An all-new racing mountain coaster is coming soon to Pigeon Forge, TN
Success in the Smokies is often built on the shoulders of those who came before you. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but it’s also a pretty good business model in the Smokies. Often, someone comes in with a new idea like a go-kart track, mini-golf course or mountain roller coaster. Someone else sees the success of that idea and tries to piggyback, so to speak. What happens then is something of an arms race. To stay ahead and get the public’s attention each new thing must be bigger, faster, stronger and better.
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This brings us to Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster, the newest mountain coaster which is being billed as the world’s first mountain racing coaster. Is it going to be the world’s first? It’s hard to say. I’m careful to commit to such claims nowadays. The world is a big place. There could be a dual-track mountain coaster in New Zealand or somewhere and I’m not sure we’d know. But the goal is to take mountain coasters to the next level in the Smokies.
What we know so far about the Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster
Well first, it will have a pretty awesome view of the strip. However, we don’t rank mountain coasters on the view. The dual-tracked coaster will feature multiple drops and steep curves as it uses gravity to bring riders back down the mountain.
“This one is not like any other,” coaster officials promise.
How? It introduces the element of competition.My fondest memories in the Smokies involve my uncles coming down from Indiana so we could all go to the slick track go-karts. We’d race and bump and let those competitive juices fly as we all tried to prove we were the best racer. Soon, Pigeon Forge Racing Coaster will bring some high-speed competition back to the mountains.
On a typical mountain coaster, that element of competition is lost. Sure, someone can time you and your buddy as you each make solo runs down the track. But introducing an element of competition is a stretch. Also, on a typical mountain coaster, your speed can be dictated by the person in front of you. If the rider ahead of you is nervous and wants to go slow, you have to go slow as well. If you don’t, you risk ramming them and getting in trouble. The racing coaster – with its side-by-side tracks eliminates both of those issues.
“All of that is out the window with this coaster because we’re doing side-by-side racing action,” an official explains on a social media video. “There is nothing that slows down your race with your partner in this, at all.”
What used to be in that location
The new facility is under construction right at the end of the Pigeon Forge strip. It is right before the entrance to the spur with a view looking back over the strip. It’s also the site of the former Dome Ziplines, a relatively short-lived zip line attraction that included a SkyDome that carried riders more than 3,000 feet while 150 feet in the air. For a couple of years, the Dome stood abandoned, inviting explorers – aka trespassers – to come and see the abandoned property.
When will it open?
As of right now, the only announced opening is Spring of 2025, but progress is being reported frequently on the coaster’s social channels including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram.
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