Kellee Tracker: Day at Dollywood

For all I did and didn’t know about Dollywood, one thing I knew from Disneyland was that I wanted to be there for “rope drop” (I don’t think it’s called that there, but I didn’t learn their name for it). I was so curious how this theme park would compare, given its popularity and ranking. So here are my notes:
-I loved that the day started with the national anthem just before the park opens
-they have a replica of the cabin where Dolly grew up near the entrance—walking through it, seeing how humble it was, and realizing it wasn’t that long ago blew my mind
-the park’s layout options were limited by the topography (we’re in a mountainous area, after all), but that meant a layout that was a bit tricky to navigate—everything was uphill from the entrance and it didn’t have a hub-and-spoke layout like Disney could create in flat places
-the rides are a blend of hokey pre-Dolly (she bought an existing park in the 80s) and terrifying rollercoaster that do take advantage of the steep terrain; we didn’t go on some of them
-the fall décor was darling—real giant pumpkins from around the country on display like a county fair, and creative displays of fake carved pumpkins that were even better after dark
-the coal-powered train was a fun ride and worth the wait, soot and all
-the dining pass seemed like a good idea, but for us it wasn’t worth the value
-what was worth the value was the cinnamon bread—lived up to the hype, and worth the line (picture the best cinnamon rolls coming in a small loaf pan fresh out of the oven and swimming in butter and glaze)
-they did an excellent job with live entertainment, and we attended multiple shows from all the venues Dolly covers—country, bluegrass, Christian, etc. Our favorite group was The Woods. One thing that surprised me was to not hear more of Dolly’s music throughout the day, given where we were, but that was definitely woven into her museum.

First-time visitors!

Inside the reproduction of Dolly's childhood cabin—hard to imagine living here in the winter, let alone as one of 12 kids!

Enjoying the Fall Festival

Fall Festival decor—notice the "Dollywood" sign in the background

This part of the park honors traditional Appalachian crafts

This is a functioning chapel inside the park with Sunday services, and named in honor of the country doctor who delivered Dolly.

Riding the coal-powered train around Dollywood (soot and all)

view of Dollywood from the train

There's a museum inside the park; this is the dress she wore when receiving the Kennedy Center Honors.

A few of her costumes from her Christmas specials

Enjoying one of the many musical performances (this group played bluegrass)

This part of the park had giant pumpkins from all over the country.

Entrance to the museum

While the other "pumpkin" displays are non-perishable, they had an artist there carving these real pumpkins with designs of local plants and animals—so talented!