Named for country singer and icon Dolly Parton, the 150-acre Dollywood sits at the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, near Gatlinburg. It’s a theme park with great customer service, all the thrill rides and attractions you would expect and incredible live shows. Visitors from all over the world come to ride the fastest wooden roller coaster in the world or drop 230 feet from an adrenaline-rushing tower. Beyond the thrill rides, there are fantastic live shows and seasonal special events … plus, Dollywood is quickly becoming a foodie paradise, where you can sample everything from southern barbecue to the best cinnamon bread you’ll ever taste.
Here we answer your questions and give insider tips in a Dollywood vacation guide that will help you plan your Smoky Mountains family vacation.
What Is the Best Time of Year to Go to Dollywood?
Every season of the year has its benefits when it comes to visiting Dollywood and the surrounding Tennessee area. April, during a non-spring-break week, and September are optimal times to visit Dollywood. The crowds are thinner and the weather is lovely. Early June and late August are nice for enjoying Splash Country, the Dollywood waterpark. Fall is one of the most beautiful times to visit the Smoky Mountains, thanks to the incredible fall foliage display and Dollywood boasts an award-winning Halloween event and harvest festival. Christmas, too, is a blast at Dollywood with numerous live shows, including Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas.
How Many Days Should You Spend at Dollywood?
If your family vacation in the Smoky Mountains will allow for it, try to spend two days at the theme park. You can visit the water park in one day, or two, but it’s advised that if you want to do all the Dollywood rides, that you spend two days in the amusement park portion.
How Often Is Dolly at Dollywood?
While we can’t guarantee you will see Dolly Parton at Dollywood – her visits are not typically announced – we can guarantee you won’t see her on the roller coaster. She has never been on any of the rides at the famed Tennessee theme park, admitting to being “a little bit chicken … With all my hair I got so much to lose, like my wig or my shoes.” If you do happen to see Dolly in the park, it’s a scripted appearance, like a walk-on to one of the live shows or a ride through the park in her antique car. She is often at the park at the grand opening each March or around the time of the Pigeon Forge Music in the Mountains parade. What you can expect when Dolly is at Dollywood? The crowd to go wild!
How Far Is Dollywood from Nashville?
Dollywood is 216 miles from Nashville by car. It takes about three and a half to four hours to drive it. Dollywood is about a 30-minute drive from Gatlinburg, as well as the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
What Day Is Dollywood Least Crowded?
Typically, Monday, particularly in the spring and fall, is the least crowded, meaning shorter lines for the various amusement park rides.
Where Should I Stay Near Dollywood?
If Dollywood is the central focus of your Pigeon Forge vacation, it makes sense to stay in this area. You might also choose to stay in Gatlinburg, which is just nine miles south. Consider Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, surrounded by the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains national park and just minutes from the amusement park. Family vacation is easy here, thanks to connecting rooms at the resort and a variety of accommodation styles. Numerous dining options cater to all tastes, from the Pigeon Forge resort’s Song & Hearth: A Southern Eatery to the DM Pantry. After all the hustle and bustle of the amusement park, take a moment for bliss at The Spa at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort, with an array of treatments and a full-service salon. Take time, too, to hang out at the two onsite swimming pools, with lots of natural shade, a cascading waterfall, a zero-entry end and an interactive family splash pad. There’s an outdoor hot tub, too, with a beautiful view of Mount Le Conte. Inside, there’s a heated indoor Garden House pool, with expansive Smoky Mountain views through large windows.
Alternatively, book a Pigeon Forge log cabin or mountain cabin rental through Dollywood and have room to spread out and come and go as you please. Choose a stunning log cabin with every amenity you can think of – as luxury as you want, or as family-friendly as you need. There are honeymoon cabins, too! Cabin rental guests can enjoy exclusive discounts on tickets to other Tennessee area attractions and cabin guests park free at any Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Cabins property. If you’re a cabin guest with tickets to Dollywood, you’ll also receive priority access to the parks depending on ticket type and date of stay, early Saturday entry, a free TimeSaver pass and free reserved parking at Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country.
Gatlinburg also offers a nice range of log cabin rentals, from pet-friendly accommodations to waterfront locations to private indoor pools.
Rides & Other Attractions at Dollywood
Ready for a thrill? Consider tackling these favorite rides at Dollywood:
Tennessee Tornado: Feel what it’s like to be tossed in the wind by a 70-mph tornado in Tennessee! Strap in and brace yourself for the next 1 minute and 48 seconds as you twist and turn, fly through a covered shed, dip and dive, climb to the sky and loop upside down. Best for teens and adults, with a 48-inch height requirement.
FireChaser Express: The country’s first dual-launch roller coaster takes off from a fire station and launches you through a warehouse full of fireworks.
Wild Eagle: Get the thrill of flying in the United States’ first wing roller coaster. There’s no track beneath you as you zip and zoom through inversions and a 210-foot drop, all about 21 stories off the ground.
Dollywood Express: Sit back and enjoy the 20-minute ride on the Dollywood Express through the Smoky Mountain foothills.
Smoky Mountain River Rampage: Cool off on this fun, family-friendly – and wet – ride that takes you through several dips, turns and twists.
