Dollywood Theme Park Review And Giveaway Information!

I love to travel and think it’s very important to take time off to “smell the roses” and spend quality time with family and friends. Dolly Parton’s Family Amusement Park, Dollywood, located in the Great Smokey Mountains in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, provides the perfect combination of family time a
nd fun for all ages. The park, which is celebrating its 25 year anniversary this year, is built into the mountain, which makes it one of the most beautiful theme parks I’ve ever experienced. You don’t feel any pressure to hurry there. The trees and landscape provide a tranquil backdrop likened to a family picnic rather than a busy park. Take a 5 mile ride on the Dollywood Express Train powered by a coal fired system engine and experience the beauty of the Smokey Mountains. Because the park is part of the mountain, be sure to get there early and rent your motorized scooter for anyone in the group who may have a hard time managing a day walking up hills.

Our family, like most, consists of a variety of age groups. Besides me and my 16 year old son, Jake, there are Grandpa Bruce, Aunt Lee and Uncle Tim and their two children, Jason who’s 5 and the littlest Spencer who’s 2. Dollywood is the first amusement park I’ve encountered that seems to understand the concept of having fun together as a family rather than getting through the park gate and immediately parting ways. Although there is one area, Country Fair, that houses the majority of the kiddie rides (but has adult rides as well), there are also kiddie rides throughout the rest of the park. When you exited the thrilling Timber Tower; you were just a few steps from Lil’ Loggers Landing which is fun for the little ones in your group. This way the entire family could stick together all day and still get to do everything the park had to offer. In this concept, Dolly Parton and her creative team at Dollywood were really thinking outside the box. It made for a very enjoyable day for everyone.

Unlike the rest of my family, I love a good thrill ride! Shoot me straight into the sky at 100 mph and then let me fall turning and flipping all the way down, I’d come up begging for more. I think most people would be surprised to hear that Dollywood has some of the best thrill rides I’ve ever encountered. The best of the bunch for me was the Mystery Mine Rollercoaster. A 95 degree, 85 foot vertical drop in the dark followed by an upside down corkscrew and a loop, now that gets my blood pumping! Pure adrenaline fun! Plus, with the help of the parks Q2Q ride management system, I got to ride it twice in one day without waiting in line. Some of the parks other fantastic thrill rides and rollercoaster’s include the Tennessee Tornado, Thunderhead and the water ride Daredevil Falls. On the flip side, there are many fun rides for the fainter of heart like the Scrambler and the Lemon Twist. Of course no park would be complete without rides for the tot’s of which Dollywood had great supply. My nephews enjoyed the flying elephants and the Veggie Tales Side Show Spin Rollercoaster, as well as the Lumber Jack Lifts and the Piggy Parade.

How do you make a 16 year old happy about spending time with his family? Through lots of food, that’s how. We began our day at Aunt Granny’s all you can eat buffet, which presents a challenge to a 16 year old boy. We got our money’s worth with the piles of pancakes, sausage patties, bacon, eggs, ham, waffles and homemade biscuits and gravy. They open early for breakfast during the summer “Kids’ Fest” festival so that you can dine with some of your favorite literary characters like Peter Rabbit, Pipi Longstocking as well as Strawberry Shortcake. The service was great and the atmosphere was like being in a southern kitchen. The food was what you expected from a buffet, nothing to get too excited about, but plenty to fill you up. One thing I found odd was they offered a full dessert table at breakfast. For me Jello and eggs aren’t an appetizing mixture. I think they would have more success with a bagel bar or assorted donuts and pastries. They did offer a wide variety of beverages including cappuccino, which was awesome! You could choose from a number of juices, be aware that the large is giant sized.

As you walk through the park there is something cooking around every corner. Funnel cakes and homemade confection candies as well as hot dogs and hamburgers. There was also a great selection of healthy fresh fruits to choose from if you’re looking to steer clear of the extra calories. The two Big Skillet outdoor restaurants called my name all day. They cook smoked sausage and a variety of barbeque on these huge skillets and every time you walk by it’s hard not to stop for a taste.  We ended our day having dinner at the Backstage Restaurant. I wish I could say that our meal was as spectacular as our day, but unfortunately it was disappointing. I had the orange chicken with rice bowl that was dry and reminded me of a frozen entrée. Unfortunately, everyone in the family was less than impressed with their meal. However, that being said, I purchased the famous cinnamon bread in the Mill to take back to our townhome and it was heavenly.

I am from Chicago, which is a Cultural Mecca. It’s hard to impress someone like me who’s from a place where good music is around every corner. Dolly Parton plays an integral creative part of the stage productions and live shows at the park and it shows! A stage show at Dollywood is like an Off- Broadway experience. The theaters are large with very comfortable seating. You can purchase concessions like pop corn and cotton candy for the show and each seat comes equip with a drink holder. Once you’re comfortable, get ready for a great performance by professional singers and dancers who are very talented and comfortable on stage. My personal favorite was the Dreamland Drive-In which was a story of a group of Baby-boomer kids telling a love story through the music of each decade starting with the 50’s and ending in the 80’s. If these kids are considered summer stock, look out Broadway. Dollywoods crowning jewel is a show called Sha-Kon-O-Hey! with music and lyrics written by Dolly Parton herself. Sha-Kon-O-Hey! is the story of the Great Smokey Mountains and it’s settlers. It’s like Dolly’s love letter to her home. This show is very moving and equally as well done.

There is plenty to do at Dollywood if you’re not a ride enthusiast. Scattered throughout the park are outdoor theaters where singing and dancing can be enjoyed throughout the day. If you love Dolly Parton (who doesn’t) you can walk through her tour bus and marvel at several pieces of her stage costumes as well as awards she’s earned through her many years of family entertainment.  The park houses a Bald Eagle and Birds of Prey Avery where they nurse these amazing wild birds back to health, sometimes breed them and eventually release them back into the wild. The Wings of America Theater gives your family the opportunity to get up close and personal with these giant birds and learn all about their way of life. It’s the closest I’ve ever come to a Bald Eagle and gave me a greater understanding as to why they are a symbol for the great United States of America.

Our day at Dolly Parton’s Great Smokey Mountain Family Amusement Park was one I don’t think any of us will soon forget. Our entire family reunited at Dollywood on the first day of our vacation and we got to spend a great deal of time enjoying not only the park, but also each other. It was refreshing to spend the day at a place that’s Christian based priorities emulated throughout the entire park. The staff and setting there do a fine job of making the day about your family and not just about what ride to go on next. I would recommend Dollywood as a great vacation to families everywhere with a great big YEE-HAW!

To Participate In Today’s Extra Credit Entries Please Visit http://www.dollywood.com/dollywood-q10020-c10012-Explore.aspx and have a look around the website. Then, go back to the entry page by clicking HERE and tell me the following:

1. Which ride would you be most excited to try out? (worth 3 separate entries)

2. Which attraction other than the rides would you be excited to try out? (worth 3 separate entries)

3. Which dining experience would you think sounds tasty? (worth 3 separate entries)

DO NOT LEAVE ENTRIES HERE!!! Remember you must click HERE to enter!

*This review was written by Jackie “quit lollygagging” Pletsch, who I assure you, enjoyed the theme park the most in our family. We recieved tickets to the park in order to provide a full review. All opinions are our own.

Tagged as: dollywood, theme park