Dollywood Discussion Thread

[prozach626]

4 minutes ago, JJLehto said:

I’ve no idea if spring break is happening

It is here.

[AmyUD06]

Queue Times is predicting moderate crowds: https://queue-times.com/en-US/parks/55/calendar

Looking at past Aprils, there always seems to be one week where it's pretty busy, likely in conjunction with local spring breaks.

Big Bear was fun but it is decidedly a family coaster.  Queue Times says the average longest wait time was 60 minutes, and that takes into account weekends, so if you call an hour "long" then yeah it's a long line.

[TEDodd]

3 hours ago, JJLehto said:

I’ve no idea if spring break is happening

Sevier County Spring break Apr 14-18.
https://www.sis.sevier.org/28455_2

But looks like the surrounding counties had spring break last month. Several will be out for Good Friday though, and it's not uncommon for many students to miss the Thu before or leave at lunch.

[tndank]

Park closes on Tuesdays and Thursdays again starting next week.  Slow season til mid May when school trips start up again.

If getting a Timesaver, make sure you review the options.  They switched them up a bit this year.  Very unlikely it's needed unless you're there on a Saturday or  maybe Sunday.

 

[JJLehto]

Oh! Was part of a very busy trip so never did follow up. 

Everything was 45 mins (maybe 50 but eh) or under. Exception was Tennessee Tornado Hour 25 but they were running 1 train ops!? Mustve been an issue, cant imagine why they would on spring break and when nothing else was. Given it was spring break not bad actually! I'll gladly take 45 mins and some were only 20-30. So all in all not bad! 

New cred for Big Bear Mountain, perhaps the gift of low expectations but was solid and surprisingly fun! 
LRod, got 6 rides. Once or twice did feel a little weird at first but I became a normal human and got over the chain lift. Rest is great and far as I can tell unchanged from before. Especially when it warmed up...early morning was great but late afternoon/early evening it was hauling and kicking ass. In the back a helluva ride. Oh also I got 6 rides. It opened with the park and ran all day. So that alone is ya know, pretty big. 

This park may have one of the best lineups. There's no bad coaster. Even calibrating for the fact "this is a family ride" Firechaser and Dragonflier are fun little rides. I know Mystery Mine is divisive but I still quite enjoy it and though not worth that long, I forgot how much ass TT kicks, Thunderhead ran great, Wild Eagle remains a low key good wing coaster. Another good visit to this park, it probably is cemented in my top 5 by this point. 

[AmyUD06]

Glad you had a good time!

[Hilltopper39]

12 hours ago, JJLehto said:

Oh! Was part of a very busy trip so never did follow up. 

Everything was 45 mins (maybe 50 but eh) or under. Exception was Tennessee Tornado Hour 25 but they were running 1 train ops!? Mustve been an issue, cant imagine why they would on spring break and when nothing else was. Given it was spring break not bad actually! I'll gladly take 45 mins and some were only 20-30. So all in all not bad! 

New cred for Big Bear Mountain, perhaps the gift of low expectations but was solid and surprisingly fun! 
LRod, got 6 rides. Once or twice did feel a little weird at first but I became a normal human and got over the chain lift. Rest is great and far as I can tell unchanged from before. Especially when it warmed up...early morning was great but late afternoon/early evening it was hauling and kicking ass. In the back a helluva ride. Oh also I got 6 rides. It opened with the park and ran all day. So that alone is ya know, pretty big. 

This park may have one of the best lineups. There's no bad coaster. Even calibrating for the fact "this is a family ride" Firechaser and Dragonflier are fun little rides. I know Mystery Mine is divisive but I still quite enjoy it and though not worth that long, I forgot how much ass TT kicks, Thunderhead ran great, Wild Eagle remains a low key good wing coaster. Another good visit to this park, it probably is cemented in my top 5 by this point. 

Glad you had a good time, sounds like it was a solid day.

 

We went early in March during Spring Break, on a Tuesday the first week the park was open and man it was crowded. We still had a nice time but it was by far the worst day I've ever had at Dollywood. Lines were an hour plus for almost everything all day, and the wait times were all over the map as far as what was posted and what the wait was. I got in line for Lightning Rod when it was posted at 50 minutes, then in line it went from 50 to 90 to 220 and back down to 80 and I think I ended up waiting around 100.  I also noticed that the TimeSaver lines were insanely busy all day long, even on rides like Big Bear and Lightning Rod where the premium Time Saver is only a single use, those rides still had timesaver lines out the building. At the platform for Lightning Rod they were loading an entire train from TimeSaver and like 2-4 seats from standby. I don't know if the new resort means double the people have TimeSaver included with their stay now or what but we really felt it slowing down the ques considerably more so than in years past. We didn't get a TimeSaver because we've been there a dozen times and have never ever needed it but lesson learned this trip.

Big Bear was a new credit for me this trip as well and I thought that thing was great, just an awesome family coaster. We only got 1 ride but it was a night ride after the park closed so that was a nice way to end the trip. 

We still had a really nice day, just not as nice as previous trips. I still absolutely love this park and will visit every chance I get, but it shockingly busy for very early in the season.