Dolly Parton’s Information to Dollywood

For Dolly Parton, welcoming guests to Dollywood is like inviting them into her Smoky Mountains house in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. With greater than 50 main rides and sights, plus loads of eating places, reveals, and even a chapel, on its 165 acres, her largest precedence is ensuring that there’s one thing for everybody.

“If you come to Dollywood, all people has a special agenda,” she informed Journey + Leisure on the park’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort earlier this summer season. “We’ve received a few of every little thing — all of it will depend on the way you wish to spend your day.”

Giving visitors the possibility to find their very own journey is the essence of the Dollywood expertise. “All of it will depend on who you might be, in keeping with your persona and who’s traveled with you,” she mentioned of the proper park itinerary. “In the event you’ve received children, they’ll wish to go on the curler coasters. In the event you’re a pair, individuals like to see the humanities and crafts. Girls wish to go to all of the locations the place they’ll purchase garments, sneakers, purses, and merchandise.” 

In true sassy Parton model, she even provides, “In the event you’re a pig, you may wish to go eat!” There’s a spread of eateries, from Entrance Porch Cafe serving fried inexperienced tomatoes and scorching pimento cheese dip to Grist Mill, which bakes the park’s well-known cinnamon bread day by day. Her favourite merchandise to munch on is the park’s funnel truffles, obtainable at Crossroads Funnel Muffins and Splinter’s Funnel Muffins.

However for Parton herself, a lot of the essence of the Dollywood is in its reveals, from Eternally Nation that includes 80s and 90s nation to The Kingdom Heirs singing Southern gospel. 

“That’s simply a lot of me,” she mentioned, noting all of the performers who sing, dance, and act within the park’s packages. “So many nation singers began right here at Dollywood, and in order that’s actually a beautiful praise to us!”

She has a particular connection to the most recent present, Heidi Parton’s Kin & Mates, starring her very personal niece. “I used to be very impressed with that,” she mentioned of watching the debut efficiency together with a packed theater on opening day. “There’s a lot expertise, not simply in my household, however with all of the younger expertise.” 

In truth, her niece’s present is only one facet of the newest addition to the park, the Dolly Parton Expertise, which opened Could 24. The brand new multi-part interactive exhibit marks a significant step ahead for the theme park, changing the previous Chasing Rainbows Museum that closed its doorways in 2019. 

Now stuffed with high-tech immersive shows really bringing followers into Parton’s life, it’s made up of Songteller: Dolly’s Journey, documenting her path from her modest Sevierville roots to changing into one of the beloved nation performers of all time, and Behind the Seams: Dolly’s Life in Rhinestones, focusing solely on her trademark sparkly model.

Additionally within the space is one in all her outdated tour buses that guests can step into, in addition to the DreamSong Theater with a Treasured Recollections video show within the foyer centered on her family and friends, main into Heidi’s present, which features a shock video look from the 78-year-old icon herself. 

Regardless of the elevated stage of glitz added to the extra high-tech experiences within the new museum space, what Parton herself is most pleased with is way less complicated: An indication that claims “I’ll at all times love you,” signed by her, on the way in which out of each the resort’s Dollywood theme park and Splash Nation water park parking tons. 

“They’re going to see on the way in which in that they’re going to have numerous enjoyable,” Parton mentioned. “However after they’re worn out and prepared to return to their rooms or wherever they arrive from, it’s like, ‘Dolly loves us. She mentioned thanks in her personal little approach.’ I like the little touches that make the individuals really feel like I’ve mentioned one thing private to them on their approach out.”

That sentiment is greater than a quote on a board. “I do really feel that approach,” she mentioned. “I do admire the those that come by right here.”

She continued, explaining that she understands the funding households make to tug off a go to. “Rising up arduous myself, I do know that it’s not simple to avoid wasting up sufficient cash to take the entire household to a park,” she mentioned. “It’s numerous work, so I admire each little bit of that.” 

Although her title is on the park, she mentioned that the cash doesn’t “all go in my pocket,” particularly proud that it helps funds ardour initiatives just like the Creativeness Library, which supplies free books to younger kids, in addition to incentives that profit the Dollywood workers, powering her hometown neighborhood. “They really feel like they’re in enterprise with us, and that is feeling for us,” she mentioned.

Parton has lengthy been identified to make shock visits to the park, and admits she has her personal routine behind the scenes. She has her personal suite in every of the 2 resorts, 299-room DreamMore Resort, which opened in 2015, and the 302-room HeartSong, which debuted final fall. 

“It’s like being at house,” she says of DreamMore, including that she’ll quickly be staying extra at HeartSong to get a greater really feel for it as properly. “I similar to to remain in my suite — I’ve a few rooms the place we will put my costumes, the little suite space, the place I keep. It’s fairly, in order that if I’ve visitors, I’ve a fantastic bed room I can present. However I’ve one other adjoining room that’s my junk room!” 

Whereas her days at Dollywood are often full of interviews and appearances, she’s loved getting a style of the park’s delicacies, “They simply ship issues up, and I ask what’s good,” she mentioned. The park usually hosts festivals with specialty meals — and one in all her favorites was the Pageant of Nations. “They might deliver me samples of all of the meals from all these totally different counties — that was nice!” And naturally, there’s at all times the favourite: “I at all times say anyone deliver me a funnel cake earlier than the day is over!”

However general, there’s nothing nearer to Parton’s coronary heart than household — her favourite facet about Dollywood. “I am actual pleased with the truth that that is very family-oriented,” she mentioned of each the parks and resorts. Even for repeat guests, she mentioned they’ll at all times discover one thing new, like making s’mores or swimming within the resorts’ cozy backyards.

“In the event you journey with kids, they will let you know what they wish to do,’” she mentioned. “We actually are massive on the household. Simply get by the doorways, you may know what to do.”