Coaster reviews

First Drop Theming Duration Dead spots

This is one of those dark ride/coaster hybrids that's hard to rank. As a dark ride it's quite charming, but as a coaster it really isn't all that good, minus the first drop. It's definitely a must-ride when at Dollywood, just don't expect to be blown away. 5.5/10 - I would list air conditioning as a pro if I could

Theming Comfort Fun Capacity

I had a lot of fun on this one and I'm surprised it's rated so low. The theming is fantastic but the lighting effects during the ride are something to be desired. I didn't expect Disney-level effects, but it isn't one of its strong points experiencing a pitch-black experience. I am also pretty pleased with the comfort during the ride. I've had rides where you lean forward and they tend to be a bit uncomfortable but this one was smooth throughout. The capacity is pretty abysmal and the line can get extremely long so I would recommend going straight to this on opening if you're looking to get all credits. This park seems to have a collection of underrated rides and this one is no exception. It should not be ranked as the 9th best in the park out of 10 coasters at the time of this review. 3.5/5 stars

Inversions Hangtime Duration

Banshee is remarkably different from every other invert I've ridden, but I still love it as one of the best. I know many complain about the lack of whip, but I actually really enjoyed the change in the profiling. In the front row it feels like you are being held face-down to the ground at the end of nearly every inversion, and it's a super unique feeling. The in-line twist gives some funky but awesome hangtime, and the pretzel knot is very different inversion from anything else in the world. I honestly wish that this ride was just a smidge more intense, but if that's the price to pay for that stalling during the inversions then I am more than happy to pay it. 8.5/10 - my hair got caught in the vest restraint and it hurt a lot

Airtimes Fun Rattle

I was initially going to skip this one, but since I had plenty of time at the park I checked it out. In the front row, Blue Streak is a surprisingly good ride with some fun pops of airtime throughout its course. In the back, this thing beats you senseless. It's not as bad as Corkscrew by any means, but it certainly can rattle you around about as much as the train rattles itself. If you're going to take the time out of your day to ride it, definitely try to get as close to the front of the train as possible. 6/10 - why does it feel like the train is undulating underneath you the entire time; it's so weird

Smoothness Discomfort Lap Bar

I have long been a wild mouse hater, but I was hopeful that this modern rendition would get me to like the concept. That wasn't really the case, unfortunately. Though the spinning definitely eases up on the painful laterals which I despise, I found the ride to be almost as uncomfortable due to the lap bar. For whatever reason the placement of the restraint made it so that I was being braced by my stomach, rather than my lap. I'm not particularly short; I'm about 5' 9"; but it still felt like the restraint was not designed for someone of my height. It's not a bad ride, but due to that discomfort it's not one that I'm in any hurry to reride. 4/10 - I hope you like the sound of annoying bells dinging in your ear because you're gonna get a lot of that while waiting

Pace Masterpiece Ejectors

After maintenance delays canceling our initial plans to ride this for hours into the night we were lucky to just barely squeeze in three rides before our drive home the next day. And let me tell you those three rides might have been the best rides I've ever had on a roller coaster. This ride runs incomprehensibly fast. On the day I went it was 90 degrees out and hauling so quickly that the ops were only loading 40% of the train at a time. Every element on its own is incredible, but when they are taken back-to-back with zero time to rest it becomes an out-of-body, and for that matter, out-of-seat experience. The stall is the best I've experienced, and the arcade roll is one of my favorite inversions ever due to its insane whip. The finale, though perhaps a bit excessive with the airtime, is still wildly fun as long as you brace by pushing your shins into the guards. I was incredibly lucky to get down to Atlanta again only a few months after those first rides, and it remained an absolutely phenomenal experience. 10/10 - "Do you want airtime?" -an actual quote from a real ride operator before not adjusting the lap bar at all

Location Fun Duration

I should preface this review by saying my one and only ride was at 12 am in row 17, so I think I've only experienced this coaster at its best. My night ride on The Beast is one of my favorite coaster experiences ever. That journey in the woods is unlike anything else I've ridden, and the pitch blackness of that cold October night only enhanced the fun. That seemingly pitiful 18 degree drop turned out to be one of the coolest elements I've ever felt on a wooden coaster—It does truly feel more like a launch than a drop, and slamming into that enclosed helix is pure bliss. Sometimes what makes a good coaster can't be quantified in its forces or airtime, and The Beast is a perfect example of that. 9.5/10 - this is my favorite backyard coaster

Inversions Nice surprise! Intensity Headbanging

What a classic! Kumba was way better than I expected. The inversions were all very snappy and forceful. I wish I could've ridden this in its prime.

Intensity Layout Headbanging Harness Discomfort

I heard the reviews. I had low expectations for Flight Deck but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I leaned my head out so I wouldn't get any headbanging but instead, the restraints slightly digged into my shoulders. Then when I leaned just a tiny bit back, I got neckbanging! Still, it wasn't as bad as I expected. At least the layout was good and the forces were great.

First Drop Nice surprise! Intensity Rattle Headbanging

Underrated ride, but I understand where the hate comes from. The ride never has a line, and I understand why. THE HEADBANGING. Such a good ride but the restraints. Go the Blue Hawk route and get some vest restraints. The seats are comfortable, but old Arrow track is NO match. The jump on the mid-course break run is weirdly one of the best airtime moments EVER. The break run slows the train down a lot which normally I'd dislike but to keep the ride tolerable, it's great. Anyways, please Six Flags. Give this old, poor ride some vest restraints so everybody can enjoy the ride instead of bracing myself.