Dollywood Discussion Thread

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Oooh, a shooting dark ride would be great for Dollywood, especially since they haven't had the Flooded Mine in a while.

[maverickpoint]

a dark ride will be nice. hopefully they also put in an indoor coaster.

 

as far as the 300 million dollar 10-year plan starting in 2013, they still have like 50 million so im curious what the 'new' plan is going to be

[tndank]

Twisted Whistle Punk Chaser

[maverickpoint]

Twisted Whistle Punk Chaser

 

THIS

[dstephe9]

From the document I saw, I believe this is another multi-year investment plan vs a new ride. Yes, it will probably include new rides so we might see all the "teased" rides.. We've seen surveys recently on

 

1.) Coasters

2.) Dark Ride

3.) Theater Type Ride

4.) Walk through experiences

 

We've seen surveys on themes. Such as caves, ski resort theme (three or four years ago) and so on.

 

Among other stuff. We also know that Dolly herself has already slipped up and said a new resort is "probably" on the way

 

As for the $50mil, mentioned that hasn't been spent yet, there's a lot of general maintenance type stuff that Dollywood has done during the last plan and it could easily eat into the 50 mil or they plan on just moving into their next plan without finishing the 2013 plan.

 

I'm betting this investment plan will be 10 years 500mil. That would account for inflation between their last investment plan plus extra money making this truly a larger investment!

 

Sent from my GM1915 using Tapatalk

[IronButterfly]

Considering the $300MM pledge in 2013, I think Dolly is ready to pledge a cool half billion. I would love for her to change the location of her upcoming movie and television studios from Nashville to East Tennessee and announce "Dollywood Studios" as the latest park in her empire. We know by the City of Pigeon Forge slip up that another resort is on the horizon. I would like to see the park expanded to the upper train loop though the topography will change, making Dollywood Express a mode of transportation in addition to an experience to remind everyone that without that railroad nothing else would have come into existence. I think the top of the park would make an excellent area called "Shadow Ridge" that could take a little darker tone. The flagship attraction there would be Shadow Ridge Mansion (as Plantation seems to choke people though it is a noun that means large farm, such as a large abandoned tobacco farm in honor of Lee Parton's cash crop - and please no political arguments for or against the word as it is only a suggestion). The Mansion could be the bellwether to gauge Dollywood's true potential in the southeast formerly ruled completely by WDW. Dollywood is still fifteen years younger than WDW but Dolly was only 40 when she opened Dollywood (stop and think about that statement for a hot second -- left home at 18 with $300 and Piggly Wiggly luggage-paper bags of clothes-and in a mere 22 years opened her own theme park, it makes me never want to talk about my career). In addition, I see major parking changes coming (more than likely garages that most despise). Lastly, I see a snow park (open mid-October to March) on Dollywood Resorts Boulevard adjacent to Splash Country to close that January to mid-March gap and finally make Dollywood a year round destination.

 

Maybe I can get a sack of bones and predict a' la the clairvoyant in Dolly's composition "These Old Bones."

 

Again, these are speculations of a long time Dolly and Dollywood fan with no better insight than anyone else not on the Dollywood expansions team. I have seen many changes since the Silver Dollar City days, some good, some not so much but all necessary to meet the long term vision Dolly Parton had when she envisioned "Dollywood USA" on a 1982 Barbara Walters TV Special. I might have to picket though if they ever plan to remove Blazing Fury, even though they ruined it years ago when they removed the water (for many valid reasons I am sure) but I would rather it become some type of behind the scenes historical walk through of an antique one day rather than destroyed for something manufactured by the standard ride makers. Jack and Pete Herschend hit on something special with that and Flooded Mine (though I prefer Daredevil Falls). I never want them to add any lasers to it (as if lasers would have been around for a volunteer Fire Department in East Tennessee in the 19th century.

 

I respect all opinions on here and will not edit or criticize anyone's post. I know you are free to do so here but why would anyone, it is not like I am the engineer in charge of making these ideas above a reality. Just food for thought! Enjoy!

[ernierocker]

Google Earth has now been updated to include the Wildwood Grove expansion. It is pretty obvious where the expansion is going based off what has been cleared and the elevation to reach other areas that hasn't been cleared. I don't see them reaching the train loop in the next few years without some type of sky lift/gondolier system. The elevations difference it still too great to provide ADA access without major infrastructure improvements.

 

Edit: It's just Google Earth that appears to have been updated. I'll take a snippet when I get to work tomorrow.

[tinaalsgirl]

I got the ride name survey, too. And I also thought Quest for the Hidden Cavern was the best of the options given. Most of them were just WAY too generic.

