🎃 Dollywood's Harvest Festival 2023 - Tasting Pass, Park Info + More! 👻

Hi Everyone,

Dollywood has released information related to the Harvest Festival, including the Tasting Pass and their festival menu.   The Harvest Festival starts on Wednesday, September 20th thru October 30th, excluding Tuesdays.  

Just FYI for your planning: Dollywood is closed Tuesday October 31st thru Friday November 3rd, then Dollywood opens back up on Saturday the 4th with the Christmas Festival.   Also, Dollywood is closed Every Tuesday until Tuesday December 4th.

Source:  Dollywood - PDF Calendar

🎃 🎃 🎃

I have rounded up all the information that I could find and put it one place for you to look over.  Let me know if I have missed anything in the comments.   Let's see what's up, let's dig into it all!

🟠FOOD

We'll start with what Wes Ramey had to say about the offerings in the Dollywood Blog:

"Dollywood’s award-winning culinary team has been hard at work incorporating the comforting smells of sweet pumpkin treats and warm apple cider into delicious fall dishes, drinks and desserts, including a pulled pork sandwich with pumpkin spice BBQ sauce, three bean pumpkin chili, salted maple potato tornado, toasted pumpkin sausage and ricotta flatbread, and spiced pumpkin bisque with toasted pepitas. Are you hungry yet? I know that I am, and the items I just listed are just a few of the tempting tastes found parkwide as part of the Harvest Festival menu."

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

🟠TASTING PASS

🟠What's New Around The Park?

Dollywood Blog writer Jennifer Webb shares what's new for the festival this year!

Every season, we try to give our Great Pumpkin LumiNights presented by Covenant Health a “glow-up,” and this season is no different. The award-winning nighttime experience once again features a number of whimsical pumpkin displays, like the pumpkin spider, the pumpkin guitar, and new this year, the pumpkin honey bees.

This season, Great Pumpkin LumiNights makes its way to Market Square. The area serves as the centerpiece for the event with the focal point—the 40 ft. tall expertly-carved pumpkin tree. New this year is the Honey Bee display. During the day, this bee-autiful display offers a pop of color near the returning Hug A Bee Beekeeper experience. By night, these buzzing bees create a sweet lighted moment for your family.

 In Craftsman’s Valley, the pumpkin guitar glows to life as it strums Dolly’s famous hit, “My Tennessee Mountain Home,” and the not-so-spooky pumpkin spider greets you with his glowing grin.  Other guest favorites include the friendly pumpkin frogs at Drop Line Pond, the bright-eyed pumpkin bats at Mystery Mine and much more. These vivid displays bring crisp autumn nights alive, making Great Pumpkin LumiNights the ultimate fall event for creating special family memories and Instagram-worthy moments.

There are plenty of activities your family can enjoy during Great Pumpkin LumiNights. With thousands of carved pumpkins throughout the park, it takes a number of talented pumpkin carvers to create the festive displays. Everyone in the family will enjoy learning how to carve a pumpkin masterpiece from Dollywood’s “pumpkin artists” during these demonstrations. Kids-and kids at heart-will love turning into human jack-o-lanterns with Glow face paint. Face painters create unique designs with glow-in-the- dark face paint during the day that come to life at night!

The Great Pumpkin LumiNights Tour offers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Great Pumpkin LumiNights, and Gold and Diamond Passholders receive a special discount! This two-hour guided walking tour highlights all of your festival favorites. Participants will enjoy festive refreshments, a dip-your-own-candle activity, character meet & greets, front-of-the-line access on Mystery Mine and more. To learn more about booking the Great Pumpkin LumiNights Tour, visit our website.

Make sure your Dollywood days turn into exciting theme park evenings during Dollywood’s Harvest Festival featuring Great Pumpkin LumiNights.

🟠Photo Opportunities

According to this blog post written by Wes Ramey...

My family loves to take photos when we visit, and there’s a colorful new photo op right when we enter the park called Harvest Sky. We can’t wait to stand beneath the thousands of vibrant, shimmering leaves swaying in the breeze along Showstreet. Then we’ll definitely have to stand in front of the colossal pumpkins—last year’s pumpkins ranged in weight from 800 to 1500 lbs. each and came from growers across the East Coast. We also love stopping by and seeing all the visiting artisans to see what amazing handmade wares they have brought with them, with many of them demonstrating their skills and techniques while creating one-of-a-kind treasures that we can purchase to take home with us to relive our time at Dollywood this fall whenever we want.

