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Its actually an eyesore with it gone! The tunnel is way out of place now! Hopefully they replace it with something or tear down the tunnel. Maybe they will put some themeing or something up. As for the it all began here sign we have been mentioning, I'm honestly not so sure it means anything.. Dollywood has always played homage to it's past and puts stuff like that everywhere if you look. Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Not only that but when thousands of people walk on grass everyday it kills it so if Dollywood wants folks to walk, lay, rest on grass, this is the only way to go I'd bet so it keeps the guest feet clean and keeps the parks grass alive Don't want to walk through a mud puddle with flip flops on! Don't want folks walking over the grass rest area creating paths in it, killing the grass, making it muddy so folks cant lay or rest on it. Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Easy to maintain and not muddy. We got it here at work for our dog park so that the dogs don't get mud on their feet.. I'm sure Dollywood has done the same due to all the rain we get. Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Are they good for the $.99 refill prices on the mugs or the $3.99? That's my question as well.. previous year mugs are always good the next year just not for 99 cents Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

I know folks will jump all over me for saying this but I feel it is inexcusable to have two coasters down on opening day.. yes it's been cold this past week but yesterday was beautiful! To me, and I am sure to a lot of GP, this gives the look that the park put off testing this stuff until the morning they opened (I know they probably didn't but still, that's how it looks) Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Giving Disney a run for their money is a very strong statement from the renderings I have seen so far.. I can't wait to see what's planned because I see nothing from the renderings so far that's Disney Worthy lol. But what makes Disney is their heavily themed areas so I can for sure seeing Dollywood heavily theme this area Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Glad to see they are still refreshing the place.. I just hope they haven't had another quality drop in food like they had last year.. While Aunt Grannies was still one of my favorite places to eat in the park, their food has dropped in quality over the years.. real fried fish, changed to fish sticks, and so on. They did a great job with front porch cafe, and it had great food last year.. but the remodel to the pizza place outside Thunderhead, wasn't so nice.. The pizza lost a lot of quality.. Hoping aunt grannies is just as good, if not better than last season! Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

It was running great the majority of last season as well, even though they had a sign out front. Early during the spring, they had a lot of downtime but by summer it seemed to run very well through late summer and into the fall. Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Parks in America do to! Dollywood has disclaimers posted various different places.. issues is, in America it doesn't matter.. folks still try and parks or other places will settle Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Sue happy America.. and the sad thing is, she will get money out of this. $400,000 no but they will settle. I wish companies would stop settling and fight these out. When/if people start loosing over these piss ant suits, maybe they will stop this nonsense lol Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Dollywood Company already has a lot of animals in it's care.. mostly the horses at Dolly Parton's Stampede, but still, I don't see much backlash happening from it.. Groups have just decided to attack SeaWorld for whatever reason.. remember, Disney has a Zoo and Aquarium (Aquariums in Epcot) and while the aquarium isnt anything compared to SeaWorld, Disney's zoo is huge! Yeah they get some backlash but nothing on SeaWorlds level.. Six Flags even opperates zoos fine.. Again, I'm not for live Ponies but I do see Dollywood taking care of them if they had Ponies and I don't see a huge backlash coming from it Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Unless they go with the carnival theme it'll add to the area! But yeah I agree, I don't want to smell ponies even if it's a carnival theme lol Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

According to the blueprints and what news sources are reporting, yes live ponies and pony riding.. lol But maybe they have some ride planned for the track.. when I first saw the track looking area I though go-karts and not ponies I can't imagine as busy as Dollywood gets at times, pony riding would be a good idea.. but that's just me Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

I'm personally not a fan of a potential carnival area either.. we already have a fair but the more I look into it, the more it looks like it might be a carnival.. survey, the ride types, pony rides, yup, screams carnival to me. Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Good point.. Dollywood already has two fire themed rides.. nothing wrong with a fire themed area. Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Exactly, it was just a theme mentioned in the survey, after fire chaser was built. But fireman's landing at SDC is essentially the same type of area.. indoor play area, fair type rides, and so on. I don't see it being fire themed though.. they might eventually continue to expand the area down the service road and I can see a fire themed area around the back of firechaser express at some point, but not at the current clearing Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Probably the same reason they attempted to extend the schedule last year 1.) Area schools are still out, at least half the week. 2.) A lot of folks visiting the area for the New Years, still in town Dollywood attempted a few midnights last season and one new years Eve a few years ago.. didn't work out for them either lol. It's actually pretty busy in both Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge the week after the 1st Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Not sure if anyone has posted or noticed this or not but looks like they are open everyday in December! Aside from Christmas and Christmas Eve.. normally, early December, they are closed at least once a week.. sometimes twice. They are also open an entire week later, assuming the weather holds out! They will be open until Jan 5th. Why not make it Jan 6th and be open the entire weekend though lol Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Ski resort fits perfectly in the mountains, although a more modern theme. Dollywood might be trying to modernize their themes. Snow fits perfectly in the mountains in general though. Plus the Dollywood company was already planning a snowpark and another waterpark. Dollywood is built around a town and the themes are becoming more wilderness as the park progesses up the mountain. That's how I see it anyways. Market, fair, craftmans valley, the higher up you go it turns from a city/town into wilderness.. just like going into the mountains.. snow is high in the mountains.. the park is going higher up. Although the park will probably go higher in the future. The commercial could aslo be why they just copyrighted the artwork as well! I haven't seen the commercial yet. Other themes I personally see 1.) Fireman's Theme (mentioned in the same survey as snow theme) - SDC has a similar theme. A lot of folks think this will fit very well because of the recent fires. 2.) Carnival/Circus (mentioned in the same survey as snow and fireman's) - pony rides go great with this theme and rumor has it the new area will provide pony rides! Swinging ships also go great with that theme, as do smaller coasters.. all part of that area if the blueprints are accurate. (The more I think about it, is this the theme? It fits the blueprints!) There was one other theme in the survey but I can't remember 3.) I can see the time traveling theme working well 4.) A modern theme of some sort.. again, maybe the park wants to modernize a little!That side of the park is already more modern than the other side.. a modern theme will fit well over there. Disney has modern/future themes as well as old themes and it works well.. I can see Dollywood wanting to do a future theme Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

