It’s no secret. Our family loves taking trips to Dollywood.
But visiting during the holidays is an absolutely must…especially Christmas!
We’re going to dig in right now and share our most recent experience visiting Dollywood at Christmas. We were truly impressed and can’t wait to go back and support this amazing theme park!
Our family was given media tickets to help us share our experience at Dollywood with you!
Why Visit Dollywood During Christmas #1: The Holiday Shows are Top Notch!
Our family loves musicals, plays, and music in general.
We were amazed that our tickets included (all shows are included in your admission!) all the holiday shows that were available.
We tried to watch almost every show!
I may or may not have teared up during the scenes when the angel told Mary: “Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.“
Pro Show Tip:
Download the Dollywood App so you can keep up with all the show times. Plus the Dollywood app lets you navigate to each theatre or ride! They make it super simple for directionally challenged people like myself. ;0)
Why Visit Dollywood During Christmas #2: The holiday food offerings are so fun!
We finally made it to the famous Spotlight Bakery and snagged their famous cinnamon bread.
We recommend grabbing this on every single trip.
It’s that good!
Plus the French vanilla cappuccino wasn’t too bad either!
Dollywood also had the following holiday specific offerings:
Fresh Cranberry Spritzer | Market Square BIG SKILLETS
A combination of cranberry juice, Sprite, and mandarin oranges.
Peppermint Milkshake | Showstreet Ice Cream
Vanilla ice cream is made even better with peppermint syrup and raspberry coulis, then topped with whipped cream, sugar cookies and a cherry!
Santa’s Chilled Cocoa | Market Square BIG SKILLETS
Santa’s chilled cocoa features chocolate milk, chocolate sauce, and a hint of peppermint extract. It’s served cold and topped with cinnamon dust and a foamy topping.
Bear Country Apple Cinnamon Funnel Cake | Crossroads Funnel Cakes & Splinter’s Funnel Cakes
Funnel cakes are topped with a delicate apple fritter and whipped marshmallow. Teddy Grahams are a fun garnish!
Eggnogg Cheesecake | Front Porch Cafe
It’s the perfect cheesecake for Christmas! Eggnog cheesecake is made with rich eggnog, cream cheese and wrapped in a gingersnap crust. The finishing touch is chantilly cream. So good!
Molten Chocolate Lava Cake | Front Porch Cafe
This decadent lava cake features a molten chocolate ganache center and is topped with vanilla ice cream and crushed peppermint.
Why Visit Dollywood During Christmas #3: Almost Every Inch is Decorated for the Holidays!
With your admission ticket, you not only get to experience rides, shows, amazing food, but you also get to see over 5 million lights, hundreds of Christmas wreaths, and sprinkles of holiday fun on every corner!
I can’t believe the detail the staff at Dollywood put into transforming this theme park into a Christmas paradise!
Why Visit Dollywood During Christmas #4: Christmas Music is Everywhere!
Whether you’re watching a holiday show, waiting in line for a ride, or just rocking in one of Dollywood’s famous rocking chairs, you’ll hear your favorite Christmas music being performed or played on speakers.
From Jingle bells to Silent Night, every song you’ve learn to love during the Christmas season is featured throughout the park.
Plus, there are even street performers playing Christmas songs throughout the day!
It’s an absolutely incredible experience for holiday fans!
Why Visit Dollywood During Christmas #5: There’s Rides and Experiences for the Entire Family
During a Christmas trip to Dollywood, you may be with a family of all ages.
On our trip we had adults, young adults, teenagers, and children.
But, we were still able to find some shows, rides, and other attractions that we could all enjoy together.
We broke up into smaller groups when thrill seekers wanted to ride the BarnStormer and the Wild Eagle.
The people who didn’t want to ride a thrill ride enjoyed the Wings of Prey show instead and learned about owls and bald eagles!
Everyone had something fun and entertaining to do!
Why Visit Dollywood During Christmas #6: SPOILER ALERT: It SNOWS!!!
Yes! Somehow, Dollywood’s creative team figured out a way to make it “snow” after 6 PM nightly.
Every 20 minutes, after 6 PM or 6:30 PM, there is a light and music show at the largest Christmas tree in the park.
At the end of the show, they make it SNOW!
It’s such a fun experince and a perfect photo opp!
Why Visit Dollywood During Christmas #7: Oodles of Holiday Photo Ops
Dollywood has been awesome in capturing everyone’s favorite things about Christmas in their photo ops.
You’ll find large ornaments, Christmas trees, Rudolph, Snowmen, and other fun props to grab a quick picture with your friends and family!
Why Visit Dollywood During Christmas #8: Northern Lights Display
This experience was truly phenomenal.
Gorgeous lights are hung from the trees and it’s truly a completely different feel than the other areas in the park.
It almost makes everyone quiet down as it’s an experience that you just want to soak in.
We walked through it three times just so we could video it once and enjoy it without cameras too.
Why Visit Dollywood During Christmas #9: Almost All the Rides are Still Available
Even during all the Christmas festivities, almost all of your favorite rides at Dollywood are still open.
When we went, the water rides and Lightning Rod were not available.
All other rides were operating!
Why Visit Dollywood During Christmas #10: Santa Experience.
Our family doesn’t do the Santa thing, but if you do, there’s a completely different Santa experience at the park now.
Read all the details about the attraction here.
You go through a wonderland of Christmas trees and wait to see if you’re on the naughty or nice list.
It’s a pretty popular attraction, so I recommend getting that done first if you’re wanting to try it out.
Adults and kids enjoy the Santa experience!
Why Visit Dollywood During Christmas #11: You Can Spend 1-2 Days in the Park for the Holidays!
I use to say Dollywood was definitely a one day park.
We’ve visited many theme parks, and we could always get what we wanted done at Dollywood in one day.
Not anymore.
During Christmas, there are so many shows, attractions, and activities that you could spread your trip over 1,2, or even 3 days and not be bored!
Plus, the food keeps getting better!
This year, they added food trucks and that was a fun twist!
We do think that Front Porch Cafe and Aunt Granny’s are still favorites for most guests, though!
However, my two daughters and I grabbed flatbread pizza for a super quick and cheap dinner. It’s a very thin pizza…not the normal flatbread we’re use to. But it’s ready very quick and it’s $9.99 for a hearty pizza for one. Definitely an option for teens or adults who love pizza!
Why Visit Dollywood During Christmas #12: Fireworks!
Who doesn’t LOVE the addition of fireworks at a theme park?
During the holiday season, Dollywood is showcasing Christmas fireworks at 9 PM.
It’s the perfect way to end a holiday trip to Dollywood!
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