Our family travels have comprised of visits to New York, Connecticut, California, Alaska (the most amazing vacation EVER) and Orlando. We are either visiting family or amusement parks. Our boys could become unofficial tour guides for Disney World, both Universal Studios parks, and LEGOLAND – with their eyes closed.
When my mother-in-law chose Dollywood DreamMore Resort in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee as the destination to spend her 70th birthday with family, I was a bit concerned at first. I’d heard of Dollywood here and there, but nothing that caught my fancy. My family is not a country music loving family. We don’t “not “like it, but it’s not our first choice of tunes to listen to.
Hello Tennessee!
Wheels up and we were on our way to Tennessee. We landed in Knoxville, as it is only about one hour from the Dollywood Dream More Resort. We rented a car and decided to take the scenic route as the rest of the family wasn’t expected until later that evening.
Driving through the Smoky Mountains was such a gorgeous experience! The greenery and elevations are nothing like what we experience living in flat Florida.
Tip #1: Be sure to note the speed limit and adhere to it, as the roads get windy and some don’t have shoulder rails.
First stop was to the Mountain Brothers General Store. It immediately put me in the Fall and Halloween spirit with all of the festive decorations. Inside the General Store were products indicative to the area – homemade jams and different flavored butter, shabby chic country home décor, pellet guns, and candy.
There was a valiant attempt to take family photos behind the store itself because the views of the mountains were amazing. The bugs apparently thought differently. I have never seen such large bugs in my life, except for the ones pin-cushioned to displays at museums.
Tip #2: When you set Waze or Google Maps, or whichever GPS/navigation system you choose, be sure to input “Dollywood Dream More Resort” and not just “Dollywood”. We were so excited to have finally arrived…to the amusement park and not to the hotel to drop our bags off!
The resort is a mere 5-7 minute drive away, so it wasn’t a big deal, but something I thought to share.
Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort
Upon driving up to the resort, my first impression was that it looked nice – a huge white building. Once at the valet, you started to really see the details and sincere thought put into creating the DreamMore.
Butterfly insignias are everywhere.
You can self-park your car at no charge or valet for $15 per evening. They do have a tendency to sell out of valet parking spots, so if you are on the fence you may want to make a decision before you check in.
The self-parking lots are not super far from the front of the resort, but from what we were told they can get pretty crowded and you may be walking quite a bit to and from your car.
The miniature waterfall and brook on either side of the walkway had a calming effect as you entered the resort. Once inside, the huge windows looking out to the pool area and the mountains are very cool.
The Family Suite
We were extremely impressed with the layout of the family suite. You walk in and immediately to the right (or left, depending on the room orientation) are bunk beds with a flat screen TV. The boys immediately called who got top bunk/bottom bunk and made themselves at home. They especially loved that the bedding wasn’t a traditional comforter, but a sleeping bag affixed to the mattress. That scored extra brownie points with them! They had their own “cubby” like area with a hanging rod and two drawers to store their clothing.
Next, you walk into the bathroom area, with a sink and vanity to one side (mini fridge in the cabinet beneath that), and the full bathroom to the other side.
Passing the bathroom, you arrive at the master bedroom. It has a king sized bed, desk, our own “cubby”, flat screen TV with storage and a mini safe beneath it. The window looked out to the mountains and pool area. I spotted fire pits and all I could think of is sitting by one after a hectic amusement park-filled days and just relaxing. (The rain didn’t permit it, but I am sure it would have been very relaxing.)
Tip #3: Don’t miss the s’mores! Every evening, barring inclement weather, they make s’mores out back. I am SO sad the weather didn’t allow for us to partake.
Amenities
Just to the right of the lobby is a cool little coffee shop (they serve Starbucks) that offers everything from drinks to pizza, to snacks and wine. Past that is a super cute gift shop with Dolly-inspired clothing and knick-knacks, as well as basic necessities that you may need.
There are two huge open sitting areas on the same floor of the lobby. They remind me of someone living room, with couches, fireplaces, and tables set up with checkers and other games you can just sit down and play!
The first floor is where you’ll find Song & Hearth, the sit-down restaurant. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I highly recommend the cheese grits.
Also on the first floor, you’ll find access to the outdoor pool, the indoor pool, the fitness center, and the game room.
Throughout the resort, you will find Dolly memorabilia, photos of Dolly, an entire wall of her record album covers (I was so waiting for one of my boys to ask me what a record album was), and motivational quotes.
Don’t From 4 pm – 6 pm every day, they serve lemonade – Dolly’s very own recipe.
The DreamMore was the perfect backdrop to our family vacation to Tennessee. Stay tuned for my review of the Dollywood Amusement park and the MANY Ripley’s attractions!
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