Dollywood Discussion Thread

[bluestreak]

So LR is of course closed today but I went to twitter to look for anything and I found a picture of outside the station, and on coming into the station, you can see a train just sitting there. I'm just curious as to if it's closed for the day why they have a train just out in the open on the brake run and not under the station for the day/night.

 

I was there last monday and after it tested a bit they just parked it out there the rest of the day. It has probably been out there since.

[Jccoasterfan]

So LR is of course closed today but I went to twitter to look for anything and I found a picture of outside the station, and on coming into the station, you can see a train just sitting there. I'm just curious as to if it's closed for the day why they have a train just out in the open on the brake run and not under the station for the day/night.

^ It looks more like the train was either leaving or entering the maintenance shed. You can kinda tell by the position of the elevator/transfer track. Or the actual thing wasn't moving when the photo was taken.

[Vonni]

How long has LR been closed this time?

[thrillerman1]

Will be there tomorrow. LR tears aside, any park tips? I think their fast pass is similar to Hershey's (one ride W/o waiting long during certain time frame)?

 

Any suggestions on park route to avoid it, any flat rides or shows that are must see? Appreciate it!

 

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I can't think of any other parks that have a flume ride like Mountain Slidewinder. It's kind of hidden and a bit of a hike to the top of the hill but worth it in my opinion. Also, the steam train is a must.

[Vonni]

^ Mountain Sidewinder is cool. I miss the version at SDC.

[knaiwear]

How long has LR been closed this time?

 

Since 8 July.

[slickpoetry]

Also, the steam train is a must.

 

 

Just make sure to sit in the back or wear sunglasses. I did neither and got an eye full of soot. Very regretful.

[STDog]

Will be there tomorrow. LR tears aside, any park tips? I think their fast pass is similar to Hershey's (one ride W/o waiting long during certain time frame)?

 

Don't know Hersey's, but as I understand it DW's is more like a virtual wait. You select the ride and it waits in the line for you. Then you can enter anytime after you would have got through the queue.

 

The most recent reports suggest it won't be needed though. 10-15 minute wait generally.

 

Any suggestions on park route to avoid it, any flat rides or shows that are must see?

 

To avoid what?

 

All the shows are usually good. I've never seen a bad one. Just depends on your interests.

 

I usually catch the Kingdom Heirs if it's bren a few months.

 

Dreamland Drive In was good, but I've not seen this year's cast.

 

The bird show is worthwhile.

 

Dunno about the current "Summer" shows. They change each year and even during the season.

[STDog]

Also, the steam train is a must.

 

 

Just make sure to sit in the back or wear sunglasses. I did neither and got an eye full of soot. Very regretful.

 

Coal burners are like that. I think the cinders and soot are vital to the experience [emoji1]

[Dollywoodlover20]

I have thought of something, what if the park is waiting until schools go back in session and vacation season is over (end of August usually) then they announce LR is closed for the season? I really have a feeling that's what they're going to do. Especially if they don't have it opened by the end of this month, which is when I'll be going again. If it's not open by then they only have really 3 solid months without cold temps or snow chances/end of season.

[Shavethewhales]

I have thought of something, what if the park is waiting until schools go back in session and vacation season is over (end of August usually) then they announce LR is closed for the season? I really have a feeling that's what they're going to do. Especially if they don't have it opened by the end of this month, which is when I'll be going again. If it's not open by then they only have really 3 solid months without cold temps or snow chances/end of season.

 

I could see it. At this point they've played this game about as long as they can get away with it. Like I said some time ago, their strategy here-to-fore has been to pretend it's been "openish" most of the time even though only a scant few people got to ride it this year. I think they might wait awhile longer to call it quits publicly though. Then they can pretend they made it until the end of the main season. Probably after Labor day sometime.

 

IMO, it's time to bring everyone back, tear the problem areas apart, and start over. I'm so tired of hearing about it being in some sort of "rehearsal".

[SFOG1991]

^While I am glad they were doing the rehearsal to let as many people ride it as possible, it was really an annoying experience with them not letting you wait in the queue and then even having employees move the line outside the entrance out of the shade and into the direct sun where it was blocking people trying to walk by. There have just been so many things wrong with the execution and saying it is in technically rehearsal at this point is basically a complete lie. I do very much appreciate the effort to have it as open as possible though.

 

I'm really glad I got to ride it when I did, multiple times, without waiting. It didn't seem that special or lucky at the time but now I'm very thankful.

 

Still hoping they can just get it running without issue before the season is over. I know that is months away but it's been months since this was supposed to open and look where we are now. lol.

