Dollywood Collects Four Golden Ticket Awards

Dollywood earned four “best of” awards, placed as a finalist in six additional categories and had attractions listed on Amusement Today’s annual Best Wooden Roller Coaster and Best Water Ride lists at the magazine’s 2014 Golden Ticket Awards Ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 6 at SeaWorld San Diego.

“It truly is an honor for Dollywood to win four more Golden Ticket Awards this year,” said Dolly Parton. “When I started dreaming up Dollywood all those years ago, even I couldn’t have imagined how much people would love it! We celebrate our 30th anniversary next year, and these awards prove that our guests absolutely love what we’ve been doing for all these years! They also show how dedicated The Dollywood Company team is to giving our guests a great experience when they visit us. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!”

Dollywood’s four Golden Ticket Awards include:

• Best Food, for a third consecutive season;
• Friendliest Park, another third consecutive win;
• Best Shows, Dollywood’s sixth consecutive victory in this category;
• Best Christmas Event, the only park to ever earn this award, Dollywood celebrates its seventh consecutive win.

Dollywood also ranked in six additional categories:

• Best Park, third place;
• Best Waterpark for Dollywood’s Splash Country, third place;
• Cleanest Park, second place;
• Best Wooden Coaster for Dollywood’s Thunderhead, fifth place;
• Best Water Ride for Dollywood’s Mountain Slidewinder, fifth place;
• Best Landscaping, fourth place.

According to an official with Amusement Today, no park has been a finalist in ten categories in a single season. Calculated from an international poll conducted by Amusement Today, the industry’s leading trade publication, the Golden Ticket Awards are the results of a detailed survey sent to a database of experienced and well-traveled amusement park fans around the world in balanced geographical regions. Voters are asked to rate the “best” in 25 categories such as best parks, roller coasters, water rides, shows, landscaping and Halloween and Christmas events.

The Golden Ticket Awards are the most sought after awards in the business of amusements and attractions. The awards have become the subject of much discussion by park aficionados the world over and garnered mentions in such notable media outlets as USA TODAY and the Chicago Tribune, and by the late radio newsman Paul Harvey. The awards also were the topic of a one-hour Travel Channel documentary.

Dollywood was recognized in 2010 at the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions with the Applause Award in recognition of a park whose management, operations and creative accomplishments have inspired the industry with its foresight, originality and sound business development.

About The Dollywood Company: A highly awarded and widely recognized leader in the amusement industry, The Dollywood Company consists of the 150-acre Dollywood theme park; the 35-acre Dollywood’s Splash Country; Dollywood Cabins; and Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort, scheduled to open in 2015. As unique as its namesake and owner Dolly Parton, Dollywood is the 2010 Applause Award winner, the theme park industry’s highest accolade; the reigning six-time Golden Ticket Award winner; and recipient of 21 Brass Ring Awards for Live Entertainment (more than any other theme park in the world). Open nine months a year (late March through early January), Dollywood offers rides and attractions, shows, and a dozen crafters authentic to the East Tennessee region. Dollywood’s Splash Country, recognized by the Travel Channel as one of the country’s most beautiful waterparks and named 2009’s Must-See Waterpark by the International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions, operates from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Dollywood Cabins offers luxurious cabin accommodations overlooking Dollywood. Opening in 2015, the 300-room Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort will provide guests spectacular mountain views and family-friendly amenities next door to Dollywood theme park and Dollywood’s Splash Country. For more information, call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD or visit dollywood.com. Operating days and hours vary.