Normally I'd leave this until my blog about the park as a whole, but I've had a few people ask for my thoughts about Lightning Rod (thank you!) so thought I'd get them out there!
In short, Lightning Rod was a disappointment.
This really hurts me to say. I stayed silent on my opinion all day as I wanted sufficient rides to be able to judge it fairly, but after four rides throughout the train - including front row - I can say it with certainty.
The ride effectively has two halves, the first takes place behind the hill and the second in front. The first half begins with the ridiculously fun launch up the lift hill, but like Disneyland Paris' Space Mountain it loses all it's momentum at the top. This doesn't stop the first drop being a floaty delight, especially looking out over the Smoky Mountains, but it's all downhill (heh heh) from there. Whilst there was some incredible banking back here, I spent this entire section on every ride bracing against the pain. That's the main issue with the ride for me; it is rough. This is the first RMC (out of only 3 admittedly) that I couldn't lap all day. Whilst my first ride was slightly jerky, with every ride the experience got rougher. It was never rough enough to ruin my day, or put me off riding again (after an hour or so) but it did mean I wasn't able to fully enjoy the elements as I was just bracing. My last (front row) ride even left me with a sizable headache.
Thankfully, as you come back to the front of the hill, you experience the part of the ride that truly lived up to (perhaps even exceeded) expectations: the quad down. Four absolutely insane ejector airtime hills, hugging the terrain and looking out over Dollywood. This provided an incredible, unique, experience, bouncing repeatedly between the seat and restraint. This and the first drop were pure, unbridled joy.
On the whole, Lightning Rod is a great ride. It's fast, it's wild and it's got one of the best elements I've ever experienced. Sadly, it's rattle and lack of hangtime - I just really love being upside down ok - mean it's not top-tier for me. I just wish I could have experienced the original version, especially with the surrounding trees still intact.
I'll sure as hell never forget front-row sunset ride though, watching the sun set over the rocky mountains from the top of a coaster was incredibly special.
Speak again soon,
Claire
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