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Dolly Parton Stampede Christmas Dinner Show Review

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I’ve been lucky enough to travel to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee several times over the past couple of years. In that time, I’ve been able to enjoy all three of the dinner shows. I’ve previously reviewed the Pirates Voyage Pigeon Forge Dinner Show and the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud Show. Today, I’m highlighting the third and final one, Dolly Parton Stampede!

Dolly Parton Stampede Christmas

Dolly Parton Stampede

The Dolly Parton Stampede dinner show typically features a rivalry between the north and south. Personally, harkening back to the Civil War doesn’t exactly make me hungry. However, beginning in early November, the show gets a Christmas makeover! It then becomes a battle between the North and South Poles! My mom and I enjoyed a showing of the Christmas version last year and thought it was great!

The Dolly Parton Stampede show itself is very good. We were entertained by the fast horse riding and tricks! The injection of Christmas songs and costumes really put us in the Christmas spirit! We also enjoyed some of the friendly competitions between the North and South Poles. Similar to other dinner shows I’ve reviewed, I don’t think it truly matters which side you sit on in the end.

This was actually our first dinner show and we weren’t sure what to expect. While we enjoyed the food, we didn’t like that the meal was served during the show. Attempting to eat while trying to watch the show made me feel like I missed parts of the show. This is a big reason why we prefer the Hatfield and McCoy dinner show as they serve food before the show. I guess this way does add to its repeatability though. Plus, I’m sure different seats provide different views of the show as there is so much to see!

The Food

One of the neat things about eating at Dolly Parton Stampede is that every person is given their own small chicken! It’s probably a Cornish hen, but it’s very tasty nonetheless! I like that you start the meal just like at the other dinner shows with the creamy vegetable soup and a biscuit. The corn on the cob was pretty good too. Admittedly, my potato was really dry, as it was at the Pirates show. The pork was just ok. I enjoyed dessert – a flaky apple turnover! Overall, it was a pretty good meal. I would say it’s second place in terms of food at dinner shows in Pigeon Forge. You can’t beat Hatfield and McCoy’s food!

Overall, a meal at Dolly Parton Stampede is an experience you won’t forget. It’s a great show, especially at Christmas time! However, it is pricey and I recommend looking for a coupon (code) before purchasing tickets to save some money.

Pirates Voyage Pigeon Forge Dinner Show Review

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I recently posted a review of the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud Show and today I’m sharing my thoughts on the Pirates Voyage dinner show in Pigeon Forge as well.

Pirates Voyage Pigeon Forge Dinner Show Review

Pirates Voyage Show

Let’s jump right in by stating that the best part of the Pirates Voyage dinner show is the show! Having been to all three dinner shows in Pigeon Forge, I can honestly say this one offers the best show! In fact, it’s the only one I’ve gone to twice now! I went once in May 2022 with my mom and then again with my husband in June 2022. I really enjoyed the show each time as I had a different seat and view with each show. In May, I was on the Sapphire side and in June I was on the Crimson side. It was neat to cheer for a different team each time.

The Pirates Voyage show is very entertaining. The actors are acrobatics in every sense of the word. I can’t even begin to imagine how one learns to do the show. Plus, there’s fire and some animals incorporated into the show. Spoiler alert: my mom loved the addition of the sea lion and the birds were also neat to see.

The Food

While the Pirates Voyage has the best show, the food is just ok, if I’m being completely honest. It certainly wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t the best dinner show food either. If you recall, I prefer the food at the Hatfield and McCoy show. However, both shows serve the same creamy vegetable soup, which you can buy a mix of in the shows’ stores. Beyond that, it’s a completely different meal. It’s actually more similar to the meal served at Dolly Parton’s Stampede with its chicken, biscuit, corn on the cob, potato, ham, and fruit turnover. The difference between the two is that Pirates Voyage comes with some fried chicken and a peach turner. Stampede serves a whole small rotisserie chicken and apple turnover.

Additionally, similar to Dolly Parton’s Stampede and different from Hatfield and McCoys is that the meal is served during the show. So, it can be difficult to watch the show and eat your food at the same time. Plus, it’s not unlimited, like Hatfield and McCoy is. However, they will bring you more to drink if you finish yours. I really enjoyed the lemonade here, as did my husband. The meal certainly wasn’t bad by any means, just know that you are going to Pirates Voyage for the show mainly.

If you are visiting Pigeon Forge and want to experience a dinner show like no other, I can recommend Pirates Voyage with its amazing show and good food. Admittedly, it is pricey so be on the lookout for discounts and coupons. However, I can guarantee it will be a dinner that you won’t quickly forget.

Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud Show Review

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If you’ve gone anywhere near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, then you’ve probably seen the advertisements for the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud. I saw them for over a decade before I finally attended the show in May 2022 because I didn’t understand the appeal from the ads. However, I’m here to review it and tell you why it’s now one of my favorite meal experiences in the area.

Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Show

Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Show

Being from far southwestern Virginia, I loathe the stereotype of Appalachian people being dumb folks. So, I will admit that some of the advertising (in addition to the price) kept me from trying the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Show for several years. I honestly expected to witness some depiction of dumb rednecks feuding and didn’t have any desire to see that. However, when I watched the show I was happy to discover that it’s not that. While it doesn’t follow the true history of the family feuds, it also doesn’t necessarily mock fun of the people either. In fact, I really enjoyed the addition of the music and clogging in the show as they are true to the area.

I heard that they recently added a new part to the show. They are calling the new high-flying contraption a Billy-copter. I’m sure the new addition brings even more fun to the show and I’ll have to head back to check it out.

