Dollywood Discussion Thread

[coasterfreaky]

^ uhh they're obviously for the track that crosses over the drop that you can clearly see in the animation picture.

Not according to the drawings released on the day of the announcement.

 

One of these things is not like the other:

[chickenbowl]

You're imagining it incorrectly. The track will run 90 degrees to what you drew. The structure is three- four footers wide due to lateral support. One the supports are erected it will make more sense!

[coasterfreaky]

Ah, I see, I see. Thanks y'all.

[Dollywoodlover20]

Yea kinda like this

[neil009]

^ Yeah, I'm still shaking my head on how those are pictures of the same drop.

 

 

 

There is no way those are both pictures of the same drop.

 

So I'm still trying to figure out if they're pictures of two different drops or actually the same. Is it because of the way it's situated on the hill, as well as the trees, as well as perhaps the top being illuminated and the bottom in shadow contributing to it? I know that looking at a drop straight up makes it look smaller (like in the MF picture below), but Lightning Rod seems really exaggerated.

 

I don't think I've seen anyone point this out yet but the second photo is actually just as deceptive as the first but in the opposite direction. It's very hard to tell the shape of the pullout, and due to the angle a lot of track that is basically level actually looks like part of the drop when it's not, making the drop look longer than it is. If you compare the two and count the bents you can see that almost a third of what looks like "drop" really isn't.

 

I'm only bringing this up again because it's actually an interesting optical illusion. Check out the rendered photo of the layout coasterfreaky posted above, you can see the valley between the first drop and the second hill is very long and shallow, and you can see basically all of it in this second pic.

[RyanTPM]

^Dollywoodlover20 posted some great pictures a few pages back which shows the drop from a different perspective and shows it perfectly

[ImNotOneOfYou]

Now we wait to see it testing from the two angles

[Dollywoodlover20]

^Dollywoodlover20 posted some great pictures a few pages back which shows the drop from a different perspective and shows it perfectly

Yes which is exactly why I'm saying photos are deceptive. Especially on this coaster. You have to get an in person view of it because you can then see how far it actually goes down. The track is literally almost touching the ground before it goes back up. So what you think you see in pictures you're wrong, I know I sure was.

[neil009]

^Well we know how tall the drop is. 165 feet. It's huge. I'm not contesting that, my only point was the angle almost made it look Phantom's Revenge-size, which it's not.

[bkwjjm]

The fact that it looks that way from ANY perspective is evidence of the magnitude of that drop!!!

[Vonni]

I'm really glad there is finally going to be a coaster in this area of the park. I feel like its been a needed addition for years now.

[DollyWould]

And no, unfortunately I didn't get to drive around dreammore.. I was running late and only at Dollywood for about 3 hours anyways.. I got there right at dark haha

 

Thanks for posting the pictures. The wrapped trees behind the Hillside General Store look amazing!!! I can't wait to see all of Dolly's holly jolly lights.

[DollyWould]

Double post, sorry.

[dstephe9]

And no, unfortunately I didn't get to drive around dreammore.. I was running late and only at Dollywood for about 3 hours anyways.. I got there right at dark haha

 

Thanks for posting the pictures. The wrapped trees behind the Hillside General Store look amazing!!! I can't wait to see all of Dolly's holly jolly lights.

Yeah I have always loved their wrapped trees I hope to be back soon! I usually go two or three times for their Christmas event.. I hit it very early (like this past weekend) for rides in the dark and then I'll be back later for more of a whole day to see shows and enjoy more of the Christmas festivities.

[ASE]

Ohhhhh boy!!!! Got an email from Dollywood with the subject line "Virtual Ride Reveal Coming Soon". Links to the youtube live stream that says the following:

 

November 17 10:10am

Dollywood's Lightning Rod - Reveal and Q&A at IAAPA

"Dollywood is revealing new Lightning Rod footage and its designer, Alan Schilke, along with Fred Grubb of Rocky Mountain Construction and Dollywood's Pete Owens are conducting a Q&A."

 

 

The image in the email says 10:15am, but the youtube vid says 10:10am.....I think I'll hop on at 10am just to be sure.

[chickenbowl]

Very exciting! Dollywood sure knows how to build hype! I've been waiting for more things to drool over this winter, I'm hoping for a full pov and some more Birdseye stuff!

[shadox17]

Super excited for this!

[RCT3Bross]

^^^ That's EST right? As European that will help me get our local time, That would be 16:15 (or 4:15 P.M.) local time exactly the time I come home from work and have time to get a cup of coffee and start the pc up to see it coming out.

[ASE]

^^^ That's EST right? As European that will help me get our local time, That would be 16:15 (or 4:15 P.M.) local time exactly the time I come home from work and have time to get a cup of coffee and start the pc up to see it coming out.

 

Good question! Yes, eastern time

[thedlr]

When I visited the YouTube link, it showed me the date/time in my local time, if that helps.

[Nitro1118]

So guys, due to the amazing-looking Lightning Rod, I am thinking about planning a trip to Dollywood in 2016. I have some questions that I would greatly appreciate being helped out with...

 

-Coming from Newark Airport in Nj, what would be the closest airport to fly into?

