One of the BIGGEST perks of homeschooling my kiddos is that we get to schedule our family vacations for when it is most convenient for us. And for this particular mama, going on vacation while most of the public school systems are still in session is definitely a HUGE convenience and a must!

After a big trip to Northern California with the kids to see my extended family, taking a small vacay to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee seemed like a no brainer.

Monday

After packing up at our house in the morning, we got on the road that afternoon for the four and a half hour trip. It was a fairly easy drive through Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia (a small part of it), and then back into Tennessee. We arrived in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and stopped at the Tanger Outlets (the hubby needed to get some new comfortable shoes for the crazy amount of walking we would be doing the next day). We then checked into our hotel (Home2 Suites by Hilton) and then decided to head out for an early dinner.

Now, let me just say, I was a little disappointed going into dinner. The original plan was to go to the Dolly Parton’s Stampede Dinner Attraction, but unfortunately, all seats were sold out when I called that afternoon. So word to the wise, if you want to go to any of the dinner shows in the area (Dolly Parton’s Stampede, Pirates Voyage, or Hatfield & McCoy), be sure book it a day in advance.

Our family did get the opportunity to dine at the Sunliner Diner (2302 Parkway, Pigeon Forge). The theme of the restaurant is 1950's retro with servers in their vintage attire and the cutest booths that are in the shape of a classic car. Even the menus were created to look like a newspaper that had some facts about the area on the front! The milkshakes were amazing (we tried the Peanut Butter Cup shake) and the food came out quickly! The restaurant does get pretty busy around 5 pm so be sure to head out earlier, especially if you have your eye on getting seated in one of the classic car booths.

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Tuesday

After an early breakfast at the hotel, we were off to our first day at the Dollywood amusement park! Since we were visiting the park during Dollywood’s Harvest Festival (which runs from Sept 14th through October 31, 2026), there were pumpkins and fall decor everywhere you looked. There were even large pumpkins that had the names of the roller coaster at the entrance of each ride! It definitely was fun and festive, even though temperatures were in the high 90s and we were getting “heat wave advisory” notifications on our phone. Gotta love the South!

Just a few notes from the first day…

I know this is gonna sound like such a “mom thing” to mention, but I absolutely loved how there were always restrooms nearby no matter where you were in the park. And best part? All the bathrooms were well maintained and CLEAN!
Download the Dollywood app on your phone! It will give you a virtual map of the entire park and will even show you how long the waits are for each ride.
Most of the rides had cubbies where you could store your things while you were on the ride. The only two attractions that you would need to get a locker (to prevent your stuff from getting wet) are on the two water rides, “Smokey Mountain River Rampage” (will get wet…may get drenched) and “Daredevil Falls” (may get wet).
While on the topic of lockers, we chose to purchase a “floating,” transferable locker ($12 a day). By just paying once that day, we could “float” and use various lockers all throughout the park. Most of the major rides and roller coasters would have these “floating lockers” at their respective entrances. Another option would be the stationary locker. These lockers were larger and are located right at the entrance of the amusement park ($17 a day). We chose to bring a standard backpack with extra clothes (just in case we got drenched on the “Smokey Mountain River Rampage”) and it easily fit in any of the “floating” lockers.
You are not permitted to bring outside food or drinks into the park, but each person can bring a sealed bottle of water. The park does have numerous water bottle filling stations and every food vendor that has a fountain drink machine will give you a cup to fill with water for FREE. No worries about getting dehydrated, folks!
We decided the minute the park opened to walk ALL THE WAY to the back of Dollywood to ride the newest attraction (“NightFlight Expedition”) first and then gradually work our way back to the front. If you have small kiddos, be sure to hit those family friendly rides first as they get busier as the day goes on. Of course, all the water rides had longer waits in the middle of the day when it was hot. Since our youngest was tall enough to ride ALL the rides at Dollywood, we were able to be a lot more flexible in choosing which rides to check out and when.

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Our family was lucky enough to buy two day passes to Dollywood. BUT if you are only at the park for one day, you must do the following BEFORE YOU LEAVE…

You must visit Grist Mill and try out the Famous Dollywood Cinnamon Bread! Believe me, you will not want to leave the park without trying it out or taking one home with you. I was surprised to see that there was a queue to just order one of these, but luckily, we got in line when there were only a few people ahead of us. I can only imagine what the line looks line during a busy season.

The bread comes out warm and is deliciously, sweet. The bottom of the pan is smothered in cinnamon sugar and melted butter. Believe me, if you have a sweet tooth, it’s to die for!

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Wednesday

Having a second day at Dollywood meant we could sleep in, take a swim at the hotel pool, and sneak in a nap before we head back out to the park at around 3 pm. I will admit, walking into the park at that time of day was brutal (the heat index felt crazy HOT), but it was nothing that a quick ride in the air-conditioning of the “NightFlight Expedition” couldn’t fix. By the way, that had to be collectively our family’s favorite ride for that reason alone. Not to mention it combined an indoor coaster and a white-water ride in one.

Speaking of rides, here’s our favorites at Dollywood:

The Hubby: “Big Bear Mountain”

J: “Mystery Mine”

M: “Dragonflier”

Me: “Big Bear Mountain” (for the thrill) and “NightFlight Expedition” (for the storytelling)

The kids got to ride on their all the favorites a second (or third) time and then headed to all of the carnival rides. Because you really can’t turn down a ride on the classic carousel or bumper cars, can you?

To close out, we also made it a point to take a ride on the steam train at Dollywood. It runs every hour and is a 20 minute ride around the park. We chose to go on the 8 pm boarding (the last boarding of the day) to view all the decorations and lights in the park on our ride.

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One last stop at the Grist Mill for another cinnamon bread (I mean, it’s really that good), a few souvenir purchases at the park’s shop exit, and we finished our last day at Dollywood!

Thursday

Last stop before heading home the next day? Buc-ee’s in Seiverville/Kodak, Tennessee! If there is a Buc-ee’s nearby, the Peterman Family has to grab our slushies, brisket sandwich, and beaver nuggets for the road! 😁

So that closes out our first trip to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee!

If you have ever been to Dollywood or have any suggestions of where our family should visit next, leave a comment below.