[gabed]

First, a quick backstory. Exactly three years ago I was fortunate enough to visit Dollywood for the first time in my life. Needless to say, I loved it! One thing I still remember is when the ten year old me looked off into a big pile of dirt. A big pile of dirt that would soon become Dollywood's signature coaster. As I gazed, my mind pictured what the layout of the new coaster would soon look like. About a month after my trip, Wild Eagle was announced! Sadly, I wasn't able to visit in 2012, or the following year when “River Rush” was the big thing. However, I have been very fortunate this year because not one, but two new coasters have been built since my previous visit! I apologize in advance for my amateur photography skills. Just keep in mind that I'm a thirteen year old with an iPhone camera. With that out of the way, here is my trip!

After hours of listening to Coldplay and Radiohead as we drove through the mountains, we arrived at the park.

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Such a lovely entrance!

After we entered, my sister and I headed straight for our favorite ride from last time...

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Barnstormer! Definitely one of my favorite flat rides I've ever ridden! As most of you know, the great theming adds to the ride experience, resulting in an awesome attraction.

Anyways, with Barnstormer done, we began walking to our next ride:

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Although the line felt like an eternity, I enjoyed the ride!

Next up, the Tennessee Tornado, Dollywood's arrow looper... ewwww.

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Strangely, the ride was very smooth!

After that, it was time to get in line for Dollywood's new attraction, Firechaser Express!

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My review: 10/10! Everything from the theming to the overall ride experience was spectacular! And to be honest, the ride is much faster than it looks in the POV videos. Definitely a wise addition!

To be continued...

[gabed]

Part 2:

After Firechaser, it was time for a ride that I wasn't exactly thrilled about...

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I was dreading this for several reasons:

1) Gatekeeper was misery
2) Wild Eagle hasn't been received well by several enthusiasts, (including a few on this forum).

Despite those things, I rode it anyways. And to my surprise, I loved it! Although the final two helixes are a bit bumpy, the overall experience is fantastic! The way you fly through inversions as you pass by the wilderness really adds to the fun!

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It's me!

After Wild Eagle, I made my way to Mystery Mine! One of the few eurofighters in the United States.

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Just like the last time I rode it... awesome! Great theming, great elements, great coaster!

[gabed]

Part 3

Once Mystery Mine was over, the next ride was an obvious choice...

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I haven't ridden too many wooden coasters in my life, but Thunderhead is definitely my favorite! Extremely fast combined with lots of tight twists, resulting in an incredible thrill machine!

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After my ride on Thunderhead, a light drizzle began to form. Nothing too bad, however, it slowly began to escalate into a massive thunderstorm. As the lightning screamed across the dark sky, my family and I sat down at a buffet and enjoyed a delicious dinner. Due to the storm, the crowds continued to get larger and larger in the restaurant.

However, once the storm cooled down and the rides reopened, I was in for a pleasant surprise...

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...empty

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Here is the wait for Blazing Fury, (just a few hours before this photo was taken, the line was out the door.)

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Random picture of Wild Eagle.

For the rest of the day, lines remained short. And to end the perfect day, I rode Wild Eagle in total darkness as the fireworks exploded from above.

Tomorrow I'll be at Splash Country where I'll get to ride my first water coaster! By the way, I would like to thank Edwardo for recommending the cinnamon bread at the Grist Mill, it is simply heavenly.

Thank you for reading!

-Gabe Dean

[KingHippo1]

My family went on Memorial Day when the eagle was shut down. Firechasers line was over an hour and watching povs of it online I knew it would probably take two hours. Mystery Mine was absolutely incredible and after that I gazed at Thunderhead but didn't ride because the kiddies were worn slap out. I regret not riding it but knowing the kids were worn out made it an easy decision to just pack it up and go home. That park made me realize that theming and scenery are very important. The place is just beautiful.

[Tawny71]

I was there this past Monday (July 7) and Friday morning (July 11). We got the Q 2 Q pass for Monday because the park was pretty busy, and it was such a good investment! For only $20/person, we got to skip all the lines on the major rides. We rode all the coasters (some twice), 2 of the water rides, and lots of the rides in Country Fair, all within 6 hours. It was great!

[arby]

Thanks for sharing. I was just there on Thu/Fri of last week. Thunderhead was down and they were waiting on a broken part to arrive. It still wasn't up when we left but on Friday but I bet it's back up now.

It was great to be able to *almost* see the fireworks from our campground. I'll add some highlights from our trip once I get the pictures processed.