The Dollywood brand represents Dolly Parton's love of butterflies. Clementine Fletcher/BI
I visited Dollywood, Dolly Parton's theme park in Tennessee, for the first time.
I didn't have high expectations for this park, but I've always wanted to go.
These seven things really stood out to me.
“Oh, I'm so jealous.”
When I, a British woman living in New York, told my British and American friends that I was going to Dollywood for the first time, their reactions were all variations of the above message.
Of course, Dolly Parton is a global superstar. She's a millionaire known not only for her hit country songs like “9 to 5” and “Jolene” (recently covered by another legend, Beyoncé), but also for her philanthropy and theme park, “Dollywood.” She's an icon, from her big blonde hair to her prolific music career.
Still, I was surprised by the strength of people's reactions across the board to my planned trip. I'm far from a theme park expert, but when I happened to visit Universal Studios in Los Angeles last year, people's interest had waned considerably (no shade, Universal!). While this level of enthusiasm certainly has a lot to do with people's love for Dolly herself, it may also be due to Dollywood's rural Tennessee location. Close to where Dolly grew up in the Smoky Mountains, but certainly not a big tourist hotspot. In fact, compared to the well-maintained trails at Disney and Six Flags, only a few people I know have ever visited Dollywood.
So when I had the chance to go, I jumped at it. And although I had read a little about this park, I wanted to experience it without any preconceptions. So, with tickets in hand for him $92 per adult, four friends and I went looking for a good time at Dolly's on his sunny April day.
Here are 7 things that surprised me about Dollywood.
Dolly was smaller than I expected.
There were cartoon images of Dolly on the big screens at singalong events, but there weren't many images of the star herself except in certain stores. Clementine Fletcher/BI
As I was driving through my local city of Sevierville, following the GPS directions in my car, one of my friends turned to me and said, “You know what? “Are you sure you have the right address? I've only ever seen one sign for Dollywood.”
And we were actually on the right path, but it seemed to represent a certain theme. I was expecting a lot more images of Dolly Parton in the park than there actually were.
Indeed, there's Dollywood branding throughout (including lots of images of Dolly's beloved butterflies) and musical performances at different venues at different times. For example, we captured Dolly Parton singing a song.
Also, although not all stores sell a lot of Dolly merchandise. But aside from that, there was little footage of Dolly herself, and her music was rarely heard other than singalongs in the park.
I'm sure I would have listened to it more if they had included some of the shows. We also visited far too early in the year to see the Dolly Parton Experience, a soon-to-open “interactive area” that offers an “in-depth look at the iconic career through multiple attractions.” Ta.
Dollywood is less about Dolly herself and more about showcasing how her home state of Tennessee has influenced her and what it has to offer. This is fitting given Dolly's work with the Dollywood Foundation, which was established two years after the park's opening in 1986 to inspire educational success for children in her home county. .
There's a church, a replica of Dolly's childhood home, and some truly beautiful buildings.
A replica of Dolly Parton's childhood home (left) and Dollywood's Chapel (right). Clementine Fletcher/BI
One sign that Dollywood is different from many theme parks is that it has a church. In fact, the Robert F. Thomas Chapel (named after the doctor and preacher who delivered Dolly) was in full service on the Sunday we visited.
Another homage to Dolly's childhood can be seen in the recreation of the house where she and her 10 siblings grew up. The house is the inspiration for many of her songs, including “Tennessee Mountain Home.” Many of the items within the replica are originals from the actual home.
I was also struck by how beautiful parts of the park and surrounding hills were, with planters full of flowers, water features, and storefronts with an old-fashioned feel.
There were more birds than I expected.
I met Buster (left) and Gimli (right) Screech Owls at the Wings of America bird show. Clementine Fletcher/BI
Yes, it's a bird. Dollywood has the largest “unreleasable bald eagle exhibit” in the United States, and many of them can be glimpsed quite close to where the chapel is located. In addition, the American Eagle Foundation, which cares for Dollywood's birds, hosts regular bird shows and meet-and-greets (all birds have disabilities and are unable to survive in the wild). you can't). I never expected to learn about peregrine falcons at a theme park or meet a flightless crow that accepts dollar bill donations in its beak, but every day is a learning day.
I had high expectations for the rides at Dollywood, but I was impressed by how good some of the rides were. We were also lucky that the line was short as the park wasn't crowded.
We especially enjoyed Wild Eagle, but accidentally missed the lightning rod, which is well known in the roller coaster community. There's also the fun and quirky Blazing Fury ride. The Dollywood website describes it as follows:
“As an out-of-control fire threatens to engulf this 1880s town, chaos ensues as town residents and characters ranging from firefighters to gunmen to a damsel in distress scramble to escape the blaze.”
If you want to ride a little closer to the ground, you can also ride the Dollywood Express, an actual coal-fired steam engine.
It's really family friendly.
Dollywood's Show Street has many amenities, including a glittering pink canopy with plenty of selfie opportunities. Clementine Fletcher/BI
There seemed to be plenty of kids brave and tall enough to ride the big rides, but there were also plenty of less difficult rides and entertainment for smaller kids. Families with children in strollers and elderly people on mobility vehicles were seen, creating an atmosphere of easy access. There are also apps that are very useful for planning your trip.
Not only is there plenty of Dollywood merchandise, but there are also plenty of independent restaurants and shops.
Lots of Dollywood popcorn was on sale. Clementine Fletcher/BI
Dollywood-branded groceries (popcorn buckets, etc.) were everywhere, but I didn't find any overt branding from the big chains. However, the concession stand also sold Starbucks His coffee, Nathan's His hot dogs, and even famous soda brands.
There are plenty of independent restaurants like Aunt Granny's (named after the nickname Dolly Parton's niece and nephew gave her), as well as a few more casual-looking food trucks and stands. There are also small shops selling clothing and art scattered throughout the park, and in the Craftsman's Valley area, people are making and selling “authentic handmade crafts” made in the area.
There's also a year-round Christmas store, but unfortunately I couldn't find any Dolly Parton tree ornaments. confirmed.
Cinnamon bread is worth the hype.
Dollywood's famous cinnamon bread (left) and a T-shirt that pays homage to the bread (right). Clementine Fletcher/BI
“You can't buy alcohol at Dollywood, so save your calories for cinnamon bread,” said one of my few friends. had I said I went to the park. He wasn't wrong. For about $15, you can get piping hot, sugary bread. This was awesome. In fact, it's so popular that you can buy T-shirts talking about it. We didn't get the top, but we thought we'd buy another loaf of bread to take home.
