Dollywood Discussion Thread

[DBru]

On 10/18/2020 at 10:01 PM, Djwadeknox said:

If anyone likes park magnets. Dollywood has one that will be a collectors item. See photo for details. 🥸

Just needed to point out that the second arrow down says “Mystery Line.” Purely a mistake, or an intentional combination of Mystery Mine and Drop Line? The world may never know...

[u4icmusic]

On 10/21/2020 at 11:33 PM, megan said:

Dollywood has been BEAT UP in social media for their customer service all around this year yet they stay mum on everything. I’m not sure it’s ALL warranted, but they have certainly tarnished their image a lot and I’m not so sure they will get some of the shine back  

 

 

Unfortunately, I agree. I spent several days trying to get through to someone on the phone at Dollywood to renew my season pass that would not renew online. I finally got a call back and was able to do it over the phone, but here's the catch. If you upgrade over the phone, you can't use the payment plan, which I think sucks. Also, the $85 Gold upgrade was way overpriced for just 6 months of use. Over the last year I've written several letters of complaint and not once have I received a reply from anyone. Not even a form letter. I'm sure they are way understaffed because of COVID, but it is still inexcusable to treat season pass holders that way.  I live in Knoxville and go to the park often, but there have been a lot of misses for the part this year. The Lightning Rod debacle was one of them.  Another was their truncated schedule. I actually had a reservation in hand to go on my birthday. They decided to close the park that day to reduce their operating costs, which was wrong to do after they were taking reservations for that day.

 

[megan]

Try sending communication directly to Pete Owens in charge of PR. I at least got a “halfway personal not totally form response” last year during the Wildwood Grove “that’s not exactly what we promised” fiasco. Their entire PR team is seriously lacking and has been for a while. Not sure if it’s staffing or ineptitude, but if they want to be the “national destination” they are striving to be, they HAVE to get better at social media responsiveness. Having a successful Facebook feed is not just posting what you want (good about yourself) and ignoring all the negative comments hoping they go away. 

[dstephe9]

I'm going to give them this week to fix the site. I know they have a tiny IT team, I applied for it a few years back. I'll be taking screenshots everyday I try. Towards the end of next week, I'll start calling and then finally pull out the big guns and contact HFE directly or folks like Pete

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[TEDodd]

Having a successful Facebook feed is not just posting what you want (good about yourself) and ignoring all the negative comments hoping they go away. 

While they've never really responded to comments on FB posts, they were responsive to messages on FB. It was a good communication channel.

But not right now. My question from Monday still hasn't been responded to. All indications are they haven't seen it yet. So I don't know what's happened to the team that used to respond.

[tndank]

Indoor shows return this Christmas along with fireworks on Fri/Sat.

 

https://www.dollywood.com/themepark/Festivals/Smoky-Mountain-Christmas

[PKI Jizzman]

Yikes, sounds like they need to grow their internal team to help with all of the extra communication that's needed during these times. 

 

That's exciting that they get the indoor shows and fireworks for Christmas time!

[Djwadeknox]

https://youtu.be/sCnx9JKaQ24 If you are heading to Dollywood this weekend. Checkout the haunted mountain coaster. Coast and Ghost. 

[u4icmusic]

On 10/25/2020 at 10:07 AM, tndank said:

Indoor shows return this Christmas along with fireworks on Fri/Sat.

 

https://www.dollywood.com/themepark/Festivals/Smoky-Mountain-Christmas

It is not safe to be inside a movie theater, a Dollywood show or any indoor activity at this time due to COVID-19 running rampant in the area. Even with reduced capacities in the theaters, everyone is still breathing the same air and germs swirling around. Not happening. I wonder if the health department signed off on the theaters reopening as the pandemic cases are soaring.

[coasterbill]

^ Magic Kingdom has been running indoor shows for months (only because they haven’t found a way to layoff or furlough animatronics yet) with masks and social distancing and there have been no cases traced back to their parks or any theme parks since reopening...

Personally I think It’s great to see shows returning. Some of them already have capacity issues though so hopefully they have some unique solutions so people don’t have to show up hours early on weekends...

[WolfBobs]

I personally enjoy museums as much as rides.  I go into Town Hall at CP every visit.  I stopped inside each one at Dollywood and tried to take in as many shows as possible in my two days there.  Thinking "people want rides, not museums" is pretty darn ignorant and just shows no understanding how a well rounded park is operated.  There needs to be something for everyone, not just enthusiasts who neglected their deodorant again.

[KBrylczyk]

On 10/23/2020 at 6:41 PM, coasterbill said:

Their season pass renewal system is running on the same server as Lightning Rod. 

[TEDodd]

It is not safe to be inside a movie theater, a Dollywood show or any indoor activity at this time.

Your call. I had/have no qualms about a movie theater or other indoor venue.

Then again, I'm not over 65 and in good health, so not worried about the SARS-2 virus. No more than I was about MERS or H1N1, or even Ebola (and I was in Liberia at the end of that).

[middle_keeny]

If you look at their show lineup. All except "Christmas in the Smokies" is at an Outdoor Theater.  The Celebrity Theater is pretty large so it would be easy to space out in there.

 

[coasterbill]

Huh...

Thrilling Moments Photography

[TEDodd]

I'm not really sure what they'd be working on with a crane that size in that location.

[coasternut]

^^ This must be an old picture. None of the leaves have changed color. That seems hard to believe in November for the Smokey Mountains.

[Djwadeknox]

11-7-2020 something’s happening here.

[Djwadeknox]

They have started to remove track on the left side of the lift hill.

[KBrylczyk]

^ I don't see any track removed, only the yellow tarp over the launch motors.  It looks like a trick of the light as the left track is in shadow while the right track is being hit dead-on by the sunlight.

Anyways, their 2021 teaser was Lighting Strikes Twice.  I'm guessing there will be a small launch at the base of the lift followed by a second gut-puncher halfway up the hill, hence the tarps over the motors there.

[dstephe9]

PSA: Dollywood fixed their website and tomorrow is the last day (for now) to renew at a hefty discount for the rest of next year.

I was able to renew mine now

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[u4icmusic]

18 hours ago, KBrylczyk said:

^ I don't see any track removed, only the yellow tarp over the launch motors.  It looks like a trick of the light as the left track is in shadow while the right track is being hit dead-on by the sunlight.

Anyways, their 2021 teaser was Lighting Strikes Twice.  I'm guessing there will be a small launch at the base of the lift followed by a second gut-puncher halfway up the hill, hence the tarps over the motors there.

I can't tell if it is the sun or shadows, but the left-hand track looks different. Can't tell if it has been removed though. It does look like the left track and part of the lower section of the right track were removed or modified somehow. I'll be there on Friday, so I'll check it out.

[dstephe9]

I'm here today, track is still there

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[u4icmusic]

On 10/31/2020 at 12:50 AM, middle_keeny said:

If you look at their show lineup. All except "Christmas in the Smokies" is at an Outdoor Theater.  The Celebrity Theater is pretty large so it would be easy to space out in there.

 

Christmas in the Smokies—a heartwarming tradition that families have enjoyed for 30 years—returns indoors to center stage at DP’s Celebrity Theater. Guests also can enjoy a new show, called Heart of the Holidays, which features several members of Dolly’s family and includes a mix of some of her holiday favorites alongside songs from her new Christmas album, A Holly Dolly Christmas. Heart of the Holidays takes place in the DreamSong Theater. Another returning guest favorite, Christmas with the Kingdom Heirs, can be found at the Pines Theater.”

[Jdprince45]

Screamscape has an odd rumor https://www.screamscape.com/html/dollywood.htm#LightningRod2