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Dollywood Discussion Thread

P. 796 - Ride closing 10/30 to remove launch and install chain lift!

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Well, I know that I am just talking crazy here,but what if the Wildwood Grove has something to do with Dolly's new netflix series and they are just tricking us, or if Wildwood Grove is just the name of one attraction (possibly indoor) of this new area. But who knows... we will see on the 3rd!

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Well, I know that I am just talking crazy here,but what if the Wildwood Grove has something to do with Dolly's new netflix series and they are just tricking us, or if Wildwood Grove is just the name of one attraction (possibly indoor) of this new area. But who knows... we will see on the 3rd!
Possible.. there is a single large tree in the center of the blueprints.. the neon, flashy, Bright tree might simply be that single tree and it might be an attraction all in itself.

 

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https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/travel/experience/america/theme-parks/2018/07/24/tripadvisor-names-top-amusement-parks-in-travelers-choice-awards/37090157/

 

All Disney, SeaWorld, and Universal parks listed here, aside from the island.. is the Island really that popular with travelers? A thorn in Dollywoods side? I know attendance was down, tourist going the free route in the area

 

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All Disney, SeaWorld, and Universal parks listed here, aside from the island.. is the Island really that popular with travelers? A thorn in Dollywoods side? I know attendance was down, tourist going the free route in the area

A tiny, walkable RD&E (retail, dining, and entertainment) is a much more accessible and lower-commitment destination than an expansive, expensive theme park. If the place is clean and safe, and if the staff are friendly, I could see why visitors to the area place it on the same level as Dollywood. Having quick-and-easy attractions, such as their large Ferris wheel, their XD theater, their escape room, and their selection of unique stores to just walk through and admire, certainly helps.

 

I may be thinking the wrong way, but I could totally see a family or vacation group splitting up during the day with children, teenagers, young adults and some parents going to Dollywood, with other adults, seniors, and stroller-pushing parents going to The Island.

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I really hope it's not fake trees to be fair, but if anywhere could pull it off it's Dollywood.

You'd be surprised about how much magic can happen with good lighting.

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lol, fake trees. Yes, a company famed for planting trees is going to fill an area with fake trees. I wouldn't be surprised if there is a big pseudo-disney fake tree in there somewhere, but there will be plenty of new real trees.

 

It sucks that they had to clear cut and level the area, but that's what they have to work with. No one makes a big deal when anyone else does it. They had to move a whole hill to get Wilderness Pass through.

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I really hope it's not fake trees to be fair, but if anywhere could pull it off it's Dollywood.

You'd be surprised about how much magic can happen with good lighting.

One news report I read talked about fairies and everything.. while I don't think it will be that fantasy, I do lean towards fantasy.. and yes, I'm sure they will plant new trees but if they do all Bright and fantasy type stuff like the artwork so far, I do see "fake" fantasy type trees being put in

 

And for the large centerpiece type fake tree in the center, the old blueprints do have something like that. It's actually the only tree in the center.. I'm thinking that will be some treehouse type attraction though haha

 

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there will be plenty of new real trees.

 

I know Dollywood and SDC plant a ton of new trees whenever they cut some down, but new small trees is still can't replace the feeling of the older mature trees that used to exist. It'll take decades of tree growth to get that vibe back.

 

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We will never have this again.

 

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plaza-wilderness-pass-3_preview.jpg

Even though Wilderness Pass had plenty of newly planted trees, it still feels cut down and bare compared the the awesome wooded areas of the park

 

It sucks that they had to clear cut and level the area, but that's what they have to work with. No one makes a big deal when anyone else does it. They had to move a whole hill to get Wilderness Pass through.

 

That's because hardly any parks have the same incredible natural setting of DW and SDC. I feel the same with Time Traveler's excessive tree demo (Kinda ruined TnT's setting). If Lake Compounce ripped all the trees out from BDash, people would feel the same as I do now.

 

That said, I feel like they did a great job keeping trees with Outlaw Run and Lightning Rod - You still feel like you're in the woods on those coasters.

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But there really is no choice if you want to grow.. the entire area is still heavily wooded with the foothills as the backdrop.. it's either stop growing or start moving mountains.. When parks stop growing physically, that's when we start loosing rides so they can build new ones to bring folks in..

