Dolly Parton is the co-owner of Dollywood, one of the most popular theme parks in the US. Her influence and presence are felt and seen throughout the Smoky Mountain theme park (literally and figuratively), including its collection of award-winning roller...
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Dollywood What’s New in 2025 Opening Day Report
Dollywood kicked off its 40th anniversary season this weekend with a special appearance by Dolly Parton and a slew of updates and upgrades across the theme park. The highlight of the weekend was Dolly’s visit to the park. It was...
Continue reading...Dollywood’s Coasters Ranked by a First-Time Visitor
Dollywood had always been a top tier bucket list park for me, and I finally got to check this park off the list in December. I was especially excited to see all of their Christmas decorations and holiday theming. The...
Continue reading...The Ultimate Guide to Dollywood Book Review
The Ultimate Guide to Dollywood by Erin K. Browne is the newest go-to guide for everything Dollywood. Nestled in the picturesque Smoky Mountains, Dollywood has earned its reputation as one of the most beloved theme parks in America, blending thrilling...
Continue reading...Aerial Dollywood Photos from Those Cabins
No, Dolly Parton doesn’t live in those sky-high cabins that you can see from Tennessee Tornado and the Dollywood Express train. But if she did, she’d have some amazing views of her theme park. Earlier this year, I visited the...
Continue reading...8 New Dollywood 2024 Updates and Changes
While we’ve already covered what is possibly the biggest change at Dollywood in 2024 — Lightning Rod’s launched lift hill replaced with a chain — that’s not the only Dollywood 2024 change you’ll notice this season. Keep reading for eight...
Continue reading...Lightning Rod Chain Lift Review and Reaction
I recently rode Lightning Rod at Dollywood for the first time since its launched lift was converted into a traditional chain lift for the 2024 season. Here’s what I thought of the new ride experience. First, some backstory. The world’s...
Continue reading...The Coaster101 Podcast: An EPIC (Universe + More) News Update
After we dropped our most recent episode, a good amount of news dropped in the theme park industry, and in true podcast fashion, we’re a few days late in covering said news. Nick and John join Andrew to talk all...
Continue reading...Dollywood Unveils New Dolly Parton Experience Renderings
The Dolly Parton Museum — dubbed the Dolly Parton Experience — is scheduled to open this spring, and Dollywood has just released new renderings of the immersive, interactive exhibits. The Dolly Parton Experience will feature “interactive elements to make guests...
Continue reading...Pumpkins and Coasters Galore at Dollywood Harvest Festival 2023
Dollywood’s annual Harvest Festival is an autumn lover’s paradise. The theme park is filled with over 12,000 pumpkins (many of those being real), seasonal food and drink offerings as well as a huge offering of live music. By night, the...
Continue reading...Dollywood’s Lightning Rod Launch to Become Traditional Chain Lift in 2024
Breaking news out of Dollywood — the theme park today announced that Lightning Rod’s launched lift hill will be converted to a “high-speed chain lift” for the 2024 season. The wood-steel hybrid Rocky Mountain Construction (RMC) coaster will also receive...
Continue reading...6 Biggest Surprises From My First Visit to Silver Dollar City
Earlier this month, I made my first ever visit to Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. Long had it been at the top of my list of theme parks in the USA I wanted to visit but the ten-plus hour...
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