logo
Dollywood crowned ‘favorite theme park' again in 2024

Dollywood crowned ‘favorite theme park' again in 2024

New York Post28-05-2025

Dollywood earned the title of 'favorite theme park' in the country for the third straight year in 2024.
That's according to the National Amusement Park Historical Association's (NAPHA) recently released yearly NAPHA Amusement Park Attractions Survey of its members.
Dollywood's first-place ranking for 'favorite theme park' – one of a handful of categories that the survey looks at – for 2024 marked Dollywood's latest instance of receiving the title, after notching it with the NAPHA's members in 2022 and 2023.
The park, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, is also tied for first in that category with two other theme parks in 2021, per the NAPHA.
Dollywood has over 50 rides and attractions. More than 2 million people visit Dolly Parton's park each year, according to the park's website.
No. 2 for 'favorite theme park' went to Disneyland, the Walt Disney Co.-operated park in Anaheim, California.
4 The Lumber Jack's Pizza restaurant at the Dollywood theme park, pictured on Tuesday, February 25, 2025.
Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
4 The entrance to Dollywood is viewed on October 18, 2016 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Getty Images
In the survey, Dollywood was also dubbed the second 'most beautiful park' behind Busch Gardens Williamsburg, according to the NAPHA.
When it came to traditional amusement parks, Knoebels Amusement Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania emerged as NAPHA members' favorite for that category.
4 American singer and songwriter Dolly Parton poses for a portrait with her guitar at Dollywood circa 1993 in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Getty Images
4 Dolly Parton at the Dollywood Dewitt tour to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Dollywood and Passholder Preview Day held at the Celebrity Theater at Dollywood on March 14, 2025, in Pigeon Forge, TN.
Curtis Hilbun / AFF-USA.com / MEGA
Knoebels Amusement Resort's Phoenix roller coaster was also named the 'favorite wood roller coaster' for 2024 for the 14th year in a row, the NAPHA said.
Other categories included in the NAPHA survey included 'favorite steel roller coaster' and 'best new attraction,' which Cedar Point's Millennium Force and Six Flags Great Escape's The Bobcat, respectively earned.
The NAPHA's members have over 130 different parks under their belts on average, it said.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Love Island UK Season 12: 10 surprising facts you didn't know about host Maya Jama
Love Island UK Season 12: 10 surprising facts you didn't know about host Maya Jama

Business Upturn

time3 hours ago

  • Business Upturn

Love Island UK Season 12: 10 surprising facts you didn't know about host Maya Jama

Love Island UK Season 12 is set to heat up screens with its premiere on ITV2 and ITVX on June 9, 2025, and streaming on Hulu in the U.S. starting June 12. At the heart of the drama is the charismatic host, Maya Jama, who's been steering the villa's romantic chaos since 2023. Known for her vibrant energy and stunning looks, Maya has become a fan favorite. But there's more to her than meets the eye! Here are 10 surprising facts about Maya Jama that will make you love her even more. 1. Maya Jama Was Named After a Legendary Poet Maya's unique name comes from the iconic American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou. Her mother, Sadie, who was just 18 when she gave birth, was inspired by Angelou's work, particularly I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , during her pregnancy. This meaningful namesake reflects Maya's vibrant and expressive personality. 2. She's of Somali and Swedish Descent Born in Bristol, England, on August 14, 1994, Maya is of mixed heritage. Her father is Somali, and her mother is of Swedish and Scottish descent, making her a trailblazer as the first non-white host of Love Island UK . She's spoken about the significance of this milestone, hoping it opens doors for others from similar backgrounds. 3. A Tough Childhood Shaped Her Resilience Maya's early life wasn't easy. Her father was in and out of prison for violent offenses, leading her to cut ties with him at age 12. She explored this challenging upbringing in a 2017 TV documentary, reflecting on how a supportive environment helped her thrive despite the hardships. 4. She Started Her Career as a Teen Maya kicked off her media journey as a teenager, hosting a weekly music video countdown on After moving to London at 16 to pursue her dreams, she hustled her way through the industry, often surviving on £1 chicken-shop meals. Her grit paid off as she landed roles with MTV and Sky UK. 5. Acting Was Her First Ambition Before becoming a TV presenter, Maya dreamed of being an actress. She auditioned for the teen drama Skins at 15, confidently telling friends she'd be famous—only to miss out on the role. Recently, she's revisiting this passion, landing a role in Netflix's The Gentlemen Season 2, playing a glamorous wife in Guy Ritchie's gritty drama. 6. She's a Fashion and Beauty Icon Maya's style is a major draw for fans. She's modeled for brands like Adidas, Maybelline, and Dolce & Gabbana, and even replaced Kate Moss in a multi-million-pound Rimmel deal. On Instagram, with over 3.2 million followers, she shares skincare and haircare tips, including how to keep hair healthy while wearing wigs. 7. High-Profile Romances Kept Her in the Headlines Maya's love life has sparked plenty of tabloid buzz. She dated British rapper Stormzy from 2014 to 2019, briefly rekindled their romance in 2023, and split again in 2024. She was also engaged to NBA star Ben Simmons in 2021, but the couple parted ways due to busy schedules. Despite rumors linking her to Leonardo DiCaprio, she denied any romance. 8. She's a Football Fanatic A passionate football supporter, Maya cheers for both Bristol Rovers and West Ham United. In 2024, she was announced as a manager for one of the 12 teams in the Baller League UK, a six-a-side football league, showcasing her love for the sport. 9. Maya Hosted the BRIT Awards and Joined The Masked Singer Beyond Love Island , Maya's hosting gigs are impressive. She co-hosted the 2024 BRIT Awards with Clara Amfo and Roman Kemp and joined The Masked Singer UK panel in 2025, replacing Rita Ora. Her bubbly personality and sharp wit make her a natural fit for these high-profile roles. 10. She's Promised 'More Twists Than Ever' for Season 12 Maya is hyping up Love Island UK Season 12 as a game-changer. In the trailer, she demands 'more drama, more bombshells, more break-ups, more make-ups,' and teases the first-ever American bombshell entering the villa. With the show celebrating its 10th anniversary, expect a summer of surprises under her watch.

A debut novel explores family relationships and cultural displacement

time6 hours ago

A debut novel explores family relationships and cultural displacement

In her debut novel, Misophonia, Dana Vowinckel explores the cultural diaspora through one teenager's summer across Berlin, Jerusalem, and Chicago. It's a coming of age story that balances the narratives of a daughter and her father as well as the fifteen-year-old protagonist's abrupt (and reluctant) reunion with her mother. The book is also a semi-autobiographical trek through parts of Vowinckel's own life. Born in Berlin into an American-Jewish-German family, the author grew up between Chicago and Berlin and her novel manages to capture the sometimes awkward, oftentimes tender, dynamics of a family pulled across continents and histories. Though it explores the travails of teenage girlhood, the book also delves into the nuances of being Jewish and German and the challenges of reconciliation when your goals and feelings collide with world events. 'Language is at the core of the book, not identity,' Vowinckel explained in a recent interview in New York. 'It would be a mistake to read it as purely an identity novel,' she says. Critics have praised the novel for its rich, contrasting ingredients and Vowinckel's ability to narrate the emotions of its teenage protagonist with warmth and clarity. The book won the Mara Cassens Prize, a German literary award given annually for the best German debut novel, and earned Vowinckel the literature prize of the Association of Arts and Culture of the German Economy. It was also shortlisted for the Leipzig Book Fair Prize which celebrates outstanding new publications written in German. The 27-year old Vowinckel, who studied linguistics and literature in Berlin, Toulouse and Cambridge, was in New York to promote the recently published English translation of Misophonia by HarperVia. (The book was translated from its original German by Adrian Nathan West.) Vowinckel's visit included events at Germany's Consulate General of New York - which promotes cultural, intellectual, and artistic exchanges with Germany - and Deutsches Haus at New York University. Misophonia opens in Chicago, with parts set in Berlin and Israel. It follows a teenage protagonist, Margarita, as she travels to her father's birthplace in Israel with the mother who left her when she was a toddler. Margarita shares a special bond with her father, Avi - a doting Israeli who is a cantor at their local synagogue - ever since her mother, Marsha, abandoned the family. Eventually, arrangements are made - without Margarita's knowledge - for her to meet Marsha in Israel before returning to Germany. Blindsided, she wants no part of this overdue reconciliation with a mother she hardly knows. Meanwhile, in Germany, Avi tries to fill the hole left by Margarita's absence with a trip of his own, embarking on a personal journey, both hope-inducing and despairing. Writing the book through the prism of dueling narratives - switching between a teenage girl, and her father - allowed Vowinckel to engage readers in an unusual point-of-view combination, she says. Accounts of Jewish congregational life in Berlin are mixed with detailed descriptions of the awkwardness and lust that go along with living inside a female teenage body. 'Both perspectives were very interesting to me,' Vowinckel told the Chicago Review of Books in May. 'With a 15-year-old, there's early sexuality and kind of being lost in the world, contrasted with the very lonely, quiet life of Avi,' she said. Straddling the two narratives also helped balance the exploration of imperfect family relationships and larger cultural displacement, the author says. 'I think it was very helpful for me to have a protagonist with a very specific job description because that gives you rhythm to the text,' Vowinckel says. 'It made it very easy for me to start this big novel project with this very calm, laconic voice, and then mix it with Margarita.'

Rowing Blazers and Tracksmith Reunite for Preppy Athletic Capsule
Rowing Blazers and Tracksmith Reunite for Preppy Athletic Capsule

Hypebeast

time10 hours ago

  • Hypebeast

Rowing Blazers and Tracksmith Reunite for Preppy Athletic Capsule

Rowing Blazers, the Jack Carlson-founded American fashion label known for its colorful blazers and rugby shirts, has reunited with Boston running brandTracksmithfor a second capsule collection. This time around, the duo has crafted a limited-edition line of tops, bottoms, and accessories inspired by the 'rhythm of running and rowing.' Standout pieces include color-blocked rugby shirts decorated with Tracksmith's hare motif, as well as racing singlets signed with Rowing Blazers' signature house croquet stripe. Down the line, cotton crewneck sweaters boast big letters reading 'Jogger;' canvas duffel bags feature chenille embroidery with dual iconography, and Tracksmith's Eliot Runner is reimagined with Rowing Blazers' house croquet stripe and a material composition inspired by New England's 'natural surfaces.' The Rowing Blazers x Tracksmith collection is now available to shoponlineand in stores, with prices ranging from $48 USD to $228 USD. Notably, in addition to the collaboration, Tracksmith will now also carry additional Rowing Blazers products in select stores. Take a look at the capsule in the gallery above.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store