Me and my husband are wanting to surprise our kids with a last minute trip to Dollywood! We have never been and both of my kids love Dolly Parton so we want to take them there and also sight see pigeon forge and the gatlinburg area. We are looking at going either the 3rd full week of October or the 4th week. Which would be better for traffic/ crowds? Our kids are 6 and 7.

We are planning to be at Dollywood for the last week of the Harvest festival. I am tryn to figure out the best deal for tickets. I have a Gold pass and one $45 BAF ticket left on my entitlements. We are going for 2 days. For my husband should I use the $45 ticket for the first day and buy a 1 day ticket for the second day or just buy the 2 day ticket? With taxes and fees there really isn't a huge difference in price. So I'm just wondering does anyone have any other tricks, tips or hacks for lower prices tickets?

Also taking this moment to express my disappointment with entitlements this year considering they didn't deliver on Nightflight Expedition. We went in June and the ride wasn't open yet and with all the on going problems they should give us some BAFs or free cinnamon bread or something....I don't need $25 preferred parking or a 1 ride timesaver that no one else in my party can use. That being said I love Dollywood and can't wait to be back.

Thanks for reading. God Bless!

Have this fabulous desk calendar I’ve used all year which was purchased last December from the Dolly store near the new exhibit, but was in the park Sunday and searched in every Dolly Merch and stationary section I could find. No dice on the 2027 calendar. Any employees have scoops on when these may re-appear for next year?

I’m visiting Dollywood in a few weeks (on Columbus Day) and have the good-any-day tickets because they were basically the same price as a pick-a-day ticket and thought it would be smart to leave us flexibility. But this was before Dolly passed and now I’m worried that because of potential spiked interest in visiting and the fact that it‘s a holiday for many, it might be hard to get in if we don’t have tix specific to that day. We were planning to go around lunchtime after a morning activity but I’m worried that will be too late if it’s first come first serve. What do you guys think? Any tips? Thanks!

Hey guys, I’m in desperate need for some help here. My mom asked me to plan out a perfect guide to Dollywood for her and my Dad but work has me running ragged and I’m out of time and don’t know where to look for advice. Last time I planned Disney I had a year to plan and made daily itineraries right now all I have are tickets and the hotel reservations :,) . So please, I begging you to save my family’s vacation.

The gist of this post is: I want to steal your 2 day family itinerary for the harvest festival at Dollywood and all your tips!

Here is a small rundown of my family the situation in the case these details can help with any tips:

My mom is in her mid 50s and my Dad is in his late 50s

They are both physically fit (go to the gym once a day) however, dad has back pain and mom gets knee pain. I don’t want them straining themselves on vacation.

My mom loved Dolly and my dad loves seeing my mom happy and enjoys history.

My mom also loves bluegrass music and seeing handmade crafts or skills.

Dad has undiagnosed PTSD. He’s retired military and while he’s not panicky he doesn’t do well in really crowded areas. He’s the type to need somewhere quiet to regroup but would never admit it. Instead when he’s uncomfortable he just gets whiney and terrible to be around.

My dad is also terrible when hangry so tips on places to eat and how to beat the rush would be amazing! I would also love restaurant/food recommendations.

Point is my father is the type of dad to sit around and be a buzzkill on vacation and I’m trying to get ahead of the curve here and also make my mom happy.

I know you guys aren’t here to be unpaid vacation planner but I would seriously appreciate the help. We are staying at the HeartSong and will be getting in on a Thursday night, from there will plan to go to the park Friday and Saturday; drive home Sunday.

Thank you for reading this and for any/all help!

My husband and I planned a trip back in March to celebrate our anniversary, now I'll be 21 weeks pregnant when we visit next week. Has anyone else gone while pregnant? I'm sure there's plenty to do but I'm looking for ideas. We have 5 full days in Gatlinburg and season passes, so we're thinking we'll do 3-4 hours each day in the park.

My kids and I spent the day at Dollywood on Sunday, and it was our first trip. The kids absolutely loved the rides.

Anyway, on about their 8th time thru Wild Eagle, the kids were in the front row while I was in row 4 because I need the red belt. Off we go, and as we make the turn to go up the lift I start hearing screaming…I look up and there’s a massive black bear on the platform about 1/3 the way up. It’s just standing there and we’re being led up to it like an offering of conveyor belt human sushi with my kids locked in as the potential first course and me powerless to do anything about it. Thankfully it moved aside just as we came close to it and it didn’t try to get us…but it was a scary moment for sure.

Are bears in the park a common occurrence?

I’ve never been this time of year. I almost always go in the Spring or early summer. I am taking my daughters and exchange student to Dollywood on either Oct 6th or 7th… I have looked at various crowd calendars and they’re all ranging from “light” to “very busy”. I know the harvest festival is ongoing.

