🥞🥓Dollywood's Breakfast Is Back 🥐🍩

Hi Everyone, Dollywood recently announced the return of Breakfast at the park.  It's been a few years, I believe, since they've featured it, so its great to see its return.  It's at the Front Porch Cafe from 9:30am to 11:30am with the last seating at 11am.

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It’s like sunshine on a plate.

Start your fun-filled Dollywood day with a mouth-watering breakfast at Front Porch Café. From savory griddles and skillets to fluffy buttermilk pancakes, your tastebuds will be in for a treat!

Guests can enjoy these delicious options from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m., with the last seating for breakfast at 11 a.m.

🌸🪷 Dollywood's Flower and Food Tasting Pass Info 2024🪷🌸

Hi Everyone,

Spring has sprung in the Smoky Mountains, and Dollywood's Flower & Food Festival is in full bloom! This vibrant event transforms the park into a wonderland of colorful flowers and delicious treats. But with so many tempting options, how can you savor the best of both worlds? Look no further than the Flower & Food Festival Tasting Pass, your key to unlocking a delightful culinary adventure.

Let's dig into the menu items available during this amazing event.

Firstly,

You Can Buy the Tasting Pass at Dollywood.com at this link - here.

All this information is from Dollywood's website, which is at this link - here.

I have included a handy map featuring all the locations for these menu items in the Tasting Pass.  

Have you tried any of the menu items in the tasting pass?  If so, what did you think about it?  Let me know in the comments.

🚨New Videos! Opening Day🚨 Dolly Parton Parade, Sing-A-Long, Lightning Rod, and MORE!

Hi Everyone,

I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying Spring.  If you subscribe to my YouTube Channel, you know I have been slowly publishing new videos from this past Opening Day on March 8th, 2024.

I am pleased to tell you all of my Opening Day Videos are published, and I hope you enjoy them.

This one is from the Country Fair area.   The Scrambler has been polished to its mirror finish for the start of the season.  I was looking at a video from October of the Scrambler and it was silver, but not at all polished and kind of had a matte finish about it - the seats I mean.  But it's all polished and looking sharp for the start of the season.  I love the freeze-frame aspect of catching one little moment of joy in everyone's faces.

This one is from Jukebox Junction.  I do believe the new drink fountain outside of Red's is new for this year.   A couple of years ago Dollywood mentioned that they were going to spend a lot of money on improvements to all of the restaurants in the park and so I suspect this is part of that effort.  I love seeing all the little changes from one season to the next.  Some are more obvious than others, some more exciting than others.

This is from the brand new Dolly Parton Sing-A-Long show that is at the Back Porch Theater in the Riverside Area.  I mean, this is fun singing Dolly's biggest hits alongside your friends and family.  

I also published three short videos from Opening Day, including the Dolly Parton Parade that is so much fun.  Dolly rides in her floral covered vintage DeWitt through parts of the park and everyone is so excited to see her...it is quite the site to see and experience.  It never gets old.

Here is Part One, check that out below...

Here is Part Two, check that out below...

Be sure to Subscribe and select to receive notifications when I publish videos.  Also follow me on my Facebook Page for updates there too.

Let me know what you think in the comments!

🟡 More Experiences and another Tour Announced At Dollywood 🟡

Hi Everyone,

 

Dollywood has announced a second tour and some new experiences that may be of interest to you!   Just the other day Dollywood announced details about the IWALY Tour - read about that here on my blog.

Here's what has been announced so far.  Click each one for more information from dollywood.com.

• TOURS
• IWALY TOUR
• Dollywood VIP Tour
• EXPERIENCES - Make-your-own-Crafts
• Dip-Your-Own Candles
• Make-Your-Own Blown Glass Ornament
• Customize-Your-Own Custom Belt, Ornament, Bracelet and more
• Forge-Your-Own Knife

These are very popular Experiences for Dollywood.  I have a friend that insists on always dipping a candle every time we go.  How about you, which experiences do you or your family and friends insist on doing each visit?  Let me know in the comments.

🔵 Changes are Coming to Exclusive Ride Time🔵

Hi Everyone,

New year, new changes at Dollywood.    I'm working on another article making note of all the changes to Dollywood in 2024.  One of the bullet point items will be about changes to the Exclusive Ride Time program beginning with the Flower and Food Festival on Saturday, April 20th, 2024.  Until that time, the ERT program will operate as it did in 2023.  The schedule (below) does list each week's ride for each Saturday from 3/9 to 4/13, 2024.

Let's dig into this!

