Episode 23: Silver Dollar City (Time Travel)

Stop number two on my 2024 road trip was Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO.  Dollywood's sister park is one I've wanted to visit for years!  It's got a gorgeous setting in the Ozark mountains, and some super unique roller coasters.  Powder Keg is a mash-up Premier water ride and S&S launched coaster, Outlaw Run was the first RMC wood coaster with multiple inversions, and Time Traveler was the first extreme spinning coaster from Mach Rides.  I'll also ride the new-for-2024 Fire in the Hole indoor family coaster.  Join me for my in-depth reactions during my first visit to this spectacular theme park.  

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Transcript

Welcome Episode 23 of Coaster Redux.  My name is Erik, and this is the story of my revived roller coaster fandom.  For years, I’d all but forgotten my coaster obsession from high school and college.  Then during the pandemic, I started following the amusement world again, and for the last two years, I’ve been on a mission to ride as many new coasters as I can, and share my experiences through this podcast.

It all started with a week-long road trip back in 2022, and I’m now underway on my third road trip, this time for two full weeks.  I’ve got seven parks remaining and I’ll go in-depth on my experiences riding new roller coasters as well as some old favorites.

Yesterday was my second visit to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN.  While all-day rain was forecast, I got lucky and managed a full day in the park before a deluge ended the day.  Still, I got my first ride on Big Bear Mountain, and lift hill Lightning Rod.  And got back on the spectacular Thunderhead wood coaster and many other attractions.  Today I’m heading for my first-time visit to Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO.  Dollywood’s sister park is known for a beautiful setting and some very unique roller coasters, most notably Time Traveler, the first extreme spinning coaster from Mach Rides, and the first RMC topper track wood coaster, Outlaw Run.           

I know as a roller coaster fan that one of my favorite parts of the hobby is getting the reaction of somebody coming off of a ride they’ve never ridden before.  That’s what I want to share with you.

And with that, join me as I leave the Great Smoky Mountains and head west to the Ozarks.  Silver Dollar City is my next stop Coaster Redux.

The morning greeted me with sunshine and blue skies as I packed up my car in preparation for the day’s drive.  Yesterday’s rain had long since dried up, and I was pleased to have fair weather for this leg.  It was another travel day, and my second longest of the trip.  This time, I had 673 miles and over ten agnd a half hours between me and Branson, MO.

Before I left, I decided to have a little fun with the audience.  Big Bear Mountain was my 197th roller coaster, meaning number 200 would be at Silver Dollar City.  I posted an Instagram story asking whether Time Traveler or Outlaw Run should be my 200th, and resolved not to look at the results until I reached my destination.

I topped off my gas tank and made a stop at Dunkin for breakfast before leaving the Pigeon Forge Parkway and getting on the Interstate.  I passed through Knoxville and Nashville before crossing into Kentucky with a slow-down or two here and there, but nothing major.  Then I crossed a massive river, which I assumed to be the Mississippi and entered Illinois.  My geography was a little fuzzy in this area of the country, but I pictured Illinois being further north.  

Turns out I crossed the Ohio River just north of where it meets the Mighty Mississipp, which forms the very southern tip of Illinois.  I was only in the Land of Lincoln for a few minutes before I passed over the Mississippi to enter the Show Me State.  I was just over halfway there.  

I didn’t have to touch the brake pedal for the remainder of the drive until I exited the highway onto Country Boulevard.  I passed the Dolly Parton Stampede, the Titanic Museum, and Ripley’s Believe it or Not, each of these also existing in Pigeon Forge.  My hotel for the next two nights was the Marriott Fairfield Branson, right off the strip of attractions.  I’d have a day and a half at Silver Dollar City, which I hoped would be enough time to fully experience this park.

I was tired after yet another long haul, so I ordered up Indian food for delivery and watched some TV until it was time for bed.  Tomorrow was to be my first day at the most anticipated park of the trip, and Instagram voted for Time Traveler to be my 200th credit.  I couldn’t wait!

The morning brought another crystal clear blue sky, and I left the hotel for the 15 minute drive to the park.  After leaving the bustling main road in Branson, the route wound atop a ridge with great views of the nearby Table Rock Lake.  I’d bought my two-day park ticket in Tennessee, and thought it strange that there was no option to pre-purchase parking.  I made a left onto Silver Dollar City Parkway and wound around a few twists in the road before I encountered a sign.  Preferred paid parking to the right, and straight ahead for free parking.  What?!  Did I read that right?  Yes indeed, Silver Dollar City does not charge for parking.  That’s a rarity in today’s theme park world, and it’s such a nice touch.  

