Philrad71 Posted January 1, 2012 Share Posted January 1, 2012 (edited) Happy new year TPR!!! In order to try and work off a mild New Years hangover, I thought I would try to collect my fuzzy thoughts (and photos) and post/share them here with you. Last week, Michael and I decided on a quick jaunt down to Tennessee to Pigeon Forge and Dollywood to check out their Christmas in the Smokey's event. If you haven't been to this event, go now...or at least wait till 2012 when the event will be open again. While the event at Hershey was nice the week before, DW just blows HP's out of the water! We first visited this park this summer and even though temps were cool this time (upper 40's), it was a far cry from the 90+ degree weather we had to endure there last August! No water rides open of course, but just about everything else was going for the event. Tennessee Tornado had some issues early on, but we got a night ride on it later. I will sum this up and say that riding this coaster and Thunderhead in the dark and cold is TOTALLY FRICKING AWESOME! I can only imagine how epic Wild Eagle is going to be this year. While they don't go for quantity at DW in terms of coasters, they do strive for good, quality rides. Now put on those Snuggies you got for Christmas, break out the hot cocoa - spike it with some Rumple Minz and relax for an unforgettable journey into the land that God created just for us...the Smokey Mountains @ Christmas time. Oh...I've also queued up some some reflecting music for your enjoyment. You can watch kitties chasing lasers then enjoy the report, listen to Silver Jews and scan the report then go back and watch kitties chasing lasers, watch the video and skip the trip report, or skip everything entirely - your call. Enjoy. Let's kick this off with a lil' foodie update. In West Virginia, you'll find a few of these Biscuit World restaurants on Rt. 19. If you have a biscuit fetish and have ever wanted to live in West Virginia, y'all need to slide that tush on over to Fayetteville and apply at Tudor's Biscuit World! This is 'The Duke' with egg, cheese, bacon and potato. Some of the sandwiches were named after what I assumed were famous West Virginian's like: Dottie, Tootie & Mary B. Also got a side of Tasty Tators with gravy, potatoes & bacon. This also comes with a Lipitor, but only if you ask them nicely. After our gluttonistic Biscuit World binge, we forged on (pun intended). I think God is making us feel guilty for this trip already! Maybe if I buy one of these hats, I'll be salvationized? Yay...we finally made it! My attempt at an artsy shot of the Old Mill area of Pigeon Forge. I know, I know...when do we get to see Wild Eagle & Dollywood? Well, you just have to hold on to yer britches there pardner...we'll get y'all there soon enough now, ya hear? This is Patriot Park by the Old Mill area. Quite a nice lights display, plus you can take a city trolley tour of the other city light displays, which we did after our day at Dollywood. Pics out of a tinted bus going 40 mph didn't translate to cool action shots, so I won't bother posting any of those. If you're in the area next Christmas, this was a fun, inexpensive tour that lasted about an hour. The trolley's are also a steal if you're going up or down the Parkway - I believe 50 cents each way. In addition to the lights, they also had a pretty cool comet show...sponsored by God, of course. This is Dolly's Dixie Stampede dinner show, which happened to be right next to our hotel. We were hoping to get tickets, but they were sold out every night we were there. We settled on the Hatfield & McCoy dinner show instead, which was a real hootin' hoedown! You're probably getting the impression that Dolly and the city of Pigeon Forge don't f%ck around when it comes to Christmas...and you're God damned right! Fast forward to the next day and here we are...at Dollywood! We were going to have our picture taken in front of the snowman for you, but the line was too long and some 350 lb woman shoved me aside like a gnat. So instead, you get some random family with the snowman. No harsh feelings though, babe! Three gay elves on a reindeer...at Dollywood. God, we have come such a long way in the USA! I would prefer to not have my nuts cracked today, Sir. If I wanted to do that, I would go ride Mantis at Cedar Point, thank you very much! Okay, this is where the food porn really starts. If you just committed to a New Years diet or are diabetic, you may want to browse another trip report now! Being that we missed this last time, we could NOT pass this up. This is the very first thing we raced to this morning. No coasters, no rides...Dolly's cinnamon bread! Make sure that you ask them for the extra white sticky stuff...you won't regret it! There is hotness stuffed into every nook and cranny of these heavenly delights! And if that doesn't throw your blood sugar into warp drive, let's kick it up a notch with crusted cinnamon sugar pieces the size of a half dollar stuffed into the middle! Our breakfast view - watching Barn Stormer in a cinnamon sugar induced stupor! If you see people around this area with their tongues hanging out and blank stare, they're not special people...they just got Dolly-Breaded. Now that we're ready to run a marathon around the park on a sugar high, should we stop at the Glory Hole or wait till later when we've all settled down just a bit? Boy, this is tempting...a glory hole at a place called the Rainbow Factory, or run around the park screaming like a child who is in dire need of some Ridalin? Tough call, but again I'm glad to see that the whole gay thing is finally taking off in Tennessee! Dolly...you sooooo ROCK! Retro Dollywood, Modern Dollywood, Gay Dollywood...I just love it all! And their not burning carports and Jaguars here either! What, too soon? If you purchased a couple of Clydesdales @ Busch Gardens, you can come to Dollywood and buy the carriage to have them pull you around like in the commercials. Or you could buy it and give it to Parson Brown if you wish... But unless you're a Dollywood season pass holder, this might be a tad much to spend on Parson Brown for next year's Christmas present. If you are a season pass holder, then it's a no-brainer....this is a STEAL, folks! I think we better go in hear and ask God to release us from this demonic sugar high that has been inflicted (or would that be afflicted?) upon us! Dear God...we ask that you forgive us for our sugary & cholesterol filled sins and cleanse our bodies of all that has made us weak & bloated. In your name, we pray - amen. PS - I believe that another TPR member had also asked you for an Intamin Mega-Lite at Dollywood. Could you please provide