Dragonflier

Last updated
Dragonflier
Dragonflier (Dollywood) 1.jpg
Dollywood
Location Dollywood
Park section Wildwood Grove
Coordinates 35°47′52″N83°31′52″W / 35.797749°N 83.531204°W / 35.797749; -83.531204
StatusOperating
Opening dateMay 10, 2019 (2019-05-10)
General statistics
Type Steel  – Family  – Inverted
Manufacturer Vekoma
Model Suspended Family Coaster (453m)
Track layout Twister
Lift/launch system Drive tire
Height63.3 ft (19.3 m)
Length1,486.2 ft (453.0 m)
Speed46.6 mph (75.0 km/h)
Inversions 0
Duration1:00
Capacity720 riders per hour
G-force 3.5
Height restriction39 in (99 cm)
TrainsSingle train with 10 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 20 riders per train.
Website Official website
Dragonflier at RCDB

Dragonflier is a Vekoma Suspended Family Coaster at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The coaster debuted in 2019 as part of the $37 million, 5.5-acre Wildwood Grove park area, which was targeted at families and children. [1] The ride features a seven-story first drop into a tunnel, a top speed of 46.6 mph (75.0 km/h), and a total track length of 1,486.2 feet (453.0 m). This is the first 453m clone in the United States.

Contents

History

In October 2017, the park began clearing out and leveling massive swaths of land in between the Timber Canyon area of the park and the Dollywood Express train course, which was immediately deduced to be a 2019 park expansion and leading to intense speculation on what was to come in the park's future years. [2] [3] Following land clearing taking place throughout the winter, it was reported in February 2018 that Dollywood officials were meeting with members of the Pigeon Forge Planning Commission in order to discuss the development of a 5-acre plot of land located between the Thunderhead coaster and the parking lot. [4] In March 2018, plans submitted to the Planning Commission were uncovered and broadcast online, showing off a family-intended park expansion, [5] which included several flat rides and an inverted coaster, which was quickly deduced to be the 453m variant of the popular Dutch firm Vekoma's Suspended Family Coaster model. [6]

With land clearing completed, early construction began on the new area, with footers being poured of the then-unknown Dragonflier coaster in July 2018. [7] Amid several teasers, the name and logo of the new area, Wildwood Grove, became public knowledge on July 24, and the park subsequently set an announcement date for August 3, 2018. [8] On the said date, Dragonflier was formally announced by Dolly Parton and park staff as part of the $37,000,000 Wildwood Grove, which would offer several new rides and amenities, as well as their first expansion to the park's footprint since 2008. [9] [10]

After track began arriving in September 2018, Dragonflier quickly went vertical and was mostly constructed during the fall, with 85% of the layout reportedly having been completed by late November 2018. [11] By 2019, the track was completed, and work would continue throughout the winter on the surrounding area and station in order to meet the anticipated May 2019 opening. [12] [13] The coaster began testing in and around April 2019, [14] and Wildwood Grove - including Dragonflier - had its grand opening on May 10, 2019. [15] [16]

Characteristics

Statistics

Dragonflier has a top speed of 46.6 mph (75.0 km/h) and a total length of 1,486.2 feet (453.0 m). Although the ride reaches a max height of 63.3 feet (19.3 m), its layout stays relatively low to the ground. The coaster is noted for its first drop, which plunges into a short tunnel and thus surpasses the ride's height. It runs a single, 20 passenger train, which restrains guests with lap bars and is mounted below the track; typical for an inverted coaster. The ride's lift hill also utilizes drive tires instead of the traditional chain lift used on the majority of inverted/suspended coasters, thus rendering the climb to the top of the hill as a quiet one.

Model

Dragonflier was manufactured by Dutch-firm Vekoma, and is one of the 453m clones of their Suspended Family Coaster model. The original, Orkanen at Fårup Sommarland in Denmark, was opened in 2013 and has its first tunneled drop diving into the lagoon. [17] As of 2021, 11 of the 453m variant are either in operation or under construction across the globe. [18]

Ride experience

Dispatching the station, riders make a 90° left turn into the lift hill, which utilizes drive tires to propel the train to its 63.3-foot (19.3 m) height. Upon reaching the top, riders bank slightly to the left and plunge into a subterranean tunnel, rising up into a forceful overbanked turn (similar to a Cutback). The train speeds up into a helix, following a jump over the station building and yet another helix. Riders twist into a turnaround and make a final 90° turn into the station, where the train comes to a stop. The entire ride lasts just one minute.

Reception

Dragonflier and the collective area of Wildwood Grove received unanimous praise from local media and park guests alike. Dragonflier itself received praise for its layout, aesthetics, ride experience, and appeal to both children and thrill seekers alike, while coaster enthusiasts lauded its surprise forces and smooth tracking. [19] On September 9, 2019, Wildwood Grove won a prestiged Golden Ticket Award from coaster industry newspaper Amusement Today for Best Kids Area. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dollywood</span> Theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Dollywood is a theme park that is jointly owned by Herschend Family Entertainment and country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton through her entertainment company, Dolly Parton Productions. It is located in the Knoxville metropolitan area in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, near the gateway to The Great Smoky Mountains. Hosting nearly 3 million guests in a typical season from mid-March to the Christmas holidays, Dollywood is the biggest ticketed tourist attraction in Tennessee. It has won many international awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vekoma</span> Dutch amusement ride manufacturer

Vekoma Rides Manufacturing is a Dutch amusement ride manufacturer. Vekoma is a syllabic abbreviation of Veld Koning Machinefabriek which was established in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inverted roller coaster</span> Type of roller coaster

An inverted roller coaster is a type of steel roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. Riders are seated in open cars, letting their feet swing freely. The inverted coaster was pioneered by Swiss roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard in the early 1990s with the development of Batman: The Ride, which opened at Six Flags Great America on May 9, 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">S&S – Sansei Technologies</span> American themed entertainment company

S&S – Sansei Technologies is an American company known for its pneumatically powered amusement rides and roller coaster designing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thunder Road (roller coaster)</span> Defunct wooden roller coaster at Carowinds

Thunder Road was a wooden roller coaster located at Carowinds amusement park on the border between Fort Mill, South Carolina, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Opened in 1976 and built by Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, the racing roller coaster cost $1.6 million to construct and featured two identical tracks that paralleled each other. The design of the ride was based on Rebel Yell, a wooden racing coaster at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. Thunder Road was closed on July 26, 2015, to make room for expansion at the park. On August 27, 2015, Carowinds announced that the Boomerang Bay waterpark would be expanded and renamed Carolina Harbor. The expansion resulted in the removal of Thunder Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jolly Rancher Remix</span> Shuttle roller coaster at Hersheypark

Jolly Rancher Remix is a steel shuttle roller coaster located at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States. A Boomerang model manufactured by Vekoma and designed by Peter Clerx, the roller coaster originally opened as the Sidewinder on May 11, 1991. The roller coaster debuted in the Pioneer Frontier section of the park and cost $4.2 million. The Sidewinder was the first roller coaster installed in the park in 14 years since the SooperDooperLooper in 1977 and the fourth roller coaster in operation to be built. The roller coaster has a maximum height of 116.5 ft (35.5 m), with a maximum speed of 47 mph (76 km/h), and a track length of 935 ft (285 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee Tornado</span> Steel roller coaster at Dollywood

The Tennessee Tornado is a roller coaster at Dollywood amusement park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, United States. It debuted April 17, 1999, and was Dollywood's first major coaster expansion as well as one of Arrow Dynamics' last major coasters. The ride opened in a valley location previously occupied by Thunder Express, an Arrow Dynamics Mine Train roller coaster relocated from Six Flags St. Louis in 1989 and opened in 2002 at Magic Springs and Crystal Falls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suspended Family Coaster</span>