I exited my car into the blazing heat.  I’m from Florida, but I’m telling you, it was hot that day.  The only rides you can see are the bronze loops of Wildfire, and a few of Powder Keg’s white hills peeking above the treeline.  A parking lot tram was departing as I made my way towards the station, so I contemplated walking to the gate.  It was up hill and I couldn’t see how far it was.  Given the already oppressive heat, I elected to wait for the next tram which arrived in mere minutes.

The park entry is quaint, and almost feels small.  There are no massive signs or archways.  No adjacent ticket booths.  Just old timey wood buildings and a park logo sign on the ground front and center.  I walked by the sign and the path jogs to the right before you pass through security and enter the park.  A narrow midway leads slightly downhill and you’re funneled through the Hospitality House.  It’s a gift shop and serves as the starting point to the Marvel Cave tour, the park’s first attraction.  

I made my way out the back door and found myself on Main Street.  This beautifully shaded entry area now actually feels like a theme park.  It’s important to note that Silver Dollar City is supposed to be one cohesive 1890’s city.  While the park is comprised of sections they’re all part of the same city, and the feel is largely similar throughout.  Employees are called citizens, and they’re as friendly as you’ll find anywhere.

So I had to ride two roller coasters before Time Traveler to make it my 200th, and when possible, I like to build up to the top tier rides, meaning I would ride Outlaw Run after Time Traveler.  I figured since I was in the park not long after rope drop I would start with the low capacity family coaster, the new for 2024 Fire in the Hole.  It’s located in the Fire District section of the park, and I had a tough time finding it.  I tried following signs but I kept encountering dead ends.  The park almost feels like it’s laid out like a hand, with a large central area with several pathways extending off with dead ends for fingers.  It’s also very hilly, but generally speaking if you’re going uphill, you’re heading towards the entrance.  For the most part, each of the major coasters is located at the end of one of these fingers.

Anyway, I passed beneath the railroad trestle for the Frisco train ride into Rivertown, which is home to the Mystic River Falls rapids, then finally found the Fire District.  It looks great, with a handful of kids rides, an S&S Space Shot, and buildings containing everything a firefighter might need.  Despite the early hour, Fire in the Hole’s line extended well outside the ride building, and I wasn’t about to start my day with that kind of wait.  

Despite being early mid June on a Tuesday, the midways were bustling with guests.  I was glad to have more than one day here in case I continued to encounter long lines.  I backtracked through Rivertown and hung a right after the train bridge.  My first ride of the day would be Powder Keg.  Its entrance is situated up a small hill in the back left corner of the park.  Like most roller coasters at Silver Dollar City, this one promised a ride experience like nothing else out there, which made me all the more intrigued.

Buzzsaw Falls opened in 1999 as the first Liquid Coaster from Premier Rides.  It combined log flume and roller coaster sections in which the boat would float through troughs without track, and transition to steel rails to become a coaster.  It faced numerous technical issues and operated for only four years.  It was converted into its current configuration, opening for the 2005 season as Powder Keg: A Blast through the Wilderness.  S&S Power created a compressed air launched coaster re-using the station, and much of the coaster component of the original ride.  The resulting mash-up is a completely unique roller coaster that I couldn’t wait to try.

Guests can walk out to the launch track to check out the trains accelerating from 0-53 mph in 2.3 seconds.  At go time, there’s a burst of fire as the powder explodes in the shed behind the launch track.  The train then disappears into the woods, meaning the majority of the ride experience would be a complete surprise.  The station is themed to a powder mill, and the line stretched just outside the station to the staircase that crosses above the track.  After 20 minutes in line, I selected the back row.

The trains are just as unusual as the rest of this ride.  The seats and restraints are borrowed S&S’ outstanding Screamin’ Swing pendulum rides, and we’re instructed to board without touching the lap bars.  Ride ops walk the platform to secure each rider by swinging the lap bar from the outside across our legs, then pushing them downward to be tight across our waists.  Properly secure, we rolled forward onto a transfer track.  It’s similar to Ice Breaker at SeaWorld Orlando, except this one travels upward before locking into the launch track. 

