Dollywood Discussion Thread

[STDog]

Well overall change for next year's passes is close to a $10 increase now.. stepping it up this way, makes it not as noticeable though which is a good thing.. Just makes me wish I renewed already haha!

Back in Dec I checked the records I had and found:

 

2016 Season Passes (Super Regular) $142.00

2016 Season Passes (Super Gold) $187.00

 

2015 Season Passes (Super Reg) $136.00

2015 Season Passes (Super Gold) $175.00

 

2014 Season Passes (Regular) $84.00

2014 Season Passes (Gold) $123.00

 

I believe those were all during Nov.

[jonskinny12]

Thanks everybody for the suggestions and feedback over the last couple days. It's very much appreciated. We're planning to buy season passes and go Thursday and Friday June 8-9, with possibly a few more hours at the park Sunday afternoon before our flight leaves from Knoxville in the evening. We're going to head over to Carowinds on the Saturday in between.

 

To me the park is a lot more than just coasters and I'd rather have 3 days to enjoy the rest of the park.

 

What else do you enjoy doing at the park to spend 3 days? Sometimes a park is just enjoyable to be at. For me, that's Holiday World. I spent two full days there at HoliWood Nights in 2015 and could have stayed longer (and I never touched the water park...shame on me lol).

[STDog]

What else do you enjoy doing at the park to spend 3 days?

 

The shows, the crafts (glass blower and candle shop are always fun), the food.

Just walking and enjoying the scenery.

[A.J.]

I would at least take some time to just take it all in. If you're going for two full days, I would definitely spend an hour or two on the first day just making a walking loop around the park without riding anything.

[LukeFlynn]

For those wondering about weekend crowds:

 

Dollywood is my home park, and only about 30-45 minutes away depending on traffic.. so I'm there fairly often and have season passes. Since I'm local, I honestly don't bother with the shows, I might watch them once, but that's it. It's probably more appealing to people traveling a greater distance to come to this park. Without the shows, (even as a beginner to Dollywood) everything can be done in one day easily. It's also fairly easy to navigate the park, but do expect to walk a lot as most of the rides are decently spaced away from each other.

 

Saturdays are definitely the most busy days during the non-summer months. Sundays are pretty much a guaranteed light crowd regardless of the time of year due to religious reasons, etc.. I tend to go less in the summer, and if I do, I go on a Sunday or sometime mid-week.

 

Other info & coaster recommendations for newcomers:

 

Of course, this would be a somewhat moot post if I didn't mention Lightning Rod - I've ridden it at least 15 times, and it's a great ride.. I would wait 90 minutes for it, but that's probably pushing it if the other rides have shorter lines. Unfortunately, it had some issues in it's first season, but I suspect they will have worked these out over this off season.

 

Definitely ride Tennessee Tornado, it doesn't look like much compared to Wild Eagle, but it's a great (and IMO better) ride. It is on the short side, but it's intense (and designed by Alan Schilke). Easily my favorite coaster at Dollywood right now, this may change if Lightning Rod becomes more reliable.

 

All of the other coasters are worth a ride too, Firechaser Express does get a rather long wait, especially on busy days.. it's definitely not something I would make a priority.

[mordecai-75]

^ Ummmm?!!!, If your someone who isn't gonna visit the park on a regular basis, most definitely make Firechaser a priority while visiting.

Edited January 17, 2017 by mordecai-75

[DBru]

I think Firechaser is my favorite coaster in the park...

[RAWKIN_coaster38]

I enjoyed FireChaser until it took my hood.

 

Apparently, my coat has a zip off hood that isn't coaster friendly. It decided to plop off in the shed, so probably the best place in all of Dollywood to lose an item on a coaster. Got it back pretty easily.

 

Other than that, it was a really great coaster and I would recommend it too!

[I Like Theme Parks.]

I think Thunderhead is way better than Tennessee Tornado, although TT is excellent, and my second-favorite in the park. If you're from far away, those are still worth it if they have extremely long wait times.

[RAWKIN_coaster38]

I think Thunderhead is way better than Tennessee Tornado, although TT is excellent, and my second-favorite in the park. If you're from far away, those are still worth it if they have extremely long wait times.

Oh yes, Thunderhead blew me away. I think it's my new favorite GCI. With LR closed, we decided Thunderhead was our favorite ride in the park, but we didn't really dislike anything. Every coaster was great and exceeded expectations.

[coasterbill]

Every coaster at this park should be a priority, if you go to the park for 2 days and don't get on all of them multiple times, then you suck at life (unless a certain one is closed both days, lol).

 

There have been moments where I've considered at least 4 coasters in this park to be my favorite. They're all so good and compliment each other so well that I can't make up my mind. Wild Eagle is a great, fast, floaty B&M with awesome views... Thunderhead (especially near the front) is awesome and has a bunch of pops of floater air that come completely out of nowhere, Tennessee Tornado is spectacular, the first drop is insanely cool and it's a super unique ride and Mystery Mine...

