Going to DOLLYWOOD as Disney World Fans! Comparing Our Experiences!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ย. 2024
- As you know, this is a Disney World focused account and we are huge Disney World fans. But we decided to take a trip to the Smoky Mountains this summer and went to Dollywood! It was a great trip! We thought it might be helpful to share our experience so other Disney World loving families can see the similarities and differences of Dollywood and Disney world!
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Dollywood has the highest consumer rating and votes the past 2 years and running, amongst North American theme park attractions. Which is telling. Cost alone for a family of 5 is a no-brainer. If you want to avoid the freak show at Diss Me Land, Dollywood is the choice.
So glad you made a video like this. Although we may not be able to visit Disney again, Dollywood may be possible. Looks like many attractions and foods for an older couple. 🙂
It’s such a wonderful place! I really think you’d enjoy it! The hills are significant but a scooter can help with mobility concerns around that. Lots of talented live entertainment!
I went to dollywood with my cousins and grandparents last year, my grandparents loved it and we're going again in about a month!
I live 45 minutes away from Dollywood, and so I've been going there since I was a young girl (I'm 45 years old now, so that right there should tell you something lol) and I can tell you that Dollywood is very accommodating to seniors, people with young children and children with conditions like Autism and things of that nature ( They have a huge room for parents to take their children too when children with certain sensitivities get overwhelmed with censory overload. The room is a calming room that cancels out all the sounds and smells associated with a theme park) handicapped people, and all types of different things issues a person might have. There's literally something for everyone in Dollywood. Dollywood also has a decent sized water park right across the road if you get too hot in the Summer and need to take a day to float around the lazy river. But although there's hills and inclines you end up having to walk to get to different parts of the park, but you can rent scooters, or if you don't want to do that, there's benches and rocking chairs literally everywhere in the park, and restaurants at every turn, if you want to just stop and take a break. They have different types of rides and interactive learning shows ( There's an eagle conservatory attached to Dollywood, and they do tons of free shows, and I've been to a few myself) and music shows and many different things like that, so if you aren't into roller coasters, that's okay, because there's still lots more to see and do. Dollywood has games, shows, and rides (some are award winning roller coasters and thrill rides, but they also have different types of rides for anyone.) and adventures for literally everyone and every age. Heck, if you like Christmas Lights, Dollywood goes all out and decorates Dollywood in brilliant displays of Christmas themes and lights, and they don't take it down until the very end of January. Heck, all of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg dress up and light up for the Christmas season, and it's gorgeous. But I definitely encourage you to look into Dollywood's different amenities, and I hope you get to come out and experience the park for yourselves.
I went a couple years ago to Dollywood, and of course I compared it to Disney the whole time like you did. How could you not? While Dollywood is no Disneyland or Disney World, it is very charming in its own right. I did love all the live music and the cinnamon bread. The soot on the train surprised me too. I think any Disney theme park fan should give it a try!
Totally agree! It is a very charming park! I think we will enjoy it more when our kids are old enough to ride the big rollercoasters!
It sounds like your kids are still young enough to get the most out of Disney. We have a 12 and 15 year old, so we are sadly aging out of Disney. Also, when you have been so many times, slow dark rides are not worth the hassle or a long wait like they used to be when the kids were younger. My son (12yr old) especially is ready for more thrill rides. For the last year he has been talking about how much he prefers Universial.😮 They are both, also very much not interested or excited about a college student dressed in a Mickey or Princess costume.💔 Everything changes on a dime when you have kids it seems. So we are considering planning a trip to Dollywood. It looks like older kids would love it!!
Yes! I can see how it will change as they get older. Our kids are ages 3-10 so still very much into all things Disney and magic. If your kids like thrill rides and big rollercoasters, they will love Dollywood. It’s a nice clean park with shade and great thrill rides!