You slowly roll forward and engage the catch car.  A siren sounds and you take off in an impressive launch before climbing up the first airtime hill.  There’s a stunning view out over the mountains and tree canopy before you’re ripped down 110 feet with great airtime.  You bank right and climb another hill with strong floater, then cruise through an overbanked turnaround to the right.  You then drop back to ground level again, then rise up and bank sharply left and twist around 270 degrees.  Then the track changes from S&S to the original Premier for a high-speed turnaround to the right.  I’m guessing the boat ride never went so fast through this section because you get some pretty decent laterals on this low banked turn.  You then get a breather as you climb the Buzzsaw Falls chain lift.  At the top, you return to S&S track, turnaround to the left, and head down a decently steep drop before rising up into a banked 270 degree helix.  The entry to this turn gives another nice airtime pop, before you twist around into the brakes.

Powder Keg was a blast!  It’s got a forceful launch, several moments of floater airtime, and some laterals to boot.  In some ways it almost rides like a mini hyper.  The trains are comfortable, the visuals are excellent as you interact with the trees and terrain, and I think this coaster is great fun.  I’m sure I’ll come back for more.

I decided to stop for lunch before my next ride, and happened upon Hugo’s.  This section of the park is called Hugo’s Hill Street.  I grabbed a Philly cheese steak sandwich that was very tasty with well seasoned steak, melty cheese, and grilled onions.  No need to add the fries with this one, the sandwich was massive!  

I left Hugo’s to wander in search of my next ride, Wildfire, the B&M sit-down coaster that first put this park on the map for me when it was built in 2001.  It was the first true thrill coaster to open here, and it took me a minute to find it as well.  It’s situated near the front of the park, down another one of these finger pathways that it shares with the American Plunge log flume.  There are extended queues outside the station that I’m guessing were needed when this coaster debuted, but look like they haven’t been used in years.  Once inside, I found only a station wait in this dark laboratory built into a barn.  Wildfire is a type of fuel being developed by Silver Dollar City citizen Horatio Harris, and it’s used to power his flying machines.

The queue features an impressive vat of green bubbling liquid with pipes leading out to the load station.  With only a few people ahead of me, I queued up for the back row. It was then announced that the ride was going down for maintenance.  There was already a mechanic working in the station, so I decided to wait it out since I wanted this to be #199.  Turns out they needed to take one of the trains off the track, so it only took a few minutes before the ride reopened with single train ops.  

Before we were allowed to board, a single citizen boarded the train to take a test lap, and he did something I’ve never seen before.  He sat in row 7, center left.  An odd seat choice.  He sat down with his leg over the hump in the center of the seat, and lowered the restraint so it hit his leg, and fastened the safety belt.  Surely, he did this so he could experience the coaster with the shoulder harness as loose as possible and prevent it from coming down with the coaster’s positive G’s.  I’m sure park management would freak if they saw this, but at the same time, part of me wishes I could try riding in that posture.

After the stunt rider disembarked, we were allowed onboard and were properly secured by the ride crew.  As we left the station, a mist of wildfire is deployed from up above to power the flying machine as we soar above the Ozarks.

The train leaves the station and turns around before engaging the lift.  The ride is painted in a copper color that looks very similar to Tennessee Tornado at Dollywood.  It’s a gorgeous roller coaster in an even more picturesque setting.  You can see miles around, including Table Rock Lake.  At the top, you dip down the standard B&M pre-drop, turn 90 degrees to the left, and plummet 155 feet in a glorious straight first drop.  You pull up into an Immelman, and exit directly into a vertical loop, followed by a cobra roll.  It’s all standard B&M elements, but they’re smooth as can be.  You bank right low to the ground and enter a corkscrew, then turn hard left and rise up into the brakes.

Wildfire is a joy of a B&M.  The first drop is an outstanding moment, and the view and placement of this ride is unparalleled.  The rest is forceful and smooth, so what’s not to like?  It’s interesting that they went with the sit-down trains when the floorless model was available when this was built.  I would guess it was a cost-saving measure, as this $14 million coaster was the park’s largest investment ever at the time.

