Just in order to give their guests as much time as humanly possible this summer to ride all their favorite rides, see all the park’s great shows, and generally leave no stone unturned, Dollywood is extending the park’s operating hours for 2013.
On June 22, Dollywood inaugurates the “Great American Summer,” six weeks of extended operation. A live performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” starts each day at 10 a.m., and a music-synchronized fireworks display called “Dolly’s Nights of Many Colors” caps the day off at 10 p.m.
Not only will Dollywood be operating on extended hours this summer, the park will also be breaking in a brand new ride next door at Dolly’s Splash Country. A year after opening the Wild Eagle winged coaster – the first wing-design roller coaster in the country, RiverRush is set to open in May at Dollywood’s Splash Country waterpark. RiverRush will be the state’s first water coaster and ads yet another big draw to the adventure park and its 23-slide roster.
RiverRush adds water to the climbs, drops, twists and turns of traditional terrestrial coasters. Four-person toboggan-style boats climb 237 feet up a conveyor as the 1,175-foot-long ride begins. RiverRush is four stories tall, with hairpin turns and dark tunnels that create an unexpected waterpark experience.
From the twisting turns of the Mountain Scream body slide ride, to the daring drops of Big Bear Plunge – a white water rafting ride, Dollywood’s Splash Country is everything you and your family could want in a Smoky Mountain water park here, or anywhere for that matter. In addition, there are two interactive children’s playground areas, the Cascades and Little Creek Falls, where kids can be themselves and create lasting summer memories in the heart of the Smokies.
Dollywood won five Golden Ticket Awards in 2012, the industry’s top awards. Among them were awards for the best live entertainment and for being the friendliest park anywhere.