Dollywood Has Quietly Become The Next Big Theme Park Food Destination

For more than 15 years, we’ve covered food in the Disney theme parks. But during the past few years, other parks have been climbing the ladder to try and match Disney’s standard.

CINNAMON BREAD!

Of course, Disney isn’t just your standard amusement park fare — those who’ve dug deeper in the parks can see the critically acclaimed restaurants and fan-favorite snacks beyond just the Mickey pretzels and turkey legs. But as Disney raises the bar, we’ve seen other theme park giants, like Universal, step up their game as well. And now, the next big theme park food destination might be a spot that wasn’t even on your radar before.

Theme park fans know what Disney and Universal bring to the game, but what about a theme park that’s a bit more under the radar, but still a longtime favorite for its fans? Yep, we’re talking about Dollywood, the pride and joy of Dolly Parton, located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Welcome to Dollywood!

The park went through a few iterations before opening as Dollywood in 1986, and since then, it has made more than $110 million in expansions and earned the title of #1 theme park in the United States based on TripAdvisor ratings from visitors. It’s home to more than 50 rides and attractions, but what we’re here to discuss is the FOOD.

Dollywood tickets

Over the years, the park has had some iconic snacks. The Cinnamon Bread at Grist Mill has been a fan favorite for years, and the 25-pound Apple Pie at Spotlight Bakery has been considered a must-try by many. For years, the park’s food has focused heavily on Southern comforts, and it’s a niche they’ve served well. However, in recent years, they’ve really started to step up their food game.

A slice of the pie!

DFB’s founder AJ was recently invited to Dollywood for a media event, and after her visit, I got to chat with her about what they’re doing in terms of dining in the park. “This is quickly becoming the next food park destination,” she told me. Coming from someone who literally eats, rates, and talks about theme park food for a living, that’s a big claim. So what’s going on at Dollywood?

Cinnamon Bread

Dollywood has long been known for its festivals, offering The Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival for the first time in 1990 (six years before the Food & Wine Festival premiered at EPCOT) and adding The Barbecue & Bluegrass Festival in 2006. A few different events have come and gone in the decades since, but the lineup now includes six major events:

• The I Will Always Love You Festival, which started in 2023 and runs historically from mid-March to mid-April
• Barbecue & Bluegrass, highlighting music and barbecue, which runs from late April through mid-May
• The Flower and Food Festival, which started in 2021 and typically runs from mid-May to early June
• Summer Celebration, which was formerly known as Great American Summer
• Harvest Festival, including seasonal eats, which typically takes place in the fall
• Smoky Mountain Christmas, the park’s popular holiday season celebration

Showstreet!

Throughout the year, these festivals and events allow the chefs at Dollywood the opportunity to level up the culinary game and introduce new and exciting cuisines that step outside of the realm of what’s usually offered at the park. “They’ve got a cadre of chefs who are really focused in on raising the bar for theme park food in this particular location. They’re classically trained chefs — they are really smart guys and women — and they are doing a lot of really good work to sort of make sure that Dollywood brings its A-game when it comes to food in the park,” said AJ.

Festival eats at Dollywood

Not only do the festivals provide opportunities for new and exciting eats, but they’ve added new treats to the regular menus in recent months and years as well. “They are kind of kicking it up several more notches with these festivals and everyday regular cuisine that they have,” AJ noted. In this day and age of posting everything on social media, Dollywood is taking the initiative to make sure they can be counted among the big names in theme park food. “I think it’s not what people would expect necessarily when they go to Dollywood.”

Lavender Dream Cupcake

Just open social media to look for Dollywood snacks, and you’ll find video after video of folks reviewing eats on their trips and being pleasantly surprised by the food they’re trying. Food is a great motivator for many folks’ travels, and if your theme park can deliver cuisine that’s tempting and delicious, you can open the doors to entirely new demographics.

The Braised Beef Potato

Honestly, after our recent visit to Dollywood, we could put the theme park on par with the quality of dining available at many Universal parks. They’ve still got a little ways to go to compete with Disney’s award-winning signature restaurants and dining experiences run by James Beard Award-winning chefs, but they’re on the fast track over there. Dollywood could be at the top of the theme park food game before we know it.

See Our Review of Dollywood’s Most Iconic Snack Here

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