Dollywood: Our First Experience
We’ve had a stressful start to the school year. So hubs and I thought our family could stand some fun. Stu booked a hotel, printed our tickets to Dollywood, and off we all went.
This was a weekend of firsts. Our first time to Dollywood. Our first theme park experience during a pandemic. The baby’s first ever theme park adventure. The kids’ first time on a wooden roller coaster.
And it was all amazing.
We left Nashville on Saturday morning. The ride was good. Lucky for us, Remy was a fantastic traveler (he’s hit or miss on car trips). We stopped at Texas Roadhouse, just outside of Dollywood for lunch.
It rained most of the drive east. At lunch, we were throwing Plan B ideas around. We lucked out. The rain cleared up while we were eating.
We made it! Dollywood, here we come!
Our spirits were greatly lifted when we pulled into the parking lot and saw very few cars. Yay! I’m terrible at guessing, but I’d say no more than 50 cars. Incredible.
We had no idea where to go. So we picked a direction and just started walking. The first coaster we came to was the Lightning Rod. A wooden one with a terrifying looking track. The kids took one look and said “nope”. So we rode the little race cars next to it.
Remy’s Favorite Spot
The cars are similar to the Grand Prix cars at the Magic Kingdom except that these drive themselves. This ride is definitely aimed at little kiddos. The ride is smooth and fun. The entire time your cruising, you get to enjoy some old school tunes.
Reagan had to ride alone. That was a bummer. She said she didn’t mind. Remy had the BEST time. He was so serious, held onto the steering wheel the entire time.
The biggest downside to going to a theme park right now is the mask requirement. I don’t have a problem wearing them, and I am certainly not interested in debating masks. I am simply saying they are hot. Walking around in the sun, sweating and then expelling hot air on your own face constantly is a bit of a bummer.
Dollywood did have a few “Mask-free Zones”. So that was nice. If you were in the mask-free zone, you could take it off and relax. There was a mask-free zone in the little kid section of the park. Stu sat at a table and watched Reagan follow Remy around while I watched Riley go on a drop-ride. I was impressed he rode this thing… he has a terrible fear of heights.
We spent a fair amount of time in the carnival area. Remy was having fun running around. We took him on the carousel – and terrified him. Reagan took him on the flying elephant ride. I think he liked it. We thought about going on the train, but we never made it over there in time.
Ok. Enough with the Remy rides. Time to find some coasters.
Reagan was psyched to ride “real coasters” (except that first one of course). Riley wasn’t quite as excited, but we did what any good parents would do – we forced him. And he LOVED them. Each one they rode became their favorite.
This Fire House one was my favorite. It goes forward and backward. I loved it.
Dollywood: Round 2
Day 2 was a roller coaster packed morning. We were only planning to be in the park until lunchtime. Then we would grab a bite and head back to Nashville, hoping to hit the road in time for Remy’s nap.
The big kids were on a roller coaster high. Apparently, we created thrill-seeking junkies. Our reservations were for a 9:30am park entrance. This was a nice feature, but it was ultimately unnecessary this time around. The park was never busy enough to require advance notice. And more important to note, the coasters don’t open until 10am. So we just picked one and waited.
We were the first people in line. We decided to Parent Swap this one (Thunderhead). Our entire party walked up to the coaster… Riley and I got on (front row, first people of the day). Then off we went! It was fantastic. I was screaming and laughing. At the end, as the coaster was pulling into the station, Riley said he “wasn’t sure what [he] was terrified of because that one was epic.” So, he decided to adopt that philosophy and apply it to the day. He was going to ride everything.
Well, almost everything. Neither of the big kids would even consider Wild Eagle (an inverted coaster).
Oh well. I think we will get them on it during Fall Break.
Food and Photos
That pretty much sums up our trip. I walked around with Remy while the big kids and Daddy rode coasters. At one point, we meandered over to the pizza place and inquired about their allergens… unfortunately, the pizza is not Riley-safe. Although, as an allergy mom, I can tell you that the staff was very thorough. I asked if the pizza was safe for an egg allergy, and they sent out the GM. She came out with the ingredients list for all of their menu items. We went through all of the items that go into a cheese pizza. I appreciate the time she took to show me. Even though he can’t eat there, it was comforting to know they really pay attention to allergies and are prepared to speak to guests about them.
Anyway, let’s end with just some random pics from the 2-day trip.
So. Much. Fun.
