Dollywood, Could They Build Their Own Powder Keg

No wonder you guys act as if Dollywood didn't exist prior to 1999. ;) I doubt the park will add big thrill rides every year. It's just not what DW is about.

I'm always in the minority when I say I remember the "Homespun Fun" days...

Come on down to Dollywood...It's Homespun Fun!

CP and SFMM are credit whores. Normal parks would not categorize Thunderhead with Veggie Tales as the same type of capital investments.

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Jeffrey R Smith said:
"Buy and ye shall receive..."

I think that is how the old quote goes!

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I think it's:

Ask and ye shall receive.

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Mamoosh said:
Parks don't count kiddie coasters as coasters? WTF have you been smoking? How do you think CP and SFMM got to 16?

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I think what he meant was that kiddie coasters aren't a significant cap. ex.

I wouldn't be surprised to see something exciting pop up at DWood next year. Just have a little while to wait and see, though.

JC

Oh...well he should have said that then! ;) His post made it sound like he was talking in "enthusiast" terms, not "park" terms. I agree, a kiddie coaster would probably not been seen as a significant cap ex.

Sorry, Raven!

Oh yea---it is "ask"... I need to study up on my quotes! :-)

I was doing both. ;) I do think that the reason why they got two in a row is because they don't see VT as the same as TH, and I do think credit whoring is funny even though I do have some pretty lame coasters on my track record. :)

(no offense to anyone who has been on more lame coasters than me of course)

(and no offense to people who don't believe in "lame coasters" :) )

So what you are saying is that we could expect to see another dynamite year at Dollywood next season? ;)

Dude, you know the saying...I can't tell. :)

...or I don't know.

When you break 30 million down over three years, that is only 10 million a year. I'm not saying a coaster is not in the works, but that budget is for other things as well I'm sure. Exaclty how cheap can you get a really good coaster for? Plus make other improvements and additions as well.

Powder Keg was 10 million. I just looked it up on RCDB. That would leave 20 million for other things over 3 years. They could easily fit a nice coaster or 2 into that budget if 30 million is indeed their budget for the next 3 years.

*** Edited 4/28/2005 2:49:22 PM UTC by Coasterfantom2***

Yes you're right but they saved money on Powder keg because they used peices from Buzz Saw Falls. They used the lift and a helix. Using that lift saved them a ton as its one of the most expensive parts of a ride. But they could easily get a small to mid sized launched ride for 10 - 15 million.

Who said they will invest only $10 million per year? They may jump the gun and invest $15-20 million into a good sized major signature attraction *cough*coaster*cough*- that would leave alot of money for installation of new attractions in the other years...(the 30 mil is for new attractions ONLY)

While SDC did reuse some of the existing track left over from Buzzsaw Falls, a lift isn't needed on a launched coaster. So DW could definately build a Powder Kegish coaster for close to $10 million. Sure, it might be shorter than Powderkeg, but that doesn't mean that it would be less thrilling.

*** Edited 4/29/2005 2:53:51 AM UTC by Incidentalist***

^^I agree. I'd rather see some other new attractions at Dollywood besides a coaster for the time in being. Frisbee, Top Spin, Drop Tower, (Can't say I like the idea of something that tall sticking up out of the mountains, though) or whatever else has been rumored would all make nice additions.

I still don't expect DW to become totally ride oriented, so I'm going to be happy with the new additions whatever they are. Dollywood is an entertainment park...not a thrill park.

*** Edited 4/29/2005 2:57:52 AM UTC by Dukeis#1***

Well we never thought a launched coaster would fit into SDC either, but guess what - it works just fine. While it works at SDC, it might not work at DW. SDC has a lot of "traditional" rides that make it SDC, DW doesn't really have that to fall back on. The only ride that could be argued that falls into that category is Blazing Fury, but it doesn't have near the charm that Fire in the Hole has. By adding a "big steel" the park is nothing more than a SF with a craft festival. That being said, it doesn't, make it any less of a good park - just that it might change the mission statement of the park from "family park" to "thrills park".

-D

I think DW could add 10 steel giants and not loose its charm. I have never seen a park's atmosphere more defined by the employees who work there than at DW. Gotta love that good 'ol southern hospitality.

I thought that was the reasoning behind adding the new, more traditinoal rides this year, as well as those surveys that had more 'traditional themed' sections and rides?

A Powder Keg type ride at Dollywood could fit in nicely with the theme and be family and not thrills, I thought that was the point behind Powder Keg...

You missed my point. "Traditionals" are rides/attractions that people expect to be there year after year. Generation after generation experiences them togehter. At SDC there is FITH, Flooded Mine, Grandfather's Mansion, American Plunge, Huck Finn's Hideaway, and Marvel Cave, just to mention a few. By having these "traditionals," the family atmosphere is very sound and thus no matter what is added the family atmosphere will still be there.

Now switching gears, looking at DW we only really have Blazin' Fury as a "traditional". Thus if they add lots of iron (or wood) giants the park won't have the "traditionals" to fall back on. Maybe I'm just being silly, but I don't want DW to become a "iron paradise" like CP. They need to add more things that are "timeless". I love the park, but I don't want it be a SF. Do you understand?

If you do than explain it to me. ;)

I get you, but, then, what I said still kinda applies. I agree that I definitly don't want Dollywood to become anything remotely like Cedar Point. In fact, I'd like Dollywood to stay just like it is, even if it didn't add a coaster after Thunderhead, ever.

But I feel that the reason Dollywood followed up this season with a flatride package, and the reason they're talking about adding new 'more traditional' type rides was to have that 'traditional' ride to fall back on in the future. See, I don't know about Silver Dollar City, but Dollywood could stand on its own without any major coasters. It did it for quite a long time because the majority of guests that go to Dollywood aren't there for the thrills, and they still have the train, ferris wheel, Blazing Fury, Scrambler, that water ride thingy I simply must ride this year, etc.

I get what your saying, and I'm actually on your side of this in a way. But that being said, If they spend $30mill in the next 3 years and added a Powder Keg type ride and then added some other charming Dollywood exclusive rides, They'd still be miles away from Cedar Point, Six Flags, and even Paramount, all three of which have their problem parks and their stars.

I've only been to one HEC (or is it HFC now, I don't remember?) park, but from what I can tell, there isn't a 'bad' or 'neglected' one in the chain. I would almost expect them to build something like this, if not the same type exactly, after adding Thunderhead, which is still more of a Family coaster, even if it is one of the best there is out there. Then too, I see them focusing on the experience and the more traditional. Will we see a drop tower there? Perhaps. Will we see some Huss Giants and/or other thrilling flats out now a days? I'd like to think not.

Oh, and going into 'prickish vocabulary police mode' just before someone else jumps you, shouldn't it be "if you do then explain it to me"?;)