Theres a minimum height of 39 inches and a maximum height of 81 inches. You are launched up 20 stories at 45 miles per hour for the first lift hill and you get almost 20 total seconds of air time on this ride. Want some help choosing the best rides at Dollywood for your family? It looks like it would be terrifying but I found the Wild Eagle to be a smooth ride. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. We are not endorsed by, authorized by, or affiliated with any mentioned attractions. When I think of a roller coaster, I think of something like Lightning Rod, the best coaster in Dollywoods history. There are plenty of other fun rides here that dont go upside down. This site may contain links to affiliate websites, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website at no extra cost to you. Read Also: 5 Dollywood Easter eggs, hidden secrets you never knew about. Rides at Dollywood that go upside down include Mystery Mine, Tennessee Tornado, and Wild Eagle. Height to Ride: At least 36 but anyone under 42 must be accompanied by someone 16 or older, Learn more: Dollywood Rides for Toddlers (Complete Guide). For example, some of the mannequins were purchased from an old haunted house in Gatlinburg. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. With the low height requirement, weve ridden this with kids as young as 18 months (our kids are tall). Kids will also love watching the cars come out of the Fire Station. When I am at Dollywood I wait the longest for Dragonflier and Firechaser because the most people can ride them. Your definition of scary may involve theming or ride intensity. Read Also: Blazing Fury: A Lights on Look at the Dollywood Coaster. In the morning before the rides open, you can find a pretty good line starting at the entrance to Thunderhead. But how scary is Blazing Fury? This drop ride will take you up 20 stories as you slowly rotate around the tower. This ride is perfect for thrill-seekers with its 210-foot drop, 110-foot loop, and 61 MPH speeds! Two of my favorite Dollywood coasters - Lightning Rod and Thunderhead - both don't go upside down! There are some lively wineries here though with wines that have won all kinds of awards from international, Read More Wineries Near Boone, NC: 3 Not to Miss!Continue. Its one of those rides that lifts you up, then drops you! This coaster replaced Thunder Express in 1999 and is the first coaster that goes upside down that any of my kids would ride. So thrill-seekers, this one is for you. The Wild Eagle, which was the first wing coaster in the United States, will give you the sense of flying - its only air above and below you! Gulf Shores, Alabama offers several options to enjoy local hand-crafted beverages from AL, MS, NC and other nearby states. You can slightly change the wind direction with the turn of the throttle and you get a great view of the train, the village carousel and the Smokies from the top. Luckily, the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge has rides for just about anyone in the family. Like the FireChaser Express, this is one of the easy rides at Dollywood and good for kids. Snaking over 6,000 feet around Pixar Pier (which makes it one of the world's longest coasters in terms of track length), Incredicoaster is a formidable sight. It was arguably a very silly time. At 39 you can also add the Dragonflier and the Firechaser Express. A wooden coaster can often feel a bit more bumpy than more modern steel coasters. Stuck On The Go participates in affiliate programs. This is near the Drop Line, and its also a much smaller drop ride. The ride only lasts for about a minute and its supposed to make you feel like a dragonfly soaring above the rest of the park. One of the new attractions in Dollywood's brand new themed area Wildwood Grove. This one is located in the Wildwood Grove section of the park and the whole section is very kid-friendly. Dollywood doesnt have a lot of water rides, but they do have two that are great for the family! Tennessee Tornado. Of course you safely come to a neat stop near the bottom. Dollywood Express. Whether youre visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park or just checking out the Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge area, a visit to Dollywood Theme Park is a must. Sadly, since it was the middle of March we didnt do any of the water rides. Well, I remember being young and a little afraid of this ride. On Mystery Mine, riders travel through an abandoned coal mine. The entrance to this ride is right next to the arcade and food truck park so plenty to do for those who dont want to ride! There are several rides at Dollywood