Dollywood

[Sam]

Track has just arrived on-park in the last few minutes for Dollywood's new major coaster.

The ride is almost certainly B&M. It is also almost certainly a Wingrider, as the park management promised it'd be the only one of it's kind in the US. The track is beautiful and blue.

For those who don't know, here's a quick primer to get you up to date with Tennessee's most famous bulbous-breasted theme park:

The park was opened as Dollywood in 1986, with the addition of a rather beautifully themed rapids:



In 1989 the park bought an Arrow mine train, Thunder Express, from Six Flags Over Mid-America which operated until 1998:



It's replacement is one of Arrow's last coasters, with one of the most absurd looking loops every built, the Tennessee Tornado:



The year before they open the absolutely beautiful Daredevil Falls:



2004 sees an extremely well regarded GCI woodie in the form of Thunderhead:



A HUSS Topple Tower opens in 2006, though this is currently closed to a contractual dispute with HUSS regarding maintenance:



In 2007, the park opened the extremely highly themed Eurofighter Mystery Mine:



And finally, this year they've added a wonderfully themed S&S Screamin' Swing, Barnstormer:



I'd love to visit this wonderful looking park someday!

[Mattmash]

Good stuff mate Dollywood has been near the top of my must visit parks for some time now. Thunderhead gets rave reviews and I would love to ride Mystery Mine! Even more now that I've experienced Fluch, to see if it can live up to it. I've heard the food is absolutely amazing there too. The addition of a new B&M can only add to the appeal!

Just the shame the park is so far away from other decent parks, although I'm sure it's location perched in the Smokey Mountains really adds a lot, much like Alton's beautiful location does. It would be really difficult to fit into a theme park tour/ roadtrip unfortunately I WILL visit one day though!

[AstroDan]

This is probably the park I want to visit most in the USA.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

[Thorpefandan]

It looks like a beautiful park. When I first heard of it I thought it was a terrible gimmick, but as I actually looked at pictures of the park I realised that really wasn't the case. I'm glad the Wingriders are selling, two years and 3 new Wingriders, that's very good news for B&M. The track is a great colour too!

[Benzin]

Tis a brilliant park (and the food should also be brought up for it's tastiness) though I found Thunderhead over-rated...


And a new B&M... God I hate it when parks do this, I have other places to go, don't keep tempting me back with tasty goodies when you're so far away from other parks...


I have done it on a road-trip as well, so it's possible, just very far away... Very far away...

[Sam]

[quote=""Mattmash""]although I'm sure it's location perched in the Smokey Mountains really adds a lot, much like Alton's beautiful location does.[/quote]
I think this photo of Tennessee Tornado really shows how much the park is in the "wilderness", completely breaking with tradition for an American park where you can usually see the highway from the top of the lifthill!



I was under the impression Merlin signed some sort of exclusivity deal on the Wingriders? But maybe that didn't apply to the US...

[Dylan]

Seem strange they have gone for a blue colour track.
Everything installed in this park seems to compliment the natural woodland surroundings with browns, greens and greys. Will a big new BLUE B&M not stand out like a sore thumb?

Dollywood is also high on the list of American Parks I would love to visit too. I believe the Smoky Mountains National Park is meant to be beautiful so would probably be a great place to take a trip.

[James6]

Makes you realise how s**** Intamin's final product of the Wingrider must have been to sell just one, with B&M selling at least 3 in just 2 years.

Agreed with the rest of you though, this place is possibly at the top of my wish list.

[Nathan]

Seriously, if there's one park I want to visit more than anywhere, it's Dollywood. They may not have the biggest, or most amount of rides, but there's something about the park that really strikes a chord with me.

I've always said that it's the one park Lightwater Valley ought to model themselves on, albeit on a much smaller budget. I just adore the whole setting and would love to see it replicated a bit closer to home.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AstroDan]

Silver dollar city also looks good, may I add!

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

[Blaze]

[quote=""Sam""]I was under the impression Merlin signed some sort of exclusivity deal on the Wingriders? But maybe that didn't apply to the US...[/quote]
Not this Dive Machine thing again! :P

It is a great looking park though. So un-American.

[.Will]

[quote=""Blaze""][quote=""Sam""]I was under the impression Merlin signed some sort of exclusivity deal on the Wingriders? But maybe that didn't apply to the US...[/quote]
Not this Dive Machine thing again! :P

It is a great looking park though. So un-American.[/quote]

Yep because a southern themed theme park owned by a famous red neck is un-American.

:P

[Blizzard]

So these wingriders are selling like crazy! (Considering its only been 2 years!) So why is the wingrider not yet on the B&M website? I just dont understand it!

Blue colured track you say? The only blue B&M track I can think of is bat man at SFMM & Manta. Obviously Air, but thats more of a turquisy light blue colour.
Infact, thats one thing I'v noticed about AT, you cant really define the colours of the coasters, Such as nemmie & oblivion. Wheras the US always seem to go for block colours. Anyone else notice that?

[Rob L]

[quote=""Blizzard""]So these wingriders are selling like crazy! (Considering its only been 2 years!) So why is the wingrider not yet on the B&M website? I just dont understand it!

Blue colured track you say? The only blue B&M track I can think of is bat man at SFMM & Manta. Obviously Air, but thats more of a turquisy light blue colour.
Infact, thats one thing I'v noticed about AT, you cant really define the colours of the coasters, Such as nemmie & oblivion. Wheras the US always seem to go for block colours. Anyone else notice that?[/quote]
Off topic I know, but there are plenty of blue B&Ms; Manta, Montu, Griffon, Great White, Goliath at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and one side of Dragon Challenge!

[Valentez]

And there was me thinking the wingrider was part of an exclusive deal to Merlin for the time being...

Just as long as it doesn't take the spotlight off LC12 then it's cool with me 8)

[Sam]

[quote=""Blizzard""]So these wingriders are selling like crazy! (Considering its only been 2 years!) So why is the wingrider not yet on the B&M website? I just dont understand it!

Blue colured track you say? The only blue B&M track I can think of is bat man at SFMM & Manta. Obviously Air, but thats more of a turquisy light blue colour.[/quote]
B&M are famously a bit haphazard on the internet. They didn't even have a website until two or three years ago, I remember it used to be a running joke amongst enthusiasts. To be honest, when your order-books are absolutely full, you don't need to advertise. All the parks with any ability to buy a B&M already know who they are to be honest.

I've been on SFMM's Batman, I don't remember it being blue?

[James6]

^ It was recently repainted

[Sam]

Saw this on CoasterForce and it made me chuckle.



---- Post Info Added ----

New rumours, from someone reputable on CoasterFusion

• The coaster will be a Wingrider.
• 220ft tall.
• Terrain coaster, with the lifthill taking riders up a mountain and the track rarely being 11ft higher than the ground.
• 180ft loop, world's biggest loop.
• 4000ft long.
• "3 or 4" inversions.

If this is even half true then it's going to dick all over Gardaland's and Thorpe's efforts. Sounds like a steel Boulder Dash to me, and possible new best coaster in the world.

Dollywood

[ReZourceman]

Good lord sweet Christ Christmas Mary Elizabeth Jahovah's Witness.



Dollywood is in the middle of nowhere (Americanly-speaking) is it? I.e. not justifiable to go there solely...fuuuuu ahhhh.

[Wildboy]

For those that are interest. On 4od there is a documentary about Dolly Parton and Dollywood, interviewed by Graham Norton. It is pretty old (2002) I think but gives a nice peak at the park and the then new Tennessee Tornado.