Dollywood fans can cast their vote for Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas event in USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice 2017. Nominated alongside 19 other parks, the beloved Dollywood event is in the running for Best Theme Park Holiday Event.
Vote for Dollywood today and show your support for Smoky Mountain Christmas! Fans can cast a vote once each day, every day from each of your devices until polls close. USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice 2017 voting ends Monday, Dec. 4 at noon EST.
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This celebrated tradition features four million spectacular lights on display throughout the park. Cast members deliver show-stopping performances in shows like "Christmas in the Smokies" and "It’s a Wonderful Life." Children of all ages love meeting Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Friends at Holly Jolly Junction. And to round out a festive day of joy and excitement, the heartwarming Parade of Many Colors winds through the park for all to see. The parade features whimsical floats, interactive characters and a heart-warming, cheerful message for Dollywood guests to enjoy.
A visit to Dollywood can also include a traditional Christmas meal as several of the park's menus feature holiday-themed items. Among the new offerings, this year is the Thanksgiving Feast sandwich—a ciabatta roll filled with cornbread dressing, slices of oven-roasted turkey breast, topped with cranberry sauce and served with sweet potato tater tots. Returning favorites include turkey and dressing, Christmas ham, chicken and dumplings, Cornish hens, center cut pork chops, mashed potatoes and gravy, hot flavored drinks like wassail, Mayfield hot chocolate and cider, and much more. Holiday desserts available throughout the park include gingerbread man cookies and red velvet and pumpkin spice funnel cakes.
Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana celebrated its tenth consecutive victory in Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards. After receiving much feedback from guests, Dollywood officials extended the park’s award-winning festival two days. It kicked off on Nov. 4 and will run through Jan. 3 2017.
Smoky Mountain Christmas guests can upgrade a paid one-day admission ticket to a regular 2018 season pass for as low as $30 (plus tax when buying four or more). Ticket purchasers receive credit for the value of a regular one-day ticket ($69) toward the purchase of a 2018 season pass. A season pass purchased during Smoky Mountain Christmas provides unlimited admission to this year’s Christmas festival along with Dollywood’s entire 2018 season. Additionally, for each child’s season pass purchased, families will receive a copy of Dolly’s new children’s album, “I Believe in You.” (A one-day ticket is valid for an upgrade on the day of visit only.)
As anticipation mounts for the opening of Dollywood’s Lightning Rod, fans now have one more way to satisfy their appetite for the world’s fastest wood coaster—a new Lightning Rod-themed ice cream flavor, thanks to Mayfield Dairy.
The packaging for Mayfield’s newest flavor, Smoky Mountain Fudge, features the colorful artwork of Lightning Rod launching riders to a world-record 73 mph top speed. The special ice cream flavor features chocolate ice cream swirled with fudge and chocolate sandwich cookie pieces. Dollywood fans can purchase Lightning Rod Smoky Mountain Fudge at Food City, Ingles, Weigel’s, Kroger, Publix, Walmart and Food Depot stores in Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. Scottie Mayfield, Mayfield President Emeritus said,
“Smoky Mountain Fudge is the perfect flavor to tell the story of Lightning Rod. Guests are taken for a wild ride through the foothills of the Smoky Mountains every time they board! Now, they can taste some of that excitement at home.”
While the ride has yet to open, it already has received much attention. USA Today called it "The most anticipated ride of 2016."
Lightning Rod rolls to the starting line as part of an adrenaline-packed 2016 season. Both the world’s fastest wood coaster and the world’s first launching wood coaster, it provides guests nearly 20 seconds of airtime, a number of innovative ride features and an unforgettable journey through the hills surrounding Dollywood.
Lightning Rod is not the first Dollywood coaster to receive special Mayfield ice cream packaging. In 2014, Mayfield helped celebrate the opening of FireChaser Express with Crunchy Caramel Pretzel.
For more information about Dollywood, please call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD or visit Dollywood.com.
The popular travel review site TripAdvisor recently named Dollywood one of the best theme parks in the world, continuing the Pigeon Forge park’s string of impressive accolades and awards.
Based on reviews and ratings for all theme parks worldwide, TripAdvisor compiled the list of the Top 25 theme parks around the globe. Dollywood placed 19th on the list, which included parks like Universal’s Islands of Adventure (#1), Magic Kingdom (#3), Universal Studios Florida (#6), Germany’s Europa-Park (#7), Disneyland (#8), Denmark’s Tivoli Gardens (#12), Epcot (#16), Six Flags Magic Mountain (#22), Silver Dollar City (#24) and Walt Disney Studios Park in France (#25).
One recent review on TripAdvisor, titled "One of the Best in the World," noted,
"This world-class attraction gets better every year…Great rides including seven roller coasters and some of the best shows and food in any park in the world can be found among the arsenal of activities."
The award-winning park certainly has endeared itself to its many guests, having recently been named #3 Best Theme Park in the country and #6 Best Musical Attraction by USA Today’s 10Best. In 2015, the park also earned Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards for Best Christmas Event, Best Shows and Friendliest Park. Dollywood earned the 2010 Applause Award, the theme park industry’s highest honor.
Dollywood is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary. This year also marked the grand opening of Dollywood's DreamMore Resort. The park's newest attraction, Lightning Rod - the world’s fastest wood coaster, is set to open in March 2016.
