Just wondering if there are any good out-of-the ordinary tips for visiting Dollywood, especially with some young kids. I'll be there October 26 and love rides and good and good shows and avoiding lines and keeping munchkins and thrill-seeking adults happy.
My first recommendation would be to consider staying at one of Dollywood's resort hotels that provide Time Saver for resort guests. I've never visited the park during this time of the year, but Dollywood can get really crowded with lines on many popular attractions exceeding 60 minutes and shows quickly filling up with guests getting in line for the next performance the moment the previous performance ended.
As far as other strategies, many general theme park strategies would apply like showing up to the front gate BEFORE the official opening time and planning to stay at the park until closing (perhaps leaving midday for rest). I would also recommend downloading the park's app so you can stay updated on current wait times and attraction availability (and performance times). It would also make sense to tour the park in a very systematic manner so you don't have to backtrack. Dollywood's layout is a big circle, so you should do attractions as you get to them. Depending on the size and age of the kids in your party, I would probably recommend starting in Wildwood Grove - the newest area of the park with the most accessible coasters (Dragonflier - Vekoma family invert and Big Bear Mountain - launch Vekoma family coaster). If the kids are too small for those coasters, you might want to start your day to the right in Jukebox Junction and Country Fair where there are a lot more little-kid rides (as well as Lightning Rod for the adults). I would take a look at the park's app to see what attractions your kids can ride based on the various height restrictions.