Monday, March 17, 2025

🟡🟣Dollywood's 'I Will Always Love You' Music Festival, Tasting Pass Info, Calendar, and More! 🟣🟡

Hi Everyone,
Dollywood has opened for its 40th Season and I am here to share with you information that I've found about the tasting pass, this years' operating calendar, New Stuff and more!

courtesy of dollywood.com


For the "I Will Always Love You'' music festival, Dollywood has now released its menus.  Scroll Down To See.

Prior to Dollywood releasing the menus online, I went looking for them on the app. 

Let's go to the Dollywood App.  Below are two screen shots, side-by-side to help illustrate the example of How To Find Tasting Pass Food Items.




Step One - Left - Decide which restaurant you want to look at.  Here we are looking at Crossroads Funnel Cakes.  You see a badge labeled "Festival Dining" - that's the badge you will find all of the Festival Tasting Pass Menu Items as you scroll up/down through the list of restaurants.  

Step Two - Right - When you click on the restaurant, it will take you to the screen that you see on the right.  You'll need to scroll down to "Festival Offerings - Tasting Pass Eligible".  Here you see that their only IWALY Tasting Pass option is the Strawberry Crunch Funnel Cake.


NOTE from 3/18 - Some of the Festival Items are not on the app.  For example, the Spinach and Artichoke Pizza showcased on the front menu at Iron Horse Pizza wasn't showing up on the app.  Hopefully this is resolved.

Pricing - as seen at the park.  Gold and Diamond Season Passholders save ($3 OFF) on the I Will Always Love You Festival Tasting Pass! $39.99 for Passholders, $42.99 for everyone else.

🍪🍨🍩🎂MENU ITEMS🎂🍪🍩🍨






PURCHASE PASS ONLINE AND IN THE APP - NOW AVAILABLE
Find the Link to Purchase A Pass on the Dollywood.com website - I Will Always Love You Tasting Pass | Dollywood Parks & Resorts


👄👄




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What's Up around the Park for the "I Will Always Love You" Music Festival
Being the first week of the season, the park has many completed projects from the couple of months of being closed.  Also, not listed here are many of the celebrations planned during the rest of the season.  Dolly mentioned a larger event around May 3rd, the official 40th Anniversary opening date.  Stay tuned for more on that.
  • Parking Lot - A New 750 spot parking lot is opening.
    • Smoother Experiences:  I've heard they paved away the bumpy asphalt in the tram loading/unloading areas of the Transportation Hub, with concrete. 
  • Front Gate Opening Ceremony - Update from Jen S. - They play the National Anthem at 9:30am. I don't have many details, but may include the playing of the National Anthem and a flag raising ceremony.  Also, not sure what time this happens.  This is for all season long. (Thank You Jen S!)
  • Country Fair Refresh - The steep path next to Iron Horse Pizza is closed.  You'll need to walk towards the Carousel and hang a right down into the new/old path that takes you in between the Flying Elephants and Sky Rider rides.  The secondary path that passes by Smoky Mountain Rampage is still open and accessible.
    • New Splash Pad - There's a new splash pad in the former area where the kiddy coaster once stood.  They've added some additional seating as well.
    • You'll notice fresh paint and other updates to buildings and structures.
  • Imagination Playhouse - New permanent home at the Heart Song Theater, in the Village.
  • New Dollywood Sign - coming later in the season.  Dolly has often spoken about her time in Los Angeles, looking at the famous Hollywood sign and thinking to herself..."If I could change that "H" to a "D", it would be perfect!  And so, for the 40th Season, that's what Dollywood is doing.  It will be at the Craftsman's Valley/The Village Crossroads, above the new shade structure where the former cave once stood.
  • Cinnamon Bread




  • Brand New Eatery set to open in May - Wilderness Pass Restaurant - This will be on the site of the former River Battle Ride, in Wilderness Pass.  It's next door to Mystery Mine and Firechaser Express.  It will feature Rotisserie Chicken, Fish, Collard Greens, plus other interesting menu items.
  • Rides - Some rides are having a slow-start to the year...
    • Smoky Mountain Rampage - has not opened yet.  It usually opens with the park.  I noticed some work on the lift hill, during my recent visit.  See Image Below - What I think may be happening here, is these conveyor panels are laid out for staging.  I don't believe they would add belts into the water - I hope not, that slide down into the water is awesome.  I think 'the issue, or part of it, is related to the belts on the lift.


