06jds377 Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 I don't usually do TRs (in fact this may be my 2nd or 3rd), but, it had been years since I had visited Dollywood and I was so impressed that I thought I would throw out some good PR. My girlfriend and I made a short, unplanned trip to Gatlinburg last week and decided to throw Dollywood in the mix at the last second on Thursday night (I begged all day ) We arrived at around 11 on Friday, I wasn't impressed with the parking crew as they weren't directing traffic at all and we had to circle the lots for around 20 minutes until we managed to park. Admission was $32.50 for one military and $55.90 for one standard admission (Yikes!) Keep in mind that it had been over 10 years since I had visited the park, and its nearly doubled in size since then. Our day began with a walk up the path towards Thunderhead, we stopped to watch a very entertaining magic-type performance of a man dropping golf balls into cups off of a tray without spilling water out of them, after the 10 minute show was over we continued on to see Thunderhead and a non-operational Timber Tower Thunderhead: this coaster does not get enough credit, well, at least not on KIC. Very good coaster with a good amount of ejector, not only is it fun, its like riding in the La-Z-Boy of coasters! A+ ride! Towards the top of the list in the wood category in my book. After Thunderhead we walked on towards Adventure Mountain, passing Mystery Mine for now. I begged her to buy some Crocs so we could climb, which she did. We spent several hours climbing every course on AM, it was a very fun and unique experience. I'd say we easily blew almost half the day away on this alone. After AM we were hungry, and I was ready to get some of that awesome Dollywood food. We stopped at Ms. Lillian's (or something like that) buffet, paid a total of around $24 for the both of us (drinks included).. It was DELICIOUS! Its unreal that you can get that quality in a park for such a reasonable price, I'll never be able to eat at KI again.. After the feast of fried chicken, country fried steak and gravy, biscuits, ham and beans, mashed potatoes, and triple layer chocolate cake we decided to see what all the park had to offer. We walked over to Chasing Rainbows and hung around in there for a bit, took a ride on the train, and walked around taking in all the sights and sounds before riding more. We then rode Tennessee Tornado, Mystery Mine, and Thunderhead once more before leaving at close. TT was....interesting. All-in-all I liked the ride, but I don't really remember too much of it. I didn't grey out (she did), but I can't say that I really remember the layout. MM was also an interesting ride that I enjoyed a lot. It was a little rough and short for my tastes though. The second ride on Thunderhead was just as good and as memorable as the first. We grabbed some taffy at the candy store towards the front and headed through the emporium, looking for a shirt she really wanted (didn't have her size, they were all big, whats up with that?) and eventually rode the tram to the car. I think I may like Dollywood more than KI. I'm now bored with the notion of KI and most things it has to offer.. A+ day, great experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Millennium Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Great PTR! Despite ridiculous prices, I LOVE Dollywood. The food is good too. And it seems like no one talks about Thunderhead around here. Their arrow is fun and smooth, Mystery Mine is exciting and unique, and Thunderhead is awesome. I wish Dollywood was in somewhere other than Pigeon Forge. The whole area, in my opinion, is a tourist trap, full of cheap hotels, go kart tracks, and chain restaurants. No me gusta. I'm hoping to make it down for Dolly's Christmas event sometime this winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CincyMan98 Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 This is completely random...but what does *P*TR stand for? And what's the difference between TR and PTR? Back on topic, nice (PTR OR TR ). I tried to get my parents to take me to Dollywood last year when we went to Gatlinburg, but obviously that was a no....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Millennium Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 P.T.R. = Photo Trip Report Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkiboy Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Great PTR! Despite ridiculous prices, I LOVE Dollywood. The food is good too. And it seems like no one talks about Thunderhead around here. Their arrow is fun and smooth, Mystery Mine is exciting and unique, and Thunderhead is awesome. I wish Dollywood was in somewhere other than Pigeon Forge. The whole area, in my opinion, is a tourist trap, full of cheap hotels, go kart tracks, and chain restaurants. No me gusta. I'm hoping to make it down for Dolly's Christmas event sometime this winter. I Go to that event every year its always the weekand before Thanksgiving. I need to get to Dollywood before summer ends I havent used my DW Season pass since March. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Interpreter Posted July 30, 2010 Share Posted July 30, 2010 Great trip report. No Blazing Fury? No Blazing Fury? Incredulous Terpy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06jds377 Posted July 31, 2010 Author Share Posted July 31, 2010 Great trip report. No Blazing Fury? No Blazing Fury? Incredulous Terpy! No Blazing Fury, passed it right up without thinking. I realized it after we left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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