Dollywood Discussion Thread

[dstephe9]

I did not hear any press release today about an announcement tomorrow (Besides all the stuff about splash country opening). Maybe the announcement the other site spoke of was confused about splash country which opens Saturday

 

I hope there is some good announcement tomorrow though that will be exciting

 

Edit: I just found the site you spoke of about the press release.. This sounds very interesting.. I would figure it is to early to announce next years ride this early but the site that mentioned the press release thinks the announcement will be made tomorrow...

 

On another side note, I was invited by Dollywood to take a survey about them opening a resort again.. Wonder if that could be part of the announcement? That email was from dollywood yesterday but probably doesnt have anything to do with tomorrows announcement..

[Chittlins]

Supposedly, it will stretch from the former Adventure Mountain location all the way over to the area opposite River Battle, if I understood correctly in some of the initial announcements that Adventure Mountain was closing.

 

Given that there are now rumors of sister park Silver Dollar City set for another major coaster addition in 2015, I can't help but wonder if something like this will happen:

 

Dollywood-gets family friendly coaster of some type in 2014

 

SDC-gets their own version of Wild Eagle or something else big in 2015

 

Dollywood adds their own version of Outlaw Run sometime in 2016-2017

 

With the last two additions Herschend has put in, and the boost in revenue both are going to create (I know Wild Eagle considerably made attendance higher in 2012) I could see them being able to follow something like this.

 

Now I am wondering if whatever they end up doing at Dollywood in 2014 is some type of family coaster not yet built here in the US, or some new design altogether, it would not surprise me! It will be interesting to see if any hints show up during Thrills In The Hills in a few weeks...but I would imagine the park will keep things very quiet until later in the Summer.

 

There is a pattern developing since the depths of the economic downturn

 

Big project at Dollywood, little stuff at Slash Country

Little stuff at SDC and something interesting at Whitewater

 

Big project at SDC, little to nothing at Whitewater

Little Stuff at Dollywood, decent addition to Splash Country

 

Now if this follows

 

2014 will be Big at Dollywood, little stuff at spash country

Little stuff at SDC, something interesting at WhiteWater

 

2015 Big at SDC, little to nothing at Whitewater

Little stuff at Dollywood, something of interest at Splash country

 

If the rumor is true that SDC will get three major capital projects that means

2016 at Dolly

2017 at SDC

 

In the Past, SDC shared project timelines with Celebration City, consider the two GCIs. Wildcat at Celebration City,Thunderhead at DW. S&S giant swings with SDC first and then Dollywood. Flat ride areas with DW's Country Fair and SDC's Grand Exposition. Same thing with the slash battles with DW being first followed by SDC. Dollywood got Adventure Mountain and SDC got Half Dollar Hollow.

 

What would be have been interesting is if the recession didn't do in Celebration City. How it would it have equated in that rotation since Branson would have had three attractions and how would it have effected SDC's current growth plan?

Edited May 10, 2013 by Chittlins

[ernierocker]

No clue about SDC, but I would expect several mid to major projects in Dollywood's five year plan. They are going to have to fill the train loop with something now that they will have pathway pointing towards it.

[PhilipB]

I'd like to see something like a fronteer town up in the train loop. I think it'd be really fitting since that part of the park would be kind of secluded. They could expand up there with a RMC as their major ride. I feel like that is more feasible. Small ride next year and then expanding into the train loop with a new RMC in 2015.

[Jhcbiinoc]

I am thinking this announcement tomorrow *might* end up being an announcement of an announcement later in the year for whatever is replacing Adventure Mountain. That being said, if they did go ahead and make their 2014 plans known tomorrow, it would be good timing just before Thrills in the Hills next week!

[ernierocker]

I'd like to see something like a fronteer town up in the train loop. I think it'd be really fitting since that part of the park would be kind of secluded. They could expand up there with a RMC as their major ride. I feel like that is more feasible. Small ride next year and then expanding into the train loop with a new RMC in 2015.

 

You aren't paying attention. Next year's project is going to cost more than Mystery Mine. It isn't going to be a "Small ride".

Edited May 10, 2013 by ernierocker

[Vonni]

I've seen a lot of discussion about an expansion up into the train loop. IMO I dont want to see that happen. I've only been to Dollywood once and it was back in 2002, but I really enjoyed how the train took you OUT of the park, and into the mountains, and how it was nothing but nature and a train. I dont want to see that go away.

[ernierocker]

Since 2002, the train loop has drastically changed. They did a lot of earthwork when they built Wilderness Pass and removed all of the trees. So, instead of feeling like you were deep in the mountains, you can now see the entire train loop up top and it is just a flat piece of land. The expansion up there is happening. It has already been confirmed that they are starting the pathway this year.

[dstephe9]

Just received an email from dollywood "announcing" a riverrush game for IOS and Android. I hope that isn't the announcement that was spoke of but I have a feeling it is with it being so early in the season..

 

I keep checking my email and all news sources for this announcement and that's all I have seen so far

[coasterfreaky]

Hmm, I’m thinking that is the ‘huge announcement’.

 

Well, at this time two years ago we were knee-deep in footer prep work for Wild Eagle. And if I recall it was later in the summer/early fall of 2009 when they closed the Dreamland Forrest area to build Barnstormer, so, just based on the timing of those two events, I’m sort of leaning towards a flat ride for 2014. Anything bigger than a flat would require them to get started on the project pretty soon since the project area is a steep hillside. Not just finishing up the removal of Adventure Mountain, but starting on the 2014 project, like very soon. A shot tower with a smallish footprint would go up pretty quickly, in my opinion.

 

But on the other hand it would be pretty difficult to do any major earthwork project right off the pathway in Wilderness Pass, like what they are expected to do. It may just be more complicated than what I can see for myself though. Most of Dollywood’s recent construction projects since Thunderhead have been in new areas of the park, behind walls anyway. But this one is more in an area of the park that already is open to guests, making it a bit harder to know how they’ll proceed.

[dstephe9]

I was wondering that myself. Opening weekend the year wild eagle was built they had actually started breaking ground for it already. It could be seen by slidewinder. I see it being hard to build something as "big" as they have made it sound for 2014. However, buildings go up fast now (i have seen whole walmarts built in a matter of 3 or 4 months). And rumor has said it will be built inside a bulding meaning they may be building all the "inside" stuff off sight right now as we speak and later in the season they will start building the building. After that they would just have to put it all together..

 

IDK it will be very interesting and I am like you and do believe the game is their announcement.. They have the dollywood app but have never made a game so it is pretty big for someone like dollywood.

[coasterfreaky]

The issue i see is that there is not a place to put a building. They will have to literally take out the hillside & build a new retaining wall to make a flat enough area to make room for a building, which would be quite a big undertaking while the park is open. If that's what they're going to do...i'm not sure one way or another. The more i think about this, the less likely that spot seems appropriate for a big building.

 

Thats why i'm leaning towards flat ride with a small footprint. Like the area where Camp Teachittomee was at would hold a small shot tower and queue. I just don't know enough to even make a good guess at this point.

[ernierocker]

^I was looking for the post that confirmed that the new ride would take up a large footprint and the ironic thing is that it was you that posted it.

 

http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1257379#p1257379

 

Two Dollywood theme park attractions, Adventure Mountain and Imagination Cinema, will not return for the 2013 season.

 

Adventure Mountain, which is coming up on the end of its third season, will be replaced by a new attraction that will open in 2014. Details of that project won't be released until next year, Dollywood spokesman Pete Owens said.

 

"With the popularity of that area, we felt this is the perfect location of what has been designed. We know some people will be disappointed, but we think they will be pleased with the new project," Owens said.

 

Dollywood introduced Adventure Mountain, a $5 million, 2-acre play area in 2010 after being delayed a year because of the economy.

 

It features more than 100 obstacles including swinging beams, suspension bridges, flying islands and a tire traverse along a hillside, across from the park's newest roller coaster Wild Eagle.

 

The new project will encompass that property and some more, extending in front of the water raft ride River Battle, Owens said.

 

 

So, the ride is confirmed to take by Pete Owens to take up Adventure Mountain's footprint as well as extend towards the area in front of River Battle. Which is a retaining wall currently. Which means they will have to excavate.

 

Also, we have this from page 325, also posted by Coasterfreaky:

 

I just listened to the podcast with Pete on another coaster site...and what i gathered was that Adventure Mountain is in the planned pathway up to the Upper Train Loop, which they have plans to develop soon (but not for 2014!). This sounded odd at first, to me, but Pete explained that it has to do with how steep the path is. For example, the path between the Main Gate and Thunder Canyon is also steep. It has to have all the switchbacks in order to make it less steep, and that makes it compliant with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). The planned pathway from Wilderness Pass to The Upper Train Loop will need to be similar in design, with switchbacks, because of ADA.