Click here for direct link to dollywood.com . I recommend you double check any information against the website as changes to ERT dates and rides can change at any time, and at the last moment.

So, instead of an ERT event each week, it will move to a ''once-per-festival'' event, with multiple attractions available for ERT.  Also do notice the earlier start times of 8:30am & then 9:30am on days the park opens at 11am.  

Note that Splash Country will have its own schedule released later.  If it was mentioned, I did not see any announcements of changes at Splash, so stay tuned for more on that front.

This is a pretty big change from the past.  How does that make you feel? Will it impact you positively or negatively?? Let me know in the comments!

🌻🌸🪷 2024 Spring Break Information You Will Want To Know! Crowd Calendar, helpful articles and more! 🪷🌸🌻

Hi Everyone,

Spring Break 2024 is upon us and everyone reading this article is getting ready for Spring Break in Pigeon Forge and Dollywood!

Read my article for some really helpful Dollywood Trip Planning tips and advice.  At the bottom I've shared some links to other blog posts I have written that could really help you out with your planning.

🔵Spring Break Chart

Last year I came across this handy chart for the many school systems that frequent Dollywood during their respective Spring Breaks, so I wanted to make sure and share again this year.  

This chart could really help you plan your trip whether or not you want to be at Dollywood during spring breaks 🤷‍♂️ or wish to avoid that timeframe all together!

Source (pdf)

🔵Crowd Calendar

Another helpful Dollywood Trip Planning tool is the Dollywood Crowd Calendar!  It's run by a third party that analyzes ride wait times that Dollywood publishes for their app.

🔷Check out Dollywood's Crowd Calendar here.

A cool feature of the Crowd Calendar is that it works many different amusement parks than just Dollywood, so check it out while you're doing your trip planning.

🔵Blog Posts with other Helpful Trip Planning information

• Getting To Dollywood by Plane
• Hotels with High Ratings in Pigeon Forge.  I have created a spreadsheet that incorporates ratings from different reliable sources, and ranked hotels in the area.  I've listed out columns for things like indoor pools, hot tubs and more on the spreadsheet.  Very helpful if you, or someone in your group is looking for a specific amenity.
• Top Breakfast Restaurants in Pigeon Forge.  I have created a list of the best Breakfast restaurants in Pigeon Forge using ratings from various reliable sources, and ranked them in my blog post.
  
• 30 Great Places to Eat In Pigeon Forge that are open after 2pm! A list of highly rated establishments that are open past 2pm.
• Guide To Mountain Coasters - A look at all the types of mountain coasters in Sevier County.
• Dollywood's 2024 Operating Calendar
• 8 Things to do at Dollywood if you don't care for rides - There's a lot to do!
• Pigeon Forge Trolley Info You'll Want to Know!
• Tons of YouTube videos - I have so many YouTube videos of Dollywood including every festival and lots of general park updates as well as many Big Bear Mountain footage.
• Check out my 2023 End of Year Recap to see all of my Dollywood videos from 2023.
• Check out my 2022 End of Year Recap to see all of my Dollywood videos from 2022.

Good luck with the planning process and ask any questions you may have in the comments below.  I'll do my best to answer or point you in the right direction.

#Dollywood #DollywoodTripPlanning #PigeonForgeTennessee #TennesseeTourism #vlog #blog #pigeonforgeattractions

🍕😋🍓Dollywood's 'I Will Always Love You'-Festival Tasting Pass - Info you'll want to know! 🍓😋🍕

Hi Everyone,

As Dollywood gears up for the 2024 Season starting March 8th for Season Passholders and March 9th for the General Public, they are releasing important information that you'll want to know before you head to the park.

Here is the information about the always-popular Tasting Pass as well as all of the menu items they will be offering for the duration of the I Will Always Love You Festival, which ends on Sunday April 14th, 2024.  

With every pass you get FIVE - any FIVE Items on this entire menu for the duration of the IWALY Festival...you don't necessarily have to use all Five in one visit.  Get creative with it!

If you and your partner are on a 'date-night' so to speak, then splitting a pass may be the way to go.  You could each get two entree items, then split a dessert, as one possibility.  Or, if you're adventurous and hungry, then use up all five however you see fit, I am not judging you :)

One last thing, if you're on the fence about the pass, and may want to try one or two of these unique, limited-time menu items, then you can buy any of these items 'a la carte'.  You don't have to have the Tasting Pass to enjoy the festival food.

Let's dig into it, below.... Click on either picture to enlarge them.

