Tripadvisor officials named Dollywood the #1 theme park in the United States and the #8 theme park in the world during the 2022 Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Awards. It’s an honor that won’t come as much of a surprise to Dollywood’s park-goers who frequently compliment Dollywood on its exemplary guest experience.
The 160-acre destination earned top honors with Tripadvisor users. Dollywood ranked #1 in the Travelers’ Choice Top 25 Amusement Parks in the United States and #8 on the Travelers’ Choice Top 25 Worldwide Amusement Parks list. The awards were calculated based on reviews and ratings from travelers on Tripadvisor during the 12-month period from May 1, 2021 through April 31, 2022.
“I’m so proud of the work my people do to make Dollywood such a great place for families,” Dolly said. “When I started dreaming up Dollywood all those years ago, I hoped it would be somewhere folks were excited to come visit and enjoy time together. To hear that they are leaving so many positive comments about their time here really shows what we’re doing is working. In the current world, I want Dollywood to be a place where the light shines every day.”
Eugene Naughton, President of The Dollywood Company, echoes the thoughts of the park’s Dreamer-in-Chief.
“We’re working every single day to ensure our guests have the best possible time while they are with us,” explained Naughton. “This award is a little bit different because there is no voting factored into these rankings. The Tripadvisor rankings come from actual reviews left by guests about their time here with us at Dollywood. It is extremely gratifying to see this recognition for the effort our hosts give to ensure our guests have an unforgettable time while they are here.
“We are humbled by the results of this ranking, as well as the recent USA Today 10Best #1 finish for Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa. These awards continue to show what we’ve been saying for so long—the Dollywood Parks & Resorts experience truly is world-class.”
According to the Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best website, “The Best of the Best Things to Do Awards are calculated based on the quality and quantity of traveler reviews and ratings for experiences, tours, activities and attractions on Tripadvisor.”
“Congratulations to the 2022 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Winners,” said Kanika Soni, Chief Commercial Officer at Tripadvisor. “The Travelers’ Choice Awards recognize the best in tourism and hospitality, according to those who matter most: actual guests. Ranking among the Best of the Best is always tough — but never more so than this year as we emerge from the pandemic. Whether it's using new technology, implementing safety measures, or hiring outstanding staff, I’m impressed by the steps taken to meet travelers' new demands."
With Dollywood ranking at #8 and Universal’s Islands of Adventure ranking at #9, American parks hold only two of the 10 spots on the worldwide theme park list. To see the full rankings, visit the Tripadvisor website.
Dollywood celebrates a year full of exceptional experiences, with each season unlike the next. Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration opens Saturday, June 18, and provides guests with extended hours and fun family festivities that will leave everyone with a smile on their face. Thousands of pumpkins glow to life this fall as part of the Harvest Festival presented by Humana (Sept. 23-Oct. 29), and the season concludes with the most popular theme park Christmas event in the world, Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana, happening November 5 - January 1.
For more information about Dollywood, please visit dollywood.com or download the Dollywood App.
For the third time since the award’s inception in 2018, Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa was named the number one Amusement Park Hotel in the country by USA Today readers in the publication’s 10Best Readers’ Choice awards.
A panel of experts and USA Today 10Best editors selected which properties and attractions would compete for titles, across several categories in the award competitions that took place in April. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa earned the top spot for best Amusement Park Hotel, while Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Cabins finished sixth in the same category.
During its history, DreamMore Resort and Spa has earned several awards, including being named one of Southern Living’s “Best Places to Stay in the South,” one of Travel + Leisure’s “25 Resorts in the US that are Perfect for Families” and the #2 Best Family Resort in 2021 by USA Today.
Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, which celebrates its seventh anniversary in July, has quickly become a sought-after resort destination. Nestled in the Smoky Mountains next door to Dollywood theme park and Dollywood’s Splash Country water park, Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa provides guests with a full-service, comfortable home-away-from-home experience that only Dolly Parton could create. Inspired by Parton’s childhood in Locust Ridge, Tennessee, a love for music and storytelling and a desire to create a place for families to grow and play, Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa brings Parton’s vision for a premiere family destination to life.
Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa has several unique areas and experiences for families to spend quality time together. Families can gather to play checkers by the fireplace in one of the resort’s grand living rooms, enjoy a glass of sweet tea in a rocking chair on one of the many porches or swap stories on one of the beautiful garden benches. The resort’s lavish 20-acre property includes premiere amenities and perks to help guests create their own special moments and memories.
Full-service dining, a full-service salon and spa, indoor and outdoor pool complexes and exclusive park privileges—like complimentary transportation to Dollywood theme park and complimentary TimeSaver passes for Dollywood rides and shows—make the property a must-visit experience. Additionally, there are a variety of on-site activities at the resort for families. Through fun-filled activities, including arts and crafts, storytelling and summertime pool parties, Camp DW is designed to inspire children’s imaginations. At night, families gather around the fireplace for a bedtime story with a book selected from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Guests also can roast complimentary marshmallows to make s’mores each night around the fire pit.