 

So, in order to develop the the Upper Train Loop, they need some of the space that Adventure Mountain currently occupies for the 2014 attraction and for access to the Upper Loop.

 

 

So, the facts:

 

Attraction will be large.

 

There will be excavation.

 

They will start development for a new pathway up to the train loop.

 

The train loop will be developed sometime after 2014.

[coasterfreaky]

^I know, lol. I'm stumped by this one.

[Guy T. Koepp]

^I know, lol. I'm stumped by this one.

 

May I recommend Lumosity to work on that short term memory loss. Giving up the sticky ickey might help as well.

[coasterfreaky]

indeed!

[teknohillbilly]

"(Families) are going to be thrilled and excited about the new additions. They'll be like nothing you've seen before."

 

This project is referenced to in the plural - "additions" and "they'll"

I can't imagine the new restrooms my friend mentioned would be part of that. (A restroom like we've never seen before?) I'm beginning to think it might be a dark ride, since they mentioned a chicken house ride with laser guns in a survey some years back. After looking at a map again, I wonder if the que or some part of the ride will extend to that strange dead-end cul-de-sac area next to the Tennessee Tornado. Taking that into consideration, and Pete (or somebody) said the project would extend to the area across from River Battle, that's a decent size piece of land. And I'm like the rest of ya'll... there will have to be some hefty excavation work, and even then, it's a tight fit between River Battle and the railroad tracks.

[Vonni]

Chicken house ride with laser guns? No thank you. That just sounds so.....so..... cheesy!

[coasterfreaky]

^^I think these are very good points. It sounds like Wilderness Pass will undergo a big re-transformation.

 

This is just my guess at how this might go for 2014 & the next several years, based on what we know. I took this snapshot from Google Earth so we could see some of the terrain.

 

Green – the path to the upper loop. Pete has said it will need to have lots of switchbacks to make it ADA compliant. The path could go anywhere, this is just one possibility.

 

Red – Areas for rides, shops, restrooms and various other additions. The thing about these areas that I see is…the further they are excavated back, the larger ($$) & beefier the retaining wall will have to be. I don’t know a lot about retaining walls, but i think if they’re wanting to create a big enough area for a wide building, and have a solid retaining wall that keeps the train tracks and service road on the hill above it safe, then cha-ching. That will be a very expensive undertaking, but they've got the big bucks to spend too, so that may not matter. A vertical building obviously has a smaller footprint than a wide building…so maybe that’s a possibility.

 

What do you guys think??

coasterfreakys idea

[teknohillbilly]

It makes it so much easier to look at and imagine things with the way you've divided it up coasterfreaky (love the name); it makes perfect sense! We're thinking on the same wavelength.

I still can't help but wonder of the tracks for the DW Express will be re-routed in the future, eliminating the upper train loop area and really opening it up. I read somewhere once (don't know if it's true) the tracks were moved about 15 feet when they built Thunderhead. That could have planted some seeds in the brains of the powers that be, and they have plenty of property to run the train elsewhere. Part of the fun of riding it was feeling like you were way out in the woods, and that's been taken away a lot with the recent projects clearing the trees in the back.

Is anybody going to Thrills in the Hills this weekend? I was hoping to as it would have been my first coaster gathering thing, but I have to wait a week. Maybe they'll slip a clue as to what's going on?

[dandaman]

Chicken house ride with laser guns? No thank you. That just sounds so.....so..... cheesy!

 

Tell that to Sally Corp.

 

Sidenote, Dollywood absolutely blew me away for my first-ever visit last Friday. Should have a photo TR up within the week!

[PhilipB]

My concern with the way you have things mapped out is that the steepest part of that access road, soon to be path, is the part that you left. Have you looked at the hill? There's no way that's ADA friendly. Only time will tell though.

[disneymoc]

Dollywood has to have the hottest glory hole of any theme park on the planet. They claim it is to help make glass but whatever...

[teknohillbilly]

OMG! That has seriously cracked me up! They have to know it's a double entendre. Surely.

[CorkscrewFoley]

I'm going during the week of July 3-10th, what can I expect queue time wise (and weather) for the week day I am there?