Our Family Day at Dollywood in the Smoky Mountains- Pigeon Forge, TN

Dollywood has always been one of our favorite places to visit in the Smoky Mountains, and looking back at these pictures now makes me realize just how little my kids were when we first started taking these trips.

We spent an entire day at Dollywood during one of our family trips to Pigeon Forge, and it ended up being one of those vacation days everyone enjoyed for completely different reasons. Some of us were there for the rides, some preferred the slower attractions, and obviously there was plenty of food involved. 😂

Our original visit in this post was years ago, so Dollywood has changed quite a bit since these pictures were taken. I wanted to update the post while keeping our original experience and photos, and I've added some current information for anyone planning a Dollywood trip today.

Here's what our family loved about our day at Dollywood—and a few things to know if you're thinking about adding it to your own Smoky Mountains vacation.

A Full Day at Dollywood

One thing I remember clearly about this trip is that Dollywood was not a quick stop for us. We arrived ready to spend the day there, and there was more than enough to keep everyone busy.

That's one of the things I've always liked about Dollywood for a family trip. Not everyone in our family enjoys the same things. Some of us love the bigger rides, while others would happily keep both feet planted firmly on the ground. (That person would be me....) 😂 But there were enough different attractions that nobody felt like the entire day revolved around one person's idea of fun.

We could split up for a ride, meet back up, grab something to eat, wander through the shops, and then move on to something everyone wanted to do together. It made the day feel much more relaxed than trying to drag the entire family from ride to ride. Plus, as someone that doesn't really enjoy the thrill rides, there was plenty of food, shopping, shows, and exhibits to keep me busy and not just feeling like I was standing around waiting for everyone else to get done having their fun. 

The Rides: Something for Everyone

Dollywood worked especially well for us because our family has always had very different opinions about rides. 😂 Some of us were ready to get on anything, while others were much happier watching from safely on the ground.

One of the standouts from this trip was Thunderhead, Dollywood's wooden roller coaster. If you like that classic wooden-coaster feeling—the speed, the drops, and the slightly terrifying feeling that the whole thing might shake apart underneath you 😂—this was definitely one of the memorable rides from our day.

But you don't have to be a roller coaster person to enjoy Dollywood. We also loved having slower attractions mixed in throughout the park, which gave everyone something to do and gave the thrill-seekers a chance to ride while the rest of us found something a little less likely to rearrange our internal organs. 

Also, just an FYI, another cool thing that many people don't know about Dollywood is that if you visit on Sundays, they have a really nice non-denominational church service at the chapel at 11:30AM. That's a really nice thing to check out if you happen to be there on a Sunday! 

Riding the Dollywood Express

One of the slower attractions we really enjoyed was the Dollywood Express. After walking around the park and riding rides, sitting down for a train ride was a pretty nice change of pace—especially with kids.

The train takes you on a ride through the park and surrounding foothills aboard an old-fashioned steam locomotive. It's one of those attractions that works for pretty much everyone in the family, whether you're traveling with little kids, grandparents, or people like me who occasionally prefer entertainment that doesn't involve being dropped from the sky. 😂

It also gave us a chance to slow down for a little while and actually take in the scenery instead of rushing from one attraction to the next. For a full day at Dollywood, having a few experiences like that mixed in with the bigger rides made the day much more enjoyable for our family.

Food and Shopping at Dollywood

Of course, no full day at Dollywood would be complete without stopping for food. 😂 Eating in a theme park can definitely add to the cost of the day, but for us, trying some of the food was part of the experience rather than just something we had to do between rides.

We also spent some time wandering through the shops. Dollywood has always felt a little different from a typical amusement park because there's more to explore than rides. The shops, crafts, food, music, and Smoky Mountain atmosphere are part of what gives the park its personality. A cool thing that they also offer is package pickup- if you spend more than $25 at any of the shops, they will deliver your packages to the Dollywood Emporium for you to pick up at the end of the day. This is really great so you don't have to carry a ton of stuff around all day! 

That's also nice when you're visiting with a family like ours where not everyone wants to spend eight straight hours riding roller coasters. You can slow down, browse around, grab something to eat, and still feel like you're experiencing the park. In other important news, I feel like I would be doing a disservice if I did not mention the famous Dollywood Cinnamon Bread. This is a MUST try during your visit, trust me! It is baked fresh every day at the Dollywood Grist Mill in Craftsman's Valley. (Also, you can purchase Dollywood's Famous Cinnamon Bread inside Dolly's DreamMore Resort and Spa without having to purchase a park ticket!!) 

Tips for Planning a Dollywood Visit 

If you're planning your own Dollywood day, my biggest advice is to give yourself plenty of time. There's enough to do that I wouldn't try to cram Dollywood into half a day along with several other Pigeon Forge attractions.

Check Dollywood's operating calendar before your trip because park days and hours vary throughout the season. Ticket prices can also vary depending on the date you choose, so it's worth checking your options before you arrive.

If you're visiting during a busy time of year and rides are a priority, Dollywood also offers optional TimeSaver passes for expedited access to participating attractions. They're an additional expense, so whether they're worth it will probably depend on your family, the crowds, and how much riding you plan to do.

And don't forget to budget for parking. As of 2026, general parking is $25 per vehicle, although Gold and Diamond Season Passholders receive free parking. Prices and policies can always change, so I recommend checking Dollywood's website before your trip rather than relying on an old blog post—including mine. 😂

Check current Dollywood tickets, hours & planning information → 

Is Dollywood Worth Visiting on a Smoky Mountains Vacation?

For our family, absolutely. Dollywood gave us a full day of things to do without requiring everyone to enjoy the exact same kind of attraction. The ride people got their roller coasters, the non-ride people had plenty to explore, and we all got to enjoy the food, scenery, and atmosphere together.

Looking back at these old pictures now is also one of my favorite parts of keeping this post. My kids were so little, and these Smoky Mountain trips became part of our family's memories long before I realized how quickly those years were going to pass.

If you're planning a trip to Pigeon Forge or the Smoky Mountains and you're wondering whether Dollywood deserves a full day of your vacation, it definitely did for ours. Give yourself time to explore instead of trying to rush through everything, and don't feel like you have to ride every roller coaster to have a great day there.