Shavethewhales Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 A PK style ride would be fantastic, but PK has yet to overcome many of it's operation difficulties, and I don't see DW wanting another ride with significant downtime. A B&M would be best. Wildfire has served SDC spectacularly - I've never seen it break down in all my years of visits, and it's an absolute crowd eater. Even when the park is packed it's not hard to get a few rides in. I don't understand why DW doesn't have one yet - with their quickly increasing crowds, it would really take the edge off the other queue's and provide a reliable thrill that would make up for some other rides being down on many days. If not either of those two, it would be great to see HFEC finally get something from Intamin. The unique launchers are really hot right now, and no parks are more fitting places than DW and SDC. With all the excavations in the hillside they are talking about, that's what comes to my mind. I'd love to see DW get the first incarnation, then have SDC follow up an even better version in 2013
coasterfreaky Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 ^I'm leaning B&M too, but Wildfire and Tennessee Tornado are fairly similar stats-wise, so i wouldn't lean in the steel sit-down looper direction. I'd like to see either a B&M suspended or Intamin launch Herschend's only working relationship with Intamin that i'm aware of is at Darian Lake and Elitch Garden's each having Intamins. I don't think any other Herschend park even has so much as an Intamin flat ride that i know of....so i dunno about an Intamin launch.
KDcoasterMAN Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 My guess is they meant 110 feet. My hopes: an Intamin like Maverick adapted to the terrain or a B&M floorless, hyper or flyer. My expectations: a S&S Wing rider or a S&S Loco... I hope its big, but not too big. Even though Dollywood has Mystery Mine, Tennessee Tornado and Thunderhead, It needs that ultimate signature attraction like what I305 was to KD. A Intamin Hyper would welcomed as well.
BeemerBoy Posted March 24, 2011 Posted March 24, 2011 I'm hoping Erik's (of Erik and Smisty fame) prayer is answered.
tntornadox Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 I am hoping for a B&M coaster of some sort that can achieve 'hyper' status by having the 110' lift and a +200' drop.
Shavethewhales Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 Looking at the park on google maps I'm seeing several steep valleys this ride could take advantage of. The article mentions it will involve excavations around the base of SkyZip. Can anyone point out on the map exactly where this is? Maybe we can figure out which buildings they're talking about, and that will give us an idea of what terrain they're going to use. I just hope they don't tear up too much of the landscape. While I would love to see a coaster that dives through ditches similar to Cheetah Hunt, they've really done a number on the landscape with the recent changes/additions, and the original HFEC founders would have a heart attack if they saw it. The park is unique for the way it molds into the landscape, and I hope they don't let that get away from them.
coasterfreaky Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 tntornadox - yes!! Shave - the skyzip base, it's near the backside of where Blazing Fury is on the Wilderness Pass...across from Adventure Mountain. If you see (on google maps) the big green open 'triangle' of space in the middle of the park, that could all be used i would think. I don't think they would tear out all the trees or anything, i'm just sayin it could be used. That could include the areas next to the Slidewinder station and next to Daredevil Fall's top of the lift part. If i can do it tomorrow, i'll see if i can post a pic of the area.
QueerRudie Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 Why do I see a ride themed after White Lightning or some such other fun stuff... Of course, I could always reccommend a -great- name for a ride that scares the crap out of you- as well as manipulates you hard.. (wait for it...) DELIVERANCE: THE RIDE!
Guy T. Koepp Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 Why do I see a ride themed after White Lightning or some such other fun stuff... Of course, I could always reccommend a -great- name for a ride that scares the crap out of you- as well as manipulates you hard.. (wait for it...) DELIVERANCE: THE RIDE! I love this idea! I see them advertising their season passes like so. "Squeal like a pig! All year long with a Dollywood season pass!" Guy "Why am I not in marketing?" Koepp
coasterfreaky Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 for Shave - the red spot is the SkyZip Base. This is what i think(!) the work area will be - within the yellow zone. Anyone think that it may cross over Wilderness Pass somehow? I think it could.
Guy T. Koepp Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 ^I think your plan would definitely work, but didn't the transcript mention that it would go beyond the boundaries of the existing park? Your plot doesn't do this. Edit: Found the article. http://www.themountainpress.com/view/full_story/12471549/article--Planners-OK-2012-addition-for-Dollywood-?instance=homethirdleft With that in mind I think it might head out the other direction.
ernierocker Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 ^I agree. By reading the article, I imagined the new ride going more towards the train loop and the area between it and Tennessee Tornado.
coasterfreaky Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 ^^I didn't read it that way, but who knows. It was just my interpretation of what we know so far. Is this the quote you're referring to? “A large portion of that is located outside the public area, so we can get started on it early,” Wantiez said." To me, that means the area of the SkyZip (red dot) and moving leftward (on the google map, what i've plotted with yellow squares) would be what's considered to me to be outside the public area (you def can not go there as a guest). That includes the tall peak where you SkyZip from behind River Battle over to behind Adventure Mountain. I don't think that statement necessarily means "outside of the park boundaries" - that is tricky though. Again, i do not know. I think what i think because that area that i've pointed out is very hilly and i think it would otherwise be unusable for much else, but putting a roller coaster on it would be its best use of space. And they also said "at the entrance of SkyZip" which to me is inside the zone i plotted...i don't think that could mean the Adv. Mtn side going towards the upper loop.
