🚨New Video 🚨 Dollywood's Big Bear Mountain Construction Update, from August 31, 2022 👷‍♂️👷🏻‍♀️🏗️

 Hi Everyone!

I have a new video for you today of a recent look at the Big Bear Mountain construction site.  This is my first video since the official announcement back on August 5th, 2022.   You'll see in the video that construction has ramped up in scope, but they are still completing a lot of site preparation work and beginning to form footers for the ride.

Watch the video to see what's up at the construction site!

Here's some images of what you'll see in the video....

the waterfall and tunnel near the Giant Tree Swing

the waterfall and tunnel near the Giant Tree Swing

the flyover after 2nd launch, behind Black Bear Trail ride

the side-by-side launch area

Here's the station area from March to August.

Looking back at the station area from March 11, 2022

Looking back at the station area from April 22, 2022

Looking back at the station area from June 21, 2022

The station area on August 31, 2022

What are you most looking forward to on Big Bear Mountain?  Let me know in the comments.

Until next time!

Fall Colors - When will the leaves change in the Smoky Mountain areas?

Hi Everyone,

Fall is one of, if not the best season in the Smoky Mountains!  I know I am not alone in thinking so, because it is full of visitors wishing to take in the majestic color transformations of the leaves,  and the weather is so nice and crisp. It is such a pleasant break from the heat of summer.

Naturally, everyone wants to time their Smoky Mountain vacation with peak leaf changes.  Obviously, that is no easy task to accomplish.  With that said, there are some experts in Environmental Science out there that study this very subject and they've got thoughts about when the peak time is.

This interactive map with the slider below it can help you decide about the timing of your trip.

Check out the interactive map here --> Smoky Mountain Foliage Map

Above is an image of what the map suggests will happen on September 26th.  Click the map at the link to move the slider left and right to see the timing for different dates.  Around September 26th you'll see some minor changes in the colors of the leaves making their way through this area.

Let's jump ahead by a month and see the changes, below.

Clearly, a big difference in one month's timeframe.  You will definitely be seeing the colors during this time - if the timing plays out as suggested by this map, but I can attest from living here long enough to know mid-to-late October is a great time to see color in the Smokies.

If you want to watch a video I produced in the Fall of 2021 of the Foothills Parkway, you can do that here.  Notice that the early parts of the video are at the lowest altitude of the trip, and around the Look Rock observation area-part of the video, you'll see the leaves are different than at the beginning.  From Look Rock, the elevation continues to climb and with that, you'll see more noticeable changes.  So, you may want to add a trip down the Foothills Parkway to your agenda.  I would describe the Foothills parkway as a road that runs on the adjacent ridgetop to the Smokies, so you are looking at the Smokies from the outside of the park.  Read my more comprehensive description on the YouTube page for probably too much info, lol.

You can watch that here, if you like:

Of course, Dollywood looks great in Fall Colors too.  And that is not limited to the timeframe of their Fall Festival.  I noticed in the video I produced of the Smoky Mountain Christmas that the leaves were still putting on a show well into November.  So, keep that in mind if your preferred dates don't work out for your trip.  

As I mentioned, November's foliage can still be impressive.  Check out the trees from the tram ride going into the park and even around the park further in the video.  Still pretty.

If you would like more information about this, then check this info out.  

• https://fox59.com/news/national-world/2022-leaf-peeping-guide-when-is-peak-fall-foliage/
  
• https://www.wate.com/news/smoky-mountains/fall-colors-forecast-smoky-mountains/
  
• Interactive Map Link - 2022 Fall Foliage Map & Nationwide Peak Leaf Forecast (smokymountains.com)
• Excellent Live View Webcam from the Chair Lift in Gatlinburg.  This is one of my favorite webcams from the Gatlinburg area.  Gatlinburg Skylift Webcam
• I have a blog post about Hotels in the Pigeon Forge area, all close to Dollywood.  Check that out here --> https://whatsupatdollywood.blogspot.com/2022/08/hotels-with-high-ratings-in-pigeon-forge.html
• Are you flying into the area to go to Dollywood?  Check out my blog post here about alternate airports to Knoxville's McGhee Tyson Airport.  Check that out here -->> https://whatsupatdollywood.blogspot.com/2022/07/getting-to-dollywood-by-plane.html
• Check out my YouTube channel for my show "What's Up At Dollywood".  I have tons of videos giving you a look at what you can experience at Dollywood all year long.   Check that playlist out here --> https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLumR0CRQrqoD20oYntBUmvHXy7MkvNcwM

I hope that helps you plan your Fall trip to the Smokies and Dollywood!  What is your favorite thing about Fall in the Smokies?  Please let me know in the comments below.

