Dollywood
Encyclopedia
- This page is about a theme park in the USA. For the Bangladeshi film industry also known as Dallywood, see Cinema of BangladeshCinema of BangladeshThe Bangladeshi film industry has been based in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, since 1956. As of 2004, it produced approximately 100 movies a year, with an average movie budget of about 20,000,000 Bangladeshi taka...
.
Dollywood is a theme park owned by entertainer Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
and the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation
Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation
Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation is a privately owned themed-entertainment company that operates several theme parks and tourist attractions within the United States....
. It is located in Pigeon Forge
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Pigeon Forge is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, located in the southeastern United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 5,875....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. Dollywood has 3,000 people on its payroll
Payroll
In a company, payroll is the sum of all financial records of salaries for an employee, wages, bonuses and deductions. In accounting, payroll refers to the amount paid to employees for services they provided during a certain period of time. Payroll plays a major role in a company for several reasons...
, making it the largest employer in that community.
In addition to standard amusement park thrill ride
Amusement ride
Amusement rides are large mechanical devices that move people to create enjoyment. They are frequently found at amusement parks, traveling carnivals, and funfairs.-Notable types:*Afterburner*Ali Baba*Balloon Race*Booster...
s, Dollywood features traditional craft
Craft
A craft is a branch of a profession that requires some particular kind of skilled work. In historical sense, particularly as pertinent to the Medieval history and earlier, the term is usually applied towards people occupied in small-scale production of goods.-Development from the past until...
s and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
of the Smoky Mountains area. Dollywood also owns the adjacent Dollywood's Splash Country
Dollywood's Splash Country
Dollywood's Splash Country is a water park located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, adjacent to the Dollywood theme park. The park's central theme rests around entertainer Dolly Parton’s childhood swimming in the rivers of the Great Smoky Mountains...
, and the chain
Chain store
Chain stores are retail outlets that share a brand and central management, and usually have standardized business methods and practices. These characteristics also apply to chain restaurants and some service-oriented chain businesses. In retail, dining and many service categories, chain businesses...
of Dixie Stampede
Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede
Dixie Stampede is a dinner theater with two locations in the Southern United States. Dixie Stampede is owned by Dolly Parton and The Dollywood Company, a branch of the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation.-Locations:...
dinner theater
Dinner theater
Dinner theater is a form of entertainment that combines a restaurant meal with a staged play or musical. Sometimes the play is incidental entertainment, secondary to the meal, in the style of a sophisticated night club, or the play may be a major production with dinner less important, or in some...
s. The park hosts a number of concerts and musical events each year, including appearances by Parton and her family, as well as other national and local musical acts.
Dollywood hosts 2.5 million guests in a typical season, as of 2009, up from 1.3 million visitors in 1986, when the park opened on the site of Silver Dollar City theme park. As of 2010, the park was the biggest "ticketed" tourist attraction in Tennessee each year for more than a decade. Parton attributes much of the success of the park to its location close to Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a United States National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site that straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are a division of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain. The border between Tennessee and North...
. Since (as of 2010) 88 percent of tourists in Tennessee drive rather than fly, the economic impact of a large tourist attraction like Dollywood helps the economy in that region of the state, according to Susan Whitaker, the state tourism development commissioner. The theme park's operating season runs from early spring until around Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
.
Dollywood is also the site of the Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame
Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame
150px|right|thumb|Entrance.The Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame is a site operated at Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, by the Southern Gospel Music Association. It was established in 1997...
, sponsored by the Southern Gospel Music Association
Southern Gospel Music Association
The Southern Gospel Music Association is a non-profit corporation formed as an association of southern gospel music singers, songwriters, fans, and industry workers. Membership is acquired and maintained through payment of annual dues...
, an independent non-profit corporation.
Parton said in 2010 that she would like to open more Dollywood parks in the future. "We definitely want to expand with new things every year, eventually with a resort," she said. "We may eventually have Dollywoods in other parts of the country, where we can kind of be true to whatever's going on in that part of the world."
