On June 18, 2004, Dolly, Governor Phil Bredesen of Tennessee, Barney, the purple dinosaur, and about 1000 children and parents gathered at Dollywood to celebrate Gov. Bredesen’s pledge to provide Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program to every child under five across the entire state. For the first time, an entire state guaranteed that every child within its borders will have access to quality books and the joy they inspire.
During this year, many discussions about a statewide Imagination Library took place in several communities and the number of participating Affiliates continued to rise. Books could potentially be mailed to eligible children in all 50 states, and ideally, entire states would replicate the program beyond their current communities. The monthly book ordering process was also vastly improved and social awareness about the program was buzzing.
A new database system was eventually designed, creating a much easier way for Affiliates to add children’s registration information online. The combination of technological improvements as well as the generosity of Dolly herself, Dixie Stampede, Dollywood and all corporate sponsors meant that communities would only continue to pay for just the cost of the actual books and postage.
By the end of 2004, 375 communities in 39 states were providing Imagination Library books to the children in their coverage area. In December, for the first time ever, the number of children receiving books each month surpassed 100,000 and brought the yearly total of books to 980,000.
The largest kids’ festival in the South returned just as kids got out of school for the summer. Dolly said,
“Growing up, summertime in the Smoky Mountains was just one adventure-filled day after another for my brothers and sisters and me. KidsFest is my way of sharing special Smoky Mountain adventures with kids of all ages while they explore all of the fun activities that Dollywood has to offer.”
The VeggieTales® live show was a favorite at the park. Dollywood also welcomed several new faces including a costumed bear show. Clay, a seven-and-a-half-year-old black bear, played guitar. Griz, a 12-year-old grizzly bear, was the drummer. Ice, an 18-year-old polar bear, played keyboard and Rae Ling, a 10-year-old panda, sang. The band performed in Craftsman’s Valley.
The festival was filled with more animal antics. Families fell in love with seven performing dogs with acts ranging from flying disc catches to jumping rope and dancing!
Dolly launched the wildest ride in the Smokies on April, 3 2004. She made her entrance to the event in the front seat of Dollywood's newest attraction, Thunderhead. The massive wooden roller coaster pays homage to the land Dollywood and Dolly call home. Dolly said,
"So much of the heritage of the Great Smoky Mountains comes from the forests, the trees and the lumber they provide for us. Thunderhead is an awesome way of reminding everybody how much we get from those forests… including a real exciting time."
Thunderhead at Dollywood features a 3,230-foot long ride with a drop of 100 feet and maximum speeds of 55 mph. It also features "the world’s first fly-through station." Half-way through the ride, the coaster travels through the ride station at approximately 40 mph on tracks eight feet above the exit platform where future riders wait to board the coaster.
Hundreds of performers, crafts and international food highlighted Dollywood’s five-week celebration, Festival of Nations. Dolly said she was excited to see this festival return for its fourth year,
"I've been fortunate enough to have traveled the world, and Festival of Nations is an opportunity for Dollywood to bring a world of entertainment to the Great Smoky Mountains. It’s a chance for everyone to experience and enjoy some of the beautiful sights and sounds I've discovered in my many journeys."
From Ireland to Ecuador, Trinidad, China, Russia and Germany, Dollywood guests were mesmerized by the music, dance, art and food from around the globe. The cultural exchange between festival participants and Dollywood guests was one of the most fascinating elements of Festival of Nations.
The Market Square Bazaar, featured items of international origin. Dolly’s theme park also invited a non-profit to join the festival. Ten Thousand Villages is a self-supporting fair trade organization that provides vital, fair income in developing countries by marketing the people’s handicrafts and telling their stories. Thirty-two developing countries were represented with items for sale during the festival.
Dollywood’s new wooden roller coaster—Thunderhead—quickly took shape as the park prepared to introduce the $7 million addition in spring 2004. After four months of construction, all concrete footings and piers were completed as are the foundations for the loading station and maintenance facilities.
Thunderhead featured a 3,230-foot long ride with a drop of 100 feet and maximum speeds of 55 mph. It also featured "the world’s first fly-through station." Half-way through the ride, the coaster travels through the ride station at approximately 40 mph on tracks eight feet above the exit platform where future riders wait to board the coaster.
