Twenty-five years is a major milestone for a theme park. When Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1997, they turned the Cinderella castle into a giant birthday cake. Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee has yet to unveil a cake, but there is still plenty of excitement brewing in the Great Smoky Mountains as the park starts its 25th season in 2010. New shows and attractions are on the horizon, and a new promotion encourages, "Celebrate the dreamer in you."
New Shows for Festival of Nations
The 2010 season kicks off on March 27 with the annual Festival of Nations. This year’s festival includes a new-to-Dollywood show called DRUM!, which features 20 performers from nations worldwide. The show originates from Nova Scotia, Canada, and tells of how the four principle characters of different cultures find common ground through music. Performers will showcase Celtic, Aboriginal, Black and Acadian culture through poetry, dance, and song. The show may look familiar to those watching the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Games, as the current Canadian cast of the show will perform when Vancouver lights the torch on February 12, 2010.
Dollywood’s Festival of nations will also feature new performers from Peru called Jallmay, a troupe of 28 musicians and dancers with varied styles from ancient Peruvian mountain music, to the music currently found on Peru’s street corners. Yet another new show called Invaders will feature the steel-drum sounds of the Caribbean.
Dollywood’s New Attraction: Adventure Mountain
No theme park celebration is complete without a new attraction, and this year’s attraction at Dollywood is unlike anything previously seen in the park. Adventure Mountain features two-acres of obstacle courses, all set on the natural mountainside terrain of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The attraction boasts four courses and 100 different obstacles. The courses vary in difficulty ranging from very easy to quite difficult, and are comprised of swinging beams, flying islands, suspension bridges and tire traverses.
Unlike the rest of the theme park, guests must wear closed-toed shoes that fit securely on the heels. There is a weight limit of 300 pounds, and guests must be at least 42 inches tall for most courses, and 44 inches tall for the most difficult. Younger visitors will pursue activities in Camp Teachittoomee, designed to give them an age-appropriate sense of accomplishment.
Splash Country’s New Attraction: Slick Rock Racer
Dollywood’s waterpark, Splash Country, will open on May 22 with a new attraction of its own, Slick Rock Racer. This mat slide is 300 feet wide, with individual lanes for sliders to plummet headfirst to the bottom. The slide features an initial drop, then multiple bumps, designed to help sliders gain speed. The ride is enormous in construction, and can handle up to 600 guests per hour.
Celebrate the Dreamer in You
Dollywood will no doubt have plenty of souvenir merchandise to celebrate their 25 year anniversary. Butterfly-bedecked t-shirts and baseball caps with the big number “25” will decorate the Pigeon Forge, TN landscape for the entire 2010 season. The new Drum! show is sure to delight excited tourists and locals alike, and the new Adventure Mountain will definitely create dream-filled memories as exhausted children curl into their hotel beds after a day at the park. Dolly Parton likes to remind us of her dreams and how she achieved them while we are in the park, but with any luck, this year’s celebration will inspire a few dreams of our own.
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Adventure Mountain at Dollywood
ROK101
Katie Evans - Katie Evans is a former community college English professor. She spent several years as Senior Editor of a search directory before making ...
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