I walked the track of the Blazing Fury with the lights on, this is what I learned

You’d be hard-pressed to find a local in the Pigeon Forge area who doesn’t have a special place in their heart for Dollywood’s dark ride Blazing Fury. You see, Blazing Fury is part of our heritage. It’s more than a ride. It’s a time machine that transports us back to the summers of our youth every time we pull down the lap bar.

It was the first roller coaster I remember riding as a child. And I’ve also probably ridden hundreds of times since then, as a rough estimate. I know every line spoken by heart and will annoyingly recite them for you without an invitation as I ride. “Now Molly, I’ve got a weak back!” “Weak back or not … here I come!”

What is Blazing Fury?

The Blazing Fury indoor roller coaster was built in 1978 at Dollywood, which was Silver Dollar City at the time. It is a connection to the history of the park. It is a (mostly) slow-moving ride through the flames of an out-of-control fire in a “burning” 1880s town. While you tour the burning hellscape, you meet firefighters and quirky townspeople. Chaos ensues as the town’s residents, including gunslingers and damsels in distress, rush to escape the blaze.

For a long time, until the Thunder Express opened in 1989, Blazing Fury was the only coaster in the park. The Blazing Fury scenes are campy, the props are largely homemade and the lines are cheesy. Hidden nods and homages to the park’s history in the form of “Easter eggs” are plentiful. I couldn’t love it more.

So when Dollywood announced that they would be offering a behind-the-scenes on-track walking tour of the Blazing Fury as part of their annual Thrills in the Hills event, I jumped at the opportunity. I was asked not to take video footage. But I managed to capture several photos and jotted down every fun fact that came my way. And in this article, I will share those photos and fun facts with you, my fellow Fury lovers. Here are some things I learned:

1. Blazing Fury is a near-replica of its sister coaster

As much as we’d like to think of the Blazing Fury as being one-of-a-kind, it’s a near replica of its (no defunct) sister coaster, Fire in the Hole, in Silver Dollar City, Missouri. But Blazing Fury had a few changes from its sister coaster. Specifically, Fire in the Hole involved Branson-specific local history and devil-mask-wearing vigilantes-turned-outlaws, which wouldn’t make sense for Sevier County. But it was the Silver Dollar City maintenance team that developed and built Blazing Fury in-house. And while some of the scenes, props and lines vary a bit, the two rides were eerily similar.

2. Blazing Fury is full of Easter eggs

The staff at Dollywood and Silver Dollar City had a bit of fun while creating some of the handmade scenes. There are many “Easter eggs” and nods to the park’s rich history hidden throughout the ride. Examples of those hidden details include props featuring references to defunct rides and the park’s former names (like Goldrush Junction and Rebel Railroad).

3. Some of the mannequins were purchased from a haunted house

Ever think some of the mannequins in the cast of characters look creepier than others? Our tour guide Shelby said that some of the original props were purchased from an old haunted house in Gatlinburg, Tenn. I think that more than explains the creepy vibes I’m always getting from the rocking chair couple in Frog Alley.

4. Select props are being slowly replaced 

Not everything you see on the ride today is “original”. To keep the ride in tip-top condition, select props have been repaired and replaced over the years. The process began almost a decade ago. The staff at Dollywood will continue to tweak scenes as needed. Shelby indicated that matching the old handmade style was often a delicate matter. And some replacements are more noticeable than others. So don’t be surprised if you notice a little something different about the ride each season.

5. Many of the doors that look like props are hidden maintenance doors

Many of the doors you see throughout the ride are also functional. For example, the door on the hotel scene where Molly is always threatening to jump is an access point for maintenance. This allows them to easily tend to Molly just in case she’s on the “fritz”.

6. There are arrows on the floor beside the track for evacuations

Along with hidden maintenance doors, there are also plenty of emergency exits located throughout the ride. In the unlikely event of an evacuation, riders would be asked to safely exit the train. They would then walk along the side of the track of this quirky ride and follow a team member to safety. There’s a series of yellow arrows on the floor along the track that direct guests to the nearest exit.

7. The scenes rely on sensors located throughout the track

Ever wondered how the town’s resident, Molly, knew it was time to jump? Or how did the iconic couple know it was time to get their smooch on? There are a series of sensors located throughout the track that manually trigger each scene.

8. The water landing was removed in 2011

Finally, as most Blazing Fury enthusiasts are aware, there used to be a big splash down into a pool of water after the long incline at the end of the ride. But over the years, the water caused wear and tear on the ride. As a result, this forced the park to remove the water feature or risk shutting the coaster down altogether. Though it was one of my favorite parts of the ride, it’s an acceptable sacrifice given the alternative. Certainly, they need to do everything they can to keep this piece of Dollywood theme park history running. We shall mourn the day Blazing Fury goes to that big theme park in the sky.

Many thanks to Shelby and the Dollywood team from Thrills in the Hills for this amazing behind-the-scenes tour.

Did you learn anything from this article that you didn’t already know about our beloved Blazing Fury? Let us know in the comments below.

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