Dollywood's Splash Country facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dollywood's Splash Country |
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| Slogan | "Love Every Moment." |
| Location | Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, United States |
| Coordinates | 35°48′35″N 83°32′03″W / 35.809792°N 83.53417°W |
| Owner | Herschend Family Entertainment, Dolly Parton |
| Opened | 2001 |
| Previous names | Dolly's Splash Country |
| Operating season | May–September |
| Status | {{{status}}} |
| Area | 35 acres (140,000 m2) |
| Children's areas | 3 children's areas |
| Website | http://www.dollywood.com/waterpark.aspx |
Dollywood's Splash Country is a huge water park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It's right next to the famous Dollywood theme park. This park is all about entertainer Dolly Parton's childhood memories of swimming in the rivers of the Great Smoky Mountains.
You can visit Dollywood's Splash Country from May through September each year. It's co-owned by country music star Dolly Parton and the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation.
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Park History
Dollywood's Splash Country first opened its doors in May 2001. It was a big new addition to the Dollywood Company's parks. The park was built right into the natural hills of a 25-acre mountainous area. It cost about $20 million to build!
To pick a name for the park, Dolly Parton held a contest. She got over 16,000 ideas! A person named John Torres won the contest. He and his family got five years of free passes and a canoe signed by Dolly Parton herself.
When it first opened, the park had many fun rides. These included the Mountain Waves wave pool, Raging River Rapids, the Downbound Float Trip lazy river, The Butterfly, Little Creek Falls, Wild River Falls, and Mountain Scream.
Rides and Attractions
Dollywood's Splash Country has many exciting rides for everyone. Some rides have height rules, while others are great for all ages.
Thrill Rides (Height Required)
- Big Bear Plunge - Get ready for a wild ride! Groups of 3 or 4 people raft down a white-water themed slide.
- The Butterfly - This ride has two fast waterslides. You slide down 55 feet and splash into a butterfly-shaped pool. It's the second-fastest ride in the park!
- Fire Tower Falls - These are super-fast twin waterslides. They start 70 feet up in the air and are the fastest rides at the park.
- Mountain Scream - This ride has three different slides. Two are tunnel slides, and one is an open slide.
- Mountain Twist - On this 42-foot-long open slide, you slide down headfirst on a mat.
- Raging River Rapids - Grab your friends (3 to 5 people) and raft down this 700-foot-long slide.
- RiverRush - This is a special water coaster! It uses water to blast you past trees and through twisty turns. It has a 25-foot drop and is 1,176 feet long.
- Slick Rock Racer - Challenge your friends on this multi-lane mat racer. Four riders can race down 300-foot-long channels to the finish line.
- Swift Water Run - This ride spins you around a corkscrew funnel before sending you through a tunnel and into a shallow pool.
- TailSpin Racer - This is a huge, five-story-tall mat racer with six lanes. Get ready for tight turns in enclosed tunnels!
- Wild River Falls - This ride has four slides where single or double riders zoom down flumes into a splash pool.
Relaxing & Family Fun (No Height Required)
These attractions are fun for everyone, even if they don't have height rules.
- Bear Mountain Fire Tower - This is a multi-level play area for families. It has seven slides and a giant wooden bucket that dumps 300 gallons of water every few minutes!
- The Cascades - This 8,000-square-foot area has a beautiful waterfall, a 20-foot geyser, a body slide, and a shallow play area for kids. There are 25 fun things to do here!
- Downbound Float Trip - Relax and float along this 1,500-foot-long lazy river.
- Little Creek Falls - This area is just for children 48 inches and under. It has a pool, slides, and fun activities.
- Mountain Waves - This is a huge 25,000-square-foot wave pool where you can splash and play in the waves.
Places to Eat
When you get hungry, Dollywood's Splash Country has many places to grab a bite:
- Campsite Grill - Enjoy hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken tenders, pizza, and more.
- Dogs 'N' Taters - Perfect for corn dog nuggets, chicken nuggets, and french fries.
- Fill & Chill Zones - If you buy a special mug, you can get free cold drink refills here.
- High Country - Find hot dogs, chili dogs, nachos, and frozen lemonade.
- Miss Mamie's - Serves personal-pan pizzas, breadsticks, and drinks.
- Outpost Snacks - Offers chili dogs, pulled pork BBQ sandwiches, and nachos.
- Watering Hole - For healthier options like salads, sub sandwiches, and different kinds of nachos.
Park Amenities
Dollywood's Splash Country wants to make sure you have a comfortable visit.
- Shaded Rentals - You can rent private areas called Riverside / Waterside Retreats. They are about 14 by 21 feet and offer lots of shade. They even have a TV, a ceiling fan, and comfy chairs. Staff can bring food to your retreat! Smaller shaded spots called Canopies are also available.
- Big River Pavilion - This is a special area for large groups, like company or family parties. It can seat up to 96 people and has food service and restrooms.
- Riverside Trading Post - Forgot your swimsuit or sunscreen? This shop sells souvenirs and most swimming supplies like towels, bathing suits, and swim diapers.
You can get life jackets for free at different spots around the park. Tubes for the wave pool, lazy river, and tube slides are also free. The park has showers, changing areas, restrooms, and baby care centers. You can also rent strollers and wheelchairs.
The park has a team of trained lifeguards to keep everyone safe. There's also a first aid station with medical staff on duty all day.
What's New Over the Years
Dollywood's Splash Country has grown and added new things over the years:
- 2001 - The park first opened.
- 2003 - A 2-acre expansion called Raintree Hollow opened, adding Soaker Springs and Mountain Twist.
- 2004 - Dolly's Splash Country changed its name to Dollywood's Splash Country. Big Bear Plunge and the Riverside Retreats were also added.
- 2005 - Bear Mountain Fire Tower, a multi-level play structure, and a new restaurant called Brushfire Grill opened.
- 2006 - Fire Tower Falls, twin speed slides, were added.
- 2007 - The park expanded with The Cascades. They also added more "retreats" for guests to rent.
- 2008 - SwiftWater Run, a corkscrew waterslide, replaced the Soaker Springs area.
- 2009 - More food options like Philly cheesesteaks were added.
- 2010 - Slick Rock Racer, a four-lane mat slide that's 300 feet long, was added.
- 2012 - Brushfire Grill was updated and became Dogs 'N' Taters.
- 2013 - RiverRush, a special water coaster, opened. The park also started offering the TimeSaver H{{subst:2}}O pass to help guests reserve their spot in ride lines. The park's logo also got a small update.
- 2016 - The Watering Hole restaurant got a big makeover.
- 2017 - A new ride called TailSpin Racer opened near the park entrance. Wild River Falls also got a fresh new look with new paint.
Awards and Recognition
Dollywood's Splash Country has won some cool awards:
- 2001 - It was named the Best New Water Park in America by the World Waterpark Association.
- 2007 - The park won the Must-See Waterpark Award at a big amusement park expo.
- 2013 - RiverRush was voted the Best New Ride (Waterpark) of 2013 in the Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards.
