Kidding Around Dollywood: Rides, Shows and Fun

Dollywood is such a perfect destination from Greenville! At just about three hours from the Upstate, it’s a favorite with Kidding Around readers and their families. See what advice Kidding Around’s Bethany had to offer after her day at the park in Pigeon Forge in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee.

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Why You Should Consider Dollywood For Your Next Theme Park

I’ll be honest; we truly had such a great family experience visiting Dollywood that I’m not even quite sure where to start. During our visit, I was immediately struck by the carefulness and attentiveness of the Dollywood theme park staff. The park was well-maintained, clean, and attractive. We found a wide variety of attractions for all ages. And, our family, despite visiting for one and a half days, never stopped enjoying our time at the park.

Dollywood: Review of The Rides & Play Areas

Rides Even a PreK Age Kid Would Love

As a family with young children, we were impressed by how many rides Dollywood provides for children. Our then five-year-old was tall enough to ride several small roller-coasters and most other rides when accompanied by an adult.

Even our then two-year-old was big enough to ride most of the rides in the “Country Fair” section of Dollywood. There are adorable rides like “Busy Bees” and the classic “Amazing Flying Elephants” which are always a hit for little kids just dipping their toes into theme parks. There are a couple of rides for PreK ages in the “Wildwood Grove” section of the park as well.

I noticed that the attendants in “Country Fair” were especially alert to helping families with small children. I saw rides stopped on several occasions because a small child was scared or crying. The child was politely allowed to get off, and then the ride was started again for the rest of the group.

The rides also spanned different thrill levels allowing all children to have fun, with multiple choices to ride comfortably. Most of the rides could also seat adults who wanted to ride with their children.

Dollywood Tip: If you visit the Centralized Measuring Station inside the park, your child will receive a colored armband coded by which rides your child is tall enough to ride. This armband will help you not accidentally wait in line for a ride that your child is too small to ride.

Rides for the Entire Family

We also found a couple of Dollywood rides that our entire family could ride. One of which was the Dollywood Express, an authentic coal-fired steam engine, that explore some of Dolly Parton’s history. Unfortunately, we made the mistake of riding the Dollywood Express during our daughter’s nap time (I thought she might fall asleep). Instead, though, she had a complete melt-down and struggled to get free during the entire ride. The train does not stop for anything, so you may want to be sure your kids are happy before boarding.

Dollywood also has a couple of great family rollercoasters, FireChasher Express. Children as small as 39 inches can ride this roller coaster, making it ideal for families wanting a ride that everyone can enjoy. The coaster is a fast-paced ride through a curling track with a mid-stop inside a “fireworks truck.” The car experiences a back-blowing explosion (complete with small flames as a special effect) that shoots the roller coaster back to the station. The fire is a bit thematically scary for some children, but the ride is not too intense.

Another great rollercoaster for younger riders is Blazing Fury, which starts as a sightseeing ride through a mine but ends with a minecart off the rails twist. This rollercoaster only has a couple of small hills and quick twists but is completely dark in the last seconds of the ride.

Roller Coasters for Big Kids and Adults

Not only did we find plenty of rides suitable for our young kids, but my husband and I enjoyed the larger roller coasters as well. My personal favorite roller coaster was the Wild Eagle roller coaster. It’s a massive rollercoaster that runs at 60 mph, but the ride is smooth, and the harnesses fit very snug, making it a more pleasant ride. The Lightning Rod is also super popular, and is a wooden roller coaster that resembles a 1950’s hot rod.

This YouTube video of Wild Eagle is a great preview of what to expect.

The new Big Bear Mountain roller coaster opened in 2023 and is a blast to ride. It’s a coaster that picks up speed at different points in the ride and follows a story line of getting chased by a bear. It’s located at Wildwood Grove. Dragonflier is another popular coaster right in that same area and is a great one to hit while you’re in that same part of the park. It’s really fun because you can dangle your feet!

Dollywood Tip: If you are visiting with small children, be sure to check out the “Parent Swap” feature that allows you to wait in line once and take turns riding the roller coaster while the other parent watches the children.

In addition to the Dollywood rides, my kids enjoyed playing in the playgrounds and water spray areas of the park.

Wildwood Grove at Dollywood

When you go to Dollywood, head right for Wildwood Grove because there is so much to see and do for your whole family! Wildwood Grove is based upon adventure, curiosity, and a little fairy dust. It beckons guests to use their imagination to explore a world with exciting possibilities around every corner. You enter Wildwood Grove through what looks to be an old tree and wind your way past the Treetop Tower and Giant Tree Swing, back towards the indoor playground at Hidden Hollow and splash pad at Wildwood Creek.

