Thinking of where you might want to go on your next family vacation? Look no further than Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee! Summer may be winding down and the kids may be back in school, but Dollywood can keep up the fun momentum this fall and holiday season! Starting at the end of September you can enjoy their Harvest Festival and Great Pumpkin LumiNights exhibit of thousands of intricately carved jack o’lanterns. Then for the holidays, they have the Smokey Mountain Christmas which offers a ton of extra shows and parades.
My family and I went at the end of August during our big total solar eclipse road trip. One can’t visit Tennessee without visiting the Great Smokey Mountains! Dollywood is in Pigeon Forge, which is on the western side of the Smokies. It’s an energetic town with lots to see and do. The biggest and best attraction though is Dollywood!
I have never been before, so I was very excited! I had heard great things about Dollywood from friends and have always wanted to go. The entire park is BEAUTIFUL! It has tons of scenic spots with trees, flowers, ponds and mountain décor. Of course the theme of the park is modeled after Dolly Parton and her life growing up in the Smokies. You can really feel the homey, down to earth atmosphere. They even have a model of the home that Dolly grew up in!
I went with my husband, son Jack (2), daughter Hannah (14 months) and my parents. My mom is disabled and travels with an electric scooter which sometimes can be hard getting in and out of places, but Dollywood was very accommodating. Our family had a wide array of needs and wants given our ages and special circumstances, but Dollywood was a great place for all of us. From a relaxing train ride to daredevil roller coasters, everyone in your family is sure to have fun and make memories together.
My kids had fun at the Country Fair part of Dollywood, as it is geared towards younger kids. But my son’s favorite was by far the Dollywood Express; an authentic coal fired steam engine. It was a beautiful scenic ride. It was also a nice little break for my daughter to take a quick nap while we all took a relaxing ride.
Dollywood also has a great feature called parent swap. We utilized this while going on their flume ride. We all waited on line, (of which there was none!) and the first set of adults got to go on the ride while the second set waited. Then the kids swapped and the other adults got to ride! It was awesome!
We went at a really great time of year, there was little to no line on every ride, even the more popular roller coasters! In case you go at a time that is more crowded, Dollywood offers a Time Saver Pass which allows you access to a shorter line for up to 10 rides during your day. There is an unlimited version as well. Score!
My daughter had the time of her life at the Firehouse Fun Yard. This is a small but fun splash pad with water guns and a slide. Both of my kids could have spent the whole day there themselves! It makes my heart full seeing such joy in their eyes and sharing in this wonderful vacation with them.
It wasn’t only the kids having fun; the adults had a blast too! My daredevil husband went on as many roller coasters as he possibly could! His favorite was the Tennessee Tornado. He loved it so much, he rode it TWICE! He said this ride was very smooth and fun. It has a 128 foot drop with speeds near 70mph! My favorite was Blazing Fury! It’s a fun themed ride going through a 1880s town during an out of control fire and it definitely has some surprises on that ride that I didn’t see coming!
We are already planning our next trip in a few years and can’t wait to go back! Dollywood is a treasure tucked in the Smokey Mountains that is really family-centered and creates wonderful memories to cherish for years to come.
For more information, call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD or visit dollywood.com. Operating days and hours vary.
I received complimentary one-day admission tickets to Dollywood for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed are those of myself and my family.
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