Last month, the Southeast Region chapter of the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) held its annual Smoky Mountain Coasterfest event at Dollywood, which coincided with the second weekend of the park’s popular Smoky Mountain Christmas event. Needless to say, it was an action-packed day from sunrise to sunset.
The day began with a brisk early-morning walk to Craftman’s Valley for breakfast and ERT on Blazing Fury and Wild Eagle.
Blazing Fury operated with lights on for half of the one-hour ERT session.
Related: see our behind-the-scenes, lights-on tour of Blazing Fury from 2018.
Wild Eagle wasn’t originally included in the morning ERT session, so it was a very nice surprise to grab a few front-row rides before the line grew too long.
Thunderhead was running very well, especially in the retracked sections. The Brazilian Ipe wood being used has resulted in a remarkably smoother ride. The retracking, which is being completed in four phases, should be finished within the next year or two.
Over in Wildwood Grove is the park’s newest coaster, Dragonflier. It’s such a fun little coaster — but don’t let its modest size fool you. The coaster packs some surprising forces, but it’s still gentle enough for most coaster riders new and old.
As part of Smoky Mountain Coasterfest, attendees were invited to a Q&A session with Pete Owens, Dollywood’s vice president of marketing and public relations. He gave us the scoop on Lightning Rod’s new track as well as other park updates, which I’ll be sharing in a separate post.
Speaking of Lightning Rod, the area surrounding the coaster was quiet.
However, work has since picked up with sections of Rocky Mountain Construction’s IBOX track already in place:
More Lightning Rod Stuff! We can see that IBox is starting about half way through the turn out of the station and has so far made it to almost the end of the launch. There is also a small section of Ibox leading into the brake run. Stay tuned for more! pic.twitter.com/qIE0jrfYdZ
— Thrilling Moments Photography (@ThrillingMoment) December 7, 2020
I’m so excited for this coaster to (hopefully) operate more reliably.
The Lightning Rod gift shop had some great merchandise on sale. I stocked up for future Coaster101 Prize Packs.
Jukebox Junction seemed quieter with Lightning Rod closed. Pre-2016, this was generally a sleepy area of the park.
Dolly Parton is the reason for the season!
If you want to ride the Dollywood Express train, I highly recommend you head to the station (located in The Village area of the park) to grab a train ticket, which is required to secure a seat on the socially distanced train.
They go fast. I believe the park has added plexiglass between rows to allow for increased capacity, so hopefully that will help. But even with this system, the area around the station gets fairly crowded, especially around departure times. Keep that in mind if you’re easily overwhelmed by crowds, especially in 2020.
I love Drop Line, but I hope Dollywood someday builds an observation tower so guests have an opportunity to admire the breathtaking views without worrying about a pending 23-story plunge.
Even in mid-November, the fall colors were still showing off.
But with the falling leaves comes a slightly better view of Tennessee Tornado’s 128-foot-tall “spiro-loop.”
The Arrow roller coaster celebrated its 20th birthday last year.
The crowds for the most part were very manageable. Dollywood is so large that it’s very easy to find a quiet area.
New (I believe) this year are live carolers who sing from the steps of the chapel in Craftsman’s Valley. They perform both day and night.
Once the sun sets, the 5 million lights across Dollywood begin to twinkle. Photos do the extravagant light displays no justice.
The Showstreet area near the park entrance makes for a great introduction to the light displays.
I love going to Smoky Mountain Christmas during early-to-mid November as the crowds are typically lighter than late November and December.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there won’t be a parade passing throughout the park, but the nightly fireworks display is a great alternative (more on that later).
One of my new favorite displays is this tree full of snowflakes.
And these white-and-gold-lit trees were also eye-catching.
After a long day at the park, this guy (under the blanket) has the right idea.
Glacier Ridge has become my favorite part of Smoky Mountain Christmas ever since it was introduced a couple of years ago. Every season its footprint increases.
The bright, icy lights go hand-in-hand with a chilly East Tennessee night.
I could sit and watch the Northern Lights display for hours. It’s one of the most alluring and calming light displays I’ve ever seen. The accompanying soundtrack makes it even more relaxing.
The LED light show on the park’s 50-foot-tall tree still leaves me speechless.
While the roller coasters are great, Dollywood’s world-famous cinnamon bread may just be my favorite ride in the park. Smoky Mountain Coasterfest attendees each received a loaf of the warm bread — with icing on the side.
I said I wasn’t going to eat the entire loaf. But this is 2020 and there are no rules.
The entrance to Glacier Ridge from Timber Canyon is a dazzling light tunnel.
New this year is the “Merry & Bright” fireworks display, the first-ever fireworks show to be held during Smoky Mountain Christmas. It’s a spectacular way to end the day. I recommend watching the show from The Plaza at Wilderness Pass (home to the giant Christmas tree).
The show takes place on Fridays, Saturdays and busier operating days throughout Smoky Mountain Christmas.
But the fireworks didn’t mark the end of our day. We were treated to nighttime ERT on Thunderhead. After a day of warming up in the sun, the trains were flying through the darkness at eye-watering speeds. It was a terrific way to end another great Smoky Mountain Coasterfest event.
Shout-out to Josh Herrington, ACE’s Southeast Regional Representative, for organizing such a fun event. We can’t wait for next year.
Have you visited Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas this year? Share your thoughts about the event in the comments section below.
Recent Discussion