Mystery Mine Update

http://www.wbir.com/life/programming/local/liveatfive/story.aspx?storyid=41553

Watch the accompanying video. You get to see the cars on the tracks, a lot of new video that we haven't seen before, and a few updates. Enjoy!

Man, that ride is looking so good. If its as good as it looks in the preview it will rival anything Disney and Universal have done lately.

Yeah, it looks like a lot of fun.

I guess Dollywood is on the 'must return' list for this year. :)

It looks FANTASTIC! I can't wait to hop on this bad boy. Maverick whut? ;)

It does look like a lot of fun. Thunderhead remains my primary reason for getting to Dollywood but this is a close second. Seems like Herschend really has a knack for great, immersive attractions in the same way that Disney does.

I can't wait! I want to be there opening day. I got to college at Tennessee Tech University and its not too far from there.

We'll be down there the first week of April for my daughter's spring break. I know the official opening date is Friday, April 13th, but I sent an e-mail to them, and here's the reply I received.

"Thank you for your interest in Dollywood. As long as the testing process is complete for this exciting new roller coaster, they will have a soft opening of the Mystery Mine during the time of your visit. The official grand opening of this new ride for the 2007 season is scheduled for Friday, April 13, 2007."

Hopefully everything will work out ok, and they'll stay on time for the completion. This ride has been fighting my interest for Maverick like crazy. They both look so awesome!

I recall suggesting that there's a strong possibility of a soft opening. That's how I got my Mummy rides before, and on, the Grand Opening date. Not at all unusual, that way parks can make sure all the bugs are exterminated BEFORE the press corps comes a-callin'.

Maybe Dick Cheney could use that idea (trial run-though)...so he doesn't get "blitzed" next time... ;)

Ok lol so please don't yall make fun of me, but what does a soft opening actually mean?

Bascially, it means that the ride is open to the public but isn't advertised or declared officially open so that if anything breaks, nobody can complain and say, "But you said it would be open" or "But we came all this way just to ride it."

The park can open it and then close it to tweak anything that needs tweaking without explanation.

The complete animation has been on the site for a few months now:

http://www.dollywood.com/mmine/anim.htm

Does look like something Disney would build!

Oh ok. Makes sense. Thanks! lol

I've enjoyed all the 'mystery elements', but I have heard through the grapevine that there is a turn-table before the 2nd lift!

Who is, "The Grapevine"? It seems to me like an interesting element like that would be anounced to show how unique of an experience the ride will provide. Of course, you may be right and they just wanted a surprise element. If I am wrong, I greatly apologize....

Well, at No Coaster Con Pete Owens from Dollywood said that they've been very careful not to show or say anything about the second lift. I'm not saying it's a turntable. What I am saying is that there will definalty be suprises.

Infer away...

"The car is swiveling here," says ride designer, Franz Maier. "We can turn the car and make very tight curves."

From that you infer "turntable"?

He was merely pointing out where the two halves of the 8-person "train" were connected and that the type of connection used allows for tight turns and transitions.

I dunno about that Moosh. English isn't his first language, so it's hard to say for sure what he meant exactly. There's nothing new about the wheel assembly that I can tell, so when he says 'swivel' & 'turn the car', I'm thinking he means more than what every other single-train coaster already does.

What I've heard, from one credible source, is that there is a turntable before the 2nd (taller of the two) lifts. That doesn't seem out of the question, or out of character for this ride, which is shrouded in Mystery appropriately enough. So, Take it or leave it, end of story.

I will be there on June 16th to ride it and I can't wait. The video looks awesome and there looks like there is tight turns on the whole ride. The 90 degree lift hill is going to be insane.

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coasterfreaky said:
There's nothing new about the wheel assembly that I can tell, so when he says 'swivel' & 'turn the car', I'm thinking he means more than what every other single-train coaster already does.

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No. what he's referring to is the fact that each "car" is actually two distinctly separate rows that are allowed to swivel. It's more like a train with two cars than anything else. He points right at the swivel point in the video. As Mamoosh explained, this is what allows the car to perform tight twists and turns. The two Mummy coasters are set up in a similar way.

That doesn't mean there isn't going to be a turntable on the ride, but that's not what he was talking about in the video.

-Nate