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Dollywood

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, USA

“Riding coasters from Nine to Five”

Greetings from Pigeon Forge. Unknown to most Europeans, but it’s a beloved holiday destination for Americans. It can be described as some kind of Las Vegas in the Great Smoky Mountains. Pigeon Forge boasts a main boulevard (a.k.a. The Strip) with dozens of hotel resorts, souvenir shops and expensive tourist traps. I’m intrigued by a Titanic replica, the giant King Kong hanging on the side of a fake NYC skyscraper and the mysterious Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride. It’s quite charming, but it all feels a little dated as well. Would you expect that there’s a world-class theme park within a few miles from this place? Nope, me neither.

Yet there is Dollywood, a theme park that’s named to singer-songwriter and actress Dolly Parton. You undoubtedly know her from 9 to 5 and Jolene, songs that have made her famous well beyond US borders. Parton has co-owned Dollywood since 1986, but the park’s history extends beyond that. It’s especially important to know that Dollywood was known as Silver Dollar City Tennessee from 1977 to 1985. During that period, the Herschend family (also owning the original Silver Dollar City in Missouri) transformed the park into the large-scale tourist destination we currently know. Dollywood is still partially owned by Herschend Family Entertainment and the company is responsible for the operations of the park. Together with Dolly Parton, they created a place that’s adored by amusement park lovers from all over the world.

ROLLER COASTERS

One of the park’s eye-catchers is a modern hybrid coaster by Rocky Mountain Construction. It’s called Lightning Rod and it opened in 2016. At the time, the ride was mostly known for its uphill launch, but it regularly caused technical issues and extended downtime. That’s why it’s understandable that Dollywood made the decision to replace the acceleration with a classic lift hill. It’s a shame that Lightning Rod has lost its most unique feature, but the attraction remains spectacular nonetheless. The ride is still incredibly fast and tall, and I’m amazed by the unusual layout, which is perfectly adapted to the hilly terrain. Lightning Rod also provides an amount of airtime that few other roller coasters can match. In short: Lightning Rod remains a solid thrill, even despite the removal of the launch.

There’s something for every age group at Dollywood. Thrill seekers will appreciate the presence of Tennessee Tornado (a smooth, enjoyable Arrow multi-looper) and Wild Eagle (an excellent B&M wing coaster which towers over the park). Not interested in inversions? Then FireChaser Express may be the family-friendly alternative you’re looking for. This ride is Dollywood’s answer to Pégase Express at Parc Astérix. And although FireChaser Express was rougher than I remembered, I’m still impressed by the theming. The background story is amusing: it’s about a fire department hurrying to a burning fireworks warehouse. Unfortunately, the firefighters are a little too late and Big Bertha (the biggest rocket of them all) is about to explode. At that moment, the train is launched and the coaster continues backwards.

Dollywood’s newest land is called Wildwood Grove and it offers two family-friendly Vekoma coasters. Dragonflier is a Suspended Family Coaster that’s identical to the versions at Energylandia and Fårup Sommerland. The ride is comfortable and fun, but its one-train-operations create a rather disappointing capacity. Be sure to ride Dragonflier early in the morning or right before park closing, if you really want to get this credit. Fortunately, the second Wildwood Grove coaster has a better throughput. This ride is called Big Bear Mountain and we are talking about a Family Launch Coaster with impressive stats. The ride is 1.2 kilometres long and the trains reach a top speed of 80 km/h. I’m genuinely surprised by Big Bear Mountain’s smoothness and forceful curves, but its visual appearance could be improved. While many coasters at Dollywood are integrated in a dense forest, most of Big Bear Mountain’s layout is placed on a boring-looking stretch of grass. The addition of more theming elements and trees could really elevate the experience to the next level, if you ask me.

We conclude our tour of Dollywood with a visit to Timber Canyon, an area with three credits. The land’s best-themed ride is undoubtedly Mystery Mine. It feels as if this mine tower has been standing among the forested hills of Tennessee for many decades. The ride looks spectacular and it offers some of the most immersive experiences of the park. A ride on Mystery Mine begins with a surprising dark ride section and the second lift hill even contains some fire effects. Unfortunately, the hardware of the ride isn’t on par with the theming. Dollywood opted for a Gerstlauer Eurofigher and those coasters usually consist of wonky curves, uncomfortable vertical lift hills and rough inversions. So please… be sure to brace yourself for a rather turbulent ride.

