Ok lets just have a little poll here (though on this formum it may not be fair). Which park due you perfer, SDC or Dollywood. I have to exclude my self because I have never visited Dollywood, but my Kids have gone and the felt that SDC was better( Sorry BetaMike but I have the same feeling for the Magic Kingdom Florida). And also do you feel that the company spends more money on Dolly then their true home?
I don't know that we need to compare the parks like this. They're both pretty awesome in their own right. As for how much money is spent on each, I don't want any feeling rubbed either way about which park is "more deserving", etc. Too many fansites are mirred in these kinds of discussions.
I don't know if enough of us have been to both parks to do a very extensive poll. I've not been to Dollywood, so can't say...
At the end of the day the apple, and the orange are both still a fruit. I personally prefer Silver Dollar City. However, I have never been to Dollywood, and have only experienced it through pictures, and videos online. So I can't make a fair comparison.
Chances are if you like one, then you will also like the other since they are sisters of each other. I would not call them twin sisters, but their similarities outweigh their differences. :)
My family has been fortunate to attend both parks several times in recent years. We love both SDC and Dollywood and have a great time at each one. They are similar in so many ways and different in so many ways. But, they both deliver family fun and an escape from everyday hassles and pressures. That being said, if you told me right now I could go to one or the other I would probably pick Dollywood. It just seems to me Dollywood has been aggressively moving forward the past few years improving the park while SDC has been treading water, unsure of the direction it wants to go while loosening (read losing) some of the traditions and theming of the past. I really like them both and I'm not trying to demean SDC, just trying to give an honest answer.
I'm in the same boat as oldsdcer and tinaalsgirl. I've never been to Dollywood so I can't really say.
A SDC man at heart DOllywood is forging ahead at all times, they have more to do as far as rides and activities.
SDC has a little more in retail but because interest in retail is floundering I think Dollywood favors todays travelers.
I have been to both and I still think SDC has a Charm that DW does not. Don't get me wrong DW has some great rides but the heart is still at SDC...
As a former "Citizen" of SDC and DW, I love both parks. I think the employees at SDC do a better job with the guests, I think the SDC folks are more knowledgeable about their park. SDC is the safest park I have been associated with, hands down, everyone there is really safety first, and the consistant theme at SDC is awesome. DW does a better job in with parking/trams, and I think the lines for rides move a little faster at DW, when I go as just a guest I think i prefer DW, but i wish it had as much shade as SDC, the new section at DW is brutal on a day when it's sunny and 98.
But they are both great parks!
SDC is the cradle. All things (including Dollywood) sprang from it. SDC,TN first, then redevelopment to DW. It is true, with the "rebranding" to DW, the Tennessee park has successfully jumped out into the public eye in it's own right. Dolly is the "face" of the park, and it exists separately from SDC in that way. Both parks are wonderful. Each park has similar things to offer, and different things. Each park is perfect for the place it is in. ENJOY THEM BOTH, one is not better than the other. Have fun ya'll! :D
QuoteI think the employees at SDC do a better job with the guests........ and I think the lines for rides move a little faster at DW
I agree about the rides running faster but on the employees....
Folks 99% of the employees used to go out of there way to please you, put a smile on your face, On my recent trip to Dollywood I found the employees to be nicer as a whole. I know I will probably be lynched for this but SDC employees are not feeling the love, they are underpaid? why yes they are. They work long days in hot conditions? oh yea.
But you can tell the " Old Folks" from the new employees.
I called SDC the other day because I had not received my Pasttimes fl yer, I actually called them 3 times over a 4 week period. They transfer ed me to a woman who said " well I mailed it.....I don't know what you want me to do ?" I replied ' please mail it again and check the address.....thank you'.
I get more of this as time goes on, maybe we are to hurried in these times and maybe they are unappreciated.
I bet it was a different deal when the family was still there, it does make a difference to be able to look at your boss and not just one of the cogs in the machine.
I will digress, DW is giving SDC a real run for their money.