that do not go upside down and are still a ton of fun. This fast wooden coaster is one of my favorites. The biggest coaster is Lightning Rod. My kids love the fighter jet turns as they call them, and its low height requirement means that many ages can ride. Half of the ride is outdoors and the other half is inside a dark . The operating hours, policies and procedures of other businesses may change at any time without notice. Pro tip: You might want to bring along a sling backpack to carry your park essentials for the day. You will see younger children and adults riding this themed ride. This is a larger version of the swings where two riders sit beside each other and ride to even greater heights. Dollywood, located in Pigeon Forge, is one of the most popular amusement parks in the United States, and my familys favorite. Its the worlds fastest and only launched wooden coaster, and the lines for it are always long due to its popularity so get there early. Right after entering the park, youll make a right and that takes you out to Jukebox Junction where youll find Lightning Rod. Check out these 4 incredible roller coasters at Dollywood that you need to ride right now: Prepare to launch from zero to 45 miles per hour on the Lightning Rod, an amazing wooden coaster themed to a 1950s era hot rod! It has a minimum height requirement of 39 inches. But that doesnt mean its not amusing in a quaint back in time way. Once you ride it, youll easily see why its one of the most popular Dollywood roller coasters! Busy Bees This is a great ride for the littlest ones who are just starting to be brave on rides. You dont go upside down on this one but its still one of the best thrill rides youll find. My more adventurous kiddos adore the dizzy disk and they ride it every time we go. Some of the other popular roller coasters at the park are the FireChaser Express, Dragonflier, and Tennessee Tornado. Read More 17 Fun Things to Do in Pinehurst, NCContinue, If this photo doesnt persuade you to visit Linville Gorge right now, then this is not the article for you. This thrilling ride is so much fun. Kids always seem to love this one though! Our list goes from shortest minimum height to ride to tallest. Features: The world fastest and only launched wooden roller coaster, Lightning Rod really thrills! It will not go upside down. If you want to reminisce about carnivals from your childhood, make sure to stop by Dollywoods Country Fair. This small roller coaster is perfect for the smallest ones in the family. A roller coaster for the little ones! The ride is meant to simulate the daring stunts of pilots from the 1920s as they zoomed over nearby farms. You are sure to share some laughs with your family on this ride. Found in the Wildwood Grove area of the park, the Dragonflier is the perfect step up from the Whistle Punk Chaser. Read Also: I got to walk along the tracks of Blazing Fury at Dollywood; 8 things I learned. Hop aboard one of the beautifully painted animals and get ready to go around and around on the fun attraction. Uniqueness: This ride crosses over and under itself 32 times! You get into an acorn and it lifts you up high into the sky and slowly turns around. A beautiful, classic carousel ride. For the smallest of the bunch, you can ride the Whistle Punk Chaser at only 36 with an adult. Features: Even though you go upside down four times and experience zero-gravity turns, this ride is incredibly smooth. There are many incredible restaurants in this city highlighting Southern comfort food with an elegant twist so obviously it can be tough figuring out where to eat in Charleston, SC. As an Amazon Associate I earn commissions from qualifying purchases. If you like this, youll also like the Barnstormer, its bigger cousin. Features: This coaster has two really steep drops, several sharp turns, goes upside down and has a 95-degree, 85-foot drop (be sure to watch the video for this one!). These cookies do not store any personal information. If youre afraid of heights, that lift to the top can feel like it takes forever, and the drop itself is a 60-foot fall at a top speed of 50 mph. Its ranked among the top wooden coasters in the world and the second tallest at Dollywood. Check out all of the Dollywood roller coasters in our Ultimate Guide from coasters for the littles to the thrill seekers! Then, you plunge down the tower as it drops you! The Tennessee Tornado is one I would recommend if you are just starting out with inversions, then you can ride the other coasters that go upside down: Mystery Mine and Wild Eagle. This one has been named one of the top ten roller coasters in the US by USA Today multiple