It’s our second year working at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN! Spending the summer working at Dollywood has been an extreme contrast to our previous workamping jobs in rural parts of Florida. It’s a tacky touristy area in the shadows of the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains and we love all of it!
Onboarding – Dollywood has an online system for applying and processing. There is a link to apply at the bottom of the page at this link , or call human resources at 1-865-HAVE-FUN. We applied as new employees in during the winter. A few weeks later we had a phone interview with one of the attraction managers. We were hired over the phone. A couple of weeks after that, we received emails linking us to the Dollywood onboarding process. We were required to complete all online processing forms before we were officially on-board.
Once arriving in the area, we visited Dollywood’s human resources department. HR sent us to drug testing and wardrobe to be fitted for our costumes. We were then off to attend New Hire Orientation. Orientation lasted all day. We watched videos about the history of the amusement park and about company policies. We took a short tour of the amusement park and had lunch in the host lounge. After completing orientation, your team lead will contact you to schedule your on the job training.
Finding a campground -Although we’re referred to as ‘workampers’, the term seasonal workers would be more accurate. As full-time RV’rs, workamping usually means that the ‘workamper’ is provided with some sort of RV site as part of their compensation. This is not the case with Dollywood. Workers are not provided with an RV site, nor is there any RV sites on Dollywood property. You will have to find your own. I suggest selecting an RV park on the south side of the Parkway in Pigeon Forge, or on Veterans Boulevard (same road as Dollywood). The reason: the Parkway can get very congested in the summertime. If you can avoid the parking lot that occurs on the Parkway, it will make your commute much easier. There are several RV parks within a short drive of Dollywood. We stay at Mill Creek Resort. We’re off the busy Parkway, but still have a very easy ride to Dollywood. The map below shows just a few of the RV parks in the area.
Employee Perks – Not only will you be living at the door step to The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as a Dollywood employee you’ll receive many perks. First, unlimited free admission to Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country. As you work, employees earn free tickets to Dollywood and Splash Country you can give to friends and family. You’ll also receive discounts on food and merchandise while inside Dollywood and Splash Country. On work days, $2.50 meals are available to employees in the host lounge. In addition, employees enjoy free admission to all of the Ripley’s attractions in the area – including the Aquarium in Gatlinburg. This list also includes amusement parks in other parts of the country. This year it includes – Hershey Park in PA, Carowinds in NC, Silver Dollar City in MO and many many more. Employees are also entitled to a limited number of Tennessee Smokies minor league baseball tickets. We were able to go to 2 games last year. When you begin your employment, you’ll receive a pamphlet of all free and discounted admissions to attractions, recreation and shows. There are too many for me to list them all here.
Another fantastic perk is the Dollywood Healthcare center. On site, Dollywood has a fully staffed healthcare center for its employees. Employees are charged only $15 per visit, or $20 for a dependent. For the last 2 years, I’ve used the center for my yearly physical and lab work.
Work – In order to get all the fun free perks, you’ll have to do some work. There are different areas you may work: House and Grounds, Food and Merchandise, Attractions, etc. We’ve only worked with attractions. Attractions includes all the rides in the park. The first rule you’ll learn while applying is, “you must be willing to ride the ride in which you work”. If you work a roller coaster, you must be willing to ride that roller coaster. Reason is each ride has to be ridden every 2 hours by a ride operator. When we were hired, we were given the option of about 5-6 rides to work. Choose wisely. Example, if you’re not fond of loud children, don’t choose a kiddie ride. If you don’t like getting wet, don’t choose a water ride. If roller coasters are not your thing, don’t choose to work on a roller coaster.
One of the biggest surprises for me when I started working at Dollywood was the hours. I was expecting 5-6 hour shifts, 3-4 days a week. The 3-4 days per week was accurate, but I was not expecting the shifts to be all day. Expect to work 9 to 11 hour days. During the summer, Dollywood is open 10am-10pm. I work a water ride which closes at 8:30pm. Our normal shifts run from 9:45 am to 8:30pm. I expected there would be a morning crew and an afternoon crew. This is not the case. On your scheduled work days, you work the entire day. During my 2 seasons at Dollywood, I’ve worked 3-4 days each week. Policy is at least 3 days per week for seasonal part-time workers.
Starting pay is about $9/hr. Between both of us working an average of 3-4 days a week, we made more than enough to pay for our expenses during our summer. However, this of course will vary between different lifestyles. We take full advantage of the discounts and freebies offered.
Fun Time Trolley – You may choose to use the trolley that runs in the area. Many RV
parks have their own trolley stops. Although some Dollywood workers use the trolley, including myself on one occasion, the trolley has many stops along the way and is subject to traffic. The one time I decided to take the trolley to work, I was late. However, if you plan to spend a day in Gatlinburg, I strongly suggest using the trolley. The trolley central location is Patriot Park in Pigeon Forge. All trolley lines will go to Patriot Park. There is parking at Patriot Park, but it fills up quickly. All lines in Pigeon Forge are $0.50 each. The Gatlinburg Welcome Center trolley will cost you $0.75. This will take you from Patriot Park to the Gatlinburg Welcome Center where you can pick up one of the Gatlinburg trolleys. All day passes are available for $2.50 and children 3 and under ride free.
Conclusion – We have found that working at Dollywood has been a wonderful way to spend a summer. For about 4 months we get to live in the shadows of The Great Smoky Mountains, play at Dolly’s Splash Country water park, watch fireworks every night in the summer at Dollywood, and meet & work with some incredible people. Whenever I see online discussions about workamping at Dollywood, someone always asks “can I work 40 hours?”. The answer is yes, but why? The work days are long and tiring. I believe that if you make workamping at Dolllywood about the money, you’ll miss the point of being here. Enjoy the mountains, and enjoy the countless attractions and shows that you’ll have the opportunity to see for free.
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American Road Trips 
Thanks for taking the time to write this blog entry I found it VERY informative.
We are currently at our 1st workamping gig and I have found the biggest adjustment to be physical to my body working the long hours of physical work after 50 years of desk work.
I agree with you 100% why work full time spend the time enjoying the area, it is a gorgeous area.
We talked with the workamping folks from Dollywood at the Tampa RV Super Show and when I researched campgrounds in the area it seemed like we would be working just to cover our expenses, but now that you have shared some insight as to specific campgrounds due to the logistics of getting to and from Dollywood I have more research to do.
I think in order to work at Dollywood on the rides or elsewhere someone would need to be a people person for sure.
Thank you for your kind words. I’m pleased that you enjoyed the post.
How much do you pay for your RV site? Is there any problems with being able to stay in 1 spot for the whole season?
We pay under $500. We receive a discounted rate for staying more than 3 months.
Andy, Great job describing all of your adventures at Dollywood. You and your other half are a real asset to our Dollywood family.
Thank you for your kind words. We love being part of the family.