An additional $20 gets you there.
There’s plenty of advice out there about how to get the most out of the iconic theme park Dollywood. But a minor splurge on logistics can make the difference between a trip that’s good and best. Here’s what to know.
Dolly Parton Is Great
Is there a better American alive than Dolly Parton? Let’s count the ways she rules: she’s insanely talented as a musician, songwriter, and singer, penning hit singles and iconic bards for decades; a generous and prolific philanthropist who donates substantially to various charitable causes; a champion of her hometown and economic driver for working-class people who populate it; plus exudes charm, humility, and progressive values. I would be just as glad to pay to ride her triple spiral-looping rollercoasters as I would to see her crooning onstage. Dolly Parton, take my money.
Dollywood Is Great
And I’m not the only one who thinks as such. The Tennessee amusement park appeals to visitors across all ages and demographics. Besides the actual rollercoasters and rides, there’s a variety of entertainment and fun to be had at Dollywood, plus a refreshing lack of anthropomorphic children’s characters.
An actual Dolly Parton museum graces the park in the form of the cabin that was Parton’s childhood home. The direct tie-ins to the region are seen in the Bluegrass and Bourbon festival that takes place every spring, the performances park-wide by local musical and entertainment acts at the Back Porch Theater, or on rides like the Smoky Mountain River Rampage or the heritage railroad Dollywood Express. While amusement park staple shops and restaurants run rampant, there’s plenty of genial, gracious, and historical charm to salve the heat, lines, and crowds of a typical visit. And compared to the other major theme parks in the US, it’s more affordable, with a basic one-day ticket to Dollywood about $20 less than one for Disney’s Magic Kingdom or Universal Studios. And that $20 savings is going to be put to good use–more on that later.
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The Difficulties of Dollywood
Dollywood is the biggest ticketed tourist attraction in Tennessee, and with millions of visitors each year, you’re bound to run into crowds, no matter what advice you follow about beating them. On the day of my Dollywood visit, there was a church group of 4,700 members visiting the park (as signified by their matching t-shirts). This was just one church group!
Your best bet in a situation like this is to keep your focus on the park. A really simple way to do that is to arrive fresh–not frustrated. Between the parking cluster that is the entrance to Dollywood and the fact that the car lots are so far away from the entrance that a tram shuttle is required to ferry park-goers to the front–well, that’s quite a lot to take in before you’ve even laid eyes on the butterfly. If you’re starting off your day in Dollywood wasting time trying to get in, you’re missing out on a really simple, very affordable way to maximize your time and energy.
Dolly’s Best-Kept Time Saver
The regular adult price for Dollywood is $89 per person ($99 to add in the water park, which, yes of course you want to add in the water park, it’s 95-degree blazing Tennessee sunshine), and most people attending the park aren’t doing so solo. For an extra $20 (standard parking is about $20 and preferred parking is about $40), your entire car can get front-gate access within easy walking distance (from its own separate park entrance), which is hands down, across-the-board worth it on your way in (so you don’t get impatient and frustrated waiting in parking lines, for shuttles, and then en route to the ticket counter [not even in the park yet!!!]) AND on the way back when you are sun-stroked, caffeine-fried, toddler-falling-asleep-in-your-arms desperate to get into air conditioning. $20 and you’re THERE! The easiest $20 spent all day. Enjoy Dollywood!