Dollywood top ten things |

A trip to Dollywood is like stepping back in time. The streets are filled with penny drug stores and ice cream shops, and the Team Members are decked in nostalgia, complete with vest or pinafore. This one of a kind family oriented theme park didn’t always boast the name of it’s namesake, the unmistakeable Ms. Dolly Parton. In the 1970’s is was known as Silver Dollar City. Tony remembers visiting with his parents and his little brother. With all the possible things that could have stuck in his little boy mind, from a steam engine to the blacksmith shop, his most profound memory of this family vacation is pork rinds. Yep! Deep fried pig skin. He remembers a giant iron tub, “just one, and it was a big one!”

In 1986, Ms. Dolly partnered with the owners of the park, the Herschend family, creators of the still running Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri. It was re-branded Dollywood in honor of the Tennessee native, as well as singer, songwriter and actress. This 150 acre park dedicated to families ranks worldwide in the Top 50 most attended theme parks. There is something for everyone with exhilarating thrill rides, incredible music, down home food, and a valley full of artisans and master craftsmen.

Ironically though, Ms. Dolly has never ridden the rides . She says, “I’ve got too much to lose — like my hair! Lord knows what else could fall out of me. I can think of a lot of other things I’d rather do than be scared to death [on a coaster].” I gotta agree with her on this one. Thankfully Tony loves me even though I am a great big CHICKEN when it comes to thrill rides. But it never stops him, thank goodness! 🙂

There are eleven areas of the park to explore, each reflecting Dolly’s life and imagination.

Showstreet
Timber Canyon
Wilderness Pass
Craftsman’s Valley
Owens Farm
The Village
Country Fair
Rivertown Junction
Adventures in Imagination
Jukebox Junction
Wildwood Grove

Here are our recommendations and our favorite things at the park: (without including it in our top 10, I will share with you that the pork skin fryer is still there! I had my very first pork rind at Dollywood…and it was barbecue flavored. I wish I would have recorded somehow the excited giggle that escaped from my big guy when he saw that big ole kettle. That will be MY pork rind memory. 🙂 You’ll find them in Craftman’s Valley and a free sample is almost always available.)

Ok, #1 on the list HAS to be the Cinnamon bread at the Grist Mill! Oh my gravy! Trust us, buy two loaves…or maybe even three, because the first one won’t make it out of the park. Heck, it might not even make it past the first trail! They make it right in front of your eyes and it is hands down the best cinnamon bread you will ever eat! You can get it with a side of icing or apple butter if you’d like, but we take ours straight…and hot.

Doggywood – Dogs aren’t allowed in the park, but pet parents can leave their babies at the Doggywood kennel while they enjoy the park. Now, our understanding is that that it is a kennel and not doggysitting, so it is still your responsibility to come back once in awhile for feedings and walks, but they will give you a pass that allows you in and out of the park as often as you need to. You might want to bring a toy or familiar item to keep in your furry friends cage too. And it’s probably a good idea to call ahead for reservations, pricing, and things you need to know.

Eagle Mountain Sanctuary – This was one of the coolest surprises for us in the park. A steep wooded hillside houses non-releasable bald eagles by the American Eagle Foundation. These impressive birds have all been permanently disabled in some way and can no longer survive outside of captivity. Mating is encouraged with the hope of releasing more eagles back into the wild. Click here to see live eagle cams. Other birds of prey are housed here too for you to see and to learn about from AEF.

Chasing Rainbows Museum – This state-of-the-art museum gives you a peak into the person of Dolly Rebecca Parton. The walls of the stairway that lead up to the exhibits are full of photos of Dolly with her many celebrity friends. Everyone from Johnny Cash to Carol Burnett. Your tour begins with a life-sized, or should I say pint-sized, hologram of the perky blonde herself. She tells you that she named the museum Chasing Rainbows because that is exactly what she’s been doing all her life. When one of her dreams comes true she’ll just “head on out right towards the next one.” What is most important to her are not the things that the building houses, but the memories that they hold for her. You’ll get so see her costumes from awards shows as well has her movies. Tony’s favorite> Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. I mean, who can think of Dolly without I Will Always Love You and Hard Candy Christmas! My favorite> Steel Magnolias. Who wouldn’t want Truvy to be your best friend! After all “laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.” Her former tour bus is parked outside too and is open for viewing and photos.

FireChaser Express – This dual-launch coaster, the first of it’s kind, was Tony’s favorite. (see photo above) I watched him laugh the entire way…both times. The first launch is out of the fire station. You’re a volunteer fire crew on the way to save the day! After twists, turns, and camel backs you’ll come to rest in the fireworks shack. What’s that? Gasoline and oil?! Well, THAT’s not a good combination! When things start to spark, the shack fills with smoke and the track launches the riders backwards down a separate track before coming to rest back at the fire station.

