Thanks to Dollywood for providing complimentary admission. All thoughts and opinions are my own, as always.
Last week my family loaded up in the car bright and early and made the trek up from Chattanooga to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee to have the Dollywood experience for the very first time.
You might have found this post because you are doing research on Dollywood tips to ensure you make the most of your visit. I want to share some of my insights with you to help make your trip outstanding!
Tip #1: Buy Tickets Before You Arrive
The lines are lengthy to purchase tickets on site, so do yourself a favor and get your tickets early. I promise you won’t regret it!
Tip #2: Look Carefully at Ticket Options
If you live within striking distance of Dollywood, look carefully at the Season Pass option, because it costs less per person than paying the day admission costs twice. Alternatively, if you know you will only be in the area once but you’d like to spend a few days enjoying Dollywood and the water park (Splash Country) you can purchase a 3 day pass for $99 per ticket, which costs less than the Season Pass option. Bottom line: the one day ticket is the highest per use cost, and if there’s any chance at all that you’ll be spending more than one day on site, you can save money by getting a different package.
Tip #3: Choose Your Date Wisely
We visited the park on a Wednesday, which the website lists as typically being a lower traffic day. There were still plenty of people there, but we never waited more than 15 minutes for a ride (and for most attractions we waited closer to 5 minutes). I highly recommend using this strategy if you are traveling with little ones who struggle to stay patient in long lines. Also on low traffic days it’s easier to snap fun photos like this one! 🙂
Tip #4: Download the App
There’s an app for Dollywood, and it’s very helpful when trying to check out ride wait times in the park. It’s free and very worth your time!
Tip #5: Get to Know the Shows
The week of your trip, you can go online to the show calendar to see what performances will be offered, or you can pick up a daily schedule in the park (not every performance is happening every day). It’s a good idea to read through show descriptions before you go to the park and to write down the shows you think you and members of your party will enjoy. Then you’ll be better able to make a choice about which ones to see once you are on site. We showed up just a minute or two before each performance was scheduled to begin and got some of the last seats each time, so I recommend showing up maybe 10 minutes early if you don’t want to cut it too close and potentially be turned away. I personally recommend the Dreamland Drive-In (it’s an hour long so little kids might get squirmy, but the singing is excellent!), the bird show and Heartsong was also quite fun, especially if you are a Dolly Parton fan (spoiler alert: it rains on you a little, which the kiddos just loved!).
Tip #6: Think About Food Before You Go
There are two places that I think you absolutely need to try out while you are in Dollywood, because in both cases, I was super impressed with the food.
First, you’ve got to check out Red’s Drive-In. This is a newly updated area right next to the brand new Lightning Rod roller coaster. It has a very cheery 1950s diner atmosphere and offers truly delicious burgers, fries, shakes, and we were also very pleased to find a super yummy spinach salad with chicken, strawberries and feta cheese. Every single thing we ate at Red’s was, not just good, but fantastic so it’s definitely a top recommendation from me for your lunch plans. Pro tip: have as many members of your party as possible scope out seating while someone else stands in line to order. This will keep you from having to eat outside if the weather is too hot for that!
My second recommendation is to try the famous cinnamon bread at Grist Mill (pictured above). It makes for a perfect mid-afternoon snack for a family of 4, is quite possibly one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted, and it’s also wallet-friendly at just $5.99 (in contrast to a slice of apple pie from the famous 25 pound apple pie at Spotlight Bakery, which also serves 4, but is priced at $18).
Thinking about where you want to eat and scoping out reviews is important. We picked up some chicken strips somewhere in the Country Fair area of the park around 5pm, and I honestly can’t remember the name of the place. They were fine, but were just frozen chicken strips you could get anywhere. Nothing memorable or particularly delicious. Once we started eating them we were all wishing we were just back at Red’s! Don’t just roll up to any place for the food…do a little research first and you’ll feel great about your purchases!
And finally, I wanted to share one more wallet-friendly dining tip: water is completely free at Dollywood. Of course you can pay for bottled water if you like, but you can also ask anyone who serves soft drinks for a cup of ice water and you will get one and not be charged. Drinking water is important to do out in the heat, and it will also help you keep your dining costs down!
Tip #7: Know Your Group When Thinking About Rides
My youngest daughter Layah just turned 4, and I was a little surprised to quickly discover that she did NOT want to ride just about anything. If it bounced or spun quickly or made any jarring moves, she was OUT. She even got on a ride, pitched a total fit because she was so terrified and had to get off. Poor kiddo.
So it’s good to know what your family wants to do at the park. I’ve never in my whole life seen a park that offers such an amazing variety. If you want to sit and be entertained all day, this is your park. If you want to ride roller coasters all day, this is your park. If you want kid-friendly but still thrilling rides for kids, then this is your park. And if you want to ride the super smooth ride River Battle that is calm as can be but that gets you totally soaked (the one ride Layah adored), then this park is also for you. It’s good to have a sense for what people want going in to keep you from wandering around the park confused about what to do next. And if your party wants to do a mix of things, you will be so impressed with how thoughtfully this park is put together. Near every roller coaster you can find something more laid back for the non-coaster folks, so if big sister and dad want to ride the thrill ride, mommy and little brother can go to the nearby calm attraction or to a playground situated close by. Families do NOT have to be separated for lengthy periods at Dollywood.
8. Introduce Your Kids to Dolly
If you are taking younger ones, they may not be too familiar with Ms. Dolly Parton. Here’s a very good (and quite inexpensive!) book to read to them before you go.
We had an excellent time and were so very impressed with the quality of attractions, the park upkeep and the friendly staff at Dollywood. I would very highly recommend it to anyone, and especially with a little advanced planning, I think you can make some truly wonderful memories with your family here. I hope my tips help! If you have any other tips you’d like to share with others, please leave them in the comments.