[coasterdude5]

The season lasts through January 1. There's still plenty of time, but I'm not necessarily hopeful. Do we know if there's been any (visible) activity at all this week?

[TrashcanMan]

The season lasts through January 1. There's still plenty of time, but I'm not necessarily hopeful. Do we know if there's been any (visible) activity at all this week?

Was there two days ago, Nada nothing. No workers, no signs of life.

 

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[Jpizzle]

Was at the park today for the first time! We had a lot of fun. I enjoyed the variety of coasters, though felt the park lacked a "standout" one.... Oh wait! LR was closed though, and we didn't see any trains testing at all.

 

Tennessee Tornado was a pleasant surprise. We walked on and sat in the front. The last bump of airtime into the breakrun was awesome. Definitely my favorite Arrow with Loch Ness.

 

FireChaser Express was a good family coaster, but not worth the 45 min wait we had. Perhaps worth it for those who fancy less intense coasters.

 

I liked Mystery Mine. Great theming packed into a really short track length. A bit rough, but nothing too serious.

 

Wild Eagle was my first wing coaster. I liked it more than any B&M floorless, but not as much as most hypers, flyers, etc. Fun but a bit underwhelming.

 

Blazing Fury- pretty dark and strange. Not a huge fan.

 

Thunderhead- a really great wooden coaster. Strangely, it didn't attract many guests. Perhaps because of the location?

 

A non-rollercoaster, but we really loved Mountain Slidewinder! It was a really fun, unique family-friendly ride.

 

I loved the park. The theming, food, and staff were excellent. The mountain setting is breathtaking. I hope to visit again soon to get on LR!

[Dollywoodlover20]

Was at the park today for the first time! We had a lot of fun. I enjoyed the variety of coasters, though felt the park lacked a "standout" one.... Oh wait! LR was closed though, and we didn't see any trains testing at all.

 

Tennessee Tornado was a pleasant surprise. We walked on and sat in the front. The last bump of airtime into the breakrun was awesome. Definitely my favorite Arrow with Loch Ness.

 

FireChaser Express was a good family coaster, but not worth the 45 min wait we had. Perhaps worth it for those who fancy less intense coasters.

 

I liked Mystery Mine. Great theming packed into a really short track length. A bit rough, but nothing too serious.

 

Wild Eagle was my first wing coaster. I liked it more than any B&M floorless, but not as much as most hypers, flyers, etc. Fun but a bit underwhelming.

 

Blazing Fury- pretty dark and strange. Not a huge fan.

 

Thunderhead- a really great wooden coaster. Strangely, it didn't attract many guests. Perhaps because of the location?

 

A non-rollercoaster, but we really loved Mountain Slidewinder! It was a really fun, unique family-friendly ride.

 

I loved the park. The theming, food, and staff were excellent. The mountain setting is breathtaking. I hope to visit again soon to get on LR!

With Thunderhead it's usually a crowd favorite, but I've been watching it and less and less are coming to it this season. The whole season has been hurt by LR's downtime. Not sure if Thunderhead is suffering from the same or what. I usually start with Thunderhead. It's a great coaster to get the blood pumping.

[MindbenderManiac]

Could all parties involved be at the table with their lawyers at this point? I mean what was promised was not delivered, and what was delivered might not have been what was stated in an original contract. For example operating costs were quoted to be blank, but during technical rehearsals we found them to be 10 times that. I am sure this situation is a lot more complex than we can think of.

 

The park did operate in its current state at least for the big summer weekends (Memorial Day and 4th of July) and it was running to get featured on Hallmark Home and Family (which was when the ride was officially open). However it may just be too labor intensive and too expensive to keep going as is.

 

Another question... If further testing, tweaking, and adjusting is needed, where does the extra needed money for that come from? If companies only budget so much, when that's gone, who pays the rest?

[dstephe9]

^While I am glad they were doing the rehearsal to let as many people ride it as possible, it was really an annoying experience with them not letting you wait in the queue and then even having employees move the line outside the entrance out of the shade and into the direct sun where it was blocking people trying to walk by. There have just been so many things wrong with the execution and saying it is in technically rehearsal at this point is basically a complete lie. I do very much appreciate the effort to have it as open as possible though.

 

I'm really glad I got to ride it when I did, multiple times, without waiting. It didn't seem that special or lucky at the time but now I'm very thankful.

 

Still hoping they can just get it running without issue before the season is over. I know that is months away but it's been months since this was supposed to open and look where we are now. lol.

 

There were times in June and July where the ride was open "normally". The entire queue was open, no staff controlling it, etc. Ran 2 trains all day sometimes...

