🟩🟩Dollywood's Project 2026 - What is it? Where is it? What I Know & Some Guesses🟩🟩

Hi Everyone,

Before we go to the video about Project 2026, I want to be clear that I do not have any official information about Project 2026.  I am a life-long amusement and theme park enthusiast, Dollywood enthusiast as well as a Dolly Parton enthusiast - and maybe a good guesser?   So, this is all 100% W.U.A.D. Speculation.  I will build my case for what I believe the ride system will be used for P'26.  Are you with me? GOOD.    

Dollywood teased Project 2026 at the Opening Day Media Event.   

Let's go to the video...

TRANSCRIPT:  In 2026 Dollywood is going further than we've gone before.

Up, over and through the Great Smoky Mountains and down to the heart of the ancient Wildwood Tree.  Follow the light to discover the unexpected.  What will you find when the sun goes down?

Take flight in 2026.

What is it?

"Further than we've gone before.''  What I think that really means is, ''We've written a gigantic check to a ride manufacturer.''  I'm coming around more and more to the Mack Inverted-dynamic-do-everything powered-coaster that will feature a few medium to high-speed roller coaster gravity driven moments.  I am thinking this will be similar in nature to Blazing Fury (meaning slow parts and fast parts using theatrical scenes to help tell the story, very family friendly), except brand new state of the art ride systems by Mack.  This is not a record-breaking thrill ride.

Where will it be located?

It is in Wildwood Grove.  It will be behind Big Bear Mountain as you walk through Wildwood Grove.  It is already under construction and at the time of publishing this article - the best way to see it is from the Dollywood Express.

Less likely possibility...

The Flying Theater Concept has come up amongst enthusiasts, and many of us who speculate on stuff like this, and I just don't see that concept happening at Dollywood.  For starters, it's sort of boring, in my opinion - compared to this fancy Mack coaster I'm about to try and sell you on, and I think Dollywood was rightfully sold on.  Two, the flying theater concept falls into the one-and-done category until the film changes, which cannot be inexpensive.  Theme Parks want people to want to ride over and over, AND they want to be able to change attractions in cost-effective ways to freshen them up from season to season...so, this detail just hammers the Mack system home for me. Dollywood wants to showcase the Smokies, per the video, so how many different movies about the Smokies can you really make - where they are different, unique and entertaining for flying theater audiences?   

Silver Dollar City opened Fire In The Hole 2.0 (link to blog article).  It is very well executed.  It's a modern-day version of Blazing Fury...that is what they replaced.   I'd encourage you to go to my blog post and look at the details in the scenes - the use of projected scenes is well done and uses the latest/greatest technology.  I think Dollywood will tap into whatever resource was used there - for Project 2026.  Dollywood said (I think)- we can use this Mack ride system to tell this story about the Smokies in a beautiful way.  We can utilize space better with these scenes with the rides capability to spin 360'.  We can get your feet close to waterfalls and streams.  

There may be a scene of fireflies taking over whole areas of the Smokies like they do in real life.  I imagine a big helix going around this ancient Wildwood Tree mentioned in the video.  We'll see how it plays out.

Here's something else that crossed my mind as I was writing this part - Puy d'fou is supposedly - the Cherokee Indian development at Exit 407, with the Phase 1 of Buc ee's - part of their massive plan included a "museum /play/entertainment/education center'' - by Puy d'fou.  THEY ARE AMAZINGLY DETAIL ORIENTED IN ALL THEY DO.  Honestly, it's like a near-perfect recreation of everything.  Google their theme parks or go to their website and dig around.  They confirmed their involvement in Exit 407, then there was a pause on the project from the developer about the order of the Phases.  That is the last update I recall - but this is on Dollywood's radar no doubt - this desire to be detail oriented now involves serious competition in your own backyard, where it did not exist.

Back to this amazing Mack Inverted Power Coaster...

There are a few examples of these Mack coasters- and their heavy theming - let's look at a few pics from RCDB.   I'll link to each pic below it - if you want to click on it and look at other pics - go for it.  

This is Arthur, at Europa Park in Germany - which happens to be an amusement park owned by - guess who?  MACK.  The park operates like a Showroom for amusement rides, as well as a theme park.   Side note:  Mack Trucks - Americans are more familiar with Mack Trucks, which is a separate division of the same German company.  Amusement rides are industrial equipment, jazzed up.

source: RCDB

Here's the ride vehicle.  It's a train with three of these cars.  Below is a closer look.