Source:  Dollywood.com

Menu Items

Source:  Dollywood.com

🔵To buy the pass online ahead of time Click Here...for the Dollywood Store.

🔵For more Tasting Pass information, go to Dollywood's website -Click here.

There you have it folks.  What do you think of these offerings, and which ones are you most excited about?  Let me know in the comments! 

🔵 New Tour for 2024 - I Will Always Love You Tour 🔵

Hi Everyone,

Dollywood announced this new tour for the I Will Always Love You (IWALY) Festival.  Check out the details below, or on their website - click here.

#dollywood #dollywood2024 #dollywoodthemepark #DollywoodTours

🌟 Information about Dollywood's 2024 Season Passes, QR Codes, Entitlements and more burning questions - Answered! 🌟

Hi Everyone,

Are you ready for Dollywood to open its gates for the 2024 Season?  

If you have been keeping up with all the off-season changes going on at Dollywood, then you are already aware that Dollywood has upgraded their Season Pass operating system to accommodate QR codes, which will speed up the process of moving through the front gate.  I have to imagine it will help at food & merch locations as well - they often struggle with scanning the barcode on my season pass for the discount to apply.

Dollywood has written a blog post that answers many of the details about the Season Pass, Including:

• How to Redeem Entitlements
• How to Add a Photo to a Digital Season Pass
• How to Update a Season Pass with a Barcode to a Season Pass with a QR Code

You can find that blog post at this link - click here. OR, you can check out my screen grabs below.  Click to enlarge.

#dollywood #dollywood2024 #dollywoodthemepark #DollywoodSeasonPass

🌟🥳A What's Up At Dollywood Year In Review for 2023 🥳🌟

Hi Everyone,

It's time for my SECOND Year In Review for What's Up at Dollywood the bloggy vlog and the YouTube Channel! 🥳

A huge shoutout to all of you who tune in each day - you're the reason I do what I do! Whether you're glued to my videos, devouring my blog posts, or hanging out on Facebook, your support means the world.

From newbie to know-it-all: a year of East Tennessee adventures

Launching this channel, blog, and Facebook page has been like a wild roller coaster ride through East Tennessee, and I'm loving every twist and turn! Sharing my videos and content with you all has been the fuel that keeps me going.

One thing I've learned this year is what you guys truly crave: insider tips on making the most of your time here, without blowing your budget. Whether it's hidden gems off the beaten path or creative ways to score Dollywood deals, I'm all about helping you experience the best of East Tennessee and helping you prioritize what matters most for your trip.

Speaking of Dollywood, keeping up with Dolly Parton is a full-time job in itself! The woman's a whirlwind of energy, churning out hit songs, hosting theme park extravaganzas, and somehow finding time to be everyone's favorite aunt. I honestly don't know where she finds the hours, but her infectious spirit just makes me want to work harder and bring you even more awesome content in 2024.

So, buckle up, East Tennessee adventurers! Next year, get ready for even deeper dives, hidden treasures uncovered, and enough Dolly Parton updates to satisfy your biggest superfan. Thanks for being on this journey with me – here's to making 2024 our most epic year yet!

Let's dive into the world of W.U.A.D. videos! We can tackle the long-form adventures first, savoring each one like a delicious multi-course meal, and then zip through the short-form highlights like a lightning-fast scavenger hunt. Ready to explore?

🟢My first video was a short video and it about Dolly's Time Capsule at the DreamMore Resort at Dollywood. It's a Pandora's box of Dolly delights, waiting to be unleashed!

🟢 2nd - Frozen moments of mountain magic, captured by Dollywood, in a video.

🟢 3rd - Forget dusty history books and sepia-toned tours, this ain't your grandma's courthouse statue. This is Dolly Parton, bronzed and bedazzled, ready to sass your socks off from the Sevier County steps!

🟢 4th - Mountain Slidewinder may be history, but the memories live on!

🟢 5th - The Smokies sing Dolly's anthem! Get ready for a heart-stopping season kick-off as Dollywood throws the party of the century for "I Will Always Love You.

🟢 6th - Forget dusty photo albums, this is real mountain magic! Big Bear Mountain's preview day rekindles the thrill of childhood coaster rides, with off-ride footage that'll make your inner child high-five with glee.

🟢 7th - Forget park maps, this is your front-row seat to Big Bear's fury! Strap in for the ultimate POV journey, then let Dolly's "Big Bear Mountain" soundtrack your screams as you plummet, twist, and loop through a winter wonderland of thrills.

