Dollywood questions

[Anonymous]

We’re hoping to do a family (kids 3 and 10) road trip to Dollywood this summer.

-Recommendations on where to stay?

-What else should we do other than Dollywood? (And would two days be enough for Dollywood itself?)

-Any good places to check out between DC and there? I think we’ll want to do at least one overnight stop.

[Anonymous]

Dollywood- 1 day
Smokey mtns nearby
VRBO / air bnb are plenty.

[Anonymous]

Dollywood is completely doable in 1 day. You definitely don’t need 2 unless you want to ride everything and see all the shows. It’s more six flags size, less Disney size.

Pigeon forge (where it is) is our stopover point on our way to another location. I would not stop on the way—it’s a reasonable day’s drive.

Spend the rest of your time a few ways:
-taking in the utter madness of pigeon forge (think ocean city in the middle of the mountains, then replace swim shops with trump stores and knife stores). There are approximately 4 million mini golf courses, go carts, mountain (gravity) coasters, escape rooms, dinner shows, and pancake restaurants. Family favorites include the lumberjack show (real competitive lumberjacks), the ax throwing place (no age limit, if you can hold it they’ll encourage you to throw it), and a place where you can get scoops of cookie dough like you would normally get ice cream.

-National park exploration. Lots of hiking trails of all levels/ability. We always end up there in March so it’s not terribly scenic since it’s still winter-ish, but the hikes are still nice

-gatlinburg has a lot of artisan shops along the trail outside town. On a rainy day we found a glass artisan who offers kids projects. They also have an aquarium, ripleys, a Sky tram

-I’ve never been when it’s warm, but there’s a huuuge water park that’s supposed to be great a few miles away

[Anonymous]

This is a fun spot away from the hustle and bustle but still an easy drive to Dollywood and other local activities:

https://www.hiddenmountain.com/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dollywood is completely doable in 1 day. You definitely don’t need 2 unless you want to ride everything and see all the shows. It’s more six flags size, less Disney size.

Pigeon forge (where it is) is our stopover point on our way to another location. I would not stop on the way—it’s a reasonable day’s drive.

Spend the rest of your time a few ways:
-taking in the utter madness of pigeon forge (think ocean city in the middle of the mountains, then replace swim shops with trump stores and knife stores). There are approximately 4 million mini golf courses, go carts, mountain (gravity) coasters, escape rooms, dinner shows, and pancake restaurants. Family favorites include the lumberjack show (real competitive lumberjacks), the ax throwing place (no age limit, if you can hold it they’ll encourage you to throw it), and a place where you can get scoops of cookie dough like you would normally get ice cream.

-National park exploration. Lots of hiking trails of all levels/ability. We always end up there in March so it’s not terribly scenic since it’s still winter-ish, but the hikes are still nice

-gatlinburg has a lot of artisan shops along the trail outside town. On a rainy day we found a glass artisan who offers kids projects. They also have an aquarium, ripleys, a Sky tram

-I’ve never been when it’s warm, but there’s a huuuge water park that’s supposed to be great a few miles away

This sums it up perfectly! It's MAGA heaven.

[Anonymous]

Gatlinburg is very much like Pigeon Forge. Redneck MAGA heaven. And crowded AF. Traffic is horrible.

[Anonymous]

Anakeesta was my kids fav part of our Tennessee road trip. It’s a mountain top brewery/ playground/ropes course in Pigeon Forge.

[Anonymous]

Watch your children- it’s known to be a high trafficking area.

[Anonymous]

I suggest staying in a cabin NOT in either Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge. We stayed in Wears Valley. It’s called “the quiet side of the Smoky Mountains.” Beautiful area. This was our cabin: https://www.airbnb.com/l/zRThQLcA

Agree that Dollywood is 1 day unless you want to do everything or do the water park. The National Park is beautiful but extremely crowded in the most popular areas.

[Anonymous]

We just did this trip. It’s a 7 hour drive. I wouldn’t try to split it into 2 days. Stop at natural bridge or something on the way if you want to take a mid afternoon break.

If doing Dollywood, stay at one of her two hotels. There’s a complimentary trolly or you can use the preferred parking lot. You also get fast passes for the first hour plus 5 additional passes to use throughout the day. Buy an annual pass. You get two free buddy passes and 10-15% off all purchases. Your youngest may qualify for a pre-k annual pass.

I’ll also second what a lot of people already suggested. The aquarium in Gatlinburg is great. Anakeesta is a lot of fun. And it’s worth it to do a dinner show even if the food is bad. We enjoyed the pirate one.

Also definitely explore the national park.

It does get crazy crowded. Plan on starting your day around 8am every morning. Crowds pick up a lot after 10am.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all of the feedback! I am impressed so many of you can keep your kids in the car for so long. We are definitely going to need to stop along the way. Anyone have thoughts about Abington, Roanoke, Lexington, or Staunton?

The pass suggestion seems awesome! I think our youngest gets in free, so one pass plus two buddy tickets means we can all go in with just that.

Any favorite hikes/spots in the national park? And just one day for that too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all of the feedback! I am impressed so many of you can keep your kids in the car for so long. We are definitely going to need to stop along the way. Anyone have thoughts about Abington, Roanoke, Lexington, or Staunton?

The pass suggestion seems awesome! I think our youngest gets in free, so one pass plus two buddy tickets means we can all go in with just that.

Any favorite hikes/spots in the national park? And just one day for that too?

Recommend a stop at the Museum of Frontier Culture in Staunton. It's just a half day thing, but that's what you need.

Or you could get closer and tour Biltmore in Ashville. Check to see if kids are allowed on the tour of the servants' quarters. That was facscinating. And the Stable Restaurant was lovely with good food. Reserve.

We are neither "MAGA" nor "MAGA-haters," but we did not enjoy Dollywood and the environs as much as we had hoped. YMMV. The park has kiddie rides, intense thrill rides, and music. Many members of Dolly's extended family appear to be employed there. We were hoping for theming a la Disney or Universal, but it was fairly basic. Pigeon Forge was packed with people there for some sort of music event. Dollywood cabins were nicely appointed, large, scenic, and not too expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all of the feedback! I am impressed so many of you can keep your kids in the car for so long. We are definitely going to need to stop along the way. Anyone have thoughts about Abington, Roanoke, Lexington, or Staunton?

The pass suggestion seems awesome! I think our youngest gets in free, so one pass plus two buddy tickets means we can all go in with just that.

Any favorite hikes/spots in the national park? And just one day for that too?

The NP is big. You can’t do it all in one trip let alone one day. Here are a few options depending on what your family likes.

If you want a scenic drive with stops for historical sites and hiking trails: Cades Cove or Roaring Fork Motor Trail

If you want a moderate hike (could be difficult for younger kids or anyone out of shape) with some elevation gain and a beautiful view: Alum Cave Bluffs trail

If you want a family friendly swimming hole: Townsend Wye

If you want the highest point in the park with an observation tower: Kuwohi (formerly Clingmans Dome)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Watch your children- it’s known to be a high trafficking area.

What is reason for that?