Whilst there were many theme parks on this trip that greatly excited me, I don’t think any others – okay, Silver Dollar City – came close to exciting me as much as Dollywood. It’s just iconic isn’t it? Since getting back, Dollywood is the only park shirt I’ve worn that’s garnered comment. People who don’t usually give a damn about parks keep Dollywood alive in their imagination right next to Disneyland. It has such a mythical quality that I’ve been asked multiple times – ‘wait, you’ve actually been?!’. And for those of us who do give a damn? Well, it’s practically a religious experience.
Dollywood is located in the town of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, just a short drive from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Sadly, not such a short drive from Carowinds! A touch over two-hundred miles, with a stop for a quick gas station dinner (#Sheetz4Eva), it was a good five hour journey. Now what we probably should have checked earlier was the latest check-in time at our motel (just ten minutes from the park on the main Pigeon Forge Parkway), as it turned out reception was due to close at 11pm. When did we learn this information? Well… about 9pm, with Waze giving us an estimated arrival time of 10:53pm. So what ensued was the most stressful drive of the trip, winding through the Smoky Mountains with seemingly every other vehicle being a truck with their full LED beams on. But we made it – shout out to my travelling companion, and absolute driving machine, James for powering through that madness – with two minutes to spare, to be greeted by a receptionist in the process of locking up for the night. Always check your check-in times kids!
Disaster averted, and a solid night of sleep under our belts, it was finally time to step foot in the promised land. We were lucky to score a parking space within easy walking distance of the entrance but oh boy, that walk seemed to last forever. I simply could not believe I was there. This wasn’t just a parking lot. It’s the Dollywood parking lot. Entry was the most carefree of the trip so far, with nothing but walk-by scanners and a friendly turnstile attendant to deal with. Then there we were, in the park and staring straight at the iconic sign.
Before we could head to our (obvious) first destination, we had to swing by their Time Saver office to pick up our passes. This was the only park that we bought any sort of queue-skip option for prior to arriving in the country. With a few must-dos in Pigeon Forge outside of the park, we wanted to make sure that we weren’t going to miss out on anything during our time here. But, I’ll talk a little more about Time Saver later. With our passes in hand we were able to walk just around the corner to our first ride of the day – and one of the most anticipated of the trip – Lightning Rod.
Now, I’ve written a mini blog all about Lighting Rod as I had a lot of thoughts about this ride. I won’t go in to too much detail here, but let’s just say I was extremely grateful to get to ride such an iconic coaster, but it’s not one I’d rush back to do again.
Thankfully, just around the corner there was something waiting that would very quickly ease the disappointment.
It was breakfast time.
As the only food item to feature in my pre-trip hype list, Cinnamon Bread was in a category all of it’s own. As we arrived, production was in full swing with the first batches of the day not long out of the oven. (Thanks to the kitchen team who gave me the okay to take a few photos of them hard at work!)
I’m just gonna take a moment here to say that if there’s one item missing from the Dollywood merch line-up it’s a Grist Mill candle. Pleeeeeease just let me take that smell home with me. It was incredible.
Oh cinnamon bread. Sweet, sticky, cinnamonny bread. How I love you. If you just take all the flavour from the best cinnamon bun you’ve had, stick it on some light, fluffy bread and cover the whole thing in butter and cinnamon sugar, well, that’s about right. Remarkably, this thing did not even touch the sides as it went down. I wolfed the whole loaf with no intention of stopping. That bread really is light! This was one thing that truly did live up to the hype.
Full to the brim with bread and joy, we continued up through Craftsman’s Valley. This was absolutely my favourite area of the park, with gorgeous mountain-style theming, shady trees and artisan crafts as far as the eye could see.
Craftman’s Valley is also home to two signature Dollywood attractions, the park’s famously operational Chapel (offering services every Sunday) and Eagle Mountain Sanctuary, home to the World’s largest collection of non-releasable American Bald Eagles. Both were really lovely. Honestly, I don’t know how I feel about overt religion in a theme park – well, okay it makes me uncomfortable – but with Dolly’s faith clearly important to her, and with other important nods to her life around the park I can let this slide. I still prefer the bald eagles.
Up at the very top of the land sit its two rollercoasters: Blazing Fury and Tennessee Tornado. Okay, admittedly referring to Blazing Fury as a rollercoaster is a stretch given that it’s basically a dark ride with a few drops, but according to RCDB although it’s movement is primarily similar to a dark ride these three drops allow it to be classified as a coaster.