Thunderhead: This classic wooden roller coaster travels at 53 mph and hearkens back to the charm of the country’s first amusement parks.
Cades Cove: In the coming years, look for the Grand Parton, a roller coaster expected to exceed 325 mph in the new Cades Cove area of the park. The coaster will pass through mountains via tunnel.
Barnstormer: Fly like a 1920s stunt pilot over the fields, twisting and turning at a 230-degree rotation at speeds up to 45 miles per hour.
Dropline: If you dare, ascent 20 stories above Timber Canyon for a bird’s-eye view of the Smoky Mountains, then drop back to the ground at 77 miles per hour!
Mystery Mine: Venture into an abandoned mine shaft, going uphill and down and through dizzying loops, while dazzling special effects go on all around you.
Dolly Parton’s Stampede: This rip-roarin’ dinner show is a classic and not to be missed during your Tennessee family vacation. Fun for all ages, the show boasts spectacular special effects, amazing musical productions, horse-riding stunts and a delicious four-course feast.
Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show in Pigeon Forge: This fantastic family feast and live show will thrill all ages. Blackbeard and Calico Jack will entertain you with battles on land, in the water and high above in gigantic pirate ships in an indoor lagoon.
What Are Some Tips for Visiting Dollywood?
To maximize your time at Dollywood, consider these tips and shortcuts:
- Use a TimeSaver Pass
Long lines can really drag you down and put a damper on your day at the amusement park, so consider a TimeSaver Pass. You’ll be able to skip the line at certain rides and shows – particularly helpful on busy summer days and weekends. If you stay at the Dollywood DreamMore Resort, your TimeSaver Pass is free. Otherwise, it is $39 per person, per day.
- Use the Trolley
Avoid the parking fees at Dollywood and take the trolley! Ride the Pigeon Forge Trolley, which you can catch anywhere along the parkway. It’s just $1 per person.
- Get There Early
Dollywood DreamMore Resort guests and season-pass holders can get in early on Saturdays. The most popular thrill rides are open one hour before the park normally opens.
- Download the Dollywood App
To help find your way around and get real-time ride wit times, get the Dollywood app. It has park maps, digital tickets and passes and the current show schedule.
- Check the Show Schedule Ahead of Time
You know you came as much for the live shows as for the thrill ride fun, so check the schedule to make sure you have time for your favorites. There are performers throughout the park, live gospel singer shows, Dolly Parton’s “Heartsong” film and “My People, My Music,” in addition to countless other entertainment options.
- Visit During a Special Event
There’s always something fun on the schedule at Dollywood. The five main festivals are Festival of Nations, Barbecue and Bluegrass, Great American Summer, National Southern Gospel, Harvest Celebration and Smoky Mountain Christmas. There’s Great Pumpkin LumiNights at Halloween, O’Holy Night and the Parade of Many Colors at Christmas, character meet and greets in Wildwood Grove and fun acts like Joe, the Juggler.
- Stay Hydrated
It can get hot, especially on a summer day at Dollywood, and we bet you’re used to paying big bucks for a bottle of water at other amusement parks. But here at Dollywood, the water is free! Just head to any food or beverage stand throughout the park and ask for a free glass of water.
- An enormous slab of apple pie at Spotlight Bakery
- A cheeseburger and fries at Red’s
- Pickle-marinated fried chicken sandwich at Grandstand Café
- Barbecue at Miss Lillian’s
- Cinnamon bread at The Grist Mill
- Pork rinds and pimento cheese at Granny Ogle’s
- Fruity Pebble funnel cake at Splinter’s
- Smoky Mountain Nachos at Till and Harvest
- Churros at Wildwood Grove
Bonus Trip: Gatlinburg
Extend your stay in the Dollywood area and spend a day or two enjoying the many attractions of Gatlinburg, in the Great Smoky Mountains. This is the place for family fun in the great outdoors, from hiking to ziplining. Drive along the Roaring Fork Motor Trail, a 5.5-mile loop road through the Great Smoky Mountain national park, with access to wildflower meadows, mountain streams and waterfalls. Go horseback riding or whitewater rafting. Head farther into the national park to visit Cades Cove – keep an eye out for deer and black bears – or visit the Sugarland Visitor Center to learn about the area’s history.
If you’re visiting Dollywood in the winter (don’t miss the Smoky Mountain Christmas festival), Gatlinburg is still full of fun things to do. Try ice skating, snow tubing, skiing or snowboarding and more.
A Gatlinburg cabin rental or resort room will give you convenient access to Dollywood and room to spread out at the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. Choose the Parkway District neighborhood if you’d like to be in the midst of the action. Choose Ober Gatlinburg for a peaceful, family-friend atmosphere. Or stay close to the entrance of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and have easy access to the miles of hiking trails you’ll find there.
What Are the Opening Times and Cost of Dollywood?
Dollywood is east of central Pigeon Forge. It’s open typically 10 AM to 7 or 8 PM, depending on the season. Check the theme park website for exact hours. The park is usually close between December or January and mid-March, but reopens for special events, like Christmas shows. The ticket prices range from $79 to $109 per person (depending on how many days you are going). Combo tickets are available from $89 to $199 per person, providing access to both Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country.