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Dollywood Summer Festival Tour Review

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I’ve just returned from a quick visit to the Smoky Mountains with my mom, where we got to experience some of the Dollywood Summer Festival Tour!

Full Disclosure: Due to the weather messing up the tour, we will be receiving a refund for this tour. However, I think I have a good idea of what you can expect when you take this tour.

Dollywood Summer Festival Tour

Dollywood Summer Festival Tour

During my last visit to the park, I was able to do two tours: the Dolly Parton Experience and the I Will Always Love You Music Festival Tour. My mom thought those tours sounded like fun, so we booked one for this trip. We booked this tour online ahead of time and I was able to use my gold pass for a small discount. We paid $74/each plus taxes and fees.

The website listed a 8 PM start time, but also stated that I should check in before 6 PM. That’s so that they know you are actually there and so you know where to meet up with the group at 7:55 PM. You also receive your lanyard when you check in. I know the site also mentions receiving a TimeSaver at check-in, however we didn’t receive that.

The Tour

As I stated above, unfortunately the weather ruined a good chunk of this tour. Typically, you are supposed to have a bit of a tour of Wilderness Pass before heading over to Wildwood Grove. We spent much of this time hiding out from the weather. However, we did walk over to FireChaser Express where the guides told us about its creation. The ride wasn’t running due to the weather, however you usually get to skip the line to ride it after they tell you about it.

From there, we received a complimentary snack. We were all given a deep fried s’more. There doesn’t appear to be any substitutions for this snack, regardless of dietary restrictions or preferences. The deep fried s’more was good. It reminded me of a marshmallow filled funnel cake with chocolate sauce.

After that snack, we walked over to Wildwood Grove. While we didn’t get to hear much about the newest ride, Big Bear Mountain, we did get a chance to ride it as soon as it opened back up from the weather. Our tour guide led us over to skip the line and everyone who wanted to was able to ride it. We were also given the chance to ride it a second time with skipping the line. Once was enough for my mom and I though. So, we all just stood around waiting for those other folks to ride again.

I believe somewhere around here you are supposed to receive a festival beverage – a icee/slushee beverage of some sort. We didn’t get a chance to get those though. We also missed the dance party, which I think was cancelled due to the weather. Unfortunately, the biggest disappointment of all came when they cancelled the drones and simply showed the fireworks. We did have a reserved area to stand in and watch the show from. However, we missed the beginning of the show and it was really short. I imagine this would be much more worth it with the drone portion of the show.

Is the Dollywood Summer Festival Tour worth it?

While I know that we are receiving a refund for this experience, I don’t know that the whole tour is worth $74/79. It’s nice to learn about the park and to skip the lines. The added snack and beverage is great too. However, it’s a pricey addition to your park day. I think maybe they should just give TimeSaver passes to those rides to be used during the park day. Then, have you meet up at the reserved viewing area where they have the snack and beverage. That would make more sense to me.

If you are concerned about crowds for the drone/fireworks show or really want to ride the two included rides, it might be worth the price. If you are on a tight budget, you can probably skip this one.

Also, I just want to stress that our tour guides were awesome! They made the best of a less than ideal situation with the weather not cooperating. They also advocated for us to get refunds due to the weather issues. So, if you book a tour, just know that you are in good hands!

Dolly Parton Experience Tour at Dollywood Review

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One of the things I was able to do on my recent solo trip to Dollywood was the Dolly Parton Experience Tour! I haven’t seen any online reviews for this tour either, so I thought I would publish an overview and review for anyone considering it.

Dolly Parton Experience Tour

Dolly Parton Experience Tour

As I stated in my I Will Always Love You Tour review, I did two tours on the same day. This is the other tour I did. It began at 11 AM. Unfortunately, I was unable to fully utilize the Golden Hour time in the park due to needing to arrive early for the tour (10:45 AM). So, just something to keep in mind if you plan on doing both in one morning.

