Dollywood Mountain Getaway

Smoky Mountain Christmas

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
Friday, November 7 - Sunday, November 9, 2025

We’re workin’ 9 to 5 to bring you this amazing mountain getaway!

Take us home, country roads! We hope you will join us this fall for a Blue Skies mountain getaway at Dollywood’s DreamMore resort! Cool mountain air, mountainside bonfires, beautiful autumn colors, the laughter of children, genuine bonds between family and friends with beautiful blue skies all around are what is in store for you on our fall camp!

Camp will take place in Pigeon Forge, TN at the DreamMore Resort. The resort is nestled right in the Smokies with beautiful plush outdoor gathering areas including a hot tub, playground, and firepits. The resort also has an indoor pool, a Starbucks, an ice cream shop, and a trolly to take us to Dollywood. You can read all about DreamMore here!

DREAMMORE RESORT

Our lodging will be in the stunning DreamMore Resort, surrounded by the changing fall leaves and mountain views! We will laugh, play, worship, and grow closer to one another just like at traditional summer camp!

smoky mountain christmas

Enjoy a holly, Dolly holiday season at Dollywood's Smoky Mountain Christmas and get into the holiday spirit with heartwarming holiday shows, more than 6 million lights, and Christmas trees galore! Delicious holiday feasts and treats will await you during your time on award-winning rides! From worship and sharing hearts to family fun at Dollywood, it is sure to be the best weekend ever!

WHAT TO KNOW

where

Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort

Address: 2525 DreamMore Way, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863

ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE

Volunteer arrival time: Friday, between 2pm-3pm EST

Volunteer departure time: Sunday at 10:30am EST

COST

Standard king/bunk room - TBD -weekend (includes accommodations for 2 adults along with 2 tix to Dollywood - children are additional TBD/pp) 

Jr suite - TBD -weekend (includes accommodations for 2 adults along with 2 tix to Dollywood- children are an additional TBD/pp) Limited number of Jr suites available.

Your support also helps make it possible for our guest families to come to camp at no cost. Our goal is to bring down the cost of camp for volunteers. Costs continue to rise, but we are doing all we can to hold and hopefully decrease the volunteer expense. If you need help with funding, don't hesitate to contact us. We also have a limited number of partial scholarships available.

We ask volunteers to use the Blue Skies online personalized giving campaign (GiveButter). Our staff will create a page for each volunteer upon their registration for camp. When volunteers self-fund their trip, we ask that they reach out to their friends and family through social media, calls, letters, etc. allowing others to know about their trip to Blue Skies so they can pray, learn about Blue Skies, and have the opportunity to give directly to send a child with cancer and their family to camp. So many people are unable to serve at camp yet want to help and are glad to support others who can serve in their place!

schedule

meals

We will have pizza together on our first night; for breakfast you will get a snack bag on arrival with breakfast bars. Feel free to bring yogurt, fruit, whatever you like from home or there are lots of options nearby. There is a small refrigerator in each room. You will receive gift card for lunch at a local fast food restaurant nearby the hotel or you can save it for another time and eat on your own in the park! Dinner will be on your own whether at Dollywood, in town, at the resort or delivery service.

The resort has a market pantry (https://www.dollywood.com/dreammore/dining/dm-pantry/) that sells Starbucks, ice cream, pizza, sandwiches/salads and other snack foods. They also sell their famous cinnamon bread in the market. There is a full service restaurant in the hotel along with one at the other hotel on property. Food delivery services also deliver to the resort.

travel

The nearest airport to Dollywood is Knoxville (TYS) Airport which is 25.7 miles away. Other nearby airports include Asheville (AVL) (61.7 miles).

what to pack

You won’t need much! Here are a few suggestions:

  • Comfy, casual clothes

  • We are celebrating Christmas in the Smokies on Friday night. Bring your favorite Christmas PJs, ugly Christmas sweater or Christmas costume (snowman, reindeer, movie character, etc.) to help us celebrate!

  • Remember to bring all of your family's routine medications like Advil, Tylenol, bandaids, etc. along with any prescription medications, medical supplies, and equipment.

  • Umbrella/Rain jacket (Dollywood is open rain or shine!)

  • A swimsuit if you’re up for a swim (There is a heated pool on site open until 10pm daily and an outdoor hot tub for those 16 and up open until 10pm daily! Woohoo!)

  • COMFORTABLE shoes for walking around the park on Saturday

  • Snacks, breakfast foods, refillable water bottle (you can take it into the park too!).

  • Backpack for park.

  • Warm clothes or jacket (dressing in layers helps) - in case we have a chilly weekend

  • Stroller or wagon for kids who may get tired! Strollers are available first come basis to rent at Dollywood - along with wheelchairs and electric scooters. (https://www.dollywood.com/themepark/guest-services/daily-rentals/)

guidelines

Please review our guidelines for volunteering at camp by clicking HERE. We ask all volunteers to abide by these guidelines to ensure we all have an incredible week together!

podcast

Click here to hear Melinda’s heart behind the ministry and the hope Blue Skies brought to the Dryden family as they join Christy Nockels on her podcast!

2025 volunteer manual

Click here to view our volunteer manual with lots of helpful information!

Guest family welcome letter

Click here to read a welcome from Melinda to our guest families to learn more about Blue Skies!

your role

Get ready for a weekend packed with fun! We’ll spend time connecting with our team and the families we are serving (this is your primary focus) to share with one another the hope and joy Jesus brings. You will be paired with a guest family as their Family Host to greet them at activities and help them have the best weekend ever!

housing

We will be staying at the beautiful DreamMore Resort. Each family will have their own room at the resort. Most rooms have a king bed and a set of bunks.

Cancellation Policy

If for some reason you are unable to attend once your application has been accepted, you are required to raise/give the full amount of volunteer support due OR find another volunteer/volunteer family (approved) to take your spot.