Thunderhead (roller coaster)

Thunderhead

Thunderhead's logo and two Golden Tickets for the Best Wooden Roller Coaster
Dollywood
Park section Timber Canyon
Coordinates 35°47′48″N 83°31′55″W / 35.79667°N 83.53194°W / 35.79667; -83.53194Coordinates: 35°47′48″N 83°31′55″W / 35.79667°N 83.53194°W / 35.79667; -83.53194
Status Operating
Opening date April 3, 2004 (2004-04-03)
Cost $7,000,000
($8.88 million in 2016 dollars[1])
General statistics
Type Wood
Manufacturer Great Coasters International
Designer Mike Boodley
Track layout Twister roller coaster
Lift/launch system Chain lift hill
Height 100.4 ft (30.6 m)
Drop 100 ft (30 m)
Length 3,230 ft (980 m)
Speed 53.7 mph (86.4 km/h)
Inversions 0
Duration 2:30
Max vertical angle 60°
Height restriction 48 in (122 cm)
Trains 12 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 24 riders per train.
TimeSaver Pass available
Must transfer from wheelchair
Thunderhead at RCDB
Pictures of Thunderhead at RCDB

Thunderhead is a wooden roller coaster located at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The coaster, which was the anchor attraction of the new "Thunderhead Gap" section (now Timber Canyon), opened on April 3, 2004, to much critical acclaim. Thunderhead boasts 22 turns and 32 crossovers , and utilizes GCI's Millennium Flyer trains, used on all GCI coasters since 1999. Thunderhead is also the first roller coaster to feature a station flyby.

History

The ride was named after Thunderhead Mountain, a peak within the nearby Great Smoky Mountains National Park that was heavily logged during the early 19th century. The mountain itself was named "Thunderhead" after a slang term in the American South for Cumulonimbus clouds.

Construction Data

Rankings

Golden Ticket Awards: Top wood Roller Coasters
Year2004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016
Ranking 6[3]1[4]1[5]2[6]2[7]5[8]5[9]5[10]4[11]5[12]5[13] 5[14] 7[15]
Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll: Best wood-Tracked Roller Coaster[16]
Year2004200520062007200820092010201120122013
Ranking 5273111114121515
NAPHA Survey: Favorite Wood Roller Coaster[17]
Year 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Ranking
-
4
4
3
3
3

References

  1. ↑ Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
  2. ↑ Thunderhead (Dollywood) :: ThrillNetwork.com
  3. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 14–15B. September 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 3, 2007. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 22–23B. September 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today: 30–31B. September 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 11 (6.2): 42–43. September 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 12 (6.2): 42–43. September 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 13 (6.2): 38–39. September 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 14 (6.2): 38–39. September 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 15 (6.2): 46–47. September 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Top 50 wood roller coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 16 (6.2): 46–47. September 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  12. ↑ "2013 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 17 (6.2): 40–41. September 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  13. ↑ "2014 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 18 (6.2): 38–39. September 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  14. ↑ "2015 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 19 (6.2): 45–46. September 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  15. ↑ "2016 Top 50 wood Roller Coasters" (PDF). Amusement Today. 20 (6.2): 46–46. September 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  16. ↑ Hawker, Mitch. "Wooden Roller Coaster Poll 20 Year Results Table (1994–2013)". Best Roller Coaster Poll. Retrieved March 2, 2014.
  17. ↑ Surveys - National Amusement Park Historical Association
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