I just finished my first ever visit to Dollywood, as part of my East Coast coaster road trip. Dollywood has long been on my list of parks to visit, but I actually didn’t know TOO much about it before visiting...
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Poll: Best Nighttime Coaster Ride at Dollywood?
Dollywood is home to two of my favorite roller coasters to ride at night: Wild Eagle and Lightning Rod. But each of those rides offers something unique after the sun sets. One offers unprecedented views (even at night) and the...
Continue reading...What’s New at Dollywood in 2017?
I decided to make this past Saturday at Dollywood the kickoff to my 2017 roller coaster-riding season. And as I expected, Dolly did not disappoint. Foolishly (April Fools Day pun intended), I made the assumption that the park opened at...
Continue reading...Dollywood over Labor Day Weekend 2016
This weekend, I braved the Labor Day crowds to venture out to Dollywood in hopes of riding Lightning Rod again, nearly three months after I first rode it in June. Thankfully, the weather couldn’t have been better. Highs were in...
Continue reading...A Rainy and Lightning Rodless Weekend at Dollywood
Pulling into a packed Dollywood parking lot Saturday morning, I knew exactly what I had done. I drove three hours to ride Lightning Rod, a roller coaster that may or may not be open. The a-frame signs standing in front of each parking toll booth...
Continue reading...Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Revisited December 2015
I last visited Dollywood for the park’s Smoky Mountain Christmas celebration during its opening weekend in early November. The weather was a mess: muggy and rainy with temperatures plunging. Fortunately, the crowds were manageable. I returned to the park this...
Continue reading...Q&A With Devin Olson, Theme Park Documentarian
Devin Olson has always loved the theme park industry. The founder and former owner of COASTER-net.com, Olson and his media company, Devin Olson Media, now produce the “From Dreams to Screams” roller coaster documentary series, with his next installment focusing...
Continue reading...Coaster101 Roundtable: Our Most Underrated Coasters
This is the first post in the Coaster101 Roundtable Series, where the Coaster101 team takes a topic, and all present our opinion. Recently, About.com Theme Park Expert Arthur Levine published a list of his “Top 10 Most Underrated Roller Coasters in North...
Continue reading...FireChaser Express is fun for the whole family
Last month Dollywood opened FireChaser, a dual-launch family coaster, and Coaster101 recently got to experience the awesome new addition. The Gerstlauer built coaster occupies the site of the former Adventure Mountain climbing attraction and even reuses some of the thematic elements....
Continue reading...FireChaser Express Opens at Dollywood
Dollywood started its 29th season with a blast — by opening FireChaser Express, the dual-launch Gerstlauer family coaster. The $16 million coaster is touted as the first of its type in the United States. The 2-minute and 19-second coaster launches riders...
Continue reading...Dollywood’s FireChaser Express Construction Update
Earlier this week, Dollywood shared some excellent construction photos of their new Gerstlauer dual-launch coaster, FireChaser Express. The coaster will include a forward and backward launch. The forward launch will propel riders from zero to 16 mph in 1.1 seconds, the...
Continue reading...Dollywood Unveils Full FireChaser Express Animation
After teasing us with snippets of video, Dollywood has officially released the full-length animation for FireChaser Express, their Gerstlauer family launched coaster that will open in 2014. Watch the entire video below: Below is an overview of the coaster’s entire...
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