🚨NEW VIDEO🚨 - MOUNTAIN LAUREL HOME GOODS STORE - FALL EDITION 💰🎃🍂

 Hi Everyone,

I have a new video, this one is from the Mountain Laurel Home Goods Store in Rivertown Junction.  It's across from Dolly's Tennessee Mountain Home and it is decked out with Fall decor!  Check it out below!

Until next time!

Dollywood's Future Plans - One Point Revisited

 Hi Everyone,

I wrote a blog article not long ago about Dollywood's Future Plans.  One of the many items on the list was Year-Round Operations.  Dollywood included it in their 10-year plan, see below, by Ed Naughton, President of Dollywood.

Could Dollywood open 365?

Making sure there are plenty of things to do in every season will position the company to entertain year-round, Naughton said, adding it's possible the park could open theaters and restaurants near the entrance during winter.

Continuous improvement seems to be the new constant at Dollywood. Much of that change happens during a frenzied January and February.

Source:  click here. 

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?

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.

Until next time.  

Dolly Parton's Philanthropy

Hi Everyone,

Dolly has been in the news recently for her Philanthropic Work and was honored with The Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, which awards those whose sense of obligation to the public good is significant and sustained, as well as those who have created remarkable impact in their giving.  That sounds spot on for Dolly Parton.  She’s a generous giver and it’s well-known in some cases and in some cases less known.  For example, in researching this article I’ve discovered she’s paid for many funerals of those in her wide circle, who could not afford them.  In 2016 the wildfires in Gatlinburg caused major damage and loss of life.  Dolly took charge, produced the Smoky Mountain Rise telethon, and raised millions of dollars to assist those who were impacted by the wildfires.  Dolly has paid for bands’ instruments and uniforms in majority african-american schools.  Dollywood pays for education for its employees.  The Imagination Library, that Dolly created, mails books for free to children until their 5th birthday.  She said in the 1980's that Dollywood itself, was a way to offer jobs and opportunities for those in her hometown - a way for her to give back. The articles below will go into more details.  She really is an angel among us, an East Tennessee Treasure, for sure.

Fan Art - unknown

Below are two pieces of related press that I came across and wanted to share with you.

Resources for this article:

• Dolly Parton donation strategy: ‘I just give from my heart’ (wvlt.tv)

• Dolly Parton on Receiving the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy and How She Stays Positive | Vogue

By The Associated Press

Published: Oct. 14, 2022 at 8:36 AM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Dolly Parton laughs at the idea that she is some sort of secret philanthropist.

Sure, social media sleuths did piece together this week that the country superstar had been quietly paying for the band uniforms of many Tennessee high schools for years. And yes, it did take decades for her to reveal that she used the songwriting royalties she earned from Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” to purchase a strip mall in Nashville in her honor and to support the surrounding Black neighborhood. Oh, and it did eventually come out that Parton had donated $1 million for research that helped create the Moderna vaccine for COVID-19.

“I don’t do it for attention,” she told The Associated Press in an interview, shortly before she received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy at Gotham Hall in New York City Thursday night. “But look! I’m getting a lot of attention by doing it.”

In fact, Parton believes she gets too much attention for her philanthropic work – which ranges from promoting childhood literacy to supporting those affected by natural disasters and providing numerous college scholarships through her Dollywood Foundation.

“I get paid more attention than maybe some others that are doing more than me,” Parton said, adding that she hopes that attention inspires more people to help others.

In her Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy speech, Parton said she doesn’t really have a strategy for her donations.

“I just give from my heart,” she said. “I never know what I’m going to do or why I’m gonna do it. I just see a need and if I can fill it, then I will.”

One need Parton does focus on filling is fostering a love of reading in children. Her Imagination Library initiative sends a free book every month to children under five whose parents request them. Currently, Parton sends out about 2 million free books each month.

“This actually started because my father could not read and write and I saw how crippling that could be,” she said. “My dad was a very smart man. And I often wondered what he could have done had he been able to read and write. So that is the inspiration.”

That program continues to expand. And last month, the state of California partnered with Imagination Library to make the program available to the millions of children under five in the state.

“That is a big deal,” she said. “That’s a lot of children. And we’re so honored and proud to have all the communities that make that happen because I get a lot of glory for the work a whole lot of people are doing.”

Parton said she’ll accept that attention because it furthers the cause. “I’m proud to be the voice out there doing what I can to get more books into the hands of more children,” she said.

 

Eric Isaacs, president of the Carnegie Institution for Science and a member of the medal selection committee, said Parton is a “tremendous example” of someone who understands the importance of philanthropy.

“Everyone knows her music,” he said. “They might know Dollywood for entertainment, more broadly. But now they’re going to know her for her philanthropy, which I’m not sure they have before.”

If Parton didn’t make philanthropy a priority in her life, it could be difficult to balance it with all her other pursuits.

She released “Run, Rose, Run,” a best-selling novel co-written with James Patterson, in March. She filmed the holiday movie “Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas” with Willie Nelson, Miley Cyrus and Jimmy Fallon for NBC. And she will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Nov. 5, alongside Eminem, Lionel Richie and Pat Benatar – an honor she initially declined, but then graciously accepted.

“I’m ready to rock,” she said, adding that she has already written a new song, especially for that ceremony in Los Angeles.

But Parton is also ready to expand her philanthropic work. This year, she launched the Care More initiative at her Dollywood Parks and Resorts, which gives employees a day off to volunteer at a nonprofit of their choice.

“I think it’s important for everyone to do their share to help their fellow man,” she said. “This world is so crazy. I don’t think we even know what we’re doing to each other and to this world.”

Parton says she hopes the day of service will let people realize that “when you help somebody, it helps them, but it can help you more.”

“That’s what we should do as human beings,” she said. “I never quite understood why we have to let religion and politics and things like that stand in the way of just being good human beings. I think it’s important from that standpoint just to feel like you’re doing your part, doing something decent and good and right.”

Copyright 2022 WVLT. All rights reserved.

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VOGUE:  ‘I’m Not One to Hide Under the Covers’: Dolly Parton Talks Doing Good During Difficult Times

BY CHRISTIAN ALLAIRE

October 17, 2022

On Thursday night, the 2022 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy was awarded to six people and organizations making the world a better place. At a special ceremony in New York City, recipients Dolly Parton, Manu Chandaria, Lyda Hill, Lynn Schusterman, Stacy Schusterman, and the World Central Kitchen were all acknowledged for their outstanding philanthropic efforts, targeting everything from poverty relief in Africa to health care infrastructure. In Parton’s case, the award reflected the good works of her Dollywood Foundation and Imagination Library, through which the superstar has distributed free books to children worldwide, increased college access, and even advanced medical research—famously playing a pivotal role in funding the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (she donated $1 million to its development).

Here, Parton speaks exclusively to Vogue about her philanthropy work, what accomplishments she’s the most proud of to date, and how she remains so positive.

Vogue: Congratulations on being a Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy honoree. How does it feel to receive that acknowledgment?

Dolly Parton: I feel very special being among those folks. I’m proud for what I’m being honored for—especially with the Imagination Library. It’s always nice to be recognized for what you do, although that’s not why you do it. Some people do, but that’s not why I do it! You take pride in it, but I take more pride in why I’m getting the award. We’ve done so many wonderful things through the Imagination Library; we’ve done great things for children in their young, impressionable years, so that they can learn to read and write.

Rob Wilder, Manu Chandaria, Lyda Hill, Lynn Schusterman, Dolly Parton, and Stacy Schusterman.

 Photo: Filip Wolak/Courtesy of Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy

You’ve done great work supporting youth education through the Imagination Library, sending free books to children around the world. Why is that cause so close to your heart?

I started [that work] because of my own father, who was not able to read or write. He had had a family of 12, and he still managed to provide for us. My dad was really smart—I used to imagine what his life would have been like if he [had been literate]. So, I got the idea that it would be a good thing to do something in his honor. He’d always get a good kick out of hearing the kids call me the “book lady.” Whenever things like [this Carnegie Medal] happen in my career, I’m always thinking that my parents would be proud of me.

You’ve always used your platform for good, and it’s not something you have to do. Where do you think your focus on philanthropy work stems from?

I grew up in a very open-hearted, faith-based family. You’re taught to love and be accepting, and to give more than you receive. Both sides of my family are funny, tender-hearted, good people. Whether you believe in God or not, you need to be grounded; you need to believe in something greater than yourself. We grew up thinking that other people are just as important as we are. I wrote a song that’s going to be in my Christmas movie special in December. And it goes, “Whoever you are, be that. Whatever you do, do that. Anything else is just an act.”

