Dollywood Questions

[Touchdown]

Just some quick questions about Dollywood on its first week of operations, that I assume (reading some TRs here) some of you might know. Are the water rides open (right now its looking like temps should be in the upper 60s/lower 70s and really Ive heard such good things about them I would probably ride them even if it was colder then that)? Do you think Ill need a Q-bot this early in the season? Whats the best seat on Thunderhead? Any other inside tips you have, like coupons, I plan on driving down and using the park's policy where if you buy a ticket after 3pm you get in the next day for free so that I can have 4 hours on the first and then be able to leave about the same time the next day in order to get home before midnight.

[The Interpreter]

Usually the water rides don't open until later in the season. You can call and ask, they will tell you. As for a Q to Q, I'd look and decide. They are VERY inexpensive, and get you priority seating at shows, too. Best seat on Thunderhead? The ones on the coaster...I adore the front and the back, but what else is new? Don't miss Blazing Fury!

Watch your speed on the four lanes around the park. The local law enforcement hands out very expensive tickets, and you don't want one!

[crazypkikid2005]

Thunderhead is great everywhere but I prefer the back but do ride in the front at least once.

[RailRider]

Like mentioned earlier, the water rides usually dont open till later in the seasson, but if you find the Smokey Mountain Slidewinder open you must ride. Excelent and very unique water ride. Daredevil Falls is great also.

Thunderhead is great in the back and Tennesse Tornado is the best Arrow Multi Looper I have ever been on. Terpy is right, don't miss Blazing Fury... Fire in the Hole!!! Excelent ride.

The shows are some of the best around and check out Craftmen's Valley. Great demonstrations and gifts to buy.

Have fun.

[Touchdown]

Thanks, Ill be sure to keep that in mind about speeding. I also dont plan on missing Blazing Fury, loved its sister ride at SDC. I was really hoping the water rides (especially the Timber Tower and the waterslide sled thing) would be open, according to website they should be but I guess Ill just find out when I get down there. Really looking forward to going though, a great GCI, perhaps the best Arrow Looper, my first Eurofighter, great shows, and riding a coaster on the first day in April (even if that means I wont ride another one for probably a month) hard to beat that.

[The Interpreter]

Best place to eat? For my money, Aunt Granny's. Anyone who is impressed with Midway Market or Wings last year needs to hit Aunt Granny's. Far, far better quality at a similar or lower price. Food actually tastes home-made.

From the website:

...coleslaw, mixed greens salad, fresh fruit, biscuits, muffins, cheddar-roasted onion and cream of vegetable soup, green beans, cooked cabbage, pinto beans, buttered corn, buttered noodles, mashed potatoes and gravy, peel 'n' eat shrimp, fried chicken, barbeque baked chicken, Salisbury steak, and fried fish. For dessert, don’t miss the bread pudding with caramel sauce, chocolate and vanilla soft serve ice cream, sugar-free JELL-O, assorted cakes and pies. The meal also includes hot and cold beverages, as well as apple and orange juice....

[AintNutinElse2Do]

Of course no Dollywood trip can be properly achieved without a trip on the train the literal birthplace of the park.

[corn4ahead]

The back is definetly the best on Thunderhead but you have to do the front. Towards the end of the day most of the coasters are 0-5 min waits.

As for the ticket thing "after 3 and the nest day is free", its totally worth it. Like i said earlier, its better later in the day for rides as the lines were shorter. Make sure you take advantage of this.

[ohiomom28]

I was there 1st of April last year and it was snowing..lol That could be why the water rides are not sure to be open. The weather can be unpredictable

[PKIPoodle]

yeah im looking forward to my park trips this year. one of which is dollywood to get my bf on mystery mine and thunderhead. i randomly saw some rumor on youtube (dunno what their 'source' was) that blazing was going byebye for a new train station....scared me for about 1 second till i realized....i dont think that location would work for a train station (if they do get rid of it, i will cry. first flooded mine then this....my heart cant take this kind of abuse!) someday i wanna go to SDC to see how it is. looks cool n.n

anyway, yeah. anywhere on thunderhead, i personally dont care about their looper (first time i rode it i wondered if i like blacked out through most of it but no it really is that short....but for its shortness it is good) sidewinder for sure, mine for sure, fury for sure. for food, i dont know what to say, ive only ever eaten those fajita-type things (i think im thinking of the right park. i hope i am) oh. and the choo choo. n.n

[The Interpreter]

Blazing Fury was at one time scheduled for a complete rehab this year. I doubt the ride is going away any time soon...

