The Dollywood Decline: New Park Overtakes Dolly Parton as America’s Favorite

in Theme Parks, Travel

Dolly Parton holds a microphone while standing in front of the Dollywood theme park sign. She wears a colorful, patterned outfit, fitting right into the vibrant atmosphere of Dollywood.

Credit: Inside the Magic

Every year, theme parks nationwide fight for every dollar they can get from guests. The parks build new roller coasters and attractions to bring in the theme park dollars.

Illustration of numerous dollar bills floating in the air in front of the iconic Disney castle under a clear blue sky with fluffy white clouds.
Credit: Disney/ Canva

Related: After Sudden Closure, Dollywood Guests Hit With ‘Shocking Surprise’

For decades, Walt Disney World was the leader in theme park attendance and still rules, with the Magic Kingdom being the most visited park in North America. But did that attendance dominance correlate to popularity amongst the fans? Not every time.

For years, Disney World was the most visited and popular amongst fans in almost every amusement park survey. However, in recent years, a new theme park has emerged as America’s favorite park: Dollywood in the Great Smoky Mountains.

The amusement park founded by American treasure Dolly Parton combines Parton’s downhome flair with thrill rides, a water park, and Parton’s special touch. With that combination, fans fell in love with the park in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Dolly Parton holding a guitar with the 'Dollywood Parks & Resorts" logo in the background
Credit: Inside the Magic

Related: Welcome to Dollywood: Parton Shows Ryan Reynolds Who’s the Boss

However, Parton’s reign over amusement park dominance appears short-lived. According to a new survey of theme parks compiled by Casino Sweeps, Dollywood is no longer the favorite park in East Tennessee, losing out to one of its nearby rivals.

Casino Sweeps compiled its list of North America’s favorite theme parks by looking at thousands of Google and Trip Advisor reviews and assigning a percentage to each park based on those reviews.

The top overall park was Discovery Cove in Florida, and second place was Knoebels Amusement Resort in Pennsylvania. But the third-place finisher was a bit of a surprise.

Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster in Tennessee came in third, beating out Dollywood, which did not finish in the top 10. So, what is this new park that has dethroned Dollywood? Good question.

The Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster isn’t a park so much as a single ride. According to a press release, it’s:

Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster is a mountain coaster in Pigeon Forge’s mountain resort city. According to the news release, it was the first mountain coaster built in the Smoky Mountains and is the second longest downhill track in the United States, taking 7-8 minutes to ride.

So how did this one ride in a mountain take out Dollywood? According to Casino Sweeps surveys, the ride received five stars on 81 percent of its reviews and averaged 4.5 stars on Google and 4.7 stars on Trip Advisor.

A large golden sign with the word "Dollywood," featuring a butterfly logo, stands amidst lush greenery.
Credit: Dollywood

With a competitor in its backyard, Dollywood will have to continue to improve to keep up with its neighbor or risk falling further behind the Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster.

Have you ever ridden the Smoky Mountain Alpine Coaster? What was it like? 

in Theme Parks, Travel

Be the first to comment!