Dollywood Theme Park – Is It Worth It?

roller coaster at Dollywood

If you’re looking for Dollywood reviews and wondering if it’s worth a visit, you’re in the right spot! Dollywood is a world-renowned amusement park by Dolly Parton in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state, drawing in visitors from all over the world.

The 150-acre park features over 40 rides and attractions as well as live entertainment, shows, restaurants, and shops. With so much to see and do, it’s no wonder Dollywood is such a popular destination.

But what about those who are considering making the trip? Is Dollywood really worth the drive? In this review, I will provide a full guide for visiting the Dollywood Theme Park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Where is Dollywood located?

Before we fully get started with this review, you may be wondering where Dollywood is located in Tennessee. Dollywood Theme Park is set in Pigeon Forge, which is in the eastern side of the state. If you are looking at a map, Pigeon Forge would be located just east of Knoxville and close to Gatlinburg.

If you are coming from the middle Tennessee area, Dollywood is about a four hour drive from the city of Nashville. Since Dollywood is settled in the Smoky Mountains, your drive from any region is sure to provide views of beautiful scenery.

Tickets

Maybe it’s because I’m used to spending a fortune on tickets at Disney World, but I find the prices for tickets at Dollywood to be really reasonable. You can often find really great deals on theme park tickets, especially if you combine them with a stay at the DreamMore Resort or the Heartsong Lodge and Resort.

When you are ready to purchase your tickets to Dollywood, make sure you compare prices for one day with multiple day packages. On a recent visit to Pigeon Forge, my family and I planned to visit the area for a day and a half. I had initially planned to just purchase a one-day pass to the Dollywood theme park.

rollercoasters with text overlay Dollywood Park in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

However, it was only around $20 more per ticket to add a second day to our tickets. This meant that we could spend time at the park the night we arrived. We were able to enjoy the Halloween and fall decorations, which looked amazing lit up at night. It also gave the kids extra time in the park to ride rides and play games.

Dollywood often runs deals on theme park tickets so make sure you check out their website for current special offers. As mentioned above, you can often score a discount on theme park tickets by booking a room at the DreamMore Resort or the Heartsong Lodge. In addition to this discount, you can sometimes even receive breakfast vouchers for purchasing hotel packages, which would allow you to save even more!

Dollywood Dreammore Resort
DreamMore Resort

Becoming a season pass holder to Dollywood could be worth your while as well. My niece traveled with us on our most recent trip, and it was her second visit to the theme park in a month. Prior to purchasing her ticket, we calculated that it was actually cheaper for her to buy season passes rather than for her to purchase individual tickets for each trip.

Things to Do at Dollywood

If you are wondering what to do at Dollywood once you arrive, rest assured that the theme park has plenty of activities and entertainment options for the whole family to enjoy!

Rides

You may be searching for what kinds of rides are at Dollywood. The theme park has plenty of rides for toddlers and thrill seekers alike! The height requirements for the rides are prominently displayed at each entrance. These are some of the super fun rides you will find at Dollywood:

  • Black Bear Trail
  • Blazing Fury
  • Daredevil Falls Log Ride
  • Demolition Derby Bumper Cars
  • Dizzy Disk
  • Dollywood Express
  • Drop Line
  • Great Tree Swing
  • Lemon Twist
  • Lumberjack Lifts
  • Rockin’ Roadway
  • Sky Rider
  • Smoky Mountain River Rampage
  • Shooting Star
  • The Scrambler
  • The Waltzing Swinger

Roller Coasters

My six-year-old measured around 46 inches tall on our last vacation, so she wasn’t able to do the huge roller coasters that require a minimum height of 48-50 inches. However, she had tons of fun on the smaller coasters and rides. She especially liked the Dragonflier and the Firechaser Express.

Dollywood Theme park Roller Coaster

Luckily, she was allowed to ride these as long as someone sixteen or over was riding with her. Families planning a Dollywood vacation often wonder if Dollywood has roller coasters. If you and your kids are looking for adrenaline pumping excitement at Dollywood, you’ll be happy to know that the theme park does feature several roller coasters. These are some of the roller coasters you will find at Dollywood.

  • Barnstormer
  • Big Bear Mountain
  • Blazing Fury
  • Dragonflier
  • FireChaser Express
  • Mystery Mine
  • Tennessee Tornado
  • Thunderhead
  • Whistle Punk Chaser
  • Wild Eagle

As you can see from the list, Dollywood actually has an extensive list of roller coasters for kids at different height requirements. You can read a more detailed summary of each roller coaster in our post on Dollywood Roller Coasters where we rank them from best to worst!