As you exit the ride, there’s an observation deck abutting the cobra roll, and it’s well worth a pause here to take in the view and watch the ride in action.  After I did that for a moment, it was time for my most anticipated roller coaster in the park.  I followed signs across to the other side of the park in search of Time Traveler, the world’s first extreme spinning coaster from Mach Rides.  I’m always extra excited to ride something completely different, and this one would certainly check that box, but then on the other hand, spinning coasters have never really done anything for me.  Everybody says this is different, so I was beyond curious.   

What’s more is that the coaster community has been beyond abuzz about the second extreme spinner, Ride to Happiness at Plopsaland de Panne in Belgium.  Many of the well-traveled who have ridden it have it in their top three, or even at number one.  Those who have ridden both say Time Traveler pales in comparison, so that got me thinking maybe this ride wouldn’t be anything special.  Like my first ride on X2, I really didn’t know what to expect, though I was quite sure there wouldn’t be any jank on this Mach Rides creation.

The sign for Time Traveler is a masterpiece.  It’s a combination of a clock and a compass rose with a loud and steady ticking.  The outer workings of this mechanism spin hypnotically, creating a feeling of mystery and intrigue.  You walk downhill towards the station and queue house, and pass a sign for Charles Henry & Company, makers of fine clocks.  Henry and his daughter Emmaline build clocks by day, but their real fascination is developing a time travel device.  Inspired by the writings of Jules Verne, they seek to use time travel for the betterment of humanity.  These Silver Dollar City citizens are up to some pretty wild stuff behind closed doors.

The clock factory is three stories tall, the first comprising the majority of the clock making operation.  It’s an open room with plenty of switchbacks that are wide open on this day.  There are windows overlooking the ride’s entire layout, and you can watch as each train drops vertically out of the station and enters the veritable spaghetti bowl of track.  The second floor is home to the Henrys’ offices.  Several clocks are suspended from the ceiling, with each one ticking away.  The third floor is home to testing.  It’s usually off limits, but today, they’re providing tours.

About half of the switchbacks in this room are full, and the wait is about 20 minutes.  At the end of the line, a grouper assigns volunteers to one of eight positions marked on the floor, corresponding to the eight rows of the train.  Only one train load at a time is permitted to climb up to the restricted third floor.  For my first ride, I’d be in row 4.

Upon entering the station, there’s more ticking with sprockets spinning in sync overhead.  Then you get your first look at one of two sixteen passenger trains.  They’re made up of four cars, each seating two pairs of riders back-to-back.    Each car is covered with more mechanical workings, and finished in brass and bronze colors.  Silver Dollar City absolutely nailed the presentation. 

The group ahead of us boards their train, and once they’re secure, the train rolls forward, three bells sound, and each car disappears over the precipice as it hits a magnet and starts to spin.  

We’re next, and the intricate ride vehicles glide into the station and disembark the previous riders.  The gates open, and we take our places in Mach’s supremely comfortable seats.  Row 4 faces backwards, and the ride ops direct us to put our hands up as they touch a button on the side of the car to automatically lower the lap bars.  Mine comes down snug, but it feels just right.  They never actually touch the lap bars to check them, the ride gives each car a green light to signal that we’re good to go.  Then, my lap bar loosened just a bit.  Is this normal?  It doesn’t matter.  The train is rolling now.  The bells toll, we start to spin, and we’re going down down.

I’m sideways and still turning as the train drops 90 feet straight down.  I’m laughing hysterically.  Next comes an inversion that feels like a corkscrew because of the spinning, but it’s actually a dive loop.  You then turn around with two banked turns, and pause on the first launch track.  The cars are still spinning and you look at the folks behind and/or in front of you and just smile.  It’s so strange and so wonderful.  

Still facing who knows where, the LSM kicks in, propelling the train from 0-47 in three seconds.  The spinning accentuates the sense of speed as you climb up into an overbanked turn, and continue around into a vertical loop.  It’s circular, and there’s hangtime galore!  Next up is a twisting airtime hill where you enter banked left and exit banked right.  The whip on this element is killer and you get airtime sideways and frontways and backways and always this gets the car spinning as you tumble through a zero-G roll.  By this point, there’s no way to tell which way you’re going until you slam into a booster launch.  While you only pick up 15 mph in 3.5 seconds, disorientation becomes exhilaration before snapping into another overbank and a twist up into the final brakes.

I stumbled off Time Traveler in absolute awe.  This is the first roller coaster since VelociCoaster in 2021 that left me speechless.  The experience is like nothing else, and it obliterated my expectations.  The theming, while not immersive, is so captivating that it sets a perfect vibe for this ride.  There were so many new sensations navigating modern elements in new ways.  My 200th roller coaster is now in the books, and the only thing I wanted was more.

