If your going to do Dollywood...

...you must have the following things:

1. One Gold Season Pass per family
2. A refillable mug for each member of the family

We went to Dollywood today and it became clear to me that those two things were the best deals Dollywood is offering. The reason I say this is, the Gold Season Pass saves you from having to pay for parking, PLUS it saves you 20% on ALL purchases inside the park. We love getting a 20% discount on all of our food and drinks, plus it is nice getting that same discount in all of the shops. Did you know that Dolly's Closet has a wide selection of Vera Bradley items? With the Gold Pass they are always 20% cheaper than anywhere else. Also, did you know that The Emporium is now carrying Life Is Good merchandise? These items, which are hard to find on sale at other shops, are always discounted for Gold Pass holders, as well.

Now, as for the refillable mugs, yes, they are a little on the expensive side when you first purchase them (but again, save 20% with your Gold Pass). The good thing is you can reuse those mugs year after year. Dollywood doesn't have a policy that the mugs are only good for one season. We are still using mugs from 4 years ago. I don't know about you, but I think we have definitely gotten our moneys worth out of them. Also, you can ask that your mug be filled with water and there is no charge - at all. Today, we were thirsty and got an Icee in one mug and ice water in the other and it only cost, $1.71. Sure beats, the menu prices of $3.79 for an Icee (in a non-refillable cup) and $2.89 for a bottled water. See what I mean - what a bargain!

We also found a bargain for lunch. At Victoria's Parlor they have a family special on Sundays; you get a large pizza, 1 bowl of salad, 4 breadsticks, and 4 large drinks for $28.99. This was so much food. And honestly, I don't know of any other amusement park where you can feed a family of 4 for a little over $23 (remember, the 20% Gold Pass savings).

With the economy in the tank the way it is, I think a lot of families are opting not to go on vacation this year. They just don't feel they can afford the gas, hotel and entertainment. I know in our house, we are making some adjustments too, as a result of the rising gas prices. But it was nice to see that we could go to Dollywood today and it didn't break the bank. A good time was had by all; and we ate until we were stuffed and walked away leaving food behind that we couldn't finish (we were nice and offered our untouched 5 pieces of pizza, still in the box, to a large family sitting behind us).

We will definitely go back again before the summer is over and, of course, we will have to attend the Harvest Celebration and Smokey Mountain Christmas. Sometimes I forget how lucky we are to have Dollywood as a neighbor. Today, however, I was reminded of what a good neighbor it is.