This tour is cheaper than the other tour by $20. It’s priced at $59/person, with discounts available for passholders. It includes a lanyard (seen in the post image above), an hour long guided tour of the Dolly Parton Experience area of the park, and reserved seating for the Heidi Parton’s Kin and Friends show.

The Tour

The tour was supposed to be me and another family. However, the other family never showed up. So, I was lucky enough to get a one-on-one tour of the new Dolly Parton Experience area of the park!

The tour started off with some general info on the designing of the park, starting with Juxebox Junction being themed to Dolly’s childhood. Did you know that they re-created Red’s Drive-In because that’s where Dolly had her first taste of fast food? Wasting no time, we moved over to the Songteller building. Opened last year, it does an amazing and engaging job of telling Dolly’s life story. I was very impressed with the work they have done here. The use of technology to tell her story in different rooms was cool. I will definitely be re-visiting it to slow down and look more closely at the things located here.

Next up, we walked over to Behind the Seams. This building houses some of Dolly’s clothing and accessories. Supposedly, they switch out the items here periodically. So, you should be able to make return visits and see different items showcased. I thought it was really cool to see some of her clothing up close. She’s much smaller than I imagined!

Then, we walked over to enjoy some of the Precious Memories video in the DreamSong theater. Lastly, we visited Dolly’s Home-on-Wheels, which is an old tour bus of hers. I had been in it once before, but it’s still cool to see. Plus, we were able to skip the line to go on it.

The tour also includes reserved seating to a later showing of Heidi Parton’s Kin and Friends show (or another show in the DreamSong theater if it’s not available). I think that’s a great touch and lovely way to wrap this experience up!

Is the Dolly Parton Experience Tour worth it?

Even though I was the only person on the tour, it was still a pretty quickly paced one hour tour. I didn’t really get a chance to stop and take photos or to look at the clothing/artifacts on the tour. I plan to go back to take a slower look at the stuff in the buildings. The tour was great for additional information on the park’s design and about Dolly. It’s perfect for Dollywood/theme park/Dolly Parton fans! I don’t know that children would enjoy it. Also, we were up walking for the entire hour. So, you need to be able to be mobile for that length of time. Overall, I really enjoyed this tour and think it’s worth the time and money if you like learning about the park or Dolly.

Top of the Rock Observation Deck New York City Review

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Back in early January, my husband and I took a quick 48 hour trip to New York City. While there, we visited the Top of the Rock observation deck. Today, I want to give a little review of that experience.

Top of the Rock

Top of the Rock

As I mentioned in my Rockefeller Center Tour review, we purchased the Rock Pass for $56/each. The Rock Pass included the tour as well as entry to Top of the Rock. However, you can also purchase tickets to just the observation deck for $34-61 depending on the day and time you select. The tour costs $27 alone, so $56 is a bargain if you are interested in both things!

Prior to booking this experience, I attempted to find reviews and saw they were mixed. Lots of folks loved the views but felt it was touristy and crowded. Having visited myself, I think both of those things are true.

The Crowds

We spent just shy of 48 hours in NYC. Without hesitation I can say this was the most crowded place we visited. We waited in the Welcome Gallery prior to being herded in like cattle to the theater for a 5 minute film on the history of the location. Next up, we waited even longer to board an elevator ride up to the 67th floor. Once there, there’s three levels to explore. However, there were people everywhere! I had to wait for people to get out of the way to take pictures. Then, we had to wait to take the escalators/stairs up to the next levels. If you get overwhelmed with crowds, then don’t go in the afternoon or maybe just skip this place altogether. The crowds were starting to thin a little by the time we left, but it was still pretty busy.

The Views

I will admit, the views from here are magnificent! It was wonderful for us rural folks to see the city from this angle. I also enjoyed seeing the city light up when the sun went down. It was also cool to see landmarks that I’ve seen on TV my whole life from there. It was a once in a lifetime sort of experience.