What to Do with Toddlers at Dollywood

If you are traveling with a toddler, Dollywood offers many activities and rides for little ones as well. The Country Fair and Wildwood Grove sections of the park are great places to spend time with toddlers. These are some of the toddler friendly rides you will find at Dollywood:

  • Busy Bees
  • Dollywood Express Train Ride
  • Frogs & Fireflies
  • Lucky Ducky
  • Piggy Parade
  • Amazing Flying Elephants
  • Treetop Tower
  • Village Carousel
  • Splash Pad
  • Indoor Playground
Dollywood Splash zone
Splash Pad in Wildwood Grove

As with most theme parks, Dollywood offers strollers to rent for your toddler or small child. These strollers are the hard plastic ones that aren’t always the most comfortable, especially if napping is important. However, they serve the purpose of allowing you to easily navigate the park with your toddler. They also provide a place to hold your belongings, which is nice since families often aren’t able to travel lightly.

Entertainment

Carnival game with prizes
Carnival Games

Dollywood offers many different entertainment options for its visitors. During your trip you may meet special characters, listen to live entertainment, and watch live shows. For a small fee at each booth, you can also play carnival style games to win prizes. The workers behind the booths are really great at giving little ones multiple chances to win a prize.

Food

Dollywood provides lots of different dining options. No matter where you are inside the park, you will be able to find food nearby. The restaurants inside the park serve kid friendly favorites like pizza, burgers, hot dogs, and chicken nuggets. You will also find various dining venues that serve desserts. Ice cream, Dipin’ Dots, funnel cakes, and other snacks are easy to locate throughout the park.

Special Events

Throughout the year, Dollywood hosts several holiday festivals and special events. Some of their most popular events include the following:

Halloween Harvest Festival

My family and I visited Dollywood during their Halloween event called the Harvest Festival. The theme was pumpkins, and it was fascinating to see all of the intricately carved pumpkins.

Halloween decorations at Dollywood

Dollywood really goes all-out in decorating for this really fun, family friendly event. It’s not a spooky atmosphere at all so even the youngest of kids can enjoy it. We really liked strolling through the park and seeing it lit up with Halloween decorations.

Smoky Mountain Christmas

If you visit Dollywood around Christmas time, you will get to enjoy some extra special features during the Smoky Mountain Christmas celebration. This Christmas event typically runs through the beginning of January. Guests can enjoy Christmas lights, holiday themed shows, seasonal foods, and fireworks.

Flower and Food Festival

The Flower and Food Festival takes place during the spring at Dollywood. The theme park is decked out in springtime decor including an umbrella sky, colorful flowers, and sculpted plants. Enjoy garden fresh foods as you stroll through the park during this family friendly annual event.

Tips and Tricks

If you are planning to visit Dollywood for the first time, you may be searching for some tips to make your vacation run as smoothly as possible. These are my top tips and tricks for a happy trip to Dollywood!

1. Get Wrist Bands

You can get wrist bands for your child upon entering the park. Right after you walk in the gates, you will see a tent with Dollywood employees measuring height. They will measure kids’ height and give them a color-coded wrist band based on their measurements. When you arrive at the entrance to a ride, the wristband makes it even easier to determine if the attraction is suitable for your child’s height.

2. Check Park Hours

I highly recommend checking out the official Dollywood website before booking your trip because the theme park’s hours of operation change often throughout the year. Dollywood is usually closed completely during the months of January, February, and part of March. It then reopens most days beginning at 10:00 AM and closes (depending on the day) sometime between 6:00 and 9:30 PM.

Also, even during popular times of the year, the park is often closed on Tuesdays. As you can see, Dollywood’s park hours can get a bit confusing. So again, check the official calendar before making plans to make certain the park is open during your scheduled vacation dates.

3. Download the Dollywood App

dollywood app map

Once you book your trip to the Dollywood theme park, I recommend downloading the Dollywood App for additional information. It is especially helpful with information on height requirements and wait times for the rides. The map feature is also really handy while you’re in the park. The map of the theme park makes it easy to locate nearby restrooms, attractions, and restaurants.

