Captain Nemo Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 In all Honesty... Mystery Mine blew my mind! I have never been so terrified on a roller coaster before. The adrenalin pumping in me was off the charts. I guess it was due to the fact that I had no idea what happened on this ride (other than the outdoor layout). It was kind of like Tomb Raider in 2002. I'm going to keep this short and sweet but the fact was that I have never been on a ride quite like this in my life. We (a good friend of mine and I) arrived at Dollywood at 9:00 on Aug 5th. First was Thunderhead, again ranked highly on my list. Mystery Mine was what I was truly looking forward to. The ride just dominates the area with it's large building, which btw is a true architectural masterpiece!! The experience begins just by walking up this this ride as you see the small Euro-Fighter Gerstlauer trains whip into the heart line roll and roll over loop! As I approached the Mine (appropriately named Mine #13) I was already as excited as I was when going down the first drop of Maverick. The line is well put together with themeing. Mine decor is placed everywhere. The line moved fairly slow but I did not care I was taking in all the surroundings. This is the last thing you can look at before entering the station. It is like they are teasing you, I swear!!! Once entering the station I think it dawned on me... If I see a canary in the mine, bad luck will soon follow. OK, before I go any further I would like to show you what really flipped me out as we entered the station. DO NOT VIEW THIS PHOTO IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN ON THIS RIDE, I MEAN IT!!! DO NOT CLICK. YOU CAN WAIT TILL YOU ACTUALLY RIDE MYSTERY MINE YOURSELF! And I thought the drop out of SOB was cool! So I began thinking to myself. If that is just the start, what does the rest of the ride hold in store? Well here we are just before riding. You can just see the excitement! So here is the ride- Again, please, do not read if you have not been on Mystery Mine. Honestly just spoiling this ride will just make you feel bad after reading and make you wish you just rode the ride without the spoilers! Anyway, here we go. \/SPOILERS\/ So if your reading this you already know what happens in the indoor section of the ride. I loved the reverse bank turn and the vertical lift. What really got me was the flames at the end. To think I thought the flames in Backlot Stunt Coaster were close. Those flames just really got me! Also liked how it held you at the top before dropping down into the finale. The 95 degree drop is out of this world. Much more intense than Mavericks. The trains are so small and just drop so quickly you lose your breath for a second. Infact, it would be just as accurate to say that I found MM to be a much better ride than Maverick! This ride was everything plus more than what I expected. Great investment on the part of Dollywood! -Nemo ("Don't whistle in the Mystery Mine, Thats a canary's job") For those of you that have been on MM, what did you think of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pyrocoasterkid Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 I honestly though mystery mine was only mediocre... the 2nd half was in fact amazing (the drop, flame, and inversions), but the 1st half was slow, and very boring... However, I LOVED Thunderhead... AMAZING ride. Great pix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongLiveTheSmurfRide Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 I was just down in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg for my brother's wedding but didn't get to Dollywood. I haven't been there since the early 90's and can't wait to go again. I've heard mixed reviews about Mystery Mine, so I hope I like it when I finally get to ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScootZilla Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 I was just done in Pigeon Forge last month with my family.Went to Dolly and had a blast.Didnt ride Mine but had a blast there with my kids and wife.Also if you stay in Pigeon Forge eat at the ole mill in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markalan Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 I rode Mystery Mine the day it opened to the public last year. As a coaster, it's just "ok", but as a total experience, it's incredible. The level of theme detail is amazing. It truly tells a story. It doesn't top Maverick for me, but it's still a great ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corn4ahead Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 Now i found MM to be a dissappointment...it was way more shaky than i expected and rather boring in the beginning but the ending was fantastic. Also It was SOOOOOO much better in the front...the first 2 times i rode i was in the back and it was just ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
standbyme Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 It's nice to read a trip report that has so much enthusiasm...it makes for a fun read. (I wish I could be that excited about ANYTHING in life anymore!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOPGUN1993 Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 I too rate Mystery Mine above Maverick, I loved everything about it from the theming to the vertical drops! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 MM is a great ride overall and just another jem in the crown for DollyWood. Truly one of the best parks around. The park has some of the best staff around, extremely clean, very family friendly, great collection of rides, awesome coasters, great shopping and dinning and if you cant tell I absolutely love DollyWood. Not many parks around that provide the expeirence it does. Where else can you ride something like the Smokey Mountain Sidewinder? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOPGUN1993 Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 I really didn't care fore Slidewinder, probably because my shoes filled up with water. DareDevil Falls is IMO the best flume ride (I haven't rode Splash mountain since 01) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 DDF is an excelent flume ride. I just love Sidewinder because theres never a line, heck of a walk to the top, and its a very unique ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOPGUN1993 Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 Talk about a unique ride... Blazing Fury fits that in my book. (Better than Thunderhead) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RailRider Posted August 13, 2008 Share Posted August 13, 2008 That is a great ride and I think a lot of people completely overlook it when at the park anymore. I love the ride and remember ridding that when I was very young. I was so scared during the fire part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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