TR: Dollywood and More

5/20/05

Friday morning I headed up to Pigeon Forge to get my Dollywood pass processed before the Ride World trip, so I could use it at Silver Dollar City and Celebration City. With rain pounding down and lightning in all directions, I left the house around 5 AM and picked up my friend Matthew. The outlook was not good, with the forecast calling for rain and storms all day, and it rained for most of the 4 hour drive. It was pouring when we stopped at a McDonalds in Asheville for breakfast, but had stopped by the time we got to the Tennessee Welcome Center where we met Jay Miller. After driving through the Foothills Parkway dodging fallen limbs and animals, and then getting lost briefly in Gatlinburg, we pulled into Dollywood. By this point it was raining hard again, but we were unphased, and at the park entrance we were joined by David Drake. After Jay and I processed our passes (Dollywood has the nicest quality season passes of any park I have seen), we headed straight for Thunderhead Gap.

Matthew was a first time Thunderhead rider, so I took him up to the front seat, and needless to say he was impressed. The entire station was filled with annoying school groups, and Thunderhead was only running one train, but thankfully the second train would soon be put on, and by early afternoon the school groups would disperse. The coaster was running a little sluggish in the early hours, but was still an outstanding ride. By the time we got off the ride the rain had stopped, and the skies were clearing. I took our rain ponchos back out to the car, and returned to find everyone in the bakery near the front entrance, enjoying a pastry the size of a Big Mac. With blue skies and a warm temperature, it was shaping up to be a pretty nice day. We decided next to venture into the park’s new County Fair area.

The rennovated County Fair looked pretty nice, and the new flat rides seem to be fairly popular. Our first stop was the Dizzy Disk, which none of us had tried before. The ride is actually very good, and it had a long cycle, although as a male rider I found it to be a bit uncomfortable. What I was looking forward to most, though, was the innocent looking new ride with no one in line sitting directly beside the Dizzy Disk. Yes, Dollywood has installed a set of tea cups, called the Lemon Twist. I discovered the wonder of tea cups last summer on the East Coast Trek with Dave and Jay at Six Flags Great Adventure, and then again at Six Flags New England. We found that we can get the car spinning at unnatural speeds, creating one of the most intense rides I’ve ever experienced. I decided to film this time, so Dave, Jay, and Matthew went, and had an insane ride. From my point of view, it seemed that someone was pushing a fast forward button on their car. With this model, instead of locking the wheel and then allowing the cars to slowly stop spinning, the cars are braked to an immediate hault, which is incredibly disorienting. After that, we headed into Craftman’s Valley.

I look forward to riding Blazing Fury everytime I go to Dollywood. It’s incredibly cheesy, and not that thrilling, but it’s still just a really fun ride. It can also crank people through better than any ride in the park, so there is never much of a wait. Jay observed that “this ride makes less sense every time I ride it”, which is very true. While we were at that end of the park, we hit the Tennessee Tornado twice, which was virtually a walk-on. The Tornado was running considerably rougher than the last time I rode it, but it is still a great, although very short, ride. The first loop is one of my favorite inversions, and the “iron butterfly” is incredibly forceful.

On our way to lunch, at Jay’s suggestion, we went up to Dreamland Forest and messed around for a bit, launching foam balls at each other with the air guns. After that little detour, we went to Ms. Lillians for BBQ, and I had a turkey leg that must have come from a turkey as big as me. We even met Ms. Lillian herself, who did something involving a rubber chicken and a buttermilk biscuit. I’m still not completely sure what happened there, but it was rather bizarre. Naturally, the best thing to do after lunch is ride the tea cups, so we went back over. The first time Jay, Dave, and myself rode, and then, surprised to discover I wasn’t sick, I suggested a second ride. Dave was smart enough to sit that one out, and Matthew joined in. I nearly lost it that time around, and was finished with the tea cups for the day after that one.

Back down to Thunderhead Gap we went for a final ride before Dave headed out. The coaster was running faster than in the morning, and we had a great ride in the back seat. At this point Matthew discovered that the brutal tea cups ride had left their mark, as he had two giant red whelps on his back. Jay had a similar injury. Following our Thunderhead ride, Matthew figured it would be best if he went to first aid, so off he went, and I walked out to Dave’s truck with Dave and Jay. On our way out we were greeted by Alan and Barbara Martin, and John Bedtalyon, who were pulling into the parking lot to enter after 3 PM. Jay had left his car in Gatlinburg, so he went with Dave to get his car, and after briefly speaking with Alan, Barbara, and John, I went to summon Matthew from first aid. We went back down to Thunderhead to meetup with everyone else, and got some more rides in. John was treated to his first ride on Thunderhead, and the look on his face as the train came through the station fly-through told me he enjoyed it.

