A Smoky Mountain Christmas

BY JOE TENNIS
Media General News Service
Published: November 20, 2008

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. – All of a sudden, plates started flying.

The seats started jerking. And faintly, you could smell a whiff of hot chocolate.

All this was almost like taking a real ride on the “Polar Express” to the North Pole.

But wait – in another minute, this railroad took a raw turn.

YOU SHOULD KNOW

What: Smoky Mountain Christmas

Where: Dollywood, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

When: Through Jan. 3

Info: (800) DOLLYWOOD

Web: http://www.dollywood.com

Slipping off a long run of tracks, the train climbed and started skidding, crazily out of control, on a solid sheet of ice.

By now, the motion seats at Dollywood’s Imagination Cinema had really started rocking.

And then?

Well, just as sudden it seemed, the “Polar Express” eased into Santa’s workshop, surrounded by countless elves.

And there, staring at the face of Santa Claus, you just had to believe in magic.

‘LOVED IT’

All this is part of the new “Polar Express 4-D Experience,“ a feature of Dollywood’s 19th annual Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.

“This is a big show, where you’re kind of part of the whole thing,“ the park’s namesake, Dolly Parton, said during a recent telephone interview. “It’s a wonderful thing for families. That’s our big Christmas thing.“

“Polar Express” riders wear 3-D glasses as they watch a short version of the popular Tom Hanks movie “Polar Express,“ staged in the same theater that has been home to the action ride “Thunder Road,“ off and on, for about a dozen years.

Inside, Debbie Puckett, 47, of Ringgold, Ga., arrived at Dollywood early on a Saturday morning to be among the first in line for the ride.

“I loved it,“ Puckett said. “I liked the hot chocolate scene, the 3-D effect. And I really liked just the snippets of the movie.“

Puckett’s husband, Jackie Puckett, 56, chose to sit out, however, instead of being jerked around in the giant motion chairs of the Imagination Cinema.

All that movement, he said, bothers his arthritis.

Still, he watched the 12-minute-long movie in the theater – on a set of motionless bleachers.

Outside, meanwhile, Robert Rester of Pigeon Forge, Tenn., stood at the front of the theater, ready to pose for pictures as the “Polar Express” train conductor.

“There are two-hour waiting times for the ride,“ Rester said. “All the guests I talk to are awestruck after viewing the 4-D. This is kind of a ride-slash-show. It’s really taken off.“

‘HOLIDAY JOURNEY’

“Polar Express” is only one part of the Pigeon Forge theme park’s holiday happenings.

Other attractions include a series of shows that range from song-and-dance routines to a live nativity scene.

Still, the main attraction of all the holiday shows at Dollywood is “Babes in Toyland,“ highlighted by the march of 21 toy soldiers and a surprise finale that soars above the crowd.

Nearly an hour long, the explosive – and sometimes foggy – Dollywood’s “Babes In Toyland” production recently won an honorable mention for best overall production in 2007 by the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.

“Every year at Dollywood at Christmas is so special,“ said Parton, an internationally known singer and actress. “We have so many people who come to the park.“

This year, more than 4 million holiday lights are featured at the park, outlining longtime landmarks like the grist mill, train depot and the barn housing the park’s indoor roller coaster, the Blazing Fury, as well as countless trees and shrubs.

(276) 791-0704

THERE’S MORE ONLINE

Hear Dolly Parton speak in an exclusive interview with the Bristol Herald Courier about her relationship with “Hannah Montana” star Miley Cyrus. Listen to the interview at http://www.tricities.com.