April 13, 2007
PIGEON FORGE (WATE) -- Dolly Parton officially opened Dollywood's new $17.5 million Mystery Mine roller coaster Friday.
After posting winning bids on eBay, riders got seats on one of the first seven ride cars on the Mystery Mine's opening day.
The winners also got free admission Friday and Saturday, a photo with Dolly Parton and a framed print of a ride photo.
A ride on the Mystery Mine lasts 2 minutes and 30 seconds with a maximum speed of 60 mph. It's tallest drop is 85 feet at 95 degrees.
The coaster can carry 1,000 passengers an hour.
Seventy bidders posted offers on eBay with a top bid of $625.
Many thrill seekers gave the ride a thumbs up but Dolly Parton joked around, saying she won't be getting on.
"I have too much to lose by getting on this ride, my hair, my eyelashes, my fingernails. Lord knows what else will spill out," Parton said.
The proceeds from the eBAy auction benefited Parton's Imagination Library, a not-for-profit organization that provides a book a month to registered preschool-age children in participating communities.
"I have too much to lose by getting on this ride, my hair, my eyelashes, my fingernails. Lord knows what else will spill out," Dolly Parton said.
The Mystery Mine's tallest drop is 85 feet at 95 degrees.
