Sunday 9/2/2012
After taking the Patriot Park trolley again, we arrived at
Dollywood just after opening. We thought
we might have had the time wrong since very few people were around, but alas,
there just weren’t any crowds at that time.
We were considering buying a Q-bot since they are relatively cheap compared
to other parks, but it just wasn’t needed.
We started the day by hopping aboard Dolly’s retired tour
bus. It’s a nice bus, but nothing
special. There’s not much to see in
there, but it was air conditioned so that was nice. Since it was right next door, we decided to
check out Smoky Mountain Wilderness Adventure Tour motion simulator. This was the most uncomfortable simulator
I’ve been on. The pods were jerking
around the entire time, regardless of what was showing on the screen. The visuals had some nice views of the
mountains, but the uncomfortable motions detracted from them.
After grabbing some delicious cinnamon bread, we took a spin
on the S&S screamin’ swing Barnstormer.
The ride is simple in its motion, but is a ton of fun. I really liked it. Next up was the Mountain Slidewinder. This looked like something straight out of
Roller Coaster Tycoon. I don’t think
I’ve seen another ride like this anywhere.
The setting amongst the trees and the unique rubber sleds combined for a
one of a kind attraction. But be warned,
your backside will get wet.
Since we were already wet, a little more water wasn’t going
to hurt so we walked on to the log flume Daredevil Falls. The special effects were great and the drop
was a decent size, and you don’t get terribly wet. This ride fits perfectly with the theme of
the rest of the park.
After checking out a few of the shops and the eagle
sanctuary, we took our time walking around the back of the park, catching a few
laps on Blazing Fury, Tennessee Tornado, Wild Eagle, and Thunderhead. By this time, lunch was starting to call our
name. We checked out our options, and
honestly, we weren’t very impressed.
Some of our group settled for a chicken flatbread something or another
while others opted for giant corndogs.
What surprised me the most was that there weren’t too many individual
items for sale outside of sweet treats.
You couldn’t buy just a burger or just a side of fries for example. You had to buy an entire meal or nothing at
all. A lack of healthy options was
disheartening as well. I am told the sit
down buffets are better quality and obviously have more variety, but I would
like to see more choices among the counter service restaurants.
At this point we decided to take a lap on the Dollywood
Express coal fired steam engine train to let our lunch settle a bit. We arrived at the station, and I thought it
might have been on fire due to the large amount of smoke billowing in the
air. Any doubt about the authenticity of
this locomotive went out the window when our eyes started watering and cinders
hit our skin. It is the real deal. The train takes you around the park and
through the mountains, giving some good photo opportunities of the rides as
well as a small village that is traverses.
It was now early afternoon and a showing of Dreamland
Drive-In was about to start. This live
show features dancing and music from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s, and it’s
enjoyable for the whole family. It was
much better than what I was expecting, and it was also nice to get out of the
heat and humidity and into the air conditioning for a bit.
Next up for us was a walkthrough of the National Roller
Coaster Museum exhibit. This museum
features a lot of photos, artifacts, and information about roller coasters,
clubs, and ride manufacturers. My
favorite part was being able to get up and close with a section of track from
the old Texas Giant, as well as several types of wheels. For coaster enthusiasts, this is a must see
exhibit if you are visiting Dollywood.
After the museum, we made our way to the Country Fair
section of the park. All the rides and
games seemed to be jammed into a small area, but I supposed that makes it feel more
like an actual country fair. We took a
spin on the Zamperla Disk’O Dizzy Disk and then got in line for the kiddie
coaster Sideshow Spin just to get the credit.
We were in the station, waiting to get on the very next train, and
that’s when the remnants of hurricane Isaac decide to show up. The deluge of rain started pouring down on
us, and with lightning in the area, all rides were shut down.
We were getting ready to leave the park soon anyway, but the
rain expedited that process for us just a bit.
We made a mad dash for the exit along with everyone else, and headed
back to the trolley pick up point. The
rain left us absolutely soaked, but that just added to the fun of our
trip. We went back to our condo to dry
off and change clothes for our dinner at the Dixie Stampede.
Overall, we had a great time. The employees were extremely nice, almost to
a fault. Their friendliness often slowed
down ride operations considerably, but it’s not such a big deal when crowds are
minimal. If you are going to the park
solely for rides, you may leave a bit disappointed. Although the rides are top notch, the park is
about the overall experience and is geared more towards the entire family. It’s a truly unique place with excellent
theming throughout, and I look forward to returning to Dollywood in the future.
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