Smoky Mountain theme park ranks in top 50 of brands evaluated nationally
Pigeon Forge, TN (WOKI) – Dollywood has long been recognized as one of the best theme park guest experiences in the entire world, with the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, destination regularly earning honors celebrating its unique brand of hospitality. Another of those accolades was recently bestowed upon Dollywood Parks & Resorts, as it has been named to Forbes’ Best Customer Service 2026 list.
Dollywood, which ranked #50 overall, was the second-highest ranked company in the “Hotels/Recreation” category and was the highest-ranked theme park company on the list. The other two theme parks ranked in the top 300 were its Herschend sister property Silver Dollar City (#192) and Legoland parks (#232). The Hotel/Recreation category consisted of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (#23), Dollywood (#50), Silver Dollar City (#192), The Venetian Resort (#202), MGM Resorts (#227), Legoland parks (#232), AirBnB (#271) and Wynn Resorts (#298).
Forbes’ Best Customer Service list was created in conjunction with HundredX, a company focused on customer insights. The rankings were determined through a wide-ranging online consumer survey conducted from August 2024 through July 2025 that asked 158,000 people about the customer service they received during their purchase and use of products.
Respondents freely selected the brands they wanted to review—they were not prompted about any specific company, brand or product. More than 3.8 million ratings were received, with more than 3,500 unique brands reviewed. Only the top 300 companies made the list, which ranges from retail and grocery stores to hospitality businesses, insurance carriers and credit card companies. As with all Forbes lists, companies do not pay to participate or be selected.
“Every decision we make starts with one question—how will this serve our guests?” explained Dollywood Parks & Resorts President Eugene Naughton. “We don’t use the word ‘customer’—our visitors are our guests, and our employees are their hosts. That mindset keeps our focus where it belongs: on creating memory making moments and true connections that make every guest feel like they are coming home to family. Inclusion alongside other nationally known companies on these lists validates that our approach is the correct one.”
According to HundredX Founder and CEO Rob Pace, “We get about 4 million pieces of feedback from consumers across 90 industries, so it’s two-thirds of the U.S. economy… There’s banking, grocery, auto repair, health, cable companies, casinos, airlines. The common theme is culture. Customer service comes back to: are you obsessed with the customer’s outcome? It’s usually an ‘and’—a great product and great service. It’s very rare you’re going to find people who have great customer services and a lousy product.”
The top five companies on the list are The UPS Store, Mary Kay, Chick-fil-A, USAA and REI. Other notables include Trader Joe’s (#10), Buc-ee’s (#13), American Express (#19), Hawaiian Airlines (#25), Amazon (#31), Build-A-Bear Workshop (#46), In-N-Out (#53), Delta (#65), Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts (#83), Lexus (#99), Apple (#117), Viking Cruises (#134), Southwest Airlines (#151), Bass Pro Shops (#183), Cadillac (#207), Tiffany & Co. (#245) and Princess Cruises (#267).
To view the entire list, please visit https://www.forbes.com/lists/best-customer-service/
At Dollywood, the holidays start this Saturday, November 1, with the 35th celebration of the park’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana, the 15-time winner for Best Theme Park Christmas Event. Guests are sure to feel the holiday spirit from the moment they walk in the park, thanks to the glow and sparkle of awe-inspiring lighting displays and Christmas trees located around every corner.
For anyone wishing to share the magic of creating cherished family memories, a Dollywood Season Pass is the best gift to give loved ones. Season Passes purchased during Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas include free admission to this year’s festival. Guests can purchase their 2026 Season Pass or upgrade their regular admission ticket on the day of their visit. Ticket purchasers receive credit for the value of a regular one-day ticket toward purchasing a 2026 Season Pass, a year which includes the debut of the exciting NightFlight Expedition.
At a cost of more than $50 million, NightFlight Expedition is the largest attraction investment in the history of Dollywood Parks & Resorts. It is scheduled to open in Spring 2026 and is the first attraction experience of its kind in the world with four unique features combined into one groundbreaking ride sure to delight guests of all ages.
For more information about Dollywood’s 2026 season or season passes, please visit Dollywood.com or download the Dollywood app.
