We just got back a few weeks ago from a FANTASTIC trip to Dollywood, and listen, we heard how much people raved about it, but we didn’t really get it until we were there ourselves.
We love Disney, and we love Universal, don’t get us wrong, but there’s something different about Dollywood that made us understand why there’s so much hype around it. If you yourself have been debating on taking a trip and have been on the fence, we’ve created this list of 15 (!!!) reasons you should absolutely add it to your bucket list.
Cinnamon Bread
You’ve likely heard about it a whole ton and haven’t known what the hype behind Cinnamon Bread is, but we can now vouch that it really is THAT delicious.
It was soft, sweet, a great size for the price (though we wanted more the moment it was gone), and was baked to perfection. We’ll be dreaming about it, and if you grab it, you will be too.
Dolly Parton’s Iconic Clothes
Dolly Parton is known for having some of the most incredible, iconic, and unforgettable costumes in all of country music (some would even say music as a whole). When you visit Dollywood, you can walk through the Dolly Parton Experience and see DOZENS of those incredible outfits!
It was immersive, so fascinating, and it made us strangely feel closer to this musical icon, which is pretty neat. If you love learning while on your trips, this is a great spot!
The Largest Fire Pit You’ve Probably Ever Seen
Over at HeartSong Lodge, one of the hotels you can stay right close to the park, you’ll find a MASSIVE fire pit that is everything we’ve ever dreamed of.
There are over 15 chairs seated right around it, with room for other people to sit on the ground if they’d like, and it’s STUNNING. You may walk past it at first and not even realize it’s a fire pit because it doesn’t look like a typical one, but it IS and it’s glorious.
Miss Lillian
There’s so much to do inside the park, between rides, walkthroughs, other attractions, and more, but a big highlight for us was the one and only Miss Lillian. (She’s on slide 5 in our post below!)
She was SO fun, interacted with us, and even got Quincy dancing in the middle of the park, which is quite impressive. She brought us so much joy, and reminded us just how important live entertainment is!
Dippin Dots
Dollywood is far from the only place you can get Dippin Dots, but when we tell you these brought us such an immense dose of nostalgia that was made even BETTER by being in the park? It was fantastic.
They were delicious, refreshing, and brought us back to our childhood in 0.7 seconds. Plus, the size was GREAT and we loved all the different flavor options they had.
Black Bear Trail
There are dozens of different attractions around the park, but one of the ones that made us laugh the most and definitely created a core memory was none other than Black Bear Trail.
This is a small kiddie ride where you’re strapped on top of a black bear and just mosey on around the little track, but it does jerk you around a bit, since it’s supposed to feel like the bear is running! It’ll get you laughing, that’s for sure, and if you get a video of your friend on it, it’ll be a source of entertainment for years to come.
Lumberjack Shower Photo Op
What’s a theme park without awesome photo ops, right? One of our ultimate favorites was this Lumberjack Shower photo op — yes, it’s as great as it sounds.
The comedic bit here is that there’s two sides, one for Lumberjacks and one for Lumberjills, but then there’s nothing to actually separate the fake showers. It gave us a good laugh, that’s for sure.
Mystery Mine
One of Quincy’s favorite attractions of the whole trip was none other than Mystery Mine!
This is a pretty nail-biting ride in the best way, so thrill seekers will be a big fan. It’s a steel coaster where the 1,811-foot track travels through an abandoned coal mine. You’ll even experience a 95-degree, 85-foot vertical drop that plunges into darkness!
The Scrambler
Another vote for nostalgia here, because while The Scrambler is similar to carnival rides you’ll find at your local county fair, there’s less of a fear of this one falling apart because it wasn’t just put up days ago.
You won’t be able to stop yourself from letting out laughs and screams as it throws you every which way. It’s fun, it’s wild, and you’ll definitely feel like a kid again.
Blazing Fury
If you want to get your heart pumping, Blazing Fury is 100% the ride for you! This is an indoor coaster, and the story is that a blazing fire is about to hit this 1880s town, and chaos has broken out as everyone tries to make it to safety.
It’s another unique coaster, especially with that storyline, and we would mark it as scary, but in the best way! Though, kids may not be a fan of it, especially if they still have trouble distinguishing between what’s real and what’s fake.
Live Entertainment
The live entertainment as a whole throughout the park was a MAJOR highlight, which is exactly how it should be, in our eyes. Dolly Parton herself was creator behind the park, and as she’s a performer herself, it’s only right that the live entertainment take center stage.
Be sure to take time during your park day to check out the incredible artists — otherwise, we feel you don’t get the whole experience!
Lightning Rod
Another ride that really stood out to us was Lightning Rod, partly because of the 20 seconds of airtime you get on the coaster!
Not to mention, the design of the ride is AWESOME and again, totally unique. The lift hill is 20 stories tall, so when we say it’ll take your breath away, we really mean it. Thrill seekers, you’ll love this one!
The Mountains
The view from Dollywood is also incredible, as you are in Tennessee, where mountains are abundant.
Seriously, don’t forget to take a moment during your trip to stop and take in the sights around you. You won’t regret it, and we recommend you stop and take some pictures too!
The Man Who Narrates The Dollywood Express
Like many theme parks, there is a train in Dollywood, and it’s called the Dollywood Express. While the ride itself was great, the real highlight was the man who narrates the attraction!
Even more than that though, this 20-minute ride through five miles of stunning landscape is a great way to take a quick break during the day. We can’t recommend it enough!
The Sound Machine in Our HeartSong Hotel Room
Finally, we’ve got something that really made our jaws drop, and that was the sound machine we found in our HeartSong hotel room!
It’s not often we find a sound machine in any hotel, but especially not one that looks like this and has so many different options! There were eight different sounds, but you could also combine them, add some music, set it on a timer — it was incredible. In fact, we’d like one inside our own room at home ASAP!
We feel like we experienced a lot, but we know there’s SO much more to explore, so we can’t wait to go back and visit again. Don’t hesitate — the time is NOW to book that trip!
10 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Going To Dollywood
Are you planning to head to Dollywood soon? Tell us in the comments!
July 13. Going with a grandaughter after competing at usag stars and stripes gymnastic competition. Only have 1 day. What do we need to see and do?