While we probaby could have spent days exploring the area, we really were focused on one thing, and one thing only....Dollywood. Our two boys LOVE roller coasters and all things amusement park and I'm happy to report that Dollywood did not disappoint. My husband even commented that he was surprised at how much fun Dollywood actually was!
Here are a few of the things we loved the most:
- Our oldest son, who just turned 9, could ride ALL the rides. And our youngest, who is turning 7 as we speak, could ride all the rides but one. That means that the roller coasters at Dollywood are really family friendly, and trust me when I say that doesn't mean they aren't scream at the top of your lungs in fear fun because they are. My sore throat can vouch for that!
- Plenty shade trees, water fountains, and misting stations to keep you cool. Very important on a hot summer day!
- Lots to do besides the rides. When you need a break there are oodles of fun little shops to browse and a huge variety of shows to attend. We highly recommend the Gazillion Bubble Show when you go.
- Q2Q Line Management System, or Q-bot. This could be my favorite thing of all. Q2Q is a system where you get to avoid the long lines and hop right on the rides you want to go on. In a nutshell, you reserve your spot in line, one ride at a time, and the Q-bot (portable device you carry around with you) "waits" in line for you while you can enjoy other things at the park (i.e. eat lunch, catch a show, shop, etc). The Q-bot will vibrate to let you know when it's your turn to ride. At that time, or anytime after, you head directly to the front of the line through a separate Q-bot entrance and get right on. Not all rides are Q-bot eligible but most of the main attractions (the ones with the longest lines) are. Having the Q-bot saved us a ton of wait time and really allowed us to ride more rides than we would have been able to do without it. Not having to wait in line with the kids was such a blessing!
Click on the links below to see what our favorite rides are~
Jamie: Barnstormer
Nate: Wild Eagle
Brady: Thunderhead and Wild Eagle (a tie!)
Ryan: Mystery Mine
Ferris Wheel Selfie! The Wild Eagle
One too many roller coasters? Gazillion Bubble Show!
One of the many cool sites to see Getting ready to ride the Tennesse Tornado
Because an afternoon ice-cream break is a must!
While we stuck mainly to the "big kid" rides, Dollywood has plenty of rides and attractions for younger kids, as well. We also were very pleased at the food choices at lunch time and loved seeing a kids menu at several locations. One word of advice I'd offer is to not try and cram it all into one day. If you enter the park after 3pm you can go back the next day on the same ticket, which is what we did. Doing that gave us an extra 1/2 day and having that extra time really made a big difference!
We received complimentary one-day admission tickets to Dollywood and a complimentary Q-bot for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed are those of myself and my family.
