Dollywood Discussion Thread

[MidwestThemeParks]

Lightning Rod has them as well but it depends on which row you are sitting at if you can see your seat.

 

If Lightning Rod is like Outlaw Run, then the lights are at the back of each car so you can't see your seats, but the seat in front of you. But, you know better than I do.

[dstephe9]

IDK, I haven't noticed what seats they go with on LR but how you described is like Mystery Mine. Mystery Mine staff makes it like a game at times "I need you to get one more light back here before we go" drawing attention to it and the seat they belong to.. my rides on LR, no one ever really drew much attention to them so I have no idea what seats they went with.

 

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[Midgetman82]

Storm Chaser has the lights on the back of each car as well. I'm assuming it's a standard for RMC's to do that. (I might be imagining it, but I believe I've seen them somewhere on B&M wing coasters as well.)

[dstephe9]

Wing coasters have little lights but they are always on as far as I can tell and not really anything to do with the restraints.

 

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[ernierocker]

Lightning Rod has them as well but it depends on which row you are sitting at if you can see your seat.

 

If Lightning Rod is like Outlaw Run, then the lights are at the back of each car so you can't see your seats, but the seat in front of you. But, you know better than I do.

 

They are on the back of the cars but we were sitting in one of the front rows of a car and two of the sensors were for our row and the other was for the back row in front of the sensors. We could tell because Garbels (Jake) was trying to get the restraints to go down far enough and you see the light going on and off as he was getting close.

Edited December 30, 2016 by ernierocker

[Tylerdw89]

I thought I posted this earlier...but I guess not. Looking at Dollywood's app earlier, Lightning Rod was marked "CS" (Closed for the season).

[dstephe9]

Yup, it closed for season a few days ago.

 

Made my last trip to the park for the season tonight with a few friends.. Finally ate at aunt granny's buffet this season.. good as always. Lines just been very long for it all season it seems so always bypassed it. Today was about 45 min wait but well worth it. Had their Holiday Turkey which seemed better this year than previous. I love their cream and vegetable soup! Good deserts and all you can eat is a great thing!

 

I guess Tennessee Tornado was down most of the afternoon. It was up earlier I thought, at least according to the app it had a wait, but when I arrived it was closed for the day..

 

Got a few rides in, great like always. Wild Eagle was the only one still running when I left due to cold weather but night rides on it are always great!

 

Operations were fine, park was decently crowded. A lot of places were running out of things though, I was surprised how many kiosks didn't have soda in their fountains! Doing bottles instead.. I guess preparing to close for the season.. wasn't an issue because I larger restaurants had soda in the fountains just had to wait a little longer..

 

Overall fun night! Arrived around 4 and left at 8:15 (beating the parade out, earlier this season it was a nightmare leaving after the parade)

 

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[dstephe9]

Looks like TN Tornado is closed again for the day.. Wonder what's wrong? I know they aren't open yet, but they already have that one listed in the app.

 

And I'm always so confused why Dollywood doesn't open for the areas largest Spring Break every year? (March 13 - 17) I know the past few years they miss Knox County's break and looks like they are again this year. They open the final weekend of it but that's it. You would think that would be a busy week with the locals plus a lot of college spring breaks are that same week or even the week before. I know Gatlinburg gets a lot of Spring Break goers.. I know HFE has a lot of good data on attendance but this one I have never understood

 

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[STDog]

And I'm always so confused why Dollywood doesn't open for the areas largest Spring Break every year? (March 13 - 17)

 

It'd be better if the schools waited til spring for spring break.

Spring doesn't start until around March 20 (Vernal Equinox).

 

I remember spring break when I was in school being later (and warmer) than now.

 

Not much as much fun for my kids when they had it early. Thankfully their current schools have it in late March.

[dstephe9]

I know, Knox County, plus many surrounding counties do it mid March now.. During college, I had some as early as first week in March

 

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[ytterbiumanalyst]

And I'm always so confused why Dollywood doesn't open for the areas largest Spring Break every year? (March 13 - 17)

 

It'd be better if the schools waited til spring for spring break.

Spring doesn't start until around March 20 (Vernal Equinox).

 

I remember spring break when I was in school being later (and warmer) than now.

 

Not much as much fun for my kids when they had it early. Thankfully their current schools have it in late March.

The reason it was later was that it used to be Holy Week (the week before Easter). The line of thinking was that a lot of kids would be out of school anyway due to activities that week, so they just took the week off. The culture changed, and even among those who celebrate Easter for religious reasons, it's pretty much a one-day rather than a weeklong event, so there's not a reason to have Holy Week off school. However, Spring Break remains popular, even more popular than Easter itself. So Spring Break remained, it just became detached from Easter. These days, a lot of school districts plan it for in between third and fourth quarters, which usually falls in the first or second week of March. If there's no reason to tie it to Easter, that's a very logical place to put it.