[I Like Theme Parks.]

Mystery Mine is really underrated, and people say it's rough a lot of the time. Holding your head to one side or forwards makes it very smooth. Although that being said, the dark ride portions are probably the best part of the ride!

[coasterbill]

I've never in my life found Mystery Mine to be a rough ride. I've ridden it in every seat on the train, never rode it defensively in any way and loved it every single time. As of now, it's probably my favorite ride in the park and if I were to rank the coasters I've ridden it would easily be the most absurdly overrated coaster on the list.

[A.J.]

I had a bad time on Mystery Mine riding in an outer seat through the wonky outdoor section. The ending bit with the twisty drop and the hang time is really fun though.

[josephcissell]

I've never in my life found Mystery Mine to be a rough ride. I've ridden it in every seat on the train, never rode it defensively in any way and loved it every single time. As of now, it's probably my favorite ride in the park and if I were to rank the coasters I've ridden it would easily be the most absurdly overrated coaster on the list.

I agree that it isn’t a rough ride, but I’m spoiled by easy access to its sibling to the south at SFOG. The lap bars are a game changer on euro fighters in my opinion. MM is fun, but it’s never done as much for me as some others, probably because of Dare Devil Dive.

[chickenbowl]

I've never in my life found Mystery Mine to be a rough ride. I've ridden it in every seat on the train, never rode it defensively in any way and loved it every single time. As of now, it's probably my favorite ride in the park and if I were to rank the coasters I've ridden it would easily be the most absurdly overrated coaster on the list.

I agree that it isn’t a rough ride, but I’m spoiled by easy access to its sibling to the south at SFOG. The lap bars are a game changer on euro fighters in my opinion. MM is fun, but it’s never done as much for me as some others, probably because of Dare Devil Dive.

 

I do wish all Eurofighters had lapbars like you said, but Dare Devil Dive just sucks.

 

I don't think MM is rough per se, but it's got some strange jarring elements that I don't like - I'm sure the restraints don't help.

[bluestreak]

I'm gonna jump on the MM bandwagon. While it's really probably my least favorite at the park, it's till an incredible ride. That ending is insane.

Really proves how great of a lineup Dollywood has when a ride like MM is my least favorite.

[I Like Theme Parks.]

I guess Firechaser would be my lowest-ranked non-kiddie coaster at Dollywood, because I don't count Blazing Fury since it's almost completely powered (but even BF really well-done!) and Firechaser is extremely unique, and it's a favorite amongst my family, and it's just a fun ride that makes you smile. At most parks it would be in the top 3 or 4, but at Dollywood it's not even in the top 5 for me (assuming Lightning Rod is number 1.)

[dstephe9]

MM has always been my fav ride at DW.. it took me by surprise the first time I was on it and that stuck with me and I still love it

 

I have always felt that a lot of the roughness on MM actually add to the theme of a runaway mine car. Maybe this is why a lot of people say it has "strange" jarring at places. Maybe some of it was planned?

 

As for comparison between mm and DDD at SFOG, I love them both and both are unique in their own ways. I do wish Dollywood would switch to the lap bars (if possible) but I still love both rides.. DDD is intense the entire ride, high speeds at every corner like a dive plane which is it's theme.. While MM is much slower paced until the end which adds to it's theme of a mine car that loses control due to the gas buildup and "explosion"

 

That's the nice part of Dollywood, they try to match the entire ride experience to the theme, even if that makes part of the ride slower than what you would imagine on a coaster.

 

Also, Firechaser is my least ridden ride at Dollywood, but it is a great ride and I recommend it to anyone visiting the park, even if you only have one day planned! The line does get long, and that's why I don't ride it often, but you have to experience it! It's great even though it's only a family coaster.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[jonskinny12]

Every coaster at this park should be a priority, if you go to the park for 2 days and don't get on all of them multiple times, then you suck at life (unless a certain one is closed both days, lol).

 

I'll keep this in mind.

 

Seriously though, I'm really enjoying reading this discussing and everybody's thoughts on the coasters as I think about my upcoming trip in June.

[CaptainUnknown]

Does anyone else think that the park will eventually replace the Arrow trains on Tennessee Tornado with the new Vekoma ones?

[bluestreak]

Does anyone else think that the park will eventually replace the Arrow trains on Tennessee Tornado with the new Vekoma ones?

 

I have to think that they won't because the ride runs great with the arrow trains. The only reason I see them getting the Vekomas is if parts for the current trains become obsolete

[coasterbill]

Tennessee Tornado is perfect, don't f*ck with it.

[bluestreak]

Tennessee Tornado is perfect, don't f*ck with it.

 

Basically this.

[dstephe9]

Most parks are getting Vekomas only if the old arrow coaters where beating people up. TT is actually very very smooth

 

Plus Dollywood just sent one of their arrow trains off for refurbishing this year.. no idea why they would refurbish if they had plans to replace

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk