Dollywood, the iconic Tennessee theme park co-owned by country legend Dolly Parton, faced an overwhelming holiday season that frustrated many guests. Now, the park is gearing up for a fresh start by launching a massive hiring initiative to bolster its staff.
Holiday Chaos at Dollywood
Thanksgiving week is always a busy time for Dollywood, with visitors traveling to Pigeon Forge to enjoy the park’s festive atmosphere, sparkling decorations, and holiday-themed attractions. However, this year’s holiday crowds overwhelmed Dollywood’s operations.
Guests took to social media to share their frustrations about hours-long waits just to enter the park’s parking lot. Some travelers blamed the theme park for chaos in the area that locked out locals and others hoping to enjoy a Smoky Mountain holiday celebration.
Dolly Parton’s Plan to Bounce Back
Dollywood has announced plans to address its staffing shortage and improve guest experiences. According to WVLT8, the park will host a series of hiring fairs in early 2025 to fill an “abundant” number of open positions across its various departments.
Here’s the schedule for Dollywood’s upcoming hiring events:
- January 18: Sevier County High School
- January 25: Jefferson County High School
- February 1: Seymour Heights Christian Church
- February 8: Newport Community Center
- February 15: Sevierville Civic Center
- February 22: Morristown Landing
Most hiring fairs will run from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., except for the February 8 fair, which will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Dollywood will post all available roles on its website by December 30, 2024.
Roles and Benefits
Dollywood is looking to fill positions in park operations, ride operations, culinary services, merchandise, ticketing, groundskeeping, and guest services. Opportunities range from part-time positions for students to full-time roles with potential for career growth. Employees enjoy perks like free tuition, free lunch, and competitive wages.
As Dollywood prepares to celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2025, the park is working hard to ensure smoother operations and a better experience for all its guests.
Have you visited Dollywood this year? Share your experience with Disney Dining in the comments.
My husband and my mother in law and I went this past year. It was a terrible experience. As mentioned it’s over crowded parking is a joke unless you get there very early. It was so hot which I know they can’t control that but there was hardly anywhere to get in a cooler environment. The rides lines were soooo long. I’m not waiting 2 hours to ride a ride. Nope. The prices are ridiculous just like any other amusement park. It a one and done for me I will NEVER go back.