Are you missing Dollywood as much as I am? With a week to go before the season starts, here are the things I am doing right now to get ready for a great year of visits to Dollywood and Dollywood's Splash Country.
- Review the operating calendar - Dollywood is not open 365 days. You can find the operating calendar here so you know all the best times to visit!
- Plan at least one visit for each festival and celebration- In 2023, Dollywood is hosting the I Will Always Love You celebration (March 11 - April 8) in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton's hit song. That's not all though! The Flower & Food Festival (April 21 - June 11) returns, as well as Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration (June 17 - Aug. 6), Harvest Festival (Sept. 20 - Oct. 30) and Smoky Mountain Christmas (Nov. 4 - Jan. 6). Each event features unique park décor, food options, entertainment and events. My family loves each one for different reasons, so we just have to make plans to be at each one of them. You can read more about them here!
- Book a stay at Dollywood's DreamMore Resort and Spa- The benefits of staying on property at Dollywood are great. The free transportation and TimeSaver passes for guests make it an incredible value for us. There is so much to do there for the entire family: great food options, activities, entertainment and my family always enjoys s'mores by the fire pit each night!
Insider Tip
Keep an eye out for the grand opening of Dollywood's new resort: HeartSong Lodge & Resort, coming this fall.
- Gather tips from Dollywood Insiders- Dollywood Insiders is a group of people from different walks of life that all love Dollywood. We share our favorite tips for making the most of your time at Dollywood, Dollywood's Splash Country and Dollywood's DreamMore Resort and Spa! You can search our blogs for topics of interest and key words. This should be able to answer most questions you may have, but also be sure to read the Dollywood Blog if you need more information.
- Get some steps in so you're ready to walk- It is not uncommon for me to get in 12,000-15,000 steps in a day when I go to Dollywood. So, in the off-season, I work on keeping my steps up for when the time comes to walk Dollywood again! I also make sure everyone in the family has some good walking shoes because my boys outgrow their shoes quickly!
- Pack a Dollywood car bag- During the months of March through December, I keep a Dollywood bag packed and ready to go. It includes my Dollywood reusable mugs, water-proof phone cases for water attractions at the parks, a couple of books and toys for my children for the car ride, a hat and an extra phone charger. I update it from time to time depending on the season. In the summertime, I also make sure to have a bag of towels ready to go for an easy day trip to Splash Country! I do this so that if we want to make a spur of the moment decision to head to the parks, everything we are going to need is already in one place.
Insider Tip
Go ahead and make sure the app is downloaded on your phone! Using the app, you can quickly see what is happening at Dollywood any day you want to go.
- Invite friends to come with us! Dollywood strives to help you make memories worth repeating. I love getting to share the joy we receive from a trip to Dollywood with our friends and family. So right now, I already am starting to talk to our friends and family who want to come with us about when they would like to go. Since we are Dollywood Season Passholders, we will use our Bring-A-Friend tickets to help some folks experience Dollywood for the first time. If you are not yet a passholder, you can still become one to get those extra tickets for friends and family.
I am incredibly excited that it's almost time for Dollywood again. I cannot wait to be back in the parks enjoying all the sights, sounds, food and fun in 2023!
