Menu
What's new
By:
Filters

Dollywood | Wildwood Grove | New Kids Area for 2019

Taylor Bybee posted his review of Dragon Flier today, and I thought it might interest you to know that the accelerometer on his Apple Watch actually said that the ride pulls 4G of positive g-force in the back row and -0.2G of negative g-force! For an alleged family coaster, 4G is crazy; that's more than quite a few thrill coasters pull! I think the phrase "wolf in sheep's clothing" comes to mind with this ride!
P.S. Sorry for double posting!
 
I find it interesting he even snuck an Apple Watch onto Dragon Flier at all. I’m pretty sure that if Taylor measured other thrill rides like Kumba, Mindbender in Canada and Intimidator 305, that they would pull +5 to +6G’s! Kumba’s is advertised at +3.8G, Mindbender in Canada’s at +5.2G and Intimidator 305 at +4.5G.
 
Kw6sTheater said:
I’m pretty sure that if Taylor measured other thrill rides like Kumba, Mindbender in Canada and Intimidator 305, that they would pull +5 to +6G’s! Kumba’s is advertised at +3.8G, Mindbender in Canada’s at +5.2G and Intimidator 305 at +4.5G.
Click to expand...

What is your basis for these bold predictions!?
 
Kw6sTheater said:
I find it interesting he even snuck an Apple Watch onto Dragon Flier at all. I’m pretty sure that if Taylor measured other thrill rides like Kumba, Mindbender in Canada and Intimidator 305, that they would pull +5 to +6G’s! Kumba’s is advertised at +3.8G, Mindbender in Canada’s at +5.2G and Intimidator 305 at +4.5G.
Click to expand...
When you say "snuck" you mean "wore", right? ;)

I know nothing about Apple Watches and the technology/algorithms in them (and I plan on doing no research on the matter), but you have to be careful that the data from them is appropriately filtered. Noise from the watch shaking on the wrist, or vibrations in the train, could spike very high forces. I too would be a bit surprised at 4G on a ride like this
 
Peet said:
What is your basis for these bold predictions!?
Click to expand...
What I was trying to say is, I am skeptical that Dragon Flier pulls +4G — Taylor’s Watch probably amplified the actual G forces, due to what Hixee already mentioned. It certainly sounds to be on the more intense side of family coasters, however, +4G seems a bit over what I would guess at.
 
G-force is interesting

G-forces tolerance depends on the magnitude and duration of the acceleration or deceleration

I think it could hit 4G but only for a split second, i've been in a centrifuge at 4.2G and that was my limit but it was sustained force, in a jet i've pulled 6G while turning and felt fine.

So while its still high for a Family ride depending on what his watch said ( i have not seen the video) it might do 4G for a sec.

EDIT: Also if he was flailing his arms around that would also effect the results.
 
Last edited:
I bet that'll look really good when all the vegetation had grown in! Nice.
 
I visited Dollywood last week. Park was pretty much a ghost town due to massive rain storms... leading to thunder storms later in the day. Dragonflier *is* surprisingly good. I rode it twice. Once in the front and once in the back. The whole Wildwood area looks really nice.. but there is an EXTREME lack of shade there... and its pretty sad how they cleared every single tree out of the area... I wish they could have kept some and built *around* them... Oh well, in a few years things will fill in but you wont have those tall trees anytime soon. Its also really strange to have Thunderhead so exposed now. It used to be somewhat hidden along the trees and hill side... and now the trees are gone and well, so is most of the hill! (but now you can see parts of the ride you didn't use to be able to see?)

https://twitter.com/x/status/1138090882526253056

https://twitter.com/x/status/1138145299149578241
 
CanobieFan said:
I visited Dollywood last week. Park was pretty much a ghost town due to massive rain storms... leading to thunder storms later in the day. Dragonflier *is* surprisingly good. I rode it twice. Once in the front and once in the back. The whole Wildwood area looks really nice.. but there is an EXTREME lack of shade there... and its pretty sad how they cleared every single tree out of the area... I wish they could have kept some and built *around* them... Oh well, in a few years things will fill in but you wont have those tall trees anytime soon. Its also really strange to have Thunderhead so exposed now. It used to be somewhat hidden along the trees and hill side... and now the trees are gone and well, so is most of the hill! (but now you can see parts of the ride you didn't use to be able to see?)
Click to expand...

I thought exactly the same in terms of how open and exposed it is. Hopefully they'll put up some misters and fans for when it gets really hot, because if it's full of families with screaming kids on busy days they won't appreciate the lack of cover. It's the least 'Dollywood' area of Dollywood, given how much foliage and flora there is around the rest of the park.
 
Perhaps this could be for a 2021 expansion, rather than 2020? I'm sure that Dollywood would have announced a 2020 project by now, and as Pete Owens said at ACE Winter Warm-Up there is a Phase II for Wildwood Grove. Whatever this is, though, I do hope that it'll be on the more thrilling side - like that hyper coaster shown in the surveys - but this project's location in Wildwood Grove makes me think that it could be a dark ride or another family-oriented coaster. If it is another family-oriented coaster, I could see Dollywood purchasing a MACK Rides Family Spinner (although, there was that survey released asking for opinions on a MACK Rides Xtreme Spinning coaster). I think that this would be a solid fit for the park, as well as a unique ride to the region as a whole. I could see this ride being a lot like Sierra Sidewinder or Turbulence with a lot of tight transitions, helices and turns that get the spinning going but one that excludes the more wild features like inversions or a launch to not scare away families with younger children. Alternatively, a Vekoma family boomerang would be a first in North America - for the manufacturer, as Rewind Racers exists already - and could provide a family-friendly experience that also would intrigue thrill seekers too. I feel like one of these two options would work extremely well, could serve as the marquee ride for a multi-attraction Wildwood Grove expansion, and not seem redundant in Dollywood's current mix of thrilling (Wild Eagle, Lightning Rod, Thunderhead, Tennessee Tornado, and Mystery Mine) as well as family oriented (FireChaser Express, Dragon Flier, Blazing Fury, and Whistle Punk Chaser) coasters.
 
I agree. 2020 is way too soon to build another coaster and add on to Wildwood. I can't see anything major until at the earliest 2021.
 
I was there yesterday and it looks like there were survey stakes and ribbons on site. They could be clearly seen from Dragonflyer and there was stuff wrapped in plastic visible behind Mystery Mine, now whether that’s for this or just general boneyard stuff is beyond me. But I can confirm there are survey stakes and a length of orange ribbon connecting them in the clearing.

a859ef5b028996771accd128ec9d83b2.jpg



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top