Dollywood
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1020 Dollywood Lane
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee 37863
(865) 428-9488
Editor Pick
Dollywood
- June 12, 2008
- Rated 5 of 5 by
pbpd81 from Poplar Bluff, Missouri
I don’t believe I can put into words my feelings about our visit here. I have dreamed of visiting this park for as long as I can remember, so my excitement upon actually arriving is indescribable. A one day ticket is $50.20 but if you go after 3 pm the ticket is good for the next day. We took advantage of this on a Monday afternoon to get in a couple extra hours of fun. The main theme of the park is the pioneer days with craftsman demonstrating the making of everything from horseshoes and wagons to blown glass and candy. A few areas of the park offer a more modern décor such as Jukebox Junction with a 50’s style diner and the Rockin’ Roadway mini classic cars. This is also where we found the interactive museum Chasing Rainbows, dedicated to the life and career of Dolly Parton. One of the most exciting parts of my whole trip was the exhibit of the Coat of Many Colors from her hit song by the same title. As we entered the museum, accompanying pictures along the walls, were notes scribbled out by Dolly to her friend and assistant Judy. I found this very interesting and it took me quit some time to make it into the actual museum. We ended up spending a couple hours the first afternoon viewing the exhibits here. On display outside the museum and new for the 2008 season was Dolly’s tour bus. Unfortunately the line was long and was moving extremely slow so we decided not to wait. We did try back a couple times the second day but the line was long each time and we ended up missing out on it. Our first destination on the second morning was Blazing Fury, an indoor roller coaster. We were excited to give it a try because it appeared to be similar to our favorite ride at Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO. We walked straight to the Fury as soon as the park opened at 10 am. After riding twice with no waiting, we started working our way around the park. We rode all the major rides at least twice with almost no waiting in lines. We found 2 big roller coasters near the back of the park. The Tennessee Tornado zipped around twists, loops and a butterfly turn at speeds of 70 mph, it left our hearts pumping, but we were more than happy to go back for a second spin. Then we found the Mystery Mine, it started off a little slow but ended with a vertical climb and 85 foot drop that made for an exciting ride. We had to pass on the wooden coaster as it wasn’t open yet, but it looked like a thrilling ride. The newest ride was the River Battle where riders floated along on boats equipped with soaker guns, powered by cranking a handle, and attempted to shoot targets or guest walking by. Located along the path were more soaker guns so those same guest could shoot back at the boats. This ride was a little disappointing in the thrill department but I’m sure will be a big hit on the hot days of summer as you will defiantly end up wet. To my surprise one of the funnest rides was the motion ride theatre, Thunder Road. As we watched the car chase scene on the screen our seats bumped and jolted around giving the impression of being right there in the car in hot pursuit. By the time we had made our way back to were we began it was time for a bite to eat. We picked Miss Lillian’s BBQ because I really wanted to try the roasted corn-on-the-cob. The BBQ pork sandwich platter came with baked beans and slaw, we ordered one and split the sandwich. I got the corn cob and a refill on a souvenir cup, the total came to almost $20. The food was pretty good and since we planned to get a snack later it was enough for each of us. After lunch the lines for the rides were longer and we had to spend more time waiting. We went around the park a second time, hitting each of the rides again and some that we had missed earlier. By late afternoon the lines were back down to almost no waiting. We didn’t spend much time watching any of the demonstrations. I don’t know if our timing was off or if it was still to early in the season for everything to be going full swing. We watch the blacksmith for awhile and we just caught the end of a candy making session. We dipped our own candles but the ladies in the shop weren’t making anything themselves. Other than food , the candles were about the only things we purchased. Prices were typical amusement park prices, expensive! The park closed at 7 pm and we stayed until the last minute. On our way out my daughter found a purple Dollywood hat for just under $10, which she thought she couldn’t live without and that price wasn’t bad. Oh, and I couldn’t pass up the smashed penny machine. So we took our treasures and headed for the trolley. We left totally exhausted and deliriously happy.
From journal Our Tennesse Adventure
Very touching
- February 14, 2008
- Rated 5 of 5 by
harleegurl70 from roanoke, Virginia
Dollywood is the most touching place on earth. It makes you remember what's important and forget the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It's a thrill for all ages.
Editor Pick
Dollywood in Pigeon Forge
- February 28, 2007
- Rated 4 of 5 by
Jaysour from Maryville, Illinois
We took a day out of our trip to Gatlinburg to drive over the Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, at first thought, for the kids but as it turned out, the whole family had a good time. Good enough to stay until they closed the park.
A large parking lot and tram system provided easy access for all, no matter how far you may have parked from the park entrance. While on the tram, our tour guide mentioned some things to do as well as any new or exciting festivals that were happening that day.
We were lucky to hit the park on a day (mid September) when the crowd was quite light allowing our daughter (as well as myself) to ride the rides without any long or extensive waits. The ThunderHead is a great wooden coaster although I was the only that dared to ride it. There was even an entire section of the park dedicated to younger children with games of skill, rides and water games. Both daughter and younger son were able to ride most of the attractions. The park is divided into sections with different themes but all ascend to a higher theme of Smokey mountain coutry dress, food, hobbies, skills and the like.
The food is the typical food you find at other theme parks such as hamburger, hot dogs, corndogs, funnel cakes and the like as well as some distinct food endeavors such as BBQ specialties and stuffed sandwiches filled with sausage, green peppers, bell peppers and onions which was outstanding. The prices are comparable to any other theme park which of course is not cheap but not outrageous.
One thing you should not miss is the Eagle Sanctuary right on the grounds of Dollywood. They have different shows throughout the day with live bird demonstrations with eagles as well as other types of birds. Fun and very informative plus a great photo opt of an eagle.
One of the nice surprises we encounted at the park was the staff. Some of the friendliest people you have ever met. Much nicer, friendly and interactive than any other theme park I have been. From "working the crowd" to making sure the youngsters were tight in their seats, these employees made the visit to Dollywood an experience that you remember not only for the rides but the hospitality.
If you have a day to spend, I would certainly recommend Dollywood and as with all theme parks, there are new rides every year to add to the thrills.
From journal Gatlinburg Worth the Drive
Dollywood
- October 11, 2006
- Rated 2 of 5 by
cabinhunter from Laceys Spring, Alabama
I personally think this is about the worse theme park I have ever been to. There are maybe 5 rides each for adults, children, and toddlers. You wait 15 to 45 minutes to ride each one and then you get to ride from 1 minute to 2 1/2 minutes depending on the ride. The few shows they have you get to wait in line for also. But if you love to browse shops that are really expensive, this is the place to be. Personally I don't see paying $45 to shop when there are lots and lots of shops in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg to browse, and, you can most likely afford to buy something there.
From journal Fun With the Grandkids
Dollywood
- June 17, 2006
- Rated 5 of 5 by
teebeer from fayetteville, North Carolina
It's wonderful family fun. The price is very good for a 3-day pass that lets you go to Dollywood and the water park. My kids rode the roller coaster 10 times. The lines where short in the midst of June, and I loved the shopping.
From journal Trip to the Mill