History
The park first opened in 1961 as a small tourist attractionTourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
by the Robins brothers from Blowing Rock, NC
Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Blowing Rock is a town in North Carolina, USA, situated in both Caldwell and Watauga counties. The population was 1,418 at the 2000 census. However, during the summer the town's population increases to about 10,000.]]\\...
, named "Rebel Railroad", featuring a steam train
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
, general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
, blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
shop, and saloon
Bar (establishment)
A bar is a business establishment that serves alcoholic drinks — beer, wine, liquor, and cocktails — for consumption on the premises.Bars provide stools or chairs that are placed at tables or counters for their patrons. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go...
. The park was modeled after their first successful theme park Tweetsie in Blowing Rock. In 1970, Rebel Railroad was renamed "Goldrush Junction" when it was bought by Art Modell
Art Modell
Arthur B. Modell is an American businessman, entrepreneur and former National Football League team owner. He owned the Cleveland Browns franchise from 1961–1995 and the Baltimore Ravens franchise from 1996–2004. Modell is the grandson of the late Morris Modell who founded the northeast...
, who also owned the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team. In 1976, Jack and Pete Herschend
Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation
Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation is a privately owned themed-entertainment company that operates several theme parks and tourist attractions within the United States....
bought Goldrush Junction and renamed it "Goldrush" for the 1976 season. But in 1977, they renamed it "Silver Dollar City Tennessee" as a sister park to their original Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City is a theme park in the state of Missouri. Opened on May 1, 1960, the park is located between Branson and Branson West, Missouri, on Highway 76...
in Branson, Missouri
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
.
In 1986, Dolly Parton became a co-owner, and the park was renamed "Dollywood". In 2010, Parton said she became involved with the operation because, "I always thought that if I made it big or got successful at what I had started out to do, that I wanted to come back to my part of the country and do something great, something that would bring a lot of jobs into this area."
From 1986 to 2010, the park doubled in size to 150 acre (0.607029 km²). In 2009, the park had a six percent decline in attendance, which a park spokesman attributed to bad weather, although many other theme parks in the United States suffered attendance drops that year, as often happens to relatively high-priced tourist attractions in recessions. As of 2010, prices for admission to the park were $56 for adults and $45 for children.
On November 16, 2010, Dollywood earned the industry's most prestigious award, the Liseberg Applause Award, which was accepted by Dolly Parton during a ceremony at IAAPA Attractions Expo 2010 in Orlando.
Areas of the park
Dollywood is organized into ten themed areas. The Showstreet, Rivertown Junction, Craftsmen's Valley, Village, Country Fair, Timber Canyon, and Jukebox Junction areas reflect the historical eras and culture of east TennesseeEast Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
, while the Dreamland Forest and Adventures in Imagination areas explore Dolly Parton's life and imagination. Many attractions focus on the history and culture of the Southern Appalachian
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
region.
- Showstreet - Attractions include The Showstreet Palace Theatre, Friendship Gardens, The Celebrity Theatre, and The Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of FameSouthern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame150px|right|thumb|Entrance.The Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame is a site operated at Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, by the Southern Gospel Music Association. It was established in 1997...
. - Rivertown Junction - Attractions include The Tennessee Mountain Home, The Back Porch Theatre, and the Smoky Mountain River Rampage whitewater rafting ride.
- Craftsmen's Valley - Attractions include The Dollywood Grist Mill, The Valley Theatre, Eagle Mountain Sanctuary, Wings of America Theatre, Robert F. Thomas Chapel, Calico Falls Schoolhouse, the Tennessee Tornado coasterTennessee TornadoThe Tennessee Tornado is a roller coaster at Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in the United States. It debuted April 17, 1999, and was Dollywood's first major coaster expansion as well as one of Arrow Dynamics' last major coasters...
, Blazing Fury coasterBlazing FuryBlazing Fury is a steel enclosed roller coaster at the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The ride was built in-house by Silver Dollar City Tennessee in 1978, prior to the park becoming Dollywood...
