I’ve lived close to Disney World for my entire life. I’ve been more than 100 times and still visit as often as I want as an annual pass holder.
Recently, though, I was excited to try a different theme park that’s been on my radar for years: Dollywood. The Dolly Parton park has been nestled among the Great Smoky Mountains in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for decades.
After spending two days exploring Dollywood, here’s everything that surprised me.
I appreciated how Parton’s history was highlighted throughout the park.
One of my favorite areas in the park was the Dolly Parton Experience, where I learned all about Parton and her life through a wide range of exhibits and displays.
While at Dollywood, I also had the chance to step onto one of Parton’s old tour buses and look at many of her glamorous outfits and jewelry pieces.
The park’s entertainment was top-notch and varied — one show I saw even featured Parton’s niece.
Throughout the park, I found all kinds of impressive entertainment, including performances from a country string band and a Southern gospel singing group.
During my visit, Dollywood was also putting on an educational show featuring birds of prey.
One show I especially loved was “Heidi Parton’s Kin and Friends,” in which Parton’s niece Heidi and a crew of talented performers sang songs across a range of genres.
Dollywood’s most famous food is surprisingly easy to find throughout the park and its resorts.
As many theme-park foodies know, Dollywood is synonymous with “cinnamon bread.”
Since the treat is so popular, I worried I might have to wait in long lines to order it or get up early to track it down before it sells out. Fortunately, it was even easier to find than I expected.
Plenty of it was available at Grist Mill and Spotlight Bakery inside the park. The bread could also be purchased at the Dollywood resorts, DreamMore and HeartSong, or even ordered using room service.
There’s an entire land dedicated to kid-friendly attractions, which seems great for families.
The park’s rides are quite varied, from attractions for preschoolers to high-speed roller coasters that thrill seekers would love.
I was especially surprised by Country Fair, an area where kid-friendly attractions are all clustered together. This setup makes it easy for families with little kids to hang out in one spot and enjoy multiple attractions at once.
Country Fair also features carnival games, a picnic pavilion modeled after a classic red barn, and a splash pad.
Dollywood’s rotating festivals throughout the year seemed good enough to compete with Disney’s.
The park hosts five or so different themed festivals throughout the year. Similar to Disney parks, Dollywood offers exclusive entertainment and special foods during each of its festivals.
I was at the park during the first of the season, the I Will Always Love You music festival, which runs through mid-April.
Other festivals at Dollywood include the Flower and Food Festival in spring, the Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration through the summer, the Harvest Festival in autumn, and Smoky Mountain Christmas during the holiday season.
A simple but pricey parking upgrade added surprising value to my trip.
Parking at any theme park can be pricey. During my Dollywood trip, standard parking cost $25 a day, and preferred parking was $50.
Much to my surprise, I’d recommend paying more for the latter as it was a surprisingly good value. With preferred parking, I got to keep my car in the closest lot to the park and access an exclusive security line and entrance.
When I arrived, the park’s main entrance had a big line out front and a wait time of about 45 minutes to get inside. At the preferred-parking entrance, I only waited about 10 minutes.
I love that my upgrade let me spend more time in the park instead of waiting in line outside.
There are a ton of good pop-up photo spots around the park.
I love how many photo opportunities I found at Dollywood, especially in its Showstreet area.
The main entry area of the park features a giant Dollywood sign that serves as a perfect backdrop for family photos. Plus, I found tons of cute art installations that are swapped out throughout the year.
While I was at Dollywood, big shimmering sequins hung over part of Showstreet, and a fun “LOVE” sign was displayed at the end of the road — both nodding to the current festival theme. I made sure to take photos at each spot.
This story was originally published on March 30, 2025, and most recently updated on April 29, 2026.
Read the original article on Business Insider
The post After 100 trips to Disney, I finally tried Dollywood. Many things surprised me about Dolly Parton’s Southern theme park. appeared first on Business Insider.
