Oh, I Wish I was at Dixieland

"In Dixieland where fun is born,
Early on a springtime morn,
Come along, have some fun, have more fun,
Dixieland.

Oh I wish I was in Dixie,
Hooray, Hooray,
At Dixieland, we'll take our stand
To have more smiles and fun."

I have to admit it. I packed up a group of fun seekers representing all age groups to go and check out the rumor of an improved Dixieland Fun Park in Fayetteville, Georgia. The group consisted of a younger child, a teenager, a dad who really didn't want to go, and me.

We expected to be there for a couple of hours. After all, when riding past the park, it really didn't look any different. Not only that, but the thought of having to purchase all those tickets for the rides was enough to dampen my day.

The park has just opened for the season with its Dixie Dayz Spring Break. We thought it was a beautiful day to waste just a couple of hours, but we just couldn't do it. The hum drum of winter blues soon gave way to a fantastic sunny adventure for our group.

Gone are the days of carrying tickets around. Now there is just one admission price which allowed us to get in to everything- all the rides and the shows. Okay, so my winter blues were starting to see some rays of sunshine. No more would I have the burden of digging through my pockets to find tickets. One armband and off we went.

The lines were short on this opening day. The longest line we stood in was about 8 minutes for the famed Go Karts rides. The Go Kart rides have three tracks from which to choose, depending on your age and height, and are the most popular rides at the park.

After speeding around the track, off we raced to the roller coaster. Small by today's standards at the larger parks, this classic coaster still can hold its tracks up high. It was great as the Ok-so-I'm Here dads started to yell shouts of glee as the coaster flexed its muscle and had the riders off their seats in no time. Yep, we quickly realized the drops were faster than gravity, and we were laughing so hard as we experienced the momentary sensation of weightlessness.

Quickly now, we were ready for the Scrambler and the Spider. I admit it. The spinning rides were for me. Quick speed and turns were enough to make me scream in delight while the younger members of our party still had the loud laughter erupting from their throats.

Maybe it's time to settle down for a few minutes, or at least let the tummies calm down, and take in a show. On our visit, we were able to see the 2X World Champion Tommi Ahvala strut his stuff on his 145 pound bike. The trick riding was exceptional and the stunts were fun to watch. Just ask Steve, who was offered a shave and a hair cut!

The other show of the day was a reptile show. The difference between this show and others I've attended was the overall nature of it. The audience was allowed to view the snakes and large lizards up close and personal. Of course, all the snakes were quite docile and nonpoisonous. With that said, I still get queasy around the slithering animals. After the show, the audience was invited to hold some of the snakes and get to know them. Suffice it to say they were cold and had slick skins.

There was so much to do. We rode every ride in the park, and even took some time to enjoy a round of miniature golf.

Who knew that our winter time blues would turn to smiles of spring? Who knew that we would happily spend over eight hours in the park? Who knew that my wallet would enjoy the savings offered during these tough days of our economy?

Dixieland Fun Park. I've got to agree with their new slogan. It is, indeed, Fantastic Family Fun. And I can't wait to go back and see more of their new super shows over the season. After all, a quick commute of less than half an hour after a full day of family fun and memories will make me smile for a long time.

To find out more about Dixieland Fun Park, visit DixielandFunPark.com .

"Oh it was such fun in Dixieland,
Hooray, Hooray,
In Fayetteville, we'll take our stand
To have more smiles and fun,
Hooray, hooray,
What fun we had at Dixieland."

By A. S. Eldredge
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First Multiple Zip-Line at a Theme Park Debuts at Dollywood

(BUSINESS WIRE)--Starting in May 2009, Dollywood guests will be able to fly like an eagle over the 150 acre theme park and experience the majesty of the Great Smoky Mountains with the opening of SkyZip. SkyZip is the first multiple station zip-line experience to open in a U.S. theme park.

“SkyZip is the first of a series of premium experiences Dollywood plans to launch in the coming year. These high level family experiences are ‘ready-to-go’ meaning our guests just show up for the thrills, no previous experience or expensive gear needed,” said Ken Bell, president of Dollywood. “These deeper, personalized experiences will challenge our guests and often, fulfill lifelong dreams.”

Beginning early summer, the hour-long, premium SkyZip adventure will include up to five zip-line treks ranging in length from 100 to nearly 1,000 feet and a 100-foot long swinging bridge perched above the trees. Each zip-line is an elevated and inclined wire from which a pulley and a seating apparatus are suspended allowing the guest to move between two points via gravity.

Each SkyZip tour offers a distinctive adventure with a theme. Fliers will launch from a perch above the park’s region called Wilderness Pass and soar to Dollywood’s famed triple spiral-looping rollercoaster, Tennessee Tornado, and beyond. One trail takes adventurers breathtakingly close to Eagle Mountain Sanctuary. After a brief hike, the adventurers will zip above Craftsman’s Valley, which houses Dollywood’s talented artisans, to the same point where their adventure began.

As part of Dollywood’s celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the tour will also provide an environmental and historical tour of undeveloped and unspoiled property surrounding Dollywood hosted by specially trained adventure guides.

The new SkyZip is powered by Hawaii-based Skyline Eco-Adventures. In addition to park admission, an additional fee is required to experience SkyZip.

Skyline Eco-Adventures is a Hawaii-based, award-winning, zip-line developer and operator dedicated to making a positive impact on the environment. It is the first and most experienced U.S. zip-line operator, as well as the first zip-line company in the world to become a member of “1% for the planet,” a group of businesses committed to giving at least one percent of its sales back to environmental preservation. Skyline Eco-Adventures will continue that effort at Dollywood.

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