Dolly Parton is a lovable celebrity if ever there was one. She has used the power of her fame to give back in big ways, and one way she gives back to the small Tennessee community where she grew up is her mega-successful Dollywood theme park. Located in the heart of Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains, Dollywood welcomes millions of visitors each year.
Parton has expanded the fun for fans with two lodge-style resorts near Dollywood. Both Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa and Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort helped fulfill Parton’s dream of expanding the Dollywood experience for guests beyond the beloved theme park. While there are a lot of similarities between the two resorts, which were opened eight years apart, some amenities and luxuries are only available at each hotel. Here’s what you need to know to decide which Dollywood resort to choose for your next Pigeon Forge vacation.
Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa
For the past decade, Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa has been providing special experiences for guests in the Great Smoky Mountains. It first opened to much fanfare on July 27, 2015. It has an endearing butterfly theme, and you’ll find Dolly’s special touches throughout the resort. That’s includes an album corridor where even hardcore fans may be surprised at how many albums Dolly has released. Her album covers are numerous and beautifully displayed in this corridor that also features a large portrait of Parton singing.
Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa has a luxurious, full-service spa and other amenities that make it feel like a real vacation for visitors of all ages. It was designed to feel like a home away from home, with porches where you can relax in a rocking chair, and the grand living room has a fireplace and games like checkers for guests to enjoy playing together.
There are 299 guestrooms and suites at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa. There’s a grand lobby with two indoor fireplaces. The 20-acre resort has live entertainment, a grand pool complex, and an onsite restaurant. There’s also an outdoor pool with fire pit areas for guests to enjoy the outdoors in cool and warm weather.
And did you ever wish you knew what it was really like to be a touring superstar? In 2022, the resort added Dolly’s Suite 1986 Tour Bus Experience. You can book an overnight stay in the tour bus that Parton used from 2008 to 2022. And it’s all for a good cause! The net proceeds from every stay in Dolly’s tour bus are donated to the Dollywood Foundation.
If you’re visiting during the holidays and love extravagant décor, you’ll want to stay at the DreamMore Resort and Spa. It goes all out for the holidays. From the awe-inspiring gigantic Christmas tree in the lobby to the set-up for the perfect holiday card family photo, this resort is extra special during the holidays.
Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort
With a modern lodge feel and homey atmosphere, Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort shows off the nature and hospitality that welcome visitors to Tennessee’s Smoky Mountains. According to CNN, Parton described the resort’s aesthetic as “high-fashion rustic”.
It’s quite grand, too. When you walk in the lobby, your eyes are drawn to the four-story stone fireplace with a depiction of a young Dolly with trees and butterflies. There’s also a portrait of an adult Dolly in the lobby on the opposite side of the lobby.
This resort has a dragonfly theme and is named after Dolly Parton’s 1994 song “Heartsong” When the resort opened in 2023, she was there to perform the song and make jokes that were typical of her self-deprecating sense of humor. Dolly fans will certainly love this resort. You’ll find her touches in all the resort’s common spaces and accommodations.
Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort has 302 guestrooms and suites. Many have balconies in keeping with the resort’s design to help bring guests outside to savor the beauty of the Smokies.
What Dollywood’s Resorts Have In Common
Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa and Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort are neighboring resorts. They are both located in Pigeon Forge. They’re only a few minutes from Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country, and they’re close to the many tourist attractions in Gatlinburg, too.
Camp DW is a fun summer program at both resorts, too. It is a way for parents and kids to enjoy some special experiences together such as arts and crafts, pool parties during the warmer months, storytelling, and themed activities to enjoy inside and in the great outdoors.
Guests of both Dollywood resorts receive complimentary trolley service to Dollywood parks. Daily parking at both resorts is complimentary, too. You’ll find hydration stations where you can refill your water bottles at both Dollywood resorts.
Then there are the extra perks that guests with valid Dollywood admission receive. They get one complimentary TimeSaver per day that lets guests enjoy give expedited entries to the theme park’s attractions. Each guest with admission to Dollywood’s Splash Country also get a complimentary Splash Country Timesaver H2O Pass that lets them enjoy two expedited entries to attractions at the water park.
Other advantages for theme park attendees include early access to the park one hour before it opens to most guests, and they get complimentary preferred parking.
Also, have you ever bought something at a theme park, then regretted having to carry it around all day? Well, that problem is solved for guests of Dollywood resorts. If you make any purchase over $25 in the parks, they will deliver your purchases directly to your guest room free of charge.
ADA and hearing accessible rooms are available at both resorts. (When booking, be sure to specify your needs so they can confirm availability.)
Lastly, don’t expect Dolly Parton to choose between the resorts and other Dollywood expansions. She told Travel + Leisure, “It’s all near and dear to me — it’s like having kids — you have some [that are] prettier than others, but you love them all and you think they’re all pretty, right? I love everything about the park, so it’s hard for me to pick out one particular thing.”