For more information about Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa and Dollywood’s 2022 season, please visit Dollywood.com.
For the third year, Dollywood’s Flower & Food Festival presented by Covenant Health, blossoms against a Smoky Mountain backdrop and welcomes guests with brilliant floral hues. During this year’s installment of the festival, happening April 22 – June 5, guests can appreciate the vibrant beauty of more than a million blooms, explore the fresh flavors of spring with an immersive tasting pass and delight in unique entertainment offerings.
In 2021, the Flower & Food Festival was honored with the inaugural Brass Ring Award for “Best New Food and Beverage Festival or Special Event” by the International Association for Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). The festival features elaborate floral installations that emerge throughout the park, creating breathtaking displays. This year, the Flower & Food Festival grows by 30 percent, thanks to new displays, entertainment and interactive elements.
Guests will be delighted by Mosaiculture icons, including a peacock, a beekeeper tending to a hive and a mallard duck. These whimsical new additions join a lineup of beloved displays: the signature butterfly umbrella, woodland animal friends and the touching depiction of Dolly’s mother crafting the Coat of Many Colors. These sculptures are designed in partnership with Mosaicultures International, a Montreal-based company that specializes in the art of elaborate floral decorations.
“Spring has always been so wonderful to me, because the flowers start growing, the sun shines for a little longer, and the birds start singing a new song,” Dolly shares. “When I was little and the weather started warming up, all us kids would gather on the porch in the afternoon and enjoy lemonade that Mama brought out for us. That’s springtime to me – getting to make memories with my family and taking in the beautiful colors everywhere.
“I hope that when families come to Dollywood during our festival, they get those same feelings of joy. This year, our guests can take a walk in my special butterfly garden and even see my Mama making my coat of many colors. I think the festival will continue to bloom even bigger and brighter right here in these beautiful mountains.”
While admiring the vivid colors blooming throughout the park, guests can explore a menu crafted with inspiration from fresh spring flavors and Smoky Mountain flair. Returning this year is the tasting pass, which allows guests to partake in multiple food items at different festival locations.
The tasting pass, which can be purchased in the park or online, is $34.99 plus tax or $31.99 plus tax for gold and diamond passholders. With this pass, guests can sample five food offerings at any Flower & Food Festival culinary location. This year’s festival menu features a Cuban sandwich with mojo sauce, Reuben spring roll, chicken and andouille skillet, beef bulgogi nachos, seafood mac and cheese, berry and honey funnel cakes and hand-decorated, flower-themed cookies and cupcakes, among many other tasty spring dishes.
A highlight of the festival this year is “Dolly’s Butterfly Garden,”an immersive experience that allows guests to interact with nature elements in a new way. Created by Montreal, Canada’s Moment Factory, this exhibit will take place in Adventures in Imagination throughout the festival. In a new show for this year, performers from Australia combine theatrical elements and acrobatics for a thrilling production called “Bloom!” that takes place high above the ground with performers situated atop sway poles. Guests will not want to miss this elevated display.
Dollywood’s streets are filled with music during the Flower & Food Festival. The Hall Sisters, an energetic quartet of country pop performers, will set the stage in Craftsman’s Valley. A returning favorite show, “A Brighter Day,” features five daily performances at the Back Porch Theater. All shows are included with park admission. A full schedule of live performances is available at Dollywood.com.
Back to provide shade along Showstreet is the mesmerizing Umbrella Sky, which brings together hundreds of colorful umbrellas in a brilliant, suspended arrangement that makes for an “Instagram-worthy” background. Guests looking to capture picture-perfect memories at Dollywood can stop by several locations in the park for an amazing photo. These stops include the Hillside Carpet Display that brings a florally-crafted sunset to Rivertown Junction, the pathways of Adventures in Imagination that are decorated with creative chalk art portraits and Dolly’s Butterfly Garden exhibit in Adventures in Imagination.
Festival elements carry over into Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa where guests find festive décor and stunning floral accents. Daily mocktails and cocktails will be served in The Lounge at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, each drawing inspiration from the essence of springtime. Families can enjoy live entertainment in the lobby atrium, festival-inspired cuisine at Song & Hearth: A Southern Eatery and festival-themed activities at Camp DW. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa hosts a Winemaker’s Dinner for guests on Saturday, May 21, inside Song & Hearth: A Southern Eatery. This unique dining experience pairs festival-inspired culinary creations with exemplary wines. Reservations for the dinner can be made by calling (865) 868-1246.
Dollywood looks forward to a season bigger and better than ever before. This is the perfect year to purchase a season pass in order to create memories with family and friends at the park all year long. Once the Flower & Food Festival is over, the fun continues with the Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration presented by Bush’s Beans (June 18-Aug. 7), which features an expanded drone and fireworks show every night. Experience the all-new Hoot Owl Hollow as part of this year’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana (Sept. 23-Oct. 29), then get in the holiday spirit with Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana (Nov. 6-Jan. 1, 2023). The celebration continues all year long at Dollywood.
