She looked up at the tall water ride, uncertainty mixed with excitement written on her face. She met the height requirement, but could she get over her fear of the ride's height, its speed, the unknown? One hand firmly in her daddy's, she walked up the steps, put on a brave face and went down the slide. The young girl emerged at the bottom victorious, full of confidence and ready to take on the next ride!
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With two young children nearly 4 years apart, it can be difficult to find places that offer fun activities for both of them. My 6-year-old, while a bit nervous at first, loves to try new and adventurous things. She often gets bored where my 2-year-old is having a blast. Meanwhile my 2-year-old feels left out while my 6-year-old is having the time of her life.
That's where Dollywood and Dollywood's Splash Country, located in beautiful Pigeon Forge in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, come to the rescue - both parks offer a truly family friendly environment, where both of my girls were able to experience a variety of rides and experiences, including a huge dose of self confidence for my 6-year-old!
Dollywood's Splash Country
We began our journey at Dollywood's Splash Country, 35 acres of fun rides and attractions, dining options and beautiful scenery. I was blown away at how much greenery there was at a water park! It really felt more like an oasis.
Our first stop? Armbands for the girls. A worker measured each girl's height and gave a color specific wristband, which signified which rides they were able to ride based on their height. My oldest was just under the threshold for some of the tallest rides, but she was okay with that because she needed to conquer her fear of the slightly shorter rides first (which she did!). We were thrilled to see that my youngest was just tall enough to join us for some fun family rides, such as the Big Bear Plunge and the Raging River Rapids.
One of my favorite rides was the Downbound Float Trip - it's a relaxing trip in a tube float down a slow-flowing "lazy" river. Both girls and my husband also enjoyed the slower pace of the ride.
Another plus? A wide variety of lunch and snack options, including items that are gluten free! My husband recently learned he needs to avoid gluten. We were delighted to learn both Dollywood's Splash Country and Dollywood offer gluten free options, as well as other dietary needs, such as vegetarian. It's nice to be able to enjoy a fun day without worrying if my husband will be able to find something to eat while we are out and about.
Dollywood
Day two brought us to the famed Dollywood. I've been wanting to visit Dollywood since we moved to Tennessee 4 years ago, so I was very excited to see what this park had to offer. It did not disappoint!
After getting armbands for the girls again, we set off the explore. Set on 150 acres, the park features more than 40 rides and 15 shows. The shows vary depending on the time of year, but often showcase various music, arts, plays and even animals!
We spent a lot of time in the Country Fair section of the park, which had several rides both girls could enjoy, such as the Wonder Wheel (ferris wheel) and the Lemon Twist. In the nearby Village area, we enjoyed a ride on the Dollywood Express, a 110-ton coal fired steam engine, that offers a 5 mile tour through the foothills of the Smokies with fun views of the park. We also learned some history of the area, which always brings a place to life for me!
But it was in Jukebox Junction, a 50s themed town, where we found the most popular ride for our family - Rockin Roadway. Both girls enjoyed "driving" so much, we rode it twice! As you can see in the photo above, my 2-year-old had a lot to tell my husband about the trip.
We had such a fun time at Dollywood and it's only a short drive away, so we opted to purchase season passes! Before you leave the park, you have the opportunity to upgrade your admission ticket to a season pass - it's a great deal because the upgrade costs less than a one-day admission and means you can visit how ever many times you want that season. The girls are already asking when we will return. We plan to come back several times, particularly at Christmastime because I hear it's truly a spectacular experience for the holidays! We can't wait to see for ourselves.
Dollywood and Dollywood's Splash Country aren't the only family-friendly attractions in the area. Check out my review of two fun dinner shows, the popular Dixie Stampede and the brand new Smoky Mountain Adventures.
Ready to make your own memories? Click here for details on the park schedules and how to get tickets.
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I received complimentary one day admission tickets to Dollywood and Dollywood's Splash Country. All opinions are my own.
