Magazine names Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge "Best Getaway"

Readers of a popular magazine have cast their votes and given Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge a prestigious title that could help the cities battle the struggling economy.

This month's issue of Southern Living magazine lets readers choose the region's best cities, tourist destinations, and attractions.

Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg topped the list for "Best Weekend Getaway."

"In Pigeon Forge, tourism is our only industry," said Lila Wilson with the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism.

And, like most industries in the current economy, tourism needs all the help it can get. City officials cite local attractions like Dollywood, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and numerous events throughout the year as reasons for the award.

"We were absolutely thrilled and honored," Wilson said. "The entire city of Pigeon Forge is dedicated to providing the most quality, rewarding vacation experience for everyone and to receive that recognition certainly tells us that we're meeting that need and that goal."

In addition to being named "Best Weekend Getaway," Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge also ranked fifth in the "Best Family Vacation" category.

Information courtesy of WBIR.com

Titanic Ready to Sail into Pigeon Forge

Imagine taking an historic ocean liner with British DNA, docking it in American waters and betting that tourists will pay to board it.

Knott's Berry Farm's parent company hopes a Titanic replica can do for the Smoky Mountains what the Queen Mary did for Long Beach.

Cedar Bay Entertainment is building a 30,000-square-foot Titanic replica in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

The Titanic was part of the storied White Star Line, which later merged with the Queen Mary's Cunnard Line.

"My gut reaction is that it will probably help to get people interested in the old ocean liners, which is never a bad thing," says Christopher Zappia, the Queen Mary's marketing director. "So if people on the East Coast or South go and see that, they may be interested in coming out to see the real thing rather than a replica."

Cedar Bay plans to reproduce the front half of the ship at 50 percent scale - not exactly titanic, but not exactly diminutive either - and recreate a winding grand staircase, ballrooms, a first-class suite and Marconi wireless room, according to news reports.

Artifacts rescued by actual Titanic passengers will also be displayed.

Visitors will receive a boarding pass bearing the name of a Titanic passenger or crew member and be able to "touch an iceberg, experience the chill of 28-degree water, sit in an actual life boat, steer the ship and send an SOS messages."

This Titanic will not simulate sinking.

However, the price tag is iceberg-size: $25 million. Building the original Titanic cost $7.5 million in 1912 dollars.

Cedar Bay operates a similar Titanic museum in Branson, Mo., as well as Dollywood in Pigeon Forge.

Since inland Pigeon Forge, the so-called gateway to the Smoky Mountains, is nowhere near saltwater, Cedar Bay is planning a 5.69-acre "Home Port" for the Titanic.

Thanks to Dolly Parton's theme park, as well as museums dedicated to police, Elvis and dinosaurs, Pigeon Forge attracts 11 million visitors a year.

Cedar Bay representatives with knowledge of the Titanic attraction could not be reached by phone due to the holidays, but a company press release says the "Titanic Pigeon Forge will easily become yet another reason to stop, shop and be entertained and enlightened."

Information courtesy of Press-Telegram

Belle Island Village Closer to Completion, Announces Amusement Operators

After a worldwide search, Belle Island Village – a soon-to-be-opened, 26-acre, themed destination resort with retail, hospitality and entertainment venues – announced Novem that it has partnered with Central Amusement International LLC to provide and operate a rides package for the $114 million mixed-use resort, in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

Central Amusement International, an operations and development company with marquee ventures in New York City’s Central Park as well as other international locations, will bring a custom-themed family ride package to Belle Island Village’s amusement park. The rides will be featured in the new "Carnival Cove" area on the Island, reminiscent of early turn-of-the-century carnivals; complete with themed games, rides and fun foods.

Carnival Cove will include a mix of nine rides specifically selected and custom-themed to deliver family thrills to the resort. With rides such as Twister Mountain, a classic spinning coaster, and the Great American Steamboat Chase, a high-flying carousel swing, families can experience traditional amusement park fun within the beautifully themed environment of Belle Island Village. Other rides offered in Carnival Cove will drop, pop, bounce, rock, twist and spin.

"We at Belle Island Village are excited to partner with Central Amusement International (CAI) to offer exciting rides that the entire family can enjoy," said Glen B. Bilbo, president of Southern Venue Development, LLC, overseeing the construction of Belle Island Village. "The rides complement the truly unique themed experience that visitors to Belle Island Village will receive."

