Laughing Lindsay

Travel Reviews, Giveaways, & More!

Spring at Dollywood

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Now that it’s mid-March you may be wondering what you can expect during spring at Dollywood. I visited last year around this time, so I thought I would share some highlights of this season at the theme park!

Spring at Dollywood

Spring at Dollywood

In recent years, Dollywood has hosted different festivals depending on when you visit. There’s the classic Dollywood: Flower & Food Festival as well as the newer I Will Always Love You Music Festival. I’ve been lucky enough to visit the park for both festivals and will highlight some of the things at each of them in this post.

I Will Always Love You Music Festival

If you are planning to visit the theme park between mid-March and mid-April, then you can enjoy the newest event at DW: I Will Always Love You Music Festival. This event celebrates Dolly’s hit song! The park will be highlighting song writing as well as Dolly’s style of music in general during this event. In 2025, I wrote a I Will Always Love You Music Festival Guide detailing what fun there is to be had during this celbration.

Since this event celebrates the anniversary of the song being written, it makes sense that there’s so many performances to catch! Plus, the regular entertainment around the park will incorporate some of Dolly’s favorite songs into their performances! Check out the park’s schedule when you are visiting to see which special performances you can catch during this event.

There’s also some special event decorations in the Showstreet area as well as Market Square! You can also find and purchase some special event merchandise! Plus, there’s some special event foods throughout the park to sample! Overall, this is a great addition to the park.

Flower and Food Festival

If you are heading to Dollywood from mid-April to early June, then you can experience the beautiful Flower and Food Festival! This is a great event as there are so many great things to see and eat! I loved walking around and taking pictures of the wonderful Mosaicultures. Plus, don’t miss the wonderful umbrella sky! You can view both of these things as well as some food in my Instagram post below!

When my mom and I visited last year, it was a rainy day. However, it was still nice to walk around the park and take pictures. We really enjoyed getting a sampler pass and trying all different kinds of foods from the festival. You can see even more food in this other Instagram post:

Spring Fun

As you can see, there’s lots to see, hear, and eat when you take a spring at Dollywood visit! So, do you have plans to visit during either of these festivals? If not, I highly recommend visiting during summer at Dollywood! Additionally, Christmas in the park is awesome as is their Great Pumpkin Lumi-Nights!

Camp Margaritaville Pigeon Forge TN Lodge Review

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Last year, I stayed at The Lodge at Camp Margaritaville Pigeon Forge in Tennessee with my mom for two nights. Having stayed at and written about the resort in Gatlinburg as well as the Inn in Pigeon Forge previously, I thought we might enjoy this one as well. Plus, with it being newer, it had some great rates!

Camp Margaritaville Pigeon Forge

Camp Margaritaville Pigeon Forge

Camp Margaritaville Pigeon Forge is technically an RV Resort with a Lodge! I don’t own an RV, so I can’t speak to those aspects of the place. However, it did look like a nice and calm place while I was there. It also appeared that there was lots to do, particularly during warmer months! From outdoor games to a lazy river, there’s lots to keep you entertained here.

The location of this resort is ideal for going to either Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg. In fact, it would be perfect to head one direction one day and the other direction another day. It’s actually at the very end of Pigeon Forge, before you head into the woods towards Gatlinburg. It can be a little difficult to find in the dark the first time though as it’s off the main road.

The Lodge

As I said in my previous Margaritaville property reviews, my mom grew up at the beach and loves that vibe. So, we enjoy visiting these places when we can. Personally, I really like that each one features a soothing turquoise in their color palettes. I think that this new Camp Margaritaville theme makes it an even better fit for this area as it makes it more outdoorsy. I think it would be great to return for a summer stay here.

The Standard Room

We found our room to be more than adequate in terms of size. In fact, it felt huge with lots of extra room! The beds were comfortable enough and I loved the decor. I liked the shower, but was disappointed to discover that there wasn’t a shower shelf! I also would have like more towel hooks to hang our towels on. In that sense, it seemed like it had just opened and was missing a few touches.