a status update for him? Thanks! More Dolly-Wood hotness coming soon...thanks for reading! Edited January 29, 2012 by Philrad71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gisco Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Food pictures are always mandatory in a Dollywood update. Now that you made me hungry, I'm going to go have lunch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beyondthepalace Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 Few years ago when I went to Pigeon Forge/Gburg for our anniversary we were able to grab a map of all the nice light displays and just took our time driving around, taking pics of them. We were not being cheap with not taking the trolley but since we were only in for two short nights we did not do much planning in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philrad71 Posted January 2, 2012 Author Share Posted January 2, 2012 ^Definitely nothing wrong with that as it would be a great way to go if you wanted to stop and take pictures + take your time. I tried like one or two pics from the trolley before I realized that it just wasn't going to work from behind the tinted windows. I really wish we would have had another day there so we could have gone into Gatlinburg. Even though there was no snow, it's still a very pretty town just to walk around in. I would be more than happy to give them the two feet of snow we just got buried with today here in Western New York! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philrad71 Posted January 6, 2012 Author Share Posted January 6, 2012 Hey there folks! Sorry for the delay with the trip report. Going back to work is always so bothersome when it keeps me from posting trip reports on TPR and from doing cool things like traveling around to amusement parks! Oh well, gotta have a job in order to do all of those things, I suppose. Before we get into Dollywood at night, I'll post some pics of more daytime including me doing Adventure Mountain and some interesting shots that were taken the following day after a round of golf. Enjoy! I missed Daredevil Falls last summer because of the huge line it had. This looks like one of the better themed flumes in the country though...even when dry! Tennessee Tornado was running, but when we went to ride the op at the gate told us they were testing and it was not ready to ride yet. We went back around 5:30 and got an absolutely OMFG ride in the dark. While the flash from the camera in the tunnel seemed cool at the time, I almost wish they would leave that part totally dark and have the camera during one of the loops instead. Still an awesome ride at night though! Woop...dare it is. The coaster that is going to blow everyone's minds (except some of the more stubborn coaster skeptics on TPR). I think most of us believe this coaster is going to kick total ass though...myself included! Station work still ongoing...crews were hard at work that day. Being that I missed this last summer, I wanted to check out Adventure Mountain. Saw this guy waiting in line...no joke. He was caucasian and had the exact same facial hair and features as this feller. I was very intrigued by him and wondered if he was prepping for world domination by training at Adventure Mountain? Woo-Hoo! I'm at the top! This is seriously a lot of fun! Some say I walk a fine line... ...while others say I live on the edge... This is the DWI portion of the trek. Through the tree-tops! After the exercise, I don't feel so guilty about pigging out again! Loaded potatoes...yummy! Next day, we decided to drive up and check out the Dollywood vacation homes. Speaking of living on the edge...yikes! Whoa...there's Wild Eagle waaaaay down there! We decided that it would be great to kick back on the deck with a cocktail and enjoy this view! Dreaming of course! Amazing that even that high up, Wild Eagle is about all you can see of Dollywood! Finally got a clear shot after the train smoke cleared. This house was not quite finished...you can see it from the train ride as it is the highest house on the mountain...the one with plastic sheeting for the windows flapping the breeze. If I was a billionaire, I wouldn't mind staying here for a few weeks a year! Amazing! Breathtaking views from all around! Thanks for reading...Dollywood at night coming soon! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryce232 Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Those are incredible pictures! How much do those cabins cost? When I'm older I would love to stay there, especially with a view of both a B&M masterpiece AND the Smoky Mountains. It's like a two-fer-one special! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernierocker Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Great idea to get photos from up there! Looks ready to ride, now we just need those trains! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tntornadox Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Tennessee Tornado was running, but when we went to ride the op at the gate told us they were testing and it was not ready to ride yet. That was me! Yay me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philrad71 Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 ^ Hi there! As you could probably tell, I was so excited to ride that I didn't even see the sign saying that it was closed! Those are incredible pictures! How much do those cabins cost? When I'm older I would love to stay there, especially with a view of both a B&M masterpiece AND the Smoky Mountains. It's like a two-fer-one special! I just went online to look and as figured...they aren't cheap! I ran a query for June 6th to June 10th and the prices were between $250-$400 per night. I guess that explains why so many of them were empty, partially built, or had for sale signs on them. Unless you're rich or only take one vacation per year, this is pretty pricey for a lot of families right now. I suppose the best thing to do would be to go in with about six or eight people and rent one for a week to split up the cost. But of course, you're paying for the majestic views and an awesome looking B&M in addition to that REALLY nice looking cabin! These cabins looked VERY nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tntornadox Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 ^ I think that is what many do, several people go in together and rent one out. There are several perks to renting a Dollywood cabin, including the park passes, free parking and more. Interesting note: Dollywood does not own the cabins, they are part of the Starr Crest Resort. Dollywood just rents them out and cleans