Showing posts with label Dollywood Shows & Performances. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dollywood Shows & Performances. Show all posts

Friday, April 18, 2025

🔴🟡🔴🟡Dollywood's Opening Week + 'I Will Always Love You' Music Festival 2025 - VIDEOS AND PHOTO TRIP REPORT 🟡🔴🟡🔴

Hi Everyone!

This article includes all of my Videos from Opening Week AND A Photo Trip Report.  Some of the pics from my visit.  I want to try and include a Photo Trip report in my blog for every visit this season!

I have gathered up all of my videos so far from Dollywood's Opening Week - their 40th Season!

If they were put in chronological order, they would go this way.

Tram Ride In





Part One



Part Two



Glass Shop




From The Heart



Emporium


Emporium Short




A short about Dollywood's Project 2026.  

Includes the Media Day Teaser video from Dolly and Eugene Naughton, park president....and a little construction zone footage from 3/18/25.

photo trip report - random order

Country Fair splashpad and enhancements

new permanent home for Imagination Playhouse, the Village Area

Country Fair - new signage and a new path - that used to be there a long time ago.

Country Fair - Fresh paint everywhere




Construction Update from 3/18/25, New Wilderness Pass Restaurant



Construction Update from 3/18/25, New Wilderness Pass Restaurant

Construction Update from 3/18/25, New Wilderness Pass Restaurant

Construction Update from 3/18/25, New Wilderness Pass Restaurant - outdoor dining area

Construction Update from 3/18/25, New Wilderness Pass Restaurant - this will be the Mobile Ordering Window.
Featured Menu Items



Celebration Sky, part of IWALY celebration

LOVE photo opp, part of the IWALY celebration

Face Paint and Henna Prices 2025

I doubt this is new, but new to me!

Some of the 40th merch - see my videos for lots more merch video.

This is happening later in the season.

The Depot Stage, where The Tones typically perform, has been removed.
Dollywood has placed these anniversary medallions on the buildings that have been around since day one of Dollywood, such as the Little School House seen here.


Seen at the Glass Shop

Seen at the Glass Shop

Seen at the Glass Shop

Seen at the Glass Shop

Seen at the Glass Shop

Seen at the Blacksmith Shop

Seen at the Blacksmith Shop

Here's #192 being prepped for service later in the season.  Cinderella is pulling the train until then.

These two signs grabbed my attention.
This sign is at the Junction - you can't get close to it.

This sign is interesting - it has a hole where the train headlight is, and I think its a couple of LED lights in there, but not positive.  It will be awhile before Dollywood is open after dark to see wether or not its a light.  Wonder what this is connected to - a larger project or just a one-off thingy?  This is between Blazing Fury and Tennessee Tornado.


I hope you enjoyed this visit to Dollywood!  Let me know in the comments your favorite part, or least favorite parts!  I would really love to hear from you!








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


👄👄




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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 - NOW OPEN.  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 - 




Friday, November 1, 2024

🟢🔴🟢🔴 Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas 2024 - Tasting Pass Menus, Info and More!🟢🔴🟢🔴

Hi Everyone,
Dollywood has released information related to the Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival.  I've got menus, operating calendar and more below.  Smoky Mountain Christmas starts on Friday, November 1st and runs thru January 5th, 2025.




Dollywood is open daily throughout the Festival Except for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas.  Dollywood's schedule through the festival is 11am to 9pm.  Dollywood closes on New Years Eve at 9pm, so no midnight celebration at the park.  However, the resorts have celebrated in the past with a prix fix event.  I'll keep my eyes peeled for it and report it back here if I do. LINK TO NYE at the Dollywood Resorts - Click Here for info.  You'll see there is one event at each resort and they're unique - so check that out.

🎄🎄🎄 


Let's dig into some more details.

🟠Christmas Festival Menu Items - Beverages, Savory Bites & Desserts

🟡Beverages

 🟡Savory Bites






 🟡Desserts, mmmm desserts



Click on any picture to enlarge - These are from the Dollywood Website, Check it out HERE.

