PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. — Update: Dollywood temporarily closed its gates for the second time during the pandemic Friday as reservations for entry into the park peaked to capacity limits set in the Tennessee Pledge.
Dollywood showed it had low availability for entry into the park for guests who did not reserve tickets for that day. The park said the gates will reopen later in the day as guests leave.
The park said people should reserve spots on days they wish to visit in order to ensure they will be allowed in.
Original Story:
Dollywood temporarily closed its entrance to new visitors Wednesday after the park reached capacity limits set in the Tennessee Pledge to reduce COVID-19's spread.
This is the first time that Dollywood has had to restrict entry to new guests since COVID-19 capacity limits were implemented in June. The park had to close the gate to new guests for a few hours Wednesday before reopening at 4 p.m.
Dollywood said people should reserve spots on days they wish to visit the park in order to ensure they will be allowed in.
On Wednesday, Dollywood's attendance availability was "moderate" for the first time since the summer -- meaning more people had set up reservations ahead of time. Most days, the availability tends "high."
With the combination of pleasant autumn weather and Dollywood holding one of its most popular events, the Harvest Festival, daily availability at the park is expected to be lower on average.
Dollywood is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the Harvest Festival. The park is closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the festival.
For Dollywood's full schedule, click here.