🟠Music 

Once again, Wes Ramey from Dollywood Blog:

Want some tunes as part of your Harvest Festival day at the park? You’re in luck, because live music is at the heart and soul of fall at Dollywood with Southern gospel, bluegrass and country artists found performing throughout the park. Rhonda Vincent and The Rage, Jeannie Seely, Emily Ann Roberts, Dailey and Vincent, Triumphant Quartet, Hannah Dasher and The Isaacs are just a few of the performers set to take the stage – be prepared to sing along and enjoy some new music that just might head to the top of your musical favorites list. Performances take place on indoor and outdoor stages throughout the park, allowing the beautiful sounds to echo through the landscape here in the Great Smoky Mountains.

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

🎃 🎃 🎃

The 2023 Harvest Festival at Dollywood is just around the corner! Check out my video from last year's festival to get a preview of all the fun you can expect.

🔵Blog Posts with other Helpful Trip Planning information

• Getting To Dollywood by Plane
• Big Bear Mountain Rider Preview Day - Dollywood's Newest Roller Coaster.
• Guide to all Mountain Coasters in Sevier County
• 30+ Great Places to Eat in Pigeon Forge after 2pm!
• All of Dollywood's Menus 2023 Edition
• 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.

🚨New Video!🚨 - Good Vibes - Full Show - June 28, 2023

Hi Everyone,

As summer comes to a close in the United States, I wanted to share a highlight from Dollywood's Summer Celebration: the full performance of "Good Vibes." I included this same show in Part 1 of my Summer Celebration series, but I believe it deserves its own stand-alone video. I find myself watching it several times a week for pleasure - I love this show and the cast this year has such great harmony!

 

I hope you enjoy it!

Six Flags Parks announces new additions for various parks in 2024

Hi Everyone,

I usually focus on Dollywood news and other amusement news in Sevier County, as well as Dolly news. However, I thought some of you might be interested in seeing what Six Flags is up to across their chain. Several new additions have been announced in recent weeks.

Six Flags has created a quick video showcasing their new additions for 2024, including a new water coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia. SFOG is located in Atlanta, about three hours south of Dollywood. I know many theme park enthusiasts love both parks, as well as Carowinds and Kings Island, which are both about four hours from Dollywood.

Anyway, check out the new additions across the Six Flags chain of parks!

Natalie Grant Duet with Dolly Parton, singing an Annie Lennox written song, popularized by Whitney Houston!

Hi Everyone, This duet was released in early August of 2023 and I wanted to share it with you all.

I think if you liked the Whitney Version, you'll like or love this one too.  Whitney's version of Step by Step appears on the Preacher's Wife Soundtrack from 1996, if you couldn't remember, like me.  Annie Lennox wrote this song as a B-side to her 1992 single Precious.

Natalie Grant had this to say about Step by Step:

“In 1996, ‘Step By Step’ is a song I would blast on cassette in my beat up Volkswagen Golf as I drove to my job at Medicare,” shares Grant. “The dream when I moved to Nashville was music, not Medicare, but I had to do what was necessary to keep going. This song was my reminder to keep putting one foot in front of the other. If you would’ve told me then that one day, I would not only be recording this song, but doing it with an international icon, I never ever would’ve believed it. I still can’t believe it.”

Some fellow vloggers - Adventures That Rock - were lucky enough to be in the audience at Dollywood this past spring when Natalie Grant was performing, and she was joined on-stage by none other than Dolly herself!  Check their video out below.

If you're curious - Here's Annie Lennox's version of Step by Step, Then Whitney's version below that.

Dolly chats with Nancy O'Dell about New Book and offers Invaluable Life Tips!

Enjoy!

 

You can catch up on my conversation with @nancyodell on @talkshoplive now! Don't forget to order your Limited Edition PINK #Rockstar cassette and a copy of #BehindTheSeams ❤️Randomly selected copies of the book pre-ordered on #TalkShopLive will be autographed by yours truly!… pic.twitter.com/lTFpMiRZcn

— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) August 24, 2023

Check out my previous coverage of Rockstar HERE. 

🔴A Guide to Mountain Coasters and Other Similar Attractions in Sevier County, Tennessee🔴

Hi Everyone,

Sevier County, Tennessee is home to more than a dozen unique mountain coasters, one of the most popular attractions in the Smoky Mountains, and one of the highest concentrations of mountain coasters anywhere on the PLANET! While well-known Dollywood is famous for its roller coasters, these mountain coasters offer a unique experience that can only be found in Sevier County.