🟠Country Fair Buffet Menu-Christmas Buffet



🟠Tasting Pass Options



Don't forget to use your Gold & Diamond Pass for a discount.

This tasting pass operates the same way as all the other passes before it.  You get to choose any five items from the Christmas Festival Menu.  You don't have to use them all in one visit.  You can share a pass - they could make for a great date night meal! 



🟠What's Up Around The Park?  

Relive the magic of last year's Smoky Mountain Christmas festival through these videos of our fun activities. Get excited for what we have in store for 2024!

Christmas Drone Show - Watch my 2023 Drone Show Video Below



🟠Rides - Weather Permitting, All of the rides should be in operation, except for the two water rides which have closed for the season.

Dollywood does have Weather Guidelines that they follow for inclement weather and temperatures, and Smoky Mountain Weather can throw some curveballs.  Read my blog post about Dollywood's Weather Guidelines HERE.

🟠Park Map for Smoky Mountain Christmas - PDF Click Here
 
🟠VIP Tour

🟠Photo Opportunities

 This was written and published by Wes Ramey for the dollywood blog in 2023 but, it's still great info in my opinion, for photo opportunities, entertainment, everything!

Read it HERE

The spirit of Christmas shines merry and bright during our Smoky Mountain Christmas festival presented by Humana during this special season, with the event beginning on Nov. 4 and ho ho ho-ing all the way through Jan. 6, 2024!  The 15-time winner for Best Theme Park Christmas Event boasts more than 6 million shining, shimmering lights throughout the park, but the newest ones will fly above the park each evening as part of a stunning holiday drone show - Joyful. Our summer drone show has been one of my family’s favorite nighttime experiences for the last several years, so we are really looking forward to this sparkly new sight during the holiday season.

 Read the rest at the link above.

🟠Music / Entertainment / Performances / Meet N Greet

More Information Coming Soon.

You Can Check the Daily Schedule at this link - new links are posted here each week.  Click Here.
Here's the Schedule for Week Two.

Pro Tip:  Notice how Dollywood uses an orange font in the showtimes above?  If you would like to see every single show, then plan your day according to those orange showtimes.

Shows/Performances...
  • Heidi Parton's Christmas to Remember is new this year.
  • Appalachian Christmas is the Smoky Mountain String Band's Christmas Show, if you weren't aware.
  • Looks to me like all of the other shows are returning from last year.
Other Cool Stuff...
  • Snow in the Grove is new this year.  Everyday beginning at 6pm, then every half hour with the last one at 8:30pm.
  • Merry & Bright FIREWORKS Show is new this year.  It takes place in Wildwood Creek on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:45pm. This show replaces the Joyful Drone and Fireworks Christmas Show from last year.   See my video of the 2023 Joyful Show HERE.
  • Always popular Santa's List returns to The Village.  It's everyday from 11am to 8pm in the Heartsong Theater.
  • Wings of America (Bird Show) moves to Saturdays Only with a special holiday themed show.
  • The Dolly Parton Experience will have some Christmas related items throughout the various exhibits, as I understand it.  


⭐Check out Dollywood's Website for the latest information about Special Smoky Mountain Christmas Entertainment.  HERE.  

🟠Dollywood App

🟠Special Offers

Note that the $82 offer ends on 11/24/24.

🟠Season Passes
Read my article about Season Passes that, if you purchase a 2025 pass now, will include admission to this Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival.  Read that HERE

🎄🎄🎄 


Check out my previous videos from Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas to get a preview of all the fun you can expect.











🔵Blog Posts with other Helpful Trip Planning information

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 2025 Exclusive Ride Time + Golden Hours + Golden Events - What's The Difference? - Info You'll Want 2 Know 💠

Hi Everyone, Let's discuss Exclusive Ride Time (ERT), Golden Events and Golden Hours for 2025.  I notice these three mostly separate thi...