Dollywood Opening Day 2023 - Photo Trip Report, including a Dolly Parton Parade!

Hi Everyone, 

Dollywood opened for its 38th Season on Friday March 10th, 2023, and I have made this photo trip report.  I will have videos out soon!  The weather was rainy early on, but the skies cleared, and it was a pretty great day to be at Dollywood.   My day, basically:  I went around the entire park to see what changes I noticed.  I took in three shows, Love Always, The Smoky Mountain String band and the Tones show at the Village stage next to the train.  They were all great and polished - no indications of opening day jitters!  And then I finished the day with the Dolly Parade, which was surreal.  

What I noticed first as I entered the park was that the entry plaza, Showstreet and Market Square were decked out to celebrate 50 years of Dolly's musical see-you-later to Porter Waggoner, "I Will Always Love You". There are new photo opportunities throughout this part of the park, new related merchandise and even new limited time treats you can enjoy celebrating IWALY.

General Observations:  The crowds seemed heavier to me than a year ago.  I'm not sure the reasoning behind that.  Dolly was expected to be there, which draws people in.  The weather forecast was iffy and at some point, included potential snow.  In the end it rained in the morning and turned into a beautiful sunny day.  The park looked great I thought.  It felt to me like most of the projects were wrapped up before opening day.  There's always lots of little changes that I go around and try and notice.  I will point those out in each area below.

The ride operations that I noticed were mostly uneventful.  I checked the app and the boards around the park from time to time.  Lightning Rod went down for the day sometime in the afternoon.  Dizzy Disk wasn't running and had a sign in front of it.  I saw some social media reports of ride stoppages and evacuations, so there were some minor hiccups, but those happen every day.  These types of events are perfect indicators of how safe Dollywood's rides are.  They are designed to come to a very safe stop when there are minor issues that pop up during the course of operating heavy machinery.  They can seem frightening when you're less familiar with how it works, but when a ride stops it's nothing to worry about.  Stay in your seat and wait for instructions.  Here's a couple of posts you can see - safety first!

Blazing Fury Evac - Facebook

Firechaser Safe Stoppage - Facebook

Here's a area-by-area breakdown of my day looking around the park:

Tram Station - I didn't notice any changes.

Entry Plaza - Permanent structures replaced the temporary tents for ECV Rental Annex as well as the Security Screening pass through area.

ECV-Wheelchair-Stroller Rental Annex

Security Screening Pass through area

Showstreet Right (from the front gate perspective) - It was decked out for the "I Will Always Love You" 50-year celebration.  There was a pop-up merchandise spot next door to Showstreet Snacks that has a huge selection of the 50-year Merch, so check that out.  There are other places in the park to get the 50-year merch as well.   You can see the photos above of Showstreet in IWALY finest.

pop up IWALY merch on Showstreet

Showstreet Left - The ECV/wheelchair/strollers Rentals, Lockers and the Ride Accessibility Center has been rearranged in a more spacious way.   Next to the Emporium you'll find the Measuring Center and, on the right, adjacent to the Palace Theater you'll find oversized lockers and the ECV/Wheelchairs/Strollers Rental location.  I'm not sure if this layout is final but take note that it has changed around.  

Wildwood Grove - seemed to me to be the hotspot of activity in the park.  As I got closer to Big Bear, I noticed some of the planters in the middle of the pathway had changed shape a bit.  A new permanent fence has replaced the wooden work-fence at the Waterfall part of the ride.  All the track is complete, so now the focus is on wiring up the ride components, and lots of hardscaping and landscaping yet to be completed.  There is quite a bit left to do before the opening sometime in May.

I spied a bunch of new Big Bear merchandise at Mountain Grove Merchants in between Frogs n Fireflies and Black Bear Trail Ride.

There's a lot of work left to do for a May 2023 opening.

Big Bear Nano Coaster, $34.99.