I've created a list of all of the current operating mountain coasters in Sevier County, Tennessee, along with some additional information to help you choose the right one for you. Some of the coasters require separate admission, while others are included in a wristband that gives you access to multiple attractions. I'll break down the information for you below the link to my spreadsheet.

To See The List Of Mountain Coasters, CLICK HERE! Updated May 28, 2024.

🔵There are two main types of mountain coaster tickets:

• Single tickets: These tickets allow you to ride one or two coasters. They are typically the most affordable option.
• Wristbands: These tickets give you access to multiple coasters and other attractions. They can be a good option if you plan on riding multiple coasters or visiting multiple attractions.

🔵Wristbands can be either:

• Timed: These wristbands are valid for a certain period of time, such as 2 hours or 4 hours. After the time expires, you will need to purchase another wristband or single ticket to ride the coasters.
• Unlimited: These wristbands give you unlimited access to the coasters and other attractions for the entire day. They are typically the most expensive option, but they can be a good value if you plan on riding multiple coasters or visiting multiple attractions.

🔵The best type of ticket for you will depend on your budget and your plans for the day. If you are only planning on riding one or two coasters, then a single ticket may be the best option. If you plan on riding multiple coasters or visiting multiple attractions, then a wristband may be a better value.

🟢How are the coasters different from one another, or are they all the same?

Answer: Different! Read on to learn more.

Most of these rides share one common feature: the brake. Each ride has one or two handles that you push forward to move forward or coast, and pull back or release to brake and slow down.

Weigands are more sophisticated than other rides in that each cart is "aware" of where the next cart is. If you get too close to another cart, it will automatically brake to avoid a collision. Weigands also have "brake zones" at the end of the course and before the next lift hill (if applicable), where the carts will automatically brake.

🚨If your lift hill happens to stop, remain seated and calm. It will start up again momentarily. DO NOT TRY TO REMOVE YOURSELF FROM THE CART.

INTENSITY/THRILL LEVELS

I often see remarks on social media about some of the coasters with 2,3,4 lift hills, that they are 'not thrilling' and brake a lot, as compared to the coasters with one or two lifts. It would leave some people who were seeking Higher Thrills disappointed. That is true, that the multi-lift coasters brake more. They're usually more spread out horizontally, as they do not have the vertical real estate that's needed to create one big lift hill. If you're looking for the higher thrill mountain coasters, then seek out the ones with one big lift hill vs. many smaller hills. If you're looking for milder thrills, then seek out the ones with multiple lift hills. There's a column in my spreadsheet for Number of Lift Hills.

Makes and Models of Coasters

The Smokies are home to several Weigand mountain coasters, which come in two generations: Generation 1 and Generation 2. Both generations are visually similar and offer a similar ride experience.

🔷Here's a Weigand Gen 1, below.

You'll find these Gen 1's at Rocky Top Mtn Coaster, Smoky Mtn coaster, Goats & Moonshine Mtn.

🔷Here's Gen 2

You'll find Gen 2 at Skyland Ranch, Lost Mine, and at Anakeesta

🔷Anakeesta has a single rail coaster and they've recently opened a dual rail....a Generation 2.

Single Rail Mountain Coaster at Anakeesta in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. 

What other types are there??

🔷The Powered Coaster at Rowdy Bear

Hill not required.  This one is powered the whole trip around the course.

🔷The Suspended Coaster with Shooting Targets, also at Rowdy Bear

Ready, aim, fire!  Compete against your buddy for high score.

🔷At Ober, two more styles are waiting for you!

🔹This is the ADG's version...similar to the Weigand model.

🔹This is the OG Alpine Slide of the Smokies - sliding since 1976.

You ride a chair-lift to the top of the course, disembark, and slide from there.  No lift hill like the others.  You can race here, unlike all the others.

🔷This is the Mountain Glider, located in Gatlinburg at Ripley's Mountain Coaster

🔷This is what you will find at the Wilderness at the Smokies resort. Now Open as of 10/31/2023.

courtesy of Wilderness at the Smokies

Rendering of the Cloud Coaster at Wilderness at the Smokies

Here's an another Cloud Coaster somewhere in the world.  There are only Eight of these in existence.  It must be pretty amazing; it bends your arms backwards!