Source: RCDB

Features of this Mack Inverted Ride System, include:

• 8 trains with 3 cars per train. Not sure how many trains DW will opt to get, if they go this route.
• Riders are arranged 4 across in a single row for a total of 12 riders per train.  
• Each car can rotate 360 degrees, so imagine the possibilities with looking at scenes in the dark ride portion of the experience.  Scenes can be bunched up together and the car spins around to reveal a different scene to you - another cost-effective possibility! 
• Variable speed as determined by the needs of the story and the parks choices.
• Gravity-driven sections.  Parts of the ride will likely be driven by gravity, just like we see on Blazing Fury.  I have to imagine we'll be flying over water features, forests with lightning bugs, big fields of flowers, barns and structures from the past, just like what you experience when you go to the Smokies - according to the teaser video I posted at the top of the article.
• On-board audio to help tell the story.  
• Note that Herschend's two most recent additions have both included on-board audio...
• SDC's brand new dark ride, Fire In The Hole 2.0, features on-board audio.
• As did DW's Big Bear Mountain...Herschend loves it.
• HIGH CAPACITY:  1,500 PPH (depending on amount of trains and other variables)
• Conveyor Belt Station - easy loading and unloading.

Source:RCDB

The layout can be customized to the needs of the park. Some of the existing models of this coaster feature indoor sections as well as outdoor sections.  All of the models have some gravity driven parts at some point in the ride - just like what you see on Blazing Fury - that's the kind of comparison I am referring to.  

Now, going back to the DW video, they said "Follow the light to discover the unexpected.  what will you find when the sun goes down?"  To me, it sounds like they want to keep this as a ''night experience'' - so, if that holds true then I am not sure popping out into the 98-degree hot summer day, will fit into that experience they are hoping to achieve.  They may choose to keep it entirely indoors to be able to have a consistent storyline for every ride.  OR that could mean ''follow the light'' as in, the light at the end of the ride tunnel.  We shall see!

Dragon Gliders, Motion Gate, Dubai.

Source:  Dragon Gliders - Motiongate (Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Dragon Gliders, seen above, does not feature an outdoor section, but does enter into a large room that includes smaller rides....and DW could benefit from more indoor rides, or even semi-covered rides for when its raining....if they went with an all indoor version.

Source:  Dragon Gliders - Motiongate (Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

Above, we see the Conveyor Load/unload part of the station.  Stations like this really keep the people moving.  

JURASSIC FLYERS - UNIVERSAL Beijing

Source:  Jurassic Flyers - Universal Studios Beijing (Tongzhou, Beijing, China)

Above - much better look at the Conveyor Station.

Source:  Jurassic Flyers - Universal Studios Beijing (Tongzhou, Beijing, China)

Here we see an outdoor section of Jurassic Flyers.  Not sure what the interior scenes look like, but obviously they are dinosaur related, and no doubt highly themed per Universal's standards.

DELIA'S ADVENTURES

Source:  Delia's Adventure - BON Luxury Theme Park (Las Jarretaderas, Nayarit, Mexico)

Not a lot of info on RCDB about this one - it's under construction.  He does say it's similar, if not the same layout as Arthur....so two definitely are clones and I think the other two are custom layouts.

Let's check out some POV's from these attractions.  First up Arthur.

Dragon Gliders

Jurassic Flyers

So, that's a look at all the installations of this Mack Inverted Powered Coaster from RCDB.

Late Breaking Development:

Yesterday, I noticed someone found the shipping information for Dollywood - from Germany to the port of Charleston, South Carolina.  Hmmm - who is in Germany?? Mack is in Germany, and this is one more CLUE that this is what I think it is.  I haven't had a chance to confirm the shipping information, but I will naively believe it is real.  A Vekoma coaster would come from the Netherlands, a B&M - Switzerland.  So, this effectively rules out many other manufacturers.

Again, this is all speculation, however I can see many of my fellow speculators are also coming around to this idea of a Mack coaster more and more as seemingly insignificant details - like a shipping tag - can help paint a picture of what's to come.

Thoughts, ideas?  Let me know in the comments.  

Update from the 40th Anniversary Media Day Event on May 2, 2025.

I was hoping they would spill all the beans during the event, but they chose to give us a bit of a teaser instead.  According to Eugene Naughton, park president, he said that it would be hard to not notice the 44k Sq. Foot, Five Story Building going up in the construction area in WWG.  And then they moved the conversation right along as if nothing had even been mentioned about it.  So, that's it for now.  Stay tuned for more as it develops!

$34 Million Dollar Expansion for Anakeesta

Hi Everyone,

Anakeesta - one of the newest and larger theme parks in the area, has announced massive new expansion plans.  In fact, they are planning to double in size!

🚠🚠🚠

Here is WATE’s report on this expansion:

GATLINBURG, Tenn. (WATE) – Gatlinburg theme park Anakeesta on Thursday announced a $34-million expansion that will double the size of the guest experience over the next three years.

The park will add a new mountain coaster, a night walk with lighting and guided audio, a bird-house themed play area, and a European-themed village.

The new “Astra Lumina Enchanted Night Walk” will feature immersive lighting, projection and guided sound in partnership with Moment Factory, an award-winning multimedia entertainment studio. This will be Moment Factory’s first Lumina Night Walk experience in the United States and 15th in the world. It is set to open in November.

courtesy Anakeesta 

courtesy Anakeesta

In Spring of 2023, a “European-Themed Village” will open and offer two new attractions. The park will add a second mountain coaster called, “Hellbender.” One of the new attractions will be a double-railed mountain coaster in addition to the existing single-railed coaster, “Rail Runner.”

The second will be a birdhouse-inspired play zone as part of a new “European-Themed Village” where kids can enjoy three larger-than-life birdhouses, dozen adventure zones and seven slides winding more than 50 feet down the mountain.

• 

  European Village - courtesy Anakeesta↑

  
  

• 

  Bird House play area - courtesy Anakeesta↑

The first phase will also add a waterfall and cave system to their walking trails and gardens, allowing guests to walk behind falls and explore caves.

😻😻😻

Wow - I feel like I have been saying that over and over lately.  This is great for Anakeesta of course.  I have yet to visit this attraction, mainly because I wasn’t sure there was enough to do at the top of the mountain to justify it, and I’ll be honest, if you don’t go first thing in the morning, you will be faced with a very long waiting line at the bottom and the transportation to the top, specifically the chair lift/3 gondolas, or Chondola, as they call it, moves at a snail's pace and stops a lot.  So, my first impression of Anakeesta from the street level has not been impressive.  However, in reading about guests' experiences there, those have been overly positive for the most part.  I don't see many negative experiences.  So, I guess people don’t mind that the chondola is slow, they like what Anakeesta is serving, and they're about to give you lots more of it!

These attractions have staggered opening dates over the next three years, so  in some cases we’ll be waiting a bit to experience some of these attractions.

Let’s dig into the details a bit…

• New Mountain Coaster - Named “Hellbender”, named after the Smoky Mountain Salamander. The only other detail offered is that it’s a double-rail coaster.  Anakeesta’s other coaster is a single-rail - and that happens to be the only one of that type in the United States.  I’ve lost count, but there are at least a half-dozen other double-rail coasters in this area, and all but two are manufactured by Weigand (link https://wiegandsportsusa.com/).  Weigand makes a lot of cool stuff!  Another manufacturer, ADG Mountain Coasters (link ADG Mountainsides® | Mountain Coasters, Mountain Slides Design/Build (aquaticgroup.com)) is behind Ober Gatlinburg’s ‘Ski Mountain Coaster’.  A company called Brandauer made Anakeesta’s single-rail coaster “Rail Runner”.  Brandauer was acquired by SunKid, and that's how it is currently known - you can check their website out here (Sunkid: leisure experiences for the whole family (sunkidworld.com) .  So, it remains to be seen which company Anakeesta has chosen to make their second coaster, but often times, parks will buy two (or more) roller coasters from the same manufacturer in order to help with supply chain issues, spare and replacement parts, familiarity with the parties involved, and other advantages you would find by working with familar vendors.  That’s a lot of nerdy details!  Bottom line, we will not know more until Anakeesta tells us, or until it opens and someone - like me - goes and checks it out.

• Light Show - “Astra Lumina Enchanted Night Walk”.  This looks and sounds like it will be an immersive visual and audio experience.  I looked at Moment Factory’s website, and it boasts many very impressive projects that are unique and eye-catching.  Just check out their website to dig deeper because the pictures and video are impressive.  The article states that this will open this November, so we will find out soon enough.

• European Village - looks to me like more food and merchandise opportunities centered around a waterfall structure.  It does remind me of The Village in downtown Gatlinburg - like a block or two away from Anakeesta’s ‘storefront’ on the parkway.

• Birdhouse Playhouse with Slides - This is an extension of the European village and it looks pretty elaborate to me with play areas to run around and then the various slides, which are all unique.  Hopefully, adults will be able to enjoy the seven slides as well.  I look forward to checking this out when it’s completed.

