seasonal associate

security officer

host/hostess

room attendant

barista

Dollywood

Well, at first, you are lead into Dollywood with promises and good vibes. Then, when you get into things, you'll realize you have just been lied to from the beginning. First off, at the job fair, I was personally promised to only work a single ride and a maximum of 40 hours a week. Then at orientation, I was promised jolly and proper management and a delightful work/life balance.
After I started working, I was forced to work on multiple rides in my "area" and be dragged away from my main ride I specifically signed on for when management poorly managed scheduling. Then, I worked up to 70-80 hours a week even after discussing that I have two jobs and need flexibility, being told by management and even my fellow ride operators "You are working rides, you either need to quit, or deal with it". I then asked for flexibility with a step up in management, and was brushed off even, being told to wait until they were free to help, which never came even after myself bringing up the situation almost daily.

The coworkers at my level were at least pleasant, with a good mixture of ages and backgrounds, couldn't complain much about them, though the work culture does fall victim to the classic "clique" culture, having groups within rides and attractions that newer people aren't truly accepted into. While my level coworkers were fine, upper management was something else. Rarely available, kind of snobby here and there unless their favorite worker needed their help. Don't even get me started on assigning only one supervisor for multiple rides, which makes it impossible to really get the dedication of anyone above your team lead since the supervisors have to juggle so much.

At least we got a single free meal during our opening to close shifts, yeah, not even a lunch and a dinner, just a single meal when we took our singular lunch. Oh, and the free admission and parking is nice too, those two things are pretty much the only benefit of working at Dollywood, but with the 70-80 hour weeks, I didn't have much time to enjoy the free admission, oh well. 

Dollywood is something else. Don't get pulled into this workplace just because of the perks and open talks about the wonderous and friendly environment. I promise you, this really is the Disney World of Tennessee, inviting and magical on the surface, but deeply rooted in negative work tradions and poor work culture internally. Stay clear, not even the low pay can redeem them, as if it could.

I worked with plenty of nice people at the resort. Upper management in the Dollywood company and Corporate from Herschend were wonderful. Benchmark not so much. Their values don't seem aligned well with HFEs. 

About half of the managers in a certain department at the resort had basically no people skills...they fly through them pretty quickly (at least in F and B)... 

HR had some issues..  (Most were great, but there were a select two or three that were hard to take seriously because they were doing the same things that they were firing people for. (I wasnt one of the ones fired.) 

The perks are great-but they did not take away the issues that weren't being addressed. I could not get the tools I needed to succeed because there were too many hoops for even my manager to jump through. (She was great though. She did try.) In turn, I couldn't help my hosts either.

I did work my way up through a couple different positions rather quickly... So that's a plus if you're looking to do so. 

However, when it isnt tourist season, your hours may get significantly lower(at resort)- even in certain manager/supervisor non exempt positions. They only require your average amount of hours worked to be full time over a certain period of time- which is why during season there may be overtime opportunites to get your hours average up, but then during slow season you may have less to work with. Just something to keep in mind when you get "extra time" during those peak seasons. 

My favorite parts were literally the people I worked with and being able to help guests create memories with their families and friends.

I worked a season position as an Attractions Host on one of the roller coasters. My main jobs was to insure the safety of the guest and my fellow coworkers while creating a fun and enjoyable environment. The bulk of the job was assisting the guests onto the roller coaster train, placing their loss articles into bins, checking their restraints, and dispatching the train on the ride. Rinse and repeat. We did have to do test rides every couple of hours which was a nice hiatus of the work. It was a very repetitive and monotonous job especially while working outside in the dead of summer in jeans and a button down shirt. However, we rotated positions on the ride every 30 minutes which add some variety to the day. How the schedules were made, we had to work long hours. I had back-to-back 12 hours shifts, but that gave me several free days throughout the week. The majority of the guests and my co-workers made the work enjoyable. There were some bad eggs of guests but seeing 99% of them walk off the ride with a big smile brought me joy.  Management is very solid and respectable. They were involved but not overbearing. The overall culture at Dollywood has a family feel that is very inviting.