Until next time!

Dollywood wins multiple Golden Ticket Awards!

Hi Everyone, 

Dollywood, the award-winning theme park!  I don't think this comes as a big surprise to anyone who visits Dollywood.  It's a fantastic park and I feel fortunate to call it my home park, and blog/vlog about it is more fun than I could have imagined.  Congrats to Dollywood for your accolades!

$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!

🚨New Video🚨 GOOD VIBES Show 2022 at Dollywood's Back Porch Theater

Good Vibes at Dollywood's Back Porch Theater, August 31, 2022

 Hi Everyone,

I was so happy I watched this performance by Good Vibes.  This ensemble sometimes goes by other names too.  I saw them in the spring when they were Brighter Day, so I guess they change names with the seasons 🤷 No idea, but it doesn't matter - they're all very talented vocalists and musicians!  I really like how much they make it seem that they enjoy performing this show - sometimes five times a day, six days a week, in all types of weather, primarily heat - they make it look like they're having fun and I think that's dedication and hard work to pull that off.

At Dollywood, the Back Porch Theater in Rivertown Junction.  It's marked #101 on the map, and it's hard to see it when you are there in person, but it is literally the back porch of Dolly's replica of her Tennessee Mountain Home.  I used to see Dolly's uncle Bill Owens perform there regularly.  It's a nice place to see a show and take a break from running all over the park.  I recommend sitting in the front to get an unobstructed view.

The vocalists introduced the band in this video, but did not introduce themselves.  The only vocalists name I know is Dalton.  In addition to performing with Good Vibes, He also was one of several DJ's that emceed the Drone and Fireworks show at the Summer Celebration - he has a distinctive voice.  If anyone out there reading this knows their names - please let me know and I will update this post and the video description to give them the credit they deserve!  You can let me know in the comments below.

This was recorded on Wednesday August 31, 2022 - Enjoy the performance!

📖Setlist/Chapters🎶 Show Open 00:00 Good Vibes 00:23 Boondocks 03:00 Jump 06:15 Born to Be Wild 06:46 You Can Go Your Own Way 07:34 Hit Me With Your Best Shot 08:26 All About That Bass 09:03 Rolling In The Deep 09:22 I Want You Back 10:22 Adore You 11:01 These Dreams 12:12 Dream On 13:35 We Will Rock You 14:54 Freedom Was A Highway 15:25 Livin' On A Prayer 16:25 True Colors 17:00 Sweet Caroline 18:04 I'm A Believer 18:47 Walkin On Sunshine 19:32 Days Go By 20:22 Musician's Intros - 23:20 Good Vibes 23:25

I hope you enjoyed this performance!  Did you have a favorite song or moment?  Let me know in the comments below.

Until next time!

Wilderness At The Smokies Announces $40 Million dollar Expansion

 

Hi Everyone,

I see on social media that a lot of Dollywood fans are also big fans of the Wilderness At The Smokies waterpark resort.  And now there's going to be even more to love about Wilderness, because they have big expansion plans in the works.  They're adding a water coaster, a new lazy river, a ''cloud coaster'' that will go over parts of the Adventure Forest area, and a rooftop pool with a bar and grill.  As if that wasn't enough, Wilderness is building twelve 2,600 sq ft villas that can accommodate up to twelve guests.

Here is WATE's Report on this epic expansion:

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Tennessee’s largest indoor waterpark has announced plans for a $40-million expansion, the largest in the 15-year history of the Wilderness of the Smokies.

 

The Sevierville resort will add nearly 40,000 square feet to their Wild WaterDome indoor waterpark, offering several new attractions and improvements to existing amenities.

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held on September 15 with the project expected to be completed by fall 2023.

Headlining the renovations is the ‘Switchback Mountain,’ a three-story water coaster where riders will reach 29 miles per hour and feature a 22-foot drop. ‘

A release from the park said it will be the world’s first slide with Reverse AquaLucent effects, bringing eye-catching colors and patterns to the indoor park.