[MarketingExpress]

Mystery Mine is a great ride, make sure you ride that one too while you are there.

[Shaggy]

I attended Dollywood's opening week last year. You should not have problems with crowds, but it does get busier later in the day. Mystery Mine had the longest wait while I was there. Remember to work AGAINST the crowds... word from the back of the park forward. You'd be smart to go to Blazing Fury first... then the Tornado etc etc.

When I was there, the Slidewinder, Daredevil Falls, River Rampage and River Battle were all operating. I got soaked to the core on Slidwinder, and it did not mix well with the cool air.

Also, if you like "unique", "quirky" things... then I highly recommend taking the time to see "Heartsong." Its dated... but boy do I love it.

(Oh play a song for me Applejack, Applejack... darn, now it's stuck!)

Shaggy

[Touchdown]

Thanks Shaggy, Im all for quirky rides, Ill check it out. I also now see the place has a Disk-O, never been on a "real" one before (Avatar not being a disk) so that should be fun as well. Im hoping to hit the coasters and the water rides my first day, then on the second do the coasters, and the other dry rides and shows.

[luff]

Dollywood is full of quirky rides. I am not a big spin and barf ride guy, but my son made me go on dizzy disk and I loved it. Dont forget to enjoy both the rides and the shows.

While you can't go wrong most places there for food, don't skip over the outside stands where they grill the sausages right out in front of you.

[TOPGUN1993]

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?...c=13908&hl=

There is just half of my PTR... I never finished it lol

Mystery Mine is so much fun, I wasn't expecting much but boy was I wrong. Try VERY hard to get front row your first ride, because they seat you without choice.

The New Version of the Flying Eagles was IMO kinda fun, sure all you do is go in a circle but the view is great.

Daredevil Falls is GREAT, you hardly get wet if you don't sit in the front row, which is nice. I think we rode it nearly 10 times during out trip. (My fav. Flume)

Mountain Slidewinder..... meh I didn't see at all whats so great about it, I guess I'm kinda bitter toward it because water filled my shoe during my ride. It's shorter than TOPGUN and a even longer walk lol

Blazing Fury IMO is better than Thunderhead (I'm gonna get shot, yet again for saying that) I guess I like classics.

Any who, have a great trip. Take photos!

[TheCryptRaider]

I might be going during my spring break, I hope to do a lot.

This info was very helpful, thanks!

[CoastersRZ]

What???? Yes, Blazing Fury is a fantastic ride, but Thunderhead is simply awesome! It is one of my favorite wooden coasters now! It is simply amazing.

My first visit to Dollywood was back in December for the Smokey Mountain Christmas festival, and I loved the place. In fact, I will be back at Dollywood this Satuday! The season pass I have for Dollywood is actually the first non-Kings Island season pass that I have ever owned. And yes, the shows at Dollywood are simply amazing!

[TOPGUN1993]

What???? Yes, Blazing Fury is a fantastic ride, but Thunderhead is simply awesome! It is one of my favorite wooden coasters now! It is simply amazing

To some folks, I don't see why its so "Amazing". Even my younger Cousin was like... "That wasn't that good" and at the time haven't ridden a coaster in over a year. Yet adored MMine, Tornado, and Fury.

