Dolly believes in working hard and playing even harder and that includes at her 35-acre Smoky Mountain waterpark Dollywood’s Splash Country! The adventures began for an eleventh season as Dolly opened Dollywood’s Splash Country in 2011. New to the waterpark in 2011 were relaxing poolside massages offered to guests.
Celebrating the opening of Dollywood’s historic Wild Eagle, Dolly flew atop the wings of a float themed after a bald eagle during her 27th Annual Dolly Homecoming Parade. She soared above thousands of fans lining the streets of Pigeon Forge where Dollywood is located. Her eye-catching float and feathered jacket reached new heights for the annual parade.
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.
Dixie Stampede opened its doors in 1987, as one of the first dinner show attractions of its kind. Dolly was quoted as saying,
“I just thought it was a great show idea and no one was really doing anything like it when we started. It sounded like a lot of fun and a great way to tell a story.”
Twenty-five years later, her Dixie Stampede is still a standout among dinner shows and attractions.
From a larger-than-life picture that smiles down on guests as they leave the Dixie Stampede, to souvenirs, and her easily recognizable voice, Dolly’s image is stamped on her dinner show attraction. Most notably, however, might be the show's finale—a blend of pageantry and patriotism set to Dolly's "Color Me America!"
Part of Dixie Stampede's appeal over the years has been its ability give the audience what it knows and loves, while also bringing something new to the table. Dolly works with her production team to decide what parts of the show stay, and what elements might work well for the dinner show attraction. Dolly says she loves this show and guarantees,
“It’s the Smokies’ Most Fun Place to Eat!”
