Tips for Visiting Dollywood's Splash Country Water Park

Dollywood's Splash Country water park is located in the bustling little town of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Dollywood theme park and Dollywood's Splash Country water park are both owned by country music legend/actress/businesswoman Dolly Parton but they are totally separate parks, both in price and style. Dollywood's Splash Country water park is smaller than Dollywood, cost a bit less and is all about cool, wet fun. I just returned and I'll share some tips for a fun time at Dollywood's Splash Country water park.

Dollywood's Splash Country is conveniently located just across the street from its much larger sister theme park Dollywood. Both parks are just off Pigeon Forge Parkway or the 'Parkway' as it's known by locals. The Parkway is the main thoroughfare that will take you through the family friendly tourist town of Pigeon Forge, then leads directly into the Smoky Mountains. Beautiful Tennessee scenery, mountain views and gorgeously landscaped grounds are an extra bonus when visiting Dollywood theme park and Dollywood's Splash Country water park.

One of the first things I noticed about Dollywood's Splash Country (besides how easy it was going to be for me to stay cool in Tennessee's sweltering summer heat) is its lack of country - country music that is. I've never been a big fan of traditional country music. I was pleasantly surprised to wander through Dollywood's Splash Country water park while listening to Bob Dylan classics! I distinctly recall hearing at least two Bob Dylan songs among the countless other soft rock and folk classics from my younger years. Not one traditional country music song played over the speaker system the entire day we played at Splash Country.

Tip #1 - Plan Your Ticket Purchase

The current regular admission price to Dollywood's Splash Country is $42.50 for adults, $36.80 for children ages 4 -11 (age 3 & under are free), and seniors are $40.15. If planning to visit Dollywood Theme Park and Dollywood's Splash Country, it's worth buying the "Splash & Play, 3 Days-2 Parks" tickets for admission to both parks for 3 full days. These tickets cost $82.50 for adults, $65.80 for children ages 4-11 and $82.50 for seniors.

Dollywood's Splash Country and Dollywood theme park both have several types of season tickets available as well. Prices for these vary with the amenities and include such things as discounts for food, drinks and free parking. Dollywood's Splash Country and Dollywood also have a great deal called "Purchase After Three - Next Day Free" policy. This allows any ticket purchase after 3:00 p.m. to receive the next full day included. Just don't lose those ticket stubs! They'll be needed for admission the next day.

The military discount is also worth more than an honorable mention. Dollywood's Splash Country and Dollywood give a generous 30% military discount. Military spouses must also have valid military identification cards to receive the discount and then the discount applies to children automatically when both parents show valid military i.d. cards.

Tip #2 - Locker Rental

After buying our admission tickets to Splash Country, we went straight to the locker rental booth. It's worth paying the $10.00 locker rental fee for convenience and security. Purses, wallets and keys are easily stashed in the locker for the day and $5.00 of that fee is refunded when the key is turned back in. But wait... before that cash or credit card is stashed in the locker, stop at the Sunny Money booth just a few steps away for some real convenience!

Tip #3 - "Sunny Money"

The "Sunny Money" booth is for the purchase of a waterproof wrist band to use as money for the day. It's loaded with the amount of money you choose from cash, debit or credit cards. The wristband is then scanned each time you use it to purchase food, drinks or souvenirs throughout the day. It's almost worth paying a small fee for the security and convenience, but there's not one! If you don't use the entire amount at Dollywood's Splash Country before you leave, just don't forget to stop by the "Sunny Money" booth on your way out of the park for a refund of the amount left on the wristband.

The convenience of the "Sunny Money" wristband makes the visit so much easier, especially since coolers aren't allowed in the park and there are so many places to stop for drinks and food throughout Splash Country. If you prefer to leave the park for meals, you can get your hand stamped and return later. Although there are plenty of places to get a full meal at Dollywood's Splash Country, there are also plenty of snack booths including refreshing shaved ices, ice cream, ice cold bottled drinks and fountain drinks. The "Sunny Money" wristband makes it so convenient to enjoy these treats. Dollywood's Splash Country has a cool gift shop that's also stocked with any necessary supplies, such as beach towels, swimsuits, sun screen and even swim diapers for the little ones. While on the subject of convenience, restrooms and showers are also plentiful at Splash Country.

