Thanksgiving at Dollywood, the iconic theme park owned by country music legend Dolly Parton, turned into a chaotic scene as thousands of guests found themselves locked out amid overwhelming holiday crowds. The beloved Tennesee destination, known for its family-friendly atmosphere, thrilling roller coasters, and seasonal festivities, became a hotbed of frustration for many visitors who took to social media to share their experiences.
Dollywood Overwhelmed by Holiday Crowds
Dollywood has long been a must-visit destination during the holiday season. With its dazzling Christmas lights, heartwarming shows, and seasonal treats, the park transforms into a winter wonderland, drawing fans from across the country. However, Thanksgiving weekend, one of the busiest times of the year, pushed the park to its limits.
Guests like Kim Fox Walker shared their frustrations online, describing the chaos they encountered. “Dollywood is super crowded,” Walker wrote in a Facebook post alongside a photo of a gridlocked parking lot. “It’s taking an hour just to get to the parking lot. It’s not a good week to visit.”
Walker’s post quickly amassed thousands of likes and comments from other frustrated Smoky Mountain theme park guests. One user vented, “Definitely not worth the money,” while another added, “[Dolly Parton] gets richer and we get aggravated at ourselves. Makes no sense.”
Critics and Defenders Clash Online
While some guests directed their ire at Dollywood, others criticized fellow visitors.
“You can’t go to a tourist attraction on one of the busiest weeks for a tourist attraction and complain that the tourist attraction is busy,” one commenter argued. Another added, “That’s why you go at a better time of year.”
Still, some Dollywood fans defended the park, sharing tips for navigating the crowds. “Me and my family went on Tuesday,” one guest shared. “Got there an hour before the park opened, got to ride all the rides and do shopping. It was a great time.”
“Me and my family went yesterday got there drove right in to park walked over to the tram and hopped on and and was right on over to the entrance walked in without having to wait did have to wait on some of the rides later in the day but had a great time enjoyed the light’s,” said another.
Have you visited Dollywood? Share your experience with Disney Dining in the comments.
Please…..do NOT begin a sentence with, “me”. You never begin a sentence with, “me”, ever. Always put the other person or people first, and then use, “I”, instead of, “me”.
❤️THANK YOU!
What frustrates me is when people keep right on using the “Tom and I ” in the middle of sentences, especially “news readers” and Podcaster who should know better.
If you are unsure of how to use “me” verses “I”, simply leave off the “Tom and” and read the sentence without those 2 words.
We went on Black Friday and while.crowded it.was an enjoyable.visit. Crowds are always going to be there- especially since Dollywood is the #1 Theme Park above both Disney parks, Six Flags parks, and Cedar Fair parks. Just go, plan more than one day if needed, and enjoy the best park not only in the US but in the world!
Be glad that Dollywood limits capacity. Six Flags doesn’t care. They will pack them in and collect entry and parking and could care less how crowded it gets. If you complain the just say Sorry. You may ask how do I know all this? I was a former Host in security. I have a totlal of 10 years their since 1962.
We’ve been to Dollywood several times. During Halloween and Christmas. We loved the experience every time. As far as the comments about Dolly getting richer. She is one of the few rich that gives back to her community. She does a lot of good. Please read about it before you make comments like that.