Wilderness At The Smokies Announces $40 Million dollar Expansion

 

Hi Everyone,

I see on social media that a lot of Dollywood fans are also big fans of the Wilderness At The Smokies waterpark resort.  And now there's going to be even more to love about Wilderness, because they have big expansion plans in the works.  They're adding a water coaster, a new lazy river, a ''cloud coaster'' that will go over parts of the Adventure Forest area, and a rooftop pool with a bar and grill.  As if that wasn't enough, Wilderness is building twelve 2,600 sq ft villas that can accommodate up to twelve guests.

Here is WATE's Report on this epic expansion:

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Tennessee’s largest indoor waterpark has announced plans for a $40-million expansion, the largest in the 15-year history of the Wilderness of the Smokies.

 

The Sevierville resort will add nearly 40,000 square feet to their Wild WaterDome indoor waterpark, offering several new attractions and improvements to existing amenities.

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held on September 15 with the project expected to be completed by fall 2023.

Headlining the renovations is the ‘Switchback Mountain,’ a three-story water coaster where riders will reach 29 miles per hour and feature a 22-foot drop. ‘

A release from the park said it will be the world’s first slide with Reverse AquaLucent effects, bringing eye-catching colors and patterns to the indoor park.

Other new attractions include the ‘Lookout Lagoon,’ a rooftop pool with a glass edge. The expanded rooftop area will also be home to an entertainment stage, bar and grill, and cabanas.

A new lazy river with LED color-changing kaleidoscope lighting and other visual effects will be constructed. The park will also add 500 seats to the waterpark and additional cabanas on the mezzanine and main levels.

In addition to the waterpark expansion, the resort will add a suspended ‘Cloud Coaster’ called the ‘Rocky Top Glider’ to the Adventure Forest section of the park. A park release said it will be the first of its kind in Tennessee and only the ninth in the world.

It will have a track length of approximately 400 linear feet with two lift hills, launching riders at a starting height of 18 feet with maximum heights of around 25 feet. This project is anticipated to be completed by Spring 2023 and the Adventure Forest will remain open during the construction.

An eight-person theater will also be added to the Adventure Forest, combining three-dimensional graphics and visual effects. The theater will be completed later this year.

The renovations will also expand food and beverage offerings throughout the park.

Lastly, the resort will construct a dozen, three-bedroom villas. These 2,600-square-foot villas will accommodate up to 12 guests, overlook the Sevierville Golf Course and are fully furnished with an electric fireplace, game room and pool table.

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Here is the press release from Wilderness At The Smokies:

OUR WILD WATERDOME IS ABOUT TO GET BIGGER!

August 18, 2022

We’re super excited to announce that in honor of our 15th anniversary which we will be celebrating in 2023, we have started a 40,000 square foot expansion of our Wild WaterDome.

The expansion will include:

Switchback Mountain, a three-story water coaster which will feature three steep drops, uphill blasts, high speeds and the premier of the world’s first slide with Reverse AquaLucent effects with colorful, spellbinding patterns. These special tubes will also allow light to filter through, adding brightness to the Wild WaterDome.

According to Pete, our Managing Director, “Switchback Mountain is guaranteed to be amazing! To get riders’ adrenaline pumping, the water coaster begins with a heart-pounding 22-foot drop at 29 mph before propelling the riders up into a right hairpin turn inside the first Reverse AquaLucent section. A second drop will follow into an open flume, followed by an uphill blast into a sharp left turn inside another Reverse AquaLucent tube with different patterns. For thrill’s sake, the coaster will repeat a third time into a final set of patterns inside another Reverse AquaLucent tube. To round out the sensations, riders will loop through a dark tube before finishing in an open flume.”

The waterpark expansion will also include Forbidden Caverns Lazy River, featuring an immersive tunnel experience complete with LED color changing kaleidoscope lighting, mirrors and projections.

Finally, the resort will be taking advantage of the waterpark’s expanded rooftop by adding Lookout Lagoon, a roof top pool with a glass edge. This area will also be home to the Peak Rooftop Bar and Grill, three rooftop cabanas and entertainment stage area. For convenience, an elevator will transport guests to and from this area.

Pete adds that per guest’s requests, the resort will be adding 500 seats to the waterpark, six additional cabanas on the mezzanine level of the waterpark and nine additional on the main level.

The anticipated completion of this expansion is fall of 2023. Watch our blog for other developments in the works!

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Wow, well that is a lot to look forward to!  With the new Soaky Mountain Water Park and now these new additions to Wilderness, there will be a lot to see and do at this location.  What are you looking forward to the most?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Until next time!