Dollywood Discussion Thread

[bert425]

^ it worked so well for Hard Rock Park tho!

[TEDodd]

44 minutes ago, bert425 said:

^ it worked so well for Hard Rock Park tho!

5 whole months.

[ytterbiumanalyst]

1 hour ago, TEDodd said:

5 whole months.

[u4icmusic]

On 5/3/2021 at 5:12 PM, TEDodd said:

For every one like you there are a dozen that are the opposite. Changing the music (which fits the craftsman/country life vibe) would cause a lot to not come back. I suspect a lot more than would suddenly show up.

I have to respectfully disagree with you on that. Craftsman's Valley is only one section of the theme park. There are eleven themed areas. Each area could have different music, stages and theaters with different music options. I don't know anybody that goes there for the music and the music typically appeals to the older crowd that doesn't spend any money in the park. Bringing in new music, I think, would bring in new guests. How many times can someone go see the Kingdom Heirs?

[TEDodd]

2 hours ago, u4icmusic said:

How many times can someone go see the Kingdom Heirs?

Typically twice a year. Once in the spring and once at Christmas.

Not sure what you mean by appealing to an older crowd. Me in my 40s? Or my son in his 20s or my teen who loves Dolly.

I have a lot more disposable income to spend at DW now than I could have in my 20s. 

[megan]

21 hours ago, u4icmusic said:

I have to respectfully disagree with you on that. Craftsman's Alley is only one section of the theme park. There are eleven themed areas. Each area could have different music, stages and theaters with different music options. I don't know anybody that goes there for the music and the music typically appeals to the older crowd that doesn't spend any money in the park. Bringing in new music, I think, would bring in new guests. How many times can someone go see the Kingdom Heirs?

It’s valley, not alley, and different areas of the park already do have different styles of music. I’d suggest you do some research before you “theorize” about someplace you seem to know little about. The “older crowd” spends heavy on food and merchandise, the areas where the profit margin is (unlike rides which generate no ROI directly) so the park will always cater to them. Since you “don’t know anybody that goes there for the music” you and your peer group are clearly not their target demographic. 

[megan]

18 hours ago, TEDodd said:

Typically twice a year. Once in the spring and once at Christmas.

Not sure what you mean by appealing to an older crowd. Me in my 40s? Or my son in his 20s or my teen who loves Dolly.

I have a lot more disposable income to spend at DW now than I could have in my 20s. 

I think he’s trolling for an argument. 

[A.J.]

Oh for goodness' sake.

Herschend is not going to change anything about the freaking music because family / gospel stuff is their brand. Dollywood especially has successfully toed the line in making their religious values known, but not so in-your-face that it is alienating. I really don't see that changing, especially considering that mindset is anchored in tradition.

[dstephe9]

1 hour ago, megan said:

It’s valley, not alley, and different areas of the park already do have different styles of music. I’d suggest you do some research before you “theorize” about someplace you seem to know little about. The “older crowd” spends heavy on food and merchandise, the areas where the profit margin is (unlike rides which generate no ROI directly) so the park will always cater to them. Since you “don’t know anybody that goes there for the music” you and your peer group are clearly not their target demographic. 

This exactly. Why do you think Dollywood has so many crafty type shops?  Home goods type shops?  The older crowd spends tons of money on this stuff. Just watch the package pick-up guy pushing everything to the front. 

[u4icmusic]

On 5/4/2021 at 2:22 AM, TEDodd said:

Typically twice a year. Once in the spring and once at Christmas.

Not sure what you mean by appealing to an older crowd. Me in my 40s? Or my son in his 20s or my teen who loves Dolly.

I have a lot more disposable income to spend at DW now than I could have in my 20s. 

Does your son and your teen that loves Dolly go to Dollywood to listen to the Kingdom Heirs? My only thought was that other music choices would bring in other people that may not have visited before because of the artists they regularly book at Dollywood. It's my opinion, which I have a right to have.

[u4icmusic]

9 hours ago, dstephe9 said:

This exactly. Why do you think Dollywood has so many crafty type shops?  Home goods type shops?  The older crowd spends tons of money on this stuff. Just watch the package pick-up guy pushing everything to the front. 

Exactly, with 99% of the items for sale made in China that could be purchased for half the price on eBay or Amazon. I've seen items sitting on their shelves for so long they have to be regularly dusted. The only time most of that stuff sells is when it goes on sale or clearance. It's a marketing ploy. Have a craftsman that makes a handmade item when the rest of the merchandise in the store is imported from China. It's all fake. The other "home good" stores sell stuff you can find anywhere else or online for much cheaper. It's gotten worse of the last few years too and Herschend pushes for more and more profit over the guest experience.

