Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge Dollywood Tennessee Vacation Planning

Dollywood Amusement Park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains area is a must-see attraction to include in your vacation planning. Dollywood is huge as well, ever-expanding with new attractions, the park is just loaded with good family entertainment and fun things for everyone to do.

My family and I enjoy living in the southern Appalachian region here, and we also enjoy visiting Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg -and of course, Dollywood- several times a year. With the 2001 addition of a 25 acre water park called Splash Country, you could literally spend quite a few days with your family happily occupied and well fed, creating some wonderful family memories.

Not to mention the many amusements of Pigeon Forge itself, such as WonderWorks, the new Titanic Museum, a plethora of fantastic go-cart, bumper boat, and miniature golf places to choose from, more extreme rides for your crazy teenagers, the Dixie Stampede dinner show -amongst many others, shops like the Shoppes at Christmas Place or the Olde Mill complex, and the list of fun things to do in Pigeon Forge keeps growing.

If that wasn't enough to keep you happily busy, just minutes away is the picturesque town of Gatlinburg, gateway to the Great Smokies. With the Ripley's Aquarium and Ober Gatlinburg and dozens of other fun attractions like the Gatlinburg Chairlift and the Amazing Mirror Maze, nearby Gatlinburg is a must see when you're in the area. 

And through Gatlinburg you'll find quick and easy access to the central northern 'Gatlinburg Gate' for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This adventure-filled area of the south offers white-water rafting, river tubing, zip lining, cave exploring and so much more, that I think you can begin to understand why my family and I keep planning our vacations going back to Pigeon Forge!

But even without all of the additional Pigeon Forge family vacation options, and the multitude of attractions near Pigeon Forge, the Dollywood Amusement Park would still definitely be worth visiting all by itself. After all, that's what first attracted us to Pigeon Forge.

Don't worry, it has nothing to do with dolls. Dollywood is a theme park based on southern Appalachian culture and the traditional way of life in the Smokies. For those among us too blessedly young to know, Dolly Parton -who grew up in the area and has given her name to the Dollywood Amusement Park- is one of America's most famous country and western singers, with 25 number one hits and 41 top ten country albums. Her career has stretched out very successfully over 5 decades now, and she has also graced the Silver Screen.

All that talent aside, Dolly Parton has become known as a philanthropist and a business-woman, and the Dollywood Amusement Park represents both of those off-stage talents, and showcases her musical career as well. When Dolly became part-owner of the park, she put more than her money and name behind the venture. The park was renamed Dollywood at that time, refurbished, upgraded and expanded over the years, and with Dolly's active interest energizing the project, the whole Pigeon Forge area became revitalized by the desperately needed influx of tourist dollars. It's not surprising that local folks hail Dolly Parton as a hero.

Dollywood today is a wonderfully maintained amusement park located right in Pigeon Forge, TN. The park is loosely divided into ten different areas, and features four high-thrill roller coasters, several cooling rides where you will get wet, various other feature rides such as Dizzy Disk and Timber Tower, and all the standard county fair rides including Waltzing Swings, Demolition Derby, the Scrambler, a carousel and ferris wheel and all the like, as well as traditional carnival games with hawkers, good food, shopping and other attractions.

A zip lining adventure is new at Dollywood in 2010 aptly named SkyZip. Be aware that the SkyZip adventure does come with an additional price, and is not included in the price of general admission as every other ride and attraction at Dollywood does. Additionally, reservations are needed, and appropriate shoes must be worn. Those conditions met, yes, you can learn to zip line right inside Dollywood. The SkyZip course includes expert instruction and guidance, 5 zip lines above the tree-tops of Dollywood and surrounding forest, and a trek across a 100 foot long swinging bridge. A fantastic opportunity to experience the thrill and beauty of zip lining on an easily accessible course.

Also new in 2010 is the Adventure Mountain Challenge Course, an interactive experience featuring physical challenges to test the climbing and balance skills of adventurers of all ages. See if you can handle the swinging bridges or walk across a tightrope suspended high above the ground, all while securely attached to mobile tether lines of course. A really unique amusement park feature that's sure to entice the whole family. Don't worry! Solid cop-out bridges are provided at every obstacle for the less brave!

When you've proven your skill at Adventure Mountain, cool your muscles off on the nearby River Battle Ride. This ride features floating rafts with a large water cannon at every seat. Soak the passengers on the other rafts, or try to hit a passerby or two. My husband never goes on this ride, but has a ton of fun using one of the sidewalk cannons to shoot back at the boats. This raging River Battle between rafters and landlubbers is good fun for all.

Watch out for Barnstormer in 2011, a new stunt plane in a barn aerial thrill ride that flies riders 81 feet in the sky at 45 miles per hour.

A neat feature of Dollywood is the many different shows they offer -all included in the price of admission. Their newest live performance is one of their best and invokes the spirit of the Great Smoky Mountains, and that is 'Sha-Kon-O-Hey!' playing three or four times daily at Dollywood's Celebrity Theatre. If you only see one show at Dollywood, see Sha-Kon-O-Hey!

Dollywood puts on all their finery for the Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival season, and displays thousands of lights on the giant tree and everywhere else in the evenings. A Santa's Workshop is featured, as well as a Parade of Lights and special shows, so plan your Christmas visit accordingly.

Throughout the park you'll find play areas for the little people, and a dedicated grouping of rides for small children within the Country Fair area of the park.

Besides all of the above, there are plenty of shops with craftsmen displaying the art of their crafts, lots of good food, attractions like Dolly Parton's Chasing Rainbows Museum, Smoky Mountain Home and the Eagle Mountain Sanctuary, and still too many more rides, shows, attractions and adventures to list.

You will be entertained!

Day tickets to Dollywood can be purchased in advance or at the gate for $44.70 per child and $55.90 per adult, plus tax. Dollywood Multi-day, Splash and Play tickets are available as well and grant separate day admission to both parks, and group discounts are available for parties of 15 or more.

But if you live in the region and/or may be likely to want to visit Dollywood and the Great Smoky Mountains area several times throughout the year, you may want to seriously consider buying Dollywood season passes as we do. The price is less than the cost of two admission tickets, so after your second visit you have definitely recouped the extra expense.

But if you upgrade at least one of your season passes to a Dollywood Gold Pass, then you'll receive additional discounts which may help you recoup the expense even sooner -especially if you're a shopper. A full list of the Gold Pass privileges are shown to the right.

One of these discounts is a 20% discount on all food and merchandise purchased in the park, including rentals and kennel services. There is a lot of good food and shopping at Dollywood, and you'll be given plenty of opportunities to use your Gold Pass. So if you plan on visiting Dollywood more than once over the course of the long season, particularly if you're with a family or plan on shopping, be sure to look into the Gold Pass season tickets for a very nice additional vacation savings.

For even more season passholder privileges and vacation savings, upgrade your Season Pass beyond Gold to a Gold Super Pass, which gives you unlimited access to the Dollywood Amusement Park and to Dollywood's Splash Country. If you plan on visiting Dollywood a few times throughout the year with your family, and plan on visiting Splash Country during some of those visits, then the Gold Super Pass is what you're looking for. This pass will grant you admission, 20% discounts and free parking at both parks.

• 20 Tips for Fun at Dollywood

• Whitewater Rafting in the Smoky Mountains

• River Tubing in Tennessee

• Zip Lines Over the Smoky Mountains

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