Dollywood Discussion Thread

GCI + TERRAIN = Round trip ticket to Knoxville already booked...

In all seriousness, they could totally blow every other terrain coaster out of the water with a GCI terrain coaster- look at what they've done in China...

(Phoenix to Knoxville via Houston: 448.00 R/T btw)

http://www.wbir.com/news/article/164187/2/Riders-with-disabilities-advise-Dollywood-on-ride-design

Here's a good story about the Barnstormer being handicapable-accessible and has some video of the wheel chair lift in action.

^ Dollywood is just an awesome park, great to hear they adjusted the ride for this purpose!

Saw this on GCIs Facebook page regarding the 2012 roller coaster...

It's on their page because someone, a fan, put it there. Like it has been said, unless GCI can bring something totally different than thunderhead then I dont think they are likely to have this job.

Unless track starts showing up at the park, we're going to be guessing up until Sept. 4th. I respect that and i hate that all at once. About five months from today.

^Intamin has been making wood coasters since 1981, with American Eagle, when their first coaster, Jr. Gemini, was made in 1979.

Wow, they have come a long way since Jr. Gemini. I had no idea that was there first ride. I would love to see an Intamin at Dollywood. 2012 will hopefully be my first and long awaited trip to Dollywood.

We just need the folks in Ohio to keep an eye on B&M's factory...

I would be shocked if it turned out to be a Beemer!

I would be shocked if it turned out to be a Beemer!

Why? As I speculated earlier, it would fall in line with the chain's historical decisions to go with either B&M or S&S for this new coaster, and unless they want a PK-type ride it seems to me that they're likely to go with something from B&M for the high capacity and low downtime that B&M proved was possible with Wildfire. As I've asked before, why doesn't Dollywood have a B&M already? Now is as good a time as any to fix that - unless they don't want to mess up their Q-bot revenue.

^ Precisely, everything we know shows a very lengthy coaster that tops out at 110' tall, if it's not launched, it will be a B&M and Dollywood desperately needs one, IMO. Only thing it's missing is a high quality B&M steel coaster.

I am pretty sure I read somewhere that S&S has no contracts with Dollywood outside of Barnstormer, which is why I think this may be a Beemer.

I am pretty sure I read somewhere that S&S has no contracts with Dollywood outside of Barnstormer, which is why I think this may be a Beemer.

Or even better, an INTAMIN! But trust me, I would still be thrilled with a Beemer at Dollywood! As far as the announcement goes, 156 days!

You know. Piraten has a 105' lift hill, and Kawasemi has a 109' lift hill. Both their track lengths are just under 2500'. Intamin Mega-lite with some cool terrain elements? I give an enthusiastic 2 thumbs up for that!

^ Yes! The Megalites look like great fun. Have we heard for sure that the high point is 110 feet and not 11 like originally reported. Many great rides are within 110 feet. Being from Florida I am hoping for an Intamin but I bet many people north of here want a beemer.

Interesting quote from an article celebrating Pigeon Forge's 50th Anniversary from the Knoxville News-Sentinel:

And it's not about to end. In coming years, Dollywood will see the largest investments in the park's history, Miller said.

Mystery Mine cost $17.5 Million, so this could be interesting...

www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/apr/03/at-50-pigeon-forge-still-growing/

kinda on topic/off topic but exactly how tall is off the ground at its highest point? I know rcdb states its 163ft tall but I dont think thats from highest point to that points concrete footing.

^I have no idea what your talking about.

I wa sooo sleepy when I wrote that lol. I forgot to add "tennessee tornado" lol!

The highest point off the ground can't be more than 50' at the crown of the lift.

That sounds about right. I dunno, if I ran the park I would market it as the smaller height!

For comparison sake, TT's spiroloop is 110' tall.

May be a smelly experience for those of you visiting the park soon......

Two workers died on Tuesday and millions of gallons of largely untreated sewage spewed into a river when a holding tank wall collapsed at a treatment plant in Gatlinburg, Tenn.

