Dollywood’s 2007 season marks the debut of Mystery Mine, the park’s new $17.5 million steel roller coaster, the only ride of its kind in the country.
The world-class coaster marks the largest capital investment in the company’s history and brings a one-acre expansion of Dollywood’s Timber Canyon area. Mystery Mine is set in an abandoned 1900’s coal mine where eight-passenger mine carts plunge riders into darkness. The ride travels a 1,811-foot track on a 2.5-minute journey that includes a 95-degree, 85-foot vertical drop. Mystery Mine passengers maneuver a series of uncertain encounters including a fall from a collapsed trestle and a plunge into an abandoned tunnel. In addition to a variety of state-of-the-art special effects, ride highlights include a weightless inversion known as a “heart-line roll;” a “rollover loop” or double inversion which consists of an upward half-loop and a half-roll; and an Immelmann maneuver.
Mystery Mine is the latest major ride investment in recent years, including Thunderhead®, the world’s No. 1 wooden coaster which opened in 2004.
In 2006, Dollywood was one of three finalists, along with Denmark’s Legoland and Universal Islands of Adventure, for the 2006 Applause Award, an international honor in recognition of foresight, originality and creativity, plus sound business development and profitability in the theme park and attractions industry. Past winners include Universal Studios, Disney’s Epcot and Disneyland. Also, Dollywood’s Dreamland Drive-In show, which premiered in May 2006, won the prestigious Heartbeat Award at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Attractions Expo 2006, besting more than 130 entries.
Dollywood’s 2007 season also includes five of the South’s largest festivals. The Irish entertainment extravaganza Celebrate Ireland is the centerpiece of the park’s annual Festival of Nations (March 31-May 7), an international multicultural celebration of music, dance, art and food. The stage show “Rhythm of the Dance,” a Celtic music and dance spectacular, headlines Celebrate Ireland with a 45-minute show featuring authentic instrumentalists, three vocalists and 18 dancers. “Rhythm of the Dance” performs daily in DP’s Celebrity Theatre and is included with park admission. Celebrate Ireland also includes demonstrations by visiting Irish craftsmen at Emerald Isle Marketplace; authentic Irish cuisine at O’Malley’s Place restaurant; a special visit by Irish artist Philip Gray; and a variety of visiting performing groups from Ireland.
Dollywood’s Festival of Nations international entertainment also includes the Russian National Theatre; Peru’s Yawar Chicchi’s folk music & dance; Switzerland’s Streichmusik Alder, featuring folk music and alpine horns; Master yodeler Kerry Christensen of Austria; Ukraine’s Dyvo Kalynove, children’s folk music and dance group; Zambian Vocal Group; Trinidad’s Stix on Steel; and Ecuador’s Atahualpa.
Summertime brings KidsFestsm (June 15-Aug. 5), headlined by Untamed Illusions Starring the Fercos Brothers, featuring the Merlin Award-winning magicians. Other special entertainment includes Yogi’s Wild Ride motion simulator; VeggieTales LIVE stage show starring Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber; and Dolly’s Imagination Playhouse featuring the Penguin Players, home to three 20-minute musicals including two brand new productions based on the popular children’s books The Gruffalo and Hank the Cowdog.
BBQ & Bluegrass (Sept. 14–30) returns with more than 300 free bluegrass concerts including performances by Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder (Sept. 14-15), Riders in the Sky (Sept. 25-26), Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (Sept. 21-22), Rhonda Vincent & the Rage (Sept. 29-30) and many more. The barbeque menu offers succulent ribs, barbequed chicken and pulled pork during the 15-day festival.
Southern gospel music and visiting crafters take the spotlight during the park’s annual National Gospel & Harvest Celebration (Oct. 5-Nov. 3). The four-week festival features more than 250 free concerts by the biggest names in Southern gospel music, including the Crabb Family’s farewell performances (Oct. 5-8), The McKameys (Oct. 19-20); Brian Free & Assurance (Oct. 12-13); Gold City (Oct. 26- 27); Mike Bowling Group (Oct. 5-8) and many more. Rounding out the entertainment is special Dutch oven cooking demonstrations by Rusty’s Trailblazing Chuckwagon plus the artistry of visiting crafters from across the country.
For the holidays, Dollywood presents Smoky Mountain Christmas (Nov. 10-Dec. 30), a winter wonderland of more than 3.5 million lights and special Christmastime stage shows including Dollywood’s Babes in Toyland, the park’s most elaborate stage show ever which premiered in 2006.
Dollywood is a 130-acre family adventure park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Open nine months a year (March 31-Dec. 30), Dollywood offers more than 40 rides and attractions; award-winning live entertainment featuring country, bluegrass, gospel and mountain music; and a dozen crafters authentic to the East Tennessee region. For more information, call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD or visit www.dollywood.com. Operating days and hours vary.