If you’re going to Dollywood, here are a few helpful tips that you’ll want to know about.
TAKE THE TROLLEY
Instead of spending $15 a car on parking, park for free in Patriot Park by the Old Mill and take the Dollywood trolley for 50 cents a person! This works really well for singles like me–I might not recommend it for families with lots of kiddos, strollers, and bags. That being said, there are a lot of kiddos, strollers, and bags on the trolley, so go for it if you want to save the money! It’s 50 cents a ride per person, per ride, i.e. $1 round trip per person.
The biggest downside to using the trolley service is that there is usually a pretty long line to get back to your car at the end of your day. I’ve often had to wait for a trolley or two before I can get a seat, and there isn’t a lot of places to sit at the trolley stop if you’re tired.
The trolley stop in Patriot Park is right at the front of the parking lot, with the Dollywood trolley stopping at the far right (bring sunscreen) as you come from the lot & park. The trolley stop at Dollywood is “backstage” and to the right of the ticket booths. To walk from the trolley to the entrance, head left down the path then right-ish to the ticket booths, or if you have your ticket, head straight for the turnstiles. When leaving the park, exit The Emporium and bear to your left back to the entrance and the trolley stop. Almost everyone else will be heading right to the parking lot tram.
FREE ICE WATER
Now that you’re in the park, make sure you stay hydrated! Every quick service food and snack stand will give you cups of ice water for free. I actually request no ice in my water so that I can drink it down fast and toss the cup.
Sometimes, and especially on super-hot days, they may have cups of ice water out on the counter for folks just to grab, but sometimes you need to stand in line, even if it’s just for free water. I have ducked quickly to the front of some lines to ask if I need to stand in line just for water, and usually, the answer is yes. So just be on the lookout for drinks stands with shorter lines if you need some free water.
GRIST MILL SHORTCUT
To get to the Barnstormer from Craftsman’s Valley, you can either walk up the steep hill past the leather shop or up the steep hill near the Back Porch Theater and past the Christmas Cottage. If you are in between those two points, cut through the Grist Mill. Walk past all the people in line for cinnamon bread and walk up the stairs. When you exit the upstairs shop, you are right at the Barnstormer.
CINNAMON BREAD UPSTAIRS
While you’re upstairs in the Grist Mill, feel free to get your cinnamon bread fix up here. The line is often shorter! That doesn’t mean that it will always be short–I’ve been in a line wrapped around the entire shop and out the door before–but it’s usually shorter than the downstairs line. And if you’re stuck in line, there’s more stuff to look at!
THE “SECRET” PATH
If you are like me and sometimes need to get away from people and find someplace quiet, try the shortcut from Country Fair to Rivertown Junction. It winds along the edge of the River Rampage and is much more peaceful than walking back through Country Fair, up the hill, and over the train tracks.
From the Back Porch Theater side, head down a path just to the left of Dogs N Taters. There’s a sign that points the way to the Blue Ribbon Picnic Pavilion. The other end is at the back right of Country Fair, to the right of a covered bridge-like area. That’s where the two rentable picnic pavilions are–Blue Ribbon and Celebration Hall, which is also where they host Santa Claus during Christmas. This path is also a much less steep way of getting in and out of Country Fair if you’re in an ECV or otherwise wary of that.
A NOTE ABOUT THE TRAM
If you pay to park in the parking lot, just note that once the parking tram gets moving, it won’t stop. So if you decide you’d rather walk than wait for the next available tram, but the kiddos poop out halfway there, the tram will not pick you up in the middle of the parking lot. And they’ll tell you this several times if you ARE on the tram, especially in the mornings. Apparently, it’s a problem for them.
The parking lot isn’t huge, and unless you are way down and around the back, you could very well make it to your car before the tram can get you there. Just know that once you set out, you’re on your own.
BEST TIMES TO VISIT
Since Dollywood is a very local park, most people visit during the summer and on the weekends. Certain events, like the annual Rod Run, can really bump up attendance. So in general, if you visit during the week or in the off season, you have a much better chance of experiencing shorter lines for rides and cinnamon bread.
I went for a whole week during the Festival of Nations in March and there was hardly anyone there. I rode rides over and over again without any wait at all. Many of the performance-based events on the Dollywood calendar (like Festival of Nations) draw a markedly older crowd who aren’t the least bit interested in thrill rides. I also found that a Saturday night during Christmas was very uncrowded, at least for roller coasters in the dark.
As an exception, I’ve heard that the 4th of July isn’t very crowded at the park because there are a lot of events going on in Pigeon Forge that draw crowds away. I can’t verify this myself, but it’s worth checking out.
HONORABLE MENTION: Next Day Free
Originally, my first and best tip was using Dollywood’s “next day free” offer. If you enter the turnstiles after 3:00 pm, you got the whole next day in the park for “free.” So basically, you could tag on an extra half-day in the park and really maximize that one-day ticket price. I used this EVERY TIME I visited the park!
But alas, they have discontinued it in 2018. I even called them about it and it is definitely not currently available or even thinking about coming back. I wonder if they’ve gotten a lot of calls about it because the rep I spoke to was not the least bit sympathetic.
Current ticket options
What they have replaced next day free with is new options for 2- and 3-day tickets. It used to be that if you were going to be there for two days, you might as well get a season pass, which was a fantastic value if you went even a couple times during the season.
Now (as of 2018–I don’t intend to keep this updated) they sell 1-day adult tickets for $69, 2-day for $89, 3-day for $99, and a regular season pass for $114. There is also a Gold season pass for $174, which gives you free parking and 20% off most of your food and merchandise, plus passes that include Dolly’s water park, Splash Country. Discounted tickets are available for kids 9 and under, and seniors 62 and above.
For official information, always check out the Dollywood FAQ page, or give them a call at 1-800-365-5996 between 8 am to 6 pm, Eastern Standard Time.
So take the trolly, know the short cuts. Great 🙂