Your Guide to the Rides at Dollywood
Compiled By Chris Murphy / Images provided by Dollywood Parks & Resorts
Dollywood is filled with family-friendly and thrilling rides that twist, turn, flip and zoom you. With so many rides to choose from at the popular theme park, it can be difficult deciding which to do first, and which is best for everyone in your group. This is your guide to all of the rides at Dollywood.
Navigating the Thrills: A Guide to Dollywood’s Ride Categories
Dollywood, nestled amidst the stunning Smoky Mountains, offers a diverse range of attractions to satisfy every type of thrill-seeker. From gentle family adventures to heart-pounding roller coasters, the park meticulously categorizes its rides to help guests choose their ideal level of excitement. Understanding these distinctions is key to planning a day packed with unforgettable moments.
Dollywood generally classifies its rides into three main thrill levels: Mild Thrill, Moderate Thrill, and High Thrill.
Mid Thrill Rides: Family Fun with a Dash of Excitement
Mid-thrill rides at Dollywood are perfect for families and those looking for a step up from gentle kiddie rides without venturing into extreme territory. They often feature moderate speeds, unexpected movements, and gentle drops. These rides provide a great introduction to the park’s more intense offerings.
Some notable mid-thrill rides include:
- Big Bear Mountain: Dollywood’s newest coaster, this is a family-friendly launch coaster that circles Wildwood Grove. While it reaches speeds of up to 48 mph and has a good length, it’s designed to be accessible for a wider range of riders, making it a fantastic “next step” coaster.
- Dragonflier: This suspended family coaster mimics the graceful flight of a dragonfly, twisting and turning through Wildwood Grove. It offers a smooth, exhilarating ride with moderate speeds and gentle forces, making it popular with younger adventurers and those seeking a less intense coaster experience.
- FireChaser Express: The nation’s first dual-launch family coaster, FireChaser Express blasts riders both forward and backward, adding an exciting twist to a family-friendly adventure. It features twists, turns, and immersive theming, but without the extreme drops or inversions of the park’s more intense rides.
- Daredevil Falls: This log flume ride takes guests on a journey through an abandoned logging camp before a thrilling 60-foot plunge, guaranteeing a splashy finale. It’s a classic water ride with a good drop that provides a rush without being overly intense.
- Smoky Mountain River Rampage: A classic white water rafting adventure, this ride sends guests swirling and bouncing down a simulated river, ensuring everyone gets wet and has a laugh.
Moderate Thrill Rides: A Stepping Stone to Adrenaline
Moderate thrill rides offer a more significant punch than their milder counterparts, featuring higher speeds, more pronounced drops, and stronger G-forces. These are ideal for those who enjoy a good rush but might not be ready for the most extreme coasters.
Examples of Dollywood’s moderate thrill rides often include:
- Mystery Mine: This indoor roller coaster combines elements of a dark ride with thrilling coaster drops and inversions. It features two vertical lifts and an 85-foot, 95-degree vertical drop, along with inversions, offering unique thrills in a themed environment. While intense, its indoor nature and tight turns provide a distinct experience from open-air coasters.
- Drop Line: A 200-foot-tall freefall tower that lifts riders high above Timber Canyon, offering panoramic views before plummeting back to the ground in a thrilling rush. The anticipation and sudden drop make this a standout for those who enjoy vertical thrills.
- Barnstormer: This giant swing ride simulates the thrilling maneuvers of a 1920s stunt plane. Riders are swung high into the air, experiencing significant G-forces and inversions, providing a unique and exhilarating sensation without being a traditional coaster.
- The Waltzing Swinger: A classic carnival swing ride that takes riders to new heights, offering a dizzying experience as it spins and swings outward.
- Sky Rider: Guests can control their own two-seater plane, steering the rudder and wings to soar 70 feet above Country Fair, offering both a scenic view and a sense of flight.
High Thrill Rides: The Ultimate Adrenaline Rush
For the ultimate adrenaline junkies, Dollywood delivers with a selection of high-thrill rides designed to push the limits. These attractions boast extreme speeds, significant drops, multiple inversions, and intense G-forces, providing an unforgettable, heart-pounding experience.
Among Dollywood’s most intense high-thrill rides are:
- Lightning Rod: The world’s first launched wooden roller coaster, Lightning Rod is an absolute beast. It launches riders to 73 mph up a 20-story hill before a 165-foot drop and nearly 20 seconds of airtime. This hybrid coaster (wood and steel) is consistently ranked among the top coasters in the country for its unique launch and relentless airtime.
- Wild Eagle: America’s first wing coaster, Wild Eagle seats riders on either side of the track, offering an unparalleled sensation of flight. Perched 21 stories high, it features a 135-foot drop, four inversions, and speeds up to 61 mph, providing a smooth yet incredibly exhilarating experience.
- Thunderhead: This aggressive wooden roller coaster is known for its intense twists, turns, and airtime. Reaching speeds of 55 mph and featuring a 100-foot drop, it delivers a wild and bumpy ride, characteristic of classic wooden coasters, making it a favorite for those who love raw power.
- Tennessee Tornado: Dollywood’s steel looping coaster, the Tennessee Tornado, takes riders on a journey through multiple inversions, including a 128-foot drop into a mountain tunnel and a 110-foot loop. It’s a classic steel coaster that delivers rapid-fire inversions and intense positive G-forces.
Whether you’re a cautious explorer or a seasoned thrill-seeker, Dollywood’s clearly defined ride categories ensure that every guest can find their perfect adventure, guaranteeing a day full of joy, excitement, and unforgettable memories in the heart of the Smoky Mountains.
More Information about Dollywood Rides
Many of Dollywood’s rides have a minimum height requirement for safety reasons. Be sure to check these requirements in advance.
During inclement or harsh weather, some of Dollywood’s rides may not be open.
