Dollywood's Newest Addition:
America's First Wing Coaster - The Wild Eagle
If you are planning a trip to Pigeon Forge, you have got to check out the newest ride at Dollywood, the Wild Eagle! What's so special about this "wing coaster"? Well, it's the first of its kind in the U.S., so it's like nothing else you've experienced before. If you are a coaster fan, you are in for a wild ride you won't soon forget. You will literally be seated on the eagle's wings which reach out over either side of the tracks leaving only air above and below, and it literally feels as if you are surging high above the Smokies at lightening speed. Okay, maybe it's not really
that fast, but a whopping 61 mph is fast enough, especially at an astounding 210 feet high! Plus, height and speed are only the beginning of the list when referring to all the great features this coater has to offer.
This ride isn't called "wild" for nothing, the 3,127 ft. track consists of an eerie climb, intense heart-dropping decline, vertical loop, zero-g roll, immelman, corkscrew, giant flatspin, camel back hill, and a spiraling figure-eight twist element all travelled in under 2.5 minutes leaving you exhilarated and craving to go at it again! So get ready to be whipped around in all directions, climbing, diving, and twisting around the track, with your arms and legs outstretched and exposed with nothing to confine or restrain them.
The Wild Eagle is fun for kids and adults alike, but there are some height restrictions you should be aware of before jumping in line to wait your turn just to ensure that you are within the limits. The minimum height allowed is 50 inches, and the maximum height is 78 inches (6 feet, 6 inches). Fortunately, the wait to board typically won't be too long though because both of the trains feature four seats in each row of the seven cars for a total of 28 riders on each train.
Dollywood chose the eagle theme for the ride not only because it encompassed the wing feature of the ride so well, but also to honor our nation with such an iconic symbol. In addition, the park also strived to draw attention to that fact that it's the homeland of the American Eagle Foundation, whose efforts have been instrumental in increasing the eagle population which spurred their removal from the endangered species list. In fact, the theme isn't restricted to the ride alone, it's carried throughout an entire section of the park. You can even see some our county's very own national birds in person in the eagle aviary at Dollywood!
It's sure is great to be able to feel a sense of patriotism as you glide along the tracks of this wild ride. If you aren't sure you're brave enough to fly on the edge of these eagle's wings just yet, you can simply check out the video below for a virtual ride. Then, if you decide you are ready to take to the sky on the Wild Eagle, hurry and head on over to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge to experience the full effect!
Dollywood's newest ride, the Wild Eagle, is the nation's first winged coaster and won the Best New Ride category hands down. Another of Dollywood's iconic coasters, Thunderhead, is a long time favorite that ranked fourth place in the Best Wooden Coaster category. The Pigeon Forge theme park also placed third for Best Park and fourth in the Best Landscaping category. Dollywood's Splash Country placed fourth in both the Best Waterpark and Best Water Ride categories. The annual awards ceremony was even hosted at Dollywood's Celebrity Theater this year. The park's official spokesperson, Dolly Parton, was thrilled to attend the awards program and accept the awards in person.
