's all good.

 

Nashville park meet up....oh yeah. Some day? Polercoaster? Oprywalk? Anything? Williamson county fair this weekend haha.

 

I have my DW trip planned for next weekend, hoping I waited late enough in the season. Either way I'll have a great time, I love that park. Glad to see it's running. Nashville is just far enough away to make a day trip difficult. I've done it plenty of times, but it's not my favorite.

 

Yeah it's a bit of a haul from Nashville. Done the daytrip too. If LR seems to be consistent I want to get over to ride weekend after this!

 

 

Yeah exactly. Maybe I'll see you there! I wonder if they were working at night as to not draw all that attention. Excited just to hear it's running again today.

[FSUFanChris]

My girlfriend and are are seriously contemplating dropping everything tomorrow or Sunday, driving the 4.5 hours to Dollywood, riding Lightning Rod for a few hours, and then immediately drive right back 4.5 hours. The only thing holding us back right now is the thought of it closing when we are 3/4 of the way there.

[TheJewelOfJool]

You could always ride Thunderhead, Mystery Mine, or Tennessee Tornado instead, if you haven't ridden them before.

[FSUFanChris]

You could always ride Thunderhead, Mystery Mine, or Tennessee Tornado instead, if you haven't ridden them before.

We've been quite a few times. This would strictly be a trip to focus on LR.

[Dollywoodlover20]

Something I've noticed in the videos with the recent re opening. The backs of the trains are off yet again, and it was said in a video that one of the rows locked shut on one of the trains today. So one of the trains is fine, one is glitchy. I've just noticed each time it's went down lately the backs are off.

[Ape]

Thank you to everyone updating how things are going and thank you in advance to anyone else who may update on the ride as it running will determine if we go Tuesday.

[STDog]

Something I've noticed in the videos with the recent re opening. The backs of the trains are off yet again, and it was said in a video that one of the rows locked shut on one of the trains today. So one of the trains is fine, one is glitchy. I've just noticed each time it's went down lately the backs are off.

Many are convinced it has to be launch related. Won't even consider other possibilities.

[Dollywoodlover20]

Something I've noticed in the videos with the recent re opening. The backs of the trains are off yet again, and it was said in a video that one of the rows locked shut on one of the trains today. So one of the trains is fine, one is glitchy. I've just noticed each time it's went down lately the backs are off.

Many are convinced it has to be launch related. Won't even consider other possibilities.

Launch related when a train keeps having rows locking up? From videos I've seen the launch has ran perfectly 2 days straight.

[MindbenderManiac]

We headed up this evening after work to get our first rides in. Got 5 rides in, 4 of which were night rides. The ride is superior. Wonderfully paced, full of airtime, and quite disorienting. The launch is great, and much needed. It gives you a great pop of air right before the false drop. Its a fantastic coaster and kudos to "all parties involved" for creating such a great ride.

 

A few observations, was there not a small dip prior to the launch originally? That is no more. Two trains were running all night and we arrived at the park at 5:30pm. They had 2 rows blocked off and were loading exactly 20 people in each train. If there was a single rider an op would ride with them. We waited through 1 breakdown of about 45 minutes. They had to evacuate riders off the train on the brake run. They then put that train in the storage area below the station. Then they backed the train from the station on to the brake run. Then put that train back in the station and put the other train back on the track and viola, ran great.

 

All in all hope things are getting worked out. Dollywood has a true hit on thier hands.

[STDog]

Something I've noticed in the videos with the recent re opening. The backs of the trains are off yet again, and it was said in a video that one of the rows locked shut on one of the trains today. So one of the trains is fine, one is glitchy. I've just noticed each time it's went down lately the backs are off.

Many are convinced it has to be launch related. Won't even consider other possibilities.

Launch related when a train keeps having rows locking up? From videos I've seen the launch has ran perfectly 2 days straight.

I've been arguing it may not be the launch for a while.

 

That's the biggest part. So many assume it's the launch yet we have zero evidence that's the issue.

 

Yet some here (and other places) keep on and on about the launch system and replacing it.

[dstephe9]

We headed up this evening after work to get our first rides in. Got 5 rides in, 4 of which were night rides. The ride is superior. Wonderfully paced, full of airtime, and quite disorienting. The launch is great, and much needed. It gives you a great pop of air right before the false drop. Its a fantastic coaster and kudos to "all parties involved" for creating such a great ride.

 

A few observations, was there not a small dip prior to the launch originally? That is no more. Two trains were running all night and we arrived at the park at 5:30pm. They had 2 rows blocked off and were loading exactly 20 people in each train. If there was a single rider an op would ride with them. We waited through 1 breakdown of about 45 minutes. They had to evacuate riders off the train on the brake run. They then put that train in the storage area below the station. Then they backed the train from the station on to the brake run. Then put that train back in the station and put the other train back on the track and viola, ran great.

 

All in all hope things are getting worked out. Dollywood has a true hit on thier hands.

Interesting that a ride op has to ride with single riders.. anyone else notice this? I wonder if that helps keep the restraints from getting stuck or if they are trying to keep everything balanced

 

And no there was never a little drop there

 

The moving of trains around really sounds like sensors.. I do a lot of work in sensors (Not for coasters of course) and almost sounds like they where trying to get something to engage

 

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[cav07]

Has Lightning Rod been running today by any chance?

[Arrow Dynamics fan]

Visited Dollywood on 06/20/2016 (if I remember correctly):

 

Tennesse Tornado: The Arrow for B&M fans. This has to be one of the smoothest coasters I have ridden and much smoother than a number of B&Ms I have ridden (any Batman the ride but especially SFOT, Rougarou/Mantis in both forms, Raptor, Riddler's Revenge, Scream!, Dominator (KD), Alpengeist, just to name a few). So smooth, I did not even hold on to the handle bars and did NOT knock my head once. Air time was a bit weaker than I remember experiencing on Vortex and Loch Ness Monster, but stronger than most B&Ms. If it had more inversions it would be in the running for the best Arrow looper in my list. 9/10

 

Wild Eagle: A decent B&M offering. I liked it more than Gatekeeper, but it kept holding back. Many of the points had potential if they would have made the transfers more abrupt. I want to feel the experience not just have a great view, I can do that on youtube. 7/10.

 

FireChaser Express: Pretty good for the class. I liked the theme with the fireworks towards the end. The first ride that I can recall where I got more airtime going in reverse. 8/10.

 

Mystery Mine: Excellent title as it is a mystery to me why anybody wants these coasters. ROUGH. Constant right to left jerking causing head banging and the drops didn't give as much air time as you would think. Worse than any Arrow and up there with the worst Vekomas. 1/10

 

Blazing Fury: Better than Fire In the Hole currently is and seems to have a bit more to it. Good dark coaster ride with a good theme. Good for the class it is in. 7/10

 

Thunderhead: Probably the most intense GCI I have experienced so far and one that actually has airtime. Needs a bit of work but pretty good. 8.5/10

 

The park frankly needs Lightning Rod to make it complete, but I'll accept the fault for coming on the first year on a brand new, first of its kind of attraction. Once it has this it will be a great park. The Bald Eagle exhibit was cool. I just wish this park didn't charge for parking as SDC doesn't.

[Dollywoodlover20]

Received word from an IG user that Lightning Rod is currently running.

[Jccoasterfan]

It looks like they updated their website/app to where it no longer says that it's closed. Now it just shows the tech rehearsal part only.