Blog for Zipline Attraction in the Smoky Mountains
Located in Pigeon Forge, TN and near Gatlinburg and Sevierville.
What You WON'T See At Dollywood This Year
By Ross Bodhi Ogle
Posted on May 21, 2024
When we're not talking about all the fun you can have at our Sevierville zipline attraction, our posts often focus on new things to see and experience in the Smokies - attractions, restaurants, shops, hotels, etc. When it comes to Dollywood theme park specifically, this is about the time of year when we post about the new features and attractions you'll find there (or at Dollywood's Splash Country).
This week, however, we're taking a slightly different approach - a nostalgic one. In this post, we're going to take you on a journey back in time and take a fond look at some of the beloved (or perhaps not so beloved) rides and attractions that guests have enjoyed in Dollywood seasons past. Maybe you experienced them for yourself; maybe not. But either way, it's fun to remember what once was from time to time.
Mountain Slidewinder
This was one of our favorite rides at Dollywood, especially on those scorching hot days of summer. It was basically a long water slide, on which as many as five guests could ride in large foam toboggans. The downside was that you had to hike quite a ways to get to the top of the hill, where the slide began its journey. The payoff, though, was a rollicking ride full of twists and turns and occasional sprays of water. This ride made its debut in 1987 (just a year after the park premiered under the Dollywood name), and it was retired in 2019 after 32 years of faithful service.
Timber Tower
This tower ride was unveiled in 2006, just two years after the premier of the Timber Canyon section where it was featured. The tower featured a spinning 40-person carousel at the top, and as it spun around, the tower itself tipped back and forth on its base, giving riders the sensation of falling to the ground (like a tree that just got chopped down, perhaps?). About a year after it opened, however, Timber Tower experienced a mechanical hiccup, causing some passengers to be stuck atop the tower for hours. The ride only hung around another four seasons after that.
Country Fair Falls
Did you know this ride actually dated back to the 1964 World's Fair in New York? In the late '60s, it made its way to the Dollywood site, which was operating in those days under the name Gold Rush Junction. It was a basic log-flume ride. You would float in the flume channel for a while then climb the hill and take that final plunge, which was tame in comparison to later water rides like Daredevil Falls. The ride went bye-bye in 2004 to make room for a bunch of kiddie rides in the Country Fair section of the park.
Thunder Express
This ride had the distinction of being Dollywood's first outdoor roller coaster (Blazing Fury, an indoor coaster, was already in operation). It started out its life at Six Flags Over St. Louis then was sold to Dollywood and rebranded as Thunder Express in 1988. It was removed in the late '90s to make room for the new Tennessee Tornado roller coaster, and it continued its life at Magic Springs Theme and Water Park in Hot Springs, AR. You can still ride it there today, except it's called Big Bad John. Thunder Express sounds better…
Thunder Road
More thunder! Except in this case, Thunder Road was an indoor movie ride, not an outdoor coaster. Inspired by the 1957 film of the same name, this attraction premiered in 1996. The premise was that we, the guests, were moonshiners who were being chased by the Feds, and the seats jostled about in synch with the film. It wasn't the best experience for those with motion sickness, but it was fun. The $5 million ride was the largest Turbo-Ride Action Adventure at the time, but it was removed in 2002 to make room for the Smoky Mountain Wilderness Adventure and later, the Dreamsong Theater.
River Battle
This was another Timber Canyon ride that just didn't make it. Guests rode “log” rafts down a river (a guided underwater track) and used water cannons to shoot at targets - and other passengers. It was a good way to stay cool on hot days, but it didn't just have enough pizzazz to keep people interested. It closed in 2017.
Flooded Mine
Another old-school Dollywood ride that was ditched in the mid-'90s to make room for Daredevil Falls. It depicted prison convicts working in a mine that was being flooded. Interestingly, there's still a Flooded Mine ride still operating at Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO.
