🤩 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.

🟢🟢🟢

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...

🟢🟢🟢

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

🟢🟢🟢

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.

🍊🍊🦋🏈 Dolly to make an appearance at Saturday's College Football game University of Tennessee vs. #1 Georgia, at Neyland Stadium 🏈 🦋🍊🍊

Excited to welcome the one and only @DollyParton to Neyland Stadium this Saturday 🧡#GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/sYzCFhKQrc

— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) November 13, 2023

Dolly is releasing her Rock Star album this Friday the 17th, which I can't stop talking about. One of the many editions of Rock Star is a UT version of the album in CD form. 

here's the link above - click here.

UT Football is not predicted to win this game, but WHO KNOWS!  A divine miracle, like Dolly Parton showing up, might be the motivation the Vols need to get this critical Win.  I will go ahead and predict a last-second "HAIL DOLLY'' will be thrown and the Vols receiver will be wide open in the end zone, and catches it, and holds on to it just long enough to be a T, and if there truly ever was a miracle, a holding call will not be flagged.

🤩✨ Rockstar Movie Screenings At Dollywood for Gold and Diamond Season Pass Holders! ✨🤩

Hi Everyone,

We have finally reached release week for Dolly's rock album, Rock Star!  She has teased the heck out of this album for over a year now, and we'll get to hear it in its entirety.   The musical movie will premiere around the country on Wednesday November 15th and some select encore performances on Thursday the 16th.  

I just learned that Dollywood will be showing the Rock Star movie in the Dreamsong Theater (next to former Chasing Rainbows museum) on Friday the 17th IF YOU ARE A GOLD OR DIAMOND PASS HOLDER, so if you happen to be at Dollywood, or are willing to make that trip on Friday, then you can really maximize your Dolly Parton exposure by watching it at Dollywood.  How many other artists can you really connect to like that??  NONE, the answer is NONE.  

CLICK HERE to see all of this important information, and to make Reservations, at dollywood.com's website.

https://www.dollywood.com/

https://www.dollywood.com

🔴🟢 Dollywood's Tasting Pass and Celebration Hall Buffet Info for 2023 🟢🔴

Hi Everyone,

I have a couple of updates about the Smoky Mountain Christmas food options for you today.

🔵 First, The Celebration Hall Buffet (Country Fair Area) is continuing from the previous festival into the Smoky Mtn Christmas Festival.

 🔹 One great way to access the Celebration Hall is to use the Handicapable pathway behind Dogs N Taters, that runs alongside the rampage ride, under the train and then boom, you're right there.  As opposed to going up the hill towards the Village, crossing the tracks, and down the hill into Country Fair.

Click Here to Buy Tickets at least 24 hours in advance, if you like, and you can read more details as well.

https://www.dollywood.com/themepark/dining/christmas-festival-buffet/

Here are the menu offerings - subject to change, it says!  Click image to Enlarge.

Here's a recent picture of the Celebration Hall.  I took this b/c they razed a little building, you can see how the pavement is different, but now there's plenty of space to linger!

🔵 Second, Dollywood has released information about its popular Tasting Pass for Smoky Mountain Christmas, so let's dig into it.  All this info comes from Dollywood.com/themepark/dinding/christmas-tasting pass - LINK HERE.

Menu Offerings for 2023, Click to Enlarge

Here's the link to the "BUY NOW" button above, click here.

What do you think about either of these options?  Will you and your guests use the tasting pass?  If so, what are your thoughts about it all?  Tell me in the comments!

Dollywood's Sensory-Sensitive Day for 2023

Hi Everyone,

Dollywood just announced its event for Sensory-Sensitive Day.  It is on Saturday, November 18th, 2023 from 8:30 am to noon.  The park opens at 10am, but will continue with this program until noon.

Go to FB via this link, for more info and to Register - here.

Join us at Dollywood on Saturday, Nov. 18 for Sensory-Sensitive Day. This event provides a welcoming space to enjoy some of Dollywood's world-class attractions with limited sound and light interruptions. This event begins at 9 a.m. before the park opens at 10 a.m. and will continue through noon. Event space is limited and only available for pre-registered event participants. For a full schedule and more information, click here: https://www.dollywood.com/.../sensory-sensitive-hours/

💵 Dollywood's DreamMore Resort Flash Sale - Up to 30% your stay, per night

Hi Everyone,

Just passing this promotion on to you all!

More info HERE 

🎄 Dollywood's Light The Way 5k - Friday November 10th, 2023 at 11pm 🏃🏼

 

Official Website Here.

