12 Reasons To Visit Dollywood in Sevierville, TN
What is Dollywood?
The simple answer is that Dollywood is a theme park tucked away in the mountains of Tennessee. However, it is so much more than just a theme park. Dollywood is an experience and we want to share our 12 top reasons to visit Dollywood with you.
This is one of the few theme parks that people of every age can enjoy. There are things to enjoy for every member of your family. Dollywood even considers your four legged family members. Yes…Dollywood has a doggie care!
Who goes to Dollywood?
Thrill seekers, show lovers, and multi-generation families all find things to love at Dollywood. Country music lovers and artisans looking for inspiration from mountain craftsmen will find amazing artists to hear and see. Additionally, foodies and those with a sweet tooth can enjoy amazing flavors all season.
A youth group or friends group will enjoy a day or two in the main park and water park. Couples often spend a week in the area to celebrate and enjoy the mountains beauty as well as Dollywood. Families with little ones love spending a day at the theme park then enjoying other Dolly Parton shows in the heart of Pigeon Forge.
We go to Dollywood with a variety of groups every year. We’ve taken youth groups, family, and friends and everyone always has a good time. When we want to just relax and enjoy being together, this is one of our favorite southern destinations.
We like to grab some fresh cinnamon bread, ride the train, and enjoy our favorite attractions during the day. We finish out the evening with a spectacular view of the fireworks and drone show. Ultimately, we always have a wonderful time whether we’re at Dollywood or Splash Country in Sevierville.
12 Reasons To Visit Dollywood
There are many reasons to visit Dollywood! With a variety of attractions, shops and restaurants, this is a theme park everyone appreciates. Something they have done well is providing options for all ages. Adults, teens, kids, and even older adults find things to like at Dollywood.
#1 Reason to Visit Dollywood: Thrilling Rides
Have you ever looked at a roller coaster and felt your stomach drop just watching it? Well, you’ll have the chance to do just that at Dollywood. High speed roller coasters with drops, loops, swoops and screaming people dot the park. With names like Thunderhead, Blazing Fury, Tennessee Tornado, Barnstormer, Wild Eagle, Whistle Punk Chaser, Lightening Rod and Daredevil Falls, you get the idea of the level of intensity some of the larger coasters provide.
If you want to feel your stomach touch your toes then these rides are for you. I compare these to the bigger thrill rides at Universal Studios or Busch Gardens. If you want to learn more about these rides, you can check out Dollywood Rides and Attractions.
#2 Reason to Visit Dollywood: Family Friendly Rides and Attractions
Not everybody wants to ride lightening or get swept up in a tornado and that’s just fine with us. For folks who want to stay closer to the ground there are tons of rides at Dollywood for you too!
Tiny Tots Rides
Toddlers and parents can enjoy rides like the Amazing Flying Elephants, Black Bear Trail, Lemon Twist and The Scrambler. AK, my 4 year old niece, absolutely loves the Rocking Roadway because she gets to drive a hotrod. She especially loves the Piggy Parade, Lil’ Pilots Playground, Busy Bees and Lucky Ducky.
Kid Friendly Rides
There are a ton of other rides for families and young kids as well. The Waltzing Swinger, Sky Rider, Shooting Star, Mad Mockingbird, Fire Chaser Express and Dragonflier are favorites for some of the elementary age and even less adventurous middle schoolers. These are great rides for those who aren’t quite ready to take on the big dog thrill rides.
Kid Centered Areas In The Park
There are two main areas where families with very young children tend to focus their time in the park. Wildwood Grove and Granny’s Garden are home to the calmer rides in the park. Also, these areas have playgrounds, carnival games and even water features for families to relax and enjoy together.
Rides for the Young-At-Heart
Of course grandparents love the rides designed for kids as well. My mom loves the Scrambler and the Demolition Derby bumper cars. I’m convinced she’s taking out some road rage on people in bumper cars but she’ll never admit it.
One attraction that seems to interest all of our young-at-heart family members is the Dollywood Express Train. The train runs through the park and around the outskirts around the mountainside. Honestly, it’s just a wonderfully relaxing experience for everyone in the family to have together.
#3 Reason to Visit Dollywood: Epic Nighttime Shows
Dollywood has one of the best night time spectaculars I’ve ever seen. Yes, I’m including the major fireworks shows of other world renowned theme parks. It’s definitely unique because it’s not just fireworks and lasers. Dollywood has a drone show that mingles with fireworks creating a truly epic display.