As you can see, there are many different options available, each with its own unique features. And with the Smoky Mountains being home to the highest concentration of mountain coasters on the planet, this is the perfect place to experience them all!

Are there restrictions on height, weight and age? Yes. These are pretty consistent across all of the coasters in this area.

• Minimum height to ride alone is 56 inches, or 1.42 meters
• Minimum height to ride with someone who is 56 inches, is 36 inches, or .914 meters.
• Maximum weight is 375 pounds in dry conditions, less in wet. Best to double check with each coaster.
• Minimum age to ride alone is 16 years.

Let me know what you think about these in the comments! Good Luck!!

Silver Dollar City Announces Fire In The Hole 2.0 - Dollywood's Sister Park

Hi Everyone, 

This is a follow-up to my original post about the retirement of Fire In The Hole, found HERE.

On August 14, 2023, Dollywood's Sister Park in Branson, Missouri - Silver Dollar City - announced the replacement for the soon to be retired Fire In The Hole indoor roller coaster and dark ride.  Dollywood fans will recognize this as a mirror attraction to Blazing Fury.  SDC's original ride has reached the end of its working lifespan, and so a very impressive new version is set to open in 2024!

Let's check out the renderings and information provided by Silver Dollar City's Press Releases...

Source:  SDC Press Release | Burning Bridge Scene reimagined.

Source:  SDC Press Release | Overview of Ride in its new neighborhood.

Source:  SDC Press Release | Mural in the station

The wagon wheels will not be on the actual ride, but you can see these new trains are pretty faithful to the original, but these have a sort of bucket-seat and individual restraints rather than the shared bench with a safety bar found on the original.  Also new - on-board audio!

Source:  SDC Press Release | new logos

Source:  SDC Press Release | new logos

Source:  SDC Press Release

Source:  SDC Press Release

Source:  SDC Press Release

MidWest Info Guide has a great trip report from the construction tour that followed this announcement.  Tons of pictures!

Check that Trip Report out Here

Here are a few of the pictures that they shared, in random order.

Source:  midwestinfoguide.com | the burning bridge dip in the track

Source:  midwestinfoguide.com | new sets under construction

Source:  midwestinfoguide.com | Close Up the nearly identical to the original Splashdown

Source:  midwestinfoguide.com | Splashdown with maintenance switch track - just like the original.

Source:  midwestinfoguide.com | new station area

FITH has it's own unique soundtrack!

This looks fantastic to me because I was concerned that this might somehow be a ''lesser'' version of the original, but NO, this is a very faithful recreation of the original using new technology for the scenes, and all new ride components, new every single thing.  They have chosen to keep the water splashdown finale.  It's even about the same length, so I am impressed.  

Will Dollywood Be Getting This Too?  NO, not likely anytime soon.  As I wrote in my first post about FITH, Dollywood's version was upgraded in many ways in 2014, which is sure to expand its lifespan by several years.  As I explained, SDC's version is in a different state of being - it's deteriorating, basically, and so this more drastic solution was required.   $30 Million Dollars is obviously a lot of money and given that this isn't a priority at Dollywood, a replacement is far from happening.  At the moment Dollywood is hard at work on its next two or three (or more!) attractions.  One of which is rumored to be an all-new indoor roller coaster for the next phase of Wildwood Grove.  I look forward to finding more out about that!

That wraps this up.  Of course I'll keep an eye out for new details as they come up and share them here on my WhatsupatDollywood Blog.

🟢🟣 30+ Great Places to Eat in Pigeon Forge, Open Late!🟣🟢

Hi Everyone,

Pigeon Forge and Sevierville are two popular tourist destinations in Tennessee, known for their amusement parks, outdoor attractions, and, of course, their restaurants. With so many great places to eat, it can be hard to know where to start.

That's why I've put together this list of the best restaurants in Pigeon Forge and Sevierville, based on Average Ratings from Google, Yelp, and TripAdvisor. I updated the list on October 2, 2024.

I've included a wide variety of restaurants to suit all tastes, from American to BBQ to pizza to steak houses to Mexican, Asian. There's also an all-day breakfast place, a diner, and a higher-end restaurant in Sevierville.

The list is sorted by my Average Rating, so you can easily find the best-rated restaurants in the area.

Link to the Best Restaurants List

Good Luck and let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Check out all my videos, blog posts (See list below) and Facebook posts!  Follow along and I will help keep you up to date on Dollywood and I even share a lot of Dolly Parton news too!

