Dolly visited Dollywood to kick off one of its biggest seasons to date, beginning with Festival of Nations and the opening of Wild Eagle, America’s first wing coaster. The festival’s headlining show, "Spirit of the Dance," surprised guests on opening weekend with a walk-on from Dolly herself! Dolly also appeared in two of the festival’s other shows, Argentina’s "Los Pampas Gauchos" and "The Paper Show by Mimirichi" from Ukraine.
The Dollywood 2012 season received five Golden Ticket Awards for Best Food, Friendliest Park, Best New Ride (Wild Eagle), Best Shows and Best Christmas Event.
Dolly and Dollywood made history on March 23, 2012, as her theme park launched its new $20 million Wild Eagle, the first steel wing coaster in the U.S. Dolly said,
“Wild Eagle was a long time in the makin’ but truly worth every minute as that incredible bird took flight over Dollywood. From everything folks are telling me, Wild Eagle is somethin’ else, and I hope folks from around the world come to Dollywood to earn their wings. Or as I like to say, be an eagle not a chicken!”
Wild Eagle at Dollywood won the Golden Ticket Award for Best New Attraction in 2012.
Dolly's said that everybody knows she loves bluegrass music.
“That’s why I’m so very proud to bring my Barbeque & Bluegrass Festival back this year. We’ve got fine pickers and mighty fine barbecue to spice things up, too! I realized Dollywood fans have a real hunger for bluegrass music and great tastin' barbeque. Since I aim to please, I'm proud to say Barbeque & Bluegrass is back and better than ever at Dollywood."
The festival returned to Dollywood Aug. 19 through Sept. 5 and featured big names like Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, J.D. Crowe & The New South and Riders In The Sky.
Ask Dolly about conversations she remembers between her father and grandfather, and she’ll tell you stories she heard about daring aerialists and stunt pilots of the 1920s. It intrigued and inspired her imagination. She even recalls sky shows she witnessed. Dolly said,
"When we were kids, we were absolutely amazed when we saw an airplane do stunts in the sky. Their tricks would entertain us for hours on end, and I just know that my new Barnstormer ride is going to be every bit as exciting to folks today. I can’t wait to see the looks on folks’ faces as they dip and soar!"
Dollywood invested $5.5 million into this family thrill ride which features two pendulum arms accommodating 32 riders. Seated back to back, riders travel progressively higher on each swing of the Barnstormer’s massive arms, reaching a maximum speed of 45 miles per hour and 230 degrees of rotation.
Dolly accepted the Liseberg Applause Award, the amusement park industry’s most prestigious honor, at the Amusement Park International Expo in Orlando, Florida, in November 2010 for her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
The Applause Award is given out every other year (since 1980) and is designed to honor a park whose “management, operations and creative accomplishments have inspired the industry with their foresight, originality and sound business development," according to a statement from Liseberg park in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Mats Widen who was in charge of the selection committee explained why Dollywood received the amusement park equivalent of the Oscar,
"It's probably the friendliest park in the world... The thing that stands out the most are the people."
In addition to recognizing her partners, Jack and Pete Herschend of Herschend Family Entertainment, and the region where Dollywood is located, the Great Smoky Mountains, in her acceptance speech, Dolly also included one of her classic ‘Dollyisms’ referencing her famous bustline,
“Of course, Walt Disney became successful because he had Mickey Mouse who has two big ears... So I figured I could be successful with Dollywood with my two big partners.”