, Daredevil Falls flume ride, and craft exhibits. - The Village - Attractions include The Dollywood ExpressDollywood ExpressThe Dollywood Express is an attraction and heritage railway located at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It runs along a 2.5 mile loop-to-loop track from the Village to the top of the mountain Dollywood borders to the north. It is pulled by two ex-White Pass & Yukon Route 2-8-2 mikado steam...
steam train, Heartsong, a Carousel, and the Magic Laughmaker. - The Country Fair - Rides include The Dizzy DiskDisk-OThe Disk'O is a type of flat ride manufactured by Zamperla of Italy. The ride is a larger version of a Rockin' Tug, also manufactured by Zamperla.-Versions:-Ride:...
, the Amazing Flying Elephants, Lemon Twist, Shooting Star, Sky Rider, Veggietales Sideshow Spin Kid's Rollercoaster, Waltzing Swinger, Piggy Parade, Busy Bees, Lucky Ducky, Dolly's Demolition Derby, The Scrambler, and the Wonder Wheel. - Timber Canyon - Attractions include the Mystery MineMystery MineMystery Mine is a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter roller coaster at Dollywood, a theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The ride is heavily themed as a haunted mining operation from the 19th century, with sections taking place outdoors and within a large building that features special effects...
coaster, Timber Tower, the Thunderhead coasterThunderhead (roller coaster)Thunderhead is a wooden roller coaster located at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The coaster, which was the anchor attraction of the new "Thunderhead Gap" section, opened on April 3, 2004, to much critical acclaim. Thunderhead boasts 22 turns and 32 crossovers , and utilizes GCI's Millennium...
, and Lumberjack Lifts. - Jukebox Junction - Attractions include the Rockin' Roadway car ride and The Pines Theatre.
- Owen's Farm - Attractions include the Mountain Slidewinder water-toboggan ride,The Barnstormer, a barn and plane styled Giant Swing attraction.It will also include soft pigs,planes and other things that the little kiddies can enjoy *Adventures in Imagination - Attractions include "White Lightning" simulator ride and the "Chasing RainbowsChasing Rainbows MuseumChasing Rainbows is a museum based on the country music singer Dolly Parton. It is located in the Dollywood theme park, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, USA....
" Dolly Parton museum. - Wilderness Pass - Attractions include the River BattleRiver BattleRiver Battle is a new interactive water raft ride at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The ride is located behind the Mystery Mine Roller coster in the new Wilderness Pass section of the park, and it opened on March 21, 2008.-Ride information:...
water ride, the SkyZip upcharge attraction, and Adventure Mountain Americas largest rope course.
Festivals
Throughout the operating season Dollywood hosts four different festivals:- Festival of Nations
March 26 - April 27, 2010: This four week international festival features international entertainment, crafts, aritsry food and dance from around the world.
- Kidsfest - A summer festival featuring popular shows, activities and more.
- National Gospel and Harvest Celebration - During the month of October, Dollywood hosts a salute to an old time harvest celebrationHarvestHarvest is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper...
featuring master-craftsmen and autumn cuisine, along with the Southern Gospel Artists. - Smoky Mountain Christmas - In November and December, Dollywood celebrates a traditional Christmas holiday with special shows, foods, and other attractions. In addition, the park is decorated with nearly 4 million Christmas lights for the festival. This festival was twice named the world's best Christmas event (2008 & 2009).
Timeline
- 1986: Silver Dollar City Tennessee reopens as Dollywood on May 3. The Rivertown Junction area, new for 1986, features the Smoky Mountain River Rampage, a whitewater rafting ride; The Back Porch Theatre; Aunt Granny's Dixie Fixins' Restaurant; and the Tennessee Mountain HomeMy Tennessee Mountain Home-Personnel:*Dolly Parton – vocals, guitar*Jimmy Colvard – guitar*Jimmy Capps – guitar*Dave Kirby – guitar*Bobby Thompson – guitar*Chip Young – guitar*Pete Drake – pedal steel guitar*Don Warden – dobro*Bobby Dyson – bass*Jerry Carrigan – drums...
, a replica of the cabin in which Parton grew up. Also new is "Rags to Riches: The Dolly Parton Story"; a museum featuring articles and mementos from Dolly's life and career. "The Butter Churn" (a Trabant ride) is removed at the end of the season.
- 1987: The Daydream Ridge area opens, featuring the Mountain Slidewinder water toboggan ride; Mountain Dan's Burger House; Sweet Dreams Candy Shop; The Rainbow Factory blown glass shop; and the Critter Creek Playground.
- 1988: The 1,739-seat Celebrity Theatre is constructed adjacent to the entrance of the park. The theatre features the "Showcase of Stars" celebrity concert series. Five new children’s rides are added to the Fun Country area, including a Zamperla Balloon Race. The Dollywood FoundationDollywood FoundationThe Dollywood Foundation is the organizational body that oversees the Imagination Library, a free book distribution program started by Dolly Parton in 1996. The program is based at her Dollywood theme park near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee...
is established to provide books and schools supplies for the children of Sevier County.
- 1989: Thunder Express, a steel mine train coaster, is built adjacent to Blazing FuryBlazing FuryBlazing Fury is a steel enclosed roller coaster at the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The ride was built in-house by Silver Dollar City Tennessee in 1978, prior to the park becoming Dollywood...
. The ride had been relocated to the park from Six Flags Over Mid-AmericaSix Flags St. LouisSix Flags St. Louis , is an amusement park owned by Six Flags, Inc. It is located in Eureka, Missouri, USA . Opened in 1971 as the third theme park of the Six Flags chain, this was the last park that was built under the Six Flags name...
. 1989 is the final season for the National Mountain Music Festival, which had been carried over from the Silver Dollar City years.
- 1990: A 1903 Antique Dentzel Carousel, originally built for Rocky Springs Park in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is relocated to the park. Situated near the train depot, it takes over the space previously occupied by the Silver Dollar Saloon. The 600-seat Gaslight Theatre opens near the Carousel. The Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival premiers in November, extending the park's operating season into December.
- 1991: Eagle Mountain Sanctuary, an outdoor aviary is added. Also new is the Wings of America Theatre, featuring the Birds of Prey show, and the 300-seat Valley Theatre.
- 1992: The Showstreet area is added, featuring the Showstreet Palace theatre; The Butterfly Emporium; The Backstage Restaurant; The Spotlight Bakery; the Friendship Gardens; and WDLY-FM; a working radio station. To accommodate the expansion, the park's main entrance is moved from Rivertown Junction to Showstreet. The Barnwood Theatre is converted into Imagination Station; an interactive children's play area. 1992 is the first season Dollywood's annual attendance tops 2 million.
- 1993: The Fun Country area is renovated into The Country Fair, featuring three new rides: The Wonder Wheel; a 60 ft (18.3 m) tall Ferris wheel, Twist and Shout; a "Scrambler" ride, and the Tennessee Twister; a tilt-a-whirl. The Balloon Race ride is relocated to the Daydream Ridge area to make room for the new attractions. Also new at the park this season is the "Sunset Musicfest", a summer music festival.
- 1994: The Gaslight Theatre becomes the Heartsong Theatre, featuring "Heartsong", a multi-media musical presentation that tells the story of Dolly Parton's life.
- 1995: The Jukebox Junction 1950s themed area is added, featuring Rockin' Roadway; a miniature car ride, The Pines Theatre, Red's Diner, and Cas Walker's Music Store. The Sunset Musicfest does not return for the 1995 season.
- 1996: The Dollywood Boulevard area is added, featuring "Thunder Road", a turbo-simulator ride based upon the 1957 movie of the same nameThunder RoadThunder Road is the title of a 1958 drama–crime film about running moonshine in the mountains of Kentucky and Tennessee in the early 1950s. It was directed by Arthur Ripley and starred Robert Mitchum, who also produced the film, co-wrote the screenplay, and is rumored to have directed much of the...
