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[shavethewhales]

http://sdcfans.com/news.php?id=78

A bad sign of things to come for the rest of the chain? The zip line will actually fit in with DW pretty well, but I'm still retaining my hatred for the games. Even the Herschends can't manage to make those less tacky.

I guess you can't blame them for picking up money. These upcharges make so much money at other parks. At least they keep people off the rides for a little while.

[Fury Fire Chief]

The ziplines are being constructed by an outside company called Skyzip Eco-adventures.  It is a company from Hawaii.  The ziplines are NOT owned by HFEC or DW.  I heard of an upcharge of 40 dollars.

[Swoosh]

IMHO a zip line through the hills of SDC would be more fun

[sdcforever]

IMHO a zip line through the hills of SDC would be more fun

I agree.  But I still don't think I want a zip line attraction like that at SDC.  And definitely no more midway games!

[themeparkguy]

It sounds fun but does not rise to the level of a capital improvement that we are all wanting to see.

[sdcforever]

Screamscape has some more details on SkyZip:

"Dollywood has confirmed the details of SkyZip, the name of the new Zip Line attraction coming to the park. According to the press release, SkyZip is the first “multiple station zip-line experience to open in a U.S. theme park.” SkyZip is also said to be the first of a series of new premium experiences they are planning on adding to the park over the coming year.

When SkyZip opens in early Summer, the hour-long experience will include trips down five different zip-line treks ranging in length from 100 feet to 1000 feet, plus a 100 foot long swinging bridge over the trees. Fliers will launch from a perch above the park’s region called Wilderness Pass and soar to Dollywood’s famed triple spiral-looping rollercoaster, Tennessee Tornado, and beyond. One trail takes adventurers breathtakingly close to Eagle Mountain Sanctuary. After a brief hike, the adventurers will zip above Craftsman’s Valley, which houses Dollywood’s talented artisans, to the same point where their adventure began. As part of Dollywood’s celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the tour will also provide an environmental and historical tour of undeveloped and unspoiled property surrounding Dollywood hosted by specially trained adventure guides.

While they failed to mention anything about the exact price to experience SkyZip, Pete Owners did contact me to say that the park would be making an add-on SkyZip ERT session available during the Thrills in the Hills event along with a commemorative mug with special priced refills all year those who attend."

The key points I see are that it's an hour long and that it's the first of a series of new premium experiences they are adding this year.  So I guess DW will be getting a lot of upcharge attractions this year.  Could we be seeing several upcharge attractions being added to SDC in the next year or two?  In this economy it wouldn't surprise me.

[shavethewhales]

Yeah, barring any unforeseen shortcomings, I think we can count on seeing one of these at SDC next year - assuming they can find a place for it.

These types of things are just practical ways for the chain to make money. I mean, SF is charging $25 for parking, $15 for lockers, $40+ for flashpasses, and at least $20 for the average meal - I'm glad HFEC is turning to these solutions instead 

Not that I don't hate to see all these extra pay-per-perk things pop up. The zip-lines themselves aren't so bad, but start throwing in qbots, lockers, parking, etc.. and it starts getting to the point where I consider it too much bother to come. That's pretty much what happened with me and the Six Flags chain.

[Dukefan]

Well I look at it this way - if they are going to start with the upcharge attractions, at least the SkyZip will be hardly noticeable running over the park compared something like a giant Skycoaster.

[Copper]

And it's NOT a skycoaster, it's something different for families to do.

[themeparkguy]

How many legal waivers and insurance forms will I need to fill out to ride something like this?

[SteamFreak]

Wouldn't this have extremly low capicity? Would have thought HFEC would have learned it's lesson after the topple tower.

[sdcforever]

Below are three photos of SkyZip.  The last photo shows how high you are above the ground when you go over Wilderness Pass.