Dollywood Action Plan

Dollywood: Please help me plan a one-day trip!

Please share your ideas on a plan of attack for Dollywood. Must haves/priorities: COASTERS and any other major rides. No need to mention shows.

I noticed from the park website that a lot of rides have a water element. Which ones are "you'll get drenched" vs. "you might get sprayed a little right at the end."

Thanks so much -- I'll be visiting this weekend or next--

Get a Q-Bot. They're crazy cheap...

I've never been in season (we go at Christmas) so I've never encountered one of their water rides actually being open.

i also have not made down yet this year. i would ridethunderhead and then head up to mystery mine. while in the area if new shootup boat ride is on your list i would ride it. the new path should be open to tornado. as you walk toward main area of park there are other rides in craftman valley you might want to ride. if warm enough to get wet check out watercoaster i forget name near kids area. long hike to the top of ride but it is something different. as for the water rides, they can only slightly dampen you to soak you on the river ride. let me know if i can answer anything else.

Betty's touring plan looks good.

If you are only going for big thrills and not all the "immersive and themed" shows and attractions, you might be disappointed. Dollywood is all about theming...shops, restaurants, shows, rides...everything is themed, and except for about a dozen a-list attractions, the park is teeming with midway attractions for kids. And honestly, even the big rides are much more family oriented (think Magic Kingdom type stuff) than most thrill parks. If you have kids and they are at least 48" tall, I think they can ride everything.

For the "not wet rides" definitely hit Thunderhead (a GCI wooden coaster and a near perfect example, too), Mystery Mine (an extensively themed and exciting coaster), Tennessee Tornado (a short but fun steel looper), and Thunder Road (a motion simulator ride/show - not great, but worth a visit if you have the time).

For the wet rides you should try the new River Battle (it is new, so I don't have any details, sorry), Blaze of Fury (a sort of water/coaster, like Fire in the Hole at Silver Dollar City), Daredevil Falls (a short, themed log ride with a big drop), Mountain Sidewinder (a wet toboggan ride down a mountain), Smokey Mt River Rampage (a themed white water raft ride), and Timber Tower (an intense pendulum spinner not unlike those found at other parks, but with a water element). You have a good chance of getting very wet on these attractions, however, just like on any water ride, the chances are hit and miss. Keep in mind, it gets pretty hot in Pigeon Forge, so a little wetness in the midday heat can be nice.

So, your touring plan might look like this:

Thunderhead
Mystery Mine
River Battle
Tenn Tornado
Blaze of Fury
Daredevil Falls
Sidewinder
River Rampage
Thunder Road
(Backtrack to) Timber Tower (and re-ride Thunderhead and Mystery Mine, they are worth it!).

As of this morning, local weather predictions included thunderstorms for this Saturday for the greater Knoxville area. Anyone know if Dollywood is quick to close completely, or just close rides, or is not much affected by thunderstorms?

My "wimpy" family is already hemming and hawing about going with me to Dollywood -- harrumph. They have season passes and go all the time, so it's easy for them to talk about a little weather!

Thanks for the proposed park plans! I know I'll hit the coasters, but am still on the fence about water rides. I don't mind getting wet when it happens, but hate being soaked through to the skin and walking around in wet clothes for hours afterward! Too bad they don't make magic quick-dry outfits.

Thunderhead with a wet track?

I'd be there with bells on.

They'll have to close the coasters down in the case of storms, but they certainly wouldn't close the park. There's plenty of shows you can catch while waiting for the weather to clear out.

Just don't ride Mystery Mine when it's raining. The 90 degree lift hill is no fun when you're getting pegged in the face by rain.

From Donna Tolliver-Walker
Posted May 6, 2008 at 4:07 PM

Thanks again for all the comments.

I know there are safety reasons why some rides would close, but maybe it won't rain anyway. Hope not!

From Betty Rohrer
Posted May 7, 2008 at 6:43 PM

i have been at Dollywood when the park has closed early because of rain. seems to depend on how many people are still in the park and if the rain is letting up.

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