| Wild Eagle | |
|---|---|
| |
| Park | Dollywood |
| Park section | Wilderness Pass |
| Opening date | March 24, 2012 |
| Closing date | Unknown |
| Height | 210ft |
| Drop | 135ft |
| Speed | 61mph |
| Replaced | Unknown |
| Replaced by | Unknown |
Wild Eagle is a steel wing coaster at Dollywood. The roller coaster is in the Wilderness Pass area, and is one of the first of its kind in the United States.
Ride history[]
Rumors and announcement[]
Rumors discussing Wild Eagle began in 2011 when plans for Dollywood's 2012 attraction were submitted to the Pigeon Forge Planning Commission. On March 24, 2011, Dollywood's 2012 plans approved. Though most city officials could tell what Dollywood's plans were, most believed it looked like a new coaster. On September 4, 2011, Dollywood announced Wild Eagle.
Construction[]
On October 7, 2011, the attraction's lift hill was completed, and by the end of October, Wild Eagle's track layout was complete. On February 28, 2012, Dollywood unveiled a monstrous, steel sculptural of an eagle, which would be placed at Wild Eagle's entrance.
Opening []
On Friday, March 23, 2012, Dollywood previewed Wild Eagle to media sources. The following day, March 24, 2012, Dollywood opened Wild Eagle publicly.
Ride synopsis[]
After leaving the station, the train makes a small left turn and up the 210-foot chain lift hill. At the top, the train then descends 135 feet, followed by a 110-foot vertical loop, followed by a slight left turn and a zero-g roll. Next, the train enters an immelmann loop, followed by a slight trim brake. The train then enters a corkscrew, which is followed by a camlback hill. The vehicle then makes a sharp left turn before making a sharp right turn, which leads into the brake. Upon leaving the brake, the train then makes a left-hand turn, followed by another pair of brakes before reentering the station.
Trivia[]
Records[]
- Wild Eagle is the first Wing Coaster in the United States.
- Wild Eagle is the tallest Wing Coaster in the world, as well as the tallest in the USA.
Statistics[]
- Wild Eagle has four inversions.
- Dolly Parton, the co-owner of Dollywood, commented about the ride, "There's nothing above you and nothing below you. You can fly like an eagle."
- Wild Eagle is Dollywood's fifth roller coaster.
- The attraction is approximately 3,127 feet in length.
- One cycle on Wild Eagle lasts approximately 2 minutes, 22 seconds.
- It is one of three Wing Coasters in the US, the others being Cedar Point's GateKeeper and Six Flags Great America's X-Flight.
- Wild Eagle's steel eagle sculpture weighs 8,000 pounds and has a wing span of 42 feet.
Awards[]
Golden Ticket Awards: Best New Ride for 2012[]
- Wild Eagle was one of six nominees for the 2012 Golden Ticket Awards' Best New Ride. The attraction won the title, beating Disney California Adventure Park's Radiator Springs Racers, Canada's Wonderland's Leviathan, Busch Gardens Williamsburg's Verbolten, Parc Asterix's OzIris, and Hersheypark's Skyrush.
Golden Ticket Awards[]
| Year | 2012 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 15 | 24 |
Mitch Hawker's Best Roller Coaster Poll[]
| Year | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Ranking | 87 |
Photo Gallery[]
