June 3, 2022
We loved our visit to the Smoky Mountains and I’m so glad that we chose to spend a day at Dollywood.
Tim and I are both well past our roller coaster years so we wondered if Dollywood would be worth the price of tickets if we didn’t do the rides.
Tickets are about 20-30% less than a day at a Disney park. Tim got a discount because he’s an old guy. We got tickets for the day for just over $150 for both of us. Parking put us back $25.
We went on a day that was a little overcast and that probably helped keep the crowds down. We had little trouble parking and did not have to wait in a line anywhere in the park. Even those who were riding the coasters had very short waiting times.
We walked into the park grounds and got right into our first show, the Kingdom Heirs. This southern gospel group has performed at Dollywood since 1977 when the park was known as Silver Dollar City.
The 35 minute show was a great way to start our day! Because this show was inside, I didn’t shoot a video, but you can hear some of their music here.
https://youtube.com/channel/UC_u5NxElJqGafiy7O1jxnXg
After the Kingdom Heirs show we started a stroll through Dolly’s beautiful park.
Tim loves trains, so we were sure to ride the Dollywood Express. This train is pulled by a 110 ton coal fired steam engine. In 20 minutes you enjoy a five mile trip through the park and the surrounding mountain area.
And then there was the Dollywood FOOD! We had lunch at Aunt Granny’s which is an all you can eat home style restaurant. Our waitress was adorable and kept checking back to see if we needed more of anything. We tried, but we could not even eat everything she brought to the table when we arrived! Fried chicken and fried catfish (yes the diet was on pause this day) cornbread pudding, southern green beans, carrots, biscuits, greens, mac and cheese and sweet tea!
There were country music shows around nearly every corner. Each one was outstanding.
Of course there are the obligatory character pictures. Who cares if I’m 60 and not six?
We got to see Dolly’s RV too! She had a 45 foot Class A, and boy is it class-A!
And – on your way out, you walk through the Dollywood shop of course! I texted our daughters jokingly to ask if they wanted a Dolly hat or T Shirt as we got on the tram to our truck, but they were not joking – I had to beg my way back into the park so I could drop $100 on shirts and a Jolene hat!
Whether you are 6, 16 or 60+ or anywhere in between, I recommend a trip to Dollywood!
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