 

-What are the benefits to staying at Dreammore resort (discounts/proximity/etc...)? For someone on a relatively tight budget, is it still a worthy investment? If not, are there any good hotels within 5-10 miles from the park that you guys strongly reccomend?

 

-What parks are comparable to Dollywood in terms of size and amount of attractions to see and do? Some points of reference that I have been to...SFGAdv, CpP, SFNE, Dorney, KD, Hershey.

 

-Knowing Lightning Rod is still a question mark, what are crowds and lines usually like in April and early-mid May? How were the lines for Thunderhead and Wild Eagle during their inaugeral seasons?

 

-Considering the early spring crowds, will Dollywood require 2 or 3 days to fully experience, including multiple laps on each major coaster?

 

-Are there any parks within an hour that are definitely worth hitting up?

 

-Overall, is a first-time visit to Dollywood worth the extra expenses to visit than 2 mini-trips to already-visoted closer parks like SFNE, or a trip to a once-visited park like CP? I know this is subjective, but I'd like to hear people's thoughts.

 

 

Thanks in advance for the feedback!!!

[Brassinthegrass]

I went for the first time this past season, I would say it's about the same size as Six Flags New England/Hershey-ish. We did the park in one day, although I think two would get you a chance to write everything more than twice, I would suggest looking into flights to Charlotte and doing Carowinds and Dollywood, possibly flying in in the morning doing Carowinds driving to Asheville North Carolina and sleeping over, wake up and drive to Dollywood, drive back to either Asheville, or drive up to Louisville and hit Kentucky Kingdom!

[coasterfreaky]

So guys, due to the amazing-looking Lightning Rod, I am thinking about planning a trip to Dollywood in 2016. I have some questions that I would greatly appreciate being helped out with...

 

-Coming from Newark Airport in Nj, what would be the closest airport to fly into?

 

-What are the benefits to staying at Dreammore resort (discounts/proximity/etc...)? For someone on a relatively tight budget, is it still a worthy investment? If not, are there any good hotels within 5-10 miles from the park that you guys strongly reccomend?

 

Thanks in advance for the feedback!!!

 

 

The closest airport is Knoxville (TYS). Flights can be expensive from TYS. You may want to check Chattanooga (90 minutes south of Dollywood) or Asheville (90 minutes east of Dollywood...driving over the mountains). If you want to go through Atlanta, you could also hit up SFOG...and add a 3 hour drive to your trip to get to Dollywood. Lake Winnie outside of Chattanooga may be appealing? Other than that the next closest parks around are Kings Island in Cincy and Carowinds outside of Charlotte to the south.

 

Here's a link to some advantages to staying at Dreammore... Dreammore Info

 

Crowds are difficult to predict. This area is a tourist destination, so it can be busy, but in April most kids are still in school, so it shouldn't be too crazy.

 

Consider spending some time in the Smokies. They're gorgeous.

[DirkFunk]

So guys, due to the amazing-looking Lightning Rod, I am thinking about planning a trip to Dollywood in 2016. I have some questions that I would greatly appreciate being helped out with...

 

-Coming from Newark Airport in Nj, what would be the closest airport to fly into?

 

The Knoxville answer is the correct one. Charlotte and Atlanta aren't unreasonable drives given the fairly ruralish nature of where the park is located.

 

-What are the benefits to staying at Dreammore resort (discounts/proximity/etc...)? For someone on a relatively tight budget, is it still a worthy investment? If not, are there any good hotels within 5-10 miles from the park that you guys strongly reccomend?

 

I can't vouch for any budget hotels; only stayed at mid level joints in the area. I'm sure Dreammore is nice, but if you're really only looking to spend 75-80 a night, I don't think that's what you want.

 

-What parks are comparable to Dollywood in terms of size and amount of attractions to see and do? Some points of reference that I have been to...SFGAdv, CpP, SFNE, Dorney, KD, Hershey.

 

Dollywood is a different sort of park than those regional parks/themers. It is far more show oriented with many theaters and lots of guests going just to see them and not even ride anything. In terms of pure acreage, I'd compare it to something like KD, but the density of rides and the types of attractions are very different. The equivalents are pretty much all overseas, not here.

 

-Considering the early spring crowds, will Dollywood require 2 or 3 days to fully experience, including multiple laps on each major coaster?

 

Since I try to do everything there when I go, I'd say 2 days is probably wise to have a relaxed time and really enjoy the park. You also have all the insane Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg stuff too.

 

-Are there any parks within an hour that are definitely worth hitting up?[.quote]

 

There are no real theme parks within an hour, but then there is nothing really within an hour other than the freeway. You're surrounded by the Smokey Mountains National Park. That's the real draw.

 

-Overall, is a first-time visit to Dollywood worth the extra expenses to visit than 2 mini-trips to already-visoted closer parks like SFNE, or a trip to a once-visited park like CP? I know this is subjective, but I'd like to hear people's thoughts.

 

CP hasn't changed enough to merit, IMO, replacing Dollywood as a experience if you've been somewhat recently (like last 15 years) and aren't a local. Six Flags New England is Six Flags New England.

[bkwjjm]

Coasterfreaky is right about making sure to spend some time enjoying the sheer splendor and grandeur of the Smoky Mountains. They are the REAL reason people come to that area. Dollywood is just a bonus.....ok, the best bonus ever.