Dollywood Discussion Thread

[ASE]

Just something to throw in, Just seen an advert for the 2018 season on TV. For the Christmas season, the music venue where River Battle was becomes the new Glacier Ridge. With the huge tree, snow fans/ blowing snow, etc. If you can catch it you’ll see. They’re running two at the moment that I’ve seen so far. So Glacier Ridge is not the name/theme of the new area.

 

 

Correct. They plan on changing the theme of that “festival” area each season. But as far as I know, Glacier Ridge is the only name they have filed for trademark and no other seasons have been given theme names. Not claiming anything...just an observation.

[dstephe9]

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

[Dollywoodlover20]

Yea it does make for good convo and I’m really glad I caught the advert to see the Glacier Ridge art. It looks like a really nice festival area. I seen somewhere on a YouTube video that someone had a theory of Dollywood taking a play on SDC’s inventor/time travel theme? Anyone? One thing that makes me think this is possible is, the coaster could go along with any theme, the building is obviously a play area for kids, but the swinging ship? To me, that is just out of theme for Dollywood. I’m not the only one to think this, it’s been mentioned. Just seems thrown in there at random. ANYWAY, remember the sign under the old Inventors Mansion? “It All Started Here....” Could that be tying back to this new area? Yes I’m just piecing together random ideas but let’s layout this. Dollywood is a theme park based around the life/upbringing in the Smokies in the 1800’s/early 1900’s primarily. With that said you have this:

1. Timber Canyon- Logging/Mining Area

2. Wilderness Pass- Random Wilderness Area?

3. Craftsman’s Valley- Logging/Woodwork/Crafts Area

4. Jukebox Junction- 50’s/60’s

5. Rivertown- What the name says- Smoky Mountain River Rampage

6. Country Fair- Fair/Kids section

7. Owens Farm- Farming

8. Showstreet- Main area/Moden with tribute to Dolly

So... with it basically around logging/mining/woods/Dolly, how wood random snow/resort fit?

[dstephe9]

Yea it does make for good convo and I’m really glad I caught the advert to see the Glacier Ridge art. It looks like a really nice festival area. I seen somewhere on a YouTube video that someone had a theory of Dollywood taking a play on SDC’s inventor/time travel theme? Anyone? One thing that makes me think this is possible is, the coaster could go along with any theme, the building is obviously a play area for kids, but the swinging ship? To me, that is just out of theme for Dollywood. I’m not the only one to think this, it’s been mentioned. Just seems thrown in there at random. ANYWAY, remember the sign under the old Inventors Mansion? “It All Started Here....” Could that be tying back to this new area? Yes I’m just piecing together random ideas but let’s layout this. Dollywood is a theme park based around the life/upbringing in the Smokies in the 1800’s/early 1900’s primarily. With that said you have this:

1. Timber Canyon- Logging/Mining Area

2. Wilderness Pass- Random Wilderness Area?

3. Craftsman’s Valley- Logging/Woodwork/Crafts Area

4. Jukebox Junction- 50’s/60’s

5. Rivertown- What the name says- Smoky Mountain River Rampage

6. Country Fair- Fair/Kids section

7. Owens Farm- Farming

8. Showstreet- Main area/Moden with tribute to Dolly

So... with it basically around logging/mining/woods/Dolly, how wood random snow/resort fit?

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

[dstephe9]

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

[ytterbiumanalyst]

Awesome! Loving this trend of theme parks extending their season. There's no better indicator of the health of thr industry.

[Shavethewhales]

Wow, going through Jan. 5th is interesting. I wonder who is in Pigeon Forge around then? Late family Christmas parties? I'll be interested to see how that works out.

 

SDC was open for NYE last year for the first time, but it was 20 degrees with possible winter precipitation, so they had a turnout of around 100 people...

[dstephe9]

Wow, going through Jan. 5th is interesting. I wonder who is in Pigeon Forge around then? Late family Christmas parties? I'll be interested to see how that works out.

 

SDC was open for NYE last year for the first time, but it was 20 degrees with possible winter precipitation, so they had a turnout of around 100 people...

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

[pryonisys]

Maybe possibly heading to Dollywood at the end of this month. I've never been there but there's a family gathering/vacation that we're taking the week before Easter in Tenn (like 15 minutes from the park).

Out of curiosity how is the park for a younger kid. Trying to get my wife and 2 year old daughter to enjoy amusement parks also.

Main thing I'm hoping is that Lightning Rod will be open.

[jarmor]

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.

But . . . Firechaser Express.

[dstephe9]

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

[ytterbiumanalyst]

They can do as many firefighter themed areas as they want to. SDC has three: on the square, around Fire in the Hole, and Fireman's Landing. There is a lot of goodwill for civic heroes: police, firefighters, EMTs, military, etc. Any sort of deference the park makes to those people is very well received.

[dstephe9]

They can do as many firefighter themed areas as they want to. SDC has three: om the square, around Fire in the Hole, and Fireman's Landing. There is a lot of goodwill for civic heroes: police, firefighters, EMTs, military, etc. Any sort of deference the park makes to those people is very well received.

Good point.. Dollywood already has two fire themed rides.. nothing wrong with a fire themed area.

 

Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

Edited March 10, 2018 by dstephe9

[Mr. Corn]

i'd personally love to see a steampunk mining type theme. build a giant gear with special effects that you walk through mimicking a portal, and have the entire land be themed around a steampunk mining town set in 2051. enjoy a acrobatics show, theme the swinging ship to some sort of grinding gears, and theme the rollercoaster to steampunk aviation. that would be fantastic

-

my personal prediction is a carnival area (which i'm not a fan of)

[dstephe9]

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

[komasixx]

Well it seems as tho the guys at RCDB have the same ideas we have. Also dang they went right in on that news reporter lol.

 

Also HFE has worked with Vekoma in the past.

at Wild Adventures in Georgia there is a SLC, Boomerang AND a Suspended Family Coaster but its the smaller model.

[Bobby2889]

The Vekoma coasters were added prior to HFE purchasing the park, however this does familiarize them with Vekoma a little.

[betterday85]

Can someone explain what a “pony track” is? Surely this isn’t live ponies, right?

[dstephe9]

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

[ytterbiumanalyst]

It means Dollywood is going to have a DJ droppin' those sweet, sweet pony tracks.

 

[middle_keeny]

I know I'm a little late on the discussion, but as I was looking through the renderings I noticed a lot of similarities between the Wilderness Plaza and the expansion. Notice the roof lines and the truss work over the entry ways. This looks like they are going to tie all both areas together. I could see them changing the theme of the expansion depending on the season like they plan on with the plaza.

Wilderness Pass

Expansion rendering

[jarmor]

There are some buildings with the same truss style already at the park.

[Jcoaster]

i'd personally love to see a steampunk mining type theme. build a giant gear with special effects that you walk through mimicking a portal, and have the entire land be themed around a steampunk mining town set in 2051. enjoy a acrobatics show, theme the swinging ship to some sort of grinding gears, and theme the rollercoaster to steampunk aviation. that would be fantastic

-

my personal prediction is a carnival area (which i'm not a fan of)

 

This would be a route I'd like to see them take. It would be cool to see a coaster with similar theming as Baron 1898.

[Djwadeknox]

What about a pony ride?

Edited March 14, 2018 by Djwadeknox

[ernierocker]

^Add two more tracks to it and they could bring back the retro Wacky Soap Box Racers that used to be at Knotts!