Dollywood Discussion Thread

[SuperShawn]

How crowded is season passholder preview day usually?

 

How much will Lightning Rod impact that?

 

This will be the 5th year I've gone for opening weekend and season pass holder day. Each year a new coaster has opened the weekend has been far busier than the none ride opening years. Even still most the coasters have had short lines to even walk on waits opening weekend except which ever the new ride is. Like wild eagle and fire chaser both stayed well over an hour wait most of pass holder day and Saturday the years they opened, Sunday drops pretty drastically in crowds thanks to it being church day. The other thing with opening weekend is to remember a lot of people come to see the shows and of course Dolly who's in the park just Friday and Saturday.

[Dollywoodlover20]

And the older crowds could care less about the coaster, they just want to see Dolly! Haha Well today's weather is in the low 70's with some rain so hopefully they'll try some testing in the rain. I'll try to update you guys with anything I see it any, and if I do see any movement, I will be sure to go by the parks wishes even though I'm not an employee.

[horootle]

Dollywood is posting a countdown on their facebook page... but still not answering questions about whether the ride will be open! What do you guyys think??

[Guy T. Koepp]

You know what I think! Countdown to Launch!

[Dollywoodlover20]

So I visited Locust Ridge, the park, and then looked at Lightning Rod from the apartments on the hill and all I can say is WOW. Here's what I noticed. So, we pull in the old Dolywood exit and as you approach the coaster the first thing you'll notice even from outside the park is the newly renovated area. Things are everywhere and the colors are bright! Another thing is the ENORMOUS non inverting half loop. My Dad actually said "is that a weird loop or a turn because I literally can't tell what it's doing". It's banked more than 90 degrees all the way up that it looks like it does in invert. The quad down was hard for me to see except for the last turn, because of the way it hugs the terrain so much.

Now the part you're probably wondering about, was the ride testing? Yes. Did I see it make full circuit? No. But that's because when we pulled up the first time it was rolling through the brakes. Then they stopped it there, and all the worker's focus was on me. Second time I heard the coaster, but when I ran to the ridge I could just hear it. I'm guessing it was going down the quad down.

Another thing, they are working day and night because they have construction lights up the hill that the launch is on, at the top of the hill, around the bottom of the area (station) and in the ravine.

[ajfelice]

Dollywood is posting a countdown on their facebook page... but still not answering questions about whether the ride will be open! What do you guyys think??

 

I'm thinking Dollywood is making no guarantees because the testing process is cutting it super close to Opening Day. By saying nothing, they are not confirming or denying Opening Day or any specific date the coaster will be ready.

[moneygrabber]

Well..

I can't say this is encouraging.

[moneygrabber]

Sorry for the double post, but that forecast is for Pigeon Forge the day I was planning to go with my dad.

[Vonni]

It seems to me, that DW does not want anyone to see the coaster in action until its official opening/ribbon cutting. I think that is actually really cool! It brings some excitement back to new additions since the prevalence of the internet and social media. Much respect to DW for doing that!

[Guy T. Koepp]

The forecast I have for that day is sunny and 55. So take it with a grain of salt, but IMHO, that's good ridin' weather.

 

All I care is that Friday is looking like Sunny and 65! Perfect weather for a quick jaunt behind the hills of Juke Box Junction.

 

If'n ya'll know's what I mean. And by know's what I mean, I mean riding Lightning Rod!

[KICoasterkev]

Oh yeah, that is a good idea. Nothing is better then being there in person!

[moneygrabber]

The forecast I have for that day is sunny and 55. So take it with a grain of salt, but IMHO, that's good ridin' weather.

 

All I care is that Friday is looking like Sunny and 65! Perfect weather for a quick jaunt behind the hills of Juke Box Junction.

 

If'n ya'll know's what I mean. And by know's what I mean, I mean riding Lightning Rod!

 

 

Boy I hope you are right. I'm taking my dad that day and for whatever reason I would like to share riding my first RMC with him....Probably sounds a bit oversentimental given I'm talking about a rollercoaster, but still. I feel like it'd be nice to share such a new experience with the man that gave me the opportunity to ride the Beast when I was 5, against my mom's word (THANKS DAD!)

[sixflagsguy5]

What are everyone's thoughts on how impactful this ride will be to Dollywood? Obviously it will be a hit, like any new coaster. But does this have the potential to do for Dollywood what Millennium Force did for Cedar Point? Nonetheless, I'm excited to check this one out!