Tennessee Mountain Home – There is a replica of the small house that Dolly Parton grew up in. The small 2-room flat board log cabin had no electricity or running water. This model reproduction was actually built by her brother Bobby and her mother did all of the work on the interior, right down to the newspaper covering the kitchen walls. It’s hard to look at the living space without our modern convenience-d eyes and know that the Parton family never thought of themselves as poor. In fact, they say that they were rich in the important things, like kindness and love. A sign posted in front of the little cabin reads “These mountains and my childhood home have a special place in my heart. They inspire my music and my life. I hope being here does the same for you! Dolly.”

The Robert F. Thomas Chapel – have you every heard of Sunday church service at a theme park? Well there is at Dollywood. This quaint little country chapel is named after the doctor who delivered Dolly. We learned at Chasing Rainbows that Daddy Parton paid the doctor with a bag of oatmeal. Seems kind of fitting that he should have a chapel named after him now in representation of his charity. The one room church has wooden pews and hardwood floors and all of the charm that seems to go with that. Guests are invited to ring the bell every Sunday before the half hour service.

The Wildwood Tree – Although the park is full of happiness and nostalgia, Wildwood Grove is full of what I call firefly magic. But I guess in this case it’s dragonfly and butterfly 🦋 magic. The “experience” begins with a Dolly Parton narration telling the legend behind the tree: a little girl wandered away from her family to explore the mountains and was led to this tree by some colorful butterflies. “The legend also says on nights like tonight when the Grove is alive with love and light, your very own dreams can also take flight carried by the wind of a joyful song, and you can make the music of the mountains part of your heart song forever.” Tony thought it was pretty cool, but the little girl heart in me soared. And the multicolored butterflies covering the tree are just as magical in the day time.

Craftman’s Valley – This is one of the biggest differences between Dollywood and other theme parks. We don’t think that you can go to any other park and see glass made by hand, or visit a blacksmith, or see how hand dipped candles are made. If you visit during the fall, you’ve be able to see even more artisans and hand crafts during the Harvest Festival. Loom weaving, chainsaw carving, corn husk dolls, and a sorghum demo were just a few of the things that we got to enjoy.

Dollywood Express – All Aboard! This authentic coal-fired steam engine takes you on a 5 mile trek through the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains. The sound of the whistle, the rumble of the tracks…there’s nothing quite like the thrill of a train

We can’t really include this as part of our recommended what to do at Dollywood, but we HAVE to tell you to stay at The DreamMore.

Imagine having your coffee on the porch in a big ole rockin’ chair with the Smoky Mountains in your back yard. You don’t have to imagine at DreamMore Resort, your country mountain home away from home. It’s the little things for us! We love great service and beautiful places, but there are so many little things at DreamMore that made us love it. I have to be honest and say that I was so busy enjoying that I didn’t take pictures!

Like of the high back leather chairs in the “Living Room” in front of the fireplace. Or the large fabric games on the tables where Tony TOTALLY kicked my butt at checkers. Gotta give him a shoutout…it was a slaughta! Or the beautiful country kitchen feel of Song & Hearth serving up deliciousness…complete with a donut wall lit my smile like the butt of a lightnin’ bug (that sounded better in my head) fresh with all the fixins. Hot apple cider and fires at night complete with s’mores…
and if you like butterflies like I do, you’ll LOVE DreamMore.

Did you know that Ms. Dolly has a dream box? You can see it for yourself at here at her DreamMore Resort! “My resort is a dream 30 years in the making, and the items I picked for my Dream Box are closely tied to special people who encouraged me and certain events in my life where that encouragement paid off” she says. ⠀⠀
According to the website:

Dolly’s Dream Box contains:
-A copy of her 2012 book “Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You” which expands on the popular 2009 commencement speech that Dolly delivered at the University of Tennessee.
-A piece of wood from Dolly’s Tennessee Mountain Home’s front porch, a favorite gathering spot for her family and where she sang as a child growing up in the Smoky Mountains. (THIS WAS SO NEAT TO SEE!!!)
-A song written by Dolly for the future to be released in 2045 that shares her hopes and dreams for the future.
-A sealed mystery box made of chestnut, the contents of which are known only to Dolly and are to remain unopened until 2045. The box honors Dolly’s Uncle Bill Owens who, early on, recognized his niece’s talents and helped her career take flight. Owens’ work with the American Chestnut Foundation helped develop a blight-resistant American chestnut tree, restoring it to the woodlands of the Eastern U.S.

This beautiful resort and the park really is about coming together and reconnecting. Thanks for your kind hospitality Ms. Dolly! We can’t wait to go back!

Have you been to Dollywood or DreamMore? Comment below to share your memories with us. And don’t forget to tag us on Facebook and Instagram #norolesjustbiscuits