Dollywood Closing Attractions for New 2014 Ride

[Hyde]

UPDATE*While the following post interpreted Screamscape's report as a removal of Imagination Cinema and Adventure Mountain, the rides have been reported to close for 2013, not be removed.

While Dollywood is waiting until March 2013 to announce its plans for 2014, one thing has been confirmed: Imagination Cinema and Adventure Mountain will be closed for 2013.

“On the heels of five Golden Ticket Awards, including Best Shows and Best New Attraction, Dollywood announces an exciting new addition for 2013 and plans for a new major family attraction in 2014. Imagination Cinema will become a 500-seat venue for a new Dolly family show. Plans for 2014 are under way for a one-of-a-kind attraction on the Adventure Mountain site.
“When your business grows, it is important to evaluate and improve the experiences you provide to your guests,” Craig Ross, Dollywood President said. “For 2013, we’re excited about Dolly’s new family show and its new venue. Our guests will start to see construction activity for the new 2014 attraction as soon as the park opens next season Family are going to be thrilled and excited about the new additions. They’ll be like nothing you’ve seen before.”

While Imagination Cinema is a horrendously outdated by today's standards, Adventure Mountain is quite possibly the greatest non-thrill ride attraction ever constructed.

I was fortunate enough to be one of the first climbers for Adventure Mountain when it opened in 2010. Having worked at numerous high ropes courses throughout the years, I was VERY impressed with the design of Adventure Mountain. From the operation of getting guests harnessed up to the variety/layout of climbing elements - it was a good time!

Adventure Mountain itself is based on what is called a static ropes course, where climbers have "crab claws" or a short length of rope that tethers them to a cable. The major advantage of this is that once climbers are locked in, they are able to freely move without support/belaying from the ground. The design of Adventure Mountain applies this concept to a grid-like steel structure, where climbers are tied into steel tracks overhead, able to choose which direction they want to travel.

Here are some more photos of Adventure Mountain from my own visit:

I for one will greatly miss Adventure Mountain, and FFS Dollywood: MAKE 2014 COUNT! :razz:

 

[ECG]

Re: Dollywood Removing Attractions for New 2014 Ride

Can't believe Adventure Mountain is already being removed after just a few years of operation.
We had such a great time on it during the 2010 CF-Live - especially the water splash element.

 

[Antinos]

Re: Dollywood Removing Attractions for New 2014 Ride

Yeah, we had a lot of fun with that geyser:

I wonder what the reason for removal was? It was a fantastic attraction and seemed hugely popular when we were there. Hopefully whatever comes in 2014 more than makes up for it.

 

[tomahawk]

Re: Dollywood Removing Attractions for New 2014 Ride

My hope is, depending on how epic Outlaw Run is, they put a RMC hybrid in. (Is that what we are going to call what Outlaw Run is? Since Texas Giant and Iron Rattler are Iron Horse) Terrain hugging psychotic coaster sounds pretty good to me.

 

[Youngster Joey]

Re: Dollywood Removing Attractions for New 2014 Ride

My hope is, depending on how epic Outlaw Run is, they put a RMC hybrid in. (Is that what we are going to call what Outlaw Run is? Since Texas Giant and Iron Rattler are Iron Horse) Terrain hugging psychotic coaster sounds pretty good to me.

Screampscape says he's heard Dollywood is keeping a close eye on Outlaw Run so It wouldn't be too surprising.

 

[Lofty]

Re: Dollywood Removing Attractions for New 2014 Ride

Obviously I've not been to the park and experienced Adventure Mountain, but, I was shocked to see that an attraction that's just 2 years old is on the chopping block.

Was it a popular attraction? Also, was it an uncharged attraction or was it included in the entrance fee?

 

[Ethan]

Re: Dollywood Removing Attractions for New 2014 Ride

^ Yeah apparently it was very popular on a lot of days...

 

[Hyde]

Re: Dollywood Removing Attractions for New 2014 Ride

It was a free attraction. It was very popular on my visit - the only attraction with a longer wait was Mystery Mine. It really was quite the operation as well, getting guests geared up and ready to climb. In contrast, on a normal static ropes course it takes a bare minimum 30 minutes for a group of 20 - reason for my being blown away at how well run the course was.

There is also a zipline course that runs throughout Dollywood. That however is an additional charge attraction.

The smart money is on Dollywood getting an RMC. Silver Dollar City is the sister park to Dollywood, both being owned by Herschend Family Entertainment. If Outlaw Run works in SDC (and there's no reason to think it wouldn't), Herschend would most definitely want to build a second wooden coaster at Dollywood.

 

[Youngster Joey]

Re: Dollywood Removing Attractions for New 2014 Ride

^And then maybe they will build one at Darien Lake.

If whatever is going to replace these isn't a big addition and widely received it will be seen as a horrible move.

 

[Hyde]

Re: Dollywood Removing Attractions for New 2014 Ride

Darien Lake is managed by Herschende, but is owned by CNL Lifestyle Properties. a.k.a. CNL does the bankroll for new rides, not Herschende.

 

[Youngster Joey]

Re: Dollywood Removing Attractions for New 2014 Ride

^Well I can Dream.

That would explain the single spaceshot as its "GREAT NEW ADDITION!"

 

[Gavin]

Re: Dollywood Removing Attractions for New 2014 Ride

Imagination Cinema and Adventure Mountain will not reopen for the 2013 season to accommodate preparations for the new 2013 and 2014 additions.

Is it possible that we're misreading this, and that Adventure Mountain will just be temporarily closed during 2013? What if they're working on the area behind it, and having it open during preparation/construction time wouldn't be viable?

I'm not saying that's the case, just that it's a different way of interpreting what has been said.

 

[ECG]

Re: Dollywood Removing Attractions for New 2014 Ride

^That makes a lot more sense to me Gavin. It's hard to believe that Dollywood would get rid of such a popular attraction after only a few years of operation.

Darien Lake is managed by Herschende, but is owned by CNL Lifestyle Properties. a.k.a. CNL does the bankroll for new rides, not Herschende.

So that's why the ride manager of Wildfire had no clue of the new space shot ride coming to Darien Lake, even though he was a manager at Darien Lake for over a year before coming back to Silver Dollar City this summer.

 

[Hyde]

Re: Dollywood Removing Attractions for New 2014 Ride

Going back over the wording of the letter sent to Screamscape, it does read as closing, not removing. I guess I was interpreting closing as removing. Incorrect on my part.

 

[Gavin]

^Imagination cinema is being "removed" though. They're scrapping the simulator thing and putting some show into the building.

 

[Hyde]

Ah! That's where I was mashed up then. Closing both attractions, semi removing another.... yeah.

 

[Gavin]

Aaaaarrrrggghhhhhh!

Now I've just seen this on their Facebook page, in response to a disappointed status about closing Adventure Mountain:

Adventure Mountain is closing at the end of 2012 to make way for the NEW 2014 attraction. More details coming in March 2013.

So yeah, despite their rather unclear press announcement, it seems it is going.

 

[Nic]

^I saw that too. It's obviously their stock answer that they've c&p'd in reply to a few people. I guess it is a bit clearer than before, but still open to interpretation. Someone has replied asking "For good?" which they are yet to comment on.

 

[Jason Voorhees]

Aww man! I really wanted to do that on my trip in May! I guess I'll have to go back to Dollywood again when they get their new attraction, which is hopefully a coaster, but I really doubt it.