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Published on January 30, 2025. Last Updated on March 14, 2026.
In the picturesque Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, Dollywood shines as a family-friendly haven, offering a delightful blend of thrilling rides, captivating shows, and warm Southern hospitality. As you prepare for a visit to the theme park, you may wonder what essentials to pack for an unforgettable day. In this post, Buddy and I are sharing the exact items we brought with us to Dollywood! Without further ado, here our list of what to bring to Dollywood, the theme park.
A small collapsible refillable water bottle is the #1 item we recommend bringing to Dollywood. There are water bottle filling stations throughout the park. And visitors are allowed to bring their own bottled water into the park!
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Dollywood Theme Park: The details
Dollywood Parks and Resorts is co-owned by none other than the country music icon herself, Dolly Parton. Founded in 1961, the park operated under many different names. It reopened as Dollywood in 1986. Today it is home to a theme park, a water park, resorts, and shows, museums, and other experiences.
Our guide focuses on the Dollywood Theme park.
Check out our Top Tips for visiting Dollywood!
Dollywood Theme Park is located at 2700 Dollywood Parks Blvd, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863. For the most up-to-date information regarding tickets, park hours, season passes, shows, and festivals, visit the website.
Our visit to Dollywood
Buddy and I visited Dollywood Theme Park on a Monday in early June. Initially, we were supposed to visit on a Sunday but after an unforgettable day at the airport filled with multiple flight cancellations and delays. And after an overnight road trip across Tennessee on 1 hour of sleep, we missed the day of our initial tickets.
We have a post with our top 7 tips for visiting Dollywood. But this post is dedicated to the things that we brought (and wore) that were helpful to us.
Please note that as a family that travels with teens, our stroller days are behind us. Unfortunately, we do not have specific recommendations for families traveling with toddlers and littles. But with teens we have you covered. Here are our top recommendations, including items we brought with us and definitely used. As well as items we brought with us and did not use. And items we chose not to bring and wish we would have!
Top 10 Essentials to Bring to Dollywood
1. Comfortable water resistant shoes
When preparing for a fun-filled day at Dollywood, comfort should be at the forefront of your packing list. Start by investing in comfortable waterproof shoes. With miles of pavement to explore and water rides ready to drench you in delight, keeping your feet dry and blister-free is crucial.
Pro Tip: To avoid blisters and sore feet, break in your shoes before visiting Dollywood!
When we visited Dollywood, Buddy and I both wore water proof sandals. And it was a good thing too because our feet did get wet on the Smoky Mountain River Rampage. To be fair, we only did one of the two water rides at Dollywood. But I am sure our feet would have got wet if we rode the other water ride too!
Pro Tip: Wear shoes with straps (no flip flops!) for the thrill rides!
Buddy and I both wore Teva sandals during our summer visit to Dollywood. The exact shoes we wore are below.
2. A small cross body bag
Next on your list should be a small cross-body bag. Choose something small and light weight yet big enough to carry cash, cards, ID, phone, and a back up charger.
Before visiting Dollywood, I went back and forth on what type of bag to bring with me. For example in Disney World, I took my favorite Travelon Crossbody bag. But for Universal Studio Orlando, I only packed a small wallet and went hands free.
For Dollywood, I decided to go in between. I bought myself a new crossbody bag (or hip pack) and it was perfect! It was lightweight but big enough to hold my phone, a back up charger, our ponchos, sunscreen, keys, and a few other items. I even wore the bag on Thunderhead.
Below is the cross body bag I took to Dollywood. I am also sharing my favorite go-to crossbody bag that is great for any type of travel!
The bag I took to Dollywood
ADIDAS Originals For All Waist Pack, Black, 47557510001
Buy Now →My favorite travel bag
Travelon Anti-Theft Classic Essential Messenger Bag
Buy Now →3. Refillable water bottles
Staying hydrated is key for your trip to Dollywood. Especially if you are visiting during the hot and humid summer months. Dollywood allows guests to bring water bottles. And there are many spots where you can refill your water bottle. It is a great way to save money and the environment!
Survivor Filter 1L Clear Collapsible Water Bottles – Travel, Hiking, Foldable, BPA-Free – 2 x 33oz
Buy Now →When we visited Dollywood, Buddy and I brought water bottles from our glamping site. We did travel with our large Hydroflask water bottles, which we used to go hiking in Great Smoky Mountain National Park. However, because they are bigger and kind of clunky, we did not bring them with us to Dollywood. Rather we brought the lightweight water bottles, refilling them throughout the day. And we recycled them when we returned to our campsite. Next time, we will bring the water bottles above.
4. Sunscreen
Let’s face it. At Dollywood, you will be outside all day long. That is why it is best to bring sunscreen. And bring the sunscreen no matter which season you are visiting because those UV rays can get you even under cloudy skies.