Before the show starts, there’s a DJ hosting a dance party next to this beautiful butterfly tree. People of all ages gather and dance to songs from almost every decade and genre for about half an hour. The tree is filled with color changing butterfly lights that fade as the fireworks begin and so does that incredible feeling of awe.
The show starts with fireworks like any good night show. Then the real magic begins and twinkling firefly-like lights begin to fill the sky. Suddenly, you aren’t looking at fireflies, you’re watching a choreographed dance of drones create amazing designs.
The designs interact with each other and change with the music. Our entire family, from babies to grandparents, are mesmerized by this show every time. It’s a fun way to close out a day full of adventure.
#4 Reason To Visit Dollywood: Fun Live Music
There’s live music scattered throughout the park and the performers are always incredibly talented and fun to watch and hear. As you enter the park, just around the corner from the bakery is a gazebo where banjo plucking, guitar strumming groups play bluegrass favorites. This is a quintessential Appalachian experience that everyone should have at least once in their life.
Forever Country and Harmonies of the Heart offer country music lovers a chance to sing along to new and old favorites. Happily for us, it’s not just country music being performed. There are pop music groups, old school jive, gospel singers, contemporary and classic music groups on stages scattered throughout the park and we try to hit all of them during every visit.
#5 Reason To Visit Dollywood: Family Shows
Dollywood has some great kids’ shows for little ones that adults like as well. Our favorite kid show, which isn’t just fun for kids, is the Gazillion Bubble Show Aurora. They aren’t kidding, there are an insane number of bubbles filling the entire theater during this show. Kids lose their minds and it’s a total blast for everyone.
Other shows that kids enjoy are The Little Engine That Could, Coat of Many Colors, Liquid Beats and Violet The Pilot. Many kids also enjoy the music in the adult shows but these are specifically designed to keep kids engaged for a shorter amount of time (except the bubble show..that’s 45 minutes long).
#6 Reason To Visit Dollywood: Great Regional Food and Tasty Treats
Cinnamon Bread, that’s the first thing that comes to mind when I think about Dollywood. Is it weird that the shows and rides aren’t the very first things that pop into my head? No, and once you’ve tried a fresh warm slice of the cinnamon bread, you’ll understand why. It’s soft, gooey sweetness at it’s finest.
Dollywood offers a lot of good meal and snack options throughout the park. Homestyle meals like meatloaf, chicken pot pie and bbq with good ol’ Bush’s baked beans are available at several of the restaurants. You can get funnel cakes, ice cream and kettle corn to satisfy your sweet tooth and wash it down with a big glass of sweet tea.
There are all the usual suspects in the park as well like chicken tenders, hotdogs, pizza, burgers, pretzels, pork rinds, and more bbq. My mouth is watering just thinking about all the treats and tasty goodness at this park. During this year’s Flower and Food Festival, there was a street corn salad and smoked mac and cheese that I’m still thinking about.
#7 Reason To Visit Dollywood: Craftsmen and Artisan Village
This is the only theme park I’ve ever been to that has an entire village dedicated to craftsmen and artisans. The focus of these folks are on mostly traditional mountain settler skills like blacksmithing, leather working, and carving. You’ll find glass blowers, candle makers and the working grist mill and bakery where you can buy stone ground grits and the cinnamon bread that are both made onsite.
You can watch a master craftsman create an item for you to purchase as a souvenir or gift. If you are feeling a little crafty while in the park, you can try you hand at dipping your own candle. If you’re more of a ”I’ll just watch” kinda person, you can watch a craftsman produce a hand-poured aluminum cast personalized sign just for you or watch a jeweler twist your name into a cool metal necklace.
#8 Reason To Visit Dollywood: Doggywood
It’s stressful to leave your small four-legged furbaby behind when you go on vacation and Dollywood knows it. When you stay in a dog-friendly hotel or cabin in the area but don’t want to leave your dog alone while you visit the park, you can bring them to Dollywood’s doggie daycare. This is perfect for folks like my in-laws who aren’t comfortable leaving their ”daughter” alone for more than a few hours.
There are some size restrictions and owners have to provide food and immunization records in order to use this service. The cost is between $25-35 dollars per day. If you are staying in the Dollywood resort, you can also board your dog at Doggywood.
This is probably one of the most unique offers of any theme park out there. Keep in mind, service animals are allowed in the park but no other animals are permitted in Dollywood’s parks. You can also bring your dog to Doggywood if you are going to Dollywood’s Splash Country water park.