A Suspended Family Coaster is a steel inverted roller coaster built by Vekoma designed for families with no inversions. Just like all inverted roller coasters the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. This latter attribute is what sets it apart from the older suspended swinging coaster, which runs under the track, but "swings" via a pivoting bar attached to the wheel carriage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Firehawk (roller coaster)</span> Former roller coaster at Kings Island

Firehawk was a flying roller coaster located at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. Manufactured by Vekoma, it originally opened as X-Flight at Six Flags Worlds of Adventure on May 26, 2001, billed as the Midwest's first and only flying roller coaster. Cedar Fair purchased Worlds of Adventure in 2004 and began efforts to downsize the park. X-Flight was relocated to Kings Island following the 2006 season, where it reopened as Firehawk on May 26, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mystery Mine</span> Steel roller coaster at Dollywood

Mystery Mine is a steel roller coaster located at Dollywood amusement park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Manufactured by Gerstlauer, the Euro-Fighter model is heavily themed as a haunted mining operation from the 19th century. The roller coaster was Dollywood's largest single investment in the park's history at the time, costing $17.5 million to construct. A large portion of the track is located indoor, where the ride utilizes a series of special effects. It was the first Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter installation in the United States and had the steepest drop of any coaster in North America at the time of its opening. The ride was installed by Ride Entertainment Group, who handles all of Gerstlauer's operations in the Western Hemisphere.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lightning Rod (roller coaster)</span> Launched roller coaster at Dollywood

Lightning Rod is a steel roller coaster located at Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC), the ride is themed to hot rod cars from the 1950s and opened to the public on June 13, 2016. Initially marketed as the first launched wooden roller coaster of its kind, Lightning Rod was later modified for the 2021 season, with over half of its wooden Topper Track getting replaced with RMC's steel I-Box track. Prior to the conversion to steel, Lightning Rod was considered the fastest wooden coaster in the world reaching a maximum speed of 73 mph (117 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tigris (roller coaster)</span> Steel roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa

Tigris is a steel launched roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay theme park in Tampa, Florida, United States. Built on the former Tanganyika Tidal Wave water ride, Tigris officially opened on April 19, 2019 as the park's ninth roller coaster. Tigris is located within the Stanleyville section of the park. The roller coaster and surrounding area re-uses previous infrastructure and landscaping of the former attraction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kondaa</span> Steel roller coaster at Walibi Belgium

Kondaa is a steel roller coaster at Walibi Belgium in Wavre, Belgium. First unveiled at the IAAPA 2018 Expo, the coaster marks the end of a three-year park investment plan and upon opening became the tallest and fastest coaster in the Benelux region, as well as the park's ninth coaster. Kondaa features a top speed of 70.2 mph (113.0 km/h), a notable 15 airtime moments, and the world's first non-inverting cobra roll element.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merlin's Mayhem</span> Suspended family roller coaster at Dutch Wonderland

Merlin's Mayhem is an S&S Sansei family inverted roller coaster at Dutch Wonderland in East Lampeter Township, just east of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The coaster opened on land formerly occupied by the original Turnpike attraction. It was originally slated to open for the 2017 season, but numerous construction setbacks and a longer than anticipated approval process resulted in the ride's opening getting pushed back a year, to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orkanen</span> Suspended family roller coaster at Fårup Summer Park

Orkanen is a Vekoma Suspended Family Coaster at Fårup Sommarland in Blokhus, North Jutland, Denmark. The coaster opened in 2013, and represented a $35,000,000 DKK investment, which was billed as the park's most expensive addition until Fønix opened in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">F.L.Y. (roller coaster)</span> Flying roller coaster at Phantasialand

F.L.Y. is a flying launched roller coaster at Phantasialand in Brühl, Germany. The coaster is the sole attraction of the Rookburgh area, a highly themed immersive Steampunk city, which was soft opened in September 2020 following several years of development and construction. During the ride, passengers sit in a prone position - facing the ground - while traversing two launches and navigating a heavily themed environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Runaway Tram</span> Steel roller coaster at Moreys Piers

Runaway Tram is a steel family roller coaster located on Morey's Piers' Surfside Pier in North Wildwood, New Jersey. The attraction replaced the aging Flitzer roller coaster and required the reconfiguration of several rides on the pier and represented a total investment of $4 million. Runaway Tram spoofs the Wildwood Sightseer Tramcar, a local yellow-and-blue trackless train service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fønix (roller coaster)</span> Steel roller coaster at Fårup Summer Park

Fønix is a steel roller coaster at Fårup Sommerland in Blokhus, North Jutland, Denmark. The coaster was announced on June 23, 2021, and opened to become Denmark's tallest and fastest. Fønix represents a DKK 100 million investment, the largest in the park's 46-year history with the second largest only being DKK 44 million on Orkanen in 2013. Fønix was designed and manufactured by Vekoma, and features 3 inversions - including the world's first "stall loop" element - as well as 14 airtime moments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Bear Mountain (roller coaster)</span> Launch coaster at Dollywood

Big Bear Mountain is a launching steel roller coaster located at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, United States. Manufactured by Vekoma, the roller coaster opened on May 12, 2023, and is the longest in the park featuring a length of 3,990 feet (1,220 m).

References

  1. ↑ Mitchell, Bea (May 13, 2019). "Dollywood officially opens $37m Wildwood Grove expansion". Blooloop. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  2. ↑ John (November 21, 2017). "Dollywood Clearing Land for 2019, 2020 and Beyond". Coaster101. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Dollywood Planning Major Expansion for 2019". visitmysmokies.com. March 6, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Dollywood Expansion 2019 – Wildwood Grove". pigeonforgetnguide.com. 3 August 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  5. ↑ Robinson, Grant (March 6, 2018). "Dollywood developing 5-acre expansion". WBIR-TV . Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  6. ↑ Carter (March 6, 2018). "Dollywood 5-Acre 2019 Expansion Plans Revealed". coasterhub.com. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  7. ↑ Jim (July 25, 2018). "Wildwood Grove ~ Dollywood 2019 July Construction Update". wildgravitytravels.com. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  8. ↑ WATE Web Staff (July 25, 2018). "Dollywood teases 'Wildwood Grove' expansion for 2019". WKRN-TV . Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  9. ↑ "Dollywood Announces Largest Park Expansion in History with New Land Named Wildwood Grove". Business Wire . August 3, 2018. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  10. ↑ John (August 3, 2018). "Dollywood Announces Wildwood Grove Area for 2019". Coaster101. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  11. ↑ Duffy, Christian (November 28, 2018). "Dollywood Dragonflier NEW 2019 Rollercoaster Construction Progress". themeparkhd.com. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  12. ↑ John (January 7, 2019). "Dragonflier Track Complete at Wildwood Grove". Coaster101. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  13. ↑ Davis, Amber (February 21, 2019). "Wildwood Grove Construction Tour". blog.dollywood.com . Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Dragonflier Roller Coaster Testing Dollywood". YouTube . Theme Park Point of Views. April 8, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  15. ↑ Jones, Maggie (May 10, 2019). "Dolly Parton opens Dollywood's Wildwood Grove Friday. Here's how the new area stacks up". knoxnews.com. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  16. ↑ Coates, Charlotte (May 13, 2019). "Vekoma celebrates the opening of Dragonflier at Dollywood's Wildwood Grove". Blooloop. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  17. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Orkanen  (Fårup Sommerlandl)". Roller Coaster DataBase . Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  18. ↑ "453m - Suspended Family Coaster - Vekoma". RCDB. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Unbiased Review of New Dragonflier Coaster". smokymountains.com. 19 June 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Dollywood Wins 3 Golden Ticket Awards for 2019". visitmysmokies.com. September 24, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2021.

External References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.