Dollywood 4/4

My Dad and I arrived at the park at about 8:30am(CT), when he pressed down on the brake to park, it began to squeal horridly and we could smell the brake pads burning away. We called AAA and after 45min. a toe truck came to take our car away. So it is alittle after 9:15 and we haven't even entered the gates, plus we are 6 hours from home without a car. But aside from all of that we head through the enterance and up to Mystery Mine.

Mystery Mine (Spoiler Review): I truly want to go into this review so if you do not want to know ALL the details scroll on down to the "sumed-up" MM review. Anyway, the line was already about 45min. long, but I didn't care one bit, I was SO excited. So we wnter the station and sit down in the front row of the VERY comfortable(IMO) train. After all of the restraint checks are done you are given the "all clear" and you take off.

The very beginning of the ride starts off with a small, yet gut-wrenching, first drop of about 10-15 ft. Then you travel back up about 10 into a unique element in which you turn to the left but are tilted to the right. I was always on the left side so I never received the full effect but it was still cool. Now you turn around past MANY red-eyed crows that caw at you. You enter a cloud of mist that comes right before "the crusher". You drop down under the huge spinning...thing?, then sharply enter an unbanked turn to the left. BRACE YOURSELF! This turn will knock you head into the shoulder restraint for a very uncomfortable experience. If anything has to be fixed for next season I would say they need to bank this turn!

Now, you are stopped in place before the first vertical lift, which, for some reason, is in broad daylight. 2 crows to the left pull down a lever which activates the left and you are hoisted up. This is a VERY strange experience, I actually believe a got some airtime going up the lift! When you reach the top you are pulled into a sharp, twisting 5ft. drop to the left and then another small hill. This is where you reach the top of the trestle. You pass through the mid-course brake and then suddenly dropped 90* about 40ft. into the vertical horseshoe-turn, followed by a quick turn to the right, up into another break. The first vertical drop was *incredible* to me, for I have not been dropped at 90* before. After that brake you dive into a sloping helix to the left and then back up into the trestle where you find a nice bunny-hop and then a bankes S-turn back into the station, only to pause for the second lift.

After waiting for the canary to "die", the lift starts up and you are, once again, lifted at 90*. Up on the ceiling is a projection of the top of the mine being stuck by lightning and falling on you; it's some cool 3D stuff. Then everything goes dark.......it's pitch black and you hear a creaking sound. The train crests the top of the lift and is stopped. A mischievious crow lights a match and throws it down on a pack of dynamite, which explodes (empressively) and you are ripped down into a twisting 95*, 85ft. drop! Also, your picture is taken through your "fall". The train rockets out of the mine and into a 1 1/2 heartline roll to the left! Talk about airtime! You are now upside down and held there for some intense hangtime for about 3 seconds and then brought back down, into a pop-hill for some last second air and into the STRONG brake-run. Males, beware! ;). Over all the coaster is AWESOME! Alittle rough in some places but, hopefully, Dollywood will fix that.

Mystery Mine (sumed-up Review): The ride had about a 45min. line, but it was worth it. The ride is very well themed and is very exciting. Plus the mine is full of suprises. WARNING: Brace yourself when you see the crusher and KEEP bracing yourself until you understand why I told you to brace yourself. I hope that didn't give anything away ;).

Dollywood has a real winner on there hands and I hope they can work out some of the roughness because it CAN be fixed. I rode it 4 times! All in All, I give it a 10/10. It also has entered my top 5 steel coasters!

Timber Tower: I got a kick out of this ride! I know it is mostly for kids, but I still found it to be fun. I can't really explain the experience, but it gets a 7/10.

Thunderhead: Wow, everyone knows this is a great coaster with AWESOME trains so what more can I say? I rode first in the very front seat, and wow it feels so awesome up there. Riding in the front, you get a nice kick of air going up the fan-turn. Next, I rode 2nd to the back seat. The only thing that gets me about sitting in the back on Thunderhead is that you still don't get pulled over the first hill and propelled out of your seat, which is my favorite aspect of riding in the back. It gets a 9 1/2/10.

Daredevil Falls: Okay, so the tempature was alittle cold for water rides but oh well. I had always heard that this was an awesome log-flume type of ride so I had to get on. Over-all, DF didn't live up to my expectations, I mean, the drop was GREAT, but there was nothing else to it...oh well, still a good ride, 7/10!

Blazing Fury: I love Blazing Fury! I mean, the first part may get tiring, but the finally is great! A fun and suprising ride with some decent air, this is a good darkride/indoor coaster! It gets an 8/10.

That was all I got to ride this trip. Tennessee Tornado was closed :(.The lines were way longer than I expected them to be but that is okay. I still had a great time! The park, everything together, gets a 10/10 from me!!!

At about 3:00 the auto-shop called and said they were done so a very nice security gaurd ran us over there. When we arrived at the auto shop they reported that after a test-drive the brakes were in worse shape then expected, so they would have to keep it over night, but that was okay. We took the trolley down to Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge were I rode the Screamin' Swing. We had a fun night out on town and a great day at Dollywood!

Thanks for reading and please share your thoughts! *** Edited 4/8/2007 5:29:56 AM UTC by DantheCoasterman***