Thinking about hitting Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee during your family vacation? I have been dying to do for YEARS and recently, my parents hit the park during their cross-country road trip. I seriously couldn’t be more jealous! You’ve seen their Instagram posts and stories from time to time (as the Babes In Disneyland Grandparents), and they are excited to be publishing their first blog post!
Here are their tips and observations in their own words, plus some pics from their visit.
Dollywood Basics
Tickets & Transportation: We bought our tickets at the hotel before going down to the trolly that takes you to the park. The cost for the ride to Dollywood was 50 cents per person one way or $2.50 per person for an all-day fare for unlimited rides on multiple routes from the main station. If you wish to park at the theme park, it’s $12.00.
Ticket Prices: Dollywood tickets start at $70 for one-day tickets. There are combo tickets if you wish to visit the waterpark. (We didn’t got to the waterpark.)
Because we bought our tickets ahead of time we were able to go through the security check and them show our printed ticket to get in. The security check was quick. Unlike Disneyland, there is no metal detector to go through before entering the park.
Weather: As you can imagine, the time of year you go is very important. The weather was in the 80’s but not humid in early may. We were told summer are bad because of the heat and humidity.
Visit Timing: We would recommend two days to fully enjoy the park. This does not include the waterpark.
TimeSaver: All rides and shows are free with your paid admission, but if you get TimeSaver you can save a lot of time waiting in line. It is the equivalent to Disneyland’s FASTPASS / MAXPASS. For rides, you get expedited entrance ten times throughout the day. For theaters you get unlimited show reservations. If you get the TimeSaver Unlimited, you get expedited entrance at your choice of participating TimeSaver attractions and unlimited show reservations at participating theaters. Learn more about the prices on the Dollywood website. It’s a really good idea if you only have one day.
Dollywood is GREAT!
We have high standards when it comes to theme parks. We are Disneyland annual passholders and visit Disneyland and Disney California Adventure at least once a week, often times more. We were very surprised at the how nice the park was. It’s beautiful!
The areas of the park are themed, much like Disney Parks.
There were plenty of places to eat and shop. The food was great and there were some adorable shops with wonderful, quality merchandise. If our car hadn’t been full we could have spent a lot of money!
Food in the restaurants is very similar in price to that at Disneyland
They have an area for kids at the park and, of course, they have the big rides as well. There is definitely something for everyone!
They have a great water rafting ride. The best part is if you get wet, you can dry off with your entire family in the walk-in dryer!
There is a train, like Disneyland, but it has a “bit” more space to roam. The Dollywood Express is a great way to see life in the Smokey Mountains.
If you are an animal lover, Dollywood has you covered too! At Dollywood, guests can visit the edge of the Eagle Mountain Sanctuary–the largest exhibit of non-releasable Bald Eagles in the United States. The sanctuary is 400,000 cubic feet on the side of a very steep, heavily wooded hillside. The Bald Eagles residing within Eagle Mountain Sanctuary are permanently disabled and would not be able to survive in the wild. These birds are provided fresh water and food by staff who visually ensure they are in good health. They are given complete physicals once a year when their enclosures are inspected and renovated. This is a MUST-DO experience when you’re at Dollywood.
The people were very friendly–both the guest and the park employees. One thing that surprised me was seeing the security guards, wearing guns! You just don’t see that in California.
We saw 3 shows while we were there and enjoyed them all. Two of the shows were in air-conditioned theaters, which was nice and would be totally necessary during the heat of the summer months.
If you have more questions about our trip to Dollywood, please leave a comment below! We’ll be happy to follow-up with more information on our experience! We had a great time and think Disneyland diehards like us will love it too!