Buddy and I visited Dollywood in June so we came prepared with sunscreen. Our go to sunscreen is Blue Lizard. And we have been using that sunscreen since Buddy’s pediatrician recommended it when he was a baby. Because we flew in to Tennessee from Arizona, and we only fly with carry-on luggage, we brought the sunscreen in stick form. It is easier to get through TSA with less liquids. But had we drove, I would have brought the larger liquid Blue Lizard sunscreen.
And when I travel, I also pack tinted sunscreen which I wear under my foundation. Below are the two that I use and they are both TSA friendly. In case you do not like to check bags like me.
5. A UPF cover up
To further protect yourself from sun, consider bringing along a UPF cover-up. This lightweight garment provides additional protection against harmful sun rays.
Given that we live in Southern Arizona, I usually wear a UPF cover-up, especially in the summer. To protect myself from the sun at Dollywood, I brought it with me. Buddy, on the other hand, wore a light waterproof jacket to protect himself from the sun and splashes on the water rides.
I think we were the only people (that I remember seeing) at Dollywood in long sleeves for sun protection. But we did not get burned. So I highly recommend UPF cover ups to protect you from the sun. I am sharing the one I wore below.
Buy Now → 6. Wear light colored clothes
Especially if you visit in the summer, wearing light colored clothes is important to keep cool. This is because light-colored clothes that reflect rather than absorb heat. And that will keep you cooler on hot and humid days.
Buddy and I did not wear light colored clothes to Dollywood and I wish that we did! I wore a dark green shirt and jean shorts and Buddy wore a two dark colored shirts and shorts. And it was hot! And the hotter it got, the more humid it became. As we are not used to humidity, we definitely overheated. Buddy ended up taking off a shirt (and losing it in line).
Next time, we will definitely wear lighter clothing. So learn from our travel mistake and bring light clothes to Dollywood!
7. A portable charger
When visiting Dollywood, you want to ensure that your phone remains powered up for all the fun photos and videos. Plus, you want your phone charged to use the Dollywood app to see ride wait times. For that reason, you will want to bring a portable charger. This will ensure that no memory-making moment goes unrecorded due to dead batteries!
The portable charger that we brought to Dollywood is below. The charger worked well and we did not need a back up battery. Buddy was on a phone detox during this trip and left his phone and mini charger and battery at home!
Buy Now → 8. A glasses retainer
For glasses wearers who want to join in on the fun of the thrill rides, pack a retainer for your glasses. This will ensure that you can enjoy the thrill rides while wearing your glasses. That way you can see and your glasses will not go flying off. It is a win win!
Buddy wears glasses. Before our Dollywood trip, we bought Croakies Original Sport Eyewear Retainer for him to wear for the day. And it worked! Buddy rode all the thrill rides with his glasses and they did not come off! There was only one ride where he felt them get a little loose.
Croakies Original Sport Eyewear Retainer (16 Inches, Black)
Buy Now →9. Ponchos for the water rides (and in case it rains!)
One must-have item that can save the day is a poncho. Ponchos can keep you dry not only if it rains but on the water rides too! This is a great way to have fun without worrying about getting (and staying) wet.
When we visited Dollywood, I brought a poncho to wear on the water rides and in case it rained. Buddy brought a lightweight rain jacket instead of a poncho. The day before our Dollywood trip, we went to Great Smoky Mountain National Park and it POURED. So we brought our ponchos and rain jackets just in case.
Luckily, it did not rain during our Dollywood trip. But we did use our poncho! There are no cubbies for the Smoky Mountain River Rampage so we had to bring our cinnamon bread on the ride with us. I wrapped the bread up in the poncho and wore Buddy’s rain jacket. Buddy felt hot so he wanted to get wet on the ride. The poncho worked! The bread did not get wet at all!
10. Lip balm
And lastly, do not forget small but mighty accessories like lip balm (with SPF if possible). Lip balm can help protect against sun exposure during long outdoor days at Dollywood.
I always carry lip balm with me, especially when I travel. Sun Bum also makes great sunscreen lip balm that we use.
What we brought but did not use
What did we bring to Dollywood but not use? Bug spray. Perhaps it was the time of year we visited, but we did not need bug spray during our day at Dollywood. Below is a TSA travel friendly bug spray for you carry-on!
Buy Now → What we did not bring but should have
The one item that we did not bring with us that I wish we would have is cooling towels. I bought cooling towels to visit Disney World many years ago and they were SO nice! I did pack our cooling rags but we decided against taking them to the park. Big mistake! We were hot and could have used the cooling rags in the heat of the afternoon.
If we visit again during the summer months, I will make sure to pack them the day of this time!
Buy Now → Final thoughts on what to bring to Dollywood
As you plan ahead and pack your bags for Dollywood, do not forget these 10 important items. to make you time to elevate your family travel experience and make the most of every moment in this enchanting theme park.
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Do you have questions about family travel or traveling with teens? Feel free to reach out! We are happy to chat and share our experiences and look forward to connecting with you.
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