Other new attractions include the ‘Lookout Lagoon,’ a rooftop pool with a glass edge. The expanded rooftop area will also be home to an entertainment stage, bar and grill, and cabanas.

A new lazy river with LED color-changing kaleidoscope lighting and other visual effects will be constructed. The park will also add 500 seats to the waterpark and additional cabanas on the mezzanine and main levels.

In addition to the waterpark expansion, the resort will add a suspended ‘Cloud Coaster’ called the ‘Rocky Top Glider’ to the Adventure Forest section of the park. A park release said it will be the first of its kind in Tennessee and only the ninth in the world.

It will have a track length of approximately 400 linear feet with two lift hills, launching riders at a starting height of 18 feet with maximum heights of around 25 feet. This project is anticipated to be completed by Spring 2023 and the Adventure Forest will remain open during the construction.

An eight-person theater will also be added to the Adventure Forest, combining three-dimensional graphics and visual effects. The theater will be completed later this year.

The renovations will also expand food and beverage offerings throughout the park.

Lastly, the resort will construct a dozen, three-bedroom villas. These 2,600-square-foot villas will accommodate up to 12 guests, overlook the Sevierville Golf Course and are fully furnished with an electric fireplace, game room and pool table.

🏄🏄🏄🏄🏄

Here is the press release from Wilderness At The Smokies:

OUR WILD WATERDOME IS ABOUT TO GET BIGGER!

August 18, 2022

We’re super excited to announce that in honor of our 15th anniversary which we will be celebrating in 2023, we have started a 40,000 square foot expansion of our Wild WaterDome.

The expansion will include:

Switchback Mountain, a three-story water coaster which will feature three steep drops, uphill blasts, high speeds and the premier of the world’s first slide with Reverse AquaLucent effects with colorful, spellbinding patterns. These special tubes will also allow light to filter through, adding brightness to the Wild WaterDome.

According to Pete, our Managing Director, “Switchback Mountain is guaranteed to be amazing! To get riders’ adrenaline pumping, the water coaster begins with a heart-pounding 22-foot drop at 29 mph before propelling the riders up into a right hairpin turn inside the first Reverse AquaLucent section. A second drop will follow into an open flume, followed by an uphill blast into a sharp left turn inside another Reverse AquaLucent tube with different patterns. For thrill’s sake, the coaster will repeat a third time into a final set of patterns inside another Reverse AquaLucent tube. To round out the sensations, riders will loop through a dark tube before finishing in an open flume.”

The waterpark expansion will also include Forbidden Caverns Lazy River, featuring an immersive tunnel experience complete with LED color changing kaleidoscope lighting, mirrors and projections.

Finally, the resort will be taking advantage of the waterpark’s expanded rooftop by adding Lookout Lagoon, a roof top pool with a glass edge. This area will also be home to the Peak Rooftop Bar and Grill, three rooftop cabanas and entertainment stage area. For convenience, an elevator will transport guests to and from this area.

Pete adds that per guest’s requests, the resort will be adding 500 seats to the waterpark, six additional cabanas on the mezzanine level of the waterpark and nine additional on the main level.

The anticipated completion of this expansion is fall of 2023. Watch our blog for other developments in the works!

🏄🏄🏄🏄🏄

Wow, well that is a lot to look forward to!  With the new Soaky Mountain Water Park and now these new additions to Wilderness, there will be a lot to see and do at this location.  What are you looking forward to the most?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Until next time!

Treat Yourself to a Dolly Parton License Plate and Support The Imagination Library at the same time! (must be a Tennessee resident)

 

If you are a resident of Tennessee, you can show your love of Dolly and help support Dolly's Imagination Library literacy program that gives children one free book a month from birth, to age five.

Read more about the Imagination Library here.

All sales of Dollywood Foundation license

plates supporting Imagination Library

All Tennessee drivers are required to get new license plates.

They can choose a Dolly Parton license plate and support

Imagination Library programs in Tennessee.

Author: WBIR Staff

Published: 5:05 PM EDT August 24, 2022

Updated: 10:11 AM EDT August 25, 2022

Source: WBIR

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee drivers are required to get a

new license plate when they renew their car registration this

year. They can choose to get a newly designed blue plate,

or they can choose a specialty plate.

If they choose a Dollywood Foundation license plate, they will help support Imagination Library programs across

the state. All of the sales go to support Imagination Library

programs across the state. Since 2017, the Knox County

chapter of the program has gotten more than $30,000

from license plates.