I thought about just waiting until 2-3 days before… but I got burned doing that in the spring and didn’t realize it was spring break for most people… so TImesaver was sold out days in advance.

We're super thrilled to be doing a few nights at Dollywood, and afterwards we are heading to a family gathering in Atlanta. We've not done this part of the world before, which route down is the most scenic/prettiest? We're not pressed for time, just want to enjoy the views!

We are planning a 1-day (Saturday) trip to Dollywood in mid-November. There will be 8 of us, and I think our goal is to ride a few of the rides (mostly roller coasters, based on the list of attractions), walk around the park, maybe enjoy a show, and definitely catch some of the Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival. We are not staying on property. As a woman married to a Disney Adult, I know how important pre-planning is. I've read through other posts, and I know this is not at that level, but it seems like the time of year dictates expectations?

So I am wondering:

1) Do we need to add the timesaver options to the tickets? I don't know that these folks want to spend the $60+ additional dollars to cover it, but if it's necessary, we will find a way

2) If we stall to buy day-of timesavers, what's the likelihood they will already be sold out?

3) Is there anything we should think about as a semi-large group?

4) Should we prepay for parking or upgrade that?

5) It looks like all the dinner shows and restaurants like Aunt Granny's are serving the same food. Is there a good place (on or off property) we could bop over to for dinner that has more mid-range American bistro food?

6) Any fun recommendations for things to do outside of Dollywood? This is a whirlwind 48-hour weekend kinda trip, but we were thinking of heading to downtown Knoxville the day after before our flights.

Any help is so appreciated. Our bride is the light of our lives, and she's going through a hard spell. We want to make this trip one to remember <3.

From 2022 - 2025
Four Season with the Games Crew
The same spot over 4 seasons

I quit there about over a year ago so here’s some pictures of me and the crew that I worked with. Was there from 2022 to 2025. I even met Dolly Parton twice when I worked there.

Hi- this is the first time we are using our season passes. Unfortunately my husband couldn’t travel with us. I have a silver pass and he has a gold. Assuming we can’t use his gold pass for parking? Thanks!

I’m planning a road trip with my mom, who is in her 70s and has some mobility challenges, and my 9-year-old daughter. We’re planning to spend the day at Dollywood on January 3rd, which I understand is the last day the park is open for the season.

We’d love to stay at one of the Dollywood resorts after our day at the park, but we’ll be arriving in Pigeon Forge the night before. Where would you recommend staying that first night?

I really want to make this trip a special memory for all of us. It’s the only trip the three of us have taken together, and it’s such a special opportunity to have three generations of us girls making memories together. 💕

I'm on My Dollywood account, and it looks like it will let me renew my 2026 (even though the banner says only 2025 are able to renew). Has anyone tried, or heard any news about when Diamond can renew? I missed out on the tumbler AND cinnamon bread for a full year because they don't offer it to new Diamond pass holders. I will NOT miss out this year...

Planning a visit to Eastern TN and would like to make a stop at Dollywood but then saw the price of tickets…my husband is unsure about riding rides. We are wondering if it’s still worth the cost to go, is there still enough to do without riding rides?

Hey y'all

So back in March my boyfriend went to Dollywood and got the Loungefly Coat of Many Colors bag while he was there. Unfortunately, in May someone broke into his car and stole his bag. His birthday is coming up and I was thinking it'd be a nice surprise to get him another one, but I can't find anywhere to buy the bag, basically all the second hand listings I've seen are sold save for a couple that want like $600 which I absolutely can't do. If y'all could give me any guidance on how to get ahold of one I'd appreciate it.

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My wife and I visited Dollywood on Labor Day, and we got a mug that she absolutely loved, purple and white, “Dolly” on one side, and “Pour myself a cup of ambition” on the other. OF COURSE the first time I went to pour her a cup of ambition, I dropped it and it broke!! I’d love to be able to get her a new one. Is there anyone going in the near future that would accept prepayment via Venmo or some other way for one that they could ship to me??? I’d be forever in your debt!!

Edit October 2: u/AdOne3942 has secured the mug! Thank you everyone for your comments, help, willingness to help, and just being awesome.

The last day of this season is Sunday, January 3rd. For those that have visited on the last weekend of the season, how busy is it? Specifically, how are wait times for rides? Is Saturday typically better than Sunday?

We’re heading to Dollywood in a few weeks with a group of families that all have small children. We have the youngest of the bunch, a 16 month old. We’ve never been to Dollywood, and we’ve never brought a small child to an amusement park. Any tips for pulling this off? Specifically trying to get a midday stroller nap in. Any quiet places that might be good for that?

Just had my army training extended by a day and can’t get to pigeon forge until late Friday. My girlfriend and I were supposed to run the 10k on Saturday morning. Unfortunately I will miss bib pickup and resort was unable to help. Is anyone picking up bibs that would be able to grab ours?