This was the park’s original rollercoaster and one of my favourite rides in the park! After clambering in to the fire truck-esque train, we were whisked off on a tour of a 19th century town on the brink of being engulfed in fire – thankfully the fire crew were around to help! The ride opened way back in 1978, so you can picture the sort of movement the animatronics have, but regardless some of the sets were seriously impressive. My favourite detail in the ride had to be a signpost with signs pointing to both Rebel Railroad and Silver Dollar City, two of the park’s former names. As much as I loved Blazing Fury it was a shame that this was the only dark ride in the park, I would love to see what Dollywood could do with a modern ride system!
Tennessee Tornado is a short, intense and not-overly-headbangy Arrow looper. When I realised what ride type I was boarding, I immediately regretted my choice to ride, but I learned on this trip that Arrow definitely deserve more credit than I’d been giving them. Nothing I rode ever hurt me nearly as much as expected! Tornado boasts three inversions, each of which were stunningly intense and made me slightly grey out. Other than that it wasn’t particularly memorable for me, but a fun ride all the same.
Next up on our tour of the park was Wilderness Pass. This land was far more open than the previous areas we had walked through, with shade being comparatively elusive. Given the heat of the day, this meant we didn’t spend an awful lot of time here outside of just hopping on the two coasters and we did struggle to find a shady area for a non-rider in our group to sit, resorting eventually to a play area. As for the rides themselves? Wild Eagle was a ride I was very excited to experience, given the only B&M wing coaster I’d so far experienced was The Swarm at Thorpe Park and that sat up with my favourite coasters. Well, The Swarm is still up there, Wild Eagle… not so much. There was nothing particularly bad about the coaster, but just nothing particularly stunning either. Okay, that’s not really fair. It’s setting is gorgeous. But the actual layout of the coaster itself is no better than alright. The eagle-shaped trains are beautiful though!
In a surprise twist, I actually much preferred Firechaser Express over Wild Eagle. I’m a sucker for any family coaster that plays around with the concept a little and Firechaser did this and then charmed me along the way. With a gorgeously themed station building, surprisingly lengthy, nippy layout and some mid-course surprises this coaster is definitely one of my favourite family coasters.
As we headed into Timber Canyon, we began our approach to a ride firmly on my avoid-spoilers list: Mystery Mine. In fact, all I actually knew about this coaster was that it was a Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter that had recently had it’s layout altered. That was about it. And now I cannot help but wish I’d gotten to experience the original layout because damn that initial outdoor section is bad. Was it always packed to the brim with trim brakes? As it currently stands, once you head up the iconic Euro-Fighter vertical lift – the smallest I’ve encountered, but with some lovely theming around it – you’re permitted to slowly traverse one bend or drop at a time before hitting a set of trim brakes. On my first ride, by the time the train headed back indoors I was laughing out loud from how ludicrously bad the ride had been up to that point. Thankfully, the second half was far more entertaining. I should have guessed that the massive show-building hid a much larger second vertical lift inside, but nope I had absolutely no idea! At the top of this lift there was even a great show scene with fire effects as the mine ‘exploded’, before you drop down, into a heartline roll and then finish with my favourite element, a dive loop (feat. some pretty decent hangtime). Mystery Mine is a coaster that excels in providing an experience, as opposed to merely a rollercoaster. Whilst indoors, both the effects and audio are wonderful, and the way the show building looms intimidatingly over this corner of the park can’t help but draw you in. It can be a bit of a headbanger – my first ride was absolutely fine, my second not so much – but overall remains a must do whilst at the park.
Oh and I bloody love this vulture animatronic.
Also the song slaps.
Thankfully, if you don’t give a fig about the experience and merely want to ride a fantastic coaster, Thunderhead lies just a short walk away. Now I’m not sure if this take is particularly spicy or not, but in my opinion Thunderhead is the best coaster in this park. It’s also without doubt, my favourite GCI to date. This ride just takes everything I love about Wicker Man at Alton Towers and plusses it – okay, not everything, there’s no fire or giant theming structure here! But the feeling of the ride going far faster than it should, of absolutely burning through every bend and of chucking you out of your seat repeatedly, that’s all there and then some! Like all (modern) GCIs this is also as smooth as you could want from a woodie, and even features a station fly-through! Just an absolutely wonderful coaster.
After a short double-back – Thunderhead is located down a dead end path – it was time to wander through the enormous tree stump tunnel that marked the entrance to the park’s newest area, Wildwood Grove.
This nature-themed family area of the park opened in 2019 and is packed with rides for the younger guest… or 28 year-olds who still adore family rides. Many of these are off-the-shelf family flats, but each one is themed beautifully with gorgeous nature-inspired vehicle designs.
For those less inclined to hop aboard a kiddie ride, there’s also the park’s newest, surprisingly brilliant coaster, the Vekoma Family Suspended coaster Dragonflier! For a family coaster, this actually packed a surprising amount of punch, particularly in the initial overbanked turn after the first drop. It’s also clearly popular, as a ride that can offer thrill to a very wide range of age groups, with one of the longest lines in the park.
Wildwood Grove is also the only land in the park where I was able to meet some characters! The land is home to *checks notes* Benjamin Bear, Franklin Frog and the Flit & Flutter fairies, all of which had merchandise available in the land’s shop – but sadly not for adults!
The only criticism I have of the land is one that I’ve heard repeated across pretty much every other review and that is, there is not a lot of shade. Unless you’re in a character spot, on a ride, or queueing for one, you’re pretty much going to be out in the sun here. On swelteringly hot day like the one we experienced, this can be pretty unbearable.
From here we walked down the beautifully themed, forest walkway that leads back to Showstreet and the park’s entrance, bringing us full circle. Sadly, on our visit, Showstreet didn’t actually have a lot to offer. Both the Chasing Rainbows museum and Dolly’s tour bus were closed for renovation which left a surprisingly large Dolly-shaped hole in the line-up.
This was emphasised by the fact that Showstreet also just plays pop music. No Dolly, not even country, just random pop. It just felt very bizarre to be standing outside of the closed Dolly museum listening to what could have been Heart FM. In fact the only land I actually remember hearing Dolly music in was Rivertown Junction, the area adjacent to Showstreet and home to the surprisingly moving recreation of Dolly’s childhood home.
This connection to Dolly made both this area, and Craftman’s Valley feel like the real heart of the park and were the areas I headed to when I wanted to kick back for a little while. Here I was able to pick up a beautiful southern fried corn cob (part of the summer celebration menu), watch some local country musicians and truly soak up those southern vibes.
The last thing on my must-do list, before we could head out to the rest of Pigeon Forge was the Wings of America show. As a paid up member of both the RSPB and the WWT back here in the UK, you can be sure I’m not going to miss a bird show if I can help it, and this one was absolutely lovely. Run in partnership with the American Eagle Foundation, this was a wonderful introduction to American birds of prey and the presenters did a fantastic job of making sure everyone got to see the birds up close, as well as being enthusiastic and entertaining throughout the show. There was the expected over-the-top patriotism upon the arrival of the american bald eagle, but hey it’s just part of the experience isn’t it.
And so, with all of the essentials under our belts it was time to step on out of Dollywood and drive fifteen minutes down the road to what could possibly have been the most anticipated attraction of the trip. A ride so legendary, I could not believe that I was standing outside it. I am, of course, talking about the inimitable Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride!
Infamous for both it’s laughable ride experience, and obscene ticket cost, this was another ride that I really didn’t think I’d ever get to experience. But you know what? Now that I have I’m gonna have to climb on up on my soapbox for a moment, because I think this ride might have been unfairly treated. Admittedly, I adore crap dark rides so maybe I’m not the best arbiter of quality here but I’m saying it. I love Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride. Sure, there are moments – many of them – where the boat stops for seemingly no reason other than to make the ride duration more worthy of it’s price-tag. My favourite of these was an extended period sat underneath an illuminated dinosaur animatronic that was simply a head, a decapitated head, with it’s lack of neck clearly visible. But there are also many, many moments where the ride is legitimately a fun, atmospheric jungle journey. I think it’s the fusion of both the so-bad-it’s-good and the genuinely good that made this a legitimately great experience for me. Admittedly the price is wild, with tax this cost over $20 per person, but it was so memorable that it almost felt worth it. Almost.
From one iconic attraction to another, our next stop was a little further out of town and featured goats, some of which may be found chilling on a roof. With our time in the area limited, we couldn’t get around to doing as many mountain coasters as we would have liked (read: all of them), but we knew we had to do one. And if we’re only doing one? Well, it had to be Goats on the Roof. Sure, the fact that there are goats on the roof of the shop may not have any impact on the quality of the ride itself, but it still felt like it was the right choice.
