Dollywood Discussion Thread

[dstephe9]

Yup, it closed for season a few days ago.

 

Made my last trip to the park for the season tonight with a few friends.. Finally ate at aunt granny's buffet this season.. good as always. Lines just been very long for it all season it seems so always bypassed it. Today was about 45 min wait but well worth it. Had their Holiday Turkey which seemed better this year than previous. I love their cream and vegetable soup! Good deserts and all you can eat is a great thing!

 

I guess Tennessee Tornado was down most of the afternoon. It was up earlier I thought, at least according to the app it had a wait, but when I arrived it was closed for the day..

 

Got a few rides in, great like always. Wild Eagle was the only one still running when I left due to cold weather but night rides on it are always great!

 

Operations were fine, park was decently crowded. A lot of places were running out of things though, I was surprised how many kiosks didn't have soda in their fountains! Doing bottles instead.. I guess preparing to close for the season.. wasn't an issue because I larger restaurants had soda in the fountains just had to wait a little longer..

 

Overall fun night! Arrived around 4 and left at 8:15 (beating the parade out, earlier this season it was a nightmare leaving after the parade)

 

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[dstephe9]

Looks like TN Tornado is closed again for the day.. Wonder what's wrong? I know they aren't open yet, but they already have that one listed in the app.

 

And I'm always so confused why Dollywood doesn't open for the areas largest Spring Break every year? (March 13 - 17) I know the past few years they miss Knox County's break and looks like they are again this year. They open the final weekend of it but that's it. You would think that would be a busy week with the locals plus a lot of college spring breaks are that same week or even the week before. I know Gatlinburg gets a lot of Spring Break goers.. I know HFE has a lot of good data on attendance but this one I have never understood

 

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[STDog]

And I'm always so confused why Dollywood doesn't open for the areas largest Spring Break every year? (March 13 - 17)

 

It'd be better if the schools waited til spring for spring break.

Spring doesn't start until around March 20 (Vernal Equinox).

 

I remember spring break when I was in school being later (and warmer) than now.

 

Not much as much fun for my kids when they had it early. Thankfully their current schools have it in late March.

[dstephe9]

I know, Knox County, plus many surrounding counties do it mid March now.. During college, I had some as early as first week in March

 

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[ytterbiumanalyst]

And I'm always so confused why Dollywood doesn't open for the areas largest Spring Break every year? (March 13 - 17)

 

It'd be better if the schools waited til spring for spring break.

Spring doesn't start until around March 20 (Vernal Equinox).

 

I remember spring break when I was in school being later (and warmer) than now.

 

Not much as much fun for my kids when they had it early. Thankfully their current schools have it in late March.

The reason it was later was that it used to be Holy Week (the week before Easter). The line of thinking was that a lot of kids would be out of school anyway due to activities that week, so they just took the week off. The culture changed, and even among those who celebrate Easter for religious reasons, it's pretty much a one-day rather than a weeklong event, so there's not a reason to have Holy Week off school. However, Spring Break remains popular, even more popular than Easter itself. So Spring Break remained, it just became detached from Easter. These days, a lot of school districts plan it for in between third and fourth quarters, which usually falls in the first or second week of March. If there's no reason to tie it to Easter, that's a very logical place to put it.

[mordecai-75]

A video on Youtube featuring Pete Owens speaking at the 2017 No Coaster Con reveals the true spec's of Drop Line, it's 230ft tall as opposed to 200ft. Also he gives some really good insight to LR's issues and said the "pothole" has been smoothed out. The car trunks on the trains will return next season, and the wasp prevention roof worked excellently. He said that it worked so well there will eventually be a similar prevention structure on Wild Eagle, but B&M would have to be brougt in to help with it. (Maybe while their there they can convince the sale of a hyper or invert. ) I can't post a link cause i flat out just don't know how to from this device, but anyone should have no trouble finding it by Youtube searching No Coaster Con 2017.

Edited January 9, 2017 by mordecai-75

[ImNotOneOfYou]

A video on Youtube featuring Pete Owens speaking at the 2017 No Coaster Con reveals the true spec's of Drop Line, it's 230ft tall as opposed to 200ft. Also he gives some really good insight to LR's issues and said the "pothole" has been smoothd out. The car trunks on the trains will return next season, and the wasp prevention roof worked excellently. He said that it worked so well there will eventually be a similar prevention structure on Wild Eagle, but B&M would have to be brougt in to help with it. (Maybe while their there they convince the sale of a hyper or invert. ) I can't post a link cause i flat out just don't know how from this device, but anyone should have no trouble finding it by Youtube searching No Coaster Con 2017.

 

Hey now you know the rules here. No source = Nothing ever happened

[mordecai-75]

^ I gave directions on how to find the source. (insert middle finger smile face)

[DoinItForTheFame]

Great news about the drop tower!! Also, I really hope LR will be running much better next season. It was such a disappointment for so many this year, that I'd hate for the park to think the issue is fixed. . . Then BAM! It's 2016 all over again.

[STDog]

^ I gave directions on how to find the source. (insert middle finger smile face)

 

This one?

 

I can't watch right now to be sure.

