Amusment Parks: Take a Journey to the Center of the Earth™ 4D at Dollywood’s KidsFests Blooloop

Dollywood welcomes the summertime travel season with its seventh annual KidsFest celebration which begins June 12 and includes two new entertainment offerings.

“I’m the biggest kid I know, and nobody gets more excited about my KidsFest celebration than I do, ” Parton said. “I’m especially pleased about all of the great entertainment that we have for families with children of all ages. I’m calling it our ‘Summer of Adventure’ because there’s something to suit every little adventurer here at Dollywood.”

Dollywood’s Imagination Cinema welcomes the Journey to the Center of the Earth 4D adventure. Brendan Fraser stars as Professor Trevor Anderson who, along with his teen-aged nephew Sean and their mountain guide, Hannah, embarks on an action-packed odyssey. The trio encounters a series of hair-raising close calls only to discover there is just one way out of this incredible quest to discover a lost world.

Something new is stirring at Dolly’s Imagination Playhouse where the award-winning Penguin Players debut two brand-new sing-along stage shows. The popular children’s storybooks Llama Llama Red Pajama and Skippyjon Jones join the lineup this year. Llama Llama Red Pajama tells the story of Baby Llama and his mama while teaching audiences that there’s no problem too big for the two of them. Skippyjon Jones is a rambunctious Siamese kitty boy with very large ears and a gigantic imagination to match, and he just can’t stay out of trouble. The much-loved favorite The Little Engine That Could! returns to complete the lineup.

To coincide with the opening of KidsFest, Parton releases a new children’s book entitled I Am a Rainbow in which she explores the rainbow of emotions inside us all. The book encourages children to understand their own feelings while also respecting those of others. Published by Putnam Juvenile, I Am a Rainbow also inspired a new song featured during each Penguin Players performance. Parton also wrote all of the songs featured in the three Penguin Players shows.

The Kratt Brothers make a triumphant return with their award-winning live stage show Creature Adventures starring the Kratt Brothers! Stars of the popular PBS children’s Zoboomafoo television series, Chris and Martin, the original creature adventurers, are back at Dollywood this summer with a cast of their amazing animal friends. The Kratt Brothers take audiences on an exciting expedition to discover some of the world’s most interesting animals on stage at Showstreet Palace Theatre.

The Knoxville Zoo’s animal caregivers are back for a summer of Kamp KidsFest featuring Kreatures, Kritters and Krafts. Open daily, Kamp KidsFest lets guests of all ages get up-close with a variety of small animals, remarkable reptiles and captivating bugs.

Sandscapes, 12-time winner of the World Sand Sculpture Championship, delights audiences as the world’s most amazing sandbox come to life. Sandscapes creates large-scale, three-dimensional sand sculptures. Last year’s design featured Dolly aboard the Dollywood Express steam locomotive.

About Dollywood, a 150-acre family adventure park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., won the Golden Tickets’ 2007 Publisher’s Pick for best theme park. Open nine months a year (March 27, 2009-Jan. 2, 2010), Dollywood offers more than 40 rides and attractions, including Thunderhead, twice named the world’s No. 1 wooden coaster, and Mystery Mine coaster, Theme Park Insider’s 2007 Best New Attraction. The winner of 11 Big E Entertainment Awards, more than any other park in the world, Dollywood’s live entertainment features country, bluegrass, gospel and mountain music. Plus, a dozen crafters authentic to the East Tennessee region demonstrate daily. Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas won the Golden Tickets best Christmas event in 2008. Operating days and hours vary. For more information, call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD or visit dollywood.com.