dstephe9

I don't have the guide, but I was at the park on opening day and from what I could see, it is similar to last year except there are more snack options, including some big ticket items! For example, bacon cheddar ranch waffle fries and chicken cheddar ranch waffle fries are both now included as a snack item, even though they cost well over $10. That was a really pleasant surprise. There also doesn't seem to be many exclusions from the meals offered, but I didn't look closely throughout the park. Like I said in my post some of the snacks can be entire meals! It's well worth the price especially since I keep getting the $39 offer for one meal and one snack a day I eat my lunch later such as 2 - 3 and then grab one of their larger snacks around 6:30 and that's all the food I need for the day Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Yes but if we let Dollywood get away with lowering quality at one place, whos the say others aren't soon to follow?? Dollywood is big on listening to feedback so they need to know that we notice..

I am honestly more concerned about this than anything related to LR. Same here.. The pizza still looks brick fired which is what added a lot to the taste there.. I was afraid they would be going away from the brick fired all together.. I am very sad to hear they are using lower quality ingredients though..

Great! I'll be there Sunday, can't wait! Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

I was planning Friday to put my GF couldn't get off either.. I'll be there either Saturday or Sunday.. or maybe both! Sunday is supposed to be sunny but a little cool. I always go a few times during opening week.. Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Dollywood has contracts with area hotels for their college students that work during the summer with their various college programs.. Id imagine they use the same hotels for performers.. Dollywood actually takes up a lot of hotel space during the summer for these programs and I'd imagine they would probably fill up dreammore if they put everyone there.. I am surprised Dollywood hasn't built dorms somewhere similar to Disney.. I guess if their college and ambassador programs become more popular they might but I also guess them being seasonal means hotels are less expensive than dorms Side note, the college students actually pay for the rooms out of their paychecks but its heavily discounted.. Not sure if performers do the same or not

Yeah, personally, I'd imagine they only have extreme heat listed so they are covered Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Never seen any close due to it being hot and I have been there on 100 degree days.. I'd imagine if it becomes so hot that it is unsafe for staff they might close or if the coaster starts overheating somehow they might close. Or if people start passing out in line or something lol.. I'd imagine they just have extreme heat listed to cover their butts if they do close for heat.. I personally, have never seen it happen On another note, aside from the rain, weather seems to be looking up for this weekend! They haven't updated the weather for downtown Gatlinburg yet, it still says 45 but Knoxville says 62 now and Pigeon Forge seems to be matching Knoxville on the sources I use (both local and national sources).. I'd put the real temp for Dollywood somewhere around lower to mid 50s for Sat which is much better than 40s Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Sunday is one of Dollywoods dead days.. travelers that have been in town all week are leaving or have left and new travelers are coming in but to tired to be at Dollywood yet so the crowds on Sunday should be much less. Sunday you get a lot of locals after church but not as many tourists.. Another thing you have to consider in late April is school friend trips.. just bc Sevierville schools are out for Spring break, most of the larger school systems in the area are actually out THIS week.. i always run into school trips during the week in April.. good news is, most schools are out of the park by 4 or 5 Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

I gave and got mine Sunday lol just in case there really was an increase.. usually though they keep extending it but who knows I actually went with the super pass this season Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

I know! At least we didn't he the snow they called for this weekend. I was even up in the Mountains most of the weekend and only got a light dusting.. nothing in Gatlinburg or back home in Knoxville Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Have to be careful in that area though bc downtown Gatlinburg (this forecast is for the strip area) is still calling for it to be 45 which is usually fairly close to the same temp at Dollywood in my experience due to Dollywood being much closer to the valley around the mountains See that's a huge jump for not really a change in elevation.. I'd plan for 50 degrees if it where me They usually give pigeon forge the same weather as Knoxville but it's usually much cooler.. Edit: just confirmed that Pegion Forge has been given the same weather as Knoxville on both weather bug and local channel 6.. not sure about the others, so I would personally plan on it being slightly cooler than they are saying due to being so close to the Mountains Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