[dstephe9]

Yup that looks like it.. not much about LR except that they are having RMC rewire the trains this off season and that it should help with most of the issues. Guess train sensors are causing most of it?

 

Also, not really sure how I feel about the wasp prevention structure on the top of wild eagle. I'm afraid it will harm the view at the top but I guess more people would like it to be open rather than having a view haha.

 

And what cracks me up is he is talking about night rides and staying open later during "spring breaks" but they are still missing the areas largest Spring Break. He probably meant "fall breaks" because of the October Festivals.

 

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[coasterbill]

That's a shame about Wild Eagle (if they go ahead with it) but it's better than having the ride closed so often.

[mordecai-75]

^ I gave directions on how to find the source. (insert middle finger smile face)

 

This one?

 

I can't watch right now to be sure.

That's it.

[STDog]

That's a shame about Wild Eagle (if they go ahead with it) but it's better than having the ride closed so often.

 

Hopefully it can be done in a way that is minimally invasive.

 

Even better would be a removable structure that's only installed when the wasps are active.

[dstephe9]

From what they say, the wasp migrate, but I still don't know how tops would even help.. I would just think it would give more places for regular wasp to build nest lol like my front porch

 

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[STDog]

From what they say, the wasp migrate, but I still don't know how tops would even help.. I would just think it would give more places for regular wasp to build nest lol like my front porch

 

As I recall, it creates a warm spot up above the riders, so the wasps are draw up and away.

So it has to be high enough that the wasp stay above the riders as they fly about.

 

They top of WE's lift hill has a lot of metal on the sides and that currently creates a warm spot that the wasps are drawn too.

The roof over it would cool the existing structure and create a warmer spot up higher.

[hagwar]

Yup that looks like it.. not much about LR except that they are having RMC rewire the trains this off season and that it should help with most of the issues. Guess train sensors are causing most of it?

 

Also, not really sure how I feel about the wasp prevention structure on the top of wild eagle. I'm afraid it will harm the view at the top but I guess more people would like it to be open rather than having a view haha.

 

And what cracks me up is he is talking about night rides and staying open later during "spring breaks" but they are still missing the areas largest Spring Break. He probably meant "fall breaks" because of the October Festivals.

 

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Talking about spring break, I live in Atlanta and was thinking of coming up for a few days in April. Looking at hotels, it looks like a pretty busy time, are the lines ridiculous during the week of April 10-14 which is Atlanta plus a bunch of suburbs spring break. Looks like Knox is earlier, not sure about other districts.

 

Thanks

[Jccoasterfan]

So Backstage Restaurant is being gutted and redone, according to the video. Backstage is our go-to restaurant whenever we visit the park. I believe Pete mentioned Lumberjack's Pizza being redone as well. I look forward to seeing how those places turn out next season! I have to admit, the restrooms at Backstage were disgusting compared to others in the park. My whole family agrees on that statement.

[dstephe9]

Hopefully lumberjack pizza is going to remain the same style pizza! I love that large slice of pizza. It's my number one restaurant there..

 

He didn't mention much about either, just that they are doing the most off season work they have ever done as long as he has been there.

 

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Edited January 10, 2017 by dstephe9

[I Like Theme Parks.]

A few weeks ago during winter break we took a trip to Pigeon Forge. I finally got around to doing a review/tr on Dollywood. This should be no surprise, but it's one of the best parks I've ever been to! We went on the 28th and 29th, and went around Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg on the 27th and 30th. The weather was pretty good, and I got on all the rides I wanted to get to multiple times. (I already figured that Lighting Rod would be closed months ago). The park was beautifully themed and it had a great atmosphere. It's able to be a well-themed, modern park while still having a classic small park-type feel at the same time. And of course, the lights and decorations for Christmas made that even better.

 

We stayed at the Dream More Resort, and it's an excellent place to stay. It looks great, the restaurant inside it has awesome breakfasts, the rooms are good, and it's actually not as expensive as you'd expect. It was about $240 a night, which is an awesome deal for what you get. There's also the trolley to and from the park, as well as complimentary Time-Saver q-bots, which were absolutely life-saving because of how crowded it was.

 

The operations in the park were outstanding. The workers were nice, and the dispatches for Firechaser Express were almost all under 1 minute each! The other crews sent out trains in well under 2 minutes most of the time.

 

The food was also amazing. We had the cinnamon bread, which was outstanding as expected, the skillet sausage sandwiches were great, and Miss Lillian's had really good chicken, different kinds of pork, and I enjoyed their loaded mashed potatoes, and that's coming from someone who is against extensive potato mutilation. I still think Knoebels and Epcot have better food, but Dollywood is up there for sure. Now onto the important part: the rides!

 

Thunderhead: This was my favorite coaster in the park by far. The pace is incredible and quick all the way through, the twistiness was great, the turns had lots of lateral forces, and there were plenty moments of strong airtime. It's also really smooth, and the setting is also pretty. Thunderhead crushes the other GCIs I've been on, and now I know why they get praised so much, and how they can be on the same level as a Gravity Group coaster, or some of the top CCI and PTC coasters. It's my number 6 wood now. Fantastic coaster! I liked the front the best because a lot of the airtime hills mainly go upwards, but not really back down.

