We flew from Orlando to Dollywood for a weekend: Here’s what to know

Dollywood may be hundreds of miles from Orlando, but a direct flight from Orlando Sanford International Airport to Knoxville makes a weekend getaway to the Tennessee theme park surprisingly easy. We experienced the journey firsthand aboard Allegiant Air’s inaugural Dollywood fan flight, a special weekend trip featuring exclusive entertainment, park experiences and resort perks.

Dollywood and Allegiant Airlines just finished their first collaboration, taking guests from the Orlando area to Dollywood for a special weekend visit, and we were invited to take part.

Here’s what we learned about visiting Dollywood from Orlando, what made the fan flight special and what travelers should know before planning their own trip.

Trip Report: New alliance makes it easy to visit Dollywood from Orlando

We headed to the Orlando Sanford International Airport last Friday, Nov. 6 for our special fan flight #925 (get it?). The Sanford airport is a bit further from the theme parks than the Orlando International Airport, but it’s a much less stressful time, as it’s a small airport with shorter lines and fewer crowds all around.

Special themed flight #925

The flights were announced in February 2026 with Flight #925 quickly becoming one of the fastest-selling flights in Allegiant’s history.

There was a backdrop photo op at check-in near our gate. Lots of fans took the opportunity to dress up as Dolly Parton, or in tribute to Dolly. We were handed activity books and told to go to the different activity stations to complete them and get a sticker in our books.

We had fun at the different stations, got a commemorative photo, and won some prizes. 

Dollywood even flew in some entertainment for the day, as we enjoyed official Dollywood music and characters. Two butterfly girls waved to us from outside our plane once we boarded.  Butterflies are a symbol of Dollywood because Dolly loved them. When she was a little girl, she used to get in trouble for chasing them too far out in the woods from her home.  

When it was time to board, they handed us all a goody bag, which included a very cute plush cinnamon bread loaf (their cinnamon bread is a must-have when visiting Dollywood or their sister park Silver Dollar City), and some cute butterfly headbands, which made for cute photos on the plane. 

While onboard, the flight attendants handed out trivia cards, and played a game of Dollywood trivia. It was fun to be on a flight where everyone is excited and happy, rather than the usual tired and grumpy people.

The flight to McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville only takes about an hour and a half, so it seems as though you’re landing soon after the flight attendants handed out complimentary snacks and drinks. 

The next morning was our day at Dollywood before heading back to Orlando on Sunday. All of the special fan flight guests met at the park and were escorted back for early ride time on Blazing Fury, a classic dark ride/roller coaster with a funny storyline, and some creepy looking animatronics.

They also provided a continental breakfast of pastries, fruit, yogurt, and juice. 

Then we were on our own to enjoy the parks. Those staying at the Dollywood resorts received a Time Saver pass to skip the lines at most of the rides. I rode the Wild Eagle and FireChaser Express roller coasters, then my wife and I enjoyed exploring the park, shopping and trying some of the holiday foods. 

Dollywood is known for being one of the best parks to visit during the holidays. We think the start of the holiday event is one of the best times to visit. Not only do you get to enjoy their beautiful Christmas decorations, but the spectacular fall leaves provide an awesome backdrop.

We took a quick trolley ride back to our hotel to unload our merchandise purchases and rest before returning to the park for the next special fan flight event. It was reserved seating for their Christmas in the Smokies stage show.

The reserved area was in the back of the large theater so they could accommodate larger groups, so we opted to find some seats up front. All of Dollywood’s entertainment is top-notch, and this show was no exception. The singing, acting, live music, and stage sets and effects were all great. 

After that, we were on our own again until near park close. We used this time to get dinner, check out the Dolly Parton Experience museums, see the nighttime holiday decor, and get another roller coaster ride in. This time it was on the unique Mystery Mine. 

Exclusive after-hours rides on Dollywood’s newest attractions

The park closed at 9 p.m., but about an hour before, they offered the fan flight attendees some yummy goodies. We made our own hot chocolate plenty of toppings, and were able to munch on holiday kettle corn and pork rinds.

Then at park closing, we got an extra hour to ride their two newest rides: NightFlight Expedition and the Big Bear Mountain roller coaster, which are right next to each other. We were able to get two rides in on each. 

Big Bear Mountain is a terrain coaster with fast launches. The front row at night is amazing. There aren’t any lights on the track and the coaster has headlights on it, so the view of riding through the dark at high speeds with only the headlights illuminating the track is really cool. 

NightFlight Expedition is a very unique attraction. It opened earlier this year, and is only one of two rides like it in the world. (The other is in the Futuroscope theme park in France.)

Unlike the one in France, this one is totally indoors. It starts out as a typical dark ride, then moves into a Soarin’-type flying ride, then transforms into a boat ride with some roller coaster elements too. It goes forwards and backwards, and is a must-do when visiting Dollywood. It’s on par with rides at all the major theme parks. 

Is Dollywood worth a weekend trip from Orlando?

We ended the trip the next day on Sunday with a relaxing day at the resorts. We took the extra time on the last day to visit their newest resort, HeartSong, for lunch, then walked back to DreamMore before heading back to Knoxville for an evening flight home.

Experiencing this really does show how easy it is to visit Dollywood from Orlando. We are already talking about planning another visit via Allegiant Airlines, but this time renting a car and staying longer so we can easily explore all the great attractions around Pigeon Forge (like this Hasbro experience coming in 2027) and Gatlinburg. 

We hope they start offering more of these fan flight packages and make them even more encompassing by including transportation and more next time. It’s an easy, no-stress way to see one of the world’s best theme parks.