ASE

Personally, I think the massive technical issues they've had with their last custom coaster is a big reason they would be looking to build something that is already proven and reliable. Adding a new expansion and having (what is likely) the feature ride be down frequently would bruise their reputation even harder....and that's not something they can financially afford....especially after this season of not adding any new rides. The expansion will sell itself in 2019...they'll need the big "one more thing" in a following season to keep attendance growing.

I'll throw this out there.......we DO know that the new area near it is called Glacier Ridge.......so there IS a possibility the entire expansion could be called that and the rides could fit that theme....so yes, something themed with either snow or ice makes sense.

"Enclosed" is the phrase we're hearing.......

I think the pic WBIR posted is a bit deceiving with a wide angle lense, because I think it's taken from the small access road in about the middle of the parking lot and not back farther in the bend....in their vid is another pic where they backed up a bit and you can see pretty much where they took the pic from and where the clearing is at. notice the opening that has the small pine tree to compare the 2 pics Location of WBIR's photo

The article at https://www.pigeonforgetnguide.com/blog/things-to-do/dollywood-expansion-2019/ has been updated with pics of the blueprints as well as an updated placement of the new expansion. Does this look somewhat accurate? It appears the walkway to the new area will be located near where the Mystery Mine tracks cross the walkway. What rides do you see? Any guesses as to what the tube structure is with the large fans pointing into it??

I don't see them expanding all the way back into the loop...mostly because they've said it's a 5 acre expansion, and from my measurements that wouldn't reach. What's throwing us off a bit is the officials saying it will be located near the Thunderhead roller coaster and the parking area. As construction continues, permits are pulled, proposals presented to the city, etc we will start getting a better picture of what to expect. It's just exciting that we're finally getting confirmations of something we've been suspecting for a long time. What I'd personally like to see is potentially a train station added on that backside to make it easier on people to get to/from Country Fair.

dstephen9, you’re right. I rushed the article on a Saturday night and stupidly pulled Google Maps. haha I’ll fix it later tonight with a more current pic. Thanks for pointing out what I should have caught. haha

Hey all...I'm back once again to drop some Dollywood news. A 5 acre expansion confirmed by Dollywood officials meeting with the Pigeon Forge Planning Commission. Exciting times ahead! https://www.pigeonforgetnguide.com/blog/things-to-do/dollywood-expansion-2019/

Is there a pic anywhere of the new "Wilderness Pass Plaza"? Dolly mentions it in the Live vid, but they never show it. When dolly starts talking right after the preview view you can see an concept image on the stage screen of the old river battle station and the grounds around it as the plaza. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Thanks! The way she worded it, it sounded like the performances would be held at the new Plaza, but that rendering doesn't look like a "theater" venue. Will the performances be held at the Celebrity Theater?

Is there a pic anywhere of the new "Wilderness Pass Plaza"? Dolly mentions it in the Live vid, but they never show it.

FYI, Dollywood's engineers are presenting a Site Plan to the Pigeon Forge Planning Commission tomorrow...

Historically, during the Christmas festival, the time moves to 6pm. I was there on Monday and they had 1 train running on LR. It was only about a 10 minute wait (low crowds) and rode perfectly. As for the day after Thanksgiving, I've never been to Dollywood on that day, but I do know Pigeon Forge is VERY crowded mostly with outlet shoppers.

As expected, no new rides announced...no removal of rides announced. Dolly mostly shared details of the new fall festival & her new children's album. Looks like I can still trust my sources...haha Video of the presser at

While I would LOVE for a new ride to be announced, the sources I've spoken with continue to deny anything that "big". I can't reveal who, but they would hear about it before any park employees... I will say this, if there is a new ride announced (or even a major ride removed) it will be the biggest secret they've ever kept (and I could no longer trust my sources lol). I'd love for Dolly to drop a "One more thing..." tomorrow! And I, too, miss the Flooded Mine.

Here's the issue Dollywood is facing... There is a continuously growing amount of "things to do" in the area that is competing for tourism dollars more than ever in history. Dollywood has raised their prices (tickets, food, etc) to the point that many visitors are choosing to do other things such as mountain coasters, The Island, escape rooms, moonshine, etc. Because of this, Dollywood has ran the special offer of "everyone pays kid prices" all summer long. One thing I've heard a LOT over the past few years is that MANY people use to come just for the shows (mostly elderly visitors)....but with the increased ticket prices, that demographic isn't buying as many tickets. There has been an increasing demand for Dollywood to offer a discounted ticket for people that are not interested in rides (or at least the "thrill" rides). I won't get into the logistics or hurdles of making that possible...just relaying a growing trend we've heard over the past few years. Also, Dollywood is missing the train when it comes to social media. They just aren't utilizing it effectively. Heck, they hardly even reply to people on facebook. They are currently taking applications for "insiders" to blog and post about the park (http://www.dollywood.com/lpg/Insider), but will people really trust, like, and share biased/paid info that will likely go through a Dollywood PR approval process before it goes to the public? They would be SO MUCH BETTER OFF if they used that salary and instead paid known/liked/trusted social influencers with an already established audience to visit their parks and share their experiences. The power of getting a YouTuber with 2 million subscribers would blow away anything an "insider" could do...it'll also blow away just about any old-school advertising methods that rarely work any more (TV commercials in specific markets). Bottom line is, Dollywood is facing a competitive battle unlike they've ever faced and if they keep doing what they've always done, they're going to struggle. It's time to get extremely creative with not only their rides, shows, festivals, prices, etc but also their entire marketing. Personally, I love Dollywood and hope they can proactively work through this and come out even better & stronger. The announcement Friday and the marketing leading up to 2018 is likely more important than any previous year. I hope they're prepared.

Don't expect any major announcements Friday....I usually see permits & approvals presented to the city, construction bids, etc before now but I haven't seen nor heard of anything. That, along with this season's abnormally low crowds, is pointing to "minor" announcements or things that are non-park related such as her new children's album she revealed this week.

Dolly will be at Dollywood Friday, August 18 for a PR event: http://www.wbir.com/news/local/dolly-parton-to-visit-dollywood/463107578

Just wanted to jump in to share some insights into the truth about visitor levels being down. Yes, numbers are down. If they weren't, Dollywood's parking lot wouldn't have been this empty in the middle of June...at NOON. If they weren't, Splash Country's lines wouldn't be this short on a Saturday....on 4th of July Weekend. If they weren't, there'd be NO WAY Dollywood would be selling adult tickets at kid's prices in the middle of summer...and then EXTENDING the sale. If they weren't, there'd be NO WAY they'd be discounting Splash Country tickets during the ONLY season they are open. The truth is, Dollywood is down. The entire area is down. The issue since the fires has a lot to do with headline writers and readers. Too many sensationalized headlines referring to Gatlinburg "destroyed" were then followed by Gatlinburg "rebuilding"...even from the city leaders! Those headlines were written with the intention of generating clicks....but unfortunately, most people don't click and read. They see the headline in their social feeds, and they keep scrolling...only to be left with the assumption that Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/Smokies were destroyed and are now rebuilding. We know this because we STILL get calls from people asking if the towns are open. So look at it this way...it's a nice time to visit Dollywood and enjoy shorter lines. Empty parking lot at noon in the middle of June Empty parking lot at noon in the middle of June Almost no line on Saturday morning during 4th of July weekend.

Ironically enough, Pete Owens was on a local news station tonight (Fox43) mentioning Lightning Rod by saying," we're hopeful that the ride will open again this season. " This SEASON. He didn't say "soon"....or "this summer".....no no, he definitely said "this season". So take that for what you will...

At the park today… Lightning rod still not open… Zero activity… Nobody outside answering questions. This sucker is as closed as it gets.

There's two in Pigeon Forge as well. One at the Island and another near MagiQuest Nah, that's Mellow Mushroom. I'm not sure if what Guy is talking about is legal.

Yeah, but I keep getting different info depending on which employee/exec I ask… So I'm reluctant to share anything anymore. I CAN share that it didn't open with the park today...at least that much is true. ha Dollywood does need to get it open ASAP though, because attendance appears to be way down. I was there twice last week and almost every ride was a walk on. I've never seen Dollywood that empty during the summer before. And I'm hearing that it's empty again today as well.

Also, FWIW, there were quite a few ride operators in uniform ready to operate it if they opened today, so they were definitely optimistic of it opening. Also, the crowd was crazy low today...pretty much every ride was a walk-on. About the only wait was mystery mine because they were loading/unloading 1 car at a time. Great day to be at Dollywood!

So here's the latest update I got from the employees outside of Lightning Rod… It will not be open today. Bummer. But he says they have one train ready and hoping to have that one running tomorrow (SATURDAY) while they fix the second train. They also confirmed that the recalled parts are the only issue right now… So once they get those parts replaced, it will be good to go. There is definitely more crew working on it today than any other day this week...so it looks promising!

Lightning Rod is still closed...I'm told that replacement parts are done on 1 train, but not he 2nd train...hearing conflicting reports as to if they even received the parts for the 2nd train. There is a train parked at the bottom of the launch hill...no visible work going on, but I can't see 2nd train. Will check back in a bit.