
On Sunday afternoon, park workers along with the Pigeon Forge police and fire departments swiftly directed guests to safety, with park officials reporting just one minor injury in a statement. The amusement park assured it was aiding guests whose vehicles were impacted and had deployed cleanup crews. By noon on Monday, the park was set to reopen, while its Splash Country area, which remained unaffected, maintained its usual schedule.
The Pigeon Forge Police Department confirmed that a road collapse had led to the closure of McCarter Hollow Road at the entrance to Dollywood on Sunday night.
JeMiale McKinney from Knoxville, accompanied by his wife and two daughters, who all hold season passes, had headed to the park on Sunday. McKinney noted that sometimes bad weather can result in fewer visitors, making it the perfect time to enjoy shorter ride times once the weather clears. However, on this occasion, torrential rain quickly thwarted their plans. Within minutes, the park entrance was flooded, with water levels reaching thigh-deep in some areas, making it evident to many that proceeding was futile.
“We got trapped in the parking lot faster than we thought,” McKinney recalled, detailing how they were stuck for two hours until a crew dismantled a fence, allowing them to exit. Despite the challenging situation, McKinney observed, “I was surprised about how calm people were.”
Dollywood spokesperson Wes Ramey revealed in an email that nearly 5 inches of rain had inundated the area within an hour. Ramey praised the park’s and the city’s infrastructure, noting, “While the volume of rain was difficult for both the park’s and the city’s infrastructure to manage, the fact we have only one minor injury illustrates how well our hosts handled the situation and how well our guests followed their directions.”
Ramey added that the park will reassess its response mechanisms to determine if any changes are necessary.