[megan]

49 minutes ago, u4icmusic said:

Exactly, with 99% of the items for sale made in China that could be purchased for half the price on eBay or Amazon. I've seen items sitting on their shelves for so long they have to be regularly dusted. The only time most of that stuff sells is when it goes on sale or clearance. It's a marketing ploy. Have a craftsman that makes a handmade item when the rest of the merchandise in the store is imported from China. It's all fake. The other "home good" stores sell stuff you can find anywhere else or online for much cheaper. It's gotten worse of the last few years too and Herschend pushes for more and more profit over the guest experience.

Good shopkeeping and maintenance should dictate that all items are regularly dusted regardless of turn. Thanks for reporting that they are doing a great job keeping the shops clean! 

[megan]

57 minutes ago, u4icmusic said:

Does your son and your teen that loves Dolly go to Dollywood to listen to the Kingdom Heirs? My only thought was that other music choices would bring in other people that may not have visited before because of the artists they regularly book at Dollywood. It's my opinion, which I have a right to have.

Mine don’t, but they love to go for rides, food and the overall experience.  My parents don’t ride rides, but they love to go to the shows, food, shopping and overall experience. Thanks for pointing out that they have successfully established that hard to achieve pinnacle of appealing to different ages and demographics. 

[Hilltopper39]

This discussion is dumb, there are a lot of people, a LOT, that go to Dollywood for the country/gospel/bluegrass music (and the shows and the crafts and the food) only, not the rides. You're trying to fix something that aint broken here.

[TEDodd]

3 hours ago, u4icmusic said:

Does your son and your teen that loves Dolly go to Dollywood to listen to the Kingdom Heirs? 

Not just for the Kingdom Heirs, but they both like the music in general. From the live acts to the recorded music played elsewhere. And yes they go see the Kingdom Heirs along with other shows.

My daughter's favorite live music at the park is the small Bluegrass groups.
Like me they both listen to a wide range of music, not just the current pop charts.
They'll go see Dolly in concert and then Poison, Cheap Trick, and Journey, then 21 Pilots and Imagine Dragons. We saw Blackberry Smoke last month and have tickets for Foreigner later this year. 

My son and I will see Motley Crue if the tour ever happen and we saw Metallica in 2019.

Then we'll see Broadway musicals once that starts back up (Season tickets at the Fox Theater in Atlanta).

 

[bert425]

 

3 minutes ago, TEDodd said:

My son and I will see Motley Crue if the tour ever happen and we saw Metallica in 2019.
 

wait. .didn't Motley *swear* they would never tour again?  even making that big deal about signing a contract saying they would never tour again?

I guess Vince needs the money?

it would be great if Mick Mars is able to play (hell, I'd go see him play even if he had to just be placed on a throne/stool, and played the whole night sitting down)

[TEDodd]

21 minutes ago, bert425 said:

 

wait. .didn't Motley *swear* they would never tour again?  even making that big deal about signing a contract saying they would never tour again?

yeh, like the multiple Kiss farewell tours.

This was originally suppose to be last year (2020) and they pushed them all to 2021.
Crue, Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett.

As far as I know Mick will be there (he said so back in Nov 2019).
He was supposed to release a solo album last year, so he's still playing fine. I don't expect him to be mobile though.
 

[tinaalsgirl]

Whenever I watch a video on YouTube and they use a bluegrass-type background music (usually on the TRY Channel when they try American stuff), it immediately makes me long to be at Dollywood. Bluegrass is one of the great unique things about Herschend's two main parks. You hear it all around you as you walk around under the trees and along the babbling brooks. Those parks wouldn't feel right with modern music.

For example, at SDC, they do the whole "Moonlight Madness" thing... When they do, they switch over the modern music, and the level of jarring that is to hear is BEYOND. I was in line for Thunderation and they started playing "Build Me Up Buttercup" in the queue and I was floored. It just did not feel right.

I don't know if they still do that (haven't been to MM in years), but I do know from vids on YT that they finally clued in and started playing the bluegrass covers of modern songs, at least in the queue for Time Traveler. And I know I heard bluegrass covers at the buffet at Dollywood, too, a few years ago.

That is how you integrate modern music into these parks. Younger people will be standing in line and then suddenly their ears will prick up and they'll realize that their favorite Lady Gaga song is playing, but as bluegrass! It's really, really fun to listen to bluegrass covers of modern songs, to get an idea of what these songs might have sounded like if written a hundred years ago. It's unique.

So if they want to continue to use/add modern songs, but as bluegrass covers, I'm all for that.

[tndank]

46 minutes ago, tinaalsgirl said:

That is how you integrate modern music into these parks. Younger people will be standing in line and then suddenly their ears will prick up and they'll realize that their favorite Lady Gaga song is playing, but as bluegrass! It's really, really fun to listen to bluegrass covers of modern songs, to get an idea of what these songs might have sounded like if written a hundred years ago. It's unique.

So if they want to continue to use/add modern songs, but as bluegrass covers, I'm all for that.

Cedar Fair does this.

 

[Chiselphane]

11 hours ago, tinaalsgirl said:

Whenever I watch a video on YouTube and they use a bluegrass-type background music (usually on the TRY Channel when they try American stuff), it immediately makes me long to be at Dollywood. Bluegrass is one of the great unique things about Herschend's two main parks. You hear it all around you as you walk around under the trees and along the babbling brooks. Those parks wouldn't feel right with modern music.

For example, at SDC, they do the whole "Moonlight Madness" thing... When they do, they switch over the modern music, and the level of jarring that is to hear is BEYOND. I was in line for Thunderation and they started playing "Build Me Up Buttercup" in the queue and I was floored. It just did not feel right.

I don't know if they still do that (haven't been to MM in years), but I do know from vids on YT that they finally clued in and started playing the bluegrass covers of modern songs, at least in the queue for Time Traveler. And I know I heard bluegrass covers at the buffet at Dollywood, too, a few years ago.

That is how you integrate modern music into these parks. Younger people will be standing in line and then suddenly their ears will prick up and they'll realize that their favorite Lady Gaga song is playing, but as bluegrass! It's really, really fun to listen to bluegrass covers of modern songs, to get an idea of what these songs might have sounded like if written a hundred years ago. It's unique.

So if they want to continue to use/add modern songs, but as bluegrass covers, I'm all for that.

I keep asking the Time Traveler gift shop to sell a CD of the queue music, it's REALLY good.  They won't because of rights issues but a fella can dream. 

[JJLehto]

Now that we're into May, what have the crowds been like on the weekdays?

Getting close so just trying to gauge what I can expect and if it is indeed worth getting the time saver. If it may be useful...can anyone speak to if they have generally been available day of? Again I'm asking for recently...not earlier this season, Im aiming to get a feel for what it'll be like in 1-2 weeks

[tndank]

If you can make it during the week next week or the week after you may not see lines. This week was dead.  I mean, most rides didn't have a queue this week. LR yesterday never showed anything but 0 wait.

[JJLehto]

That's the plan! Excellent. All seems to be working out perfectly. 

[teacherkim]

22 hours ago, tinaalsgirl said:

Whenever I watch a video on YouTube and they use a bluegrass-type background music (usually on the TRY Channel when they try American stuff), it immediately makes me long to be at Dollywood. Bluegrass is one of the great unique things about Herschend's two main parks. You hear it all around you as you walk around under the trees and along the babbling brooks. Those parks wouldn't feel right with modern music.

For example, at SDC, they do the whole "Moonlight Madness" thing... When they do, they switch over the modern music, and the level of jarring that is to hear is BEYOND. I was in line for Thunderation and they started playing "Build Me Up Buttercup" in the queue and I was floored. It just did not feel right.

I don't know if they still do that (haven't been to MM in years), but I do know from vids on YT that they finally clued in and started playing the bluegrass covers of modern songs, at least in the queue for Time Traveler. And I know I heard bluegrass covers at the buffet at Dollywood, too, a few years ago.

That is how you integrate modern music into these parks. Younger people will be standing in line and then suddenly their ears will prick up and they'll realize that their favorite Lady Gaga song is playing, but as bluegrass! It's really, really fun to listen to bluegrass covers of modern songs, to get an idea of what these songs might have sounded like if written a hundred years ago. It's unique.

So if they want to continue to use/add modern songs, but as bluegrass covers, I'm all for that.

I don't mind the bluegrass music and I agree that it totally fits the theming of SDC and DW, not as much at CF parks. BUT when they started playing bluegrass versions of Bon Jovi and in particular Africa by Toto at KI...........ummm. No. Maybe I am just too much of a city girl. Or an 80's girl. Or both. 

[anonymouscactus]

Compliments of Cedar Fair (specifically Kings Island and Kings Dominion)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/65REf5thv8onz5MKVEql4n?si=xoG1qBhJQgG-jvyEi6J4pg&utm_source=copy-link&dl_branch=1

 

 

You're welcome!