Our group of six headed back to County Fair and once again over to the tea cups. Despite the pounding they had given his body, Jay rode again, by himself, and we were thoroughly entertained watching him. At the end of the ride he was so disoriented that he stood up while the ride was still moving, and was yelled at by the operator. We went over to Blazing Fury and Tennessee Tornado so that Alan and John could ride, and then stopped for some ice cream. We then rode the carousel (I got the rooster…), and headed for the front of the park. John, Jay, Matthew, and myself rode the Smoky Mountain Wilderness Adventure Tour on the way there. We sat on the front row, so the screen was so close that the entire ride seemed nothing more than a huge blur of colors. I wasn’t really impressed.

Back down at Thunderhead, the coaster was nearly a walk-on, and we spent the final hour before closing riding over and over. I think I’ve decided that I like the back seat the best now, and Thunderhead is probably my favorite coaster. It’s good to have a great wooden coaster four hours away from me, although I certainly wouldn’t complain if Carowinds built one. After such a gloomy weather forecast that morning, it turned out to be a beautiful day at the park, and our visit could not have gone much better.

After a very tiring day, Matthew and I said goodbye to Jay, and then, after getting groceries, followed Alan, Barbara, and John to the cabin they had rented, which was a really cool place up a mountain that had to be accessed by a steep and windy dirt road. Alan grilled up some great brats, and we had a relaxing evening. I needed it after getting up at 4 AM, driving 4 hours, and then spending all day in the park. I drifted off to sleep sometime during “Goodfellas.”

5/21/05

Morning came quickly, and Alan, Barbara, and John were preparing for a full day back at Dollywood. Matthew and myself said our goodbyes, and then drove back into Gatlinburg to check out Ober Gatlinburg. After parking in town, we realized we needed to drive to the top of the mountain, so we went up there and paid to park again. Ober Gatlinburg is a very odd place; the definition of a cheap tourist trap, really. It does have its gems, though: the Aerial Tramway (we didn’t ride it) is touted as the largest in the country, and then there is what we were there for, the Alpine Slide.

The slide consists of two concrete channels that wind down the bottom of the mountain, and are accessed by a chairlift. Each rider sits in a small cart with a handbrake that controls the speed. It is possible to wipe out, but that didn’t happen to either of us. We were only there for a quick stop, so we didn’t opt for the wristband. The slide is a lot of fun, and after a very controlled run down, I opted to try again and go all out. As I came flying out of the trees at high speed, I discovered there was a girl in front of me holding back on her brake and travelling at about 1 MPH, if that. So, that wild ride came to a screeching hault. We had a pretty good time, and I definitely wouldn’t mind going back and getting a wristband for the slide sometime. We found an Italian place on the edge of town, and had a nice meal before leaving Gatlinburg. We didn’t get lost once on the way home, which was good, and the trip went off without any major complications.

Watch the video here: ADVENTURE IN THE SMOKIES (14 MB, Windows Media)

VIDCAP: Let the thunder roooooooooooolllllll

VIDCAP: Dollywood was celebrating its 20th anniversary

VIDCAP: The tea cups provided quite a violent ride

VIDCAP: The Disc-O is a fun ride

VIDCAP: The Tennessee Tornado, like Dolly, has many big curves

VIDCAP: Thunderhead entering the station fly-through

VIDCAP: Yeah...

VIDCAP: Ms. Lillian

VIDCAP: The Aerial Tram at Ober Gatlinburg

VIDCAP: Matthew on the Alpine Slide

VIDCAP: Me getting very annoyed on the Alpine Slide

Awesome video as usual.. Flogging Molly r0x0rz my b0x0rz.

We then rode the carousel (I got the rooster…), and headed...

Jonathan Loves The Cock!

That's certainly not the most flattering picture of me, to say the least.

Glad to see you guys had a nice time! I have been wanting to get back down, over, up there (which ever applies) since I brought the season pass.

Nice video also. Dave...he has to be a riot to be around im gonna have to steal his quote, "be good, or be good at it and dont get caught"

BTW why havent I been featured in a video yet!!

I've spoken with your agent numerous times, but with our budget I'm afraid you are way out of our range.

If I had known you had a season pass I would have invited you along!

I told you the tea cups were good!

Glad to hear you got to ride ye olde Dizzy Disk I was up there the other week and rode it again.

I guess I'm "anatomically correct" for those seats. I've never had any problems with them.

After I lose some weight that might change though. lol

Holy Christ, you guys totally owned the Tea Cups. I'm jealous.

Nice TR, and awesome video. It looks like you had a great day!

--Soeren

Any video with Mrs. Lillian in it is alright in my book. Dave IS a trip at the parks and is filled with more memorable quotes than most people I know.

The teacup rides looked completely insane.