When I got into a position to be able to do it on a larger scale, I did. It means a lot to me. How hard can it be for me to take pride in the Imagination Library, knowing that I’m helping put books in the hands of children all over the world? It’s more about children learning to read—it’s the fact they get recognized. They get this little book with their little name on it in the mail, and they feel special. They start taking pride in themselves, and they know that somebody out there is thinking of [them].

You’ve done some great work through your Dollywood Foundation as well. What are some of your proudest achievments through that organization?

I started it before I even had the Dollywood [amusement] park. I started giving out scholarships at the Sevier County High School, back when I had my first job with The Porter Wagoner Show. We’ve done things like help people when Gatlinburg burned [in 2016]; there were so many people who lost their homes and businesses. We’ve bought instruments and uniforms for schools.

You helped spearhead Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine research at a time when it was so easy to hide under the covers. Why did you feel the need to step up?

Well, I’m not one to hide under the covers when something that scary is going on! That was just the freakiest thing—a plague that was going to wipe us all off the face of the earth. I try to keep my heart in tune with what’s going on, as well as my eyes and ears, so when I started hearing and seeing all these things, I felt I needed to do something. I didn’t know exactly what to do, but I thought one one thing we could do is to find a vaccine—to try to stop it in its tracks, or keep it from spreading further. My heart and my head said to donate money to try and get a vaccine.

Over the years, I’ve admired how you’ve also been outspoken on LGBTQ+ rights and the need for acceptance. Have you felt the love back from that community?

Absolutely! You get back what you give. Myself, I’ve always been odd; I was very flamboyant and out there, and I got criticized a lot for that. I got bullied a lot as a child too, so I know how it feels to not be accepted. [A lot of people] who work with me are gay, lesbian, transgender—and they’re some of my best friends as well. I’ve always been open. People are who they are. I try to find the God light in everybody. The world is hard enough as it is, so we should at least help other people to be themselves. No matter what your parents say, or what other people say, you are who you are. And that’s the way you should be.

It’s still a strange time in this country, especially in the political landscape. What’s your secret to remaining positive, as you so often are?

I just wrote a song about this. It talks about how you can’t fall under that pressure. It hurts me too—I’m not one for freaking out much, but that don’t mean I don’t stay in touch! It’s like the world’s on fire, and what are we gonna do when it all burns down? How do we heal this great divide? And do we even care enough to try? Can’t we rise above and show some love? I really think we’re on dangerous ground, because people are not even paying attention, and they don’t even seem to care. That's the scary part—they’re just so locked into their own little world. That’s not a good way to live. So I just try to stay positive. I try to put more good stuff out there, to write songs that will make people think, and pay attention.

2023 Season Pass info released by Dollywood

Hi Everyone,

Dollywood has released the details about their Season Pass structure for 2023.  It appears that there are several changes from how things have been in the past, so let's dig in to it.

Updates to this article are at the bottom of the article.

Types of Passes

There are three passes to choose from, Silver, Gold and Diamond.  Silver, the basic season pass, is $149.  Gold is $214 and Diamond is $314.  The prices do not include taxes (~12%) and it should be noted that there will be a discounted price for children and seniors, which has not been announced at this time.  Furthermore, there is a discount for military folks and that includes active duty, veterans, military reservists, spouses and dependents.  That discount has not been announced at this time either.

There is one additional pass for children born in 2018 or 2019.  The Pre-K Imagination Season Pass is available for free with registration.  Link here.

Dollywood Blog has provided a nice piece that discussed the benefits of each tier.  Its called Diamond Vs. Gold Vs Silver and you can read that here.

Splash Country

You can turn Silver and Gold passes into a two-park pass by adding Splash Country for $65+tax.  Since Diamond includes Splash Country, you can add a Dining option for $50 +tax.

Payments

For all of their passes you can chose to pay in full or opt into their payment plan.  If you choose to use the payment plan, then the monthly payments are spread over 10 months.  For Silver it's $16.93/mo.  For Gold it's $24.31/mo.  For Diamond it's $35.67/mo.