[moneygrabber]

^I think there is a substantial chance of that happening. I feel like the hype machine behind LR is much more intense that for Wild Eagle. If LR is as good as we expect it to be, there is a very real chance of it being the top new coaster of the year, and it definitely could be a top ranked woodie, and overall coaster as well.

[Vonni]

^ I agree! I mean, this is the worlds first launched wooden coaster! That's a huge deal! I think this is going to open up a very bright future for the park.

[Benmeins]

Does anyone know if there will be a media day for LR?

[Dollywoodlover20]

It is honestly like Tennessee Tornado and Thunderhead had a kid. A kid with beautiful cherry red trains that shine perfectly in the Tennessee sun. Yes I do think this will be another coaster to put Dollywood on the map. They've been going up ever since Wild Eagle (by going up I mean taking things to the next level). They were actually taking baby steps by doing that back in '07 with Mystery Mine, but Lightning Rod is visually pleasing and I'm sure it will not disappoint. I literally laughed when the workers came to a dead hault when I drove towards the bridge/pre launch. It was like they were saying "nothing's going on, everybody don't move". When I see the car slowly stopping and an enormous coaster literally 15ft from my truck.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Dollywoodlover20

[robbalvey]

Does anyone know if there will be a media day for LR?

No, of course not. Why would they have a media day? That would be a very unusual thing for an opening of a roller coaster.

[mordecai-75]

What are everyone's thoughts on how impactful this ride will be to Dollywood? Obviously it will be a hit, like any new coaster. But does this have the potential to do for Dollywood what Millennium Force did for Cedar Point? Nonetheless, I'm excited to check this one out!

I think that LR will bring more guests to a park that was already high on a theme park travelers list, but to be compared to Ceader Point in that way, you have to realize that the two parks have very different agendas in terms of how they do things. I have never been to Ceader Point, but by god i'll get there one day. As a man with a young child, alot of the more family orientated parks seem to be the ones that best suit a vacation for us. We're doing Hershey and Knoebels this June. Next year i'm highly considering Kennywood and Waldameer as our trip. That is the appeal Dollywood want's to keep. (does Dollywood need a Millennium Force, Skyrush, Fury 325 type ride? Heck ya they do) I feel they'll get there one day, they have tons of room to expand, they may have to pay more to do it then most parks due to land work, but the land is there, and i know they got the money. Ceader Point is all about intensity, and god bless them for what they do. (they will take my money someday) Just saying that they are two very different types of parks.

[coasterer]

Yes! I think the trajectory of their progress is super interesting. They've been exploding in the last decade with really solid, consistent additions, while most parks (like Six Flags parks especially, I'm thinking), have generally been much more conservative in their expansions. And not only that, but Dollywood has somehow been able to maintain that non-corporate, family-friendly feel. They went from having one stand out ride, to having a super solid line up of 6, well-worth-riding coasters, in under a decade. I mean, that much quality is somewhat of a rarity. It puts Dollywood in a very small select group of parks (I'm thinking SDC, BGW, BGT, Holiday World ...maybe Sea World?) where the number of great rides far surpasses the emphasis on total quantity. And for Dollywood, this happened very quickly. In my mind, Dollywood has always been somewhat of a 'small park', especially because it was so non-corporate in feel. But you can't really call it a small park any more. it's awesome to see a park be so intentional about it's coaster line-up as a whole, rather than just going for knock-offs and cheap thrills.

 

I think Thunderhead put Dollywood on the map. I think Mystery Mind kicked off their commitment to expansion, and I think Lightning Rod will kind of solidify the transition from small park to MAJOR hit.

 

And what's best, is that they probably won't stop here!

[mordecai-75]

I believe the running clock has been removed from the website, at least i couldn't find it. Not a good sign.

[thedlr]

^ Time stands still at Dollywood. On the plus side, the season pass offer is extended through March 26.

[jimmiemac02]

Also on the plus side...

[nannerdw]

still haven't seen any photos of the quad down. They don't want to spoil the most photogenic part of the ride, I guess.

[Benmeins]

still haven't seen any photos of the quad down. They don't want to spoil the most photogenic part of the ride, I guess.

 

I think its hard to take pictures of it, because of it being so low to the ground.