YouTube Channel; https://www.youtube.com/c/JeffBurkhardt

Blog:  https://whatsupatdollywood.blogspot.com/

Facebook:  https://fb.me/whatsupatdollywood

Quick List - Restaurants Featured in the spreadsheet:

Ristorante DellaSantina

Talitas Restaurant

Pizza Rio - The Brazilian Way

Junction 35 Spirits - Mountain Mile Location

Tijuana Flats

Roma Table

Nagano Japanese Grill

The Corner Diner/Fat City Grill?

Old Mill Pottery House Cafe

The Appalachian Restaurant

The Local Goat

Smokies Cuban Cafe

The Old Mill Restaurant

Cookie Dough Monster - Burgers and Shakes

Taqueria La Gasolineria

Five Oaks Farm Kitchen

Sunliner Diner - Pigeon Forge

Country Roads Axe Co. featuring West by God Coalfired Pizza

Mel's Diner

Gaucho Urbano Brazilian Steakhouse

Blue Moose Burgers & Wings - Pigeon Forge location

Huck Finn's Catfish

Applewood Farmhouse GRILL

Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant

Iron Forge Breweing Co.

Wild Bear Tavern

Fox Den

Ember and Elm (HeartSong Resort at Dollywood)

Big Daddy's Pizza - Pigeon Forge

El Ranchero Loco

Bullfish Grill

Timberwood Grill

Paula Deen's Family Kitchen

Mama's Farmhouse

Azul Cantina

JT Hannah's Kitchen

Puckett's Restaurant - Pigeon Forge

Smoky Mountain Brewery

Downtown Flavortown

🔵Blog Posts with other Helpful Trip Planning information

• Getting To Dollywood by Plane
• Dollywood Menus for 2024
• 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!
• Trip Advisors Top 10 Budget Friendly Hotels in Pigeon Forge.
• 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.

Updates to "Hotels With High Ratings Blog Article"

Hi Everyone, 

I'm excited to announce that I've updated my blog post about the top hotels in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee! This is one of my most popular articles, and I know you all get a lot of use out of it. I love being able to help you out with practical information, and I hope you find this update helpful.

In the article you will see two new hotel newsy things that I share, but I will share them again here - since you're here and all.

1) A brand new Adult (Marriott Bonvoy) Hotel (Row 39) is scheduled to open in September 2023, and that may be of interest to some of you.  Read an article about it here:  https://tinyurl.com/4dhh7vaj

From the article: 

Get ready to go back in time for your vacation. Way back in time.

The Wayback is a groovy, retro-themed hotel mostly for adults opening in Pigeon Forge between Flapjack's Pancake Cabin and the Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride.

Inspired by old roadside motels in Palm Springs, the hotel is hoping to provide a "vibrant escape amidst the high energy of downtown Pigeon Forge."

The 134-room hotel is expected to open in early September, according to general manager Marty Rothchild, and is developed by Sevierville-based company Aatmos. It's a Tribute portfolio hotel, part of the Marriott family.

Marriott Bonvoy is Marriott's loyalty program for frequent guests. This hotel is geared towards its members, who enjoy a variety of amenities as part of their stay. Non-members are also welcome at this hotel, but they do not receive the same amenities as members. I wanted to point out this distinction so that you can make an informed decision about whether to become a Marriott Bonvoy member before booking your stay.

2) Country Cascades - Row 25 on Spreadsheet - Recently announced a new $14 million dollar expansion to its indoor water park offerings.  It's scheduled to open in 2025.  You can read more and see renderings here:  WATE TV news

Click On for the updates...

Updated article here- Click Here

Updated Spreadsheet - Click Here

Good Luck with your planning!

🚨2 New Videos!🚨 - Dollywood's Summer Celebration 2023

Hi Everyone, 

I hope you all are enjoying your summer!  Dollywood's Summer Celebration just concluded, but you can watch all the highlights from my day at the park!  I have TWO videos to share with you from my day.  In Part 1, I will take you around the park to check out all the decorations, watch some of the rides, and of course people watch!  I have the Full Performance of Good Vibes and a couple of songs from The Smoky Mountain String Band.

In Part 2, I will take you up to Wildwood Grove for the dance party.  After that, the Fireworks and Drone show takes place and is definitely a must-see attraction!

So, I hope you enjoy both of my videos!  

Check them out below