🎢🎢🎢

That about covers this analysis.  I think it's pretty impressive in the past couple of months that there have been four big announcements for the area. Dollywood's Big Bear Mountain Roller Coaster - and more, an all new construction amusement park Dig'n Zone, a $40 million dollar indoor water park expansion of Wilderness at the Smokies, and now Anakeesta's $34 million dollar expansion. We've seen an announcement this year that the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will partner with one of the most immersive amusement park operators - Puy Du Fou for a storytelling experience at the Exit 407 project in Kodak, off of Interstate 40, along with a Buc-ees giant fueling center/food court/idk how else to describe it. Great things are in the works for the Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville areas of East Tennessee.

Have you been to Anakeesta and if so, what were your impressions of it?  Are you looking forward to one or more of these announced additions, if so which ones?  Let me know in the comments.

Until next time!

Post #3 - Dollywood is Tripadvisor’s 2022 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards

Source

🏆🏆Congratulations to Dollywood!! 🏆🏆

Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Awards

Dollywood (Pigeon Forge) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (tripadvisor.com)

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. -- — During the 2022 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards on Tuesday, Tripadvisor officials announced Dollywood as the number one theme park in the United States and the number eight theme park in the world. It’s an honor that probably doesn’t come as much surprise to Dollywood’s guests, who frequently compliment the park on its exemplary guest experience.

Dolly Parton's Tennessee theme park beat out popular destinations like Disney's Magic Kingdom Park and Universal Studios Florida. The award was calculated based on reviews and ratings from travelers on Tripadvisor from the 12-month period from May 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022.

“I’m so proud of the work my people do to make Dollywood such a great place for families,” Dolly Parton said. “When I started dreaming up Dollywood all those years ago, I hoped it would be somewhere folks were excited to come visit and enjoy time together. To hear that they are leaving so many positive comments about their time here really shows what we’re doing is working. In the current world, I want Dollywood to be a place where the light shines every day.”

Eugene Naughton, President of The Dollywood Company, echoes the thoughts of the park’s Dreamer-in-Chief. “We’re working every single day to ensure our guests have the best possible time while they are with us,” explained Naughton. “This award is a little bit different because there is no voting factored into these rankings. The Tripadvisor rankings come from actual reviews left by guests about their time here with us at Dollywood. It is extremely gratifying to see this recognition for the effort our hosts give to ensure our guests have an unforgettable time while they are here."

Dollywood announced it has enjoyed several top honors including being named in a three way tie for NAPHA Favorite Theme Park of 2021 as well as winner of 45 Golden Ticket Awards; and recipient of 28 Brass Ring Awards for Live Entertainment (more than any other theme park in the world).

According to the Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best website, “The Best of the Best Things to Do Awards are calculated based on the quality and quantity of traveler reviews and ratings for experiences, tours, activities, and attractions on Tripadvisor.”

The United States top-10 List:
1. Dollywood (Pigeon Forge, Tennessee)
2. Universal’s Islands of Adventure (Orlando, Florida)
3. Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park (Orlando)
4. Universal Studios Hollywood (Los Angeles, California)
5. Universal Studios Florida (Orlando)
6. Silver Dollar City (Branson Missouri)
7. Funland (Rehoboth Beach, Delaware)
8. Fun Spot America (Kissimmee, Florida)
9. Santa’s Village (Jefferson, New Hampshire)
10. Busch Gardens Tampa (Tampa, Florida)

The worldwide top-10 list is:
1. Siam Park (Adeje, Spain)
2. Puy du Fou (Les Epesses, France)
3. Beto Carrero World (Penha, Brazil)
4. Puy du Fou España (Toledo, Spain)
5. The Milky Way Adventure Park (Clovelly, United Kingdom)
6. Hot Park (Rio Quente, Brazil)
7. Waterbom Bali (Kuta, Indonesia)
8. Dollywood (Pigeon Forge)
9. Universal’s Islands of Adventure (Orlando)

10. Parque Terra Magica Florybal (Canela, Brazil)

This worldwide list is interesting.  Puy du Fou recently announced a new experience that will be located at the The 407: Gateway to Adventure, in conjunction with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.  While it doesn't appear that this project will be a theme park, this does indicate to me that the experience at the Puy du Fou parks is on a very high level.  I would anticipate that to be the case with this project with the Cherokee Indians as well.  Gateway 407 will be a large project that people will pass on their way to Dollywood and the Great Smoky Mountains.   Thousands of visitors pass through this intersection of I40 and State Highway 66 every day, and enter the area this way.  

If you want to read more about the Puy du Fou project, do so here: 

• www.businesswire.com/
• www.visitmysmokies.com/blog/
• WATE News - Knoxville

Exit 407 development in Sevierville courtesy of Rick Laney Marketing.