Dollywood has once again ranked above Disney parks taking the Amusement Today Golden Ticket Award for Best Guest Experience. This marks the sixth time the Tennessee theme park has achieved that honor. The park secured three major awards in total at the same ceremony: Best Guest Experience, Best Kids’ Area, and Best Family Coaster.
The famous Dollywood Eagle – Photo Credit: Marvin Montanaro
The 2025 Golden Ticket Awards were announced on September 6, 2025. Dollywood was the winner in the Best Guest Experience award category, maintaining its long‑winning streak.This marks the sixth consecutive year that Dollywood has been ranked above both Disney and Universal parks in the guest experience category.
Since this category was introduced in 2019, Dollywood has taken the gold. It does so for the sixth time in 2025. #GTA2025 #BestOfTheBest pic.twitter.com/NXUPf9ddIR
— Amusement Today (@amusementtoday) September 7, 2025
Dollywood’s Wildwood Grove claimed Best Kids’ Area, a category it has held since opening in 2019. The park’s largest expansion to date, the area invites guests to enter through a hollow log and explore a landscape inspired by Dolly Parton’s childhood imagination of the Smoky Mountains.
Central to the design is the Wildwood Tree—a towering 50–55 ft centerpiece adorned with thousands of butterflies that illuminate in a nightly light show. The area includes a variety of family‑oriented attractions, such as Dragonflier (a suspended family coaster), Great Tree Swing, Treetop Tower, The Mad Mockingbird, Black Bear Trail, Hidden Hollow (a climate‑controlled play zone), and Wildwood Creek (an interactive splash area with musical elements). Adding to the immersive setting are live character meet‑and‑greets with figures like Benjamin Bear, Flit, and Flutte.
The main sign at Dollywood. Photo Credit: Sarah Stierch (CC BY 4.0)
The newly established Best Family Coaster award went to Dollywood’s Big Bear Mountain. This launching steel roller stretches 3,990 feet, making it the longest coaster in the park.
Big Bear Mountain features three magnetic (LIM) launches, numerous airtime hills (23 in total), high‑speed carousel turns, tunnels, and a dramatic pass behind a waterfall while reaching speeds up to 48 mph and a maximum height of 66 feet. It also marks Dollywood’s first coaster to include onboard audio, with trains styled as four‑wheel‑drive SUVs equipped with headlights and taillights, seating 20 riders per train with a 39‑inch minimum height requirement.
Dollywood’s Famous Cinnamon Bread
Amusement Today conducts its Golden Ticket Awards annually through votes cast by experienced travelers, industry professionals, and enthusiasts.
Dollywood’s sixth win in Best Guest Experience demonstrates the park’s ongoing emphasis on service quality, family amenities, and immersive attractions. While the precise vote margins are not public, such consistent recognition indicates sustained excellence.
Universal Also Wins Big
Epic Universe’s opening year debuted with four tops wins as well.
- Best New Roller Coaster: Stardust Racers
- Best New Attraction Installation: Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry
- Best New Theme Concept: Dark Universe
- Best Dark Ride: Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment
Universal’s Volcano Bay took Best Water Park, stealing it from the 26-year winner, Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort in New Braunfels, Texas.
The exterior of Monsters Unchained at Epic Universe in Universal Orlando – Photo Credit: That Park Place
Golden Ticket Awards Communications Coordinator, Tim Baldwin, commented about Epic’s achievements.
“It was Universal’s year, unquestionably,” he said. “There was so much build-up to this park’s opening, dating back before the pandemic. And they pulled it off. The awards alone demonstrate that Universal really delivered the goods.”
Having just opened in May, Epic is already stealing the attention of theme park fans and experts.
Disney Parks Falling Behind
Meanwhile, the Disney Parks are falling behind. There was one mention, with Guadians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind taking 18th for steel roller coasters.
Empty Main Street USA and Cinderella Castle hub on Labor Day 2025 Magic Kingdom Disney World – Photo Credit: That Park Place
Disney Parks are struggling to compete with competitors for guest experience. Guests have been complaining for years that the Disney parks push profit over guest experience. With rising costs and services such a Lightning Lane Multi Pass now charging for previously free services, the parks have become increasingly expensive and elusive to some families. Additionally, the last few years have seen several iconic rides destroyed or rebranded. From MuppetVision3D of Hollywood Studios and the Rivers of America in Magic Kingdom, this year alone has seen fan favorites close permanently.
But will the House of Mouse change course? They have not seemed to yet.
What is your family’s favorite theme park? Have you had the chance to visit Dollywood and Epic Universe? Do you think Dollywood deserves this award? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
You had me at “Dollywood tops..”. Maybe it just made me think of Dolly’s top.