Post by Coasterdude5 on Jun 15, 2007 22:48:34 GMT -5
Double Dosage of Dollywood
Our last vacation took us to scenic, tourist-trap infested, Gatlinburg. It's a great place and alot better to stay in than neighboring Pigeon Forge.
Day One - June 12th, 2007
The park was packed on Tuesday. Lines were pretty long and most of the pathways were near-gridlock in places.
I won't dance around - I did not like Mystery Mine. It was rough, painful, and a short and overall boring ride. The tight transitions made for a head-banging experience I've never experienced on any other ride.
===Spoilers Ahead===
You drop about 10 or 20 feet out of the station and abrubtly pop back up and make an odd outwards banked turn to the left. You then pass by the red-eyed crows and then turn to drop below the "crusher" you then pop back up again for more head-banging and round a tight 90 degree turn for the first vertical lift.
You stall for a few seconds before beginnning the journey up the vertical life. You leave the building before coming across the bridge. The first vertical drop was, IMO, the best. You soar through the horseshoe turn and through the two turns. You then head back into the building and stop again at the foot of the larger lift. You climb the lift and watch the graphic of the mine collapsing (could've done without that), before stopping at the top for the "explosion". The sound effects are great as you anticipate the drop. The 85 foot drop is alright but not too much air. You then fly through the two inversions and get some decent hang-time before hitting the break run.
I would love to say this ride is awesome and all that but in truth it's not. I heard several people they would never ride it again it was so painful. But I rode it four times over 2 days at different times of the day and it was about as bad each time. I was heavily dissappointed.
===Spoilers End Here===
Tennessee Tornado surprised me. It was alot better this time than I had remembered it being. I didn't remember being as smooth as it was and it still keeping the forces. And with Timber Canyon on the other side of the park this area is easily forgotten so the lines were short the whole time.
Thunderhead still hauls all the way through the course without letting up at all. Best wooden coaster (that I've ridden). It didn't seem any different from when I rode it three years ago.
I also rode all the other stuff like the cool Blazing Fury, River Rampage, the train, and I got some "insight" for the future.
According to the engineer, Dollywood is adding new attractions for the next 10 years, one of which being a "gondola" ride that will transport guests from one end of the park (I'm guessing Craftsmen's Valley), to Timber Canyon.
Onto what you really care about:
If you are within 10 miles of this park and haven't heard about Mystery Mine, you're an idiot.
It's good to be back Dollywood, with your fancy No Smoking signs.
I see Thunderhead.
Does three coaster years equal three human years?
Alright, here's a tip if you're at Dollywood. Say you've gotta be at Mystery Mine soon (why?). All you gotta do is get behind one of these scooters. They don't stop for nothin!
Mystery Mine, well, there she blows.
Haha, I didn't know they actually put you through the water.
Hahahaha!!!
Due to the sun's position, these next few shots of Mystery Mine will suck.
But first, a view of Lumberjack Lifts.
Despite what this picture shows, Mystery Mine is not black.
Hang-time.
You can make out "Mystery Mine" in this picture.
More soon.
Our last vacation took us to scenic, tourist-trap infested, Gatlinburg. It's a great place and alot better to stay in than neighboring Pigeon Forge.
Day One - June 12th, 2007
The park was packed on Tuesday. Lines were pretty long and most of the pathways were near-gridlock in places.
I won't dance around - I did not like Mystery Mine. It was rough, painful, and a short and overall boring ride. The tight transitions made for a head-banging experience I've never experienced on any other ride.
===Spoilers Ahead===
You drop about 10 or 20 feet out of the station and abrubtly pop back up and make an odd outwards banked turn to the left. You then pass by the red-eyed crows and then turn to drop below the "crusher" you then pop back up again for more head-banging and round a tight 90 degree turn for the first vertical lift.
You stall for a few seconds before beginnning the journey up the vertical life. You leave the building before coming across the bridge. The first vertical drop was, IMO, the best. You soar through the horseshoe turn and through the two turns. You then head back into the building and stop again at the foot of the larger lift. You climb the lift and watch the graphic of the mine collapsing (could've done without that), before stopping at the top for the "explosion". The sound effects are great as you anticipate the drop. The 85 foot drop is alright but not too much air. You then fly through the two inversions and get some decent hang-time before hitting the break run.
I would love to say this ride is awesome and all that but in truth it's not. I heard several people they would never ride it again it was so painful. But I rode it four times over 2 days at different times of the day and it was about as bad each time. I was heavily dissappointed.
===Spoilers End Here===
Tennessee Tornado surprised me. It was alot better this time than I had remembered it being. I didn't remember being as smooth as it was and it still keeping the forces. And with Timber Canyon on the other side of the park this area is easily forgotten so the lines were short the whole time.
Thunderhead still hauls all the way through the course without letting up at all. Best wooden coaster (that I've ridden). It didn't seem any different from when I rode it three years ago.
I also rode all the other stuff like the cool Blazing Fury, River Rampage, the train, and I got some "insight" for the future.
According to the engineer, Dollywood is adding new attractions for the next 10 years, one of which being a "gondola" ride that will transport guests from one end of the park (I'm guessing Craftsmen's Valley), to Timber Canyon.
Onto what you really care about:
If you are within 10 miles of this park and haven't heard about Mystery Mine, you're an idiot.
It's good to be back Dollywood, with your fancy No Smoking signs.
I see Thunderhead.
Does three coaster years equal three human years?
Alright, here's a tip if you're at Dollywood. Say you've gotta be at Mystery Mine soon (why?). All you gotta do is get behind one of these scooters. They don't stop for nothin!
Mystery Mine, well, there she blows.
Haha, I didn't know they actually put you through the water.
Hahahaha!!!
Due to the sun's position, these next few shots of Mystery Mine will suck.
But first, a view of Lumberjack Lifts.
Despite what this picture shows, Mystery Mine is not black.
Hang-time.
You can make out "Mystery Mine" in this picture.
More soon.