Is Top of the Rock worth it?

My husband and I loved the views of the city from Top of the Rock. However, I believe it was a one and done for us. It’s just not worth the time suck of waiting and dealing with the crowds to go again. Although, I can see why it’s a popular tourist experience with the gorgeous views. I’m glad we went, but don’t need to visit it again.

I Will Always Love You Tour at Dollywood Review

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On my recent quick trip to Dollywood, I took the I Will Always Love You Tour to experience the seasonal festival with a guide. Since I wasn’t able to find any reviews of the experience prior to booking, I thought I would share my thoughts on it for others considering booking it.

I Will Always Love You Tour

I Will Always Love You Tour

In recent years (since 2022), Dollywood has begun offering guided tours. It appears they offer a special one for each festival. Since this was my first solo trip to the park and my first time experiencing this festival, I was interested in taking one of the tours. However, the description online is pretty vague as to what the tour entails. Also, I couldn’t find a single review for the I Will Always Love You Tour. So, I thought I would share what I got to experience on my tour and what I thought of it.

The Tour Itself

The tour began with reserved seating for the festival exclusive show “From the Heart – The Life and Music of Dolly Parton”. The website says the tour begins at 2 PM. However, we saw the 1:00 PM show. So, I think it’s important to point out that difference for planning purposes. Immediately following the show, the group came together for a meet and greet with a few people from the cast. It was kind of neat, but also awkward as no one knew each other or knew to prepare questions. That portion of the tour ended with photos with the people from the show.

Then, we had a restroom break before meeting up at the big pink “LOVE” sign. The online description said we would “Sample some of Dollywood’s limited-time festival snacks”. However, all we got was the Cherry-Lime Spritzer on the tour. I was sad that there wasn’t any food included after it mentioned sampling some snacks. We sipped on the drink while we were led over to the Showstreet Gazebo to catch the last few minutes of a show of the Wild Roots Band. Then, we were ushered over for a meet and greet with the band. Again, it was awkward. We hadn’t seen the whole performance and didn’t know each other.

Next, we walked around The Dolly Parton Experience and learned a little bit about that area of the park. It was a bit of a repeat for me since I had taken the Dolly Parton Experience tour earlier that day. However, it was nice for others to learn about the park’s history.

Then we looked at Dolly’s Tennessee Mountain Home. It’s a re-creation of the cabin Dolly grew up in. Finally, we headed up to the Robert F. Thomas Chapel to end the tour. We were given our tour keepsake, which was a festival pin.

Tips

  • You can’t book the tour online for one person – Currently, you have to book the tour in person the day of if you are alone. This way, they know if they have enough people to form a tour group.
  • Make sure you get your passholder discount – It’s not a big discount, but every little bit helps. The day I went they had trouble applying the discount, but they ended up making it right.
  • Wear comfortable shoes – You sit for a show and in the chapel at the end. However, the main part of the tour is walking and/or standing.
  • Eat lunch before the tour – As I mentioned above, we received only a beverage on the tour. So, fill up on lunch beforehand.
  • Allow the afternoon for the tour – It’s listed as a 1.5 hour walking tour. The show was at 1 and lasted almost a full hour. The walking tour started around 2 PM and ended a little after 3. In all, it took up a little over 2 hours.

Is the I Will Always Love You Tour worth it?

This tour is currently priced at $79/person, before any discounts. Personally, I was hoping the tour would focus more on the specific festival itself. Instead, it was more of a Dollywood in general tour. I think the price is a little steep for what it entails. The Dolly Parton Experience tour is only $59/person. It doesn’t come with any meet and greets or a beverage though. I may try another festival tour or two to get a better feel for them, but I don’t know that they are a good use of time or money for most folks. I enjoyed the reserved seating and learning about the park. However, I wanted more festival specific offerings, especially the festival snacks that were promised and not delivered.

So, have you taken this tour or another festival tour? What was your experience like?

