Re: Busch... No doubt Bush Gardens parks are meticulously maintained, and their attention to detail is commendable. However Busch is a unique entity. The Amusement Parks are HIGHLY funded by the companies outside beer sales. You can bet that sales of their product play a factor in the amount of money that gets sunk into the parks.

After all, Busch parks were built and exist for one simple reason... they soften the image of the Alcohol Distributing conglomorate. Much like Hershey, the parks began as a sort of "outlet" for the employees of the factories (Now defunct CA Bush park) and over time developed and expanded due to their ability to help promote the product, but in a family friendly way.

Re: Dollywood and SDC... Weren't they, at one time, owned by the same company that owned Fiesta Texas? If so, they sold off that property years ago. The thought of SDC taking over Paramount Parks is not a bad one, but like someone else said.. I'd not count on it.

Shaggy

Re: Dollywood and SDC... Weren't they, at one time, owned by the same company that owned Fiesta Texas? If so, they sold off that property years ago. The thought of SDC taking over Paramount Parks is not a bad one, but like someone else said.. I'd not count on it.

Shaggy

Was it the SDC parks group that built Fiesta Texas, or was it Gaylord Entertainment (Opryland)? I'm not 100% sure on that one, but for some reason I was thinking it was Gaylord...

I think you are right. I am not that familiar with the parks or their histories... although I have visited Dollywood, SDC and Celebration City... I've not yet had the chance to visit Fiesta Texas, and I missed Opryland by 1 year.

Shaggy

I believe Fiesta Texas was built by Gaylord Opryland or whatever that company is. Dollywood is operated by Silver Dollar City and Dolly Parton owns the park, but the park was Silver Dollar City and a bunch of other names before Dolly brought.

Dolly does NOT own Dollywood. She is an operating partner with the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation. Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation is an operating partner with Dolly in the Dollywood Company, which owns the Dollywood theme park and the Dollywood's Splash Country water park, both in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation owns and operates Celebration City and Silver Dollar City in Missouri, and as a partner with the state of Georgia, operates Stone Mountain.

Oh that is pretty cool. Must be why both parks are so great!

"Since 1986, Dolly Parton and Herschend Family Enterprises have remained partners in Dollywood, Tennessee's most-visited tourist attraction."

From Dollywood.com

http://www.dollywood.com/company-info/about.aspx

I was close, I am a Carowinds Historian not Dollywood. The whole Dollywood story is confusing to me. I know that Dolly approves everything that Dollywood gets, she also makes suggestions.

*UPDATE*

New photos from today (2/9/06) are up...

Click here for pictures.

*UPDATE*

New photos from today (2/9/06) are up...

Click here for pictures.

Wow a lot of work to go Will it be ready???