- March 29th, 2016, 5:18 pm
#87307
Coaster Reviews (In the order that I rode them)
Mystery Mine: 7.5/10. Great theming/effects, fun coaster sections. The first drop reminded me of Maverick's which is currently my favorite drop. The finale is great and the double barrel-roll has to be one of my favorite inversions.
Firechaser Express: 7/10. This coaster is the epitome of a family coaster. Not scary enough to ward off smaller children but thrilling enough to put a smile on the face of even the most seasoned thrill-seeker. It also had a decent ride-time which was something I thought some of the other coasters were lacking.
Wild Eagle: 7.4/10. I thought it was actually better than Gatekeeper. More forceful and I didn't feel the restraints crushing into my ribs. Also, I really got an idea of just how large the wing coaster trains really are. It baffles me how B&M was even able to launch Thunderbird.
Tennessee Tornado: 8.5/10. Best coaster at the park for me. Great airtime in the backseat, great hangtime in the first loop, and really forceful inversions and turns. It felt too short to be a full 9/10, but I think it might be my favorite Arrow.
Thunderhead: 8/10. Absolutely my favorite wooden coaster. It had insane laterals (the kind where you struggle to stay upright), nice floater air, and comfy seats. Carowinds absolutely needs a GCI.
Other: Ride ops were very friendly (which is something some of the ops here could learn), and they managed to load fast and efficiently despite the long lines.
WARNING: Extreme blasphemy ahead. Read at your own risk!
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The Cinnamon Bread was... okay. It was nice but I didn't feel it was so outstanding that I needed to stock up on it for doomsday. It's essentially the same thing as sticking four Cici's cinnamon rolls together using melted sugar.
The lines for food were ridiculous. While I got my cinnamon bread in a matter of minutes, the lines for almost every other restaurant were unreasonably long. I know Dollywood is supposed to have some of the best amusement park food, but I don't see why even on a crowded day, they have lines rivaling the ones for coasters. Do they only have one cashier working at a time?
Some of the main pathways were very narrow and the whole park felt a bit like one giant bottleneck.
I feel like I didn't get to really experience Dollywood. I only got to ride five of the major coasters before everyone else started to feel miserable. I missed out on some of the shows (saw the predatory bird show), and I didn't get to visit most of the bottom half. But I had a pretty decent time.
And the elephant in the room: Lightning Rod. I was actually really disappointed when I found out it was closed. My family is hesitant about riding any coaster that has inversions, is rough, spins, or goes backwards. Lightning Rod was the one coaster I was sure that everyone would ride. And I know that Blazing Fury is "technically" a coaster but I had to leave after riding Thunderhead. So there was a lot of splitting up between rides and my mom never rode anything. And Dollywood left a sour taste in their mouths, so I can't imagine we'll be returning anytime soon (I.e. in the next three years). So I guess I'll miss out on Lightning Rod this year
So overall, I had a decent time at Dollywood. Not as pretty as BGW but more so than any of the Cedar Fair/Six Flags parks I've been to. Best customer service of the parks I've been to recently.
Mystery Mine: 7.5/10. Great theming/effects, fun coaster sections. The first drop reminded me of Maverick's which is currently my favorite drop. The finale is great and the double barrel-roll has to be one of my favorite inversions.
Firechaser Express: 7/10. This coaster is the epitome of a family coaster. Not scary enough to ward off smaller children but thrilling enough to put a smile on the face of even the most seasoned thrill-seeker. It also had a decent ride-time which was something I thought some of the other coasters were lacking.
Wild Eagle: 7.4/10. I thought it was actually better than Gatekeeper. More forceful and I didn't feel the restraints crushing into my ribs. Also, I really got an idea of just how large the wing coaster trains really are. It baffles me how B&M was even able to launch Thunderbird.
Tennessee Tornado: 8.5/10. Best coaster at the park for me. Great airtime in the backseat, great hangtime in the first loop, and really forceful inversions and turns. It felt too short to be a full 9/10, but I think it might be my favorite Arrow.
Thunderhead: 8/10. Absolutely my favorite wooden coaster. It had insane laterals (the kind where you struggle to stay upright), nice floater air, and comfy seats. Carowinds absolutely needs a GCI.
Other: Ride ops were very friendly (which is something some of the ops here could learn), and they managed to load fast and efficiently despite the long lines.
WARNING: Extreme blasphemy ahead. Read at your own risk!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Cinnamon Bread was... okay. It was nice but I didn't feel it was so outstanding that I needed to stock up on it for doomsday. It's essentially the same thing as sticking four Cici's cinnamon rolls together using melted sugar.
The lines for food were ridiculous. While I got my cinnamon bread in a matter of minutes, the lines for almost every other restaurant were unreasonably long. I know Dollywood is supposed to have some of the best amusement park food, but I don't see why even on a crowded day, they have lines rivaling the ones for coasters. Do they only have one cashier working at a time?
Some of the main pathways were very narrow and the whole park felt a bit like one giant bottleneck.
I feel like I didn't get to really experience Dollywood. I only got to ride five of the major coasters before everyone else started to feel miserable. I missed out on some of the shows (saw the predatory bird show), and I didn't get to visit most of the bottom half. But I had a pretty decent time.
And the elephant in the room: Lightning Rod. I was actually really disappointed when I found out it was closed. My family is hesitant about riding any coaster that has inversions, is rough, spins, or goes backwards. Lightning Rod was the one coaster I was sure that everyone would ride. And I know that Blazing Fury is "technically" a coaster but I had to leave after riding Thunderhead. So there was a lot of splitting up between rides and my mom never rode anything. And Dollywood left a sour taste in their mouths, so I can't imagine we'll be returning anytime soon (I.e. in the next three years). So I guess I'll miss out on Lightning Rod this year
So overall, I had a decent time at Dollywood. Not as pretty as BGW but more so than any of the Cedar Fair/Six Flags parks I've been to. Best customer service of the parks I've been to recently.
Coaster Count: 63