The river, the Little Pigeon, flows through the town of Pigeon Forge, which is seven miles north of the plant and is home to the Dollywood amusement park. It also flows through part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

 

The treatment plant was rendered inoperable.

Source: NY Times

Very sad situation all around, prayers are with those workers families...

Thankfully, it was not solid waste. It will flush out pretty quickly. Dollywood is not near the Little Pigeon River, so it should have little impact.

Here is an article about Dollywood's ongoing resort plans (and other lodging options via Dollywood) as well as some other local resort-based stuff, like Biltmore & Cherokee Casino & Resort.

www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/apr/07/hot-tourist-spots-ways-guests-lengthen-stays/

Dollywood resort plans

 

On the other side of the Smokies, Tennessee's top private attraction continues to grow.

 

When Bill Doyle, president of Dollywood's Resort Division, joined the theme park in September 2008, park leaders already had started planning for a resort hotel.

 

"We quickly had to shift plans and put things on hold when the economic downturn began," Doyle said.

 

Despite the setback, Dollywood continues the evolution toward becoming a full-fledged resort. For years, the park has offered package stays in conjunction with several area hotels.

 

A couple of years ago, the park launched another lodging option called Dollywood Vacations.

 

"We always thought at some point that 65 percent of visitors spent the night in the area," Doyle said. "We wanted to apply the brand to that somehow."

 

The park partnered with a cabin management company to provide Dollywood Vacations.

 

There currently are 80 cabins in the Dollywood Vacations inventory with plans to expand.

 

"It was really a unique opportunity," Doyle said, adding that the program also is about value. "You pay for one ticket (to Dollywood) that's good as many days as you stay. It's been very, very popular."

 

Other perks include preferred parking at the park and occasional offers like free tickets to Dollywood's Splash Country.

 

"Right now there aren't a lot of bricks and mortar," Doyle said. However, he noted that plans for building the resort hotel are still in the works.

 

"We want folks to know that's part of our plan. It's all about timing," he said.

 

According to Steve Morse, director and economist at the University of Tennessee's Tourism Institute, the state hasn't had many attractions transform into resorts. However, he points to a Sevierville development that began as an "under-one-roof" resort.

 

Morse said Wilderness at the Smokies off Highway 66 has been successful as a destination where visitors can eat, sleep and play under one "check-in."

 

Morse also pointed out that Wilderness at the Smokies is next to Sevierville's new exhibition center.

 

"Some of the recent trends is to mix in a leisure trip with your family with a business trip," he said. "Wilderness Resorts and Dollywood Resorts and Vacations offer these opportunities."

 

When attractions move into the resort business, there often are fears that competition will hurt existing businesses. Morse said that isn't necessarily true. The 128-room Inn on the River in Pigeon Forge partners with Dollywood, Ripley's Aquarium and other area attractions.

 

"The winner with this increased competition is the consumer that has more vacation packages budget-priced rather than buying them separately." Morse said. "Visitors choosing destinations on where to spend their vacation dollars are wanting value for their vacation dollar during the recession."

 

With smaller budgets and rising costs, Morse said most tourists apply a "four times rule" when picking where to vacation. In general, that means visitors will choose to spend money at resorts and destinations they feel have enough activities and events to keep them busy for "four times" longer than it took them to drive to the resort.

 

That shouldn't come as a major surprise to anyone who follows Dollywood closely, they had plans for a resort back in 2008 when I worked there, but this confirms it is in the works.

I didn't know there was a President of Dollywood Resorts, though... that's news to me. Good article.

True. I wonder tho, where would the resort go? I would have to think it would be somewhere on the existing property....maybe near the "old entrance"? This article sort of addresses the "one stop shop/check in and stay and play" aspect. Wonder too if they would strictly be lodging or would they maybe have an indoor water park aspect like they do at the Wilderness at the Smokies? Lots of questions! Lots to look forward too!