For more information about Dollywood or the Flower & Food Festival, please visit Dollywood.com or download the Dollywood mobile app.
After the cold winter months, there’s so much for everyone to look forward to with the arrival of spring. The birds start chirping, the flowers start blooming and sunshine warms our days and our hearts. Dolly sends some of that sunshine our way by sharing what she loves about springtime.
“I just want to take a minute to wish everybody a happy springtime! What I love about spring is that the days start getting longer, the sun seems to shine a little brighter, and we really get to see all of God’s beauty blossom right in front of our eyes. There may be a few April showers here and there, but you know what I always say, ‘If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain!’”
Dollywood welcomes guests to celebrate the beauty of springtime during their annual Flower & Food Festival presented by Covenant Health, happening April 22 – June 5. This popular event delights guests with hundreds of thousands of brilliant flowers, truly bringing spring in the Smokies alive throughout the park. And, in 2022, this event blooms with even more fun and discovery around every corner, thanks to several new larger-than-life Mosaicultures floral sculptures.
Dolly’s Stampede in Pigeon Forge and Branson welcomes families to kick off the spring season with an evening of action-packed fun. Enjoy a bountiful four-course feast while delighting in a thrilling show filled with singing and dancing, impressive horse-riding stunts, family-friendly comedy and more.
At Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show in Pigeon Forge and Myrtle Beach, buccaneers of all ages are invited to set sail into a fun spring season. This exciting adventure features everything from pirates battling for hidden treasure to high-diving mermaids, plus a delicious Pirate Feast. Come join in the fun!
Dolly’s Imagination Library welcomes the arrival of spring by celebrating the growth of the childhood literacy program, putting free books into the hands of more children than ever before! In Canada, the Imagination Library recently kicked off the province-wide expansion of Dolly’s book gifting program across Newfoundland and Labrador. In the United States, the Imagination Library celebrated National Read Across America Day (March 2) by announcing that the program would be expanding statewide in Washington!
Dolly took the stage on March 7 to host the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards, which streamed live without commercial interruption from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Dolly’s hosting appearance marked the first time the awards show was broadcast in the streaming format, airing exclusively on Prime Video.
Dolly’s eagerly-anticipated first novel, co-authored with New York Times Best Seller James Patterson, is now available. Glittering with danger and desire, “Run, Rose, Run” is a thriller about a young singer-songwriter on the rise and on the run, determined to do whatever it takes to survive. This riveting novel is now available for purchase in hardcover, ebook and audiobook.
Dolly’s latest album, “Run, Rose, Run,” serves as a companion to the original novel, enhancing the reader’s experience with 12 original songs by Dolly that tie into the book’s story line. The album is available now on all digital streaming platforms and as a digital download, as well as on CD, standard vinyl and some special vinyl color variants.
Dolly is set to star in Hello Sunshine’s feature film adaptation of “Run, Rose, Run,” her recently-released novel, co-authored by James Patterson. Dolly and James will produce the feature alongside Reese Witherspoon and Hello Sunshine’s President of Film and Television, Lauren Neustadter.
Exclusive “Run, Rose, Run” merchandise, created for Dolly’s latest album and book release, is available now! Each item complements the story and music as told by Dolly Parton.
Spring is a time when all the world bursts forth with the beauty of new life. As sunlight breaks through the rain clouds, take time to look for the rainbows that start to appear. Let this beautiful time of year bring you joy and fill your heart with a song.
Together you and I can stop the rain and make the sun shine
Paint a pretty rainbow brushed with love across the sky
Together you and I belong like a songbird and a song
And we’ll always be together you and I
Love,
It’s time to vote for your favorite theme park, Dollywood, and let the world know why it continues to be nominated for the USA Today 10Best Awards. A leader in the theme park industry, Dollywood has once again been selected as a nominee in a variety of categories in USA Today’s 2022 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
Dollywood has earned much praise during the last several years from USA Today readers in 10Best voting, with all of its nominations typically landing near the top. In 2021, Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, as well as Aunt Granny’s Restaurant, both won their respective categories. Dollywood, Dollywood’s Splash Country, “Dreamland Drive-In” and Lightning Rod all earned top five placements. Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Cabins, also competing in the same category as DreamMore Resort, finished seventh.
This year, a panel of experts and USA Today 10Best editors selected Dollywood Parks & Resorts properties and attractions in six categories. The nominations include:
Voting opened Monday, March 28 and runs through Monday, April 25 at 11:59 a.m. A page with links to each voting contest can be found at dollywood.com/vote. Anyone is eligible to vote and may do so once per day per device. Nominees for all categories are chosen by a panel which includes a combination of editors from USA Today, editors from 10Best.com, relevant expert contributors and more.
For more information about Dollywood’s 2022 season, operating calendars and more, please visit Dollywood.com or download the Dollywood app.