times. When you have plans to visit Dollywood, there is no better place to stay than Cherokee Lodge Condos. Its labeled as family-friendly but if you have younger kids that are scared of the dark then it may scare them. Get ready to get an arm workout! But as a family coaster with a top speed of 48 mph, this is expected to be a family-friendly roller coaster in the Wildwood Grove section of the park. This coaster is a suspended coaster, which means your ride beneath the track and your feet dangle. But he does like Scorpion at Busch that goes upside down. None of the rides in the Country Fair go upside down. 2023 Lil' Travel Folks Journey Theme by Restored 316. Still, its probably one of the most quotable lines throughout the ride. In particular, it feels like more of a dark ride, winding slowly through the 1880s town struggling to control fire as it terrorizes the cast of characters. Then two seats are along each of its wings. Height to Ride: At least 39 but under 48 must be accompanied by someone 16 or older. Most people either know about wineries of the Yadkin Valley or the sweet muscadine wines that come from down east. If you want a good warm-up coaster then check out Thunderhead or Mystery Mine first. Your entire family can enjoy all the fun in this area of Dollywood Theme Park. Not sure what the proper term for that is. We love the bumper cars and make sure to drive at least once every time we go! Its the tallest coaster in the park at 210 (just a bit taller than Lightning Rod). As Americas first wing coaster, its perched 21 stories above Dollywood so you can soar above the mountains. You ride in a mine cart and half of the ride is inside while half of it is outside. The farm-to-table movement is big here so, Read More Where to Eat in Charleston, SC (20 Places That Will Knock Your Socks Off)Continue. Located in Owens Farms, Barnstormer is a ride that takes you 81 feet in the air at rotations up to 230 degrees. When you turn left after you enter the park, they are the first two big coasters that youll come to. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Located in the heart of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, the Dollywood theme park rides offer thrilling fun in the Smoky Mountains. 4. It has a minimum height requirement of 48 inches. Make Dining Reservations at Song & Hearth Book A Spa Appointment Molly dangles from a burning second-story porch as Luther waits hesitatingly underneath. Blazing Fury is Dollywood's original dark ride (photo by Morgan Oerholt/TheSmokies.com). It features a launch (similar to the steel Hulk at Universal Studios) speed of up to 73 mph. It's one of the most popular rides in the park, so get in line early. Drop Line lifts you 20 stories up, slowly spins and then plummets you back to the ground. Ill indicate those with an asterisk. We usually spend a week at a time visiting the area and go to the park most of the days we are there, and weve ridden these rides in all seasons (even a couple of days before Christmas!). The Lightning Rod coaster has been in operation since 2016 but received all new track for 2021. Another scary element? Lightning Rod has been named one of the top roller coasters in the country by USA Today. Dollywood doesnt list exactly how large the drop is. So heres my personal pick of the scariest rides at Dollywood, from least scary to most scary: This is a small junior coaster with a small lift at the front and a few minor twists and turns. This is the oldest coaster in the park, dating back to 1978. There are several coasters in the park that go upside down. would Dollywood provide a good amount of rides for our special needs child and the rest of our family? Blazing Fury, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Frozen Ever After Ride at Epcot are all on his no-fly list. You get into a car that has a bird painted on it, then you are lifted into the air to fly in a circle! Its so much fun because you never know who is going to get the wettest as the raft slowly spins! It swings you like a pendulum arm and gets higher and higher each time. This is a great one to ride before the Wild Eagle! At the entrance to the ride, youll find a huge statue of an eagle. Because of the name changes over the years, you dont necessarily think of Dollywood as being older than Disney World but to a certain point of view, it is. You go through a triple-spiral loop and it lasts a quick 1 minute and 48 seconds. The 100 foot drop is a big draw as is the station fly through where the cars roar through the station 8 feet above the exit. The added fun of this ride is the extra hang time you get as the ride progresses to higher angles. This is one coaster in the park our whole family loves to ride (even the ones who arent as adventurous!). End scene. Its a steel figure-8 coaster. Mystery Mine is a great, new twist on the classic runaway mine ride type of roller coaster found at most theme parks. Disclaimer: This list contains some rides that go upside down. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Additionally you can grab some great snacks and play lots of carnival-like games in this area of the park. The scrambler is great for those who love to spin round and round, just make sure the heaviest person is on the outside because you get squished as the force pushes you to the outside. I wasnt prepared for the 95 degree, 85-foot vertical drop into darkness, but it was a wild ride! But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. All four of our boys ride this one, and not just when they were tiny. We have 2 and 3 bedroom condos that come with all the necessities for a comfortable evening after an action-packed day at the park. Not at all. And I like that connection to the past. You've come to the right place (photos by Morgan Overholt and Bill Burris/TheSmokies.com). For all the steps you're sure to get in after a day at the parks, consider this ride your arm workout for the day. It debuted in 2019 when the Wildwood Grove are aof the park opened. Height to Ride: At least 42, and anyone under 48 must ride with someone 16 or older. However, youre sure to have an amazing time on these rides if you come for the thrills. This quaint, small town offers a great variety of cuisine and if youre staying downtown then many of the restaurants are walkable from your accommodations. Its a slow moving, circular ride with little bumblebees as the cars. It was actually the first ride of this type in the US! Let us know in the comments below. The quaint little towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are only three hours away from us and they really are our home away from home. There, you can find a variety of rides the whole family can enjoy. Its definitely one of the best rides at Dollywood! While we do our best to bring you the most up-to-date information, TheSmokies.com LLC makes no warranties regarding the accuracy or completeness of any content contained within. Now that our youngest is old enough to ride with a brother Mom and Dad have even had a few rides together. If you love a good stomach-dropping ride then this one is for you. Make sure you have good walking shoes for theme parks because youll be doing a lot of it! 2023 Stuck on the Go - WordPress Theme by Kadence WP. If you purchase through a link on my site, I may earn a commission. People like my grandparents or my young adult mom and dad taking the 4-year-old me to a place of wonder. Dragonflier is said to mimic the flight of a Smoky Mountain dragonfly as it flies through the terrain and along the twisted path. With a 100-foot drop and plenty of quick turns, this is a pleaser for thrill-seekers. Have a jumping good time on the Frogs and Fireflies! Lets take a look at the rides from smallest to tallest! Height to Ride: At least 42, and anyone under 48 must ride in a double swing with someone 16 or older. Up to four riders can fit in a frog-shaped car and it lifts up and down while it is going, just like a frog jumping! There arent too many water rides on the list, since they are typically a way for most people to cool off in the summer heat. Such is the case for the Dollywood Express, which traverses the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. Mystery Mine is another one that will surprise you and leave you wanting to ride again and again. Try this one before the Lightning Rod if you arent used to big coasters. These are some of our favorite Dollywood roller coasters you have to try, but they arent the only exciting rides at the park! It has a minimum height requirement of 50 inches and a maximum height of 78 inches. The train at Dollywood! Even though it does have a drop over 100 feet, youre going down the side of a mountain so it doesnt feel quite so scary for those afraid of heights, but still provides all the thrills that youd expect from a thrill ride. I love watching the tiniest ones riding the ducks. If you dont like big coasters then I wouldnt do Lightning Rod or Wild Eagle. The oldest coaster is Blazing Fury, which was at the park before it even became Dollywood. Get ready to get dizzy!! This ride holds 12 riders at a time, 6 on each side, so the wait is never terribly long and as long as you are 36 tall you can ride it. Still, it's probably one of the most quotable lines throughout the ride. This is a pretty