As I made my way back into the queue, the guy in front of me was wearing a Kings Island shirt.  He noticed my Fury 325 shirt and we got to talking coasters as we queued for my second ride.  He told me that the only way to ride Timer Traveler is in the back two rows, and as we approached the grouper, we politely requested the back.  This time around, the ride was even more unhinged.  While it’s only 90 feet, that first drop is absolutely maniacal in the back row.  As we paused on the launch track, my new friend said, “Let’s hope we hit the loop sideways.”  Sure enough, we did, and that hang time was some of the wonkiest I’ve ever felt.  In the S-bend after the loop we were sideways and I was hurled backward into the seat with crazy airtime before spinning through the heartline roll.  After the second launch, we were facing out on the outer bank and got thrown hard into the lap bar on that turn.  As good as the first ride was, the second left my mind blown.  I could make a strong case that the first drop in the back row is better than anything twice its height.  We seemed to hit every element differently this time around, and every single one was more intense.  That’s the real genius behind Time Traveler.  Every ride is different.  It makes you want to ride again and again.  This coaster really is something special.  It’s got an X-factor I’ve never felt before, and I can’t quite put my finger on it.  And if its Belgian counterpart makes this ride look tame, then Plopsaland just may be near the top of my bucket list.         

After two bonkers rides on Time Traveler, I still had one more roller coaster that many consider to be the best in the park.  This one is located on another dead end off of Rivertown called Wilson’s Farm, and of course I’m talking about Outlaw Run.  You pass the back side of the Mystic River Falls raft ride, and the Giant Barn Swing, an S&S Screamin’ Swing before approaching the station and its towering lift hill.  It’s the only part of the coaster that’s visible from the midway, so once again, the ride experience takes place completely in the woods.

The station is themed to a stagecoach company, and as the name suggests, we’re trying to outrun the outlaws trying to rob us.  The coaster opened in 2013 as the world’s first wooden coaster with multiple inversions.  The second coaster designed and built by Rocky Mountain Construction, it was their first ground-up installation, and the first to use Topper Track.  Beefier than the steel laminate used on traditional wood coasters, Topper Track sits atop layers of wood making it capable of the same outlandish maneuvers as the company’s IBOX track, while also qualifying as a true wooden roller coaster.  These are said to have more of a bite than RMC’s steel coasters since the wood track isn’t quite as butter smooth.  While Lightning Rod at Dollywood was built using Topper Track as well, most of its track had been converted to IBOX before I rode it, so I was excited to try my first all wood RMC.

I only waited about ten minutes before climbing aboard the bright red train.  I rode in row 11 as some say to avoid wheel seats on this ride, so second to back would do just fine.  Secured in the same train type as other early RMC’s, we left the station and engaged the lift.  Like every coaster at Silver Dollar City, this is also a terrain coaster.  The lift is only 107 feet tall, but the first drop is a massive 167 feet at an 81 degree angle.  At the top, you’re just barely above the tree line, and you dip down a bit, turn slightly left, and from there, the run is on!

You plummet to ground level and get yanked out of your seat in the back row, turn hard left, and rise up into a whippy overbanked stall.  You twist right to 157 degrees, then break hard left and roll out into a 180 degree descending turn.  Those two transitions are absolutely wild!  There’s another ejector pop as the train reverses back to the left, and soars over another ejector hill before a sharp left hand turn right through the lift hill.  There’s a little airtime pop here before you drop down into a huge wave turn to the right.  It’s high above the ravine, and it’s sending me Lightning Rod vibes, and I love it!  There’s one more ejector bunny hill before Outlaw Run’s grand finale, a pair of ascending heartline rolls where you gently slow down before turning into the final brakes.

Outlaw Run an unrivaled rush.  It may be the best paced RMC I’ve ever ridden.  It’s absolutely non-stop intensity from start to finish.  There is not one dead spot on this ride.  It’s constantly changing direction, the airtime is phenomenal, and that it’s a wood coaster with that little extra shake makes it feel so outta control!  Then there’s the hangtime in the final inversions.  It’s fantastic!  Having ridden so many RMC’s that feel the same, I really appreciated how unique this one is.  