 

It still broke down like every hour, but most of the time a reset and test runs and they were back open without closing the queue.

 

The whole thing is still pretty disastrous though. Hope they get it figured out. I still think it's in their best interest to try and get it open this year or else they might have a lot of unhappy pass holders.

I rode it a few times in June and the entire queue was open but did close three times while I was waiting in line like the other poster said.. they closed the ride and the staff came down to say "maintenance has asked us to clear the building. Feel free to line up outside".. there may have been days when this didn't happen but it did happen several times in June when the ride was listed as open and did run most of the day.

 

This was when it was open for most of the day without issues but did go down for an hour here and there

 

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[larrygator]

Another question... If further testing, tweaking, and adjusting is needed, where does the extra needed money for that come from? If companies only budget so much, when that's gone, who pays the rest?

 

Dollywood collect money in parking fees, admission costs, food sales, souvenirs and probably a few other places. This is called income

Dollywood pays employees, taxes, insurance and a multitude of other bills. This is called expense

Income - Expense = Profit

 

If additional money is spent on expenses then profits willdecrease. If they are no profits, cuts are made or money need to be borrowed.

[Dave Id]

Typically, construction projects will have a "Contingency" line item included within the budget. This is for unforeseen costs associated with the project. This can range anywhere from 2% to 6% or higher depending on the project, and risk associated. For a project of this type, and being a first of its kind, I would expect the contingency would have been on the higher range.

 

Also, for each item within the budget, and for each subcontractor, there is a retainage withheld which is typically 5-10%. This can be held back until the subcontractor delivers the product as it was intended to be. At the time the project is completed to the satisfaction of the owner and inspection, this is released to the subcontractor.

 

Beyond those items, there is usually a completion date written into the contract. Sometimes, there is a daily penalty for each day that a contractor does not deliver the product beyond the completion date. This can be pretty high and is usually directly related to lost revenue for the owner.

 

Hope that helps.

[MindbenderManiac]

^^^^

 

This certainly does make sense. I wouldn't expect the park itself should have to shrink its profit margins any further just to keep this thing operational. If what was promised was not delivered it shouldn't be the responsibility of the park to keep sinking money into. On the other hand the other parties involved in the project may be saying " we did our part, we met what we were required to" when clearly things are not. Thus a need for further negotiations, and the reason none of the parties involved are saying anything about the status of the ride. And who knows, maybe at this point they are shopping for other contractors to get this thing fully operational.

[kickflipbacktail]

^^^^

 

This certainly does make sense. I wouldn't expect the park itself should have to shrink its profit margins any further just to keep this thing operational. If what was promised was not delivered it shouldn't be the responsibility of the park to keep sinking money into. On the other hand the other parties involved in the project may be saying " we did our part, we met what we were required to" when clearly things are not. Thus a need for further negotiations, and the reason none of the parties involved are saying anything about the status of the ride. And who knows, maybe at this point they are shopping for other contractors to get this thing fully operational.

 

Call B&M. They seem to be doing okay with their first few launched coasters.

[dstephe9]

First of all, we don't know "what was not delivered" at one point in time someone had mentioned a maintenance guy saying "it was just burning through tires and brakes faster than they thought" if that's really a true statement (I am not saying it is) that means RMC may have delivered their part and now Dollywood is trying to find a way to reduce maintenance cost and this has nothing to do with RMC at all..

 

Again, no one here knows the issue.. RMC might be done and it has NOTHING to do with RMC at all.. it might not be an issue with the launch system at all

 

A few weeks ago someone mentioned sensor issues, I believe this was Dollywood itself.. if that's the case it might have something to do with the software (again not an RMC issue but an issue with the software programming)

 

With all that being said it could be an issue with RMC

 

I believe at this point it might be coming down to a few things.. we have seen no activity for weeks so my thoughts (not saying these are the issues but)

 

1.) They are waiting on parts (due to the recall or just waiting on sensors or parts in general)

2.) Dollywood feels maintenance is going to be to high so they are trying to find solutions to lower maintenance cost (I draw this from the possible statement saying it was burning wheels and brakes)

3.) Dollywood doesn't know what to do about it yet and they are back in planning stage.. this could be why we haven't seen any activity

4.) Dollywood maintenance is just swamped being the busy time of year and they are just trying to keep other rides open and those are the first priority

 

Again who knows what the issue is, I just hope they can come up with a solution

 

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Edited August 3, 2016 by dstephe9

[DirkFunk]

Call B&M. They seem to be doing okay with their first few launched coasters.

 

Does Holiday World still have those portable generators outside Thunderbird?

[ShaneH]

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