Dollywood Discussion Thread

[dstephe9]

I don't know how anyone would see that it's been removed without driving to the employee side of the park but if it's true, I'm really curious what keeps causing the issue.. it was repaired once after being confirmed by the park during it's original season and has came back

 

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[Jason Maier]

So what's the issue with LR now?

[coasterbill]

It’s an issue with the airtime fluid system. It needs a complete flush.

[DirkFunk]

So what's the issue with LR now?

 

It's sinking, obviously.

[appel]

Well there you have it:

 

Quote from Instagram:“ According to Dollywood employees, Lightning Rod will likely be closed for the rest of the 2018 season, joining Volcano: The Blast Coaster on the list of rides that are closed for the rest of the season. The park is looking for a permanent solution to decrease downtime that could change the ride. I sure hope that this isn’t a lift hill, and I hope that it is just a new launch system.“

[coasterbill]

Well there you have it:

 

Quote from, "mramusementmedia", someone that nobody has ever heard of who doesn't even look like he's old enough to drink who was probably talking to some random ride ops if anyone at all on and then made this declaration to get attention on Instagram

 

Fixed...

 

joining Volcano: The Blast Coaster on the list of rides that are closed for the rest of the season

 

That news also broke because some dude with no inside information said it. He also said that the park would announce it a few days later which (surprise) never happened. I wonder why...

Edited August 1, 2018 by coasterbill

[dstephe9]

Yeah I just browsed through Instagram post and found a bunch of nonsense.. one guy said he was told it was down due to brake issues. Instagram is full of different reasons, some might be true but I'm sure all aren't.

 

When LR first opened, ride ops knew nothing.. Dollywood wouldn't tell them a think and even made them leave anytime anything was wrong with the coaster. I'm sure they have backed off that a little but I'm still sure they don't tell the ops muxh.

 

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[neilnky]

Hopefully they can get it all figured out for good. I suppose there is a bigger risk of problems when you get a "one of a kind" type ride. I can see it is challenging because you want to have something unique but you also want it to be as problem free as possible. I really trust Dollywood and although Lightning Rod may be down there are many other fun things to do. I am sure they are working toward a permanent solution and we just have to be patient. They definitely want it to be safe.

[TEDodd]

I don't know how anyone would see that it's been removed without driving to the employee side of the park

 

Since that's also where you'd go to apply for a job (so not controlled/restricted access), I plan to drive over to look while I'm in town this weekend.

[TBpony414]

TEDodd - Is that via the employee entrance off Upper Middle Creek Rd? Or where?

[dstephe9]

It's Dollywood Lane off veterans.. closer to the strip. the gates to get to it from the parking lot are normally closed (or have been this year) so you access it from the employee entrance. I avoid that end of town due to traffic lol

 

Yes upper middle Creek is the other side of Dollywood lane

 

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[TEDodd]

It's Dollywood Lane off veterans.. closer to the strip. the gates to get to it from the parking lot are normally closed (or have been this year) so you access it from the employee entrance. I avoid that end of town due to traffic lol

 

I've seldom seen the gate from the main lots open. But I've driven up to the HR building a few times from the other side.

Neat going under LR.

 

I'm often coming from the south end of town. And Veterans usually isn't bad going south. Just stay off the parkway. I've learned lots of alternate routes

[TEDodd]

TEDodd - Is that via the employee entrance off Upper Middle Creek Rd? Or where?

Yes. That's also the route to the HR building and clinic.

 

As mentioned, Upper Middle Creek is named DW Lane at Veterans. It changes names around the entrance.

[KarlaKoaster]

It seems incredible that Lightning Rod is still experiencing such wholesale problems well into its second year of operation, but I suspect much of the delay in fixing it properly is down to arguments between RMC and their suppliers over what the cause is and who should pay for the repairs. Even if you break projects down into their component parts (eg, on Lightning Rod, the launch), there are so many contractors involved in the supply chain who will probably all be blaming each other and doing everything they can to not foot the bill.

[dstephe9]

It's actually it's third year and that makes it even worse

 

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[sdcfan88]

Calling it now, Lightning Rod is the new Son Of Beast.

[A.J.]

Even if you break projects down into their component parts (eg, on Lightning Rod, the launch), there are so many contractors involved in the supply chain who will probably all be blaming each other and doing everything they can to not foot the bill.

Unfortunate but from what I understand that sort of thing isn't uncommon. I'm not sure how much Dollywood is in the hole in terms of repair costs for Lightning Rod, but they shouldn't be as all of the necessary parts and work should be warrantied (ex. Rocky Mountain's 5-year warranty on the track system). The loss of business as a result of Lightning Rod's somewhat sporadic operation is probably a lot harder to prove.

 

Calling it now, Lightning Rod is the new Son Of Beast.

I'll take "unreliable systems and controls" over "destroying its own super-cheap structure with every cycle" any day of the week.

Edited August 2, 2018 by A.J.

[TEDodd]

Calling it now, Lightning Rod is the new Son Of Beast.

Pretty sure someone did that already, back in 2016.

[TBpony414]

Cool inside info on Veterans/Dollywood Ln and Middle Creek Rd, dsteph9 and TEDodd. Thanks for chiming in regarding that! We have stayed at a cabin about a mile down from the Middle Creek entrance there and I wondered where exactly it would take you if you turned in there. It says something about DW Service Entrance and figured it was something for employees so they wouldn't have to deal with the occasionally awful traffic on Veterans.

[Dollywoodlover20]

Thing about the employee entrance is, it used to be the old main entrance to Dollywood before they rerouted everything ( I think was a few years after splash country) but I remember going through that entrance as a kid with its shaded/tunnel like feel and trying to see beyond the fences as I heard the train and screams from river rampage. Ahhh...memories haha

I’ve actually been back that way to watch Lightning Rod myself. You can get some good photo op moments back there.

[TEDodd]

I remember going through that entrance as a kid with its shaded/tunnel like feel and trying to see beyond the fences as I heard the train and screams from river rampage.

 

I recall that from the late 80's too.

 

I think Veterans was just 2 lanes back then.

[neilnky]

Yes I remember one of my earliest visits way back in the 80's and it just seemed it took forever to get to Dollywood and it was in the middle of nowhere. My how things have changed lol

[TBpony414]

I’ve actually been back that way to watch Lightning Rod myself. You can get some good photo op moments back there.[/quote

I can't imagine that as the old entrance! I expected that there would be a gate or something in there so normal folks couldn't get back too far. Sounds like I could go back there a ways though for some good ride views?

[Canobie Coaster]

I know the pot hole is at the bottom of the drop, but is that also right where spot where there's the opening for the road to pass underneath the coaster?

[TEDodd]

I know the pot hole is at the bottom of the drop, but is that also right where spot where there's the opening for the road to pass underneath the coaster?

The road passes under the area before the launch starts up the hill.

Aerial photos on maps show it well.

 

I don't remember anything under it at the bottom of the big drop. The track there goes under the track that goes to the triple (quad?) down.