October 31, 2022
My family moved to East Tennessee in 1986; not too long after that, we became Dollywood Season Passholders! I have marveled as the park has grown in acreage, added new rides and attractions, and expanded with Dollywood's Splash Country. Every year there are more award-winning decorations to enjoy, new festival experiences to encounter, amazing food and drink offerings to delight in. As the park has grown and improved year after year, the Season Pass structure has continued to update in stride. Last year, Dollywood introduced the new Diamond level for Season Passholders. The Silver and Gold passes remained but were more affordable than ever! This year, there are some very exciting new updates for the 2023 Season Passholder system. I appreciate Dollywood's different tiers when presenting the Season Pass options to guests; you can truly find something for everyone's budget. So, let's examine the new Season Pass levels and decide which passes might be best for your family!
WOW! What an affordable option for those considering multiple visits to the park throughout the year. Even with the economical price point, you can still opt to pay for your Season Pass through a monthly payment plan (10 months if you purchase early!) to more comfortably fit passes into your family's budget.
In addition to availability at an affordable price, Silver Passes are even sweeter with perks for all Passholders! Each Silver Pass comes with two Bring-A-Friend tickets (with traditional blackout dates), discounts on area attractions, $5 off daily tickets and 10% off lodging (based on availability.) Silver Passes pay for themselves in two visits! Updated this season: Adult Silver passes have a few blackout dates during peak weeks. For 2023, this includes 11/22/22-1/2/23 (if purchased now and used for the rest of the 2022 Season!) and 11/24/23-1/6/24 for the 2023 Season. Child Silver Passes do not have blackout dates, so they can visit with an adult who has a Gold, Diamond or day admission ticket.
Does your family visit more often than a couple of times a year? Perhaps the Gold Pass is for you!
If you frequent the park more than a couple times per year, the Gold Season Pass might be a good fit for you and your family! These passes have so many perks and cost-saving discounts. Gold Passes do not have any blackout dates, and NEW for this year- Gold Bring-A-Friend tickets do not have any blackout dates! In addition to discounts on single day tickets, lodging, TimeSavers, VIP tours and Preferred Parking, Gold Passholders get FREE general parking, and 15% off food and select merchandise purchases in the park! Between free parking and 15% off food, you can really get some bang for your buck!
Dollywood Gold Season Passes also allow guests to experience exclusive access to Golden Events at the park. My personal favorite Golden Events are the sneak peaks before select festivals officially begin! I loved visiting Dollywood after hours or on a day when the park was typically closed to get premiere access to everything new in the park. My children also enjoyed the special Golden Events where they could have special seating or perhaps access to fun Q&A sessions with performers. Do you like to save time early in the day? This past year I enjoyed experiencing Golden Hour where my Pass acted like a TimeSaver during the first hour of operation each day-and I can't forget about Early Ride Time on Saturdays. Gold Passholders get to experience one select ride or area of the park an hour early on Saturdays. What an amazing opportunity to create forever memories with those who love the parks!
Are you a frequent flier? A local who loves to pop over to the park whenever you can? If, like myself, you're at the park as often as you can be, the Diamond Season Pass may be the best option for you!
If you're someone who analyzes the "cost per visit" then Dollywood has THE Pass for you! The Diamond Pass has all the perks of the Gold Pass (Golden events, for example, also invite all Diamond Passholders to attend!) but the discounts are even deeper! As often as I take my children to the park I have saved nearly as much money as the purchase price of my pass from the 20% dining discount alone! Check out this post from a friend who tracked her savings.
Speaking of dining, the Diamond Pass is the only pass that comes with an All-Season Refillable Mug! All summer long, we saved so much money as we refilled our fountain drinks and lemonades in our All-Season mugs. How many ice-cold lemonades can your family drink in a day at the park? Multiply the cost of a drink per refill and per family member and then by the number of days you visit- WOW! What a savings! The Diamond Pass also includes unlimited admission to Dollywood's Splash Country with reserved seats in the shade (until 11 a.m.)! That shade is premium! I'm not done listing the Diamond benefits yet because I haven't even told you one of my favorite perks: four Bring-A-Friend tickets (per Diamond Pass) with NO blackout dates! Imagine being able to pick up and go with a friend any day you want! Peak weeks of festivals? Spring or fall break? Weekends? You receive FOUR of these with each Diamond Pass!
Whatever your budget, Dollywood has a Season Pass to fit your needs! The three amazing tiers all come with perks and discounts; it's up to you to decide what level best meets the needs of your family. With phenomenal festivals, thrilling rides, award-winning entertainment and delectable food and drink, there's simply no wrong way to visit Dollywood!
All Insiders Best Value
All Insiders Best Value