Quote from: oklaSDCfan on August 18, 2010, 11:29:49 AM
I have been to both and I still think SDC has a Charm that DW does not. Don't get me wrong DW has some great rides but the heart is still at SDC...
A lot of the "charm" that we associate with SDC was at DW when it was SDCTN, but a lot of the little signs and quirky things that make SDC are no longer present at DW.
One thing that annoys me about DW is that there is no one unifying theme to the overall park. It bothers me that there is an 1880s section and then a 1950s section with no segue whatsoever. However I like both parks for what they are, BUT if I had to choose one, it would SDC hands down.
SDC goes beyond a typical park's ability to help us escape the chaos of our world, if only for a day. It's true character and unparalleled quality lies in instantly sweeping patrons away to a simpler, carefree era the moment they walk through the gates.
I have yet to visit DW. I have good intentions to go, but when it gets right down to it, I would rather drive 6 hours to SDC than 11 hours to DW. That 5 hour difference in the van with a 6 year old tips it to SDC every time.
As far as employee attitude, I have only had one indifferent experience over the 8 years we have been going. My oldest daughter who was 12 at the time and growing like a weed were at the Mill and when we checked out I was charged adult price for the 2 buffets. I told her my daughter was 12 and she looked up and down Hannah and kind of snorted and gave the me the child rate. An older lady who obviously had had her fill for the day.
Otherwise, everyone has always been very pleasant. Can you imagine the working conditions in those costumes on 100 degree days, I might get a little cranky too, especially at the GE.
Harp
I haven't been to DW, but I can tell you right now that I like SDC better. Having a 1950s area (as someone mentioned above) in the park with the 1880s area ruins the theme effect. Theme is SDC's strong point. As someone else above said, when you enter SDC you are transported back in time to that much less-hurried pace we all crave.
SDC is your first home, your first love, it will always be something special even if it does not have all the shine, bells, and whistles, of your later life. It is a special place where you can go and get away. It is more retail driven and because of this it does feel more like a real city. It does feel like you are visiting old friends when you get on the train, the mine, Grandpa's Mansion.
I have never been to DW, but we are planning a trip next Spring/ Summer so that we can get a good comparison between the two.As a 30 yr SDC guest, I think that I know which one will end up as my favorite.
Just don't go expecting SDC and you'll really like DW. It's not SDC, but it never claimed to be either.
Quote from: Swoosh on September 07, 2010, 12:11:57 PM
Just don't go expecting SDC and you'll really like DW. It's not SDC, but it never claimed to be either.
Yes it did back in the 1970's. ;D
I'm just teasing. I agree though, Dollywood is a theme park. Silver Dollar City is heart, and soul that just also happens to have some roller coasters. :)
Understandable. I purchased a wooden entry sign from there when it was SDC (Ax in Log) and obviously I know it WAS an SDC, but know it has grown ito its' own sort of park.
(Hopefully thisa policy will still be in place for 2011) With my current SDC season Pass I can get 50% off regular one-day admission to Dollywood & Dollywood's Splash Country® . This would take the $55.90 and lower it to under $30. I can handle that!
Dollywood is still a terrific park, and with a bargain like that, I definitely say go for it. You will have a great time! :D
^^3 years ago we could could get in free with an All-City Pass. >:(
Quote from: Swoosh on September 07, 2010, 05:03:46 PM
^^3 years ago we could could get in free with an All-City Pass. >:(
True that. And we did. In fact, I went expecting we would each get one free one-day ticket. When we went, though, they said we could have a free ticket every day we wanted to come--Splash Country, too! We went two days to Dollywood and one day to Splash Country. Talk about a budget vacation!
I really liked Dollywood. I want to go back sometime, but there are so many places I want to go and so many things I want to see. Will SDC always be first in my heart? Yes. But Dollywood is wonderful. It didn't feel out of theme to me, especially when you realize that Dollywood's theme is the time periods of Dolly's life and a celebration of the people of the Smokies. It is a charming park, and we enjoyed the aspects of the park that SDC doesn't have, like the eagle sanctuary and show.
I agree with Swoosh. Don't expect it to be SDC. Enjoy it for what it is.