Dollywood Discussion Thread

[alilstronger]

This coaster looks amazing! Looks like I will be making a trip back to Dollywood in the next few seasons. I know this will be on the New Hotness Tour next year but I have been to almost of the parks on this trip several times.

[A.J.]

I think everyone who attends opening day for this ride should receive a baby eagle.

"Thanks for the falcon!"

[Homeboy23]

^ I hate that commercial

[rosscoe]

my only question ( which may have already been asked ) is will this spoil the beauty of the park, due to it's size?

 

I don't think it will. The treeline is still intact along both sides of the ridge, so you can not see any of the ride from Timber Canyon or Craftsmen Valley. The front of the park and Market Square areas will not be visibly impacted at all.

 

You saw all of the supports that were up there in the update and we couldn't see them walking back to the construction site until we got back by Mystery Mine. The ride is really only visible from Wilderness Pass, as the lift hill will be clearly visible behind Splash Battle.

 

 

Eric, just saw the update and it puts all my fears to rest. I should have know there was no way they would spoil that park.

[sammmmmy]

This almost kind of reminds me of skyrush. In skyrush's case, if you just saw the layout and had no knowledge of the wing rider cars, you would have never guessed those would be used on that layout. Its same with Wild Eagle, they're focusing the excitement of the ride on the trains and not completely the layout of the coaster, which is in some ways a really good change. For people who were complaining about how this is a 'standard' B&M design, just think about how much different the experience is going to be just because of the cars!

[rollin_n_coastin]

Eric, great pics!

 

This looks amazing. I know there are a few of these being built but wow, to have a different layout built into the Smokies will really make this stand out and provide an edge compared to the others.

 

Herschend does it really well with these coasters, especially with Tennessee Tornado (also in the Smokies) and Wildfire (in the Ozarks). Love the use of the terrain.

[RoCo]

Mystery Mine, Thunderhead, Tenn. Tornado, Blazing Fury, and now THIS?

 

Semi-tentative plans for first visit to Dollywood next year have become absolute, cast in stone, will not change for anything, plans.

[krakenmaniac]

the winner has been anouncced, it said on the dollywood 2012 website

[hippidude]

i hope dollywood realises that there is going to be two other "wing" coasters coming out in america next year so its not the first

[Commando]

^This will open before the others. Making it the first one to open. X flight is the only other true wing coaster in America because Skyrush is more of a hybrid and IMO wouldnt really count it as a wing coaster.

[dragonskeep]

^^It will be the first to open though.

 

In the Cedar Point thread Maverick is being discussed. It reminded me of how little I thought of that ride when I saw the animation, maybe Wild Eagle will provide a similar surprise.

[WFChris]

^If you can all remember wayyyy back to the year 2000, there was another weird little coaster war similar to this: SFMM and CP were both advertising the tallest coasters at the time, Goliath at 255 and Millennium Force at 310. Since SFMM opened their coaster in February, it was the 'First Tallest Coaster of the new millennium' or something like that. In the end, MF opened their coaster and it was taller, but not without all the fanfare SFMM got the first half of the year. In the end, we all win with great, massive coasters!

 

Going through the construction shots, it is so great to see Dollywood taking the time to work around existing foliage rather than just bulldozing a site for the ride. It really proves that that park is capable of pulling of a fantastic ride, with the woods as their setting, as it seems to always have been there. We don't need silly keyholes when we are darting from cliff tops with amazing vistas to tightly wooded ground level acrobatics. This is probably my most anticipated ride of the year, and thats mostly because I love watching Dollywood incorporate their attractions into their natural environment.

Edited September 6, 2011 by WFChris

[Tmcdllr]

If a wing coaster is a coaster with seats on the sides of the train, then isn't X2 a wing coaster and the first in America?

[dragonskeep]

No. X was. I guess if the seats rotate it's firstly a 4D.

[griffonj2022]

Furius Baco was the first wing rider without rotating seats, and they called it the "World's First Wing Rider" anyways.