"So, $30,000 for the Knox County program, that will

support 2,000 children with an entire year's worth of

books," said Danielle Velez, a program manager of the

Imagination Library. "That's a great amount of money that

we're getting from the license plate sales."

Credit: Imagination Library

The program was founded in 1988 by Dolly Parton and

grew to deliver books to children around the world. It's

headquartered in Sevier County and every year, the Dolly

Parton Scholarship also gives $15,000 to five high school

students in the county to help them go to college.

The annual fee for the Dollywood Foundation license plate

is $61.50, with $35 of that fee going to benefit the Imagination

Library. It is available to all Tennessee residents. A full list of

available license plates is on the state's website.

Here’s the origin story of the Dolly Parton Imagination

Library License Plate from 2017.

Source: WKRN

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Dolly Parton announced

a special Imagination Library license plate that will benefit her

program that provides more than a million books to children

for free each month.
The colorful plate features the Imagination Library’s logo and

Parton’s likeness with a silhouette of the Great Smoky

Mountains in the background.
“My daddy thought the Imagination Library was the most

important thing I’d ever accomplished, so I know if he was

still here with us, he would’ve been the first person to buy

one for his truck,” Parton said.
The Dollywood Foundation plans to contribute its portion of the

plate proceeds directly to county Imagination Library programs

in Tennessee.
“We could not provide one million books to children each month

without the support of local communities around the world,”

said Dollywood Foundation President David Dotson.

“Through the funding and awareness, the Tennessee

Imagination Library license plate will generate, we’re able to

inspire even more children here in our home state to love to

read.”
The Dolly Parton/Imagination Library plate quickly reached

its 1,000-pre-order requirement, allowing it to go into

production.

The plates that were pre-ordered are beginning to arrive

at local county clerk’s offices. Plates can be personalized for

an additional fee through the Department of Revenue.

Doggy Parton Merchandise Now Available At Dollywood's Emporium, and other fine retailers.

Hi Everyone,

So, I went to Dollywood on Wednesday August 31, 2022, hoping to catch a glimpse of Dolly while she's filming for her NBC Christmas Movie - I didn't see her, but on my way out of the Park, inside the Emporium I could not help but notice a full display of Dolly's just released line of dog merchandise, Doggy Parton.  I made a video of the display - take a look below. 

Here is WATE's report about Dolly's newest endeavor...

 

TENNESSEE (WATE) — Dolly Parton has launched her canine collections with pink accessories, blonde wigs, cowboy hats, Dolly’s costumes complete with a guitar and a high-heel chew toy on Amazon.

Parton wanted to open a fashion line for dogs. After announcing her new line called “Doggy Parton” in July, she launched the brand on Amazon.

Dolly Parton says in a post on Amazon’s sale page that her love for pets is stronger than ever. The launch includes accessories, clothes, toys, collars and leashes.

The store has t-shirts with Parton on the front. Others are in plaid design or jean material. There is also a shirt that quotes, “In a World Full of Jolenes Be a Dolly.” The different designs give a southern charm that feels like a true “Dolly” collection.

Part of every Doggy Parton purchase will help fund and support Willa B Farms, a rescue where animals in need find “never-ending love and care,” according to the website. The farm in Old Hickory, Tennessee is a grassroots nonprofit that helps horses, pigs, chickens, tortoises and “everything in between.”

Parton has been known for her business skill as much as her singing voice. She’s associated with the theme park in Pigeon Forge called Dollywood, creating a baking collection called Dolly Parton Baking Collection and helping children throughout the world get access to books through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

To visit the Doggy Parton store on Amazon, visit the website here.

 

🐶🐶🐶

Doggy Parton has an Amazon store where you can take a closer look and even purchase if its in stock.  They look to be out of a lot of options.

Let's check out these screen grabs from the Doggy Parton Amazon Store.

Do you have a favorite item?  What do you think about Dolly's latest product line?  Let me know in the comments.

                                                                🐶🐶🐶

If you want to take a look at my video of the Emporium from earlier this year, take a look at that here.  Moreso than any time in my memory, there was so much more Dolly Parton merchandise than I have ever seen.  Tons of t-shirts, coffee mugs, hats - lots to see and you can see much of it in the video.

Until next time!