Dollywood Hacks You Need to Know

Disclosure: This post is underwritten by Dollywood. All text and opinions are my own.

Several years ago we quit throwing birthday parties for our kids. Instead, we go away on a family trip and make memories that will last a lifetime. We recently made a trip to Pigeon Forge for a fun family getaway for my son’s 11th birthday. As a family, we really enjoy Dollywood and my kid’s get Dollywood season tickets each year from their grandparent’s for Christmas. The day that we visited Dollywood, it wasn’t very crowded. As a result, we had the opportunity to spend time chatting with several of the employees at Dollywood who were so very helpful. Each provided us with inside information that we hadn’t heard on any of our previous trips. Since we didn’t know, I thought I’d share with you our top Dollywood Hacks that we learned.

• Visit after 3pm and the next day is free – We found out that the actual cutoff time is a little earlier. If you come through the gates after 2:35pm then the next day you can visit for free.

• Ice Water – All of the food venders will provide ice water at no charge if you don’t want to purchase water bottles. This was a huge money saver for our family of 6!

• Special Ride Accessibility Tickets – Both my oldest daughter and hubby are type I Diabetic. If you have any kind of condition that might be compromised by standing in line go to the Ride Accessibility Center, and they will issue a special pass that allows you to get on rides without having to stand in long lines. This wasn’t new info for us, but we wanted to pass it along to anyone who might need a special ride pass who isn’t aware.

• Special Online Offers – Make sure to check Dollywood.com for special online only admission offers. These are typically much cheaper than any other offers.
• Season Tickets Timing – If you are going to make more than one trip a year to Dollywood, then season tickets are the way to go. Season tickets go on sale each year in November. If you purchase in November you’ll be able to use your season tickets for the rest of the current season and next year as well, thus getting the best bang for your buck. Also, kids 3 and under get in free. If parents purchase their season tickets while their child is still 3, the child will be grandfathered in with free admission for the entire season even if they turn 4.
• THE BEST FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH IN THE WORLD – I know this sounds a little crazy, but there is a new food truck, Frannies Famous Fried Chicken Sandwich, in the Jukebox Junction. This is no exaggeration. It serves the absolute most delicious perfectly crunchy chicken sandwich ever. You will thank me for this tip.

Clearly, it was a little too bright for our two-year old. We love getting a family picture in front of the Dollywood sign at the front gate on each visit so we can see how much our kids have grown from year to year.