4. Use TimeSaver Passes

Since we stayed at the DreamMore Resort, we were given time saver passes to use up to ten times. You can also purchase these passes if you are not staying at the resort. I believe there is even an option to purchase unlimited TimeSaver passes rather than just the ten.

Some of the rides at Dollywood that are super popular (aka busy) allow you to utilize the TimeSaver pass and enter the ride in a separate line. If you are wanting to experience some of the bigger rides, these TimeSaver passes are a great bonus. If you don’t want to use the TimeSaver passes on ten different rides or attractions, you can choose to ride your favorite one over and over again!

5. Stay at a Dollywood Resort

If you are wondering where to stay in Pigeon Forge, I highly recommend the DreamMore Resort and Spa or the Heartsong Lodge & Resort. You can often receive discounts on your park tickets if you reserve a room at one of these Dollywood hotels. Both of these are great resorts for families as they offer incredible outdoor pools, numerous dining options, resort activities, indoor pools and a arcades.

The resorts also features several different room types, including rooms with separate bunk bed areas for kids. In addition to getting deals on theme park tickets, families who stay at a Dollywood Resort can use the resort shuttle for free. The shuttle will drop you off at a special entrance to Dollywood, which allows you to bypass lines.

6. Use the Shuttle

If you stay at a Dollywood Hotel, you are able to use their shuttle to and from the Dollywood theme park. This is a super convenient way to travel, and it’s a huge perk to staying at the resort. The shuttle bus picks you up right in front of the hotel and drops you off at a special side entrance to Dollywood.

white shuttle bus

This way you don’t have to stand in a line to get into the park. It’s like having VIP access! The buses run about every 15 minutes, and it is about a ten minute drive from the resort to the theme park. The drivers of the shuttles are all super friendly and welcoming. Similar to Disney’s Magical Express, the Dollywood trams have TV’s showing videos of the theme park and its attractions.

If you don’t utilize the hotel shuttle, there is plenty of parking available at the park. Since the lots are quite far from the actual Dollywood gates, you will find a tram that picks you up in the parking lot to take you to the main entrance.

Packing Hacks for Dollywood

Your packing list for Dollywood will be similar to what you would take to Disney World or any other theme park. We typically load all of our things into a backpack because it’s easy to carry through the park. These are the items you would find in my bag:

  • change of clothes (if kids plan to play in splash pad)
  • gallon ziplock bag to hold wet clothes
  • sippy cup (and other baby items if needed)
  • sunglasses
  • hats
  • phone/ camera
  • credit card
  • dollar bills (for tipping shuttle driver etc.)
  • necklace fan (if visiting during hot months)
  • rain poncho (if visiting during rainy season)
  • sunscreen
  • lip balm
  • jackets and gloves (if visiting during cold months)

Dollywood vs Disney World

Disney vacations have really spoiled me in terms of catering to families with young kids. I think Dollywood may be the closest thing to Disney I’ve found. During our vacation at Dollywood, I noticed so many similarities with Disney World. Some of the features both parks have in common include:

  • free shuttle service from the resort
  • really informative website
  • time saver passes for rides
  • well organized park
  • baby care centers
  • super friendly employees
  • parent swap at rides
  • availability of purchased merchandise to be delivered to resort
  • cleanliness
  • super helpful Dollywood App

And the best news is – Dollywood is similar to Disney World without the high prices!

Final Review of Dollywood Theme Park

I really can’t say enough great things about our experience at Dollywood. Even with a toddler in tow, we found the theme park to be a really easy vacation experience. Our overall rating is definitely 4.5-5 stars as we all had a great time! The park employees at Dollywood and at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort are all top notch. I definitely recommend adding Dollywood to your itinerary while visiting Tennessee with kids. It’s a great place for the entire family to vacation.

So, is Dollywood worth the money?

This is obviously a subjective answer, but I totally think Dollywood is worth the money. Since we paid just $20 per ticket to upgrade to a two day pass, we had loads of time in the park. Dollywood isn’t as busy as most theme parks either. So, you really get the chance to ride rollercoasters and experience attractions multiple times.

We were able to ride all of the rides on our list and play a lot of the carnival games as well. All of this while still leaving time for other special activities like face painting. The theme park is incredibly clean and organized. All of the employees I came into contact with were so helpful and friendly. They all seemed to truly enjoy their jobs!

Do you have any tips for visiting the Dollywood theme park? Comment below to share!

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Theme Park with text overlay Dollywood Park in Pigeon Forge Tennessee

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