    • Dollywood Express - Original info:  D.E. has not been able to run because of a local Burn Ban.  We are in a deficit for rain at the moment.  
      • 3/18 update - The burn ban has been lifted.  A new sign at the train depot mentions 'routine maintenance' as a reason for closure.  Cinderella #70 was seen moving around the tracks near the depot.... hopefully in preparation for operation.  We'll see!
      • 3/18 PM update - Cinderella #70 was running around the park with the coaches.  I 'got' some video of it in Country Fair....get home and the video is frozen.  Oh well.  
      • 3/19 Update - OPEN - According to Queue Times.com, the D.E. is up and running.
    • Lightning Rod - mechanical issues, but was running part of the day on 3/18 and most of the day on 3/19.  One Train Operations - currently.
    • Blazing Fury - closed, expected to open later in the season with some minor upgrades.
    • Tennessee Tornado received a fresh coat of paint.  Painting is not quite finished yet, but it is operational.
    • Everything else has opened, from my research.
  • TimeSaver Pass from the Resorts - Some of the ride offerings have changed from the offerings in the past (for example:  Lightning Rod & Big Bear Mountain) - be sure to check that info out so no one in your group is disappointed.

  • New Shows/Old Favorites
      • Wild Roots Band
      • Kingdom Heirs
      • Smoky Mountain String Band, (aka as Appalachian Christmas during S.M.Xmas.)
      • Heartsong, The Movie - New Location in Dreamsong Theater.
      • Sing-A-Long with Dolly returns for a 2nd year, for IWALY.
      • Trio, Again, returns for a 2nd year, for IWALY.
      • Heidi Parton's Kin & Friends, returns for a 2nd year...and plays all season long.
      • From The Heart, returns for a 2nd year...and plays all or most of the season.
      • LINK TO THE LATEST INFO AT DOLLYWOOD.COM/SHOWS & ENTERTAINMENT.
  • IWALY Operating Calendar.
    • Open Every Single Day throughout the IWALY Festival - 10a to 8pm.
Cross check this calendar, against the latest-greatest version at dollywood.com, as things can change without notice.


TROLLEY TO DOLLYWOOD
So far, crowds have been normal level except for Opening Day, which was a mad house, so that everyone could see Dolly in person.  The parking lots closed for a few hours and the park recommended taking the Pigeon Forge Trolley.  Now it's spring break time, and the park is expected to be busy.  If you're staying at a Pigeon Forge hotel on the Trolley route, then you could save a lot of headaches by schlepping your crew onto the Trolley.  This isn't for everyone, but if you don't mind the experience, then I recommend looking into the Trolley basics, at the very least.  Watch my video - A Fun and Easy Guide to the Pigeon Forge Trolley, below.



Transportation Names
You will hear a lot of names used while you're in Pigeon Forge.  If you're unsure of all the names used for Dollywood transportation - here's a guide.

  • The Parking Lot Tram is used in the Dollywood and Splash Country Parking lots, for the purpose of getting guests to and from the front gate.  When Splash Country is open, the park operates a separate Tram, designated to take guests between the two parks.  If you're riding the PF Trolley to get to Splash Country, you will exit at the Dollywood Stop, and then walk to the Transportation Hub, to get on the designated Tram to Splash Country.  If unsure, ASK!


  • The Resort Trolleys - take guests to/from the resorts, to/from both parks.


  • The Pigeon Forge Trolley/Gatlinburg Trolley - These two systems co-exist to take passengers around all of the tourists' areas in Sevier County.  The main hub of activity for Pigeon Forge is at Patriot Park, near The Island and Teaster Lane.  In Gatlinburg, the main hub is at the Ripley's Aquarium.


Dollywood Opening Day Media Event Video
Dollywood Media Event from Opening Day March 14, 2025, Featuring Dolly Parton.  You can view the entire event on their FB page below.