them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gisco Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 The cabin look pretty nice. I would doit with a group if I was staying in the area for more than a few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philrad71 Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 ^ I think that is what many do, several people go in together and rent one out. There are several perks to renting a Dollywood cabin, including the park passes, free parking and more. Interesting note: Dollywood does not own the cabins, they are part of the Starr Crest Resort. Dollywood just rents them out and cleans them... Thanks for the information! I was doing some digging to see if Starr Crest was tied into RCI somehow. Doesn't look like they are, but I was hoping as we have a week of time share we are looking to use! Actually, it looks like they have some nice RCI resorts around the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg areas...maybe not as impressive as the cabins overlooking Dollywood, but they still look pretty nice. Now my wheels are turning thinking about a weeklong getaway in Tennessee once Wild Eagle opens! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernierocker Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 I would definitely recommend going in with a couple of families/friends and renting one of those mountain cabins out. Like someone said, they are expensive but with two or three other people splitting the bill it can actually be cheaper than staying at a standard Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg motel! And the free parking/passes to Dollywood would just be icing on the cake! And yes, Dollywood does rent their cabins from private owners/chalet companies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tntornadox Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 ^ But Dollywood DOES have a VP of Resorts... not Cabins or Vacations, but Resorts... makes me wonder if the DW resort hotel project is about to be restarted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philrad71 Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 I would definitely recommend going in with a couple of families/friends and renting one of those mountain cabins out. Like someone said, they are expensive but with two or three other people splitting the bill it can actually be cheaper than staying at a standard Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg motel! And the free parking/passes to Dollywood would just be icing on the cake! And yes, Dollywood does rent their cabins from private owners/chalet companies. Or....icing on the cinnamon bread! I'll have to do more digging and talking with friends and family on this. Chances are that we would end up staying at a campground in the summer, but those chalets would be like staying in heaven! Speaking of campgrounds, does anyone know if any of the local one's offer free shuttle service to Dollywood? I checked the KOA (which looks to be closest) website and it didn't look like they offered one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernierocker Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 (edited) ^You wouldn't be too far from the Dollywood trolley stop at that campground. I would assume it would be fairly easy walk from there. Edited January 8, 2012 by ernierocker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Intimidator305 Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 We go to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg for a whole week each year and stay up at Starr Crest Resort (the one overlooking DW). The past several years it's been 4th of July week, but this year we are moving it up to Spring Break and going down on Good Friday (April 6th) so we can check out Wild Eagle even sooner! Have to miss KD's opening day though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tntornadox Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Actually, there is a trolley stop right in front of the KOA on Veterans Blvd at Dollywood Lane, the Dollywood trolley picks up from there and the fare is next to nothing... (under a dollar a piece) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philrad71 Posted January 9, 2012 Author Share Posted January 9, 2012 The trolley definitely seems like the way to go if we stay at the campground...thanks for the advice, guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philrad71 Posted January 29, 2012 Author Share Posted January 29, 2012 My apologies for the extended delay with getting this TR complete. Been a lot going on lately with home repairs and then a week long road trip for work. Let's continue on exploring Dollywood, shall we? Rapids ride looking lonely, but they threw it a bone with a nice pretty Christmas wreath. Time for the train ride past Thunderhead...this coaster was absolutely amazing at night in the 40 degree cold! WE through the trees at sunset. I was thrilled that I did not get a piece of cinder in my eye on this trek! When we arrived back at the train depot, it was just about dark. Just about everything has lights on it, including the church! If my memory serves me correctly, Dollywood has over 3 million lights with more being added every year! And if you run out of places to string lights, you just throw them on the ground and plug them in! I'm almost surprised that Wild Eagle wasn't totally decked out in lights...maybe next year? I like this shot of WE with the moon above the lift hill. Although I'm not big into beaver, I liked this sign! I tried to do something like this with the tree in my front yard one year...failed miserably. Simply beautiful. The park was pretty dead at this point except for us picture taking geeks. These pics hardly do it justice...you have to go see for yourself! Amazing. Doves in the trees...a very tranquil setting. I almost broke into 'Oh come all ye faithful' at that point, but figured I would spare the other guests their ears. "Oh come let us adoooore him..." Some park should have something like these, but bats during their Halloween event. Perhaps animatronic one's that swoop down from the trees and peck the eyes out of unsuspecting unruly teens. And with that we "Say goodbye to Dollywood....say goodbye to my baaaaby" (Billy Joel reference for you young 'un's that didn't catch that one). Which one would you put on your car??? Thanks for reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tntornadox Posted January 29, 2012 Share Posted January 29, 2012 And if you run out of places to string lights, you just throw them on the ground and plug them in! The Tornado blew them off the building onto the ground, see! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now