I love my job and i love meeting and greeting guests from all over the world. I love checking the guests in everyday. It feels good to be able to talk to people about what there is to do in this wonderful town because i love this town.  I live in the most beautiful place in the world. My bosses are wonderful people who really understand family. I love making memories for our guests that are worth repeating.  I feel this job was a true God-send for me. My managers and co workers lead with Love, they lead by example and we all pull together when we need to, to get the job accomplished... things change from day to day, it's never the same stuff everyday... the hardest part of the job is being seasonal and having to take a month off, its also hard not to have vacation time or sick time to take..if i miss a day, it's just a day of pay missed.  I wish the pay was more of course because i'm a mother and a wife and i have a family to worry about and help support but at least it is better than minimum wage, I just wish it would go up to keep up with the cost of living....but it's still better than some in other areas..

What is the best part of working at the company?
I had a very positive experience working at Dollywood during my almost 8 years. I found them to be a Company that cared about their employees and were very good to us. After losing our home and four pets in the 2022 wildfire it just became emotionally overwhelming so I retired, otherwise I would have stayed until too old to work any longer.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
My last four years I worked in Sales and Service so I would say the nonstop phone calls within an 8 hour workday was very tiring mentally and physically.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Dollywood teaches their employees to lead with love and caring for each other and especially their Guests. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
The first four years I worked on Park at Frontgate selling tickets and passes. Being on Park you meet our Guests face to face and experience the liveliness of the Park which makes you feel a part of the fun of the Park. The last 4 years I worked off Park at Sales and Service answering the phone lines for 8 hours so missed the feeling a part of the Park.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The Amazing part about working at Dollywood from my first season experience is all Dollywood Employees treat each other as their own family which was so Amazing and if you ever want to have fun while working Dollywood is the best company to work for you get to enjoy all the guests and get to share their experiences I plan on working here till I retire in 30 years lol

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part working at Dollywood is when it rains we get busy because everyone is seeking shelter and Spring break it was fun but stressful busy but it makes the day go by a lot quicker. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Work environment has people from all over the world which makes it great you get to learn about their culture and and again everybody is so friendly and they work with you with scheduling

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Typical day we have our slow days and busy days so we are always on our tippy toes never a dull moment it’s all about helping families make memories while they are on vacation

I miss working at Dollywood.  The only problem is that I could not afford to continue working at Dollywood.  It does not pay well at all.  But overall, the people you work with are great.  The guests you interact can be great but be prepared for those few that are going to be unhappy no matter what you do for them.  Your schedule varies from week to week so it is hard to plan for anything outside of work unless you take time off previously.  As with any job, it is what you make of it.  But I think that working there gives you a few plusses walking in the door before you start lobbing on any negatives.

Up every day at 3:30 a.m. to work from 5 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., not always allowed to work the 40 hours per week I was hired for on Christmas lighting crew. Had to return to home state to take care of business to get mom with alzheimers on medicaid. Upon returning from 4 weeks not planned for in taking care of this business, I was not allowed to return to work on lighting crew. Was not allowed to talk to general manager of HR. Company suppose to have OPEN DOOR, to solve issues, but nobody listened to what was going on.Was not allowed to transfer to another department. Dolly Parton supposedly donates money to The Alzheimers Organization, but, the park carrying her name does not help employees whose family member has the disease. Instead they discharge the person. You are made to feel like a criminal for trying to help your family. Too many bosses!!!

It's a nice place but the pay sucks and the upper management does not care for employees and you work 8 10 hr shift and it's for regular time. Cleaned cabins and supervisor was not ever friendly and never answers her phone they have picks and the inspectors always finds something wrong and we had to work in heat and cold and come in for others and never get a Thank You! Need new supervisors and inspector's! Never enough towels or sheets and supervisors hiring their friends and they hang in laundry and still get paid while the rest of us work hard! And other housekeeper's don't drain hot tubs and it's OK? And no need to mention it cause supervisor's and inspector's don't hear it!  Please management read this and check into it maybe there wouldn't be so much turn around in houskeepers if things would change! Need better management and inspector's!

A fast paced and very physical job, but that's exactly what you'd expect. My work location was outdoor but under cover and very comfortable with strong fans for the summer and heaters for the winter. It was difficult to have a bad day or bad interactions with Guests because everyone was there to have a good time. 

As a Team Lead I logged my Team's hours worked, the rides operation efficiency, and created the schedule for my team. I also did a lot of documentation of Host's attendance and performance.
Rewards for good performance were given frequently.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Seasonal associate 10 salaries reported	$14.00 per hour
Security officer 7 salaries reported	$17.29 per hour
Host/hostess 4 salaries reported	$14.00 per hour
Room attendant 32 salaries reported	$16.00 per hour
Barista 13 salaries reported	$14.00 per hour

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