 

I see this asked a lot.  How is Dollywood celebrating 40 years in 2025?  I thought it opened in 1986??  

You and I didn't turn one year old until a year after our birth dates.  So, Season One happened in 1986.  Dolly turned 40 years old that year.  In 2025, Dolly turned 79 years old, the park is in its 40th Season, and the park is 39 years old.  Fun Fact:  In the future - in the year 2046, Dolly will be 100 years old.  The park will be in its 61st season!

Easy Quiz Time - Following along, in the year 2056...How old will Dolly be, What Season will Dollywood be celebrating, and what year of operation is it?? 


I hope everyone enjoys their Dollywood visit and has a great 2025 season!

🔵Blog Posts with other Helpful Trip Planning information - 




at 2 comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,
Location: Knoxville, TN, USA

Sunday, January 19, 2025

🍰Happy 79th Birthday, Dolly Parton!🍰

Hi Everyone, Today is a great day for Dollywood and Dolly Parton Fans!  It is Dolly Parton’s 79th Birthday and without her, none of what we all appreciate, cherish and adore would be around to love.  So many different types of people with wildly different beliefs and backgrounds forget every bit of that to find commonality and love for Dolly Parton. She is a treasure of a human and I feel fortunate to be here to share her news with all y'all.


🎂🎂🎂


Check out some of Dolly's best outfits, according to Knoxville News Sentinel. Here are a couple of highlights from the article.


🎂🎂🎂

Dolly's recent interview with Southern Living is available to read online. You can do that here.

🎂🎂🎂

This is originally from Dolly's 77th birthday, and updated for her 78th, but still relevant even though she is 79 today. This is an article called 77 Facts for Dolly Parton’s 77th Birthday, written by Hope McAlee and posted to our local ABC Affiliate, WATE-TV in 2023. Dolly is probably having a slice of PIE today, if #54 is true.


Happy Birthday, Dolly Parton.  This is one of my favorite pictures of her at Dollywood, on the Thunder Express Roller Coaster, around 1989 or so.


77 Facts for Dolly Parton's 77th Birthday


by: Hope McAlee

Posted: Jan 18, 2023 / 03:56 PM EST

Updated: Jan 18, 2023 / 04:34 PM EST


Source:  WATE-TV

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — In celebration of Dolly Parton‘s 77th birthday, here are 77 facts about the East Tennessee icon.

1. Dolly is one of 12 siblings, all of whom were raised in a two-room house.

2. Dolly Parton’s childhood home still stands in Sevierville. A replica is available for visitors to walk through in Pigeon Forge.

3. An Eastern Sevier County history book says Dolly’s father paid the doctor who delivered her with either a bag of oatmeal or cornmeal.

4. She’s been nominated for over 100 awards for her music and acting, and she won 43 of those according to IMDb.

5. While she’s been nominated for ACM‘s Top Female Vocalist Award 13 times, she’s only won once, in 1981.

Dolly Parton, left, and Kelsea Ballerini arrive at the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards on Monday, March 7



6. She’s released 79 albums and over 200 singles and EP’s. Sources say she’s credited with writing and arrangement on nearly 2,000 songs.

7. Dolly’s first single, “Puppy Love” was recorded in 1957 and released in 1959

8. Between 2015 and 2022, Dolly earned 47 Gold and Platinum certifications from around the globe.

9. Dolly wrote her first song at the age of 6 or 7 called “Little Tiny Tassle Top,” in 1953.

10. Parton once lost a Dolly Parton look-a-like contest.

11. Parton began performing as a regular singer on The Cas Walker Show in Knoxville in 1956.

12. When Parton was 13 years old, she performed at the Grand Old Opry for the first time, was introduced by Johnny Cash and got three encores.

13. In 2022, Parton gave $1 million to the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville for pediatric infectious disease research.

14. Dolly’s middle name is Rebecca.

15. In 1967, Dolly released her first full-length album, Hello, I’m Dolly, with Monument Records.

16. Parton had a television show that debuted in 1976 called Dolly. The show had 26 episodes before it ended in 1977.

17. Parton’s first film was 9 to 5, released in 1980.

18. Parton is listed as the author of eight books on Amazon, including novels, inspirational books, and children’s books.