CAI has contracted with Zamperla of Italy to provide all of the customized rides. Bilbo stated, "It is great that CAI has purchased these rides from Zamperla, as they are regarded in the industry as a true leader for safe, state-of-the-art, themed rides for the entire family."

Beau Berni, a CAI representative said, "This is an excellent opportunity to join what we believe is the nation’s top family entertainment destination. Our rides will truly complement all of the other attractions at Belle Island Village."

In addition to the amusement rides, Belle Island Village will offer main attractions, lodging accommodations, more than a dozen restaurants, more than 90 specialty retail shops and demonstration crafts, several entertainment venues and other attractions in a pedestrian-friendly design.

One of Belle Island Village’s main attractions includes the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Motion Picture Museum, estimated to be the largest private Hollywood collection in the world. The collection houses a wide array of Hollywood memorabilia, including Marilyn Monroe’s dress from The Seven-Year Itch, the famous white halter dress that the star wore standing over a windswept subway grate. The Museum plans a display for nearly every Academy Award®-winning film from past to present, so every member of the family will find film history eras of interest.

Another anchor attraction includes NASCAR legend and FOX commentator Darrell Waltrip’s Racing Experience, where a visitor can feel what it is like to take a 200-mile-per-hour turn on a virtual track, see the history of racing, visit a hands-on pit crew area, plus much more. The Darrell Waltrip Racing Experience aims to excite the NASCAR fan and also to educate visitors new to racing about this dynamic sport. A recent addition to Belle Island’s growing list of family-friendly attractions includes Otter Cove, produced in partnership with the Knoxville Zoo.
Belle Island Village is slated to be one of the largest themed destinations in the Southeast with more than three million anticipated visitors per year.

Information courtesy of Belle Island Village

More Details Surface on Titanic's Pigeon Forge Attraction

The keel is being laid for Titanic Pigeon Forge, a towering ship-shaped museum/attraction devoted to the world’s best-known ocean liner.

Christening of the 30,000-square-foot structure that will resemble the romantic cruise ship will be in the spring of 2010. It is a $25 million project of Cedar Bay Entertainment, which also is the parent company of the first Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Mo.

Titanic Pigeon Forge will open a little more than a year after the opening of another major tourism investment in Pigeon Forge, the $114 million Belle Island Village mixed-used development that will begin serving guests this winter.

“Home port” for Titanic Pigeon Forge is a 5.69-acre site on the Parkway near the Black Bear Jamboree, the Miracle Theater and WonderWorks on the north end of Pigeon Forge. The city is a gateway community to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and attracts more than 11 million visitors a year.

“Constant change and growth are Pigeon Forge’s greatest assets,” said John Joslyn, president of Cedar Bay Entertainment. “Visitors have always enjoyed many reasons to return to the area, and Titanic Pigeon Forge will easily become yet another reason to stop, shop and be entertained and enlightened.”

Joslyn’s interest in the Titanic began as a producer of television specials, and he has been to the bottom of the North Atlantic to see the actual Titanic while working on specials about the “unsinkable” vessel.

The attraction will display hundreds of priceless Titanic artifacts in 20 galleries on two decks that will also contain exact replicas of the “Grand Staircase,” a first-class suite, a third-class cabin and the Marconi wireless room. The bridge will offer interactive features similar to those of its Branson sister ship.

Each visitor will receive a boarding pass bearing the name of a real Titanic passenger or crew member and will be able to touch an iceberg, experience the chill of 28-degree water, sit in an actual life boat, “steer” the ship and send an SOS message.

“Titanic Pigeon Forge will be a welcome addition to our city’s list of quality attractions,” said Pigeon Forge City Manager Earlene Teaster, noting that it will complement Dollywood, Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede, WonderWorks, Belle Island Village, more than a dozen theaters, the Old Mill, Walden’s Landing and several outlet shopping malls.

Citizens National Bank has taken a leadership role in financing with the support of USDA Rural Development. Bob Fleming, president of Idletime is the creative director of the project; Butler, Rosenbury & Partners, Inc. is the architectural and engineering firm; and Turner Construction Co. is the contractor.

Cedar Bay Entertainment is a privately owned entertainment and development company headquartered in Branson. Its Titanic attraction there opened in 2006 and welcomed more than a million guests in its first two years.

