When we finally decided that we were going to Gatlinburg for Fall Break, after we enjoyed our weekend in Gatlinburg a few weeks ago, we decided on what our itinerary would be like while we were there and Dollywood was on the list. Dollywood is in Pigeon Forge, which was only 9 miles from where we were staying. No brainer for a place to check out while we were on Fall Break.
We posted on Instagram stories our day at Dollywood. We arrived a little after 11am. The park opens at 10am and I have to mention for an amusement park that the lines were not long to get into the park nor to park our car either. That can be one of the most dreadful things for kids going anywhere is waiting. Once we parked, we waited maybe 5 minutes to get on the golf carts to drive us to the entrance of the park. It was definitely a nice day.
The lines for tickets were short, but you can also purchase tickets online at the Dollywood website. Then we walked in. From driving up to walking into the park was a total of 15 minutes. Best theme park experience already with very minimal waiting! Winning!
We’re in.
We had to take are family photo by the Dollywood sign before we did anything else.
We enjoyed walking around and taking pictures. There was something for everyone here. For the kid who is not crazy about roller coaster rides – He enjoyed Blazing Fury and testing his strength (he is such a boy) with dad.
For the kid who enjoys a thrill, but only in moderation – Dizzy Disk and Mystery Mine were the favorite rides. We rode Mystery Mine twice.
County Fair Area
And for the big kid who wants to brag to his friends about the awesome ride who rode – Lightning Rod was only one on the list that was a must-ride. It’s the fastest wooden roller coaster, going up t0 73mph to heights of 3800ft. I think the hubby was back in 3 minutes.
We also got the chance to ride on the Dollywood Express which is definitely a must (and there is a line for it so check out the times and plan accordingly).
And of course, we walked around and taking pictures and enjoying our family time.
He’s pretending to be a bird.
Hanging out while they ride the Mystery Mine.
Overall, we enjoyed our time.
Highlights of Dollywood
- short lines for the rides (the park was packed the day went that they extended the closing time to 7pm. The longest wait was for the Lightning Rod), also they have this thing called parent swap for parents with kids too young ride – where one parent and ride and then the other parent can ride without waiting in line a second time
- rides for each person from no thrill seeker to thriller addict (plus it has information on the map of requirements and amount of thrill)
- food (I did not mention this but the food options are amazing, not all junk food)
- entertainment for the family all day
We will definitely come back again to Dollywood. If you plan to go, you may want to go for 2 days as one day is not enough to do everything for just the amusement park. Seriously, one day is not enough. The water park was closed and we are hoping to check out Dollywood in the summer. During Fall Break they offer great deals to Dollywood that are worth checking out and offer a military discount too.
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