19. Dolly has a never-before-heard song locked away at Dollywood that will be released in 2045. (Watch Jeff's YT Short here)

20. She broke four world records. Parton originally held the records for most decades on the US Hot Country Songs Chart for a female artist at 6 decades and most No. 1 hits on the chart by a female artist at 25 songs. She then broke both of those records, having 109 hits on the chart and staying on the chart for 7 decades.

21. Parton won a CMA Award in five different decades.

22. Dolly is on Tiktok.

23. Dolly released a baking collection with Duncan Hines in 2022. New additions were announced in January of 2023.

Duncan Hines’ limited edition Dolly Parton’s Baking Collection, with her four new baking mixes and more 

Dolly Parton introduces her Duncan Hines’ Buttermilk Biscuit mix, available in stores this January.


24. Dolly’s book with James Patterson, Run, Rose, Run, is being turned into a film by Sony Pictures along with Reese Witherspoon‘s production company, Hello Sunshine.

25. Parton starred in the 1982 film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

26. In a Vanity Fair interview, Dolly admitted to having pastel tattoos to cover scars.

27. Dolly creates the concepts of her looks and her creative team cranks out around 300 outfits a year, according to Steve Summers, Dolly’s creative director.

28. Summers, who has been working with her for over 30 years, told WATE that there is a warehouse that has every single garment Dolly has worn since 1964.

29. Parton has released at least 50 duets, including “I Will Always Love You” with Vince Gill, “Islands In The Stream” with Kenny Rogers, and “Here I Am” with Sia for the 2018 Netflix film Dumplin’.

30. Parton was first signed by Tree Publishing and Mercury Records in Nashville with her uncle, Bill Owens.

31. Parton has been married to her husband Carl Dean for over 55 years.

32. In 2020, Parton told People Magazine that she first met Dean, who was a Nashville businessman, when she was 18.

33. Parton also told People that one of their first dates was at McDonald’s.

34. Dolly has been offered the Presidential Medal of Freedom twice and turned it down. The first time she turned it down because of her husband’s illness and the second time because of the pandemic.

35. Parton’s theme park, Dollywood, opened on May 3, 1986. (See Jeff's extensive Dollywood YT playlist here)

36. In December 2022, a Southwest Virginia farm made a hay sculpture honoring Parton, called ‘Doll-Hay.’

37. Dolly is featured in two Funko Pops, which were announced in early 2023

38. Doggy Parton, Dolly’s line of pet items, launched in the Summer of 2022. (See Jeff's YT video on that here)

39. During an event where Parton promoted her novel, Run, Rose, Run, with James Patterson, fans were able to claim NFT’s of Parton.

40. Dolly starred in Taco Bell’s “Mexican Pizza: The Musical” on TikTok.

41. Despite her success, Parton isn’t a billionaire. Parton’s net worth was estimated at $350 million by Forbes in August 2021, and some recent estimates suggest her net worth may be around $650 million.

42. Dolly Parton is only two inches taller than Danny DeVito. Sources say Parton is five-feet tall while DeVito is four-feet 10 inches tall.

The song to which Parton refers is likely “My Place In History,” a tune she recorded in 2015 and tucked away in a “Dream Box” located at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort in Pigeon Forge, TN - WATCH MY VIDEO #SHORT OF THE BOX AT DREAMMORE - HERE.


43. In 2022, Parton was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

44. Dolly Parton was a guest on “The Simpsons”, where she voiced herself.

45. In a children’s show, Dolly was the voice actress for a character named “Noleen,” IMDb says.

46. Parton is the godmother of two: Miley Cyrus and Billy the Kid, who is a French Bulldog.

47. Paton acted in approximately 135 movies, television shows, and music videos according to IMDb.

48. She has hundreds of wigs. Out.com asked Dolly how many she had at the Heartstrings premiere, and she responded that she wears one about every day, so she must have at least 365.

49. Parton’s Imagination Library, which has now gifted over 195 million books in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland, launched in 1995.

50. Dolly doesn’t have any children of her own. According to Today, Parton told Oprah Winfrey that she believed God didn’t mean for her to have kids so that everybody’s kids could be hers.