A Tennessee connection to the Titanic . . . Of the wealthy first-class American passengers on the Titanic, the Carter family had deep Tennessee roots. Billy and Lucile Carter were on board with their two children, Lucile, 14, and William, 11. The family was prominent in Philadelphia society and entertained lavishly at residences in Bryn Mawr, Pa., and Newport, R.I.

Lucile Polk Carter’s Southern lineage was rich with history. Her mother, Lou Ellen Hought Anderson, was born in 1844 in Clarksville, Tenn., where the family stayed until Lucile’s grandfather died in 1876. Her paternal grandfather, David Peale Polk, was the full third cousin of James K. Polk, the 11th president of the U.S., making her “Young Hickory’s” third cousin twice removed. To honor Lucile and her family’s Tennessee heritage, Titanic Tennessee will dedicate a first-class suite to the Polk-Carter family.

Information courtesy of Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism

Titanic Museum Coming to Pigeon Forge

The Titanic is coming to Pigeon Forge.

The Sevier County tourist destination is adding to its list of attractions a Titanic Museum, a $25 million project that will be located on the Parkway where the Miracle Theater sits.

Pigeon Forge is the second locale for a Titanic Museum. Developer John Joslyn of Cedar Bay Entertainment built the first such museum in Branson, Mo., which Cedar Bay says has attracted more than 1 million visitors in two years of operation.

Titanic Museum is being developed as another Pigeon Forge tourist attraction, the $114 million Belle Island Village, nears completion.

Information courtesy of Knoxville News

Adventure Quest in Pigeon Forge Partially Opened for Visitors

Tourists and locals are starting to find Adventure Quest, an indoor family attraction that includes minature golf, a lazer maze and mirror maze.

Adventure Quest, located in in what used to be a helicopter museum on the Parkway, opened the lower level this month. The upstairs portion will not be completed until mid-August followed by a test walk-through in September, according to Ned Vickers, partial owner of the Adventure Quest Entertainment Group.

"Once the facility is completed we will have five attractions in total," Vickers said.
Currently three of the five are completed, with the Time Twister still in the works. Information on the fifth attraction isn't being released yet, Vickers said.

"The fourth bay (where the fifth attraction will likely be placed) has not even been started yet, but we hope to have it done by the first of the year," he said.

For now visitors have Pirate Golf decorated in neon lighting, with a pirate ship, a huge skull and interactive features that react to a putter's score.

Pirate Golf resembles a tropical island in which pirates had just landed.

The Vault takes visitors on a laser quest, where the goal is to contort one's body so as to not touch the lasers. Each time a laser is touched an alarm goes off.

In the Mirror Maze one has to try and find the correct route to the outside, which is not easy. There is an LED light display, which is green power friendly and infared cameras that pick up a person's movement.

"I know the way out, because I've been through here so many times; repairs are always needed for something," Vickers said.

Before entering the maze visitors are given plastic gloves so that they can feel the mirrors as they walk through. Gloves also keep the mirrors clean and other guests from figuring the way out easily.

Toward the end of the maze a type of forest is being constructed which Vickers hopes to have completed in a few weeks.

"We have the painter here every night working until 2 a.m.," he said.

The Hurricane Simulator is in a yellow booth, which, when activated, uses high wind pressure to show what it feels like to be in a hurricane. The simulator starts off with a small wind.

Time Twister, to be located on the upper level of the facility, is a interactive area where all the stations are controlled by several large units.

There is a distortion room where visitors can see what their companions look like in a smaller version, and a sound sensitive area where there is an active light display in which visitors use controls according to the beats of the music and lights.

"It's a lot like Guitar Hero," Vickers said.

Work on the outside of the building is still being done as well, but Vickers hopes to have all that completed within the next few weeks.

The 28,000-square-foot area building renovation cost $12.4 million, he said, which includes land. Adventure Quest is located next to the Flying Horse restaurant.

Information courtesy of The Mountain Press

Darrell Waltrip Experience Racing Towards Success at Belle Island Village

Jeff Hammond has an almost child-like excitement for racing. This fall, Hammond believes that excitement will be passed on to racing fans throughout the southeast as The Darrell Waltrip Racing Experience opens at Belle Island Village in Pigeon Forge.

