9 surprising similarities between Dollywood and Disney parks
Talia Lakritz
- Dollywood and Disney parks both have affiliated hotels with shuttles to the theme parks.
- Both parks also have a system to skip long lines for rides.
Like Disney parks with affiliated hotels, Dollywood's DreamMore Resort is located right near the amusement park.
Guests at the DreamMore Resort can book discounted Dollywood tickets in a package deal as part of their reservation.
Disney parks also offer a variety of Disney hotels such as the Animal Kingdom Lodge and the All-Star Music Resort.
The DreamMore Resort's shuttle transports guests right to the entrance to Dollywood, a service that Disney resorts also provide at their properties.
Shuttle services are free for DreamMore Resort guests.
Disney parks also offer free shuttles to and from Disney resorts. Depending on the hotel, transportation is also possible by boat, monorail, and gondola.
Dollywood's TimeSaver Pass is similar to Disney's Genie+ system used to skip ahead in lines.
Dollywood's TimeSaver Pass normally costs $60 for eight expedited entrances and $80 for unlimited, but is free for DreamMore Resort guests.
Disney Parks revamped their free FastPass system this summer and replaced it with Genie+. For $15, visitors can make one reservation at a time on select rides.
Dollywood's version of Mickey Mouse ears is butterfly wings.
Dollywood's butterfly wing headbands are reminiscent of Disney's classic Mickey Mouse ear silhouette.
Both Dollywood and Disney parks feature an old-timey "frontier" theme.
All of Dollywood is designed to evoke the historic frontier aesthetic of the surrounding Great Smoky Mountains. Disney parks limit this theme to the Frontierland section with railroad-themed rides and Southern-inspired saloons.
Visitors to both amusement parks can ride old-fashioned steam trains.
The Dollywood Express steam trains are unique relics of World War II, having transported troops and lumber across Alaska during World War II.
Two trains, named Cinderella and Klondike Katie, function as The Dollywood Express today. Cinderella (not to be confused with the Disney character) was built in 1938, followed by Klondike Katie in 1943. They were retired to Tennessee in 1960.
At Disney's Magic Kingdom, its four vintage steam trains were built built between 1916 and 1928. The Disneyland Railroad has offered rides around the park since it first opened in 1955.
Both Dollywood and Disney parks feature displays of live animals.
Dollywood's Eagle Mountain Sanctuary is a small section of the park featuring a 30,000-square-foot aviary for permanently disabled birds maintained by the American Eagle Foundation.
Disney's Animal Kingdom is its largest theme park, featuring a zoo's worth of animals over 540 acres.
Like Disney parks, Dollywood offers musical performances in air-conditioned theaters to escape the heat.
Notable musical offerings at Dollywood include Southern gospel quartet The Kingdom Heirs, who have performed at Dollywood for 37 years, and Harmonies of the Heart, a show featuring Parton's nieces and cousin as they sing and share memories of growing up with "Aunt Granny."
Stage shows at Disney parks consist mostly of songs from Disney movies and Broadway shows, as well as classic non-musical offerings like The Hall of Presidents.
Both parks end each day with a fireworks show.
Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration features fireworks and a drone show, during which drones fly through the air, change colors, and create shapes in the sky.
At Disney's Magic Kingdom, the nightly fireworks display illuminates Cinderella's Castle.
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