January 10, 2022
The off-season is officially here. Dollywood is closed during January and February, meaning we miss our favorite rides, snacks and shows. As we count down the days until the park reopens in March, we can bring a little of the Dollywood fun home by creating our very own family Dollywood day. While there are countless ways to bring the joy of Dollywood into your home, the ideas below are a great place to start.
There is no better way to start the fun than with a family dance party, and of course there is no better music than the amazing songs from Dolly Parton herself. Dolly Parton has an endless repertoire from which to choose. Let her greatest hits play while you cook dinner, then crank up “Islands in the Stream,” “9 to 5” and “Coat of Many Colors” while your family shows off their best dance moves.
If your thrill seekers are missing Dollywood’s roller coasters, check out the point-of-view videos on Dollywood’s official YouTube channel. With videos of rides like Tennessee Tornado, Wild Eagle and Thunderhead, you’ll feel like you’re actually soaring through the sky on your favorite Dollywood rides. Don’t forget to put your hands up!
When we visit Dollywood, the Sweet Shoppe Candy Kitchen is one of our favorite stops. Their fudge is incredible, so for our Dollywood day at home, we tried our hand at making our own sugar cookie fudge. For your family Dollywood day, try creating an at-home version of your own favorite park treat or meal. If you’re feeling brave, you can even try making Dollywood’s famous cinnamon bread!
Pop some popcorn and cuddle up for movie time! Dolly Parton has been featured or made appearances in several family-friendly movies. For our Dollywood day, we streamed Coat of Many Colors, which is rated TV-G and tells the story of the colorful coat made by Dolly’s mother and immortalized in song. You can even pull out your refillable popcorn buckets to add to the Dollywood atmosphere.
As bedtime approaches, settle in for story time. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is committed to helping kids learn to love reading, and this organization sends a free book each month to children in various communities across the globe from birth to age five. During our Dollywood day at home, we gathered up a few of our favorite Imagination Library books, including Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña, If I Built a Car by Chris Van Dusen, and Old Bear and His Cub by Olivier Dunrea, and enjoyed re-reading these sweet tales.
A huge part of what we love about Dollywood is making family memories. While the park may be closed right now, we can use our Dollywood memories as inspiration to create special moments with our families at home.
All Insiders Trip Planning
All Insiders Trip Planning