The Tour at NBC Studios Review

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While visiting New York City in January, my husband and I were lucky enough to do The Tour at NBC Studios! I didn’t find many reviews of this experience, so I thought I’d do a complete write-up of the experience.

The Tour at NBC Studios

The Tour at NBC Studios

I think everyone has watched at least one episode of a show filmed at 30 Rock or in NBC Studios in NYC. I’m talking about Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show, and the TODAY Show. The only way you can get a look at these studios is by taking the Tour at NBC Studios or attending a filming. Unfortunately, all of the shows were on holiday when we visited so we weren’t able to attend a filming. However, that meant that we got to see the two most popular studios on the tour: 8H (where SNL is filmed) and 6B (where the Tonight Show is)!

There are no guarantees which studios you will get to visit on the tour. The schedule of filming and rehearsals dictate which studios are available. However, this increases the repeatability since you don’t know which studios you will get to see this time.

The Beginning

This tour begins and ends in the NBC Studios Gift Shop in Rockefeller Center. The tour guides are two NBC pages. From there, everyone goes through a security check point. Then, you are shown a brief film about the history of the studios at Rockefeller Center. In early January, it was narrated by Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie. I assume it has been updated since Hoda’s departure from the show.

Studio 8 H

Then, the group was led out to the elevators and up to Studio 8H! I grew up watching SNL, so it was really neat to finally see where it’s filmed. It’s a much smaller space than I imagined. They told us all kinds of facts about the show. They say the best seat to view the show is on your couch because it can be difficult to see everything live. It was surreal to spend several minutes just sitting in the audience and looking at the stages while discussing the show. We also got to walk down the hallway leading to the Studio to look at pictures of the cast and famous sketches over the years. It was a quiet place, but it was easy to imagine it being lively when they are preparing for a show. We also got to see a few costumes, including The Target Lady!

Studio 6B

Next up, we went back to the elevators to visit Studio 6B! We got to peer in the studio used for Kelly Clarkson’s show but couldn’t actually go in. We learned a little about the history of The Tonight Show and about Jimmy Fallon bringing it back to NYC. Then, we got to enter the studio and sit in the very back of the audience. I will admit, it reminded me of riding the Jimmy Fallon ride at Universal Orlando. Nonetheless, it was a really neat experience.

Finale

Towards the end of the tour, we got to see some behind the camera stuff: where they add sound and edit videos. The grand finale of the tour is allowing the tour group to enter a recording studio to make their own show! I got to be the audio engineer who adds noises over stuff! After the tour, a link to the video was emailed to ticket holders. So, it was a really nice way to tie up the experience.

Tips

  • Not for children – Our tour group included 3 children. One of those children fell asleep in The Tonight Show studio. Then, another time two of them were crawling around in the floor. The minimum age requirement for the tour is 8, but I think that’s too young. Only the last little bit was hands-on. It was more engaging than the Rockefeller Center Tour, but still probably best for older kids.
  • Buy tickets 3-4 weeks out – The site doesn’t sell tickets too far in advance. I purchased ours on December 21st for early January.
  • Buy souvenirs after the tour – This way, you don’t have to carry it around. Also, your pin from the tour gets you 10% off your purchase!
  • Great for fans of NBC shows – I don’t think this tour is worth it if you don’t already have an interest in these shows. Your time and money is better spent doing one of the many other things available in NYC.
  • No pictures or videos allowed – You won’t be doing this tour for YouTube or Instagram. They don’t allow videos at all. The only photo I was allowed to take was of the NBC peacock carpet in the elevators. So, go in for the knowledge/experience and not photos.

Is The Tour at NBC Studios worth it?

It’s $48/a person for this tour. I found that to be reasonable, but I am used to theme park prices. Plus, I’m a fan of the shows filmed here. However, if you aren’t a fan of the shows, then it’s probably not worth it. Have you ever taken this tour? Which studios did you see?