Dolly Parton’s Information to Dollywood

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

“If you come to Dollywood, everyone has a special agenda,” she instructed Journey + Leisure on the park’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort earlier this summer time. “We’ve bought a few of every thing — all of it is determined by the way you need to spend your day.”

Giving company the prospect to find their very own journey is the essence of the Dollywood expertise. “All of it is determined by who you might be, in accordance with your persona and who’s traveled with you,” she mentioned of the right park itinerary. “If you happen to’ve bought youngsters, they’ll need to go on the curler coasters. If you happen to’re a pair, folks like to see the humanities and crafts. Ladies prefer to go to all of the locations the place they’ll purchase garments, footwear, purses, and merchandise.” 

In true sassy Parton type, she even provides, “If you happen to’re a pig, you will need to go eat!” There’s a variety of eateries, from Entrance Porch Cafe serving fried inexperienced tomatoes and sizzling 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 desserts, obtainable at Crossroads Funnel Desserts and Splinter’s Funnel Desserts.

However for Parton herself, a lot of the essence of the Dollywood is in its exhibits, from Perpetually 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 applications. “So many nation singers began right here at Dollywood, and in order that’s actually an exquisite praise to us!”

She has a particular connection to the latest present, Heidi Parton’s Kin & Buddies, 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 most recent 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 crammed 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 some of the beloved nation performers of all time, and Behind the Seams: Dolly’s Life in Rhinestones, focusing solely on her trademark sparkly type.

Additionally within the space is one among her previous tour buses that guests can step into, in addition to the DreamSong Theater with a Treasured Reminiscences video show within the foyer targeted 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 far easier: 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 manner.’ I like the little touches that make the folks really feel like I’ve mentioned one thing private to them on their manner out.”

That sentiment is greater than a quote on a board. “I do really feel that manner,” she mentioned. “I do recognize the folks that come via right here.”

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

Regardless that her identify 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 gives free books to younger youngsters, in addition to incentives that profit the Dollywood staff, powering her hometown group. “They really feel like they’re in enterprise with us, and that is a very good 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 residence,” 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 company, 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 among her favorites was the Competition 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 any person deliver me a funnel cake earlier than the day is over!”

However total, 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.

“If you happen to journey with youngsters, they’ll let you know what they need to do,’” she mentioned. “We actually are massive on the household. Simply get via the doorways, you will know what to do.”