Tip #4 - Riverside/Waterside Retreats and Canopy Rentals

Although we didn't need to rent a shady Riverside/Waterside Retreat for the day, I can think of several situations where a family would definitely want to plunk down the $125.00 per day to rent these. The retreats are covered 14 ft. by 21ft. shelters with secure storage, two ceiling fans, a satellite television, dining table with 6 chairs, 2 lounge chairs and netting-style curtains to close for extra shade. The retreats also have uncovered decks large enough to use both lounge chairs for sun bathing. They also have a private telephone which can be used for ordering food and drinks which is then delivered to your retreat.

I'm don't know how many retreats are available at Splash Country, but they are scattered throughout the park. They can be rented on a first come, first serve basis but don't count on vacancies during peak season unless reservations are made. Splash Country recommends making those reservations as far in advance as possible due to their popularity. These shaded retreats would be a great place for grandparents, young children or babies, expecting mothers or anyone who needs a respite from the sun.

There are also small partially shaded structures called Canopies to rent for $25.00 a day. Honestly, these didn't even catch my eye while at the park, so I don't even know how they look in person. I did see photos on Dollywood's Splash Country's website. They seem rather small from the pictures, but must provide at least a little shade, as well as secure storage. In all fairness, they might be awesome for all I know.

Tip #5 - Water Rides and Pools

Dollywood's Splash Country has water rides for the young, old and everyone in between. By far the most popular for children the day we visited was the "Bear Mountain Fire Tower." This is an interactive playground with several child-size slides and cannon-size water pistols, geysers and water features galore, including a large bucket at the top that fills every few minutes and at the sound of a bell it dumps 1000 gallons of cool water on unsuspecting or eagerly awaiting heads.

The "Cascades" turned out to be our favorite hang-out for the day. One end of the 4 foot pool had lots of children's attractions, small water slides and fountains, while the other end was simply a pool with gorgeously realistic looking rock waterfalls. There were plenty of chairs available, even though by late afternoon it was crowded. The "Cascades" also has cool drinks and ice cream stands in close proximity, making it even easier to want to linger. Dollywood's Splash Country also has a wave pool which we didn't get a chance to use while there. It looked fun, but there wasn't any tubes available for use, so we wandered elsewhere.

Some of the rides are listed as "high thrill" and why we decided to try one of those after lunch will remain a mystery. What was I thinking? I'd obviously had too much sun. Anyway, I managed to keep down my chili dog and made a heartfelt promise to be better to myself the remainder of the day. So you might enjoy the one thrill ride I braved appropriately called the "Raging River Rapids." Or maybe try several other high thrill rides such as "Swift Water Run", "Big Bear Plunge", "Fire Tower Falls" (TN's tallest water slide), "Mountain Twist" or "Mountain Scream." Some of these daring slides involve riding tubes and floats while others are just you, your swimsuit and jet-propelled water!

Much more my speed is the "Downbound Float Trip" which involves lazily floating in a large canal around Splash Country on a large green tube. It's relaxing, even if it gets a little crowded with tubes at times. They have smaller clear tubes for children available, but as with all of the tubes on this ride, you have to grab them when floaters return at the entrance. There are large water falls near the entrance which will give a severe soaking if your tube is lucky or unlucky enough to move that direction. This ride was self-serve at the entrance just like a pool, but there were several lifeguards stationed along the way.

"Safe-T-Zone" and Lifeguards

Speaking of lifeguards, they are plentiful at Dollywood's Splash Country. I saw them at every water feature at the park, including the platforms and climbing structures at the kid's play areas. The lifeguards aren't there just for presence, but took an active role in keeping the children safe. Every child had to take turns when going down the slides, etc. Pools were monitored constantly. There were also a large number of Dollywood's Splash Country employees all over the park for assistance if needed. Life jackets are available free of charge, as well as all rafts and tubes for the rides.

Splash Country also has a state-of -the-art wristband locator system called "Safe-T-Zone" for a $3.00 fee and we all know you really can't put a price a child's safety and your peace of mind. These electronic wristbands are electronically scanned and if a family member becomes separated, they can be located anywhere in the park in a matter of seconds. Dollywood's Splash Country is one of the few theme parks in the nation with this security feature.