In the years Hammond served as crew chief for Waltrip, the pair formed the strong bond that led them into the broadcast booth for Fox Sports and now into a joint venture that will be a cornerstone for the 26-acre $114 million development. Hammond said the project was a "golden opportunity" to make a statement about Waltrips' 28-year career in NASCAR.

"Darrell's a Tennessee boy," Hammond said Tuesday at Belle Island Tuesday. "His success at Bristol is legendary."

"(The Experience) is going to be an opportunity to go from the past to the present and look to the future of what racing's all about," Hammond said. "And with as many people that come through Pigeon Forge a year, we're going to offer up a unique insight not only into the past, but to the future of racing."

Hammond said his decision to join in with Waltrip on the project was a natural fit."(In our NASCAR careers) I'd build it and he'd drive it, so I'm trying to help build it so he'll drive it," Hammond said. "He is probably one of the best spokepersons, one of the best emissaries, whenever it comes to promoting anything. He has a way of sharing his innermost feelings and getting the message out there."

Hammond said that message will be a truly unique racing experience geared to give fans excitement like they've never had before - something better that other racing-themed events can't offer."Once we get what we feel is different and unique and exciting - when we get it put like we want to - then I know (Darrell's) really going to be proud as a peacock over it," Hammond said. "That's what I've always been about when it came to (our) relationship - building him not only a race car that he can win in, but building him something that he can go out and really just thump them with. And that's what we're going to do here with this Experience."

"We're not just going to have your average NASCAR experience or NASCAR park, we really want to build something that's going to be futuristic. In touch with the past, but with cutting-edge technology and opportunities to give the fans to touch and feel something that they can't do in a whole lot of other places. We'd like to be the trendsetters ... and have something that's not like what every other place has got."

Hammond says that will be a combination of modern technology, including interactive demonstrations and simulations, and entertaining historical displays."We're trying to take it to the next level, where fans can reach and touch it," Hammond said. "We've got some modern technology that's going to allow us to basically have an interactive conversation with fans in the theater," he continued. "It's also going to have the normal historical cars and some of the modern stuff - we're going to have a Car of Tomorrow sitting there so people can understand the difference between this race car and the other race car."

For fans that are new to the sport, Hammond said another area will concentrate on building a good solid knowledge base of the sport.

"We're going to have an area that is Racing 101, that people can go in there and get a better foundation to go off of. You may know who Tony Stewart is, you may know who Kyle Busch is, but you may not know who David Pearson was or who Richard Petty was. So we want to try to marry the past with the present."

Also, budding journalists will get a chance to live out their fantasies of working a race first-hand."We're also going to bring them through there and put them into our new profession, which is the broadcast side," Hammond said. "We're going to have it set up to where you get an opportunity to feel what it's like to be a Speed reporter or a NASCAR on Fox reporter."

And, Hammond said, vacationers who come to area every year can always come back without fear of seeing the same thing over and over again."We're looking to keep it on the cutting edge," Hammond said. "If you came back here in a year's time, it's not going to be the same thing - it's going to be different. It's not just going to be a museum that's going to be the same year in and year out. We want to keep it fresh. It's going to be new, it's going to be different. I've been to so many arcades, museums and fun houses and other venues that are just stale, and I don't want it to be that way."

In addition to the Darrell Waltrip Experience, visitors to Belle Island Village can take in the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Motion Picture Museum, the Knoxville Zoo's Otter Cove and a projected 90 specialty shops with a range of restaurants, stores entertainment venues.

Information courtesy of The Mountain Press

Image courtesy of Belle Island Village

Titanic Attraction Coming to Pigeon Forge

A historic disaster is coming to Sevier County.

Last month, according to county records, a Branson, Mo., company paid $2 million for a three-acre tract on the Parkway, just south of the Black Bear Jamboree in Pigeon Forge.

The buyer was Titanic Tennessee, LLC, and Pigeon Forge tourism director Leon Downey said the company is planning an attraction similar to Branson's Titanic museum.

At that attraction, visitors can "Walk an elegant replica of the Titanic's Grand Staircase ... Touch the frozen surface of an 'iceberg' ... Feel the chill of that fateful 'Starry Night' ...See the world's largest Titanic ship's model on display ... Stand on the mighty ship's bridge and hear the Captain's commands", according to the museum's web site.