Timber Canyon - the major change that I saw was Thunderhead has had a lot of wood replaced in areas near the station.  I think this is the last phase (maybe?) of the multi-year phase full replacement of track.  IIRC they were switching to a Brazilian wood - Ipe, I think it is known as.  It's much stronger than the pine that it's replacing.  According to the social media comments I saw about Thunderhead this weekend, the changes were described in extremely positive terms.

new wood on Thunderhead!

Wilderness Pass - The Food Truck Plaza was back with two Food Trucks there.

Craftsman's Valley - I noticed a new water wheel outside of the Bird Show theater, and some work on the water trough has happened as well.  Daredevil Falls' exit ramp was looking good with new paint.  The Food Truck Park was back in the Tennessee Tornado Plaza.  The setup has been rearranged a bit.

Lots of new paint on the exit of Daredevil Falls

Rivertown - Butterfly Strings.  A new shop with Dolly, Elvis, Willie, Johnny Cash merchandise, and other cool music stuff.  It's next door to the Back Porch Theater.   If you're looking for the Dolly Funkos, they can be found here.

#funko #dollyfunko #FunkoPop #Collectibles #MusicIcons #CountryMusic #9to5 #Jolene #IWillAlwaysLoveYou #Dollywood #Tennessee #EastTennessee #Memorabilia #VinylFigures #PopCulture #LimitedEdition #ToyCollection

Country Fair - Dollywood has expanded its picnic/Group pavilions.  The Celebration Hall has been converted into group dining space.  CH is next door to the Blue Ribbon Pavillion which, both buildings have been there for a million years, at least.  I imagine both pavilions will be busy on weekends for the warmer months.  Scrambler received some paint-love in the off season and is looking sharp in its mustard-ketchup color scheme.  Does anyone know what has happened to Lemon Twist?  It turns as fast as a minute hand on a clock, and it has not always been this way.  

All Smiles on the Scrambler

Scrambler with fresh paint

The Village - New accessibility ramps for the train.  This will hopefully make this easier for those that need the ramps.

Adventures In Imagination - The biggest news came from Dolly about the replacement for Chasing Rainbows Museum, expected to open in 2024.

Chasing Rainbows prepares to morph into Dollys Interactive Experience

Dolly Parade - Dolly made one parade appearance this opening weekend and it was on Friday.  Enjoy my video below of Dolly going down Showstreet.

That wraps up my Trip Report.  I am working on several videos to share, so do be sure to Subscribe to my YouTube Channel (HERE) and click the bell for notifications, and you'll catch all my Dollywood videos.  

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Rob Halford really loves Dolly Parton! He has been approached for her new album Rock Star!

Hi Everyone, 

A couple of blog articles ago I wrote about Rob Halford of Judas Priest and how he was fanboying over Dolly Parton.  I wrote about how much I loved that because they are from opposite sides of the spectrum musically, and the most unexpected pairing, but it's music that brings them together, which fascinates me.  As long-time fans will undoubtedly share with anyone willing to listen, she's easy to adore.... Rob is a bit late to the party!

Rob has been doing interviews after recently being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, alongside of Dolly and other great artists, so recurring questions naturally involve Dolly.  It is excellent to hear Rob gush heavily about her.  This article covers his involvement in her new album, Rock Star, and how it came to be, among other interesting bits.  I'll post the whole article from blabbermouth.net below.  There's a bit overlap from the other interview, so some of it may feel familiar.

Welcome to the 2023 Season of Dollywood! Let's see the Off-Season Updates.

Hi Everyone, 

Dollywood opens this week!   The off-season has come to an end, and Dollywood has been busy making upgrades to various parts of the park.  Dollywood has published a photo-update on their blog, so Let’s check out the upgrades and changes they've made. 

I’ll be at the park this week to capture all of this AND check out the progress of Big Bear Mountain - for my videos and blog, so stay tuned for all of that goodness.

Take it over, Dollywood.......

Dollywood Park Opening Update

By: 

• Amber Davis

March 02, 2023

I wrote a blog about what’s been happening behind the gates at Dollywood in the off-season in early January. A LOT more has happened since then, so I thought I’d prepare you for all the exciting updates our teams have been busy completing.  