. The area also featured the Silver Screen Café; a 1950s cinema themed restaurant, and the Centerstage gift shop.
- 1997: "U Pick Nick", a children's show featuring themes from the Nickelodeon television networkNickelodeon (TV channel)Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
, plays in the Celebrity Theatre during the summer. The Flooded Mine dark-ride is closed and demolished in October. The Silver Screen Cafe is refurbished to DJ Platters in the Dollywood Boulevard area.
- 1998: Daredevil Falls, a new shoot the chutes flume ride, opens in area formerly occupied by the Flooded Mine. At the time of its opening, it was billed as "The Highest and Fastest Waterfall ride in America" featuring a 62 ft (18.9 m) drop. Thunder Express is closed in September and removed from the park. It is sold to the Magic Springs Theme Park in Arkansas. The antique carousel is removed at the end of the season and replaced by a new Chance Rides carousel.
- 1999: The Tennessee TornadoTennessee TornadoThe Tennessee Tornado is a roller coaster at Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in the United States. It debuted April 17, 1999, and was Dollywood's first major coaster expansion as well as one of Arrow Dynamics' last major coasters...
; a steel looping coaster, opens in the area formerly occupied by Thunder Express. Also new is the Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of FameSouthern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame150px|right|thumb|Entrance.The Southern Gospel Museum and Hall of Fame is a site operated at Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, by the Southern Gospel Music Association. It was established in 1997...
. The Balloon Race ride is removed from the park.
- 2000: The Daydream Ridge area is renovated into Dreamland Forest, an interactive children's area.
- 2001: The Festival of Nations international festival premiers in April. Dolly's Splash CountryDollywood's Splash CountryDollywood's Splash Country is a water park located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, adjacent to the Dollywood theme park. The park's central theme rests around entertainer Dolly Parton’s childhood swimming in the rivers of the Great Smoky Mountains...
, a new 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) water park, is opened adjacent to Dollywood's parking lot. Admission is separate from Dollywood.
- 2002: Dollywood Boulevard is renovated into a new area, Adventures in Imagination. The Smoky Mountain Wilderness Adventure; a new simulator film, replaces Thunder Road. Chasing RainbowsChasing Rainbows MuseumChasing Rainbows is a museum based on the country music singer Dolly Parton. It is located in the Dollywood theme park, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, USA....
, a new Dolly museum, opens in the building formerly occupied by DJ Platters.
- 2003: Kidsfest, a summer children's festival, premiers. Imagination Station is converted into Celebration Hall, a special events facility. 2003 is the final season for the "Showcase of Stars" celebrity concert series.
- 2004: A new area of the park, "Thunderhead Gap", opens featuring the ThunderheadThunderhead (roller coaster)Thunderhead is a wooden roller coaster located at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The coaster, which was the anchor attraction of the new "Thunderhead Gap" section, opened on April 3, 2004, to much critical acclaim. Thunderhead boasts 22 turns and 32 crossovers , and utilizes GCI's Millennium...
a wooden roller coaster. The construction of the new area opens up a new valley for the park to expand into. The Country Fair Falls log flume is demolished in November. Most of the other Country Fair rides, including the Swingamajig, The Tennessee Twister, The Convoy, and The Barnstormer, are removed at the end of the season to free up space for newer rides.
- 2005: The Country Fair area is renovated to include 10 new rides: Dizzy Disk, the Amazing Flying Elephants, Lemon Twist, Shooting Star, Sky Rider, Veggietales Sideshow Spin Kid's roller coaster, Waltzing Swinger, Piggy Parade, Busy Bees, and Lucky Ducky.
- 2006: The Timber Tower ride, along with Lil' Loggers Landing, Beaver Creek, Beaver Creek Boat Float, and the Lumberjack Lifts, opened in a new area adjacent to Thunderhead. Timber Tower is not in operation for the 2011 season.
