After a quick morning call to Dollywood to sort out an issue with our tickets (thankfully, it was all sorted easily), we hit the road and arrived with plenty of time to spare. The day was already off to a good start, and we were excited to get going. Once inside the park, we made a beeline for the Lightning Rod roller coaster. It wasn’t quite ready yet, but once it opened, the wait was short—and it was totally worth it. This ride is a high-speed thrill with some good drops and airtime. If you’re a coaster fan, it’s definitely worth a go.
From there, we headed to Wild Eagle, which required a bit of walking across the park. It gave us the chance to explore some of the beautiful topiaries on display for Dollywood’s annual Flower Show—detailed sculptures of animals, flowers, and even some famous Dollywood characters. We couldn’t help but snap a few photos before continuing on.
When we got to Wild Eagle, the line was less than five minutes, so we jumped on for a quick ride. We loved it so much that we hopped back in line for a second go while we could. The soaring, winged coaster is a real standout, offering that exhilarating feeling of weightlessness as you glide through the twists and turns.
Next, we made our way to Tennessee Tornado, a classic coaster known for its steep drops and fast-paced loops. Unfortunately, the wait was pretty long—one car was running, and the line was moving slowly. Still, the ride itself was definitely worth the wait, with a few good surprises thrown in along the way.
After that, it was time for a snack break, and we had one thing on our minds—the famous cinnamon bread from the Grist Mill. The queue wasn’t bad and it moved quickly, and when we got our hands on that warm, gooey, cinnamon goodness, it was all worth it. The bread lived up to every bit of the hype, and it quickly became a favorite of the day.
Feeling recharged (and definitely sugared up), we headed to Big Bear Mountain, Dollywood’s newest ride so we were keen to try it. But by this point, the temperature had reached about 27°C, and the line stretched well over an hour. The ride itself was fun—there were great views and a few thrilling moments—but honestly, it wasn’t thrilling enough to justify the long wait in the hot sun. Lesson learned!
It was around 2:30pm by then, so we decided to take a break for lunch. We grabbed a bite at Red’s Drive-In, and for park food, it was surprisingly tasty. The kids loved it, and for the price, it was a solid choice. The long line was a bit of a giveaway that the food was decent, and we were glad we gave it a try.
Once we’d given our lunch a chance to settle, we decided to go back to Lightning Rod for a second round—my clear favorite of the day. The wait was posted as 55 minutes, but we figured it was worth it. Unfortunately, after about 35-40 minutes, the ride unexpectedly went on hold. We stuck it out for another 10 minutes, but when it didn’t look like it was coming back soon, we decided to bail and check out other rides.
We made our way over to Thunderhead, another classic Dollywood coaster, but as we were walking toward it, that ride also went on hold. It seemed like the afternoon heat was affecting a lot of the rides, and there were a few technical delays throughout the park. At this point, everyone was hot, tired, and poor Greer wasn’t feeling too great, so we decided to call it a day.
We thought we’d grab another round of cinnamon bread on the way out, but naturally, everyone else had the same idea. The queue was huge, and after a bit of miscommunication in the bakery line, we decided to skip it and head for the car instead. We collected our ride photos as a keepsake and made our way back to the car.
On the way home, we took a scenic drive through Gatlinburg and the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains, stopping at a couple of viewpoints to take in the breathtaking views. It was a peaceful way to end a very busy day. Finally, we made it back to our cabin, where we all crashed for a quiet night in, enjoying the chance to rest after a fun-filled but exhausting day at Dollywood.