 

But the description of the ride sounds fun!

[Jdprince45]

Screamscape has some details on the possible dark ride

 

http://www.screamscape.com/html/dollywood.htm#2021

[maverickpoint]

whatever they do in the next however many years the new plan is.. just please don't get rid of tennessee tornado EVER.

[ernierocker]

I've highlighted in red the area that has been cleared already and what will likely be the areas for the next expansion.

 

Train loop is to the east from here and has a significant elevation change that will have to be dealt with to ever expand that way.

[Jdprince45]

Wasnt there discussion a few years back of something being put up where the train loops ?

[maverickpoint]

i just watched a video from last year discussing the 300 mil investment and they confirmed that wildwood grove wrapped up that money a few years early. so now they have another investment which will be announced march 13th as we know. Pete also said 2021 is another expansion project but gave no details other than it will have a thrill ride.

 

 

thanks Pete!

[A.J.]

Pete also said 2021 is another expansion project but gave no details other than it will have a thrill ride.

Ugh, I really don't want to have to postpone a Dollywood trip again...

[neilnky]

I've highlighted in red the area that has been cleared already and what will likely be the areas for the next expansion.

 

Train loop is to the east from here and has a significant elevation change that will have to be dealt with to ever expand that way.

My google earth doesn't show wildwood grove yet dang it lol. Is that a big concrete patch just past wildwood grove? Maybe that is the base of the new dark ride

[maverickpoint]

Ugh, I really don't want to have to postpone a Dollywood trip again...

 

same. was planning a 2021 trip but with all the news on screamscape and youtube, i might just wait until 2023!

[southpuddle]

You might as well just never go because there’s always something coming...

[ytterbiumanalyst]

You might as well go every single year because there’s always something coming...

Fixed it for you.

[mikeykaise]

I've highlighted in red the area that has been cleared already and what will likely be the areas for the next expansion.

 

Train loop is to the east from here and has a significant elevation change that will have to be dealt with to ever expand that way.

 

Is that where the cabin was and the area where they launch the fireworks from?

[ernierocker]

I've highlighted in red the area that has been cleared already and what will likely be the areas for the next expansion.

 

Train loop is to the east from here and has a significant elevation change that will have to be dealt with to ever expand that way.

My google earth doesn't show wildwood grove yet dang it lol. Is that a big concrete patch just past wildwood grove? Maybe that is the base of the new dark ride

 

It's a paved parking area for maintenance and storage. It used to be where Wildwood Grove sits now, so it keeps getting moved as the park expands.

 

 

Is that where the cabin was and the area where they launch the fireworks from?

 

It would make sense for them to launch the fireworks from here as it would be flat paved area that is clear of nearby structures.

 

Wasnt there discussion a few years back of something being put up where the train loops ?

 

That has been assumption ever since they cleared the entire train loop. I could see them gradually expanding that way or doing a gondolier type attraction similar to what is at Anakeesta.

[lrod67]

I've highlighted in red the area that has been cleared already and what will likely be the areas for the next expansion.

 

Train loop is to the east from here and has a significant elevation change that will have to be dealt with to ever expand that way.

 

Is that where the cabin was and the area where they launch the fireworks from?

I was up in wild wood grove waching the fire works this summer and I think they may have chagende the launching spot

[lrod67]

I've highlighted in red the area that has been cleared already and what will likely be the areas for the next expansion.

 

Train loop is to the east from here and has a significant elevation change that will have to be dealt with to ever expand that way.

 

Is that where the cabin was and the area where they launch the fireworks from?

I was up in wild wood grove waching the fire works this summer and I think they may have chagende the launching spot

[megan]

I've highlighted in red the area that has been cleared already and what will likely be the areas for the next expansion.

 

Train loop is to the east from here and has a significant elevation change that will have to be dealt with to ever expand that way.

 

Is that where the cabin was and the area where they launch the fireworks from?

I was up in wild wood grove waching the fire works this summer and I think they may have chagende the launching spot

 

correct - the launch has been moved to the center of the upper train loop - its in a new fenced in area in the middle of the field

[DollyWould]

I got the ride name survey, too. And I also thought Quest for the Hidden Cavern was the best of the options given. Most of them were just WAY too generic.

 

But the description of the ride sounds fun!

 

If you recall the names, would you mind to share them here? Unfortunately, I did not receive the survey.

 

Was one of the names UnderGrove Cavern?

 

~Thanks

[Taylor Finn]

Undergrove Cavern sounds about right. There were a couple more that sounded a lot more generic, because they included Wildwood Grove in the name (e.g. Quest at Wildwood Grove or something like that). You aren't missing much by not having the names.