PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. — For most, it’s easy to become lost daydreaming of a past vacation or experience, hoping to one day return to that special, memory-making place. According to a new study, Dollywood guests are more likely to want to return to the Smoky Mountain vacation destination than any other landmark in the entire world.
A report conducted by UK-based travel insurance specialists InsureandGo found Dollywood earn the highest “Come Back” score of more than 450 landmarks worldwide. InsureandGo also ranked countries and cities as part of their report; Japan was the top-ranked country and London the top-ranked city.
To determine the attractions list, the company reviewed thousands of online reviews for content, attraction rating and noted reviews from guests saying they hoped to return again. Using a weighted scoring system, they assigned “Come Back” scores to the attractions on a scale of 1-100. Dollywood scored a 94 out of 100 to top the list.
The top 10 (with “Come Back” score) are:
- Dollywood- Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (94);
- Disneyland- Anaheim, California (87);
- Stone Mountain Park- Stone Mountain, Georgia (81);
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour- London (78);
- Blenheim Palace- Oxfordshire, UK (74);
- Grand Canyon National Park- Arizona (74);
- Crazy Horse Memorial- Crazy Horse, South Dakota (71);
- Hampton Court Palace- London (71);
- Tokyo Disneyland- Tokyo (70);
- Yosemite National Park- California (70);
- Universal Studios Florida- Orlando, Florida (70);
- Busch Gardens Tampa- Tampa, Florida (70);
InsureandGo noted in a press release that “Dollywood is both a theme park and a nod to the local Appalachian culture as well as living legend herself, Dolly Parton…Online reviews praise the park for its fantastic food and decorations during the Christmas period, while many visitors recommend getting the two-day pass, so you can explore everything there is to offer.”
Other Top 50 landmarks include:
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Cleveland, Ohio- 63);
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City- 60);
- Niagara Falls (Ontario, Canada- 58);
- Taj Mahal (Agra, India- 54)
- Louvre Museum (Paris, France-50)
- Empire State Building (New York City- 49)
- The Alamo (San Antonio, Texas- 46)
- Notre-Dame Cathedral (Paris, France- 45)
The full lists can be found on the InsureandGo website.
Dollywood—the reigning Best Theme Park in the world according to Amusement Today—still offers plenty of fun reasons to return in 2024. Parkgoers currently can enjoy more than a million blooms as part of the Flower & Food Festival presented by Covenant Health (now-June 9). Later, the Sweet Summer Nights drone and fireworks show takes to the skies above the park as part of Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration presented by Food City (June 15-Aug. 11). A family tradition for many, Dollywood’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana (Sept. 9-Oct. 28) celebrates the beauty of fall with thousands of carved pumpkins, spirited performances from talented singers and the fun of Great Pumpkin LumiNights presented by Covenant Health.. The industry’s Best Theme Park Christmas event—Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana (Nov. 1- Jan. 5, 2025)—concludes the park’s 2024 season with 6 million lights, festive holiday shows and the warm Christmas atmosphere guests have come to expect during this joyous time of year.
There are plenty of multi-day and season pass options available for guests who want to “come back” again and again to the award-winning theme park.. For those who want to make it a little easier to “come back” during their visit, Dollywood’s two world-class resorts—Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, and Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort—provide high-quality and convenient accommodations with exclusive, complimentary guest privileges and are just moments from the excitement. For more information, please visit dollywood.com or download the Dollywood app.
