I decided to make this past Saturday at Dollywood the kickoff to my 2017 roller coaster-riding season. And as I expected, Dolly did not disappoint.

Foolishly (April Fools Day pun intended), I made the assumption that the park opened at 10 a.m. I was planning to go early to process my season pass, so I was surprised when I arrived to the park’s A and B parking lots already full. The park in fact opened at 9. So be sure to check the park’s operating hours!

Dollywood’s 2017 season brings new changes and updates both big and small. Besides a new drop tower and family coaster, the park is offering new shows, a new restaurant (Front Porch Cafe), amenities and more.

So first things first:

Lightning Rod was open!

After a Lightning Rod-less visit in December, I was well overdue for a ride on my favorite wooden roller coaster. And oh how great it was to see that train cresting the covered peak of the launch hill.

The park was only running one train for the first few hours of the day. But I didn’t mind the longer wait.

So how does 2017 Lightning Rod compare to 2016 Lightning Rod?

Well, most importantly, it was open for the majority of the day. I don’t recall it being closed for any extended length of time.

I failed to get a photo of them, but each lap bar is now equipped with two joystick-like handles, which will help you pull the restraint down. The handles also make decent grips when you’re holding on for one of the wildest wooden coaster rides you’ll likely ever experience.

Finally, the “bump” at the bottom of the first drop seems to be gone.

Overall, Lightning Rod is even better than it was last season. And the bar was set very high.

The first couple of hours of the day were rather gloomy, but once the clouds cleared, it was nothing but blue skies and sunshine for the remainder of the day. And the mid-60s temperatures made for prime theme parking.

Over on the other side of the park, the Timber Canyon area has received a generous helping of TLC.

The area is now filled with a variety of logging- and timber-themed art pieces, such as this butterfly-made-of-wood tree.

The path leading up to Thunderhead has also been widened, which reduces the bottleneck that sometimes occurs when the park is crowded.

Subtle changes like this aren’t marketable or billboard-worthy. But they do solidify Dollywood’s continuous efforts to improve the guest experience.

And it’s the small attention to detail like this that sets Dollywood far apart from the other non-Disney/Universal theme parks.

But another reason for the Timber Canyon revamp is the addition of the park’s two new-for-2017 rides, one of which is the 230-foot-tall Drop Line.

Also new for 2017 is the small Whistle Punk Chaser coaster. Its bright orange track is complete and its train is on and (seemingly) ready to roll. However, the station and landscaping still have a ways to go.

Meanwhile, Drop Line looks like it could open tomorrow. The ride was testing throughout the day.

There is no telling how many rides the test dummies have had — I’m very jealous.

Although the 360-views from the top of Drop Line will be unmatched, I am somewhat surprised by the tower itself. I was expecting it to be more “timber” themed (especially given its Timber Tower predecessor, although from a totally different manufacturer).

I suppose I was expecting a “custom order” for a theme park such as Dollywood. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that the ride will be amazing.

Check out a video of Drop Line testing below:

My hands are already sweaty just thinking about the pause at the top.

According to Dollywood’s website, both Drop Line and Whistle Punk Chaser are scheduled to open in “Summer 2017,” which would be June 21st. But considering the progress on both attractions, I would be surprised if both didn’t open well before then.

This is yet another creative new art piece found in Timber Canyon. Consider it a teaser for Wild Eagle.

Thunderhead’s station (and associated buildings) are sporting a new green, yellow and red color scheme. It’s a refreshing look.

The 13-year-old (?!?) wooden coaster was running very well.

Back down on Showstreet, I realized the park was more crowded than I anticipated given that spring break has passed for many area schools. But the nice weather combined with the ongoing Festival of Nations event likely contributed to the moderate crowds.

This was my first time to visit the park during Festival of Nations. Each time I passed by the Gazebo stage, a music act from a different country was playing. It was a nice change of pace from the park’s traditional music offerings.