- 2007: The Mystery MineMystery MineMystery Mine is a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter roller coaster at Dollywood, a theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The ride is heavily themed as a haunted mining operation from the 19th century, with sections taking place outdoors and within a large building that features special effects...
, a GerstlauerGerstlauerGerstlauer Amusement Rides GmbH is a German manufacturer of stationary and transportable amusement rides and roller coasters, located in Münsterhausen, Germany.-History:...
Eurofighter coaster with two vertical lifts, a 95 degree, 85 ft (25.9 m) drop, a heartline roll, and a dive loop, was built. The $17 million-dollar ride is heavily themed as an old abandoned mine shaft. In November, the original entrance road to the theme park's parking lot on Dollywood Lane is permanently closed to the public. All cars now enter the parking lot off Veteran's Boulevard via McCarter Hollow Road.
- 2008: River BattleRiver BattleRiver Battle is a new interactive water raft ride at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The ride is located behind the Mystery Mine Roller coster in the new Wilderness Pass section of the park, and it opened on March 21, 2008.-Ride information:...
, an interactive water raft ride, is built in a new section of the park called "Wilderness Pass" that connects the Timber Canyon and Craftsmen's Valley areas. "Thunder Road" returns to the motion theatre, (now called the "Imagination Cinema") replacing Smoky Mountain Wilderness Adventure. Della's Lye Soap shop is moved from Craftsmens Valley to the Wilderness Pass area. In its place is a new a exhibit housing the Wings of America show birds. The Polar Express 4-D Experience is shown in the Imagination Cinema during the park's Smoky Mountain Christmas.
- 2009: Dollywood features two new shows "Imaginé" and "Sha-Kon-O-Hey! Land of Blue Smoke,". "Imaginé" is presented by Le Grand Cirque and is headlining the park's Festival of Nations. "Sha-Kon-O-Hey! Land of Blue Smoke" is a major production based on the last family living in the Smoky Mountains at the time it becomes a National Park. "Sha-Kon-O-Hey! Land of Blue Smoke" features music written by Dolly Parton. "Thunder Road" is renamed "White Lightning" and then changed to a new attraction- Journey To The Center Of The EarthJourney to the Center of the EarthA Journey to the Center of the Earth is a classic 1864 science fiction novel by Jules Verne. The story involves a German professor who believes there are volcanic tubes going toward the center of the Earth...
4D based on the 2008 remake of the original film. "SkyZip" owned by Skyline Eco-Adventures of Maui, HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
expands to Dollywood opening the first multi-line zipline tour inside of a theme park.
- 2010: The Adventure Mountain attraction, delayed in 2009, is set to open in 2010. This attraction, built at a cost of $6 million, will open in the new Wilderness Pass area of Dollywood. It will feature four distinct adventure courses ranging from easy to expert including 100 different rope features, swinging beams, suspension bridges, flying islands and a tire traverse. Adventure trails will range from a few inches above ground to more than 26 feet (7.9 m) in the air. For younger kids, the area will include a scaled-down play area, called Camp Teachittoomee. Adventure Mountain Website
- 2011: Barnstormer opened in March 2011 in Dollywood. The $5.5 million giant swing is situated in a barnyard-themed area which also includes a play area for younger guests. The ride features two pendulum arms with seating for 32 riders. Seated back to back, riders travel progressively higher on each swing of the Barnstormer’s massive arms, reaching a maximum speed of 65 miles per hour and 230 degrees of rotation. At its peak, the Barnstormer reaches 89 feet (27.1 m) in the air, taking riders high above the barn’s rooftop and the area’s treetops. The ride is located where the Dreamland Forest section once was. The new area is called "Owen's Farm". Barnstormer Website
- 2012: Wild EagleWild EagleWild Eagle is a steel Wing Rider roller coaster currently under construction at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It will be the first of its kind in the United States when it opens in March 2012.-History:...
will open in Spring 2012. It will be the first Bolliger & MabillardBolliger & MabillardBolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, with Bolliger acting as president and Mabillard as vice-president...
Wingrider in America and it will be the biggest investment in Dollywood history.