PIGEON FORGE, Tennessee (Sept. 8, 2025)— Dollywood added to its Amusement Today Golden Ticket Awards wins tally, earning three more world’s best honors during the annual award ceremony on Saturday evening.
The Golden Ticket Awards, the theme park industry’s most prestigious awards ceremony, took place Saturday evening at Carowinds theme park in Charlotte. Dollywood received finalist placement in eight total categories.
“We’ve really had a lot of fun this year celebrating our 40th season,” Dolly Parton explained, “and it just keeps getting bigger. We’ve already won some great awards this year, and now our friends at Amusement Todayhave honored us with a few more. I’m humbled that so many wonderful people from all around the world who have visited us feel like our park is one of the best anywhere.
“I had big dreams 40 years ago about what Dollywood could become, but even I sometimes have a hard time believing it has become everything that it is now. And you know, when we share our next big idea very soon, I think it’s going to have everyone’s dreams soaring!”
Dollywood continued its clean sweep of the Best Guest Experience category, which was first created in 2019. This marks the sixth-consecutive Best Guest Experience award for Dollywood (Golden Tickets were not awarded in 2020). The Best Guest Experience award combines several attributes—including friendliness, cleanliness, operations and value—into the judging criteria for the award. Dollywood is the only park to ever win the award, a nod to its friendly and welcoming hosts, as well as its clean appearance and overall atmosphere.
“Capturing the hearts of its visitors is vital to a guest experience in a theme park,” said Tim Baldwin, Golden Ticket Awards Communication Coordinator, Amusement Today. “When guests spend the day enjoying rides that are unique and notable, eating delicious food, experiencing different forms of entertainment from craftsmen to shows and are continuously treated like family, it’s a winning formula. Dolly has said they don’t do what they do to win awards — but they deserve them! Guests love how they feel when they visit. It’s those moments you remember for your whole life.”
Dollywood’s Wildwood Grove also earned its sixth consecutive award for Best Kids’ Area. The park first won this award in 2019 after that season’s opening of the expansive new area. Wildwood Grove includes several family friendly rides and attractions including two guest-favorite roller coasters, Big Bear Mountain and Dragonflier.
New in 2023, Big Bear Mountain earned its third consecutive win in the Best Family Coaster category. With three launches, on-board audio, plenty of airtime and a number of thrilling moments, Big Bear Mountain has quickly become one of the park’s flagship attractions.
“When people think of ‘family rides,’ they think of small versions of things; big rides are supposedly reserved for thrill seekers,” noted Baldwin. “But Big Bear Mountain was a big investment. Investing in families is never the wrong decision.”
Dollywood also placed in several additional categories. Dollywood’s 40th season retrospective show, “Play On,” finished second for Best New Show, while the park was ranked #3 for Best Park. Dollywood also was named the third Most Beautiful Park in the world. Dollywood’s thrilling Thunderhead coaster remained ranked in the Best Wooden Roller Coaster category, finishing as the fifth best wooden coaster in the world. Dollywood’s Splash Country earned a fifth-place finish in the award for Best Water Park.
“The fact that Dollywood is a finalist in so many categories speaks toward the decisions that bring people back time and time again,” Baldwin said. “What was once a small park in 1986 is now globally known. People come from around the world to embrace this atmosphere. It’s a treat, time and time again.”
One honor routinely won by the park, Best Christmas Event, was retired in 2024 after Dollywood won the award for 15 consecutive years. Golden Ticket Awards staff opted for retirement and then named Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas as the legend for Christmas theme park events.
“I can speak for everyone at Dollywood Parks & Resorts when I say that earning awards like these is humbling,” said Eugene Naughton, Dollywood Parks & Resorts President. “All of us greatly anticipate the Golden Ticket Awards ceremony each year because the awards validate that our efforts and the hard work of all of our hosts are resonating with our guests. We don’t create the industry’s best guest experience because we want to win awards for it, though, we do it because we want our guests to enjoy the ultimate theme park destination—a place filled with joy, hospitality and unforgettable memories.”
