I have no clue if they are now.
There are many that don't like it. It's not for everyone. If you're not into the Hillbilly theme, it's probably not going to be the park for you. Unless you're out to get a coaster credit on the coasters, I wouldn't suggest you fly all the way from California for example to Knoxville just to go to Dollywood. It's just not a destination park to be honest. But if you're passing through or nearby anyway or within decent driving range for sure. And there are a lot of people within driving range. I'd suggest they Check it out. A lot of my favorite rides at Dollywood over the years are gone. And it seems like it's mostly intermediate type rides that got the axe and there are more kiddie only rides and piss your pants coasters now rather than rides for the whole family. The food is fine. It's mostly BBQ and Kountry Kookin plus the usual pizza, hamburgers, and hot dogs. There are no restaurants there on par with some of Disney's better ones. But all in all the food is good at a good price (considering it's an amusement park.) If you couldn't find anything you liked to eat, you weren't trying. We also love splash country. Nice water park. The food there, however, is awful. Night and day difference between Dollywood and Splash Country on food. I can't imagine why one park is on point for what they want and the other is so wrong. And it has been like that for years.
Dolly never owned it lock stock and barrel. She co-owns it with Herschend Family Entertainment who also owns Silver Dollar City in Branson. Rest assured, however, that the creative force behind Dollywood over the years was in fact Dolly. The place was absolute trash before she came in. She cleaned it up, turned it into a legit park, and they've since added splash country and are adding some resorts too.
Agree. We live in Knoxville as well. I haven’t been in Gatlinburg in over 5 years. Last went to Dollywood 3 years ago. . We have APs to Disney and not Dollywood. The Pumpkin festival is great and Christmas is beautiful, but it’s a day park for us. The roller coasters are more intense for coaster fans. But it feels a bit hokey to me—it’s playing on the stereotypical Southern hillbilly. Everyone in overalls, doing the “y’all come get you some of that country cookin from Granny” stick.
I have always considered it Myrtle Beach in the mountains
I have never been to myrtle beach and there is a reason for that! If we vacation in South Carolina, it is Isle of Palms.I have always considered it Myrtle Beach in the mountains
. It's a good location for a driving vacation, but if you have to fly and want to see mountains or theme parks, there are probably better places.We just had a big family reunion in Gatlinburg last month. One of the cousins now lives about an hour from Niagara Falls, in the US side. She used the Canada side to compare to Pigeon Forge. Said they were almost identical. Not Gatlinburg, the've controlled the growth there so it hasn't gone quite so redneck chaos that Pigeon Forge has. To think, when I was a kid, there was NOTHING in Pigeon Forge at all.Pigeon Forge/Dollywood is like a lot of places - tourist trap meets nature. Someone mentioned Myrtle Beach, SC - Niagara Falls in Canada is another place just like it. Heck, I'd put Las Vegas in that category, too.
I like those kinds of places b/c my kids get some new nature experiences while enjoying some "tourist trap" activities.
Unlike the previous places I mentioned, TN's shows make patriotism and generic Christian faith a definite part of the shows/attractions in the area. That can be off-putting, lame, or really welcome, depending.
First time I was there, I thought I'd stepped back into a 1950's tv show. That said, I went back 2 years later and took my mom b/c I knew she'd love it, and she did (and it was her last vacation).
I have not been back, but that's only b/c I have a lot of places on my list and Covid happened, so now I'm behind
Yes, Gatlinburg has done a better job of meshing the town with nature. Pigeon Forge is kind of like going to the county fair—not that there is anything wrong with agood county fair. I also remember when Pigeon Forge was 2 inner theater and an old water park!
That water park was my first time ever to use a wave pool. I’ll never forget being in the deep end the first time they turned on the waves
Ogles was the name I think? I went as well!
They do have a number of test vehicles for rides, so I have been lucky in that I have managed to find out early before I had to do the walk. But as Princesca points out, they don't have them for all rides.
I noticed that about their rides too, which is odd considering how high a percentage of people local to the area are people of size. But they do have test vehicles outside of every ride.