Another thing that I was disappointed with was the loud music. I know they are trying to set a relaxing/party mood here. However, I don’t need to hear the hallway or outdoor music from my bed. When the air wasn’t on, I could hear the music being played while trying to sleep. It wasn’t obnoxiously loud, but it could be heard. Perhaps, it was the location of our room that allowed me to hear the music as we were at the end of the hallway near the elevator.

Overall

In conclusion, we had a nice stay at The Lodge at Camp Margaritaville Pigeon Forge. I loved the theme and decor. It’s also in a great location for exploring the area. So, have you stayed here before? What did you think?

The Best Dinner Show In Pigeon Forge, TN

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If you are planning an upcoming trip to the Great Smoky Mountains, you may be wondering what the best dinner show in Pigeon Forge is. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s not that easy to pick just one. It really depends on you and your group’s preferences. However, I can tell you which one has the best food and which is the most entertaining show, in my opinion.

best dinner show in Pigeon Forge

Best Dinner Show in Pigeon Forge

Last year, I wrote a blog post on each of the show options in Pigeon Forge, TN: Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud Show Review, Pirates Voyage Pigeon Forge Dinner Show Review, and Dolly Parton Stampede Christmas Dinner Show Review. I somewhat alluded to which one I thought was the best dinner show in Pigeon Forge in those reviews. However, today I’m going to spell it out more clearly by directly comparing the three shows. I will say that everything is subjective about these shows.

Best Dinner Food

As I said in its review, I believe the food at the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Feud to be superior to the other two shows. For starters, I love that you eat the food prior to the show here and can have seconds of anything! I also appreciate the variety of food offered here! You get BBQ pork and fried chicken! Plus, they have some really tasty rolls! Admittedly, the dessert isn’t as good as the fruit turnovers at the other shows, but the chocolate pudding is pretty good. I preferred the chocolate to the banana, for what it’s worth. So, if food is the most important part of your experience, then I would head here for sure!

Also, just for comparison’s sake, I would award Dolly Parton’s Stampede a 2nd place for food. I enjoyed having a whole small chicken to myself and loved the apple turnover. Pirates Voyage would be a 3rd place in terms of food for me. It’s not bad food, but it just wasn’t as good as the other two places.

Most Entertaining Show

My family prefers the Pirates Voyage show when it comes to the actual show. My husband is a fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and the ride at Walt Disney World. So, this show was naturally more interesting to him. However, the acrobatics and storyline also drew him in. My mom also appreciated the wow factor of the show, including the animals! Some of the tricks were jaw-dropping here and I enjoyed it both times I saw it.

All of that being said, if your family really like horses or is a little more country/rural, you may prefer Dolly Parton’s Stampede. While we personally preferred the acrobatic pirates, the beautiful horses and tricks were equally neat to see. In fact, I know lots of people I went to school with really like this show. As I said above, I think it’s really difficult to define the best dinner show as it’s all subjective!

Additionally, this doesn’t mean Hatfield and McCoy is a bad show. I really liked the clogging, as it reminded me of shows I saw as a child. I also like the diving tricks as well as the storyline. I just found the show at Pirates to be a little more impressive.

Best Dinner Show Overall

Since each of the three shows is so different, I don’t think it’s fair to crown one best overall. I think it’s better for every family to decide which show best fits their needs and interests. If you are more interested in food, go for Hatfield & McCoy. If you want to be impressed, go see Pirates. If you want to see beautiful horses, go to Dolly’s. So, what do you think is the best dinner show in Pigeon Forge, TN?

Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg Review

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My mom and I take a trip every year around this time to remember my dad and to experience the holidays somewhere new. Last year, we stayed at the Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg in Tennessee! Here’s a look at our room and what we thought about it.

Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg

Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg

As I said in my Margaritaville Island Inn Pigeon Forge Review, my mom grew up going to the beach. These beach themed resorts are perfect for her! That’s why I’ve made an effort to have us stay at all but one of these places in the Great Smoky Mountains. Plus, having stayed at several now, I know that I can trust these hotels for a great room and restful night’s sleep.

The Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg is even more unique because of its location. I loved being able to just walk down the street to enjoy everything the town has to offer! The hotel being on the main drag of Gatlinburg is definitely a huge perk of staying here! Plus, it’s towards the beginning of the street, so you don’t have to fight much traffic to arrive here. I will admit that the parking was somewhat limited. However, we were able to find a spot every time we needed one.

The Room

The rooms at the Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg are really nice! I love the color scheme as it’s really relaxing! In fact, the blue/turquoise reminded me a little bit of my blog’s color. I also enjoyed having a balcony that looked out on main street and Anakeesta! The beds were very comfortable too. One particular aspect of the room that stood out to me was the bathroom. It was the biggest bathroom I’ve ever had in a hotel! I couldn’t believe it had a separate tub and walk-in shower! You can see them in my Instagram post above.

In conclusion, I can easily recommend a stay at Margaritaville Resort Gatlinburg if you are planning to visit the area. Its walking distance to many popular attractions as well as relaxing vibes make it easy choice. Have you ever stayed here or at another Margaritaville Resort?

Christmas in the Great Smoky Mountains

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I’ve been lucky enough to experience Christmas in the Great Smoky Mountains several times. Here are my favorite things to see and do when I visit during that time of the year!

Christmas in the Great Smoky Mountains

Christmas in the Great Smoky Mountains

There is so much to see and do when you visit the Sevierville/Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg area! It can be hard to know what is worth your time and money. I think it’s even harder to decide what to do when you are visiting during Christmas in the Great Smoky Mountains. To make it easier to plan your trip, I’m going to break down your options based on the three towns you can visit.

Christmas in Sevierville

If you are visiting Sevierville at Christmastime, then I recommend checking out Shadrack’s Light Show. I experienced the show at the Smokies Stadium in 2020 and found it to be a great way to see some lights while social distancing. This light show is a drive through experience, so you can stay in your car the whole time! 2022 will be the last year it will be held at the Stadium. However, they are starting a new show at Soaky Mountain Waterpark in 2022 as well. I’m sure it will be just as fun!

Christmas in Pigeon Forge

I just did a whole post highlighting Christmas shows in Pigeon Forge. In it I discuss everything from Dolly Parton Stampede Christmas Dinner Show to the Comedy Barn! I also have to mention how amazing Christmas at Dollywood is again! Additionally, the town of Pigeon Forge celebrates the holidays each year with Winterfest! During this time, you can see all kinds of Christmas lights around town for free! Plus, they just opened the Winterfest Wonders of Light Walking Trail! You can definitely plan a few days in Pigeon Forge around the holiday season!

Christmas in Gatlinburg

Lasty but not least is Gatlinburg. Gatlinburg decorates the town with branded snowmen, as seen in the photo collage above! They dot the entire main street and it’s fun to go around to see all of the different ones! You can also visit Anakeesta for Enchanted Winter/Christmas! Anakeesta also offers Breakfast with Santa on select weekends in late November/early December. To get an idea of what to expect at Anakeesta during Christmas in the Great Smoky Mountains, you can scroll through my pictures in the Instagram post below.

There are two additional options for celebrating winter in Gatlinburg that I’ve never experienced: Ober Mountain for skiing and snow tubing as well as Lights Over Gatlinburg at Gatlinburg SkyLift Park. I’ve heard good things about each one, but haven’t had the chance to do them yet. Although, I have visited Ober during the fall and had fun there.

As you can see, there’s lots to do if you visit during Christmas in the Great Smoky Mountains. Is there another must visit on your list?

If you are planning a trip to the area during a different season, here are my other posts to help you plan: