Fun-Lover's Guide Blog

Well, we just got our next issue off to the printer, and we expect it to hit the streets in about two weeks. Just in time too, because our summer issue flew out of the racks so fast, we were just about to run out! Look for brand-new information about everything going on at Dollywood during its annual Harvest Celebration and Smoky Mountain Christmas festivals as well as user-friendly information and tips about all of Dollywood’s regular rides, shows and attractions.

And don’t forget that this guide will also be full of money-saving coupons on all your other Dollywood vacation activities, like Smoky Mountain attractions, music theaters, fun outdoor activities, restaurants, shopping and more.

Once the new issue comes out, it will be available for download here at the Web site, or you can request that we send you a copy by mail. Once you’re in the area, look for the guide at any of our 200-plus rack and brochure locations, including all the Tennessee state welcome centers.

If you’re planning a trip to the Great Smoky Mountains this fall, be sure to make Dollywood a part of your plans. And then be sure to download or pick up your free copy of The Fun-Lover’s Guide to Dollywood. That will give you the 4-1-1 on everything that’s going on at Dolly Parton’s Pigeon Forge theme park, not just this fall but this winter too.

Two of Dollywood’s biggest seasonal festivals are right around the corner: The National Southern Gospel & Harvest Celebration (9/29 — 10/30) and Smoky Mountain Christmas (11/6 —1/1/11). Harvest Celebration features lots of Southern Gospel music, visiting craftsmen and autumn decorations. It’s all set against the backdrop of the changing fall foliage in the Smokies, when the greens of summer transform into spectacular yellows, oranges and reds. Then Smoky Mountain Christmas shines brightly with millions of twinkling lights, special holiday shows and Christmas-themed attractions.

So if a Dollywood vacation is part of your fall or winter plans, be sure to let The Fun-Lover’s Guide to Dollywood be part of those plans. And don’t forget that the guide has dozens of moneysaving coupons on other area attractions, music theaters, restaurants and shops!

You may have noticed on our Facebook page and on the Bonus Dollywood Info of this Web site, that Dollywood just announced a new ride attraction for 2011. The Barnstormer is a family thrill ride that sends passengers as high as 81 feet in the air in a pendulum arc. The ride takes up to 32 riders at a time on increasingly higher swings, with peaks of up to 45 miles per hour!

This is the latest example of how Dollywood has managed to stay competitive in the theme park industry for a quarter-century now. Theme park visitors want great new rides, and while Dollywood’s core product of mountain music in a Smoky Mountain setting will always be at the heart of the park, the fact that it regularly introduces new thrill rides for the whole family is what has helped keep millions of guests coming back year after year.

Here’s looking forward to the Barnstormer next season!