There is nothing quite like Dollywood at Christmas. Experience a nighttime run in the nation’s most beautiful holiday park during the award-winning Smoky Mountain Christmas festival by registering for the 10th annual Light the Way 5K! It’s never too early to get in the Christmas spirit, so register now for the 10th annual Light the Way 5K to take place at Dollywood Friday, November 10 at 11 p.m.

Runners will begin at Dollywood’s Front Gate area and travel through the theme park twice, giving them time to take in the five million Christmas lights. Walkers will have the opportunity to follow the route for one loop around the park.

We are excited to announce that this year’s race is being facilitated by the Knoxville Track Club (ktc.org). KTC will chip-time the event and work with the event team to provide runners with the best experience possible. 

Medals will be awarded to every participant in Light the Way 5K 2023 and will be distributed at the finish line. Awards will be presented to the top three overall finishers for both men and women and all age groups.

Online registration is encouraged for Light the Way 5K as the race is limited to 1,500 participants. The registration fee is $45 until September 5 and $50 from September 6 through November 10. Race day registration will take place from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. at Dollywood’s Splash Country. For information on group registration, email info@keepsevierbeautiful.org.

PACKET PICK-UP

Wednesday, November 8 - REI Knoxville (6700 Papermill Drive NW) 4:00 - 7:00 P.M.
Thursday, November 9 - REI Pigeon Forge (2655 Teaster Lane, Suite 310) 4:00 - 7:00 P.M.
Friday, November 10 - Dollywood’s Splash Country Pigeon Forge (2700 Dollywood Parks Blvd) 11:00 A.M. - 9:00 P.M.

THERE ARE NO REFUNDS FOR THIS RACE AND STROLLERS ARE NOT ALLOWED!

🎃 Promotion: Dollywood for $55 after 5pm! Through November 5th, 2023 🎄

Hi Everyone,

Dollywood is currently running a ticket promotion for the rest of the Harvest Festival/LumiNights and two days into the Smoky Mountain Christmas festival.  So, if planning is your thing, go ahead and purchase your Christmas tickets now for Christmas, in case they sell out, as they might as that date approaches.  As you see below, the promotion ends November 5th.

find this deal here: dollywood.com/tickets

That's TWO opportunities to see Smoky Mountain Christmas at a discounted rate.  Enjoy if you're able to take advantage of this opportunity.

🔵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.
• Big Bear Mountain Preview Day Video - tons of off-ride footage.
• Sing-A-Long with Dolly Parton as she opens Big Bear Mountain + BBM POV!!!
• Mountain Coasters! - your complete guide to all of the mountain coasters near Dollywood - there's 13!
• Pigeon Forge Restaurants open past 2pm! - Here's a ranking of some of the best restaurants - decided by YOU - In Pigeon Forge that are open past 2pm....click here for that blog article.
• Pigeon Forge Trolley Explained - Check out this under-used perk of staying at a hotel on the Trolley Route.

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

📞 Dolly calls into Irish radio station, RTE 📻

Hi Everyone,

I just listened to this fantastic interview with Dolly phoning in to LiveLine show on Irish radio station, RTE.  I think it is worth sharing with any Dolly fan.  Lots of topics discussed, like Dolly Day in Ireland, Dolly's visit to Ireland in 1990, Imagination Library, her new book My Life in Seams, Rockstar album, Sinead O'Connor's recent passing and connection to Dolly...and much more.

I was really taken back to junior high school when I would listen to Rock Line on Monday nights.... awe.

Listen to the 22-minute interview HERE, on RTE.

Country music legend Dolly Parton made a surprise appearance on RTÉ Radio 1's Liveline programme this afternoon, speaking to stand-in presenter Katie Hannon about a variety of topics, including her famous appearance in Páidí Ó Sé's pub in 1990 and "feeling connected" to the late Sinéad O'Connor.

Hannon opened the show saying, "We have a very special show for you today - a real treat. You have to prepare for everything - you never know who you're going to hear on the Liveline but to be honest with you, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I'd ever get to say: good afternoon, Dolly Parton!"

The singer, who spoke to the programme via video call, responded, "Good afternoon to you. I've got a lot of things to talk about, and I guess we can just catch up on several things and people we know."

Hannon opened the conversation by asking Parton if she had heard about "Dollyday", the biggest gathering of people dressed up as Parton, which was a Guinness World Record attempt. The event happened in Kerry this summer and Hannon's cousin helped to organise it, with Parton saying she had heard about it and "even saw some of the pictures."

Read the rest of the article at the link above, and of course listen to the full interview!

🔴 Dollywood's 2024 Operating Calendar Released 🔴

Hi Everyone,

Dollywood has released its operating calendar for 2024.  They are opening one week earlier than ''normal'' on March 8th, 2024.