I’m loving everything about this video. We are Disney people going to Dollywood for the first time the end of October and I’m sooo excited. Great info on the Time Saver. Too bad the summer food was lacklustre 😢 I’m sooo excited for the cinnamon bread. I made some at home yesterday since I’m so excited 😂 can’t wait to try the real thing lol. Too bad that was the only “must-get” though. This Disney gal is a little nervous about these coasters at Dolly 😂 oh dear soot on the train. So nice to hear about all of the shade. Disney definitely lacks on the shade. Seeing the glass be made is so cool. Nothing will ever beat Disney for me, but I am very excited to see Dollywood! Awesome video! 😊💕
Thank you! I can’t wait to see Meg and Greg’s take after your October trip! That will be a lovely time to go!
We are a Dollywood family that goes to Disney and Universal. We live about 3 hours from Pigeon forge and we often get out of work on Friday and take off for the weekend. So much to do in the area. Great restaurants and attractions. Thanks for the video
Also come back for Halloween and Christmas. The decorations are amazing.
I’m jealous you live close! We would love to go more often. Definitely planning to visit again in the holiday season!
@whatifdisneyworld Dollywood and even Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are gorgeous during the Holiday season, and they keep the decorations and lights up until late January of the next year. I live in about 30-45 mins away (depending on Seasonal traffic) in Blount county, just south of Sevier County, so I drive up to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg often during the holiday season to enjoy the beautiful Christmas lights.
I’ve never considered going to Dollywood, but it looks interesting. When we went to Universal Hollywood they did the rider switch the same where you had to wait in line with the kids. I hated it! Like you said, it’s hard for little kids to wait in line and not even get to ride. Thanks for sharing!
Oh that’s disappointing to hear. We’ve never been to universal but that would be a dealbreaker with young kids! There are so many big coasters there.
I can’t believe you didn’t like the food! The food is amazing! Every different festival that they have they have different food choices so there IS lots of variety that’s constantly changing in different as well as the food that they have year-round that is everyone’s go to. And oh my gosh, I can’t believe thunderhead is your favorite ride?! That ride gives me a headache I won’t ride that ride but all the rest of the rides I love. And of course, the entertainment is top-notch compared to Disney because Disney is mostly pre-recorded and Not live singing especially in the magic kingdom. As far as the way, the park is laid out you have to remember that Dollywood wasn’t originally Dollywood. It was three other parks before it became Dollywood so that’s the reasoning for the crazy layout, where as Disney was built to be a particular park where there is a central item in the park like the castle or the tree or the Epcot ball
I've always thought it would be fun to visit Dollywood at some point. This was some great insights about the pros and cons of the park. Plus seeing that little bouncing bear ride had me laughing. Thanks for sharing.
You’d have really been laughing if you saw my face while riding the bears. I’m glad my kids had fun but as you can imagine, it was not very enjoyable for adults. Lol 😂 thanks for watching!
I'll Go To DISNEY WORLD As Long As I Want
If possible go to Dollywood during the week ( week days/ not the weekend). There are always little to no lines
Good advice! We went the week of July 4th and it was busy but I imagine other weeks wouldn’t be. Thanks for sharing!
@@whatifdisneyworldwith Dollywood (or pretty much any attraction in this area ha ha), it's always best to try and go during the week, but It can also depend on which season you're choosing to come and visit the park...or just Sevier County and this general area around the The Smoky Mountain National Park, in general. It used to be that we weren't busy all four seasons of the year, but now we're generally busy all year round. Having said that, Summer and Autumn the traffic and tourism is the heaviest, so that's going to absolutely impact your visit to the parks and the general area. This is just some food for thought for the next time that you might consider coming up here to visit. Also, I encourage you to visit The Smoky Mountain National Park on your next visit, if you haven't already; The Smokies are the most visited national park in America, and for good reason. ❤
I went to Dollywood years ago.... like less than 10 but more than 5, and I really enjoyed it! But I love roller coasters, so that's not a surprise lol. I do remember the app being limited/annoying, and obviously don't have to think about the logistics of bringing kids along so that was neat to hear. I have a medical condition that limits my long term memory, so to be honest I don't remember a ton but that's on me not a reflection of Dollywood lol. But I do remember loving the Knoxville zoo! If your family has some zoo lovers, I'd highly suggest it for the next time y'all go!
It does have great rollercoasters! We will have to check out the Knoxville zoo next time we are in that area! Thanks for the recommendation!
Great video.
Thanks for watching and for the kind words!
Dollywood is the best
More affordable