My Top 21

1.Top Thrill Dragster

2.Voyage

3.Raptor

4.MF

5.Mystery Mine

6.Maverick

7.Magnum

8.Big Dipper

9.Raven

10.Dominator

11.Legend

12.Tennessee Tornado

13.Blazin Fury

14.Thunderhead

15.Gemini

16.Son of Beast

17.Vortex

18.Blue Streak

19.Wicked Twister

20.Adventure Express

21.Firehawk

[dare-to-fly]

I think most of you know how I feel about wooden coasters, but it takes a lot for me to argue strongly about a steel one. Personally, I like to hang out at Tennessee Tornado. It's tragically under-rated, and to me it has one of the best loops ever! I'm also partial to what comes after the first little drop, but I won't spoil the surprise. Ride it in the second seat to the back.

Mystery Mine took me a while to warm up to. The first time I was there, I rode it once and it went at the bottom of my ranks. It took me a few more rides to "get it." Now, I wouldn't miss riding it at least once per trip, but I would prefer to ride it several times...but only if it's a walk-on.

Flyer, who believes Mystery Mine would be a much better ride without all the trims...like he'd think anything else.

[Touchdown]

Hey guys, I just want to thank you all for all your suggestions, I had a great time in the Smokies. I couldn't ask for better weather (lower 70s both days and sunny until Thursday afternoon) all the water rides were open (but all of the water effects on Timber Tower and most on the River Battle were still off) and I never waited more then 5 min for any ride the whole day. I'll be working on a proper TR soon but until then heres a quick blow:

-Thunderhead 2 thumbs up, the back is defiantly better, this ride will be settling somewher on the bottom half of my top ten wooden coasters or just below that. Rode that ride 8 times in 1.5 days.

-Mystery Mine 2 thumbs up, unless Im sitting on the far left, a bit rough there. Ride suprised me, that finale is fantastic a true zero g roll followed by that crazy hang time on the diving loop wow. Rode this ride 8 times in 1.5 days.

-Tennessee Tornado 2 thumbs up, Nessie finally has some competition for best Arrow Looper, so smooth but in the end far too short to go really high in my rankings. Rode this ride 5 times in 1.5 days.

-Blazing Fury 2 thumbs up, FIRE IN THE HOLE! I think that this one is much better (brighter scenes, better audio) then SDC's Fire in the Hole.

-Water Rides-Daredevil falls is a fantastic flume, Raging River is a decent raft ride, River Battle was a disappointment (because of most of the effects not working,) and I dont understand the love affair with Sidewinder.

-Timber Tower was a snooze, maybe its better with the water effects on.

-The Shows were amazing, from 10:30-2:30 I only did 3 rides, and saw Imagine (just a hair below the quality of Cirque de Soeil,) the Mexican Dance Show (fantastic,) Journey to the Center of the Earth was disjointed, and Heartsong was hokey in a good way (thanks for the recommendation Shaggy I defiantly would have not done this if not for that.) Wish I had more time to see the second Imagine show and Kingdom Heirs but I had to get going home and the storms were a commin (and caught up to me in Cincinnati.)

-Liked their variation of a flyer, I liked the Disk-O but think Avatar is better (although I suspect that a Disk-O vehicle on an Avatar track would be the best,) and the train was fun.

This wont be my last trip to Dollywood, and next time I'm going to stay an extra day to do Smokey Mountain Natl Park because they were beautiful from a distance.

[dare-to-fly]

-Tennessee Tornado 2 thumbs up, Nessie finally has some competition for best Arrow Looper, so smooth but in the end far too short to go really high in my rankings. Rode this ride 5 times in 1.5 days.

Glad you like Tennessee Tornado. In my opinion it is an under-rated gem. I'm not sure why too short has anything to do with it on this particular coaster, as it's in my top ten. I don't mind saying that other loopers are going to have to do some serious work to get my opinion of this to go down in ranks, I can tell you that.

[TOPGUN1993]

I dont understand the love affair with Sidewinder.

Same here I didn't find slidewinder all that great. I look forward to a indepth TR.

[luff]

I think the uniqueness of Sidewinder is what makes it special. The ride isn't very thrilling, but the smaller kids can go on it too.

[Touchdown]

Full TR now posted:

http://www.KICentral.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=16945