“Additionally, with the current environment, we think it is important to provide the best possible value for those who choose to spend their money by visiting the park. We want to thank the Golden Ticket voters for recognizing how unique Dollywood is within our industry. The theme park industry is in an exciting place right now, and we plan to remain among the leaders.”
Calculated from an international poll conducted by Amusement Today, the industry’s leading trade publication, the Golden Ticket Awards are the result of a detailed survey sent to a database of hundreds of experienced and well-traveled amusement park fans, industry journalists and ride manufacturers around the world in balanced geographical regions. Voters are asked to rate the “best” in a number of categories such as best parks, roller coasters, water rides, food and more. The pool of eligible voters changes every year to ensure the same votes are not cast each season.
The Golden Ticket Awards are the most sought-after awards in the business of amusements and attractions. The awards have become the subject of much discussion by park aficionados the world over and have garnered mentions throughout notable media outlets. The awards also were the topic of a one-hour Travel Channel documentary.
Dollywood’s 40th season continues with the Harvest Festival presented by Humana (Sept. 12- Oct. 27) which celebrates the beauty of fall with thousands of carved pumpkins, spirited performances from talented singers and the fun of Great Pumpkin LumiNights. Great Pumpkin LumiNights, which has been named the best theme park harvest event in the world, features elaborate displays that are fun for every member of the family. Creative culinary items, accomplished artisans and fall fun in the Smokies make this a picture-perfect time to enjoy Dollywood.
Several headline artists visit the park during the festival including Triumphant Quartet (Sept. 15-19), Keith Anderson (Sept. 20-21), The Grascals (Sept. 22-24), Lee Roy Parnell (Sept. 28), Sidewalk Prophets (Sept. 29- Oct. 3), Rhonda Vincent & The Rage (Oct. 5-7; Oct. 13-14), Emily Ann Roberts (Oct. 8-12) and Dailey & Vincent (Oct. 15-19).
The industry’s Best Theme Park Christmas event—Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana (Nov. 1- Jan. 4, 2026)—concludes the park’s 2025 season with six million lights, festive holiday shows and the warm Christmas atmosphere guests have come to expect during this joyous time of year.
For more information about Dollywood events, please visit Dollywood.com or download the Dollywood app.
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About Dollywood Parks & Resorts: A highly awarded and widely recognized leader in the amusement industry, Dollywood Parks & Resorts—which celebrates its 40th anniversary season in 2025—consists of the 165-acre Dollywood theme park; the 35-acre Dollywood’s Splash Country; and two award-winning resort properties: Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, and Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort. As unique as its namesake and owner Dolly Parton, Dollywood is the 2010 Applause Award winner, the theme park industry’s highest accolade; winner of 64 Golden Ticket Awards; and recipient of 28 Brass Ring Awards for Live Entertainment. The park is located near Great Smoky Mountains National Park and earned the Golden Ticket Award for the Best Park in the world in 2023. In 2022 and 2024, Dollywood was named by Tripadvisor as the #1 theme park in the country based on actual guest reviews. It also has been recognized as a top U.S. theme park by USA Today on multiple occasions. Dollywood is open mid-March through early January and offers rides and attractions, shows and crafters authentic to the East Tennessee region. Dollywood’s Splash Country, recognized by the Travel Channel and Tripadvisor as one of the country’s most beautiful water parks, operates from mid-May to mid-September. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa as well as Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort provide guests with spectacular mountain views and family-friendly amenities next door to Dollywood theme park and Dollywood’s Splash Country. For more information, visit dollywood.com. Operating days and hours vary.
Media Contacts:
Pete Owens: Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations, (865) 428-9486, (865) 755-7972 or [email protected]
Wes Ramey: Public Relations Director, (865) 428-9484, (865) 640-3805 or [email protected]
Ellen Liston: Public Relations Manager, (865) 428-9629, (865) 919-7001 or [email protected]
Jennifer Webb: Sr. Publicist, (865) 428-9602, (865) 323-7584 or [email protected]
For B-roll, photography and more information, visit the Dollywood Media Room at http://www.dollywood.com/Media/Media-Room