John Joslyn, president of Branson's Cedar Bay Entertainment, declined to comment about his firm's plans.

Information courtesy of Knoxville News Sentinel

Adventure Quest Pigeon Forge Revealed

If you've been wondering what's going on with the former Helicopter Headquarters on the Parkway, here's the answer.

The building was purchased last December by the investment group Holrob-Henderson Chapel. The property was then leased to Adventure Quest Entertainment Group, an affiliate of Holrob-Henderson and owned in part by Pigeon Forge resident Jay Ogle. That firm is planning an indoor amusement park. Adventure Quest is a $12.4 million investment due to open in June.

The 28,000-square-foot structure is being referred to as a family adventure attraction. Exactly what it will include, though, remains a secret known only to those involved. Specific attractions have not yet been disclosed."We are bringing a new attraction that is so new and so different than what people are used to that we don't feel descriptions are appropriate enough at this point to disclose," Ned Vickers, co-owner of Adventure Quest, said.

"At Adventure Quest, we aim to provide experiences that appeal to the whole family," Ogle said. "We believe that today's consumer wants to be actively involved in the entertainment experience, and the next-generation attractions at Adventure Quest will offer a level of interactivity that is unsurpassed in the amusement industry."

"We are excited to be bringing new and unique entertainment options to Sevier County," Brad Smith, one of four owners of Adventure Quest, said.

Vickers said some of the attractions will be similar to those that are available in the area now, but Adventure Quest will put such a spin on them that they'll be different from anything seen before in this market. Vickers said renovations should be finished within the next three weeks. Upon completion of those renovations, Vickers said the company will the apply to the city for building permits to complete the project.Vickers says all permits needed so far have been acquired. The building plan has not yet been submitted, according to Joe Dunn, building inspector for the city of Pigeon Forge.

Construction is currently under way on the structure and facade. The building is being designed to resemble a four-story, medieval castle.

"After the structural modifications have been completed, Adventure Quest will begin installing the attractions," Vickers said.

Adventure Quest will offer six interactive experiences, Vickers said.

The Adventure Quest Entertainment Group is co-owned by Bob Talbot, Vickers, Smith and Ogle. The project is being financed by Citizens National Bank.

Information courtesy of The Mountain Press

Spin City Skate Center Opens in Pigeon Forge

Spin City Skate Center is one of the latest attractions in Pigeon Forge.

"We've been in the go-cart business in Pigeon Forge for years, for 25 years," Spin City Marketing Director Jennifer Leroux says. "This is our newest addition."

The rink is drawing visitors from all over, including Rick Walker from Oklahoma. He hasn't been skating since he was 12 years old. "I am just learning to do it again," he says. For spring break, his eight-year-old granddaughter wanted to give roller skating a whirl. They're taking it easy around the rink, but for Rick, skating is as much fun as it was back in the day. "We went everyday," he says. "It's kind of fun again. I miss doing it."

It's been 10 years since Sevier County has had a skating rink. Every hometown has one, but it's a new idea for a tourist spot. "We have to find creative ways to get the tourists in here to enjoy the rink," Leroux says.

So far the vibrant and innovative roller rink is working. There is a big screen in the center of the floor, where skaters can watch themselves go around the rink. The screen also plays music videos from Spin City's collection of 6,000 songs. The state-of-the-art light show, complete with flashing bright colors and disco balls, gets things rolling as well. While the music and lights may be booming, Spin City hopes its business will too, as skating rolls back into pop culture. "It's definitely making a comeback," Leroux says.

Spin City is located at light number four in Pigeon Forge, across from the Red Roof Mall.

Information courtesy of WBIR-TV

World's Largest Tony Roma's Opens in Pigeon Forge

The largest Tony Roma’s restaurant in the world opened on the Parkway in Pigeon Forge on Monday, March 24. Considered the pioneer of baby back ribs, Tony Roma’s has a global presence with more than 250 restaurants in 35 countries including the U.S., and average in size around 5,600 square feet. The Pigeon Forge location is nearly twice as large at almost 12,000 square feet – a statistic that will help meet the dining demands of a tourist destination with around 13 million visitors a year. It is also the largest restaurant in Pigeon Forge with 346 seats and will employee 160 employees.

