“Gross” and “Disconcerting” Detail at Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Generates Guest Complaints
Dollywood has long been a favorite among theme park fans, but recently, visitors have begun pointing out one unsettling detail at Dolly Parton’s iconic Pigeon Forge destination.
Since adopting the name under Dolly Parton’s partnership with Herschend Family Entertainment in 1986, Dollywood has become one of the most celebrated theme parks in the U.S., even beating the likes of Disney World and Universal in nationwide rankings.
Known for its mix of high-thrill coasters, heritage-based experiences, and Southern charm, the park draws millions of visitors annually and has won numerous industry awards.
Over the years, multiple expansions – such as Wildwood Grove and the Dollywood DreamMore Resort – have elevated its status as a year-round destination. Guests praise its immersive seasonal festivals and live entertainment, much of which draws directly from Parton’s Appalachian roots.
Still, despite its glowing reputation, not every detail has gone unnoticed.
Guests Flag Issue at Dollywood
One Dollywood guest took to Reddit to note that the theme park recently “smells strongly like NYC subway garbage.”
They went on to clarify that specifically the Main Street area underneath the kites bears an unpleasant scent and that “most of the water park smells this way. The entrance into the lazy river is terrible. I thought I would see lots of comments about this but see it mentioned nowhere. Are you guys just accustomed to it or is something wrong with our noses? Overall I liked the parks but could not ignore the trash and stale urine smells.”
It turns out they’re not the only ones to feel this way.
“We were at Splash Country last week for the first time, and the smell of urine was strong in many spots,” said another guest on Reddit. “Very gross and disconcerting.”
A third also confirmed that they’ve noticed the same thing at the water park.
While it’s not totally clear what causes the smell, guests have a few theories. “I think it’s just the buildup of ammonia in the water,” one guest said. “It was a really hot day, so it wouldn’t surprise me if all the sweat in the water started to create ammonia in the pools.”
Others have suggested that it’s a garbage dump near the theme park. “It’s the garage dump/compost plant that is a few miles from the park,” they said. “Depending on the wind you can smell it miles away even on the Tanger Mall side of Sevierville.”
Dollywood Isn’t Alone
This isn’t the first time a theme park has had to contend with reports of bad odors.
Disneyland Resort has faced similar accusations in the past. In June 2023, guests claimed that there was an overwhelming sewage-like smell outside the Anaheim theme park.
“The only negative is the smells immediately outside the park,” one wrote on Reddit. “You cannot walk down a sidewalk for more than 20 feet without smelling raw sewage. It is around the entire park perimeter. We walked down Disneyland Dr. and Katella Ave. every day and had to bring lavender oil to smell for most of the walk.”
Meanwhile, guests have repeatedly claimed that an issue at Epic Universe – which has otherwise received overwhelmingly positive reviews – is its proximity to a sewage treatment plant. Inevitably, this can mean occasional bad smells around the Universal Orlando Resort theme park.
Have you noticed bad smells at Dollywood?