🟢 8th - Prepare to have your petals blown off!  Dollywood's Food & Flower Festival paints the park in floral masterpieces, culinary kaleidoscopes and enough magic umbrellas to make your Instagram explode.  

🟢 9th - Buckle up, sunshine seekers! Summer Celebration Part 1 explodes onto Dollywood's scene, sun-kissed rides, overflowing with thrills, chills, and enough good times to melt a Dollywood hot dog on a July afternoon.

🟢 10th - Dust off your dancing shoes, the Smokies are calling! Summer Celebration Part 2 is a time capsule of summer nights, with fireworks whispering nostalgic stories and drone lights painting pictures of carefree laughter in the sky.

🟢 11th - Forget boring playlists, Good Vibes is a high-octane musical rollercoaster! The 2023 cast cranks the volume and the adrenaline, taking you on a genre-hopping thrill ride that'll leave you breathless and begging for another loop.

🟢 12th - Hold onto your hats and your high notes! Big Bear Mountain throws you into a white-knuckle adventure, and Dolly's soundtrack fuels the fire. Sing until your lungs turn blue, scream until your voice cracks, this is a musical rollercoaster you won't soon forget!

🟢 13th - Whispers of "Jolene" mingle with the clang of hammers! The Dolly Parton Experience is a symphony of progress, and our update lets you hear the sweet music of an icon's legacy taking shape.

🟢 14th - Buckle up, leaf peepers! My Dollywood Harvest Festival Day was a nature hike turned carnival, with roller coaster screams echoing through pumpkin patches and enough pumpkin spice to fuel a squirrel army.

🟢 15th - Hold onto your haunted hats, Dollywood's Harvest Festival turns into a graveyard rave after dark! Join me on a tour of glowing jack-o-lanterns, towering pumpkin sculptures, and enough spooky surprises to keep your heart pounding like a haunted drum.

🟢 16th - Forget falling leaves, molten masterpieces reign! Step inside Dollywood's Blown Glass Shop during Harvest Festival, where fiery furnaces sculpt pumpkin dreams and every breath blooms into incandescent autumn splendor.

🟢 17th - Bundle up, snow bunnies! Smoky Mountain Christmas transforms into a winter wonderland playground. Let's race down frosted rollercoasters, sing along to caroling choirs, and lose ourselves in a blizzard of festive excitement.

🟢 18th - My Night at Smoky Mountain Christmas

• Remember childhood nights spent gazing at Christmas lights and whispering wishes to Santa? My Smoky Mountain adventure rekindled that magic. Join me on a journey through holiday music, hot chocolate, and memories that glow brighter than any holiday bulb.

🟢 19th - Joyful Drone Show at Smoky Mountain Christmas

• Forget sugar plum fairies, these drones dance on moonlight! The Joyful Drone Show transforms the Smokies into a canvas of festive dreams, painting Christmas silhouettes in stardust and showering the winter wonderland with a million twinkling stories, set to a symphony of A-listers.

🟢 20th - Hold onto your mittens, the glass is about to blow! Dive into the Blown Glass Shop during Smoky Mountain Christmas, where molten marvels take shape in a whirlwind of fiery artistry and enough holiday heat to melt a gingerbread mansion.

🟢 21st - Smoky Mountain String Band's Appalachian Christmas Show, 2023

Scrolled, swiped, and slayed! 2023 was my year of micro-moments, embracing the short-form video format and proving that brevity can be beautiful.

🔴 Buried like a rhinestone secret, Dolly's time capsule whispered stories from Dollywood's heart. In this short, I'll show you where the time capsule lives at Dollywood's DreamMore Resort at Dollywood. 

🔴 Forget tourist traps, this monument breathes! Delve into the soul of Dolly's statue, where laughter echoes in the wind and every tourist snap captures a fragment of her indomitable spirit.

🔴 Mountain Slidewinder may be history, but the memories live on!

🔴 Whispers of "gardenia" mingle with the sizzle of grills! Join me on a sensory feast through the Flower & Food Festival, where floral sculptures tower like enchanted chefs and every course whispers tales of blooming creativity.

🔴 Hold onto your hot cocoa, this short film is a frosty thrill ride! Experience the icy bite of February air as we navigate the construction zone, capture the breathtaking panoramas, and showcase the indomitable spirit of progress even in the heart of winter.

🔴 Forget mud season, Big Bear blossoms with progress! Join me on a cinematic journey through March's construction, where steel beams reach for sun-kissed slopes and every whirring drill whispers tales of a mountain awakening.

