Pigeon Forge theme park earns Best Guest Experience, Most Beautiful Park, Best Kids’ Area and Best Family Coaster
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (Smokies.LIVE Adventure Center) — Dollywood is bringing four more Golden Ticket Awards back to Pigeon Forge after earning more “best of” honors than any other theme park in the world at this year’s annual awards ceremony.
The Golden Ticket Awards, presented by Amusement Today, were held Saturday at COTALand, a new theme park at the Circuit of the Americas Formula 1 track in Austin, Texas.
Dollywood won four categories and was recognized in two additional categories.
The park continued its unprecedented run in the Best Guest Experience category, earning the honor for the seventh consecutive time the award has been presented. The Golden Ticket Awards were not held in 2020.
The award considers several aspects of the guest experience, including friendliness, cleanliness, ride operations and value. Dollywood is the only park to have won the category since it was introduced in 2019.
Dollywood also captured the Most Beautiful Park award, recognizing its setting in the Great Smoky Mountains. The park last won the category in 2024.
Wildwood Grove earned its seventh consecutive Best Kids’ Area award. The area debuted in 2019 and features family attractions including Big Bear Mountain and Dragonflier. The recently opened NightFlight Expedition is also located in Wildwood Grove.
Dollywood’s Big Bear Mountain earned its fourth consecutive Best Family Coaster award. The coaster opened in 2023 and features three launches, onboard audio and multiple airtime moments.
“We are incredibly humbled by these recognitions from Amusement Today,” said Eugene Naughton, president of Dollywood Parks & Resorts. “We don’t set out to win awards. Just like Dolly always wanted, we set out to create experiences that bring families together and give our guests memories they will carry with them long after they leave the Great Smoky Mountains.”
Naughton said the park’s hosts play an important role in the guest experience and said the recognition reflects their hospitality and attention to detail.
Dollywood also finished second in the Best Park category, behind Europa-Park in Germany, and its Thunderhead wooden coaster placed sixth in the Best Wooden Roller Coaster category.
The park’s Best Christmas Event category was retired in 2024 after Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas won the honor for 15 consecutive years. Amusement Today subsequently named the event a legend in the Christmas theme park category.
The Golden Ticket Awards are based on an international poll conducted by Amusement Today. Voters include amusement park enthusiasts, industry journalists and ride manufacturers from around the world.
The awards come as Dollywood begins its fall season with the Harvest Festival presented by Humana, running through Oct. 31. The festival features carved pumpkins, live entertainment and Great Pumpkin LumiNights.
New this year is Harvey’s Boo Bash, a separately ticketed, after-hours Halloween event.
The season will conclude with Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana, scheduled for Nov. 6 through Jan. 3, 2027. The holiday event will feature millions of lights, Christmas shows and seasonal attractions.
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