DOLLYWOOD. <3
I love this park more than I can say. I think it’s a hard thing to explain to people, because even when we’re visiting the park, cast members are so confused why we left Disney to vacation there! But there’s something so quaint and sweet and real and special about Dollywood. And if you have to question it or you don’t understand, my biggest advice is to not go!
But for us, Dollywood is right under Disneyland just above Walt Disney World in order of favorite places. This place has my heart, and I’m so, so thankful that we got to make a mini vacation there last December! I’m ready to go back nooooooow!
Nate’s favorite photo from the entire weekend: the line of ECVs in front of the Lightning Rod “Peeling out in 2016” sign had us cracking up. :)
A couple “Nate, I don’t think we’re in Disney anymore” details.
The best thing about visiting Dollywood around Christmas is getting to meet the REAL Rudolph, Feline, and Yukon Cornelius! <3
You could even say it glooooooows!
Loved their elf costumes!!
Tied for first for best thing about visiting Dollywood at Christmas? They go CRAZY with the decorations. EVERY building is decked out in lights Osbourne-style, and even the inside of rides are decorated!
My favorite ride : Blazing Fury! It’s random and janky and makes me SO happy… Especially around the holidays. This ride basically follows the “story” of a fire engulfing a town in the 1880’s and includes scary “animatronics” trying to escape the fire, and one caught in an outhouse, as seen below:
When you finish the ride, this is the sign that greets you. Once again, I don’t think we’re in Disney anymore!
Disney may have banned the Selfie Stick, but you can find its off-brand cousin in every ride gift shop there!
This was our first time using the “TimeSaver,” Dollywood’s clunky and confusing-as-hell alternative to the FastPass. But it just made me love Dollywood more when it took a 70 year old cast member 20 minutes (no exaggeration) to explain it to us, and we were still confused. If Nate can’t figure it out, there’s no hope for the rest of us!
We got to peek inside Dolly’s RV! <3
Best part of the day! I kept asking cast members to tell me more about “Parade of Lights,” Dollywood’s nightly holiday parade. I was trying to find out the best place to watch it, or how early we should get a spot. Sure enough, any cast member who saw I didn’t have a kid encouraged me to beat the crowd and just skip the parade. Of course, the more vague descriptions I got or embarrassed responses just made me want to see it more!
And y’all, when Rudolph started the parade riding in a PT Cruiser, this parade DID. NOT. DISAPPOINT. I was in Jensey Tennessee Christmas Heaven!!!!! <3
Scary dog complete with human eyes peeking through? OK!!!! <3
Even MORE terrifying snowman? YES PLEASE!
Dollywood, you have my heart. I hope to be reunited again soon!!!!! <3
So funny, Patrick and I have to pump ourselves up to take the kids to Dollywood. They love it, but we spend the whole time wishing we were at DisneyWorld!