Many consider Walt Disney World to be the premiere theme park experience. For years, Disney was the gold standard for themed entertainment. However, in the past decade, the gap has started to close. Many other theme parks have popped up and provided guests with a rockstar experience. One of those parks is Dollywood, the Tennessee-based theme park owned by Dolly Parton. In the recent Tripadvisor Traveler’s Choice Best of the Best awards, Dollywood beat out the Florida park for the top spot.
Dollywood Beats Walt Disney World In Tripadvisor Rankings
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Dollywood took the top spot in the United States for theme parks. Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World took the second spot, and Hollywood Studios in Florida took number six. The park has something for everyone. There are thrill coasters for the thrill seekers but also shows, local artisan demonstrations, and so much more. Furthermore, the resort stays come with countless perks. Guests are consistently happy with the value of their trip. Dolly Parton had this to say about being named number one by Tripadvisor.
“I’m so thrilled about what our guests say about what we’re doing at Dollywood. I truly wanted Dollywood to be a place where people would be excited to visit because of the warmth and hospitality of the hosts working there and because of the natural beauty God blessed us with in the Great Smoky Mountains.”
The accolades don’t stop there for the Pigeon Forge-based park. In the international rankings, Dollywood was the only North America-based theme park to crack the top 25, coming in at number ten. For a park that not many people know about, this is impressive. However, when you look into making a visit, it isn’t hard to see why people are so impressed with the park.
Great Value
A resort stay at Dollywood gets you a boatload of perks. On the official website it lists the following as benefits for staying with them.
- Complimentary Trolley Service To Dollywood Parks & Resorts
- Complimentary Dollywood TimeSaver Passes For Resort Guests With Valid Park Admission or Season Passes
- Complimentary Package Delivery
- Daily Golden Hour Participation
- Complimentary Parking
- Onsite Ticket Planning Center
- Priority Access To Dollywood Parks
All of these perks mean once you get to your room, everything is taken care of. Built into the cost of your stay are all of these extra things. One of the disheartening parts of any vacation is feeling like you are getting nickeled and dimed. With a trip to Dollywood, guests can relax knowing everything is taken care of.
Contrast To Disney World
This is in stark contrast to what Walt Disney World has been doing in the past five years. A resort stay used to include transportation to and from the airport, free passes to skip lines and free parking. All of those perks are either gone or now paid services. It has led many people to be frustrated with the lack of value they are getting out of their resort stay. Dolly Parton’s park is keeping the value and is a fraction of the cost.
It isn’t a surprise to see Dollywood be so highly rated when you look at the facts. The list of accolades doesn’t end with Tripadvisor. Here is a list of all the awards the park has won in the past year.
- No. 1 Best park in the world (2023 Golden Ticket Awards)
- No. 1 Best family coaster, Big Bear Mountain (2023 Golden Ticket Awards)
- No. 1 Best kids’ area (2023 Golden Ticket Awards)
- No. 1 Best guest experience (2023 Golden Ticket Awards)
- No. 1 Best Christmas event (2023 Golden Ticket Awards)
- No. 3 Best theme park restaurant, Aunt Granny’s Restaurant (2024 USA TODAY 10Best Awards)
- No. 5 Best theme park (2024 USA TODAY 10Best Awards)
- No. 5 Best Roller coaster, Lightning Rod (2024 USA TODAY 10Best Awards)
While this park will never be to the level of a Disney or Universal, they know how to give a great guest experience.
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