How to visit Dollywood and feel accomplished

Last month, I visited Dollywood for the first time since a long time ago on behalf of the East Tennessean. As college students with limited incomes, it is important to maximize the value we get from that $84 admission ticket. As I went about my day at Dollywood, I attempted to create a perfect schedule to ensure amusement is always at the forefront.

The day you choose to visit Dollywood is very important to your experience. If possible, visit the park on a weekday. The park is much busier on weekends when parents are off work and children are out of school. The fewer people at the park, the less time you have to wait to get on rides. 

Check the weather regularly before you commit to a date to attend. When we visited the park, it rained in the afternoon. This shut down most rollercoasters and rides for several hours, a real damper on the day’s plans. It’s impossible to plan perfectly, but if the weather app at any point says that there is a 40% or higher chance of rain on a certain day, cross it out for a Dollywood opportunity.

Theme parks involve a spirit of competition as everybody wants to wait the least amount of time, so get there as early as humanly possible. Dollywood’s gates open at 10 a.m., so try to arrive at least fifteen minutes prior to that.

If you are there when the gates open, you will experience the mad dash as everybody sprints to different attractions around the park. Pick your favorite ride and dash to it. The first ten minutes the park is open will be when the waits are the shortest. Once you have your favorite ride out of the way, the day becomes much less stressful. The TimeSaver pass at Dollywood is $60 ($80 for the unlimited option). While it certainly cuts down on wait times, it is not necessary to thoroughly enjoy the park.

Try to plan to avoid peak hours. The park is busiest between noon and 4 p.m. During this time, avoid big attractions, like Mystery Mine as the wait will be far from worth it. Focus instead on the various carnival attractions, show, and rides. The waits are much shorter and they still provide a lot of amusement. Ride popular attractions outside of peak hours: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. 

Dollywood is a magical place if you plan accordingly. This April, they are kicking off their award-winning Flower and Food Festival, meaning it will be even easier to get value out of your ticket.

For more information, visit https://www.dollywood.com/.