Dollywood's Mystery Mine Ride

I'm also looking forward to riding this coaster. I've never been one to ride dark rides, and don't like the thought of birds flying at me or scary miners on the ride, but I'm ready for those beyond verticle drop and inversions in the 8 person car.

Here's a very good article about mystery mine.

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1211&dept_id=169689&newsid=16897671&PAG=461&rfi=9

Another childhood memory gone....* cries *

Anybody have a site that has some images of The Flooded Mine

The firehouse roller coaster where you go head on with a "train" is still there right?

Yes, Blazing Fury is still there.

They've changed the big room with the waterfall a little bit, but that's about it aside from changing the station conveyor to advancing wheels. At least from what I can tell.

"...You look like you been kissin' a steam train!" ;)

Here are the attractions that have been removed/replaced from Dollywood, that I can remember...

• Flooded Mine - DareDevil Falls replaced it.
• Arrow Mine Ride - Replaced with Tn. Tornado - uses same station/queue.
• Log Ride - old skool one in Country Fair, was removed with the big Country Fair expansion.
• Swingamajig (Yo-Yo) - replaced with a Zamperla Wave Swinger.
• Rags to Riches - Chasing Rainbows replaced it.
• Lucky 7 mine.
• Children's Discovery Area - Country Fair. Maybe just revamped??
• Cloud Grabber - (Thanks Dukeis#1) Aerial Ride
• Butter Churn - (Thanks Dukeis#1) - C.Fair
• Balloon Race - Dreamland Forrest (Thanks Dukeis#1)
• Antique Carousel - The Village Area (Thanks Dukeis#1)

Is there anything else????????????? *** Edited 7/11/2006 1:27:41 PM UTC by coasterfreaky***

^^^ Is this THAT Mike B.? ;)

Oh, since I just posted this in the news thread, and lots of people don't seem to read those, I'm copy/pasting...

Gotta admit, my curiosity got the best of me regarding the $17.5M figure. I mean, I'm curious to begin with, hehe, but that sounded VERY high. So I put on my research hat and found information about cost on Gerstlauers to be surprisingly scarce. One thing I did find, Typhoon at....ummm, that park in Belgium...
http://www.rcdb.com/id2229.htm

5M Euros, roughly $6.4M....and Typhoon has longer track length...

Perhaps Dollywood is pricing out the entire expansion for '07? Even for land prep, theming, special effects, landscaping afterward, etc., etc....that still sounds VERY high to me.

Agreed, Gator. Unless we're talking, like, Disney caliber theming here, and even *then* I'm not sure exactly where all that money would go to.

"Perhaps Dollywood is pricing out the entire expansion for '07? Even for land prep, theming, special effects, landscaping afterward, etc., etc....that still sounds VERY high to me."

I think that is where the 17.5 million comes from. The park hired a company from Orlando, B Dudash & Associates, Inc, to design the theming. They have apparently worked with Disney and Universal before.

Coasterfreaky, in addition to the removed attractions you pointed out, there are also several flat rides that have came and went from the park over the years. The Butter Churn, The Cloud Grabber, The Balloon Race, The 1924 Antique Dentzel Carousel, and several other smaller kiddie rides to name a few.

*** Edited 7/11/2006 1:49:19 AM UTC by Dukeis#1***

Thanks Dukeis#1!

I vaguely remember the carousel. Any idea why it was removed, or where it went? Gotta love the tight-rolled acid washed jeans! ;)

I was totally in to Opryland when these rides were around, so I've never seen the Cloud Grabber and Butterchurn before. I'm guessing the CG was like a aerial ride for the view? Fantastic Pics!!!

The Antique Carousel was originally from the defunct Rocky Springs Park in Pennsylvania. Dollywood leased it from the Rocky Spring Carousel Association in 1989, restored it, and in 1990, placed it the Village area near the train depot. (In the space previously occupied by the Silver Dollar Saloon)

Unfortunately, the Carousel was removed after the 1998 season, when the park decided not to renew the lease. (Perhaps due to upkeep costs?) At the end of the season it was disassembled and sent back to PA.

I think the RSCA is currently refurbishing it for future use.

As for the Cloud Grabber, it operated in a similar fashion to a Parachute Drop. The ride was built in 1967 as the "Sky Hook" for Six Flags Over Texas, ran there for a few years, then was relocated to SFOG where it stayed until '76 or '77. Silver Dollar City Tennessee purchased it for the 1980 season.

Despite heavy promotion, the ride only lasted a few seasons at the park, as it was removed by 1984 and sold to Magic Springs. I'm not sure if it ever operated there, though I've read it was scrapped in 1996.

Dollywood actually has quite a bit of history, you just don't find much about it! :)