mild ride, but youll find a few drops. So the Herschends decided to bring their best ride to Pigeon Forge. There are plenty of other fun rides here that don't go upside down. These are small cars and so, so cute. Call, Things to Do Near Our Condos in Pigeon Forge, 4 Incredible Roller Coasters at Dollywood That You Need to Ride Right Now, best lodging near these Dollywood roller coasters, 5 Things to Know About the Apple Barn in Sevierville TN, Top 4 Reasons Why Youll Want to Visit the Old Mill in Pigeon Forge This Spring, Top 5 Romantic Things to Do in Pigeon Forge with Your Sweetheart, Top 4 Reasons to Take the Pigeon Forge Trolley to Dollywood, 3 Frequently Asked Questions About Our Pigeon Forge Condos. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. With its bright green track it's hard to miss! One of our boys is a type 1 diabetic and has special needs. Height to Ride: Riders must be at least 50 tall and no more than 78 inches. Still, its one of the absolute smoothest roller coasters Ive ever ridden. Change the direction of the wind by turning the birds head. Oceano Dunes SVRA is the only large riding place you can ride and camp right on the ocean in California. Its one of the best Pigeon Forge attractions for sure and even one of the best theme parks in the US! This was a fun one but if youre into big thrills then it will be a one and done for you. If youre an adult who is looking for something fun that has some light thrills, you can always try something like the Smoky Mountain River Rampage. Height to Ride: At least 36, but anyone under 42 must ride with someone at least 16. Keep in mind that since this is a coal-powered locomotive, you might experience some ash debris while on this ride. Most estimate that the drop is approximately somewhere between 15-25 feet. The Lightning Rod reaches a top speed of 73 mph. Height to Ride: At least 42 but need to be 48 to drive, otherwise someone 16 or older has to drive. All Rides & Attractions Wildwood Grove Pre-K Rides Roller Coasters Big Bear Mountain Opening This May Wildwood Grove More Details The Amazing Flying Elephants Country Fair Min: No Min Max: No Max More Details Barnstormer TimeSaver Pass Owens Farm Min: 48 inches Max: No Max More Details Black Bear Trail Wildwood Grove Min: 36 inches Max: No Max Luther: "Now, now Molly, I got a weak back.". The first of many drops on this thrilling roller coaster takes . When youre finished why not check out one of the best bakeries in the area? I could actually ride this one multiple times no problem. The world loved disco and the Pittsburgh Pirates and Grease and YMCA. Definitely one of my favorite Dollywood theme park rides! Dollywood is in Pigeon Forge, just 25 miles from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and many of its attractions draw from the region's rich heritage. I hope everyone who loves thrill rides gets a chance to see Molly about to jump off the ledge down to a man with a weak back. You get the thrill of the wildest ride without going upside down. In our family, we call this the cars because you get to drive an old 50s era Corvette, Chevy, etc. This is a slow-moving ride that the entire family can enjoy. Learn more. We love these, and kids between 42-48 can ride in a double swing with and adult. In 2021, Lightning Rod has had a significant portion of the ride re-tracked to become an I-box track. Six Flags hyped the ride as the world's fastest, tallest, and steepest wooden coaster when it debuted in 2014. Located in the Pisgah National Forest Linville Falls is a small community that sees a huge surge of visitors from late, Read More A Weekend in Linville Falls, NCContinue, When people think of wineries in North Carolina they dont typically think of wineries near Boone, NC. This was our first roller coaster of the day! Did they hire a design team to come in and create Silver Dollar Citys first thrill ride? The Lucky Ducks are super simple and safe and just go around in a slow circle. The Dollywood Express is a coal-powered locomotive that takes riders on a beautiful ride through Dollywood with views of the beautiful Smoky Mountains. Tennessee Tornado is supposed to mimick being caught up in a tornado so this one is pretty intense. This is a great ride for the littlest ones who are just starting to be brave on rides. It has some steep drops and does go upside down, but likely wont make you as dizzy as the Tornado. Its not as fast or as crazy as the Lightning Rod, but you do go down a 100 foot drop and reach a top speed of 55 mph. The park has something for everyone, from smaller roller coasters for children to larger ones for adults, some of which hold records!