Guy T. Koepp Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 From what I've heard, they've already put up work fences to block public views. So I guess we'll find out tomorrow when they open.
coasterfreaky Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 I'll be there on Sunday, i will for sure take pics and report back with my findings!
QueerRudie Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 Re: Guy's entry into Marketing ('Squeal like a piggy!')- BWHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA- I was hoping somebody would pick up on that reference! As for getting into Marketing- You seem like you have a soul. That immediatly forbids you from being in Marketing- well, that or having a conscience. Re: The air and it's layout (I.E. ^,^^,^^^) If this is the area that's been 'estimated' out- I think they're using what would be empty, unusable land for the right idea- from what I read of the press clip, it'sinaccessible to the public- which makes PERFECT sense to try something new- and for that matter, inisble to the peepers for something that could be a first-of for the USA. For some reason though, I'm really seeing Walter and Claude doing something -blockbuster- type of spectacular here- and using that lovely, hilly, tree-lined terrain to do something off the charts would have me on the first flight to Knoxville. R.D.
ernierocker Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 (edited) Just looked over the article again and this statement pretty much confirms that quite a bit of the ride will be where coasterfreaky pointed out in the aerial map. The site plan approved by the group shows considerable excavation that will have to be done on the hill below the Sky Zip platforms to carve out a place for the ride. I can see the station being somewhere between Splash Battle and the main building for Sky Zip which would definitely require some excavation. From here, the ride could really go either way or both ways! (Of course toward the train loop, would require it to go over Wilderness Pass which really doesn't seem like something Dollywood would do.) Edited March 25, 2011 by ernierocker
Guy T. Koepp Posted March 25, 2011 Posted March 25, 2011 Agreed, but Sky Zip has platforms on 4 different peaks. There are ones on either side of the Wilderness Pass area, which doesn't rule out the ride possibly using the hill on the Northern side of the pass either. There is also that valley just behind the hill where Adventure Mtn. is as well. If they were to put up a fence along the top of that ridge, they could hide whatever they were building in that (already excavated) valley.
Velo_editor Posted March 26, 2011 Posted March 26, 2011 Great news! I love this park and have always thought they were just a coaster away from being the perfect park. We'll be there in May so I hope to see if any progress is being made. Oh, and on the same trip we're also planning on doing Deliverance: The Ride. The real thing that is... rafting down the Chattooga. But sadly I don't think they have the gorge lined with speakers pumping out that awesome banjo tune.
Guy T. Koepp Posted March 26, 2011 Posted March 26, 2011 ^You don't need tha speakers, because those people are really there. So when someone mentions you have a "purty mouth." Just paddle and don't stop.
Velo_editor Posted March 26, 2011 Posted March 26, 2011 Hah, yeah that's true. Why do you need themeing when you're IN it for real. I hear the rafting companies use the possibilities of running in to some of the locals as motivation to get their rafters to paddle through the toughest of rapids. We're staying away from one vendor which brags "You'll squeal in delight!"
Shavethewhales Posted March 27, 2011 Posted March 27, 2011 Someone on the SDCF forums mentioned that the local news corrected the height figure to 110 feet, so it's definitely a coaster, in case anyone was still trying to wrap their heads around the earlier figure. That height is exactly the height of PK's first drop... As far as potential courses go, I think coasterfreaky's area would make the most sense for the park in terms of the logistics of land usage and access. Running the track all over the pathway and the back of the park from the SkyZip area would be more difficult for upkeep, ride features, and aesthetics, I would imagine. As much as I want this thing to launch over the southern hill and into that steep valley, if the station is going in above the skyzip entrance they're probably planning on using the adjacent open area. I'm envisioning the station on the hill top, from which the track curves to the right into a launch that runs behind MM. The launch would lead into a big parabolic hill that drops deep into the valley, just like PK. The three buildings on the hill just south of MM look like they could be the one's that need to be moved. Anyone going anytime soon that can take pics of the construction fences?
Intimidator305 Posted March 27, 2011 Posted March 27, 2011 the local news corrected the height figure to 110 feet MUCH better! As far as theming for this ride goes, it should be interesting to see how they theme another ride (especially a coaster) to the whole "ranger" theme of Wilderness Pass. It would be cool if they theme the top of the hill to a campground or something along those lines? Hmmm...
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