 

Tennessee Tornado: I got on it 4 times. It's an awesome ride, and my second-favorite in the park. It's incredibly forceful the whole way through, and the pacing is relentless. I love how the loops are shaped so awkwardly and it's kind of sketchy-feeling, even by Arrow standards, but it's still actually very smooth. The drop is also wonderful since it has some nice sustained floater air in the back, and the tunnel is fun. It's a short ride, but it really uses every second to crush you with forces. The terrain interaction also makes it feel even faster.

 

Dizzy Disk: Disk-O ride. I rode it twice.

 

Barnstormer: This is my new favorite Screamin' Swing, and those are some of my favorite flat rides! It's short like the others, but the airtime and acceleration is awesome. The excellent theming is what makes this one stand out, and it's great how much attention to detail Dollywood puts into the theming of the park! I rode it 5 times.

 

Firechaser Express: This was a huge hit for everyone in my family. The theme is excellent, especially the fireworks building! The layout is tame, but it's a lot of fun. There's even a little bit of light floaty air on some of the drops, as well as unexpected laterals. I always thought the custom Gerstlauer bobsled mouse coasters in Europe looked cool, and this like a bigger version of what I'd imagine those are like. The launches are also a nice touch. I rode it 4 times, and I think I like the coaster better in the front than the back, but here it doesn't make much of a difference.

 

Blazing Fury: Most people consider this a roller coaster, but I do not count it as a credit. This is because it's almost completely powered, not just because it's more like a dark ride. But I consider it a pure dark ride, despite the small drops. But anyway, this is a really nice weird old-style dark ride! It also had the Christmas lights still inside it. The first drop actually has a little airtime near the front of the train, and the scenes seemed to all be working well. I rode it 3 times.

 

Mystery Mine: I loved this one! The dark ride sections really make the ride what it is, and the fire is awesome of course. Lots of people say this ride is rough, but it's fine if you hold your head forwards or to one side. The drops are good, and the finale is thrilling. I tricked my brother and sister who haven't been on a vertical lift or vertical drop coaster ever into going on it, and they actually liked it! My dad also went on even though he doesn't like vertical lifts, and he enjoyed it as well. This is easily my third-favorite ride here. I got to it 3 times.

 

Wild Eagle: This is a pretty tame coaster, but the terrain and how close you go to the trees makes it more thrilling. It's a beautiful and graceful ride, so that's why I really liked it. I think I like the left side more, and of course you have to be in the back. It's not as good as Gatekeeper, but it's close. Again, the great views and location makes this an important ride for the park. The vests also lock much tighter than Gatekeeper's or the ones on the S&S 4D coasters for example, but it's still comfortable enough.

 

The summarized version of this is basically that you have to go to Dollywood!

[dstephe9]

Yup that looks like it.. not much about LR except that they are having RMC rewire the trains this off season and that it should help with most of the issues. Guess train sensors are causing most of it?

 

Also, not really sure how I feel about the wasp prevention structure on the top of wild eagle. I'm afraid it will harm the view at the top but I guess more people would like it to be open rather than having a view haha.

 

And what cracks me up is he is talking about night rides and staying open later during "spring breaks" but they are still missing the areas largest Spring Break. He probably meant "fall breaks" because of the October Festivals.

 

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Talking about spring break, I live in Atlanta and was thinking of coming up for a few days in April. Looking at hotels, it looks like a pretty busy time, are the lines ridiculous during the week of April 10-14 which is Atlanta plus a bunch of suburbs spring break. Looks like Knox is earlier, not sure about other districts.

 

Thanks

Most of the district's around here are earlier than April, actually what you could hit in April are school field trips. These make for crowd's almost as bad as local Spring Break crowds would be

 

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[Jccoasterfan]

Hopefully lumberjack pizza is going to remain the same style pizza! I love that large slice of pizza. It's my number one restaurant there

 

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I have yet to try out Lumberjacks. Typically we're already in the other side of the park when we get hungry for lunch! I will probably try it sometime next season maybe.

 

I saw something that I noticed earlier on Dollywood's website. I wasn't able to post a picture of it, but if you look under "Dining", Backstage is no longer listed. However, It shows a new restaurant coming in 2017 called "Front Porch Cafe". Could this end up replacing Backstage? I just hope their food options don't change then if that's the case.

[Djwadeknox]

I noticed when looking at the rides page on the website that the sideshow kid coaster aka the veggie tales coaster in country fair is NOT listed. I wonder if they are moving it up to Thunderhead or if they are just getting rid of the old one?

[SFOGdude25]

I noticed when looking at the rides page on the website that the sideshow kid coaster aka the veggie tales coaster in country fair is NOT listed. I wonder if they are moving it up to Thunderhead or if they are just getting rid of the old one?

Pete said in his No Coaster Con presentation that Whistle Punk Chaser will be a standard Zamperla kiddie coaster (same model as Howler at Holiday World), so Sideshow Spin won't be relocated.

Edited January 10, 2017 by SFOGdude25

[Djwadeknox]

So unless they accidentally left it off the website they must be getting rid of it. It would open up the walkway down in country fair.