If you follow Disney Over 50 on Facebook or Instagram, you know that my daughter and I recently visited Dollywood Theme Park in Tennessee for the first time. I thought I’d share a few thoughts here as well.
If you don’t know, the “Dolly” in Dollywood is country music superstar Dolly Parton. There is plenty of information about Dolly at the park. You can tour her bus, see much of her memorabilia, and watch a show about her life and career. That said, you don’t have to be a fan of Dolly Parton to enjoy Dollywood. If you’re not, just skip those areas.
While we were there, the Flower & Food Festival was taking place, and it was beautiful. It’s similar to the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, except that the topiaries (called “mosaicultures”) were mostly animal themed instead of Disney themed. We didn’t purchase any of the festival foods because my daughter has an allergy and items weren’t clearly marked. That was okay, though, we weren’t there to eat.
It had been a long time since I visited a theme park for the first time. When we first arrived we weren’t sure exactly where to go, but we found our footing soon enough. The Dollywood app helped when looking up specific attractions, especially the map feature.
There’s a great mix of rides at Dollywood. You’ll find everything from classic carnival rides to amazing thrills. There are plenty of rides for the littlest ones in your party. TimeSaver is available for purchase to cut down on the lines, but we didn’t buy it. Even though it was a Saturday, the waits were manageable. My favorite ride that we went on was FireChaser Express. It’s a family roller coaster that was an equal thrill to Slinky Dog Dash or SeaWorld’s Penguin Trek. I’m not a fan of huge coasters, and this one was just right.
There is a lot of live entertainment at Dollywood. Much of it is music. From The Heart – The Life and Music of Dolly Parton is must-see. Not only is it filled with great performances, you’ll wonder just how many wigs are worn. The cast is top-notch. It’s also a great place to sit down for a while.
Another must-do is a ride on “Cinderella”. Head to the Dollywood Express Train Depot. Check the schedule ahead of time. The day we were there the train (named Cinderella) was only running around the top of the hour. The line grew long quickly each hour, and once the train was full it would leave the station. Cinderella takes you up into the mountains, and the view is gorgeous! You’ll learn some fun facts and hear a few bad jokes along your journey.
We ate dinner at Till & Harvest Food Hall. The food was good but nothing special. I highly recommend Mobile Ordering through the Dollywood App. The line to order inside the eatery was long, but we were able to get our food right away. (The Mobile Order menu was not the same as the in-house menu.) The staff was great with my daughter’s allergy.
The signature food item at Dollywood Theme Park is the Cinnamon Bread at The Grist Mill. We walked by several times during the day, and eventually gave in to the smell! The end of the evening line gets a bit long, with people picking up one (or more) to take home. The Cinnamon Bread is delicious, and it’s also very messy. I was glad that I had an extra plastic bag, because otherwise it would have leaked all over my stuff.
We loved Dollywood, and hope to return at some point. Pigeon Forge is a great town, and we’d love to explore more. I’ve heard that Dollywood Theme Park is incredible during the Christmas Season. Maybe we’ll be able to experience that someday.
One final word that isn’t directly Dollywood related. Pigeon Forge Mass Transit has a great trolley system where you can ride all day for only $3.00! Just make sure you get on the right trolley. I won’t go into details, but I will tell you that the drivers are very helpful if you make a mistake…