 

Anyways, this ride looks fantastic, regardless of whether they add a ton of theming or not. I have never ridden a wing rider before, and I am obsessed with them, so I am definitely heading down to DollyWood in 2012 so I can lose my wing rider virginity on Wild Eagle!

[raether]

Im a little confused by the ending, that long straight track begs for the barrel roll like the other 3 wing coaster have.. The loop and the giant spin should be nice from the winged seats however. Makes me wonder if the design was too intense for DW and it was toned down or perhaps Im looking at the renderings wrong.

 

C

[thrillerman1]

I can't decide if the giant loop is situated over the main walkway between Wilderness Pass and Thunderhead Gap (whatever it's called can't recall), but kinda looks like it and that would be cool. Also, wondering if the steam train interacts with Wild Eagle in some manner which would also be interesting.

[ernierocker]

I can't decide if the giant loop is situated over the main walkway between Wilderness Pass and Thunderhead Gap (whatever it's called can't recall), but kinda looks like it and that would be cool.

 

Okay, let's see if I can explain this without completely confusing you further!

 

Take a look at this photo of the layout from the Dollywood site:

 

 

And then this photo taken of the job site:

 

 

Now imagine rotating the Dollywood concept art about 180 degrees while using the two sheds (right behind me trying not to fall on my ass in the mud!) as a reference point between the two photos. Those two sheds show up as the two buildings on the concept art that are to the right of the first drop.

 

So, in the photo my wife took, you can just barely see the back of Mystery Mine (the side facing Splash Battle and Wilderness Pass) on the far left of the photo. The loop will be somehere between the sheds and where I am standing in the photo or in that general area. I believe the large support that is centered in the photo is part of the zero-G roll. So, essentially my wife is standing underneath the Zero G roll. This is my best guess of course, it is hard to tell with just the supports up.

 

So, I think you are correct in thinking that the large loop will be clearly visible in the area between Mystery Mine and Splash Battle.

 

. Also, wondering if the steam train interacts with Wild Eagle in some manner which would also be interesting.

 

I am pretty sure this will not be the case. The inclined immelman will get close to the train, but they will probably keep a distinct treeline in place between this area of the park and Wild Eagle. You should actually get some great views of the ride from Slidewinder's line!

 

So, hope this helps and didn't confuse anymore!

[KDcoasterMAN]

I hope Eric doesn't mid if I help him re-enforce his point with a "constructed" image

[ernierocker]

^I don't mind at all! Thanks.

[thrillerman1]

I think I get it now. So, in the park rendering, all of those other buildings are the shops for Craftsman's Valley looking downhill towards the park entrance?

[ernierocker]

^Correct.

[thrillerman1]

Got it...thanks! Great pics too!

[Electerik]

The location of the ride entrance from the midway, though somewhat obvious, is still interesting in that it very much creates/cements a "coaster alley."

 

As for the ride itself: I'm not totally sold on the Wing Rider concept, but I really like the layout and the way it interacts with the terrain and walkways.

 

And, on a personal note, I miss Dollywood.

[Hilltopper39]

I'm not totally sold on the wing rider concept either but I'll reserve judgement until I can ride one. I love the location of this attraction within the park but I like the looks of the layout of X-Flight at SFGAM a little bit better (that diving first drop looks nasty). I'm also a bit surprised that there is no interactive themeing with Wild Eagle since that looked like a fairly integral part of the ride experience with X-Raptor, Swarm, and even a little bit with X-Flight. Maybe Dolly will surprise us with a tunnel or a flaming keyhole or something but the lack of any cool themeing is a little disappointing especially considering how well themed Mystery Mine and some of their other attractions are. Should be a great attraction regardless, and I'm excited to back up there next year.

 

Eagles live in forests, forests have trees, Dollywood has a lot of trees, a couple of these along the layout might have been really cool visually and added something cool to the overall ride experience.