Dollywood was our last stop during our short stay in Tennessee for Spring Break. And I’m pretty sure we all fell in love. The girls’ and I are already dreaming of our next trip, and hopefully we can bring my husband next time so he can experience it too!
As soon as we walked in, we had to take advantage of the photo op in front of the Dollywood sign, especially since we were all wearing our awesome Dolly shirts from Bosque Apparel. The shirts were a huge hit with everyone in the park. Everyone loved them and we got so many compliments, definitely a must have when going to Dollywood!
Festival of Nations was in full swing while we were there. Even though we were on Spring Break and out of school it was nice for the girls to see some world culture throughout the park. There was music, food and shows reflecting nations around the globe.
Festivals of Nations ended April 9th and the Spring Mix started up April 11th and will continue through the 29th. Spring Mix will feature three weeks of amazing performances across multiple genres of music. If there ever has been a year to take advantage of the value of a Dollywood season pass, this is it. All concerts are included with park admission. I only wished we lived a little closer to take advantage of this!
My daughters are at the perfect age to enjoy Dollywood, nestled in the beautiful Smoky Mountains. The park is so gorgeous and laid back, which isn’t normally the case with a theme park. It has shade everywhere and a ton of places to sit and relax. There was so much to look around the park and so many opportunities for fun pictures. The girls were so confused by this, they would have never survived back in those days. But they were good sports for me anyway.
Let’s cut to the chase though, my kids don’t want to relax at a theme park, they are all about the rides. Brynna, who is 9 is definitely my thrill-seeker, and Mackenzie, who is 10 (almost 11) likes rides but isn’t very adventurous when it comes to the bigger roller coasters. Thankfully, Dollywood has so many different types of rides to choose from that both girls were happy. The park is geared for spending time with family, I love how each of the big roller coasters has a play area or smaller ride for kids that might not want to ride. I think this is a brilliant idea!
The Barnstormer was definitely one of the girls’ favorites. I could barely watch it went so high! The ride is based on the stunts that early 1920s pilots might have attempted. It will definitely have you realizing why you don’t fly stunt planes!
The park was very busy as we were there during Spring Break so it was to be expected. We enjoyed walking around looking at everything and just enjoying our time together. Our last ride of the day was Thunderhead, which is one of the top five roller coasters in the world! Brynna and I rode this and it was our favorite ride hands down.
Besides all the rides, Dollywood also has the Chasing Rainbows Museum dedicated to the career of Dolly Parton. You can also see a replica of the tiny mountain cabin where she grew up with her family. You can even walk through her tour bus, designed by Dolly’s longtime road manager, bus driver and friend Don Warden. I have to admit this was one of my favorite things to look at. Several pieces of her stage costumes are hanging in the closet as well as some awards and her guitar. Country music junkies like us love this stuff!
Dollywood definitely shows the guests a big part of Dolly Parton’s legacy and makes it such a unique theme park. So, if you are ever in Pigeon Forge be sure to give Dollywood a try! You will be so glad you did! It was a day full of new experiences. This is why I enjoy traveling with family so much. It offers perspective and interactions that may not have ever happened. Thank you to everyone at Dollywood for the warm hospitality.
*This is a sponsored post which means I was provided compensation and/or product for this post. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. I only partner with products and services that I genuinely love and want to recommend.
That sounds like a great place!!! I’d love to take my daughter there!!