Credit hunters shouldn’t miss Whistle Punk Chaser, a standard Zamperla kiddie roller coaster. The ride is in direct proximity to Thunderhead, a wooden coaster manufactured by Great Coasters International. This company definitely lives up to its name, as most of its coasters are indeed great. These rides are characterised by high speeds and unexpected twists. Thunderhead performs on the same high level as its siblings and it even takes advantage of its mountainous location. The first drop is incredibly good and the train then drags us through a twisty layout full of airtime and strong laterals. You may note that it is rough, but that roughness doesn’t bother me one bit in this case. Quite on the contrary: I’m pretty sure that Thunderhead is my favourite roller coaster at Dollywood.

DARK RIDES

Is it a coaster? Is it a dark ride? The answer lies somewhere in between. Blazing Fury currently is Dollywood’s only large-scale indoor attraction and, just like FireChaser Express, it tells a story about firefighters. The ride is very similar to Fire in the Hole at Silver Dollar City, albeit in a more old-fashioned way. Blazing Fury is nearing its 50th birthday, so you shouldn’t expect any world-class special effects or high-octane thrills. Still, it’s a charming ride with a rather unique theme and a surprising finale.

WATER RIDES

Dollywood opened quite a few new rollercoasters during the past decade. The number of water rides dropped significantly, though. Mountain Slidewinder and River Battle were removed from the park, so water ride enthusiasts should head to Smoky Mountain River Rampage and Daredevil Falls nowadays. The latter is a modest flume ride with one drop. The setting of this attraction is beautiful, but the overall experience is by no means spectacular. Then I definitely prefer Smoky Mountain River Rampage, a classic rapid river that’s stunningly integrated into the landscape. The ride contains waterfalls, high waves, water bombs and spectators can make passengers even wetter with water guns. In other words: you will get wet, you may get drenched.

OTHER EXPERIENCES

Drop Line is a 60-metre-tall free fall tower was built by Austrian company Funtime and it is the successor to a Huss Topple Tower once found at this location. Drop Line guarantees fabulous views of the Great Smoky Mountains and it provides a good thrill, too. The drop actually felt more intense than I expected. Looking for even more spectacular flat rides? Then head to the opposite side of the park, where you’ll find Barnstormer. This is an S&S Screaming Swing that was integrated into a huge barn. Consider it as a modern-day alternative to the swinging pirate ships you’ll find at nearly every theme park in the world.

Dollywood is a must-visit park if you enjoy live performances. The place is full of show venues like the Showstreet Palace Theatre and the Celebrity Theatre. The latter is the largest arena in the whole park and its performance schedule changes regularly. During our most recent visit, we attended From the Heart – The Life and Music of Dolly Parton. The name speaks for itself: this 50-minute show took us on a musical journey through Dolly’s life. We didn’t recognise every song and it was sometimes even difficult to follow Dolly’s narration (due to her heavy Tennessee accent), but it quickly became clear that Dollywood wants to bring high quality to the stage. Both the vocals and the costumes wouldn’t feel out of place on Broadway.

WORTH A VISIT?

In many ways, Dollywood counts as one of the world’s best theme parks. The park is stunningly beautiful, it has an extensive ride collection, excellent operations keep wait times at a minimum, staff are usually very friendly, live entertainment is top-notch and the park offers great food options. Dollywood once again lived up to my expectations and performed at the same high level as during my previous visit. In my opinion, Dollywood is just as incredible as its sister park Silver Dollar City. While the park in Missouri has a slightly better lineup when it comes to water attractions and dark rides, Dollywood has my preference when talking about the roller coasters. Both parks also greatly benefit from their lush green, mountainous locations.

Did you appreciate Dollywood’s unusual atmosphere? What’s your favourite roller coaster in the park? And did you try Dollywood’s signature cinnamon bread? Share your opinion in the comments section at the bottom of this page.

This article reflects my personal experience at Dollywood during a visit in April 2025.