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Dollywood is preparing for a future without Dolly Parton—but her presence will remain woven throughout the park and the Smoky Mountains. Here’s how Dollywood plans to carry its Dreamer-in-Chief’s legacy forward. FULL STORY: https://themeparksbydon.com/dollywood-future-without-dolly-parton-legacy/

LMC here again with an update to my Rivertown expansion idea. I've been thinking about what flat rides Kings Island needs, and I've come to the conclusion that it could be nice to have another Drop Tower in the park. This one would be a mid-size space shot tower around 100-150ft tall. The launch upward would differentiate it from Drop Tower while the lower height could be more appealing to families. Drop Tower's 300ft height may be too intimidating and the Kite Eating Tree isn't a ride for adults. Another 1-2 towers would add capacity if needed. I'm not sure how many towers would fit in the space I allocated for it, but my map was also just for visualization purposes. Rivertown really needs a traditional flat ride to add to its collection of three coasters, water ride, and railroad. It would be even better if Linus Launchers and CBRRLR could be folded into Rivertown and rethemed to match the area.

The creative mind who helped bring Disney’s Animal Kingdom to life is sharing what he learned about imagination, innovation and turning seemingly impossible ideas into reality. Joe Rohde’s new book, Floating Mountains, arrives Sept. 8—and it’s one I plan to add to my bookshelf. FULL STORY: https://themeparksbydon.com/joe-rohde-floating-mountains-disney-imagineer-book/

New menus look great. But have you ever had a meal from Enrique's look that good LOL

Some of the Winterfest lights were never taken out of the trees and have now been there now for several years. These LED strings usually have a 5 year life span in use so will see if Six Flags replaces them or lets them burn out like many of the C7 bulbs lining I street have. I did notice that last year when Pumpkin Eater moved into the theater space the entire strings of C7 lights outlining the theater roof were totally removed. Not sure why but the theater definitely looked better during the summer nights and Winterfest seasons with the lighted roof line.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Bmfm33Z54/ Looks like the Python has found a new home in a traveling circuit and is operating at the KY State Fair

Managed 15 visits this year so far. Hoping to add more over the next few weekends, a couple of Haunt/Fall visits, and at least one Winterfest visit (hopefully more). Between the parking, Fastlane, VIP lounge, and discounts… been pretty happy as a first time Prestige Pass buyer. I’m sure there’s plenty who are going to disagree for a number of different personal reasons, but all in all it’s been a pretty great season for the park, me, and the family. We’ve had a lot of fun, probably more fun than I’ve had in the park since I was younger. Things might not be perfect, but I wouldn’t say the sky is falling, especially compared to other parks. Not so much of an excuse for things that could be improved, but yeah. I definitely feel like it was worth it to go Prestige. Looking forward to the rest of the season and beyond.

IMO I feel like I got my value out of my pass this year. The first part of the season I had a very light attendance schedule as I was testing for certifications for work (the 9/10 aka a management cert for the financial industry) BUT I feel like I did get to use my pass at Cedar Point quite a bit in July, my free snacks and exclusive VIP parking enough to warrant the pass. Now I’m planning on heading out west to LA this October and I believe Knotts will be doable on that trip. I believe at this point I have the cash so im just going to buy my pass outright and all of the works for 2027.

Rivertown Expansion V2: Most of this is the same as before, but now with better visuals and a new reason for being. For its 50th anniversary season, the world's longest wooden coaster receives new surroundings and brings some of the old Rivertown back to life. What this expansion trades in quantity of attractions, it gains in long-term beauty. I'd love to see a small food stand — like Rivertown Potato Works but smaller — added somewhere in there as well. The mystique of walking down a dead-end path to The Beast would be lost, but I think this expansion would be better than nothing. These photos could serve as inspiration for what the new additions could look like. Image: Bob Joiner / KICentral; the old Rivertown | The bottom of the photo shows the old Rivertown Reel amphitheater. The lake under KCKC would serve as the basis for the new lake. A new gazebo next to the lake might also be a good option for smaller shows like Jingle Jazz. This would also be an opportunity to add a few more trees and shrubs back next to the railroad tracks. Image: Bill Rinehart / WVXU; Kemper House in Heritage Village, Sharon Woods Park | New Indoor VIP Lounge or other building. This style would play into Rivertown's "History of Cincinnati" theme. Credit: Google Street View; Rivertown Junction at Dollywood | New Indoor/Outdoor VIP Lounge. This kind of building would be closer to the VIP Lounge at Kings Dominion and would include some outdoor seating for the nicer days. Credit: Google Street View; Wilderness Theater at Six Flags Great Adventure | New Outdoor Amphitheater. This would provide a venue with covered seating and the potential to be somewhat enclosed for Winterfest. Credit: Google Maps; Red Garter Saloon at Cedar Point | This building would be a good basis for a new indoor entertainment venue and is about the same size as the Rivertown Arcade. Its smaller stage would provide a more intimate environment for shows.

Truly, I think they could utilize the service road (heading toward Slaughterhouse) by adding some quick rails and adjusting the fencing/walls. That would be more ideal than what is available right now.

A full re-route and separation would probably be the best option for it. Widening the path would still require a new bridge and might not solve the separation issue. I'm hoping the parks can take some time over the next few years to build dedicated Fast Lane paths for any ride that's still missing one. The Beast is the first that comes to mind, but I think there are a few other rides (especially at other parks) that still have Fast Lane going up the Exit path (which should be exclusively reserved for Accessibility and exiting purposes).

If only a trashcan was closer LOL