Are you ready to visit the Friendliest Theme Park in the US? While Dollywood may be closed right now, the 2021 season will begin soon enough and here you'll find all the details on visiting, including Dollywood hours of operation and important dates to keep on your calendar! If you're a Dollywood season pass holder and a Dollywood fanatic as much as me, you're ecstatic that it's open for another operating year already! Dollywood will officially start the 2021 season on March 13, 2021. Let's take a look at all the important dates and Dollywood hours of operation that you need to be aware of to start planning your next visit! When does Dollywood open? Dollywood will officially open on March 13, 2021 and will stay open until January 2, 2022. Dollywood is not open every single day during 2021. There are some days in every … [Read more...]

It's the day we've all been waiting for... or at least in my family and just about every other family in East Tennessee and surrounding areas. Dollywood has just announced that they will be reopening and it's SOON, very soon! Prior to your visit, be sure to read about all the changes as well as Dollywood hours of operation! Dollywood Reopening on June 15th Dollywood and Dollywood's Splash Country are set to reopen on June 15th and 16th for Season Pass holders only. Both parks will open to everyone on June 17th. “We are excited to get open and to welcome families back to the Great Smoky Mountains. Brighter Days are here!” Dolly Parton said. “We have been blessed to work with some incredible experts at Covenant Health and with the State of Tennessee as we have navigated this extraordinary situation. Their advice and … [Read more...]

It's no secret at all that my family is totally and completely obsessed with Dollywood. We've been season passholders for years and visit any chance we get. We live just about an hour and a half away which makes it easy to just visit for the day then head home, which is our normal Dollywood routine. But on one of those normal Dollywood routine days, the tram driver happened to mention that the last operating day of the 2019 Dollywood season would be January 3rd. Later, it was extended to the 4th, but for this story's purpose, the 3rd is important as it's my youngest daughter, Moreaya's, birthday! When she heard the driver say that [around 5 months ago probably] her ears perked up, she smiled, and said "Mom can we come to Dollywood on my birthday?!" I said sure, then she decided to take it one step further and say "Mom, can we stay … [Read more...]

There are big things coming to the Smoky Mountains just in time for the Holidays. Don't miss out on all these great Dollywood Christmas Events! If you live in the Southeast or are planning a trip to the Smoky Mountains in the next couple of months, you're in luck. While I love warmer months, the beautiful decorations, lights, and sounds of the season make November and December one of the best times to visit the area, especially my favorite... Dollywood! Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana, kicks off on November 9th and is one of the world’s premier theme park events. The festival has been nominated as part of USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice travel awards for Best Theme Park Holiday Event.  Smoky Mountain Christmas already has won the 2019 Golden Ticket award from Amusement Today for Best … [Read more...]

One of the best times of year to visit Dollywood is in the Fall. The Harvest Festival is in full swing and it's the 3rd year of the Great Pumpkin LumiNights - an extremely popular, family-friendly display of thousands of glowing pumpkins all throughout the park! Here are 7 INSIDER TIPS to make your visit even better! It's no secret that Dollywood is indeed my happy place. I've been visiting since I was a little girl and in truth, the friendliest theme park in America only gets better every year. One of the newest festivals in the park is the Great Pumpkin LumiNights that runs the same length as the Dollywood Harvest Festival, from September 29 to November 2nd. It's the 3rd year of the Great Pumpkin LumiNights and definitely time for me to share some photos and insider tips on how best to enjoy your visit during October! Great … [Read more...]

Ever wonder what it's like to be in a Dollywood commercial or even meet Dolly herself? My girls did BOTH on a rainy Saturday in May and here's what happened! If you know me at all, you know my heart was bursting with pride when I got an email asking if my girls would be interested in being extras in a commercial to be filmed at Dollywood. Believe it or not, I DID ask them if they wanted to do it before I replied "YES YES YES!" You see, I've been a Dollywood super fan since I was a little girl. My family has always grown up going to Dollywood, I've been a Dollywood season passholder since I can remember, and my girls love it as much as I do. In fact, ask any of the 3 of us girls in the family where our favorite place in the world is and you'll likely hear the same response "the beach and Dollywood"! So, when the girls were asked … [Read more...]

Have you visited Dollywood lately? If you have, you've likely seen my new favorite part of the park AND the biggest expansion in Dollywood history... Wildwood Grove! Here I'm breaking down all the rides, things to do, foods to eat, and fun to be had in this amazing, new area of the amusement park! A few weeks ago, I had the amazing experience to see the brand new addition to Dollywood, Wildwood Grove on the day it opened to the public. This area of the park is the biggest expansion in Dollywood history. In fact, the 6 acre 2019 expansion cost more than the original purchase of Dollywood back in 1986! Want to learn more about Dollywood? Visit here to get all the details! Actually, this wasn't my very first time walking around Wildwood Grove. I was there back in mid-March and the area was, well, let's just say a little less colorful … [Read more...]

Dollywood has something for everyone in the family and if you are the family thrill seeker, you'll find so many amazing Dollywood rides to satisfy you! Here's a comprehensive list of all the rides at Dollywood and who can ride them. When I say there's something for everyone at Dollywood, I'm not exaggerating at all. It's a great place to visit with the entire family, even multiple generations, because every age will enjoy the sights, sounds, and adventure at the Friendliest Theme Park in America. Whether you enjoy shopping, watching world class entertainment, eating the most delicious cuisine, or riding some amazing theme park rides, you'll find it all there.  But today, we're definitely focusing on the 39 rides and attractions at Dollywood... which ones are the BEST [in my humble opinion, of course, after visiting for … [Read more...]