On a Monday in early spring, there were no crowds. We had a blast on a beautiful warm day. Water rides get you soaked here. The train ride on the historic train was great and good fun for all.

The terrain is relatively flat with some small hills. Trees provide some shade.

A nice tip for those on a budget is to take the trolley from behind the Old Mill area just off the strip. It costs $.25 per person each way, but you don't have to pay to park in the lot at Dollywood and it drops off/picks up right at the entrance to the park.

The park map leaves something to be desired. It's difficult to tell at a quick glance where to find the rides. I recommend printing a map from the website before going, so you can plan your day early. The new wooden coaster, Thunderhead, is awesome -- we rode it several times.

Let me say that Dollywood is one of the best bargains around. If you first enter the park after 3pm, you can return the next day using the same ticket. That's really two days for the price of one. While this is plenty of time to spend at Dollywood, you have the opportunity to spend it on your favorite rides.

For those connected to the military (my husband is retired Army), the entrance price is half off. Fifty percent of the regular admission price and you can spend two days at the park. An excellent deal!

There are many standard water rides. Nothing too outrageous or spectacular. The shows are mostly so-so, but we did see an excellent singer (and we don't do country and western). The Purina dogs were enjoyable.

Dolly Parton was a forerunner in establishing organizations to protect the cultural heritage of Appalachia. Many crafts and artisans are available to be seen.

A trolly takes you from the parking lot to the main gate. Dollywood covers a very large area. There are several life music theatres with scheduled events throughout the day. There are many shops which offer a variety of merchandise. Restaurants are situated throughout the grounds. There is a large carnival area which the children of all ages enjoy. There is a railroad train that travels out in the woods and you can view old time homesteads. There is even an attempted train robbery!

Dollywood was huge with many rides and attractions! You have to love country music to fully enjoy the live shows, but a lot of them are good for all.