Blackout Dates

Dollywood has added blackout dates to the 2023 Calendar.  The Silver pass has the most blackout dates.  Gold and Diamond do not have any blackout dates.  I have confirmed, that if you renew a 2022 Silver Pass, you will be able to enjoy the Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival THIS YEAR, but in 2023 you will need to plan for the blackout dates of November 24 to the end of the season on January 6, 2024.  You will have 3 or 4 weeks in November to enjoy the 2023 Christmas Festival.  If you purchase a 2023 Silver Pass, you will have blackout dates this November & December 2022.   

Here's a Pro-Tip: These blackout dates are there for a reason.  Dollywood WILL BE extremely busy during the listed blackout dates.  If you're wanting to visit when it's not bananas crazy, then avoid the listed blackout dates all together.

Let's look at the comparison table below of the three passes.

source: here

It's all the usual stuff they offer, parking, discounts, etc.  The quantities have changed this year.  For example, my Gold pass in 2022 gave me one Christmas Bring-A-Friend pass in 2021 and then 4 more Bring-A-Friend passes for 2022, and now it's 2 BAF passes for 2023.  But, they took away the BAF blackout dates, so my guests can go anytime - that's a plus.  So, just carefully look everything over so that you'll have a good understanding of what you have to work with.  My Gold pass for 2022 was $184 and for 2023 its' $214, so if I did the math right, that's a 16% increase.   That's the year-to-year difference for me.

Purchase Passes

If you pre-registered OR if you already have a 2022 season pass, then 2023 passes are on sale beginning today, Monday, October 17th.  For everyone else, you will have to wait until October 31st when they go on sale for you.   If you're on the fence about it, I suggest buying sooner than later because they remove entitlements as time passes, so for the maximum number of benefits, buy now. I will add that Dollywood has done a Black Friday offer in the past.  They obviously don't announce in advance what that offer is, but I think last year they offered an upgraded version of the two-park pass and threw in a dining plan that you would receive one meal at every visit.  And they had a refillable mug special too.  If you want to read more about last year's Black Friday deal, you can look at this article from Amusement Today, here.

Helpful Links and Resources

For a link to Dollywood's Season Pass info page, Click Here.  You can purchase passes at this link as well.  There's also a "Passholder Hub'' web page for current passholders and that is billed as a one-stop shop for everything pertaining to your Season Pass....find that here.

The Dollywood Blog has a post explaining why the Gold Pass is the best choice.  Read that here.  One note, I see that the blog post mentions in point #4 that with the Gold Pass, you can upgrade parking to the Preferred Parking for $10 and conversely, the Comparison Chart says $5.  I'm not sure which is correct.

My Advice

Well, there are so many different scenarios, I'm not sure where to begin.  If you go to Dollywood more than two times, then one person in your party should have the Gold Pass, and the rest could have Silver.  That way the Gold Pass would get you free parking and the meal discount.  And that worked great in years past, but now with so many variables, I need a bulletin board with red twine and stickies to figure and sort it out.  That said, I recommend studying all of this and put your plan to paper before you pull the trigger.

I also suggest reading the FAQ Blog Post that Dollywood has published.  To read that, click this link.

Wrap Up

That's a lot of info and I hope I did it justice.  Season Passes have gotten very detailed and specific, and I would suggest you double check all of this because it is complicated.  I see lots of questions about passes on social media, and I get how its challenging.   In the olden days you just had a season pass, and that was that.  NOT ANYMORE! 🤣  

2023 Will be a big year for Dollywood.  Their 38th season will introduce us to Big Bear Mountain, their longest roller coaster yet, new festivals and much more that hasn't been revealed yet.

If you have any questions, you can ask them in the comments, and I will do my best to find an answer for you!

Thanks for reading!  

🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋

UPDATES TO THIS ARTICLE, BELOW:

10/31/22 - Update from Dollywood Bloggers - Read Here.  2023 Season Pass Resources, FAQ, etc.

🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋

10/20/22 infographic from Dollywood:

source - Dollywood's Facebook Page: Link

🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋

10/19/22 - Update from Dollywood Bloggers - Season Passes Most Asked Questions - Answered

Click Here To Read It 

Dollywood Insiders: The Ultimate Guide to Dollywood’s Roller Coasters

 Hi Everyone, 

I came across this fantastic article that offers lots of important information about all of Dollywood’s award-winning roller coasters.  This is the type of info about roller coasters that gives me the warm fuzzies.  The more I’ve learned about how roller coasters work, and how safe they really are, then for me, my anxiety melted away and I could enjoy all the other sensations you get to experience (Speed, Big Drops, Inversions, etc) when you’re not worried about flying off into a painful death!

