Water is coming back to the best ride at Dollywood, here is what we know
Dollywood’s beloved, quirky and bizarre dark ride Blazing Fury is about to be restored – at least in part to its former glory. Officials hinted at a major refurbishment for one of the park’s legacy rides last year. This year, it was announced that the Dollywood ride with the biggest legacy – outside of the Dollywood Express – was due for a restoration. Included in that, will be the reintroduction of water to the ride.
What does that mean for those of us who love this strange little ride? Do we need to break out the ponchos and prepare for the plunge?
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About Blazing Fury
Dollywood is preparing to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Blazing Fury is nearly 10 years older than Dollywood, a remnant of the park’s Silver Dollar City days.
Based on an attraction in the Branson Silver Dollar City called Fire in the Hole, Blazing Fury tells the story of a mountain town caught in a blaze that was set by Russian bandits, based loosely on the Baldknobbers, a gang that raised terror near the Branson home of the original Silver Dollar City. The indoor coaster operates fairly gently taking guests past delightfully low-rent animatronics.
A woman is attempting to jump from the second floor of a hotel balcony. Meanwhile, a single firefighter urges her to be careful due to his weak back. There’s also a woman chasing a man in and out of a burning house. A sign proclaims she’s looking for a husband “Any size or shape.”
“Come back here you big strong, handsome hunk of man. I wanna kiss on you some.”
“Kiss? It looks like you’ve been kissin’ that steamtrain.”
That sets up a warning the bridge is out. And the ride drops down a fairly modest plunge. For years, the plunge was a splashdown. But at the end of the 2011 season, water was removed from the ride, apparently due to the damage the water did to the train cars as well as the new magnetic braking system.
Is it a refurbishment or replacement?
For years, Silver Dollar City in Branson’s version of the ride was considered a cheesy, guilty pleasure like the Dollywood ride. However, in 2023, the Silver Dollar City ride was closed to make way for a new replacement with the same name. This version is a modern ride up to current theme park expectations. Many people, however, miss the old version. There is a nostalgia for a time when theme parks could succeed without the latest trends.
Some wondered if Herschend Entertainment – which owns Silver Dollar City and is a 50/50 partner in Dollywood – would pursue a similar path with Blazing Fury. In other words, replace the ride with something up to modern standards. As a result, the ride would lose a connection to the past and to everything that makes Blazing Fury memorable.
But at an event in March of 2024, park officials announced Blazing Fury would be refurbished and not replaced. And, they said, water is coming back to the ride.
Should we get ready for a splashdown?
Not so fast, my friends. Park officials said that while water is returning to the ride, the splashdown is not. I expect the water landing will remain incompatible with roller coaster mechanics and possible magnetic brakes. Where will the water be? Well, there are many scenes involving fires and firefighters, including one with a firefighter pointing a dry hose at the blaze. I suspect we’ll get water coming out of that hose. I also suspect there may be some places where riders get a little spritz or two as the firefighters do their thing.
But even as they refurbish Blazing Fury and get it ready for another 50 years, I don’t think we’re going to see a return to the splashdown days of yore.
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