[Music]
many of you may have been to Dollywood
for a summer vacation or fall getaway
but did you know that Dollywood Smoky
Mountain Christmas festival has been
named the best holiday event in the
country for the last 11 years and
joining me to talk about it we have
Ellen Liston thank you so much for
coming here and welcome yeah it's kind
of a fun honor to be when you think of
all the great theme parks in the country
that our Christmas festival has been
named really in its category the only
theme park that has won this big honor
from kind of our industry standards so
kind of exciting and while I'm a little
biased about it yeah it it is such a
great family Christmas place just to
make memories that kind of will last you
throughout the rest of the winter
yeah I went over the summer and I had so
much fun and now I just really want to
go over the winter so tell us about what
people in it can expect during the
winter what everything changes except
for the rods so even in kind of cool
winter weather as long as it doesn't get
below 40 degrees all of our regular rods
are running so that's fun for the kids
who are like we're going to Dollywood do
we still get to ride rods yes you do but
all the shows turn into Christmas
entertainment you know we have three big
Christmas theatres we have three big
theaters great big Christmas shows and
then for outdoor theaters where we have
everything from kind of a country
Christmas to a nativity - we have
acapella singers that kind of stroll
around so great entertainment as you
would expect from Dollywood and then
there are all those lights so many light
yeah and then you all are doing
something new this year what are we
gonna find at Glacier rich what you're
gonna find even more lights sake I know
we've had more light for more lot lights
lights more lights I brought a few of
them with me yeah I know so maybe we
have five million and 20 years of then
but we've had four million lights for
the past I don't know 10 years or so so
this year Dali was like let's step that
up a little bit what can we do to add a
lot of new light so we've added a
million lights to mean over five million
lights with a million of them just in
this new glacier Ridge area where you
kind of walk in under this canopy of
lights like a going through it
of Christmas almost and you come upon
polar bears and light oh we've come down
to see their black bear cousins in the
Smokies you've got the Northern Lights
at the other end of glacier ridge and
then right in the middle of 50-foot
animated lit Christmas tree that every
about 30 minutes once the Sun Goes Down
adds a little entertainment to with a
show on the tree and of course you know
there's a little bit of dollar music
involved in that too little domesticated
absolutely oh my gosh this is amazing
so you mean you mentioned the lights
what else can people find the rides are
going they can come watch the shows what
else is going on well if you've got kids
perfect place for them to tell Santa
what they would like for Christmas he's
only there through December 23rd because
we're closed on the 24th and 25th he's a
busy guy he is a busy guy but Rudolph
I'm Prince Rudolph and Yukon kornelius
and Sam the Snowman and the abominable
snowman all there you can have your
picture made with them Rudolph will show
you how to make reindeer cookies play a
few reindeer games all in the holly
jolly area we read off from friends our
and he'll come back after Christmas for
the rest of the time we're open through
January 5th so kind of put you in the
spirit of Christmas but you're a little
kid or your big ol ass all the way all
ages great parents love it great place
to make some family memories at
Christmas so if people want to find more
information where can they go to easy
things and you really just have to
remember one word
Dollywood calm or call 800 Dollywood if
you want to find some more information
and we can set you up with tickets and
also if you might want to stay at the
resort or gap and we can help with that
too
January 5th through January 5th Ellen
thank you so much you're welcome maybe
we'll see you there yeah