Family Fun at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN
Pigeon Forge Tennessee has so many fun family things to do, one of our favorite places we visited during our Spring Break Vacation was Dollywood. This family-friendly theme park offers so many different things to do. Get up close and personal with live demonstrations, live entertainment, live animals, DIY projects and so much more!
About Dollywood
Dollywood offers you the chance to immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the Smoky Mountains and the incredible spirit of its people, all at a place fun for all ages. Taste award-winning recipes, experience heart-pounding thrills and witness incredible performances sure to become memories you’ll treasure always. Did I mention they offer All You Can Eat Southern Style meals for the whole family throughout the park?
Grab your tickets online here, or at the park.
Address: 2700 Dollywood Parks Blvd, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
New Attraction Opening May 11th – Wildwood Grove
Beyond an ancient hollow log and into a hidden land, Wildwood Grove beckons the explorer in all of us. Let curiosity be your guide as you journey ever deeper, past sparkling creeks, through a charming village, and under the mighty limbs of the great Wildwood Tree. This is where adventure takes root and dreams take flight. Get ready for new friends to meet, rides, attractions and things to see in Wildwood Grove.
2 Parks
Dollywood’s award-winning parks allow you to play and splash with family and friends, all surrounded by the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains. Visit the Dollywood Theme Park or the Dollywood Splash Park, both conveniently located directly next to each other.
Ride Accessibility Program
The ride accessibility program at Dollywood offers guests with disabilities to use a separate entrance and line for almost every ride in the park. Like many accessibility programs, you are asked to sign up for a pass each visit to the park. My son who has high functioning Autism is eligible for this pass, making it a lifesaver for him. Although we did bring his headphones as a backup, he barely needed them in the park as he was having so much fun!
For more information about The Accessibility Pass click here. When you visit the park, stop by the Ride Accessibility Center adjacent to the Dollywood Emporium and a Ride Accessibility Host will be able to assist you.
Autism Mom’s Thought’s and Experience
I love how each ride attended gave Anthony their full attention, they didn’t huff and puff when he showed his Card. Anthony likes to carry his card around on his own, so you can imagine how stressed out I get about making sure he zips up his pockets throughout the day. Each ride has a system to help identify guests using the ride accessibility program. Everyone made Anthony, including mom and siblings, feel at home as we were greeted with huge smiles and engaging conversations.
This mom gives Dollywood 5 Stars for making my son feel at home and never uncomfortable.
Calming Room – NEW!
Something new Dollywood offers for guests with Autism is their Calming Room. The Calming Room was created for the purpose of helping Guests with special needs who may have a sensory overload while visiting us at Dollywood. The Calming Room is a quiet, relaxing environment where the Guest and his/her family can feel safe and at ease. The room is equipped with sensory items such as a weighted blanket, fiber optic strands and a teepee.
My Families Visit To Dollywood
My family spent the day playing and eating at the Dollywood theme park, and we are happy to report we had a blast! We took our time walking around the park taking in the scenery and scooping out what we wanted to do. The usual theme park tactic we have is to work in a circle by starting from one end and ending towards the front of the theme park. Doing this helps cut down the walk back to our car when we are good and tired from a full day of play.
Red’s Drive-In
Red’s Drive-In offers classic 50’s foods such as Burgers and fries. This is the place to go when you are looking for the thickest milkshakes in town. The classic Burges and fries were just what the kids and I needed to charge up before adventuring the park.
Fresh Baked Cinnamon Bread – Grist Mill
I can only speak for myself when I say how much I loved this freshly made cinnamon bread and fresh apple butter at The Grist Mill. I’m sure you’re wondering why I can only speak for myself, well it’s because I was greedy and didn’t share. I admit I hogged this beauty and at it slowly throughout the day. It’s meant to share but this mom wasn’t having it.
Fun Fact: Dollywood’s Grist Mill was built in 1982, the first fully operational grist mill built in the state of Tennessee in more than 100 years. One of only a select few working mills in the state of Tennessee, come watch our crafters grind yellow corn, white corn, and popcorn into grits and cornmeal
Dippin Dot’s
Esuun is the world’s biggest Dippin’ Dots fan. If you have a huge Dippin’ Dot’s fan you will be happy to know there are multiple stations throughout the park offering delicious flavors. Thankfully for this mom, these treats are portable and perfect for eating on the go. We caught a live show and moved to the next ride while they indulged in oodles of dippin’ dots.
Where We Played In The Park
While Dollywood is known for their amazing live shows and tons of entertainment throughout the park, the rides are what my kids look forward to the most. Although we were visiting during Spring Break, the crowds were decent and the kids were able to try out a few different rides during our visit.
I want to say for the record, I was mentally not prepared for how much fun The Mystery Mine and Smoky Mountain River Rampage rides were. It was insanely fun and I highly recommend those two rides for families looking for a good time as a group.
Attraction’s My Kids Gave 2 Thumbs Up
- Rockin’ Roadway
- Daredevil Falls
- Smoky Mountain River Rampage
- Eagle Mountain Sanctuary (Live Viewing of Eagles)
- Lumberjack Lifts
- Mystery Mine
- Sky Rider
- Whistle Punk Chaser
- Tennessee Mountain Home (Walk Through Dolly’s Tenessee Home)
- Waltzing Swinger
Live Glass Blowing & DIY Classes
Try your hand at some old fashioned Glass blowing, who knows maybe you will find a hidden talent in yourself. Dollywood offers live glass blowing demonstrations as well as glass blowing classes for the whole family. During our visit, we watched as a team of 3 men put together a glass angel together. The team worked slowly with the glass to create a beautiful angel that they will later sell in their shop.
Robert F. Thomas Chapel
This southern styled Chapel isn’t just for show. Service is held every Sunday at 11:30 am, perfect for those who are worried about missing a service in exchange for visiting the park. The inside of the church seats a few dozen people and also offers a prayer book. Those who would like a prayer only need to write a note in the book.
Service is held every Sunday at 11:30 am
All in all my family had an amazing time! There was so much to do in the park I feel like we didn’t spend enough time there. Mainly I wish I ate more in the park but I’m sure that’s always going to be my issue in life. I will suggest you research park hours beforehand and always keep an eye out for the weather. Come prepared to eat, play and be entertained by some of the nicest people in the world.
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