Dollywood Discussion Thread

[komasixx]

The Black Bear Trail is a metallbau emmeln pony trek. A long powered track. No drops. No gravity. No S&S. No coaster here. Just sit on the ride and rock the bear back and forth.

[Yubstep101]

I think there's something like that at Adventureland in Iowa, I think it's called Shakin' Bacon. Saw it from my ride on Storm Chaser there.

[coasterBro]

I have no idea what park I was at where I rode one of those (it may have actually been the one at Darien Lake), but it was just great silly fun.

 

This whole area looks to be a great addition to the park!

[Nrthwnd]

Several of these are in European parks, all over. Rock'n Rides I call them.

Djurs Sommerland, Denmark. With a 'horse' on it, thru the trees there.. TPR 2014 Scandi Tour.

[thrillrider]

Darien lake has something similar to this. I believe legoland florida does as well.

[Nrthwnd]

Still, riding bears is so much cooler than (yawn) horses, cows... or moose.

[pinslasher]

Theme Park Review was invited to attend the media day at Dollywood for Wildwood Grove and let me say, they were fantastic. Wildwood Grove is the largest expansion EVER for the property and will feature over 11 family experiences.

 

You will enter the area by entering through a fallen log in the Timber Canyon area right by the Mystery Mine entrance. Once through the log, you will be transported to the wild, mystical world of Wildwood grove.

 

I hope you enjoy the pictures below and please let me know if you have any questions.

 

-David

 

Welcome to the Wildwood Grove Media Day!

Welcome to the Wildwood Grove Media Day!

Welcome to the Wildwood Grove Media Day!

Hello Dolly!

Welcome to the Wildwood Grove Media Day!

Dolly and Craig talk about this new ,000,000 expansion of Wildwood Grove. This area will feature over 11 new family experiences, new restaurants and shows.

Treetop Tower

Welcome to the Wildwood Grove Media Day!

Indoor family play area

Welcome to the Wildwood Grove Media Day!

Welcome to the Wildwood Grove Media Day!

Black Bear Trail (MAYBE A COASTER CREDIT?!?!?)

Welcome to the Wildwood Grove Media Day!

NEW COASTER CREDITS!

Layout of Dragon Flier - The largest and fastest of its kind of family coaster

The Wildwood tree

Welcome to the Wildwood Grove Media Day!

Welcome to the Wildwood Grove Media Day!

Welcome to the Wildwood Grove Media Day!

Construction site of Wildwood Grove!

Looking forwards Timber Canyon - The Dragon flier will be in front and to the right of this picture

Looking forwards Timber Canyon - The Dragon flier will be in front and to the right of this picture

Concept Designs - Day and Night versions / After dark, the area will LIGHT up!

Concept Designs - Day and Night versions / After dark, the area will LIGHT up!

The building will house the indoor play center - Hidden Hollow

Concept Designs - Day and Night versions / After dark, the area will LIGHT up!

Concept Designs - Day and Night versions / After dark, the area will LIGHT up!

Concept Designs - Day and Night versions / After dark, the area will LIGHT up!

Concept Designs - Day and Night versions / After dark, the area will LIGHT up!

Another look at Hidden Hollow play center

Looking back towards the cabin on the train route. This space will be reserved for future expansion.

Concept Designs - Day and Night versions / After dark, the area will LIGHT up!

Concept Designs - Day and Night versions / After dark, the area will LIGHT up!

Lunch was served at Dream more resort...

If you haven't checked it out... you need to... DONUT WALL!

[Nrthwnd]

Ooooooooo.

 

I Donut Walls! They do one at every yearly Opening Night Party of our annual Queer Film Festival, starting this Thursday!

 

Great posting of what all happened, there!

Thanks for sharing it!

[dstephe9]

Question...

 

So they had a forest, but they wanted to put a theme park land there that looked like it was in a forest, so they clear-cut the entire forest and now they're spending a million dollars on 400 trees and a bunch of shrubs to make it look like a forest even though it already was a forest but they just spent a bunch of money getting rid of the forest so that they could put a forest there.

 

I'm not bashing them or complaining. I'm legitimately thrilled that they're going to have so many trees and clearly they did this for a reason or they wouldn't have done it but can someone enlighten me because I'm legitimately curious as to the potential benefits of doing it this way?

