Dollywood is gearing up for its grand reopening today, but not without issuing an important advisory to all guests.
While Hurricane Helene may have been downgraded to a tropical storm, it made landfall over Florida’s Big Bend last night as a Category Four hurricane, leaving over 1.2 million people without electricity this morning in the Sunshine State.
Florida’s theme parks weren’t directly hit by Helene, but they did experience their fair share of rain, wind, and tornado watches. Walt Disney World Resort axed last night’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, with guests attending Magic Kingdom Park given extended park hours until 8 p.m. instead.
Typhoon Lagoon, along with both miniature golf courses—Fantasia Gardens and Fairways Miniature Golf and Winter Summerland Miniature Golf—were also shuttered for the day, while some tours and experiences were canceled (and, in some cases, later uncanceled).
Universal Orlando Resort also decided to cancel Halloween Horror Nights for the evening and closed down Universal CityWalk early, while Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (which sits closer to the storm) closed for the entire day.
Beyond Florida, other theme parks locked down in preparation for the storm. Yesterday, Dollywood – Dolly Parton’s beloved theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee – made the last decision to close to all guests. The park had previously closed all of its iconic attractions, such as Lightning Rod, Tennessee Tornado, Wild Eagle, and Blazing Fury, early on Wednesday due to the worsening weather conditions.
Updated Dollywood Operating Hours
Fortunately, the park plans on opening to all guests today – but won’t be totally back to normal operations.
Dollywood’s X (formerly known as Twitter) account, the theme park (which celebrates the culture and people of the Smoky Mountains, as well as Dolly Parton’s own illustrious country music career) has warned guests that it will open late today.
PARK UPDATE: Dollywood Theme Park will reopen today with adjusted operating hours of 12 PM to 9 PM. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa and Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort remain open with regular hours.
PARK UPDATE: Dollywood Theme Park will reopen today with adjusted operating hours of 12 PM to 9 PM. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa and Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort remain open with regular hours. pic.twitter.com/C832FpjyQ9
— Dollywood Parks & Resorts (@Dollywood) September 27, 2024
Instead of opening at 10 a.m. as originally planned, the park will now open at 12 p.m. It will close at its regular time of 9 p.m.
Other theme parks are also expected to return to full operation today, with Universal Orlando Resort already confirming that it’s business as usual at Universal Studios Florida, Island of Adventure, CityWalk, and Volcano Bay.
For those who are visiting Dollywood today, that unfortunately means two hours less of its Harvest Festival. Named America’s Best Fall Event by USA Today, this features festive attractions such as the Great Pumpkin LumiNights, live performances of Southern gospel, bluegrass, Americana, and country tunes, and – most importantly – Festival Dining, with plenty of “mountain-fresh flavors and hearty harvest plates” on offer.
Those with a big appetite have the option of purchasing a Harvest Festival Tasting Pass, which allows guests to try up to five festival foods (such as the Harvest Succotash) for one low price.
Are you visiting a theme park today?