51. Parton was awarded with the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy on August 3, 2022.

52. Parton is an early bird. In an interview with Today, she told them she wakes up by 3 a.m. for meditation and spiritual work before she takes care of business.

53. Parton told CMT she wrote “I Will Always Love You” about her mentor, Porter Wagoner, not a romantic interest.

54. On her birthday, she eats pie, not cake, Parton told a USA Today reporter.

(Photo via Dolly Parton)

55. In 1977, Dolly met Queen Elizabeth II in London.

56. After filming completed on Parton’s 2022 Christmas movie, some of the props and costumes used were donated to a Sevierville thrift store for charity.

57. Dolly’s first paid performance was at the Pines Theater in Sevierville when she was 10 years old. In May 2022, the company that owns the theater announced it was being remodeled to turn it into an entertainment venue, named The Pines.

58. Parton seems to be a fan of Lil Nas X. After Lil Nas X’s cover of “Jolene,” Parton said she was excited and that she loves him. In 2019, there was also a Twitter thread between the pair teasing the possibility of a remix of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” with Parton.

59. Parton released a children’s album called “I Believe in You.”

60. Dolly found out about the Gatlinburg Wildfires in a phone call from Miley Cyrus.

61. Parton raised over $9 million in a telethon for her My People Fund, which gave $1,000 checks to families affected by the wildfires monthly for 6 months. The fund received enough donations that the final check fire victims were given was $5,000.

62. Parton was recognized by the FBI for helping Gatlinburg wildfire victims. The FBI gave the 2018 Directors Community Leadership Award to the Dollywood Foundation.

63. Dolly helped reduce dropout rates in Sevier County Schools from 30% to 6% in 1991. The Dollywood Foundation launched the Buddy Program in Sevier County Schools. Seventh and eighth-grade students were each promised $500 if they and a buddy graduated high school.

64. She once donated an autographed pair of heels to be auctioned for Soles4Souls.

65. Parton has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry for over 50 years.

66. Parton saved an actor’s life by pulling him out of the path of an oncoming vehicle on the set of ‘Christmas on the Square’.

67. Parton’s gold dress she wore in 1988 for an episode of “Dolly,” filmed at the Grand Ole Opry, is on display at the Opry.

68. The University of Tennessee offered a history course on Dolly Parton’s life.

69. Parton was voted “least likely to succeed” in high school, according to a 2017 tweet she made.

70. She is the first and only female recipient, as of 2022, of the “Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.”

71. Parton is featured on a Kesha album. In the 2017 album, Rainbow, the pair sang a duet of Parton’s “Old Flames (Can’t Hold a Candle to You).

72. Parton was named the 2022 Friend of Education by the National Education Association.

73. In addition to Dollywood’s employees, Dolly has had a major economic impact on East Tennessee. According to a study at the University of Tennessee, Dollywood has an annual direct and indirect economic impact of over $1.8 billion and created over 23,000 jobs in the region.

74. In 2019, Parton was part of the first all-female host line-up for the CMA Awards.

75. At 10 years old, Parton was interested in show business. A former audio technician shared that when she wasn’t performing, she was watching everything happening behind the scenes.

76. Dolly was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in 2021.

77. In 2023, Parton was honored with the Christine King Farris Legacy of Service in Education Award at the King Center’s 2023 Beloved Community Awards.

78. In 2023, Parton released her Rock n’ Roll album “Rockstar,” however, on the Download Exclusive version of the album, Parton included a new recording of “Jolene” with Italian rock band Måneskin.


🎂🎂🎂

Check out my recent video of Dolly's Fan Shop and some of
The Dolly Parton Experience, that opened in 2024.

Below is a video from the Songteller part of the Dolly Parton Experience. It tells Dolly's origin story from Locust Ridge to Nashville.



at No comments:
Labels: , ,
Location: Knoxville, TN, USA
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

🟡🟣Dollywood's 'I Will Always Love You' Music Festival, Tasting Pass Info, Calendar, and More! 🟣🟡

Hi Everyone, Dollywood has opened for its 40th Season and I am here to share with you information that I've found about the tasting pass...