Our kids loved every minute we spent here because they not only got to experience age-appropriate adrenaline rushes in the rides but really did feel like they got to explore a world that was uniquely set up to trigger their imaginations. For both kids and adults, we mostly live a life of structure, and it’s good to get out of that box and have fun together and try new things, which is exactly what is encouraged at Wildwood Grove.

Plan to spend at least a couple of hours at Wildwood Grove throughout your time at Dollywood. We started the day there, and before we knew it, it was time for lunch. We headed back at the end of the day to go back on our favorite rides and see if the Dragonflier line was shorter (it wasn’t – the ride is crazy popular).

Let’s Eat & Meet in Wildwood Grove!

You can’t go anywhere in Dollywood without smelling the delicious food offered throughout the park, and Wildwood Grove is no different. Till & Harvest is the anchor restaurant at Wildwood Grove. They serve Smoky Mountain Mexican cuisine like burrito bowls, with grilled meat and vegetables.

A sweet shop is located next door, and there are popcorn stands and ice cream carts throughout the area. Don’t forget that free ice water is offered at most concession stands and all restaurants. This was a lifesaver for my kids and me throughout our time at Dollywood. 

There are also Meet & Greets with characters at Wildwood Grove, which we totally missed because I forgot to set the reminder on the Dollywood app, which you should absolutely download for your trip there. So if you’d like to meet some cute bears and fairies, set that reminder on your app.p-0

Rides at Wildwood Grove

Here are all the rides offered at Wildwood Grove:

• Frogs & Fireflies 
  A super cute ride for little kids where they get in a frog or firefly car and bounce around in circles in a motorized ride. 
• Giant Tree Swing
  An old school favorite updated to be in Wildwood Grove’s theme, the Giant Tree Swing is a big boat-like swing that goes back and forth, getting higher and higher each time. We did this a couple times as it was a favorite of my kids. 
• Hidden Hollow
  This is the most genius activity in Wildwood Grove, so props to Dollywood for thinking of it. Hidden Hollow is a black-lit indoor playground for kids that also has comfy seats for parents. There are slides, sensory objects, climbing apparatuses, and a section for kids under three years of age. Again, this is indoors – which means a nice, cool, respite from the summer heat. And it’s located right next to the restrooms.
• Dragonflier
  This roller-coaster is crazy popular and looks like quite the thrill ride for people of any age, yet even my almost 5-year-old was big enough to ride. But she chickened out, so we had to back out. If you decide to go on this ride, go first when you get there or get the TimeSaver pass and use it to skip the line here. Guests need to be at least 39”.
• Big Bear Mountain
  This roller-coaster is a fast and fun ride through the story of getting chased by a bear. It’s also the longest coaster at the park.
• Wildwood Creek
  Another genius creation in Wildwood Grove is the creek, which is basically a splash pad, which feels divine in 90+ degree heat. 
• Treetop Tower
  A non-scary ride for any age that goes up and spins around a couple of times before coming back down. Guests need to be at least 36”.
• Mad Mockingbird
  I could have gone on this ride all day long. It’s a swinging ride from the carnival days of my youth but way better. Guests sit in a swing that looks like a mockingbird and are spun around in the air to the point where it feels like you’re flying. There’s a handle where you can move the bird’s wings to make the swing change position in the air. Guests need to be at least 36”.
• Black Bear Trail
  Guests ride around on a motorized bear through some bushes and trees. It’s cute and great for kids, although I saw plenty of adults riding around on the bears, which was hilarious. Guests need to be at least 36”.

Dollywood Shows You Don’t Want to Miss!

While we missed out on most of the shows due to my kids’ ages, I enjoyed watching two shows in The Little Engine Playhouse. I love children’s books, so I was delighted to find out that the shows were based on books. I was equally impressed that the shows kept not only me entertained but my two-year-old mesmerized. Outside The Little Engine Playhouse, we also had fun watching a small magic show.

Dollywood Tip: Schedule a show for the hot part of the day to give your kids a break from the heat! The Dollywood app is a great way to keep track of the shows the day you go and you can set a reminder for ones you want to see on the app.

Each summer features a different main show, including everything from bubble shows to dog stunts. Be sure to arrive early as the theater gains a crowd quickly. The shows do not play every day, so you will want to consult the show guide as you plan your time in the park.

This year we also visited in the peak season and were able to see the nightly fireworks and drone show during Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration. The show was great and definitely worth staying until closing time to see. You can see the fireworks most clearly from near Firechaser at the top of the park. Most of the rides continue to run until closing time, but some of the rides up near the fireworks do close at dusk.

