Dollywood during the Christmas season is a magical smokey mountain experience offering an amazing amount of high-quality shows entertainment, authentic southern fried chicken and BBQ, and of course family-friendly rides.

Dollywood at Christmas ; Christmas lights

Here are my top 5 tips for visiting Dollywood during Christmas.

5: Avoiding crowds

Orlando gets so crowded during Christmas week, that we like to leave let the crowds take over the city a while. This year we visited Dollywood in Tennesee.

Using what we know about the Orlando theme parks, we decided to arrive an hour early, especially because it was Christmas week.

I expected the crowd levels to be higher than usual. but they were nothing compared to Disney or Universal.

And while there were a ton of people waiting for the park to open, the crowds evened out and it didn’t feel too bad at all.

Dollywood opened at 11 a.m. so plan to be in the parking lot by 10 a.m. or even earlier. we stopped for a coffee first planning to sit in the car for a bit, but at 10 a.m. people were already getting in line at the gate.

Traffic getting into the park can back up causing long delays to pay for parking and to park the car. So this is another good reason to show up at least an hour early.

On the morning we were there, the park opened about 15 minutes early. I think they do this to help get the crowds moving through the gate.

Just like Disney World and Universal, you can enjoy 1 to 2 hours of lighter crowds when the park first opens to guests.

4: TimeSaver

Dollywood has a skip-the-line perk called TimeSaver, this is similar to Express Pass at Universal Orlando where you can bypass the regular queue using a dedicated line, with no reservations or mobile app needed (I'm looking at you Disney World).

I do feel it’s worth it to get TimeSaver because everyone wants to ride the coasters. The coasters had very long waits, over an hour throughout most of the day.

TimeSaver is money well spent if you want to get a lot done on your visit.

The basic TimeSavepass starts around $60 per person and the unlimited TimeSaver pass, which allows you to use it multiple times on the same ride, starts around $80 per person.

If you stay at Dollywood’s Dreammore Resort and Dollywood’s Heart Song Lodge. you’ll get complimentary TimeSaver Passes.

3: Rides at Dollywood During Christmas

If you are a ride family, you should do the popular rides right as the park opens.

I recommend starting with the Big Bear Mountain. This is by far the most popular ride in the park.

It’s nearly 1 mile of track and has 3 launches, yet very family friendly. No big drops or loops. It’s fast and has nearly 2 minutes of ride time. It’s a must-do for sure.

You’ll also want to ride the train, it operates on a set set schedule so check the app for times.

Most of the rides are operating during the Christmas season, except for the water rides of course because it’s a little too chilly for those.

And speaking of weather, the temperature can vary here in the smokey mountains. On the day we visited it was about 50 degrees during the day, and mid 40s at night.

But temps can get as high as 60 on some days.

I recommend bringing a warm jacket, hat, and gloves, but I’m from Orlando, so anything under 70 feels cold to me.

2: See the Shows at Dollywood

But you also want to keep an eye on showtimes.

Dollywood has several Christmas-themed shows that run on set times.

Download the Dollywood mobile app to see showtimes and special events.

dollywood christmas show - christmas in the smokies

One of the most popular shows is Christmas in the Smokies.

It’s Dollywood’s favorite Christmas tradition.

A cast of fourteen singers and dancers performs holiday favorites while accompanied by live musicians in an over-the-top Broadway musical, or maybe I should say Nashville-style musical production.

For this show, you’ll want to arrive at least 30 minutes before show time to get a good seat.

Most performances do reach capacity but there are several shows offered daily.

Two other must-see Christmas shows in Dollywood are the Candlelight Carolers who sing inside and outside Robert Thomas Chapel, yes Dollywood has an actual working chapel.

You’ll also want to see O’ Holy Night, a living nativity musical that tells the true meaning of Christmas.

At Dollywood, you have a chance to see Santa’s cabin in the Smokies as he checks his infamous list!

Families can discover whether their name is on the naughty or nice list in a unique Santa experience.

Finally, be on the lookout for atmosphere characters and musicians roaming the parks.

dollywood atmosphere characters in the park

1: Dining at Dollywood

Dollywood is known for having excellent food, mainly fried chicken and barbecue.

And compared to the Orlando theme parks, prices are much lower than what I would expect.

That’s true about most of Dollywood, the food, beverages, and even souvenirs are not ridiculously expensive.

We wanted to make the most of the day here so we opted for quick-service dining.

Miss Lillian’s Smokehouse is a fan-favorite that serves up BBQ and fried chicken platters. It’s also known for the stuffed baked potatoes.

dining at dollywood - miss lillians fried chicken

Now across from Miss Lillian’s, you’ll find the Grist Mill - home to the world-famous Dollywood Ciniemon Bread.

The line to get in builds throughout the day, so the longer you wait, the longer the line gets.

The Cinnamon Bread is well worth the wait - I can’t imagine visiting Dollywood and not stopping for this bread.

2 people can easily devour one loaf, so you might need to get a few. And plan to take some home, you can never have enough!

Thanks for joining me as I share some of my favorite tips about Dollywood at Christmas.

I don’t work with Dollywood as a travel advisor, this was just a fun project for me. But for help with your next Orlando vacation, click here to see more about how I can help.