This was the first mountain coaster experience for all of us, and honestly I had no idea what to expect. I’d done bobsleigh rides such as the one at Oakwood and I just kinda thought it would be that. But lord, this ride made me sad we didn’t have time for more stops because I loved this coaster. Once aboard the – surprisingly comfy – vehicle, there was a long, long journey up the mountain side to the top of the ride. I was the last in our group, trailing along at the back, and as we ascended I was taken aback by how silent it was. Up above the hustle and bustle of Pigeon Forge, the mountain was so calm. Honestly, I would have been happy with just a slow ride through the trees because the relaxation I felt on that lift hill was glorious. Then the rest of the group began their descent. From my position on the hill, all I could hear was screams and whoops echoing through the trees and I began to question what I was actually about to experience. Then the ride truly began. Oh my god, these things can move! I was not prepared in the slightest for the speed at which I took the course and couldn’t help but scream as I approached every twist in the track. It really felt like I was about to get catapulted out of my seat and in to a tree. The whole layout was just so thrilling and fun – here’s to mountain coasters!
Whilst there, I obviously also had to partake in the feeding of the roof goats via the dedicated bicycle-powered feeding system. It was only a few dollars for a souvenir cup full of goat food, but what I will say is… well, prepare yourself for the shop. Pigeon Forge is Trump territory, and the shop will sell you just about anything you want to support the currently-under-investigation-for-violating-the-espionage-act former president. So just… be ready for that. The goats are great though.
With that, it was time to drop all of my far-more-sensible companions back at the motel for an evening of rest – with no evening drive planned, it was our first time staying in the same room for two nights – whilst I (having absolutely zero self-control) headed back to the park for the final 90 minutes of operations.
And oh boy, did the park look stunning in the evening.
Like any great theme park, Dollywood has the most amazing atmosphere when the sun goes down. Wandering through the glowing park, I was able to hop straight on to Lightning Rod, Blazing Fury and Thunderhead with zero wait. Passing through Showstreet, I stopped in the park’s bakery for a sugary pick-me-up in the shape of an enormous and divine cookie!
Cookie in hand, it was time to head up to Wildwood Grove for the day’s finale: a dance party, drone and firework show! As the first park we had been able to visit at night, I was super excited for the first night-time spectacular of the trip.
Wildwood Grove looked fantastic at night, with the butterflies in the area’s central Wildwood Tree glowing brightly. The atmosphere too was electric, with a huge crowd dancing along at the dance party. Personally, I just hung at the back. It was humid as hell and the last thing I wanted to do was move excessively! Thankfully, it wasn’t long until the real show began, with a swarm of drones taking to the sky.
So, this show. It was lovely, and there were some really clever images created by the drones, but weirdly there was only one brief moment of Dolly. Again, the show was almost entirely set to seemingly random pop music which for me, made this show lose it’s identity somewhat. Similar to the entry area of the park, without any reference to Dolly I could very easily have been watching this show at any park in the world. I had a great time watching, but ideally, I would’ve liked to see the show honour the park and it’s theme rather than simply celebrating summer.
With one last detour to stare lovingly at Mystery Mine’s lighting package, it was time to leave Dollywood and bring our day in Pigeon Forge to a close.
Oh and finally, Time Saver. So, we paid for the $80 Time Saver Unlimited that offers you unlimited rides on the majority of the park’s major attractions. For our situation – wanting to squeeze as much Pigeon Forge in to our day as possible – it certainly paid off, allowing us to bypass a 50 minute line for both Lightning Rod and Firechaser Express and 40 minutes for both Dragonflier and Mystery Mine. Given the heat too, we were grateful to not wait. But, had we simply remained at the park the whole day we could easily have gotten all of the park’s rides done in one day, with all rides being walk-on during my evening return. Checking on the invaluable queue-times.com it looks as though our day was only a 33% crowd level though, so you may find greater value on a different day.
Dollywood was an absolutely wonderful theme park. Whilst there are no rides here that would ever find themselves particularly high in my rankings (except Thunderhead), the park just oozes charm and is simply a really, really lovely place to be. The staff here were incredible, the food delicious, entry (and re-entry) was a breeze and once inside the park, it felt more geared toward guest experience than others. With ride ops grabbing your bags for you in place of lockers, and a refillable drinks mug costing only $9.99 for the day’s drinks, you never felt like you were being conned. My only gripe with the park was the somewhat odd lack of Dolly, with key Dolly attractions closed and barely any play of her music (I only heard one song of hers played all day), the park felt slightly distant from its namesake. The rest of Pigeon Forge was beautiful and tacky and touristy in all of the best ways. I’d love to make a longer trip back here sometime to splurge hideous amounts of money on the Parkway’s seemingly endless attractions.
What a day.
Speak again soon,
Claire
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coasterclaire.co.uk 