Source:  dollywood.com

Some key points I noticed:

• Earlier Season Opening, March 8th for Season Passholder Preview Day.
• New Festival - IWALY Festival.  Watch my video of the IWALY Celebration in 2023 (HERE)
• 10am opening every day through the end of Harvest/LumiNights festival.
• They have added a lot of extra days to their calendar for 2024.
• Gone for 2024 - the Tuesday Closures in May, September, October & November 2023.
• Also, Gone for 2024 - 6pm Closures during August & September 2023.
• June & July - Closes at 10pm in 2024, vs 9:30p in 2023.
• Summer Celebration will run longer in 2024.  It will end on September 1, 2024, vs August 6, 2023.
• Harvest Festival/LumiNights begins September 9th, 2024, vs. September 20, 2023!  Nearly two weeks earlier in 2024!
• Smoky Mountain Christmas begins a few days earlier in 2024, vs in 2023.

Did I miss anything?  

I think these are all positive changes and they follow right along with Dollywood's fast track growth plans.  I have THREE blog posts from 2022 about Dollywood's Future Plans and this tracks right along with what I wrote back then.

• 1-https://whatsupatdollywood.blogspot.com/2022/08/dollywood-has-big-plans-major-projects.html
• 2-https://whatsupatdollywood.blogspot.com/2022/10/dollywoods-future-plans-one-point.html
• 3-https://whatsupatdollywood.blogspot.com/2022/11/dollywoods-future-plans-eye-on-2026.html

Here's where I think this is headed - from article 2:

Oddly enough, or coincidentally, this week, two 'neighboring' amusement parks in the Cedar Fair chain, Carowinds and King's Dominion, both announced year-round operations.   Carowinds is southeast of Dollywood near Charlotte, and King's Dominion is near coastal Virginia, in Doswell, so its winters are pretty mild for the most part.

That's great news for those who work at those parks and can now be employed year-round, and it's great for the guests who are looking for entertainment in January and February.    I see lots of potential in winter operations doing things that are challenging in the summer, like snow tubing & ice skating as a couple examples.

My understanding is that these two parks will be open for weekends-only during the two coldest months of winter, which obviously is weather dependent.  Other parks that stay open year-round cycle the operations of the rides in and out of service, so that routine maintenance can be performed.  It would not be reasonable to expect every single ride to be in operation during the winter months.  That's what happens in other year-round parks such as Six Flags Magic Mountain, Knott's Berry Farm, Disney-World-Land-Epcot, Universal, Sea Worlds, & Busch Tampa.  

It's interesting to me that these two parks have chosen to operate year-round.  Was it a way to beat Dollywood to the punch?  Done so in their own interest?  It's impossible to say.  Will Six Flags over Georgia follow suit?  At this point I doubt it.  Six Flags seems somewhat in operational disarray.  Six Flags Magic Mountain has, for several years, been open year-round and recently announced that they were scaling that back, which is unfortunate for those who bought season passes who were promised year-round operations.

What would year-round operations look like at Dollywood?  I don't have any insider info to know what they're thinking about doing, but based off of Ed Naughtons' comments, he said they would consider using the entrance as a sort of hub, making use of the theaters and restaurants.  Chasing Rainbows Museum is not far away from the entrance, and it was closed in 2022 for a major re-thinking of the experience.  Will it move closer to the entrance to align with the 10-year plan? [10/17/23 - now we know the Dolly Parton Experience will take over the space of Chasing Rainbows!]

Drop Line can operate in temps down to 5-degrees F and Thunderhead has, I think, four trains.  I believe they have the two trains from Celebration City's shuttered GCI coaster, so that means two trains could be in rehab at any given time and potentially would never have seasonal downtime, or at least not very long.  Mystery Mine seems to struggle with cold temperatures, so Im not sure it would open on the coldest of days.  So, Dollywood could open The Entrance area/Showstreet, Timber Canyon and maybe Wildwood Grove for winter, which would allow for seasonal maintenance in the rest of the park.  As years went on, they could introduce Wilderness Pass, then Craftsman's Valley the year after that.  They love to incrementally grow things, so that would seem to make sense.

Another possibility is that Dollywood adds an entire Snow Themed Area in the park that features cold-weather activities like snow tubing, ice skating, bonfire areas, stuff like that.  Before it was cancelled, the Nashville combo Water Park/Snow Park was a real idea they had.  They were set to partner with Gaylord, but it fell through.  So, they're well aware of the types of things they could do to make a snow park work.

Like I mentioned, I have no idea what they'll end up doing.  They hold their secrets pretty well.  I will certainly keep my eyes peeled for any developments.