 

[attachment=0]Untitled.png[/attachment]

As for the rides, this is EXACTLY what the park needs and I'm thrilled to see another Moose on the Loose style attraction. I'm just really confused by this tree thing. [emoji38]

Did you see the "mountain" that was there before building this area? It's a huge, I mean huge elevation drop.. they removed the trees so they could chop down the mountain.. it's not like they removed the trees just to plant them again..if I had to guess, parts of the mountain dropped 100ft in elevation if not more. Can't move the mountain without moving the stuff on the mountain

 

I'm excited about this area and excited to see what's next! Several interviews have bee released from top HFE people that make it sound like Dollywood isn't done with these large investments, at least anytime soon. I see another hotel or resort in the next 5 years or so, I'd say another lathe coaster, and possibly another area.. this new area looks nice but I'd bet it's just the start of something bigger like they keep teasing.

 

One of those, at the end of the season "oh we aren't done yet" moments.

 

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6003 using Tapatalk

[Dollywoodlover20]

You can kinda see what direction they’re going next in the artwork of the tree. In the left hand corner, there’s a tunnel. Then if you look back on blueprints a path has been made, with lines showing the path is covered. Very interesting. Makes me wonder for all the possibilities!

[grsupercity]

Im getting pandora vibes from this. So im assuming its a massive man made tree correct?

[pinslasher]

Im getting pandora vibes from this. So im assuming its a massive man made tree correct?

 

Correct. The tree currently is a big hole in the ground. This is their version of Avatar... Wildwood : Land of Dolly lol jk

[TEDodd]

This is their version of Avatar... Wildwood : Land of Dolly lol jk

 

Or Dolly's Tree of Life.

[Nrthwnd]

"Dolly's Tree of Many Colors"...?

[pinslasher]

"Dolly's Tree of Many Colors"...?

 

 

That gets my vote.

[neilnky]

The more I think about the tree the more I like it. I’ve always hoped Dollywood could have some centerpiece sort of like how Disney has the castle. This tree will at least be the center piece by design of Wildwood Grove.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

This looks really great! Dollywood certainly didn't need another coaster, but Firechaser Express was a big hit with my older two, and another one at that level is appreciated.

 

That bear ride looks really fun! I haven't seen anything like it, but apparently some of y'all have. That's the sort of ride we'd all like.

 

Having just been last year, realistically it'll be a while before we can get back, but definitely will spend some time in Wildwood Grove when we do.

[blk_mamba]

I am very impressed with this expansion. This is going to increase the capacity of the park significantly, and it will add some pretty cool night time entertainment.

[neilnky]

I am very impressed with this expansion. This is going to increase the capacity of the park significantly, and it will add some pretty cool night time entertainment.

 

Do you guys think parking capacity is ok or will they have to add some?

[ViperGTS500]

At the park now, asked a worker about lightning rod and that person said at a meetimg, a company is coming in this week for it but diddnt know who.

[coasterbill]

a company is coming in this week for it but diddnt know who.

 

Probably these guys.

Edited August 6, 2018 by coasterbill

[The Geek Mojo]

This new land for Dollywood looks awesome and all and can't wait to go and check it out...But does anyone wanna place bets on when it'll be open in 2019? Not that I wanna bet, I just wonder if Dollywood can realistically get this open before Summer next year. This is huge and maybe a little pessimistic but I'm guessing it may either open in stages throughout the year or all at once late in the year...Maybe late Summer. I'd be totally surprised if this is open before July 2019.

[neilnky]

This new land for Dollywood looks awesome and all and can't wait to go and check it out...But does anyone wanna place bets on when it'll be open in 2019? Not that I wanna bet, I just wonder if Dollywood can realistically get this open before Summer next year. This is huge and maybe a little pessimistic but I'm guessing it may either open in stages throughout the year or all at once late in the year...Maybe late Summer. I'd be totally surprised if this is open before July 2019.

 

I was curious of that too. One of the analysis videos I watched (can't remember which one) stated they figured it would be May before it was ready. I bet they will try their best to be ready on opening day though! Since they are four years ahead on the $300 million expenditures I wonder if we will go several years with no additions or not. Dolly stated they about ran out of money so she was going to be making more so who knows they may just bust their budget and keep adding lol

[Dollywoodlover20]

Pete said in an interview today that the 2019 addition is just Phase One. He said Phase One and Two put together are around 15 acres. Which is so huge haha. So we are just now dipping into this expansion. He also said that LR WILL NOT be getting a chain lift, that they are waiting to do some safety check offs and get it to their liking. They’re working on something that they want to work over a long period. There’s the interview

[thrillerman1]

Pete said in an interview today...that LR WILL NOT be getting a chain lift, that they are waiting to do some safety check offs and get it to their liking. They’re working on something that they want to work over a long period. There’s the interview

 

And the angels sang, HALLELUJAH (the launch is not the issue confirmed)