5 Comments

My family and I were lucky enough to visit Dollywood on two separate days in May, a week after Big Bear opened. My daughter and I got to ride it twice during daylight hours after almost one hour waits each time. We definitely had to hold on most of the time, especially during the launches. We appreciated the length of the ride, the smoothness, and the on-ride audio. We unfortunately didn't get to see it at night.

Also, my daughter, wife, and I enjoyed Thunderhead and rode it twice in a row with a 5 min wait each time. It was both smooth and intense and is now a top wood coaster for me.

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How old is your daughter? Was the ride more intense than you had anticipated? And yes! Thunderhead is a top wooden coaster for me as well.

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My daughter that rode with me was 20 at the time. She just got over her fear of all coasters this past year and now wants to ride everything. My wife will ride all wood coasters and most steel ones that do not go upside down or have launches. We had a great year visiting Dollywood, Carrowinds, Cedar Point, Kings Island, and Kennywood. Hoping to go back to Holiday World next year after a six year lapse, among other parks.

I think I expected the intensity of Big Bear and wasn't surprised - maybe because I always watch POV videos? Big Bear reminds me a bit of a longer Fire Chaser Express, which I rode for the first time as well this year.

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But it's a heckuva lot more intense than Fire Chaser Express, no?

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IMO, it is the same level of intensity, but lasts much longer on Big Bear.

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