The Ultimate Guide to Dollywood by Erin K. Browne is the newest go-to guide for everything Dollywood. Nestled in the picturesque Smoky Mountains, Dollywood has earned its reputation as one of the most beloved theme parks in America, blending thrilling attractions, heartfelt entertainment, and Southern charm. But despite being so beloved, there is a definite lack of good books, especially compared to the number of books about the Disney theme parks. This unofficial insider’s guide attempts to help remedy that and is full of fun facts, recommendations and more.
Is the Ultimate Guide to Dollywood worth checking out? Here are our thoughts on whether or not you should add it to your theme park book collection.
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Things I liked About The Ultimate Guide to Dollywood
For starters, The Ultimate Guide to Dollywood is easy to read and laid out very well. The book is organized by regions of the park (Showstreet, Craftman’s Valley, etc.). Every single ride, show, restaurant, and shop are included, and I’m not just talking a quick mention or a single sentence. Every single one has a full two-page spread dedicated to it (but no more than two pages). Each attraction includes info on What, Where, Expert Tip, Why You Should See It and Park Pointers.
Every attraction also has a cute illustration to show you what it looks like and each section of the book has an illustrated map. The book looks and feels very high quality.
The book is updated through most of 2024 (was published in September 2024) and includes Big Bear Mountain and Heartsong Lodge. It will be interesting to see if the author updates the book annually or not.
Things I Disliked About The Ultimate Guide to Dollywood
The biggest downside is there are no real pictures from inside the park (probably due to being an unofficial guide). I like the style of the illustration but actual pictures would have made this book so much better.
This is a small thing, but I disliked how the sketches of the roller coasters aren’t very accurate. I realize 99% of the people who read this guide probably won’t notice or care but come on. You can literally go to Google maps and see aerial images of the outdoor roller coasters and trace the basic layout. There is no excuse for not drawing an accurate layout. If you’re not going to include real pictures, can we at least get some realism and attention to detail in the illustrations?
Sadly, Dragonflier is the most “accurate” coaster drawing in the book even drawn as two separate circuits.
Finally, instead of limiting some of the very interesting and historic attractions like Blazing Fury and Dollywood Express to the same two-page spread as every other attraction I would have loved to see the author go into even more details and interesting facts. It’s crazy that a hot dog stand gets the same amount of text as Lightning Rod.
Final Thoughts
So is the Ultimate Guide to Dollywood worth reading? I’d say, if you’ve been to Dollywood before, there isn’t really much that you’ll probably learn from this book. But if you’ve never been, this guide is a great way to prepare yourself for your first visit.
The Ultimate Guide to Dollywood by Erin K. Brown can be purchased for around $15 from Amazon.com.
See more theme park books here.
Have you read The Ultimate Guide to Dollywood? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below.
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