And just a day or so before the city planning meeting they filed for a trademarked sign or image for "Glacier Ridge".. now that sign or image might be just for the Christmas season but the logo they trademarked looks very similar to Dollywoods other newer "Area Signs" Again, just a guess.. they can easily make the area another theme. The only other reason I personally have for the themeing of that area is recent surveys that did mention a winter area theme or snow theme.. again, they could of converted that theme to a show area theme but it is a good conversation peice.. a themepark rumors site (I can't remember the site but it's posted here somewhere) said they heard cabins going in the new area and another said ski resort theme. (Cabins and ski resort goes together so does snow and winter) Again, nothing official, just bits and pieces of rumors, surveys, and recent trademark filings! Just got my super passes! Got a bonus at work today so figured I'd go ahead and buy.. doesn't look they they will be getting any cheaper.. one super and one super gold over $424.. ouch! Oh well, we used our Splash Country visits almost more than Dollywood last season. Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

And Gatlinburg is were I visit so yeah those are the business owners I know and spoke with. I actually don't do much in Pigeon Forge anymore aside from Dollywood.. also explains why Ripley's was more proactive in trying to help the area.. Ripley's is still being proactive by redoing believe it or not. And yes I agree, I hear stuff about Dixie being removed from stampede all the time.. some folks say it's because Dolly wants her name on everything.. some folks are mad because they think they are trying to do away with the word Dixie and all those trucks driving around with rebel flags.. eitherway, it's not a positive topic right now but will hopefully blow over A topic on competition, the new snow park in Pigeon Forge is opening soon (maybe already open) with another one possibly planned.. another reason why I think this new area should be snow themed and maybe the indoor play area will be a snow park! Stuff not as expensive looking if it's an all in one experience.. "Oh when can visit Dollywood one day and have a snow park, coasters, good food, shows and more for $75! Day two we can visit the indoor snow park off the strip, go see a $5 movie, see a show, and and do indoor skydiving for $75/person for all activities total for the day" and so on Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Smokies actually had record attendance. People just didn't visit Dollywood or stay in the area. Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

The area did very well middle of August but mainly because of the eclipse. The week before and after the eclipse was a strong week for the area, actually stronger than it has been for years but it was a short burst. A lot of folks planned vacations around the eclipse. Now I'll admit I don't go to City meetings anymore (when I worked for the Boy Scouts I would go for other reasons all the time) and a lot of the local businesses look up to Dollywood and then blame Dollywood for a lot.. more than they should, I agree.. Sounds like ASE still goes to these meetings so the bruised rep he is speaking of might be from them vs public view of the park. Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

One other thing you have to remember, the tourist industry is very seasonal here.. a lot of the smaller businesses won't be able to survive another weak season.. a lot barley made it through this winter. They are looking at Dollywood to bring in the tourism And yes business owners that go to tourism meetings in the area say that Dollywood was significantly down this season Heck, there's even local rumors that the GSMP might have to start charging due to some things mentioned on the government level. That won't be good for the area and I'm sure local businesses are worried. It made the news and the state is trying to help find money to prevent it https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.knoxnews.com/amp/367238002 With that being said, the Smokies did have record attendance.. but a lot of sightseeing due to the fires, the eclipse, and stuff like that. It didn't really help the area, people were in and out Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Heck, just walk around the area and talk to local business owners.. I have because im in the area a lot.. no need to go-to the meetings ASE does lol. Some owners even blame Dollywood directly for not lowering their prices anymore to help bring folks in. I thought the area looked busy last year but the money wasn't flowing and revenue says it wasn't busy Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk