Dollywood's Mine Horror

As someone who grew up constantly visiting Dollywood park while everyone else went to Disney and Universal, I saw all the rides coming in and out of the area for years. Love it there, but the one disappointment I have is the park not having a Halloween like Universal or Six Flags, only a fall festival. They are a place that doesn't advertise to only children like Disney, so I don't personally understand why they don't have haunted house attractions and set ups there.

Dollywood already has a mine aspect with the creepy Mystery Mine ride, the Blazing Fury ride, and the Tennessee Tornado and Dragon Flier riding you into creepy hole caves that seem to go with the theme. There is always fire and timber in many of their rides. Dynomite and firecrackers abound! Busted up danger signs and falls that seem of no return! Fire in the hole!

Our family went to a hillbilly haunted attraction in Alabama where they drove around trucks, had a bonfire, and flame throwers. The creepy hillbilly theme made me think of these rides here. It made me imagine how Dollywood could definitely invest in going even more into this way to draw in the horror crowd and save the fall festival for November.

The reason for this could be that Dolly is not a horror buff, but it seems like could be done in how some of her rides go within that range. The real coal train they have adds to that soot creepy atmosphere with the whistle blowing into the dark nights of October. They already have a smoke machine going! They just need to add the spooky strobe lights on the side and a creepy laughing train conductor to make a ghost train.

I could imagine a haunted house where they revamp some old ride references within like tree limbs pretending to fall on you but stopping last moment like the timber tower. There could be the constant sound of falling limber and woods cracking all around. A possible reference to the old flooded mine ride or the white lightning smashing into a barn. There is so much horror that is specifically country that could be used like southern gothic or a reference to wildfires.

There could be a horror corn maze made and southern belle ghosts walking up and down the park. How about a tornado room just like how Gatlinburg has an earthquake ride? Another could be a cabin with a fake bear attack experience. A lumberjack man in overalls could run around at people with a hatchet or chainsaw while creepy banjo music plays in the background!

The shows put on during this time could be some amazing country spooky spectaculars like a haunted hayride for those who become tired of walking. Black cats would be perfect around there because of the true legend on the area about a woman turning into one and screeching at night. There is also a legend there about a ghost town and a road leading to nowhere which could also be implemented. An experience to make someone feel isolated discomfort would be great!

A western shootout show could be used to up the Interest of the attraction. Undead Old West is already a theme in the Blazing Fury to keep up the undead skeletal cowboys while horses could be dressed up to look haunted and ghostly while galloping through the park. Glowing pumpkins and spiced funnel cakes are awesome, but I always return to the park and sigh about how it has such a great potential to have hillbilly haunt nights!