Dollywood Review of the Food

We ate inside the park our first year, but the food was expensive and the plates small. In later years we instead opted to pack our cooler with sandwiches and tailgated in the Dollywood parking lot. Consider bringing a couple of lawn chairs if you choose to do so. Re-entry is easy with a stamp upon exit, and the parking lot shuttle runs during the entire day. If you are willing to fork out the money, the park has great turkey legs and Aunt Granny’s is a popular place to eat inside the theme park as it’s basically an all-you-can-eat buffet. You’ll also find the famous best cinnamon bread at Grist Mill.

Dollywood Tip: You can get free ice water at any of Dollywood’s food vendors. This helps fight the heat of the summer.

The Dolly Parton Experience

New in 2024 is the Dolly Parton Experience where guests can walk through different Dolly museums that hold many of her dresses, shoes, and even wigs that she’s worn throughout her career. There are really cool sets of movies and shows she has been on, a room that looks like a giant bus as she made her way to Nashville, and papers that she wrote some of her most famous songs on.

You can also walk through her tour bus/RV. The Dolly Parton Experience is all part of your admission ticket is to your right when you walk into the park.

The entire experience is just so cool and you learn a lot about East Tennessee’s most famous resident and the stories behind her songs. My kids loved the “Dress Up Dolly” part where kids (or adults) use magnetic cutouts of Dolly’s dresses and wigs to dress her up on a big board in the Behind the Seams building.

Definitely be sure to stop here during your time at the park. It’s worth the time to see many of Dolly’s over-the-top dresses and learn about the stories behind her most famous music.

Dollywood Extras

I felt like one of the biggest perks of visiting Dollywood was the unique variety of attractions for our family. Here are just a couple of the enjoyable spots we enjoy throughout the park:

Baby-Care Stations
If you are breast-feeding or bottle-feeding an infant, you will be happy to find out that Dollywood does have a nursing station with gliders and a changing station. I also noticed several family bathrooms throughout the park. The bathrooms are well-maintained and clean during our visit.

First-Aid Stations
We managed to scrape a knee within moments of getting in the park and had the opportunity to visit the first-aid station. The nurse was able to save the day by applying an Angry Bird bandage to my kid’s knee.

More Dollywood Tips for Families

• Don’t miss the tram back to your parking spot just because you have a stroller! The tram has stroller parking in the front of the tram.
• While you aren’t allowed to bring food in the park, you can get your hand stamped, leave the park, and reenter during the same day.
• The roller-coasters have sample restraint systems outside where you can check to be sure that you fit in and are comfortable with the restraint system.
• The restaurants inside the park can help warm bottles for bottle-feeding parents.
• You can turn in your tickets after your visit for a credit on a season pass. The season pass is an excellent deal and costs less than three visits to Dollywood. They also have a preschooler season pass program, where you can get a free season pass for them, so you will want to keep an eye out for that deal.
• You can also purchase a 1-day, 2-day, or 3-day pass to visit both Dollywood and Dollywood Splash Country on the same trip.
• If you’re a homeschooling family, don’t miss Homeschool Days at both parks where homeschoolers get significant discounted tickets.

I received media tickets in order to write about Dollywood but this post contains my honest opinion about our trip. We had such a great time that we have made several additional family trips to Dollywood since the original publication of this review.

More To See At Dollywood

The team at Kidding Around are huge fans of the country music legend and her amusement parks and because of that, there is no shortage of information from our trips to share with readers. If you are planning a trip to Dollywood, we encourage you to make the most out of your trip with the information offered on Kidding Around.

• Homeschool Days
  If you are looking to have an adventure, Dollywood will be offering Homeschool Days for families that are utilizing the homeschool option. These days focus on mostly science and math – and really, what’s cooler than learning about the laws of physics by riding a roller coaster?
• Christmas At Dollywood – Smoky Mountain Christmas
  The famous theme park becomes a mecca with over five million lights draped across every single building. Shows like It’s A Wonderful Life play throughout the month-long festival. And a Christmas parade is held nightly at 8:15 pm, an engaging entertainment show full of lights and colors.
• Splash Country Water Park
  Dollywood is a popular place to visit for Greenville families as it’s tons of fun and only three hours away. While you’re there, you can beat the heat by spending some time at Dollywood’s Splash Country.

Dollywood
2700 Dollywood Parks Blvd, Pigeon Forge, TN

For more information on the area surrounding Dollywood, check out the Kidding Around Guide to the Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg areas of Tennessee

Have you ever visited Dollywood? What was your experience?