With such a short line, I went around again and took a ride in the front.  The views rocketing through the trees are spectacular, and the feeling of speed is outstanding.  Still, I think this is a back row coaster.  It packs a serious punch, and Silver Dollar City has themselves two world class rides between this and Time Traveler.

I headed back to Powder Keg to take another ride, this time in the front.  I thought it was better up there.  You get better floater airtime over the hills, and there’s a serious pop of airtime and laterals at the top of the climb into that final helix.  I then headed back across the park to ride Time Traveler again.  It should be said that the overall look of the park is like if you took Craftsman’s Valley at Dollywood and made a whole park like that.  It’s absolutely gorgeous, and there is tree cover everywhere, so despite the blistering heat, shade is always easy to find.  

With only about a ten minute wait, I took two more time jumps, one in the front, and one in the back.  This coaster is just so re-rideable with no two experiences being quite alike.  As I made my way down the exit, I heard somebody shouting, “hey Fury 325.”  The young man introduced himself as Hollis.  He’s a fellow enthusiast, and Fury is his favorite roller coaster.  He’s working in the park as an intern in operations, and he was excited to show me around, as he often spends time in the park riding coasters when he finishes work.  Sounds like the good life!  I told him I hadn’t ridden Thunderation yet, so we went next door for a ride on that.

This Arrow Mine Train was opened in 1993.  We rode in the middle, and Hollis told me where to brace as the Arrow transitions were janky at best.  It’s an Arrow Mine train, there’s really not much more to say than that.

We then headed towards Fire in the Hole, as that was the only coaster I hadn’t ridden yet.  He estimated the wait was over 30 minutes, and being late in the day, I wasn’t up for that.  My plan was to rope drop the park in the morning and head straight to the new family coaster.  We parted ways as I headed off to finish my night on Outlaw Run while he went to meet some friends.  I grabbed a ride on the Screamin’ Swing on my way by.  I love the huge ones I’ve done at SeaWorld San Antonio and Busch Gardens Tampa.  This one isn’t quite as tall, but it’s still great swinging over the treeline.

I ended my night with another row 11 ride on Outlaw Run that was absolutely hauling, and I couldn’t have asked for a better first day in the park.  Fortunately, I had the better part of the next day here as well, and I couldn’t wait!

I headed back down Country Boulevard and sat in some pretty slow traffic as I approached my hotel.  I picked up a pizza from Domino’s right across from the hotel and settled into editing my Instagram reel for Time Traveler.  I also started writing bullet points on my day, the order I did things, what seat I rode in, and some of my thoughts and impressions on the rides and the parks.  I’ve never strung eight park visits together like this, and I wanted to have notes put together for when I went back to write my podcast scripts.  All that accomplished, I headed to bed to be sure and make it back to Silver Dollar City for rope drop.

Wednesday dawned a carbon copy of the day before.  Perfectly clear skies and hot.  I packed up my car and checked out of the hotel with 30 minutes to spare before the park opened.   It was plenty of time, and I made it inside and booked it for the Fire District.  The line was already pretty much to the entrance sign and the coaster had yet to open.  Like my experience on Big Bear Mountain at Dollywood the other day, I hate waiting in long lines for family coasters when I can get on a thrill coaster in only a few minutes. I elected to procrastinate the long line, and start my day as I did yesterday on Powder Keg.

It was closed as I approached, so I made my way back to Wildfire.  I rode twice more in the back, because that first drop is so good, and it was a walk-on.  The second train was also back in service which was nice.  I found that there’s a magic seat on this coaster, being back row left.  As you go down the pre-drop and turn 90 degrees to the left, the track banks slightly.  In back left, the unbanking happens exactly as that row gets yanked down the drop and you get an extra pop of strong airtime as you level out.  You gotta try it!  I paused to grab some video of this beautiful roller coaster, and continued on.

Powder Keg re-opened and I enjoyed a ride in the second row, then I headed to Outlaw Run for another row 11 ride.  While this park doesn’t have the biggest coaster collection out there, every single one is fun and different.  Hollis and I were talking yesterday about what the next coaster should be, and I honestly didn’t see a gaping hole in the line-up.  If I had to guess, I bet something similar to Big Bear Mountain will be the next major addition, given the success it’s been for Dollywood.

