Dollywood Characters

Title: Dollywood Character Guide

Author: Joshua Hodge

Published: October 26, 2022

Category: Entertainment

Dollywood is the home to an array of friendly characters waiting to meet you. Who is who, and where do you find them? Let me break it down for you, and come meet them for yourself!

Benjamin Bear

This cheery black bear lives in Wildwood Grove at Dollywood. He became friends with the local fairies, Flit and Flutter. They made him a necklace from the leaves of the Wildwood Tree which he wears as a token of their friendship. Benjamin is just four years old and loves taking pictures with guests.

Flit and Flutter

Flit and Flutter are the two resident fairies of Wildwood Grove. They say they live up in the Wildwood Tree but come down to interact with guests. In Wildwood Grove, Flit is described as the playful and sometimes clumsy one, while Flutter is graceful and more musically inclined. Both have a fascination with bubbles. They usually come down only one at a time to meet and take pictures with guests.

Insider Tip: Benjamin Bear, Flit and Flutter are usually seen just below the Wildwood Tree.

Apple Jack

You’ll likely hear Apple Jack before you see him. He’ll be picking his banjo, entertaining guests as they walk through Craftsman’s Valley. This apple picker usually wears his plaid shirt, overalls and a straw hat. Dolly Parton sings about him in her song “Apple Jack.” She sings, “He was loved by everyone he ever knew.”

Inside Tip: Not only is Apple Jack seen around Craftsman's Valley, but he sometimes makes an

appearance in the Heartsong Theater during the Heartsong show.

Miss Lillian (The Chicken Lady)

One of the most unique and energetic locals you’ll find in Dollywood is Miss Lillian. She aims to brighten people’s days all the more at Dollywood, playing her ukulele or banjolele and singing songs. These songs are oftentimes impromptu and all related to chickens. She is dressed head to toe in chicken themed clothes and is often carrying numerous rubber chickens. If you’re lucky she’ll even give you a chicken blessing. What does that mean? You’ll just have to meet her to find out. You certainly won’t regret it. She also is the only character with her own restaurant, Miss Lillian’s Smokehouse. You’ll usually find her just outside her restaurant near the Grist Mill

Frances

Frances is Dollywood’s mega-fan and park know-it-all. He’s a bit on the quirky side and embraces it. He often wears a sweater vest covered in Dollywood pins, mismatching tube socks, and a colorful umbrella. He’ll tell you all about the park and field any questions while throwing in some great jokes and puns along the way. It’s his favorite thing to do! Frances is found all over the place. I’ve seen him before on Showstreet and Market Square. I heard he also has a special connection with Jukebox Junction as he used to be a host in the Pines Theater.

Buzz

This vulture may often be overlooked when considering the characters of Dollywood, but he deserves his place in this list. He is one of the resident vultures of the Mystery Mine. You’ll always find him just out front of the Mystery Mine in Timber Canyon, telling stories and warning people of the mysteries within.

Big Bear

The legends and rumors are plentiful about this character. A few have claimed to have heard him. Some say they’ve even seen him. They say he is five times as large as your typical bear, runs faster than a horse and can throw a boulder a hundred yards. None of this can be confirmed. They say he is the one to blame for when anything goes haywire in Wildwood Grove, and it’s been said he has quite an appetite for cinnamon bread.

Insider Tip: Join Ned Oakley and his expedition in search of Big Bear on the new attraction “Big

Bear Mountain” coming to Dollywood Spring 2023.

The Harvest Festival Characters

During the Harvest Festival you’ll find a slew of unique characters in addition to the regulars. Most of them you'll find around the colossal pumpkin tree in The Plaza at Wilderness Pass. There’s the Pumpkin Master dressed in purple tuxedo and a pumpkin adorned top-hat, Pumpkin Penny and Pumpkin Polly dressed all whimsical for the season, Harvey the Pumpkin, Patches the Scarecrow, and the new Hoot Owl. What are all of their stories? You may just have to come to Dollywood and find out!

The Smoky Mountain Christmas Characters

Did you know Santa Claus has a cabin in the Smoky Mountains he likes to come visit during the Christmas season (that is when he can take a break from his workshop in the North Pole)? Did you know that the cabin is located in Dollywood? That’s right! You can come meet Santa for yourself during the Christmas season, and he has been known to bring some elves, special reindeers and other friends from the North Pole from time to time.

Retired Characters

Dollywood has had various characters throughout the years in Jukebox Junction. Many long-time guests fondly remember a used car salesman who comically tried to sell a problematic vehicle and an officer who would playfully threaten citations for trivial things, such as a shirt not tucked in or a cap on backwards. There too, by the replica of Cas Walker supermarket, roamed a hunter named Cas and his hound, Walker.

Elsewhere in the park guests may have come across The Rainmaker, who would have his own water involved street performance. There was also Dollywood’s own eccentric Mayor and Trapper and Baxter Bear who loved to sport their Tennessee wear. A few seasonal characters have come and gone, including Scrooge at Christmas. Apparently not every guest was aware this was the character of Scrooge and thought he was just an unhappy and unfriendly man roaming the park. I’m sure, however, that the Christmas spirit at Dollywood eventually warmed his heart. Many of the retired characters at Dollywood existed thanks to the creative genius and talent of John Lyon’s, a long-time entertainer and host at Dollywood.

Future Characters

Who else could be coming to Dollywood? The place is ever-expanding and drawing in all sorts of character and talent. Come to the park and meet the local characters yourself, snap some pictures, make some memories. Perhaps meet someone entirely new!

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse