This post is part of a sponsored partnership with Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort. We are excited to highlight this resort and share our experience with our readers!
If you have lived in Cincinnati for any period of time I’m sure you know someone who has been to The Great Smoky Mountains.
It’s a right of passage of sorts for a Cincinnatian to make the pilgrimage down I-75 to the charming towns of Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg. Perhaps you’ve stayed in one of the many hotels lining the main roadways, or if you are like my family you’ve lodged in a cabin hidden away on the side of the mountain where you are afraid you’ll fall off the side of the road.
Now that I’m older with my own family I am looking for something a little less old-fashioned. In steps Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa.
This charming resort is nestled on the outskirts of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee about two miles from the hustle and bustle of the main Parkway. Opened in 2015, DreamMore boasts six room-type options, one of which includes a king bed with twin bunk beds. Attention to details with touches of Dolly Parton class like butterflies, song lyrics, and logo-embossed toilet paper are standard in each room. Is a hotel room not quite your jam? No problem! They also offer 90 cabins for rent that offer anywhere from one up to eleven bedrooms. That means no excuse to not invite the whole family!
Family Fun is everywhere you turn.
Every day from 4 PM-6 PM hot apple cider and cookies are available to each guest, along with an activity such as coloring from Camp DW. Throughout the day other fun offerings from Camp DW range from watercolor painting and picture frame decorating to painting ceramics. Parents are invited to stay with their children and help them with their creations.
CMC Mom Tip: When arriving, park in front of the main entrance and let them know you have luggage, and they will take it to your room for you while you check-in!
Commitment to water safety is top-notch! The heated indoor and outdoor pool are both staffed with at least two lifeguards while open. Just outside both pool areas is a full playground for the kids to run. Down the hall is a family game room feature air hockey, foosball, and other coin-operated games. Make sure to keep the competition friendly!
CMC Mom Tip: There are five dining options on-site ranging from grab and go to a sit-down buffet, so make sure to check them out!
Family activities such as checkers and board games can be found in each of the resorts living rooms (lounge areas) for guests to use at their leisure, and in the evening live music can be found in the lower living room. If you can’t find it just follow the tune! Outside you can stop by a large wood fire pit in the evening offering s’mores kits. After your belly is full of yummy marshmallow goodness head over to the barn and gather around the gas fire table for bedtime stories. Two books straight from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library are read every night by a Camp DW staff member.
The Spa at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort is something you must visit while there. Located on the ground floor with an outdoor garden area, this full-service spa allows you to take some much needed time to relax and rejuvenate. Massages, facials, manicures, pedicures, and hair services are all on the spa menu. You can come alone, with your partner, or even with your child.
CMC Mom Tip: The Spa is 100% kid-friendly, so don’t be afraid to pamper your kids, too!
Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country
Both are adjoining properties to the resort, and while tickets aren’t included in your stay there are some pretty enticing perks offered to guests.
Dollywood is Tennessee’s #1 ticketed attraction and is open from March 14th until January 4th this season. They offer over 35 rides and attractions including shows, roller coasters, children’s rides, water rides, and even a bird sanctuary. Their new Wildwood Grove is a family-friendly area with rides geared towards the little ones with a whimsical lighted butterfly tree as its centerpiece. If the weather is too hot or too cold you can take a break in Hidden Hollow. This themed indoor playground keeps safety at the forefront by only having one entrance and exit.
If you can’t find something to eat at Dollywood then you aren’t hungry! Make sure to stop by The Grist Mill to indulge in a loaf of their world-famous cinnamon bread! They also offer options for special dietary needs.
New this year is the Flower and Food Festival celebrating Dollywood’s 35th anniversary. The festival will have a special selection of food that focuses on fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs. But the center of attention will be a 16-foot display of Dolly’s mother and her coat of many colors, as well as other larger than life figures placed around the park made entirely out of flowers and plants. While you’re visiting check out Showstreet where you can take a stroll under hundreds of multi-colored umbrellas suspended across the sky!
Dollywood’s Splash Country is themed around the Smoky Mountain heritage and culture. They have water-attractions galore! The Cascades™ (8,000-sq.-ft. leisure pool), The Butterfly (55-foot drop into a butterfly pool), and RiverRush (Tennessee’s first and only water coaster) guarantee you will have a whole day of family fun. Multiple dining options are available in the park with everything from burgers, chicken tenders, and pizza to sweets and treat!
CMC Insider Tip: Reserve a Retreat for the day at Splash Country and call from the tent to pre-order your meals to be delivered at the time of your choosing! No waiting in line!
Explore the Area Around the Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited National Park in the country. During your visit take some time to explore the beautiful scenery with destinations like Roaring Fork Motor Trail, Clingman’s Dome, or take the Skylift up to the Skypark and walk across the Skybridge, the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America.
Feeling even more adventurous? Take a Pink Jeep Tour to places like Roaring Fork, New Found Gap, and the Foothills Parkway. Who knows, you just might see a famous Smoky Mountain bear! Looking for something with a bit slower speed? Check out one of the shows offered in the area.
CMC insider tip: DreamMore offers an on-site concierge service who can book your tickets for you!
If you’re looking for a breakfast/brunch place that oozes family-friendliness check out Frizzle Chicken Farmhouse Cafe. You can’t go wrong with anything on their menu, but the stacked homemade biscuits or the delicious chicken and waffles are sure to become favorites. Best and most entertaining of all has to be the oversized animatronic chickens perched on the walls who “bock” a song every 20 minutes. With names like Christiana EGGulara and Dolly PartHEN how can it not be the highlight of your breakfast?!
CMC Insider Tip: The kids will love the special touches they offer like character pancakes and each table with kids gets a wooden egg, a special egg spinner, and markers to decorate their eggs!
In a time where the focus is on experiences instead of things to make precious family memories The DreamMore Resort is the perfect place to start. No matter the time of year this southern town that’s just a half day’s drive away has enough to keep the whole family busy. This lovely gem really is “miles away from ordinary and minutes from excitement”!