Entry Plaza

When you get off the tram, you’ll see that there’s now a permanent structure for our Rentals Annex. This is where you can rent an Electronic Convenience Vehicle (ECV). The new design is larger to accommodate more ECVs available out front. As before, there are some ECVs set aside to reserve online; however, most of the fleet is available first-come, first served when you get to the park. When the ECVs are gone from the Rentals Annex, be sure to check availability from the Rentals location inside the park. As always, if renting an ECV is a priority, plan to arrive early. You may pick up and return your ECV at this location. Dollywood's ECVs are not permitted beyond the transit hub. For additional Rental Services FAQs, read this blog.

Next, as you move through the entry plaza, you’ll notice a new permanent structure for the security screening. This area, too, is larger than before (about double the size of last year!) to process guests faster and provide more shade.

Reconfigured

Inside the park, we’ve made some updates to expedite your day. We reconfigured the area around the Ride Accessibility Center and Centralized Measuring.

The former location for Rental Services is gone to make more space for the Groups and Preferred Entrance.

Now, you can find Rentals (ECVs, wheelchairs and strollers) in the building “across the street.” It’s adjacent to Showstreet Palace Theater. We moved the TimeSaver location there, too! Hopefully, all these updates will get your day started even faster with improved efficiency.

New Store Concepts

There are a few shop updates you’ll notice. What was the Rivertown Christmas Cottage is transforming into Butterfly Strings Music Store—a tribute to Dolly's influence on country music. Stay tuned for an upcoming blog with more details!

Christmas isn’t forgotten! With a little re-branding, Smoky Mountain Christmas Shop will open in Craftsman’s Valley in combination with the woodcarver’s shop. A note for those who truly know Dollywood: don’t fret! Though the store has been renovated, the mouse hole is still there. See if you can find its new location coming soon!

Better Accessibility

When you ride the Dollywood Express, you will find the dock on the unloading side is all-new. And, there is a new 35x20-foot loading platform for our guests who need help with accessibility. Guests who use this ramp will be able to enter and exit the same way.

There are now four service dog relief areas around the park. That’s an additional two for this upcoming season. Look for the new spots behind Village Carousel in The Village and just past Frogs & Fireflies in Wildwood Grove. These relief areas have a wide gate for wheelchair users to enter and exit with ease.

Country Fair Upgrades

In Country Fair, families will be excited to find Celebration Hall has been remodeled to offer additional shaded seating space. If a group doesn’t have it reserved, grab some lunch from Midway Market and sit here or just take a break in this open-air pavilion.

Nearby, you may notice that The Scrambler has been rebuilt and repainted as part of our annual rides’ maintenance cycle.

Kitchen Work

To improve efficiency at Till & Harvest Food Hall, our teams renovated the kitchen, adding several new pieces of equipment.

Speaking of kitchens, a handful of restaurants received new epoxy floors and our production kitchen got new tiling. Behind-the-scenes work is very beneficial for the teams who work hard to serve you.

General Maintenance and Updates

A few other maintenance projects include sealing asphalt throughout the park and upgrading some drainage systems.

There’s a new waterwheel in front of the Wings of America Theater and a new “watering tree” in front of the Blacksmith shop.

Of course, this is all in addition to the push to get Big Bear Mountain ready to open this spring!

The buzz of activity gets a little louder each day as we count down to opening March 10 for Season Passholders (and lodging guests!) and March 11 for the general public.

Dollywood Trip Planning! Spring Break 2023 info, Crowd Calendar & More!

Hi Everyone,

As you start - or maybe you have already begun your trip planning process for getting yourself to Dollywood.  Read my article for some really helpful Dollywood Trip Planning tips and advice.

🔵Spring Break Chart

I came across this handy chart for the many school systems that frequent Dollywood during their respective Spring Breaks.  It includes the last day of school for each school system as well.

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!

🔵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 at more 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.
  
• 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 construction updates from all of 2022.  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