New Thunderhead Construction Update

If you haven't heard, Splash Country will be adding Big Bear Plunge in 2004!

And its called Dollywood's Splash Country Water Adventure Park now.

Read more at Dollywood's Splash Country *** Edited 1/12/2004 10:40:08 PM UTC by CoastermanX***

Is it just me, or are they trying to dis-associate themselfs with Dolly more and more?

The Thunderhead press release does not mention her once, and now they've changed the name of the waterpark.

Wow what a long acronymn!
DWSCWAP

:)

Does anyone know what else is going to be in the new Thunderhead Gap area of Dollywood? Any new rides for this area besides Thunderhead? I'm guessing there won't be any other new rides since they'll want to milk the promotion on the coaster. What about new shops, restaurants, shows, etc?

I think they'll be some new shops and games, but I'm not sure about any other rides besides Thunderhead.

I'd like for us to get some more flats, but probably won't happen just yet.

I received my 2004 Dollywood brochure in the mail today. It has Thunderhead on the front with the caption "The Wildest Ride in the Woods!" and a picture of a wooden coaster with riders. I'm wondering what coaster they used for the picture. If anyone has seen the brochure, what coaster is used in the photo?

Probably from Oz Cat since their in the same company.

I haven't recieved a passholder's brochure from them since the beginning of the year. Maybe i'll get mine soon.

God, as the construction updates progress, i just get more and more excited to ride this in July... can't wait!!

There is an article about Thunderhead in todays Knoxville News Sentinel...

http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/local_news/article/0,1406,KNS_347_2610348,00.html

I'll admit that I'm a little worried this may be a case of anticipointment.

It said in the article that the target crowd for this ride was families with kids between the ages of 8 and 15.

I have no doubt in my mind that this will be a good coaster. I just don't think it will be as thrilling as it looks.

No mention of Dolly anywhere in that. I wonder if there is trouble between the two parties...

Anyway, I'm expecting a fun ride, not a shocking ride. The park targets families, and needless to say such an extreme ride might be a little out of the question. After all, the park has only one ride that goes upside down. Either way, I'm sure it will still be interesting.

With a 22 minute ride, how can it not be thrilling?!?

If it takes 22 minutes to go 3,230 feet it will be a pretty boring ride. ;)

Talk about typos...

I think they may have mixed up the train ride with Thunderhead.

Settle down everybody...families with kids aged 8-15 is probably Dollywood's overall target audience, for that matter, it's probably most parks' target. Who else are they going to say they're building for? Geeky thrill seekers aged 22-35? ;)

Other news links:

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=10879814&BRD=1211&PAG=461&dept_id=169689&rfi=8

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=10865264&BRD=1211&PAG=461&dept_id=169689&rfi=8

Based on what I have seen so far, I have to politely disagree with the idea that this will not be an exciting ride.

I hear nothing but good things about other GCI creations and Clair Hain states in the Mountain Press arcticle that...
"We take them a little bit further every time," he said. "We're banking at 70 degrees here."

I am confident this will be the begining of a lot of good things to come to Dollywood in the coming years. Most importantly, creating a loop around the park.

Just remember, like any woodie, it'll need a certain amount of time to break in. I was so excited to ride SFMW's Roar when it very first opened, and was pretty disappointed. Ran very slow and sluggish. Still fun, but not what I was expecting.

But every year since then, the ride just seems to get more and more insane. The past couple of seasons, it's been delivering some amazing airtime that was never there before. Thunderhead looks like it should deliver regardless, but wait till at least the end of the season before making any final judgements, should be a pretty incredible ride once it's all broken in.

^That might be a good idea. It will probably need to get broken in a little bit.