Lunch consisted of a fried chicken sandwich from Frannie’s Food Truck, which moved just down the midway in Jukebox Junction in 2017:

I don't care what anyone says, @Dollywood's chicken sandwich is the best food item in the park (from a counter-service eatery, at least). pic.twitter.com/vXI2isy9b5 — Coaster101.com (@Coaster101) April 1, 2017

As highly regarded as Dollywood’s culinary options are, I’ve never been blown away by a meal at the park. Granted, I’ve never eaten at one of the park’s full-service restaurants (because there are coasters to be ridden).

But this sandwich is a can’t-miss. I’d put it above Chick-fil-a’s. Yeah, I would.

I made a few laps around the park — the weather was too nice to be inside (or even stuck in a line).

I was just a few trains away from my ride on Mystery Mine when the coaster broke. While I started to wait it out, I knew it can be finicky. So I exited the queue.

And I’m glad that I did, as the ride remained closed for several hours.

Also closed for most of the day was FireChaser Express. One of its trains sat at the bottom of the lift hill for most of that time. I’m not sure if it opened at all in the morning. But its line grew quickly once it reopened.

I’m rather indifferent to FireChaser Express, so I wasn’t too disappointed that I didn’t ride it on this visit. (Blazing Fury, on the other hand…I was bummed I missed that one.)

Tennessee Tornado was as smooth and enjoyable as ever. I wish there were more of these “Arrow 2.0” loopers in the world. The only mark I have against Tennessee Tornado is its length.

While ascending the lift hill, I noticed three small spots of different red tones of paint on one of the coaster’s supports. I hope a new coat of paint isn’t in store, as I really love the faded, rustic look of the track.

In case you were wondering, Wild Eagle is still a magnificent coaster. It’s worth mentioning that its lift hill is higher than the top of Drop Line (due to the park’s geography).

The former Sideshow Spin (once known as the Veggie Tales Sideshow Spin) children’s roller coaster has been removed, likely due to the opening of Whistle Punk Chaser. Personally, I would have kept it open as the coaster was so small and so far away from Whistle Punk Chaser. But I’m sure Dolly has her reasons.

In its place, the park has laid artificial grass and has installed a few benches, but spared the former coaster’s station.

I recall reading mixed reactions to this online. However, I was amazed at how positively it was received among guests when I passed by. People were lounging, playing games, laughing, snoozing, eating…basically having a day at the park. Literally.

Who knew something so minor would be such a hit. Perhaps parks should invest more in these simple, inexpensive green spaces for guests to relax. It will be interesting to see what becomes of this spot in the coming seasons.

Even with the crowds and distant screams, Dollywood is the most serene park I’ve ever visited.

Those are some big catfish carp.

If you’re unfamiliar with Dollywood and its beautiful Dollywood Express train ride up into the mountains, the train turns around in what’s referred to as the “upper loop.” This grove of trees has been discussed by enthusiasts as a possible area of expansion for the park.

I’m torn. The open space is certainly ripe for a new area. But I think I would miss the escape into the wilderness (and the beautiful view of the Smokies) it provides. Time will tell.

The train conductor spotted a wild turkey. That led to a mass pointing at said wild turkey. I found the pointing to be more interesting than the turkey itself.

Miss Lillian (of Miss Lillian’s Smokehouse and Fried Chicken restaurant, of course) always runs out of the restaurant to greet Dollywood Express riders as they pass by. Second only to Dolly, she’s my favorite member of the Dollywood family.

This is the earliest in the spring that I’ve ever been to the park. Since the trees were just beginning to bud, I enjoyed some rare views of the coasters. This view of Tennessee Tornado will be gone within the next couple of weeks…

…same with this view of Wild Eagle’s lift hill and first drop as seen from County Fair. The trees, when fully bloomed, do a great job of hiding the towering coaster.

After reaching a peak wait time of 110 minutes (according to the park’s app), the queue time dropped to a much more tolerable 35 minutes. So I was able to get one last ride before heading home (and it was a front-row ride!).

As I walked to my car, I turned around for a beautiful sight of Wild Eagle against the Smokies. I also noticed Drop Line poking out above the tree line.

Overall, my day at Dollywood was a great start to the 2017 coaster season. I look forward to many more trips back this year.

See more pictures from my visit on our Facebook page.

Have you visited Dollywood this season yet? Share your thoughts about the park’s changes and updates in the comments section below.