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Friday turned out to be a very pleasant evening at the park despite the rainy misty start. The additional lights around the park look great. The new decor, along with a handful of changes like the unique music loop and repurposed Haunt props in Rivertown as well as new blocking and choreography at Mistletones and Cool Yule, makes this year's WinterFest feel freshened up despite the cuts. While the energy of Four Drummer Drumming, Jingle Jazz and Holly Jolly Trolley is certainly missed, we're still happy to have such a large holiday event so close to home.

New in the Sweet Spot! Knott’s Boysenberry stuff!

Like you, I hadn't been there since Fire Chaser opened. The park was beautiful (we went around the first of October and the fall decorations and Halloween lights were up) and everything was great. Next year, Lightning Rod will have a standard lift hill and not the LSM launch up the hill. The launch was fun (nothing like Flight of Fear's launch or Stunt Coaster) but you won't miss much with the more standard high-speed lift. Big Bear Mountain (the new coaster) was a fun family coaster and quite enjoyable. It's also one of the few parks where I took time to watch a few different shows. The park was very clean and the setting (surrounded by the Smokies) is maybe one of the best settings for an amusement park. I can definitely see why Dollywood received the accolades. Friendly and helpful staff, including the tram team telling jokes or trivia while you're riding to and from your car. Just the little things that make a visit better.

Seriously? The sign spells Kings Island with an apostrophe. Last paragraph at the bottom…

Dollywood has once again proven itself a beacon of exceptional customer service, earning a place in Forbes’ prestigious Best Customer Service list. https://themeparksbydon.com/forbes-recognizes-dollywood-in-top-1-for-customer-service/

Herschend has also done wonders improving the experience at Kentucky Kingdom.

It's worth noting that in our experience Silver Dollar City in Branson also has exceptional hosts. Herschend seems to be doing something right.

Just visited their site to see if they’ve updated it to reflect these “anticipated” additions. Literally one line of copy on their home page that easily missed if you’re not looking for it. On a side note, I noticed this: I find it hilariously ironic that they have a beautiful, historic venue that was literally built to host Big Band concerts that’s currently being neglected/used for storage. Sigh.