The Food

This is my first dinner show review on the blog, but it was my third dinner show experience in Pigeon Forge. So, I can safely say that the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud has the best food of all of the dinner shows in the area! Everything here tastes amazing! You get fried chicken, bbq pork, the creamy soup that is found at all of the dinner shows in the area, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, rolls, and pudding for dessert!

Plus, it’s all you care to enjoy. So, if you want more of something, your waiter will bring it to you! That great hospitality seems fitting for this show set in the Appalachian mountains. My mom and I asked for more dinner rolls and pulled pork as they make great little sandwiches! Another thing that sets the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Show apart from the other two shows is that you eat your meal before the show. We preferred being able to enjoy the meal prior to the show as we didn’t feel distracted. I recommend arriving early to give yourselves time to eat and ask for seconds before the show begins.

While I realize that a dinner show is expensive and not something many people can afford to do often, the food is really good here. Plus, you are paying for the experience of a show and a meal. So, to me it’s worth it. Plus, you can usually find a coupon if you look around online or find one of those coupon books around town.

Dine with Orcas SeaWorld Orlando Review

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One of the post ideas that inspired me to re-start the blog is a review of the Dine with Orcas at SeaWorld Orlando. I did this dining experience with my mom back in February of this year (2022) and had a difficult time finding current reviews on it. So, I’m doing a blog post on it in case someone else is searching for a more recent review of it.

Dine with Orcas

The Food

As I stated above, this is a review of my Dine with Orcas experience at SeaWorld Orlando from February 2022. One of the biggest changes to this experience in recent years is the food. Prior to the pandemic, it was a buffet. However, as of this writing it is a seated meal with a menu of entrée selections. Everyone begins with a basic yet fresh house salad along with your beverage. Then, you are served your entrée along with a dinner roll, yellow rice, roasted vegetables, and herb roasted potatoes.

I chose the Pan Seared Salmon (my food is on the left in the collage above) and was pleased with it. My mom enjoyed her Herb Roasted Beef and stated that it was good a few times. My salmon had a good taste and wasn’t dry; as is often the case with fish served to the masses. The corn salsa gave it even more flavor then eating plain fish. The roll was really good as were the vegetables. The potatoes were probably the least exciting part of the meal, but they weren’t bad.

Finally, a plate of desserts to be shared (seen in the collage on the right) was brought to the table. Seeing as it how was just two of us, that was plenty of food. However, we did have to discuss who got to eat which dessert since there wasn’t two of each type. I would have preferred less variety so that both of us could have tried everything. Either way, you can’t leave this meal hungry!

Dine with Orcas Show

Moving on to the actual Dine with Orcas portion of the review, the show was somewhat short and sweet. I recommend arriving a little early as they appeared to seat people as they arrived. We were able to get a front row seat since we arrived early and we got to begin eating our meal before the show started. Some people arrived late, got a seat towards the back (probably still not a bad seat though), and appeared grumpy that they were served their meal towards the end of the show.

The show was probably about 20-ish minutes, so not too long for little ones to sit through. The show itself was filled with lots of fun facts about orca whales as well as neat tricks. It was simply amazing to be that close to such a huge yet graceful creature. The trainers even stayed after the show to talk with diners and answer any questions they had.

Overall, the Dine with Orcas experience at SeaWorld Orlando is something my mom and I will remember forever. My mom absolutely loved the experience and she can be hard to please. I also think it would be a great way to get out of the sun and enjoy a meal in the park if nothing else. While it can be a pricey meal, it is definitely a unique experience you won’t get at home.

Sonic Milkshake Review: Shaking Up the Competition

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Today, I am eager to share my Sonic milkshake review with you. You see, we have a Sonic right down the road from out apartment. So, the boyfriend and I have been taking full advantage of their half-price shakes after 8 PM this whole summer. I have developed a bit of an addiction to them and was totally pleased when Sonic offered to allow me to get one to try and compare to another famous chain’s milkshakes.

Disclosure: I received gift cards to facilitate this review.

Sonic Milkshake Review - Shaking Up the Competition

Sonic Milkshake Review

For my Sonic milkshake review, I chose a small Real Ice Cream Chocolate Shake from SONIC Drive-In and a small Chocolate Hand Spun Shake from another restaurant chain. Then, I compared the two to determine the better milkshake. Using several different criteria categories, I set out to determine the better of the two.

The initial category seems a little unfair to put anyone in the same category as Sonic for. However, it can’t be ignored that Sonic offers so many more flavor options than other places. One of the reasons that I’ve enjoyed their summer shake special so much is because of the varieties available. I’ve been able to try a few different ones each week and thus am never bored of their shakes. However, other restaurants usually have just the three traditional flavors (which is why I went with the chocolate at Sonic, to keep things fair in other categories).

Next up is presentation. Here are the two milkshakes I purchased. You can kind of see the other brand’s milkshake has some uneven distribution of the chocolate. Plus, I think it has way too much whipped topping. It’s almost like they are trying to hide something in or on their shake. Plus, the Sonic one comes with a cherry on top and a bright red straw.

fast food chain milkshake comparison

Similar to presentation was their texture. The Sonic one looks great and has a smooth drinkability to it. The other one was too thick and I couldn’t really drink it with a straw. I had to wait for it to really melt in order to drink it (which defeats the whole purpose of a milkshake). Thankfully, both of them had pretty consistent flavors in it though.

I saved the most important factor for last – taste. Hands down, the Sonic Real Ice Cream Chocolate Shake tasted better than the competitor’s. You just can’t beat the real ice cream with chocolate flavor. The other shake’s taste was a bit off and not exactly what I was expecting when reaching for a chocolate milkshake.

best restaurant chocolate milkshake

I think it’s plain to see that Sonic wins this one without any problems. They beat the other brand in every category. They look good and taste even better. I can’t say enough good things about Sonic’s shakes. So, which restaurant is your favorite place to go for a milkshake?