Anyhoo, I wanted to share this with all y’all!

Source: The Ultimate Guide to Dollywood’s Roller Coasters - Dollywood Insiders

Dollywood Insiders: Behind the Scenes: Getting Mystery Mine Ready for the Day

 Hi Everyone,

I came across this great article for all you ride enthusiasts, who, like me, are always eager to learn more about how rides work.  The more that I learned about functionality, safety systems, etc, mostly as a teenager, my fears about flying off the tracks (lol) subsided. In the 1980's we obviously didn't have the internet to learn from, so back then I just had to figure it out or ask nerdy questions of the ride ops... mostly they did not know what I was asking. Also lol.

This is from the Dollywood Insiders Group and here’s the source - right here.  I hope you enjoy it. But Wait, There's More!! Go to the article to watch a video related to this story!

Behind the Scenes: Getting Mystery Mine Ready for the Day - Dollywood Insiders

Behind the Scenes: Getting Mystery Mine Ready for the Day

By Jeremy Daniels - Dollywood Insider

My uncle Gordon worked for Dollywood in the 1990s as a member of the rides’ maintenance crew. For many years, the reason my family was able to visit the park was because of the complimentary tickets my uncle gave us. It was on those trips that I fell in love with Dollywood. The sights, sounds and smells that take me right back to my childhood still exist in the park today.

I recently had the opportunity to go behind the scenes of Mystery Mine with Caleb (a rides’ maintenance host) for an up-close look at how the attraction is inspected and tested each morning.

The maintenance team ensures everything is operating as it should every day: they walk and inspect the track, meticulously comb through each ride vehicle and test operation software and mechanics. Needless to say, ride mechanics arrive several hours before the park opens. Dollywood’s rides’ maintenance hosts have the authority to keep attractions closed until they are comfortable that it meets all standards set by the manufacturer.

I went into this experience expecting to get a glimpse at what few have seen, but I left with confidence in the safety of each ride at Dollywood. These unsung heroes of the theme park world are often overlooked, and I just want to say thanks. My life has been greatly influenced by one a Dollywood rides’ maintenance host, and he would be proud of the team that continues the great work today.

By Jeremy Daniels| September 9th, 2022

Dont forget to go to the article to watch the related video - Video Here 

Cigarette butts to benches - Dollywood joins 7-state initiative recycling cigarette butts to keep TN River beautiful.

Hi Everyone,

I saw this article recently and thought what a great idea this is, so I wanted to share.

Source - WATE-tv, Knoxville.

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WATE) — Visitors to Dollywood can sit on benches made from the plastic found in cigarette butts.

Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful (KTNRB) gifted Dollywood the two benches as a way to say thank you for the park’s efforts in stopping cigarette litter. In 2021, Dollywood partnered with the river cleanup nonprofit for their cigarette litter prevention project. KTNRB gave Dollywood with 26 art-wrapped cigarette receptacles through grants and sponsorships from Keep America Beautiful, Keep Tennessee Beautiful, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and the American Eagle Foundation.

According to KTNRB, Dollywood is the first theme park in the world to recycle the plastic found in every cigarette butt collected on its property. The park is also the largest recycler in KTNRB’s Cigarette Litter Prevention Program with more than 250,000 of the 275,000 cigarette butts collected coming from Dollywood.

“This is a pioneering step that Dollywood is taking with this project—one that sets an example that our waterways are worth protecting and one that is the largest recycling impact of its kind within the seven-state Tennessee River watershed,” said Kathleen Gibi, KTNRB Executive Director. “We’re grateful to all of the partners who have made this project possible.”

The Pigeon River, seen at a lower level in this photo due to summer weather, is part of the Tennessee River watershed and runs through the center of Dollywood. (Photo via by Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful)

One of 26 cigarette receptacles installed throughout Dollywood. (Photo via by Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful)

Representatives from the groups that made Dollywood’s massive cigarette plastic recycling project possible pose with a bench made from recycled cigarette plastic. Left to right: Carol Agee (Dollywood), Kathleen Gibi (Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful), Melinda Watson (TVA); Back row, left to right: Bobby Johnson (Dollywood), Jessica Hall (American Eagle Foundation), Mark Huber (Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful), Edmond McDavis (Keep Tennessee Beautiful)(Photo via by Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful)

Dollywood staff store the collected butts until a bulk shipment can be sent for the cigarettes’ plastic to be recycled.(Photo via by Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful)

“Dollywood has been recognized as one of the most beautiful theme parks in the world due, in part, to the beauty of East Tennessee,” said Carol Agee, Dollywood Sr. Manager of Community Affairs and Strategic Alliances. “It is vital for us to maintain this beauty by caring for our natural surroundings. Through our partnership with KTNRB, we are able to take hundreds of thousands of cigarette butts and remove them from the waste stream.”

Overall, 800 art-wrapped cigarette receptacles have been placed in all seven states of the Tennessee River watershed, with partners at marinas, campgrounds and businesses maintaining them. 109 cigarette receptacles were given to Tennessee’s state parks.

“We’re grateful to have such a leader within our watershed and hope their example inspires others to follow,” said Gibi. “We could think of no greater theme park to champion such an effort than Dollywood, who has so successfully married the theme park experience with the stunning setting of the Great Smoky Mountains and the Pigeon River, demonstrating to park visitors each year that our natural assets are both cultural and economic treasures,” said Gibi.

KTNRB shared that several studies have found that cigarette butts in water hold enough toxins to kill aquatic life within two gallons of the surrounding water. In 2019, CNN reported cigarette filters were the No. 1 plastic pollutant in the world.

Five New Rides for the Island in Pigeon Forge!

Update from 10/14/22 - The Island posted on Facebook, a video of the Nebulaz up and running.  I am assuming it's still in the testing and commissoning phase, but I would expect it to open in the very near future.

Click here to see their post on Facebook

🚨NEW VIDEO 🚨Big Bear Mountain Construction Update from Sept. 28, 2022🚨👷‍♂️👷🏻‍♀️🏗️

 Hi Everyone, 

I was able to get some footage from Big Bear Mountain's Construction site on Wednesday, September 28th, 2022.

Here are some pics from the video.

waterfall basin

building near the waterfall basin

behind Black Bear Trail Ride

launch area near the station

Station Area / Maintenance Shed / Queue / below-grade tunnel

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

Until next time!

🚨NEW VIDEO🚨Dollywood's Harvest Festival and Great Pumpkin LumiNights, 2022!🚨

 Hi Everyone,

I have a new video to share.  This is Dollywood's Harvest Festival and it was a lot of fun to experience.  I think this is the parks Fifth year celebrating Harvest with the LumiNights incorporated into it.  The park is really stunning this time of year with the leaves beginning to change color and the summer heat has finally taken a break to give way to cooler temperatures.  The fall displays are well done, of course! There's music at every single turn in the park. There's a lot to take in and see, so go ahead and watch!  The video's youtube page has all the chapters if you would like to skip around.  Below the video I will share some pictures of the day I was filming, including the Fall Merch from the Emporium.

🍂🍂🍂🍁🍁🍁👻👻👻🦴🦴🦴🎃🎃🎃☠️☠️☠️

Palace Theater, my starting and ending point

Dollywood logo in mums

brave riders of the chilly rampage

The Young Fables at the Back Porch Theater

Harvest Tree

Gloryway Quartet (or Trio?) at the chapel

Owl sculpture in the new-for-2022, Hoot Owl Hollow

Dolly's Guitar in Pumpkins

Owls high in the trees

Spider Pumpkin's Lair in the Tennessee Tornado Plaza

The Spider Pumpkin

The Laying Pumpkin

The Great Pumpkin Tree

New-for-2022 Photo Opportunity in Wildwood Grove 

some of the Sunflower Pumpkins

Mystery Mine and the Bat Archway

Drop Line's pond of Froggy Pumpkins

Holiday light tunnel with Halloween Flair

Disco Pumpkins

Disco Pumpkins

Festival Archway in Timber Canyon

And lastly, the Palace Theater on Showstreet

Merch in the Emporium

Of course, these videos and pictures are great, but you really need to see this festival in person, so make sure you get to Dollywood to see it if you can.

For more information about this festival, check out Dollywood's Website - HERE.

I hope you all enjoyed the video and this post!  Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time!