It was the heat of the day, and I needed to check Fire in the Hole off the list.  All the switchbacks in the outdoor queue were full, and the direct sunlight made my hour wait a brutal ordeal.  When I finally made it inside, air conditioning was a welcome reprieve, and the station is where you start to get into the ride’s story.

So the original Fire in the Hole was located back by Powder Keg in the Hugo’s Hill Street area.  It was the first roller coaster to open in the park, and was beloved by generations of families. It was a similar attraction to Blazing Fury at Dollywood which still operates, and is more of a dark ride with some roller coaster elements.  It’s one where because it features vehicles that run on rails and has some parts where it coasts with gravity, it’s technically a roller coaster.

Anyway, the park announced that the original ride would close in 2023, and its replacement was to be a thoroughly modernized version that would open in the new Fire District area the following year.  The ride itself would become the first family coaster built by RMC with a new train design, and the park spent a whopping $30 million to bring it to life.  Based on the line this thing has, I’m guessing it was a good investment.

So the station is the Silver Dollar City Pumper Factory and there was supposed to be a reveal of a new rescue wagon that looks quite similar to our ride vehicle.  The story goes that the Baldknobbers, a group of vigilantes, have set the town on fire, and we’re heading out to fight it.  I found the ride itself to be smooth, but the audio wasn’t crystal clear, and it was hard to understand some of what was being said.  Basically we roll past different buildings in the town that are on fire, including the iconic Red Flanders hanging out the window of the burning hotel with no pants on because the Baldknobbers stole them.  Everything looks great, and much more like a classic dark ride than something overly modern.  While I never rode the original, I suspect this pays homage properly.

Then the roller coaster portion begins with an escape from a collapsing burning bridge, and narrowly missing a head-on collision with a steam train.  In the grand finale, they decide to blast the town’s water tower to put the fire out. You drop down right before they blast, which is where the ride gets its name.

You then splash down and the fire is out.  You don’t get soaked here, just a little sprinkle of water.  Overall, this is a charming attraction that will certainly carry on the legacy of the original for future generations.  It’s beautifully themed and looks great in the park.  As for the thrill level, it’s about as mild as they come, so think of it as a dark ride with the bonus of being a coaster credit.

After my long wait, I was hungry and thirsty.  I stopped in the Riverside Grill and grabbed some chicken tenders.  While not my usual choice in a theme park, they came out fresh as I walked up to order, and I couldn’t resist.  I ate, rehydrated, and made my way to grab three rides in a row on Time Traveler.  This is definitely my favorite ride here.  In a park filled with unique roller coasters, this one tops them all.  I could easily ride it all day long.  It’s such a joy!  

My time was getting short, so I grabbed one more ride each on Outlaw Run and Time Traveler, and made my way towards the exit.  A listener recommended that I not miss taking the cave tour, which I intended to do on my way out.  As I queued up to enter the cave, the guides told us that it was over an hour long experience.  Bummer, I simply didn’t have that much time.  Had I known it was so long going in, I would have made the time for it.  I left feeling like I’d missed out on something special, which by all accounts, I did.  Hey, as if I needed a reason to come back to Silver Dollar City, I’ve certainly got one.

I bought a Time Traveler shirt in the gift shop and made my way back to my car where I settled into a 220 mile drive to Kansas City, MO.  As I left the Ozarks, I thought back on my two days here.  Silver Dollar City just might be my favorite park of all time.  It’s stunningly beautiful, it has a cohesive theme, and everything is top quality.  No detail is overlooked.  As much as I love Dollywood, this park is even better.  While Silver Dollar City is set in the late 1800’s, their citizens come up with some pretty cutting edge ways to thrill guests.  Rides like Powder Keg, Outlaw Run, and Time Traveler demonstrate that while this park has its roots in the past, they’re not afraid to innovate, building some of the most modern and unique thrill machines anywhere.  It really is like time travel.  I absolutely loved this place, and I can’t wait to come back.

I pulled into my hotel, the Element North Kansas City.  I stayed at one of these during my last visit to SeaWorld, and I really like them.  It’s modern, but not too much so, and has a mini kitchen and a massive flat screen.  I was only a few minutes away from my next park which I was excited to check out the next day.

Join me for the next episode, when I head to the home of the Prowler GCI, the recently untrimmed Mamba Morgan hyper, and the new for 2023 Zambezi Zinger.  My first visit to Worlds of Fun is coming up next time on Coaster Redux.