Dollywood Discussion Thread

[oriolat]

Great pictures! I loved seeing the simple yet beautiful loading station.

 

BTW, as control panel enthusiast your panel pics made my day! Thanks

[Guy T. Koepp]

Cool! Me n' tha Midgets will be at the gate at 10am. Drooling! Lasviciously!

[tntornadox]

Awesome photo's by the way. I did have one question. Did they by any chance mention the hours of operation for passholder preview day to you? I can't find it on the site anywhere. However, they do mention that Wild Eagle will be open an hour early on every Saturday the first 4 weekends of operation for season pass holders and their guests. After that they start their usual passholder early ride rotation with WE thrown in just about every 3 weeks. Also, on the 23rd, is the entire park open, or just Wild Eagle?

 

Season Passholder Preview Day is on March 23rd with hours of 10AM - 7PM and the entire park is indeed open.

[Hilltopper39]

I might buy a season pass just so I can go that Friday. The pass office be open that day I assume?

[ernierocker]

^Yes. I am sure it will be quite busy so get there early!

[slither37]

Thanks to all for the information, with the recent photos, excitement is really building for the trip and WE ( and cinnamon bread).

[ItsDavidU]

So is the loading queue on both sides on the train? It seems like the track is about the same height at the seats, unless guests will just climb over the track to get to the two seats on the other side lol, how would this work?

[ernierocker]

^Yes, it is a dual loading station. The line splits at the bottom of the stairs where you can choose which side to sit on.

Edited March 6, 2012 by ernierocker

[ItsDavidU]

Interesting... then where would you exit out at?

[ernierocker]

Interesting... then where would you exit out at?

 

The picture illustrates it the best:

 

 

The line begins through the entrance at the front of the building. You then go through the queue towards the back of the building. Here the line splits and you go up either the left or right staircase. (You can see the left staircase in the back of the photo above)

 

Once you ride, you will then exit down either of the staircases up front (depending on which side you rode on) which are both visible at the front of the building in the photo above. I assume if you ride on the left side of the train (right side in the photo) you will have to walk around the back of the building and exit down the pathway on the left. Still not sure how they will handle Q2Q on this ride.

[Jhcbiinoc]

Thanks for the great pics and info! I thought it was interesting how this seems to be the only Wing Rider built so far where the control panel is off to the side rather than having a booth over the center of the track. Seems like they have all of the angles covered with the video cameras, though. The station and area look beautiful; I love the inspirational words in the plaza, very nice touch. Are they putting an official ride "sign" with the logo up as well?

 

Really looking forward to the 23rd; I already have my pass and I'm actually driving up the 22nd and taking the scenic route into Gatlinburg via the cutting through Townsend and taking the 73/Little River Road. I'm planning on stopping by the pass office/window before 5 that day as from what I understand, it will be open. I have heard several times the hours on the 23rd; 10am-6pm, 10am-7pm and 10am-8pm but everything I have seen from the park says it is until 6pm. Other than Wild Eagle, and having the legendary Cinnamon Bread for breakfast, I have no idea where to start with the rest of the coasters and rides or other things to see at the park there, but want to see as much as I can.

 

Thanks for the advice on places to eat as well. I'm staying at Holiday Inn in Gatlinburg Thursday the 22nd, and I was thinking of checking out either Mellow Mushroom or Dick's Last Resort. I can't even recall where I ate last time I was in town, it was back in the late 80's (which was also the last time I was at Dollywood).

[thrillerman1]

Stellar updates...thanks so much. One can only hope Wild Eagle rides as amazing as it looks, and I for one cannot wait to get back over to Gold Rush Junction to experience it.

[Jhcbiinoc]

^I never went there when it was still GoldRush Junction, but I went to the park when it was still Silver Dollar City back in the early 1980's when I lived out this way before prior to when I moved to LA (where I lived up until last year.) When I was really young, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge were a twice a year family tradition.

 

I remember when SDC Tennessee/now Dollywood still had the old Log Flume, the few flat rides over next to it and one of the old "Sky Hook" rides, as well as the Flooded Mine. Somewhere I still have one of those old cartoon wall maps they sold at the time.

 

I'm really excited about seeing what it has become; Wild Eagle looks like a great and smart addition, Thunderhead and the other coasters look great as well, and if the park is anything like SDC in Branson (another park I love but have not visited in a very, very long time) I'm sure it must be as good as everyone has said.

[ernierocker]

Other than Wild Eagle, and having the legendary Cinnamon Bread for breakfast, I have no idea where to start with the rest of the coasters and rides or other things to see at the park there, but want to see as much as I can.

 

Since Wild Eagle will not be open to the public first thing in the morning as the media event will still be ongoing, I would honestly try to tackle the rest of the park before even attempting to head back there. It will be insane!

 

I would head straight to Timber Canyon and get your Thunderhead and Mystery Mine rides in (probably multiple times if you are there right at opening). You could then check out Wild Eagle and see how crazy it is after that.

[walibi owner]

 

to bad! i hate the Advance button

[SLUSHIE]

I'm working at a ski resort this winter in lift operations. It's pretty cool to see just how similar the controls are to a ski lift. We have different buttons that do different things, we don't have a restraint release button for example, but its all super similar.

 

Newer lifts even use that same touch screen for diagnostics and logs. I mainly run a gondola that was built in the 80's, and we don't have any of that fancy stuff and have to log all our stuff by hand.

[kunpc1]

I know Dollywood does things run but they've outdone themselves with the plaza area and station. I love all the little touches they've added that just make it look amazing. I really wish I could make it back to Dollywood this season, but it doesn't look like it will happen

[cal1br3tto]

The scenery at this park is really something else. The more I see of it, the more I admire it! Even if it's not quite a terrain coaster, Wild Eagle looks like it has a perfect setting.

[Montu Maniac]

Control Panel Wild Eagle and Raptor .... "The Comparing" ....

Control Panel Wild Eagle

Control Panel Raptor

Raptor uses a different screen comparing 2 Wild Eagle ....

Control Panel Station Raptor is located above the track .....

[vacoaster09]

Wow they have a complete office in there. A whole desk with a computer two monitors (probably just live camera feed from various points on the ride).

[tntornadox]

Needless to say, this ride doesn't disappoint. Take that as you will...

[ernierocker]

^Nice.

[donkeyman18]

This looks to me to be my favorite 2012 installation!

[chipcoaster]

Excuse me as I have been a little out of the loop...this coaster appears to have a similar design to the X-coaster, right? I think this would be an awesome addition to Dollywood. Isn't this only the second one of its kind?

 

I am in China right now and coming home for the Summer...it appears that I will have to make it my top priority to make it there!

[Hilltopper39]

It looks like Eagle is using the Allen Bradley Panel View plus touch screen and Raptor uses some type Siemenes product. I wonder if the controls use the same processors or not (don't know if there is a difference with one being European and one being in America). A company called Consign does all of (most of) B&M and GCI's controls including both Wild Eagle and Raptor.