#9 Reason To Visit Dollywood: Splash Country Water Park
No great theme park is complete without a water park option! Dollywood’s Splash Country has slides, tubing rivers, and excellent water playgrounds. For the adventurous folks in our group, Big Bear Plunge is a white water adventure that older kids and adults love. We love zipping down waterslides at lightening speed so we always take a ride down Fire Tower Falls and Mountain Scream, whooping and hollering the whole time.
Meanwhile, Downbound Float Trip is a relaxing lazy river trip that the entire family can enjoy. This is something my parents really enjoy and we usually spend about half our time just decompressing in the calmer waters of The Cascades or the wave pool. These are the perfect option to just chill and play in the water without all the excitement of the big slides.
Just like at Dollywood, there are great meal and snack options around the park. My favorite snack at Splash Country is Berries n’ Cream. You’ll find something tasty for everybody in your group at one of the snack shops or grills with many of the same offerings you’d find in the main park.
#10 Reason To Visit Dollywood: Worship In The Park
Near and dear to my heart is the worship service offered on Sunday mornings at Dollywood. You can join in for a peaceful nondenominational worship service with great music in a great community. It’s nice to be able to go a worship service while on vacation. We show up in shorts, t-shirts and sneakers to spend time worshiping with total strangers and it is one of the most pleasant worship experiences we have.
It’s a very welcoming atmosphere in a cute little chapel tucked away in the Craftsmen Village. The old pews and wood floors creak when you use them, but that’s part of the charm of an old one room church. There’s a service every Sunday that the park is open even during the Christmas season.
#11 Reason To Visit Dollywood: Great Value For Your Money
The cost of tickets is one of the most surprising things about Dollywood. For $84.00 you can enjoy one day at the park. $104 will get you two days at the park and if you want to add the water park pass you add $10.00/ticket. That is significantly less than 1 day for an adult at other major theme parks that offer similar attractions.
The food and gifts in the park are priced similarly to other tourist attractions in the area. Yes, you’re probably going to pay more a bbq sandwich here than at your local joint, but again, that’s just part of what you expect in a theme park.
For us, it is worth every penny for the quality of the experience. We love being able to spend time with our family or friends watching shows, riding coasters, and making memories. We tend to have a good time no matter where we go, but not everyone we travel with enjoys traveling normally. This is one of the few places where everyone who has gone with us has really had a good time.
#12 Reason To Visit Dollywood: You’ll Support Important Causes
I love that the Dollywood Foundation supports such a huge literacy program. If you aren’t familiar with the Imagination Library, you can learn more by looking at Dolly Parton’s Imagine Library info page. This program allows parents and guardians all over the country and other parts of the world to sign up for their child to receive a new book every month from birth to 5 years of age.
This is not the only organization that receives their direct support. Dollywood is a host to the Eagle Mountain Sanctuary. The sanctuary houses the largest exhibit of non-releasable Bald Eagles in the U.S. according to eagles.org. The Wings of America show provides educational opportunities for guests to see birds of prey up close.
Dollywood also supports the The Dr. Robert F. Thomas Foundation which helps to provide affordable healthcare options in the Sevierville area. When larger organizations look to raise awareness and funds for community healthcare rural population’s needs are often overlooked. As someone from a rural community, I have a personal appreciation for this cause.
Wrapping Up 12 Reasons To Visit Dollywood
As I stated in the beginning, there are a ton of awesome experiences to be had at Dollywood. You can enjoy a day with your family and friends. Spend a day solo watching shows and munching on cinnamon bread. You can enjoy the beautiful hilly landscape just walking the grounds of the park or you can stay busy doing all things!
However you choose to enjoy Dollywood, I can promise you’ll have a great time. We love adding Dollywood to our Pigeon Forge vacations every chance we get. This is an affordable alternative to other popular theme parks in the south. Dollywood’s one of the most valuable theme park vacations you can take.
When you find yourself ready to plan a trip to Dollywood, connect with Travel Triptastic to plan and book your best possible trip. If you want more information about where to stay and dine in Pigeon Forge, check out our Best 3 Places To Stay & Eat in Pigeon Forge post. It’s full of fun information about the best places to stay, eat and play in the area. If you are looking for other mountain towns to visit nearby, check out our posts on Unique Things To Do In the Mountains & our Wytheville, VA posts.