[mordecai-75]

A video on Youtube featuring Pete Owens speaking at the 2017 No Coaster Con reveals the true spec's of Drop Line, it's 230ft tall as opposed to 200ft. Also he gives some really good insight to LR's issues and said the "pothole" has been smoothed out. The car trunks on the trains will return next season, and the wasp prevention roof worked excellently. He said that it worked so well there will eventually be a similar prevention structure on Wild Eagle, but B&M would have to be brougt in to help with it. (Maybe while their there they can convince the sale of a hyper or invert. ) I can't post a link cause i flat out just don't know how to from this device, but anyone should have no trouble finding it by Youtube searching No Coaster Con 2017.

Edited January 9, 2017 by mordecai-75

[ImNotOneOfYou]

A video on Youtube featuring Pete Owens speaking at the 2017 No Coaster Con reveals the true spec's of Drop Line, it's 230ft tall as opposed to 200ft. Also he gives some really good insight to LR's issues and said the "pothole" has been smoothd out. The car trunks on the trains will return next season, and the wasp prevention roof worked excellently. He said that it worked so well there will eventually be a similar prevention structure on Wild Eagle, but B&M would have to be brougt in to help with it. (Maybe while their there they convince the sale of a hyper or invert. ) I can't post a link cause i flat out just don't know how from this device, but anyone should have no trouble finding it by Youtube searching No Coaster Con 2017.

 

Hey now you know the rules here. No source = Nothing ever happened

[mordecai-75]

^ I gave directions on how to find the source. (insert middle finger smile face)

[DoinItForTheFame]

Great news about the drop tower!! Also, I really hope LR will be running much better next season. It was such a disappointment for so many this year, that I'd hate for the park to think the issue is fixed. . . Then BAM! It's 2016 all over again.

[STDog]

^ I gave directions on how to find the source. (insert middle finger smile face)

 

This one?

 

I can't watch right now to be sure.

[dstephe9]

Yup that looks like it.. not much about LR except that they are having RMC rewire the trains this off season and that it should help with most of the issues. Guess train sensors are causing most of it?

 

Also, not really sure how I feel about the wasp prevention structure on the top of wild eagle. I'm afraid it will harm the view at the top but I guess more people would like it to be open rather than having a view haha.

 

And what cracks me up is he is talking about night rides and staying open later during "spring breaks" but they are still missing the areas largest Spring Break. He probably meant "fall breaks" because of the October Festivals.

 

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[coasterbill]

That's a shame about Wild Eagle (if they go ahead with it) but it's better than having the ride closed so often.

[mordecai-75]

^ I gave directions on how to find the source. (insert middle finger smile face)

 

This one?

 

I can't watch right now to be sure.

That's it.

[STDog]

That's a shame about Wild Eagle (if they go ahead with it) but it's better than having the ride closed so often.

 

Hopefully it can be done in a way that is minimally invasive.

 

Even better would be a removable structure that's only installed when the wasps are active.

[dstephe9]

From what they say, the wasp migrate, but I still don't know how tops would even help.. I would just think it would give more places for regular wasp to build nest lol like my front porch

 

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[STDog]

From what they say, the wasp migrate, but I still don't know how tops would even help.. I would just think it would give more places for regular wasp to build nest lol like my front porch

 

As I recall, it creates a warm spot up above the riders, so the wasps are draw up and away.

So it has to be high enough that the wasp stay above the riders as they fly about.

 

They top of WE's lift hill has a lot of metal on the sides and that currently creates a warm spot that the wasps are drawn too.

The roof over it would cool the existing structure and create a warmer spot up higher.

[hagwar]

Yup that looks like it.. not much about LR except that they are having RMC rewire the trains this off season and that it should help with most of the issues. Guess train sensors are causing most of it?

 

Also, not really sure how I feel about the wasp prevention structure on the top of wild eagle. I'm afraid it will harm the view at the top but I guess more people would like it to be open rather than having a view haha.

 

And what cracks me up is he is talking about night rides and staying open later during "spring breaks" but they are still missing the areas largest Spring Break. He probably meant "fall breaks" because of the October Festivals.

 

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Talking about spring break, I live in Atlanta and was thinking of coming up for a few days in April. Looking at hotels, it looks like a pretty busy time, are the lines ridiculous during the week of April 10-14 which is Atlanta plus a bunch of suburbs spring break. Looks like Knox is earlier, not sure about other districts.

 

Thanks

[Jccoasterfan]

So Backstage Restaurant is being gutted and redone, according to the video. Backstage is our go-to restaurant whenever we visit the park. I believe Pete mentioned Lumberjack's Pizza being redone as well. I look forward to seeing how those places turn out next season! I have to admit, the restrooms at Backstage were disgusting compared to others in the park. My whole family agrees on that statement.

[dstephe9]

Hopefully lumberjack pizza is going to remain the same style pizza! I love that large slice of pizza. It's my number one restaurant there..

 

He didn't mention much about either, just that they are doing the most off season work they have ever done as long as he has been there.

 

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Edited January 10, 2017 by dstephe9