Cyclonic
Posts: 2636
Registered: 7/19/2002
Rank: Experiment 626
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 4/10/2004 1:48:00 PM
Dollywood
April 5, 2004
Weather: Sunny, high in the upper 50's
Coasters Ridden: 3 of 3
New to me: All 3
This report is part three of my Volcanomania trip report.
My sister and I left Charlotte at about 7 in the morning. The ride should have taken less then four hours, but I decided to take the scenic route, through the Maggie Valley, up a short stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and through the Smokey Mountains National Park. It was a wonderful, beautiful ride, but everything in the Maggie Valley was still closed for the season (we wanted to stop for some breakfast there), the part of the Blue Ridge Parkway I wanted to travel was closed, and about halfway through the park (the road is some 30 miles through the park) we got behind this guy that did 15 the rest of the way. By the time we got to the other end of the park there were another 25 cars behind us. We didn't get to Dollywood until almost 1:00. I did, on the way, get a few distant shots of Ghost Town in the Sky. It is sad to see that roller coaster up there so lonely, I hope someday someone can rescue that park, but it does not look good.
Dollywood is interesting, it is located in a long valley, so the parking lot is really long, but only a few rows wide, so you pretty much have to get to the entrance by tram, no matter where you park, and we were all the way at the back. The entrance area is nice, and really wasn't that busy. I could not find any discounts on the way out, but we did get a five dollar discount with my sister's military ID, so we got our passes and headed in. There was only one place to head right of the bat, and that was into Thunderhead Gap.
After a long uphill walk, we come to Thunderhead, which is just WOW!!! This is one great ride Dollywood has on their hands. Not only does it offer the fantastic laterals that GCII twisters are famous for, it also has great speed and spectacular airtime, both the nice floater air, as well as incredible ejector air, and on every single hill. And it is not just the forces, it is the way in which they are introduced. Every twist and turn on this ride is different, and it has several surprises in store for the rider, interesting hops right into head choppers, or a funky flat spot in a curve that give a surprise pop of air right in a steep lateral. Also, even with just a few operating days under their belts, the ride crews were excellent. They were fast, efficient, and rarely allowed the two trains to stack. Our longest wait might have been 15 minutes for the ride, if that. We got off, and got right back on, with little wait.
This is a ride NO coaster fan should miss. GCII has really out done themselves this time. It goes right to the top of my list, and the only thing that would make it better were if it were not a ten hour drive from me.
After enjoying Thunderhead, we decided to actually ride something else in the park. The park is spread out pretty good in the valley, with several paths that lead off towards dead ends. Visiting, you can expect to do a lot of walking and a lot of hill climbing. Most of the theme is this Tennessee country look, mining, old west, that type of thing, with a dash of Victorian town thrown in. It mixes well, and looks very nice. The park was also very clean, including the restrooms (very important), and the employees were all very friendly and outgoing.
The park was having their Festival of Nations event, with different acts, products, and crafts from around the world. The were Italian stilt walkers, Chinese acrobats, that sort of thing. They had the park decorated in international flags and streamers, all very colorful.
We next took a ride on the Smokey Mountain Wilderness Tour, which is a motion simulator. It was entertaining, but nothing spectacular. The next section of the park is a dramatic departure from the theme of the rest of the park, it is a 50's themed area. It looked good, with the shops and restaurants all built to have tha
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bb_dg
Posts: 3568
Registered: 7/31/2001
Rank: Site Moderator
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4/10/2004 3:09:00 PM
dollywood has always made me curious. it seems like it would be a nice little park tucked away in the hills of tennessee but from what you said, im not so sure about that anymore. thunderhead definately looks like a winner and tennessee tornado really looks one of a kind
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Cyclonic
Posts: 2636
Registered: 7/19/2002
Rank: Experiment 626
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4/10/2004 3:13:00 PM
Don't get me wrong, I like the park, but for the cost of admission (reg. admission is 42.99+tax), and the fact there really were no discounts to be had, it really was not worth it. It is worth it once to ride Thunderhead, or if you are close enough to justify a season pass, but for you and me being 10 hours away, I don't think I will go back again for several more years.
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bb_dg
Posts: 3568
Registered: 7/31/2001
Rank: Site Moderator
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4/11/2004 10:48:00 AM
so youre basing it on price alone. i definately want to check it out but i would do something like you did, sneak it into a coaster trip. also, i believe there is a water park there too... is that included in the admission?
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sfo1
Posts: 5359
Registered: 7/22/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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4/11/2004 4:32:00 PM
Dollywood does look like a pretty cool park, and for someone who loves woodies as much as me, Thunderhead sounds like a blast.
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Swimace
Posts: 5916
Registered: 8/28/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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4/11/2004 4:43:00 PM
I want to ride thunderhead so much :jawdrop:
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Animan1
Posts: 5394
Registered: 5/14/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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4/26/2004 9:10:00 PM
$43 is a lot for a park with only three coasters, the main reason I go to a park. I suppose she's (Dolly Parton) is still paying for certain things. 
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Cyclonic
Posts: 2636
Registered: 7/19/2002
Rank: Experiment 626
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4/26/2004 9:19:00 PM
Quote:
bb_dg said:
so youre basing it on price alone. i definately want to check it out but i would do something like you did, sneak it into a coaster trip. also, i believe there is a water park there too... is that included in the admission? |
That seems to be the best way to do it. I may sneak it in again in a few years, I'd still like to visit Lake Winnie and SFOG, and could fit it into that.
The waterpark is a seperate addmission. A combo pass for both is $67 :jawdrop: You get more out of a $36 Dorney addmission.
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Animan1
Posts: 5394
Registered: 5/14/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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4/27/2004 6:19:00 PM
Quote:
Cyclonic said:
...You get more out of a $36 Dorney addmission. |
Or a Six Flags Season Pass, which is like $70. That gets you into 10+ parks all over the U.S., and access to a lot of great coasters.
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Cyclonic
Posts: 2636
Registered: 7/19/2002
Rank: Experiment 626
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4/27/2004 8:16:00 PM
Actually, an SFI season pass doesn't get you into most of their waterparks. I still use and abuse mine every year 
I was talking about a one day addmission, which to get into both Dollywood and Dollywood's waterpark is a whooping $67, while Dorney's one day addmission is just $36 for both the amusement side and the waterpark, because the waterpark is included. I mention Dorney because bb_dg lives close to there and is very familar with the park (if his avatar didn't give that away  )
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Animan1
Posts: 5394
Registered: 5/14/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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4/29/2004 3:42:00 PM
I know what you were talking about, I was just saying that a SF Season Pass is a better deal than Dollywood and its waterpark. 
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Cyclonic
Posts: 2636
Registered: 7/19/2002
Rank: Experiment 626
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4/29/2004 8:35:00 PM
Indeed, the SFI season pass is a fantastic value, even without the waterparks (which I don't care for anyways). It is nice to walk into a new park for nothing.
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Animan1
Posts: 5394
Registered: 5/14/2003
Rank: Platinum Critic
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4/30/2004 7:56:00 PM
A SF Season Pass pays for itself in two visits, so it's a great deal. I don't really care for the waterparks either. I have been to Wet 'n Wild in Orlando, which is a great water park.
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