🔴 Forget confetti, this parade rains rhinestones! Dive into the glittery whirlwind of the Dolly Parton Parade at IWALY, where feathers twirl like confetti, laughter echoes like Dolly's own, and the fan frenzy is infectious!

🔴 Hold onto your hard hats, Big Bear's construction is a mid-March adrenaline rush! Buckle up as we zoom through bustling work crews, dodge trucks hauling lumber, and capture the pulse-pounding rhythm of a mountain shedding its winter coat.

🔴 Forget ordinary shelves, these walls ooze plushy magic! Dive into my Squishmallow Store mid-March update, where cuddly cuties stack like rainbow dreams and every squeak whispers tales of snuggle-worthy joy.

🔴 Forget pollen clouds, this shop blooms with vibrant threads! Dive into my Butterfly Strings Shop April update, where trinkets and treasures of music royalty shimmers like butterfly wings.

🔴 Buckle up, music lovers!  This short musical performance of the "Love Always" Band at Dollywood will leave you with Dolly flavored kisses.

🔴 Forget boring progress reports, this is a construction rollercoaster! 

🔴 Hold onto your handkerchiefs, Dolly's story is a rollercoaster of emotions! Buckle up as she swings between joyful childhood memories and tearful moments of adversity, her voice soaring like a mountain eagle, capturing the infectious spirit that propelled her from patchwork girl to country queen.

🔴 Forget boring progress reports, this is a construction rollercoaster! 

🔴 Whispers of "I Will Always Love You" mingle with the twang of a banjo. Witness the goosebump-inducing moment when Dolly and Whitney's voices intertwine, their musical legacies colliding in a breathtaking performance that transcends genre and time.

🔴 Forget falling leaves, this store blooms with cuddly chaos! Dive into the Squishmallow September update, where velvety friends stack like fluffy rainbows and every squeak whispers tales of autumnal snuggles.

🔴 You might see a few more in 2023/early 2024!

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The What's Up At Dollywood Bloggy Vlog! 

🔴🔴Merry Christmas from the What's Up At Dollywood Crew!🔴🔴

Hi Everyone,

We want to wish everyone a great Holiday and Merry Christmas!

We've got three Smoky Mountain Christmas videos to share with you now, and my night at Dollywood is currently in edit, so I plan to publish that in the near future, so hold tight for that one.  You won't want to miss it.

Check out what I have published so far!

🔔 My Day at Smoky Mountain Christmas

🔔My visit to the Mountain Blown Glass Shop

🔔Joyful Drone Show! - New for 2023.

I hope everyone is having a great holiday!  I will be back later this week with my second-annual year-in-review with all of my Dollywood related YouTube videos from 2023.  If you don't want to wait, check out every single one of my Dollywood Videos Right Here

All the best!

Team What's Up At Dollywood!

🦃Happy Thanksgiving!🦃

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I hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving.  Don't forget that Dolly will be performing during the Dallas Cowboys football game today on CBS.

🤩 Dolly Parton interview round-up 🤩

Hi Everyone,

Here is a round-up of recent Dolly interviews.   Dolly has been on a blitz lately, giving interviews left and right in anticipation of the release of her rock album, Rock Star, out Friday, November 17th, 2023.

Dolly Parton Interviews

During the grand opening of the HeartSong Lodge and Resort, Dolly Parton sat down for a series of interviews with various media outlets.

United Kingdom Promotional Trip

As part of her recent promotional trip to the United Kingdom, Dolly Parton conducted an interview with BBC reporter, Zoe Ball.

CBS and ABC Interviews

Dolly Parton has also been featured in recent interviews with CBS and ABC.

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Nashville's Talk of the Town - a 30-minute episode dedicated to Dollywood, HeartSong, their Dolly interview and a nice look at Nashville's Lipscomb University's exhibit on Dolly's style team gurus who make Dolly's clothes for all her various events, performances, engagements, etc.  Its a peek behind the curtain, so to speak, or Behind The Seams, as Dolly puts it in her new book, which is the basis for the exhibit.  Watch that HERE.

Fox 5 Atlanta - Read more and Watch that HERE.

WGN-TV Morning News in Chicago - Great interview, watch below...

WBTV-News Charlotte, NC - Watch below...

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This recent BBC interview can be watched, below...

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Norah O'Donnell and CBS

ABC News with Robin Roberts Full Interview

Unfortunately, this video for the full interview was pulled down.  If you have HULU, you can watch the full interview there.

However, here is a teaser video from GMA....watch that below.