 

And I feel this isn't the end.. we will see more demolition of trees, but the park will replace those trees somewhere.. they don't necessarily replace them at the park though

 

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But there really is no choice if you want to grow.. the entire area is still heavily wooded with the foothills as the backdrop.. it's either stop growing or start moving mountains.. When parks stop growing physically, that's when we start loosing rides so they can build new ones to bring folks in..

 

That may be so, but it bums me out that park expansion is at the cost of the park's unique setting and charm.

 

Dollywood has earned their trust from me with their amazing park, but I still have this nagging feeling that this move is too "corporate" for them... idk

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So they should just stop growing and not stay relevant? While it sucks, I'm a huge supporter of nature in that area.. I love the area and mountains, this doesn't feel corporate to me.. it feels like survival and growth

 

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So they should just stop growing and not stay relevant? While it sucks, I'm a huge supporter of nature in that area.. I love the area and mountains, this doesn't feel corporate to me.. it feels like survival and growth

No, of course that's not what I'm saying. I simply believe there's a way to expand the park without completely razing everything in sight.

 

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Doing it this way is probably just cheaper/easier. I'm still hoping for the best with this, but I think it's fair to be bummed out at the loss of the forest that existed here

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Theme park landscaping is tricky. You can absolutely make an area feel lived-in even if it's brand-new. The most recent example of this is Disney's Hollywood Studios' Toy Story Land. Of course, it's themed to a toy scaled backyard, so there aren't really any shade trees necessary, but from a landscaping standpoint the land looks like it has been there for years. You can especially see this when you look at photos of the last S-Turn of Slinky Dog Dash. All of the foliage is so grown-in, and yet the land hasn't even been open to the public for a month.

 

Another reason why new additions seem "barren" is because pathways and plazas are just so much wider now, in general, compared to, say, even ten years ago. The park gets larger, attendance grows, and the "new" people need space to move. In my world, there are general "rules of thumb" regarding how much space a guest should have in their bubble.

 

The new shade trees placed in the land will grow up eventually. I highly doubt that Dollywood is going to lose their identity, or their setting, or their charm, as a result of the expansion.

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I certainly understand the sentiment. The balance between the original ambiance and modern necessity has been something I've watched for years. When SDC was young, there was tremendous effort to save every tree they could. The pathways wound around trees and in some cases they even build buildings around some of the bigger older trees so that they were growing through the buildings. DW did a lot of similar things back when it was SDC East.

 

It was "easy" back when they had thousands of visitors and not millions. There's just no way now with them becoming big resort destinations. It has to be planned and replanted forest instead of authentic. People already complain about the terrain and ADA access at the parks, and anything new is under much stricter scrutiny.

 

The good news is that by getting all the clearing and leveling out of the way in one swoop, they can replant a lot in another swoop and in ten years it will look much better again. Wilderness pass is all rock, so I don't think they had such an easy time there with tree management, but this should be better. Some of the trees they planted at SDC this year are mature, several year old trees. The new eating area looks like it has always been there because the 'new' trees are so big. I'm sure they will do the same at DW.

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Yeah the pathways is a good point. The old side of Dollywood looks more grown in, 1.) Because of it's age, but also because of the narrow paths.. the new part is now much wider.. it has rides vs buildings only going up the path again making it look like it never grew back.. it's a much more open area if Dollywood was simply building a ride like LR, they wouldn't need to level everything.. but this is a new land with not only a ride or two but new infrastructure, new buildings, new sections and more.. they will replant the area with smaller trees and I'm sure they will do a good job

 

And yeah I also agree with the one big swoop thing. It's much easier to scale the way they want by doing it in one big swoop, even if it requires leveling the place.. when this area gets built they might do it again in 5 - 10 years for a new area or might announce something sooner and continue with the growth in one big swoop

 

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I mean, you know they're getting a massive addition next year that probably includes a coaster and by then Lightning Rod might be working so I'd just wait.

 

Is Dollywood a great park regardless? Of course. But unless you're in the area anyway or it's not a major expense then I don't see why you should go now.

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Is it worth visiting dollywood for the first time even if lightning rod isn't open?

 

Though lightning rod is an incredible coaster, the rest of the park is great as well. Go enjoy the park. Gives you a reason to go back in a couple years to ride my favorite RMC to date

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