Dollywood hopes to hear guests shouting a mighty "tim-berrrr!" in 2006 as Dolly's theme park unveiled its new $6.5 million Timber Tower, the first and only ride of its kind in North America. Construction began in the park’s Timber Canyon area where Timber Tower will stand 65 feet in diameter. Situated in the middle of a 5,100-square-foot pond, Timber Tower takes passengers high into the air above Timber Canyon. The ride vehicle rotates nine times per minute as it makes its way to the top of the tower. Once there, the tower begins a side-to-side swinging motion, allowing the ride vehicle to topple multiple times in various directions at a 60-degree angle. Once completed Timber Tower will increase Thunderhead Gap from its existing five acres to six.
Dollywood's KidsFest welcomed a brand-new lineup of superstar children’s characters to headline its seven-week summer festival during Dolly’s park’s 20th anniversary. Dolly said,
“I’m just a big kid at heart, and I believe that having fun is the best way to spark a child’s imagination, and I hope we can ignite that spark in each and every guest at KidsFest.”
This year’s festival featured Clifford the Big Red Dog™, Mad Science® Movie Magic—the Science Behind the Movies and some of Nickelodeon’s® most popular characters like SpongeBob SquarePants™. In addition to these favorite children’s characters, KidsFest also included Dolly’s Imagination Playhouse featuring the Penguin Players.
Dollywood and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library opened the park’s Imagination Playhouse with a little help from Dolly herself. This interactive children’s show brought classic children's stories to life and showcased Dolly’s lifelong love for reading. Dolly said,
“I’ve always loved to read and I believe reading has the power to let your imagination soar.”
The 20-minute musicals, featuring original music by Dolly get kids involved in their favorite stories, by utilizing six cast members, custom-made puppets and character costumes against lively, colorful scenery.
Dolly’s Imagination Playhouse, featuring the Penguin Players, brings many of the classic children's books from her Imagination Library to life. The first production was of "The Little Engine that Could," Dolly’s personal favorite and the first book mailed to children in the program. (more…)
Following a 3.5-acre expansion project, Country Fair, one of Dollywood’s most popular areas, welcomed 10 new family rides in celebration of the park’s 20th anniversary season. Dolly wanted to add rides for guests of all ages in the expansion.
New rides included the Lucky Ducky, Busy Bees and the bouncing Piggy Parade, all designed for small children. The expansion also included the Waltzing Swinger, the Amazing Flying Elephants and the Dizzy Disk along with more. These new rides increased the popular Country Fair area’s hourly capacity by more than 2,000 passengers.
