Dollywoods DreamMore Resort
I was invited to experience Dollywoods DreamMore Resort during the Family Media Day on August 1. My overall thoughts on rooms and recreation will follow later. The DreamMore Resort just opened and offers over 300 rooms, set-up for multi-generational families. My room had a king-sized bed and a bunk bed. I have to admit that the bed was one of the most comfortable I’ve experienced.
I was completely impressed with the resort, especially comparing it to the Deluxe resorts at Walt Disney World. It really felt like the Grand Floridian mixed with the comfort and welcoming nature of the Wilderness Lodge. It’s definitely a step above most hotels in the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area.
Outside Dollywoods DreamMore Resort
The resort has a great opening, with lots of green to play off the softer white of the building. I was surprised that you enter from the back and get a strange view of the support services from the parking lot, but the resort looks amazing from the main road. Once the vegetation fills in, it will be even more striking.
There’s a great fountain that welcomes you to Dollywoods DreamMore Resort. It offers some inspirational phrases from Dolly Parton, herself, and some butterflies! (Thanks to MoJo for the photos!)
As you cross under the porte-cochère, you’re welcomed by a wonderful stream that runs under the entrance. It’s very welcoming and very soothing. It will make a great photo op and a great space to wait for friends and families.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Dollywood Resort without some rocking chairs. There are 70 rocking chairs scattered around the resort. How fantastic is that?
- Rocking chairs galore at Dollywoods DreamMore Resort!
Inside Dollywoods DreamMore Resort
They were still doing a few finishing touches to the interior (in the image below, they were installing a gorgeous inlaid DreamMore logo), but it was incredibly impressive to walk into the space. The check-in desk was very minimal and it only took a few minutes before I was greeted.
Behind the front desk is the Windows of Wonder, which are five screens that show some amazing high-definition videos of the Smokies. Once people noticed the Windows of Wonder, there were audible gasps and the front desk staff smiled. Seeing the clouds drift by or the bubbling brook was a very nice way to start the check-in process.
You can always find a five-gallon pitcher of pink lemonade in the lobby! It’s a refreshing treat while you’re waiting to check-in or while you’re headed to your room.
The windows along the back wall show off the pool and recreation area. There’s also a breathtaking view of Mt. LeConte. Obviously, great care was taken in laying out the resort.
Dollywoods DreamMore Resort is full of places for sitting and gathering, so to speak. The resort has several areas on the main floor (where the DreamMore Pantry is located) for sitting with family and friends and enjoying a quick meal or beverage.
The DreamMore Pantry is the place to pick up biscuits, cinnamon rolls, cookies, fudge, sandwiches, soft drinks, coffee, tea and other to-go items. The prices didn’t feel too high, but were what you would expect from a theme park hotel.
Dollywoods DreamMore Resort: The Song & Hearth: A Southern Eatery
DreamMore offers one full-service restaurant, The Song & Hearth. I didn’t get to eat there, but I did look around and it’s very well designed. With Dollywood opening at 10:00 AM most days, it will be a great place to stop and get breakfast before taking the trolley to the park.
The press release for the opening of the resort offers some information on the menu:
- Southern favorites served here include chicken pot pie; corn fritters; fried chicken; corn pudding; chicken fried steak; and eggs, biscuits and gravy.
- A family-style dinner priced at $54.95 serves four people. It includes the resort’s special “stone soup” or a salad, bread and butter pickles (which Parton says could always be found on her family’s table when she was growing up), fried chicken, pot roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, and signature apple donuts for dessert.
- The Smokies are known for their abundance of pancake houses, and these popular breakfast spots line the parkway that leads to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Keeping in that spirit, the resort’s breakfast service is over the top. In fact, Song & Hearth serves four pancake flavors on its buffet – banana pudding, birthday cake, cinnamon roll and double chocolate – in addition to the standard buttermilk pancakes that can be ordered from the menu.
The Song & Hearth looks like a very comfortable, yet elegant restaurant.
Dollywoods DreamMore Resort: More Interior Photos
This is the shot of the lower level by the Song & Hearth. It’s a very refined stairwell that connects the two spaces. Restrooms are located down here as well as several private areas for conversations.
The signage is low-key but offers great way-finding. We’ll explore the other areas of the resort in later posts.
On the way to the Spa, Indoor Pool, Game Room, Camp DW and Fitness Center, you’ll pass by the wall featuring 69 album covers from Dolly Parton. Apparently, there’s room for more because she’s recorded more than 69 albums!
The Perks of Staying at Dollywoods DreamMore Resort
The best reasons for staying at Dollywoods DreamMore Resort are based on access to Dollywood and the fantastic attractions!
- Wait Less in Lines- Reserve access at select Dollywood rides, shows and attractions with a complimentary TimeSaver Pass to hold your place in line – up to $25 value per guest per day.
- Early Saturday Entry- Experience some of your favorite rides first at Dollywood Theme Park and Dollywood’s Splash Country on Saturday mornings.
- Complimentary Door-to-Door Transportation – Enjoy our convenient resort shuttle to Dollywood parks.
- Exclusive Entry – Use the special resort guests-only entrance at Dollywood parks.
- Complimentary Package Delivery – Take advantage of in-room delivery for Dollywood parks’ shopping purchases.
Besides the beauty of the resort, the biggest reason to stay is the availability of the free TimeSaver Pass for each guest. It normally costs $25.00 per person. A family of four can save $100.00, which needs to be factored into the total cost. (The TimeSaver Pass is a much more effective version of Disney’s FastPass.)The six trolleys are a very nice feature, considering parking and taking the tram to the front gates. There is a special resort-only entrance (near the VIP/Press parking) that is very convenient and never crowded.
I’ve spent a good 20-25 minutes in the entire parking experience (even much longer in the evenings), so the trolley is a great idea.
Would you stay at Dollywoods DreamMore Resort? Leave me a comment and tell me what you think about the resort?
Check out my Trip Report on Communicore Weekly (the Greatest Online Show™), as I discuss the Great Smokey Mountain Alpine Coaster and staying at Dollywoods DreamMore Resort!
They did an amazing job with DreamMore, which isn’t too surprising because it’s Dollywood! It is mighty cool to see Herschend swing for the fences and take the entire property to another level with this and the addition of Lightning Rod while holding onto the food, festivals, entertainment, and amazing employees that have made Dollywood one of the best parks around.
It’s been a great year for regional parks upping their resort game. Like DreamMore, the renovated Hotel Breakers at Cedar Point provides Disney-level resort experience outside of Orlando.
Based on your articles and reviews I booked a trip to Dollywood for Spring Break. We just got back and had an amazing time! I was overwhelmed with how posh the resort felt. The trolley is nice, as the parking seemed to be a complex ordeal, also as hotel guests they offered two day tickets for the price of one day. The park is really beautiful and the park uses the natural setting to great effect. Having traveled throughout the Apalachians frequently for work it was nice to see an idealized recreation of those settings…from the craftsman valley which looks like so many mine towns to the fun 50’s setting that gives you an idea of what some of those great mountain towns looked like in their prime. Overall it was a fantastic trip and I had been putting it off because I didn’t want to figure out where to stay, but that Dreammore review that you posted sold me! There really was Near Disney levels of quality and it’s just not something you find at most regional theme parks..and at only 3.5 hrs away from us (we’re outside Charlotte, NC) it’s a good fix when we can’t make it to Walt Disney World. I appreciate Carowinds for what it is but It is so lacking in the theme department that it is more of an amusement park and Dollywood did not disappoint! So thanks for the recommendations!