Dollywood and Vekoma this morning at the IAAPA Expo revealed the coaster train for their new family coaster, Big Bear Mountain.
The 3,990-foot terrain coaster will feature three launches and a top speed of 48 mph. The height requirement will be 39 inches, which should make Big Bear Mountain an attractive family coaster.
Styled to look like four-wheeled-drive SUVs that have seen a thing or two while out seeking bears (that dirt is painted on), the ride vehicles will have working headlights and tail lights.
"This ride is going to be a game changer for us at Dollywood for several reasons, including the fact it’s the largest coaster we’ve ever built and our first ride with on-board audio," Dollywood President Eugene Naughton said.
Dollywood and Vekoma also released a concept POV video for Big Bear Mountain.
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Those ride wheels are awfully small, particularly for a coaster with on-board audio where a smooth and quiet ride is essential. The high-sided seating area will probably help enhance the soundtrack, particularly if the train rides "loud", but will make unloading and loading a bit tricky. With so many manufacturers moving towards zero-entry trains to increase load efficiency and enhance accessibility, Vekoma continues to put guests in buckets. Disney forced Vekoma into a flat floor train for Guardians, so I don't understand why Dollywood didn't do the same here as it wouldn't have impacted the theming too much.
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Theming is all over the place on this one... Magical fairyland with... jeeps?