The new franchise location is co-owned by David Fee, president, and Jim Hedrick, vice president, of the Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment Group. Both agree that size is not their ultimate objective, rather a quality family dining experience. Fee says, “The decision to open this particular franchise was based more on location and timing, in addition to the world-class reputation of Tony Roma’s first-rate food. Tony Roma’s has a beautiful upper-class appeal without the upper-class prices that make it affordable family-friendly prices.

“I ultimately chose to open a Tony Roma’s after seeing how it anchors large-scale developments in other tourist areas like Nashville and Myrtle Beach.” Fee says. With its location in walking distance to the nearby Black Bear Jamboree Theater and The Miracle Theater, Tony Roma’s is the perfect place to stop, dine and enjoy a wonderful meal between two attractions, both owned by the Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment Group. This restaurant has more to offer than its sizable capacity or world renowned ribs; it has unique flare to be enjoyable to both tourists and local residents of the area that will make return again and again.

Tony Roma’s has lots to offer beyond food including a private meeting/party room, a carry-out Ribs To Go service, gift cards, and Tony Roma’s online Roma Rib Expert Club, where you can get all the latest scoop on promotions, news, and special offers from the restaurant chain.

It’s located at 2050 Parkway in Pigeon Forge. The new restaurant is at the same location as the former Country Legends Grill and Alabama Grill and can be contacted at (865) 908-8777.

Information courtesy of Seymour Herald

Zorb Smoky Mountains Rolls into Pigeon Forge

Folks are finding themselves head over heels for a new attraction in Pigeon Forge that brings a little bit of New Zealand to the Smoky Mountains. After years of delays, Zorb Smoky Mountains, which challenges the brave and foolhardy to hop in giant ball and bounce down a mountainside, finally opened at the end of October.

The idea of Zorb is certainly unique and Pigeon Forge is playing host to its first location in North America. The attraction, born in New Zealand, offers several options and courses for riders, who are suspended inside a hollow ball inside a larger air-filled ball. Those with the courage to face the mountain can opt to be harnessed into the ball (the Zorb folks call it a Zorbit ride), meaning they will turn over and over just as the ball does, or they can take a Zydro ride, in which the Zorb ball is filled with water. One to three people can enjoy the Zydro ride, which keeps riders suspended at the bottom of the ball in cool water in summer and warm water in winter.

General Manager Eric Evans equates the ride to a hot tub on wheels, saying "It's the best hot tub you'll ever roll in."

Assistant General Manager Winston Burbage offers a different comparison to describe the ride."It's like being in a big washing machine, except you don't spin," Burbage says. "The first time you ride, it is completely different than you can possibly imagine."

The attraction's opening came with some fan fair, as both "Good Morning America" and "The Today Show" are featured segments on it. "This has been great for us," General Manager Eric Evans aid. "A lot of our business will come from word-of-mouth referrals, but the publicity is nice. We expect to do a big marketing campaign soon, but we think our best advertisement will be from people going home and telling all their friends about how much fun this is."

It seems that sort of individual marketing campaign may be successful for Zorb, though it's stuck in a field off the little-traveled Sugar Hollow Road. So far nearly fifty people have taken a ride, all of them reporting they had a ball at the spherical attraction, Evans said.

"The response has really been amazing," he said. "We've had some major delays, but all of our first customers have said it's one of the most fun things they've ever done. There's really nothing else like it."

Information courtesy of The Mountain Press

SwiftWater Run new ride at Dollywood's Splash Country

Dollywood's Splash Country announces SwiftWater Run, the newest ride addition, will open in May at the 35-acre water adventure park located in Pigeon Forge, TN.

"I was looking for something that would set folks to spinning, and that's just what my SwiftWater Run will do," Dolly Parton said. "This ride's got a few twists and turns and spins, but that's all I'm gonna tell until next May."

A tubing bowl ride, SwiftWater Run offers double or single passenger tubes that take passengers through a 54-inch diameter tunnel that propels them into a large bowl feature. After multiple revolutions, passengers the encounter a corkscrew before navigating a downward chute that plunges into the landing pool.

A $1 million investment, SwiftWater Run will be located amid the water slide complex that includes Mountain Scream and Mountain Twist.

Dollywood's Splash Country is located adjacent to Dollywood. The park operates from mid-May through mid-September.