Is Dollywood Better Than Disneyland?

In a surprising turn of events, Dolly Parton’s beloved theme park, Dollywood, has reigned supreme as the highest-rated theme park in the US, knocking out heavyweights Disney for the top spot. 

The top spot came as the result of the Traveler’s Choice Awards held by Tripadvisor, where all reviews for certain categories, such as restaurants or activities, are averaged out and ranked.

For the category of Amusement & Water Parks—United States, Dolly managed the best rating, with nearly 19,000 holiday-goers rating the park an average of 4.5 stars. Around 62% of raters gave the park five stars. 

Second to Dollywood was Magic Kingdom Park, located within the Walt Disney Resort in Florida, followed by Fun Spot America in third place. Disney’s Hollywood Studios took sixth place, and Disneyland Park in Anaheim took 11th place, showing a dismal fall from grace for the massive franchise. 

Reviews for Dollywood emphasised the family-friendly environment, cleanliness, and small ride wait times.

The “Dolly Parton Experience” was heavily listed as an unforgettable part of the experience, speaking of the in-park exhibition showcasing flecks of the iconic singer’s life.

The park was also praised for embracing the culture of the surrounding Smoky Mountain area within Tennessee, with traditional food, crafts, and, of course, music detailing the region's history. Being from the Smoky Mountain region herself, it’s no wonder Dolly chose to honour the area's roots.

It seems Dolly Parton is the only celeb who has branched out into the world of amusement park entertainment, leaving punters to speculate why more musicians aren’t getting involved with a good ol’ carnival-themed outing. Whose name should appear next on a theme park?

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Stretching beyond country and rock music and theme parks, a Dolly Parton-themed musical is set to take over Broadway in 2026.

Hello, I’m Dolly will see Parton partner with ATG Productions to bring the musical to the stage. Taking on a producing role, Parton will be accompanied by Adam Speers for ATG Productions and Danny Nozell for CTK Enterprises.

Making a statement on her website, Parton said about the musical, “Hello, I’m Dolly, and I lived my whole life to see this show on stage.

“I’ve written many original songs for the show and included all your favourites in it as well. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll clap, you’ll stomp; it truly is a Grand Ol’ Opera. Pun and fun intended. Don’t miss it!”

This November, Parton will also release her new album, Dolly Parton & Family: Smoky Mountain DNA—Family, Faith & Fables.

Last year, The Music locked in a cover story interview with Dolly Parton about her all-star rock and roll effort, Rockstar. You can read that here.