It's changing daily, now it says high 58 and low 35. Yesterday they where even calling for snow Friday but now just rain.. I use weather bug which seems much more accurate than the locals but it constantly changes so it's harder to determine weather further out with them.. however, when the date gets closer you can almost set your watch by their hourly forecast around here.. it's very accurate Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

My biggest worry about Lightening Rod on opening weekend is the coldness.. it ran fine the end of this past season until it was consistently cold.. The weather for next weekend keeps changing but early forecast is calling for snow Friday and temps only reaching 45 SAT.. If anything keeps LR down I'd imagine it will be this.. At a coaster event it was said that most of LRs issues where with the trains and sensors in them.. they had planned for rewiring of the trains this off season.. so hopefully that has been completed and it's ready to go Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

But both Knox County and Blount County are having theirs this week.. those are the two biggest school districts around Dollywood so Opening weekend this weekend will probably be slammed with those districts just ending their break.. I know Blount actually includes next Monday as well.. not sure about Knox Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Right now, Dollywood misses the area Spring breaks and I have no idea why. The area up there is so packed right now. Keep in mind, that area draws a big spring break crowd, for about two months though. People come here for Spring Break Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Well I got my email this morning so they must be sending them out! What's weird is it always comes after I "shop" dining plans online while logged in (added it to my account then cancelled before paying).. for example, I was looking at my dining options Thrusday and got the email today.. same thing happened last year so maybe they target those shopping for dining plans that end up not buying? Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

For those interested. Got the random, one time only, meal plan offer for $39 again.. last year it paid for itself about 10 times! It's he version that includes one lunch and one snack a day.. some of the snacks are large enough to make a meal.. Check your email to see if you got a code if your interested.. my codes only good for two plans I believe this deal is attached to Memberships because it knows I have two memberships.. the deal ends sunday Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Sounds like, even after Dolly took it over, lumberjack theater still struggled this year.. Hopefully it won't cost to much to retheme the theater yet again haha Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Or this could actually be the new area planned for the train loop.. early during the 10yr 300mil expansion, it was announced that they would work their way up the train loop (the actual announcement was talking more about paths and infrastructure for the train loop such as bathrooms and restaurants.. nothing about rides) and that hasn't happened yet.. maybe the survey is geared towards that area. They really made it sound like they would use some of the 300mil for that. Everything can be interpreted differently but to me, when they talked about it, it really made it sound like it was planned for part of the 10 year 300mil announcement and not something after the 10 years are up I don't imagine the country Fair will go anywhere, it being one of the first things in the park way before Dollywood Also, we can't forget, Dolly had a snow park planned for Nashville.. it was officially announced and everything and then Marriott purchased the land that was planned for it from Gaylord Entertainment and the snow park was put to a halt (something like that between Gaylord and Marriott). I always thought that the snow park would make its way to Pigeon Forge somehow.. Maybe Dollywood? Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Depends how pretty it is.. last year, one of the weekends right around opening day was a record breaker.. (I don't believe it was on opening day though) Warm winter has caused some very very pretty and warm weekends recently Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

I don't think consecutive days is a requirement, but recommend you call/email/facebook message and ask. I'd call.. emailing them takes like 10+ days for a reply, if they reply at all.. I have emailed them on several occasions and never received anything back. not sure how well they answer their Facebook messages lol Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

And to me, the barn doesn't feel out of place.. Tennessee Valley Fair has tons of barns haha Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

I'd imagine they are doing it as a temporary solution and have future plans.. that's whey they went with turf.. who knows.. or maybe it's for the kids who are allergic to grass.. They should toss up a few hammock stands for my ENO haha.. last year Dollywood actually sold ENO style hammocks at the park anyways Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Updated flooded mine in 2018 here we go. Insider news. Lol jk, but I wouldn't mind an updated flooded mine with Disney Style animatronics. Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk