Park guests can follow Dolly’s incredible
journey thanks to immersive new attractions
Dolly and Dollywood officials opened The Dolly Parton
Experience—the park’s eagerly anticipated new attraction—to great
fanfare this morning during a special event for invited media and
VIPs. Thousands of Dollywood guests eager to see inside also were
able to enjoy the multi-faceted experience, which is comprised of
multiple buildings at the award-winning Smoky Mountain theme
park.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240524859873/en/
Dollywood guests get a special look at
Dolly Parton's unique style inside "Behind the Seams," part of The
Dolly Parton Experience, an all-new attraction at Dollywood theme
park. (Photo: Business Wire)
“Our old museum really needed a facelift, but instead of a
nip-and-tuck we just decided to start all over! There are a lot of
interactive elements and technology all through the area, but
luckily for all of you, there are no holograms of me in there
anywhere. I think the last thing this world needs is a bunch of
‘Dolly-grams’ running around everywhere,” Dolly said with a
laugh.
“Seriously though, I’m so proud of the work our people have put
into this new experience to make sure it is something our guests
will enjoy for many years. It’s been almost three years in the
making, and it’s three times larger than anything like this we’ve
ever created before, so it really is something! For me, the most
special part is the area called ‘Precious Memories,’ because it’s
about my family and everything they have done to support me through
the years.”
The Dolly Parton Experience features a number of interactive
elements to make guests feel as if they were alongside Dolly as she
journeyed from Locust Ridge to stages around the world. The entire
Adventures in Imagination area was completely transformed to create
The Dolly Parton Experience. Guests can peruse exhibits which span
her unparalleled career and include a look at the inspiration
behind and the results of her biggest dreams, detail the importance
of her family, and highlight many of Dolly’s signature styles
through the years.
“I think we can all agree there is no one else in the world like
Dolly Parton,” said Dollywood Parks & Resorts President Eugene
Naughton. “She is able to shine a light of positivity and
inspiration that has influenced millions of people around the
world. Our team has created a remarkable experience that shares
Dolly’s inspiring story in an authentic, larger-than-life way. I
think The Dolly Parton Experience is going to truly move our guests
when they see it. We hope they take some of Dolly’s light and share
it with the world just like she does every single day.”
In Songteller, guests trace Dolly’s roots from Sevier County to
the bus she boarded to Nashville the day after her high school
graduation. Several exhibits showcase some of Dolly’s favorite
mementos from music, movies and TV shows, while one room is
dedicated solely to her record-selling albums. The showstopper for
the experience is a massive room which features a 360-degree,
projection-mapped story that showcases how Dolly has become one of
the most beloved figures in the world. Songteller also honors
Dolly’s philanthropy efforts, including a live counter that tracks
the number of books given to children through her Imagination
Library program. As of opening day, the counter is nearing
240,000,000 books. Songteller is housed in the former Chasing
Rainbows Museum.
At Behind the Seams, guests gain an understanding of how this
Smoky Mountain girl’s iconic look comes to life, with a number of
memorable wardrobes on display as well. To preserve these priceless
pieces, Dollywood employed the same techniques used by the
Smithsonian in their museums.
At the Precious Memories exhibit, located in the front of
Dreamsong Theater, honors Dolly’s friends and family and details
how their support allowed her to spread her wings to unimaginable
heights. A new show, “Heidi Parton’s Kin & Friends,” also
debuted today in the Dreamsong Theater. The show features Dolly’s
niece, Heidi Parton, and a cast singing songs and telling stories;
and since Heidi wrote it alongside her aunt Dolly, it includes
songs and stories that only family would know! Dolly made a
surprise appearance prior to the first show and sat in the audience
to see the entire performance.
Guests also can get a glimpse of Dolly’s time on the road as one
of her former motor coaches also is available to tour in The Dolly
Parton Experience. Dolly’s Home-on-Wheels has been a fixture of the
park for several years with hundreds of thousands of guests
stepping inside the 1994 Prevost each season. The coach is located
adjacent to Behind the Seams.
Finally, guests can visit Dolly’s Fan Shop for unique items to
remember their trip to The Dolly Parton Experience. Several
exclusive items only can be found in this special location. The
curated selection of merchandise includes apparel, accessories and
iconic keepsakes every Dolly Parton fan will cherish.
After exploring The Dolly Parton Experience, guests can enjoy
spring in the Smokies thanks to Dollywood’s Flower & Food
Festival presented by Covenant Health through June 9. With more
than one million vibrant blooms, the fresh tastes of spring and
unique entertainment offerings throughout the park, it’s an event
that has quickly become tradition. Already in its fifth season,
this guest-favorite festival transforms Dollywood into a
breathtaking display of Mother Nature’s finest handiwork. Elaborate
floral installations emerge around every corner, translating nature
into living art, each coming together to create an unbelievable
presentation of color and wonder.
While admiring the bright blooms throughout the park, guests can
explore a multitude of menu items crafted with inspiration from
spring’s freshest flavors. Returning for this year is the tasting
pass, which allows guests to partake in multiple food items at
different festival locations.
Festival elements carry over to Dollywood’s resort properties—
Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort and Dollywood’s DreamMore
Resort and Spa—with a variety of festival-themed activities, crafts
and entertainment that will inspire and delight the entire family.
Guests can enjoy live entertainment by featured performers, fresh
culinary creations, and rejuvenating spring-fresh spa treatments
all alongside blooming festival décor and floral designs.
There is still plenty of fun for Dollywood guests this year.
Following the Flower & Food Festival, the Sweet Summer Nights
drone and fireworks show takes to the skies above the park as part
of Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Summer Celebration presented by Food
City (June 15-Aug. 11). A family tradition for many, Dollywood’s
Harvest Festival presented by Humana (Sept. 9-Oct. 28) celebrates
the beauty of fall with thousands of carved pumpkins, spirited
performances from talented singers and the fun of Great Pumpkin
LumiNights presented by Covenant Health. The industry’s Best Theme
Park Christmas event—Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented
by Humana (Nov. 1- Jan. 5, 2025)—concludes the park’s 2024 season
with 6 million lights, festive holiday shows and the warm Christmas
atmosphere guests have come to expect during this joyous time of
year.
For more information, please visit dollywood.com or download the
Dollywood app.
-Dollywood2024-
About Dollywood Parks & Resorts: A highly awarded and widely
recognized leader in the amusement industry, The Dollywood Company
consists of the 165-acre Dollywood theme park; the 35-acre
Dollywood’s Splash Country; and Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and
Spa, and the newly opened Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort.
As unique as its namesake and owner Dolly Parton, Dollywood is the
2010 Applause Award winner, the theme park industry’s highest
accolade; winner of 58 Golden Ticket Awards; and recipient of 28
Brass Ring Awards for Live Entertainment. The park is located near
Great Smoky Mountains National Park and earned the Golden Ticket
Award for the Best Park in the world in 2023. In 2022, Dollywood
was named by Tripadvisor as the #1 theme park in the country based
on actual guest reviews. It also has been recognized as a top U.S.
theme park by USA Today on multiple occasions. Dollywood is open
mid-March through early January and offers rides and attractions,
shows and crafters authentic to the East Tennessee region.
Dollywood’s Splash Country, recognized by the Travel Channel and
Tripadvisor as one of the country’s most beautiful water parks,
operates from mid-May to Labor Day. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort
and Spa as well as Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort provide
guests with spectacular mountain views and family-friendly
amenities next door to Dollywood theme park and Dollywood’s Splash
Country. For more information, visit dollywood.com. Operating days
and hours vary.
For video and photos of The Dolly Parton Experience, please
visit this link.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240524859873/en/
Pete Owens: Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations,
(865) 428-9486, (865) 755-7972 or powens@dollywood.com Wes Ramey:
Public Relations Director, (865) 428-9484, (865) 640-3805 or
wramey@dollywood.com Ellen Liston: Public Relations Manager, (865)
428-9629, (865) 919-7001 or eliston@dollywood.com Jennifer Webb:
Sr. Publicist, (865) 428-9602, (865) 323-7584 or
jwebb@dollywood.com Josh Sauer: Publicist, (865) 428-9891, (865)
323-2653 or joshua.sauer@dollywood.com
For B-roll, photography and more information, visit the
Dollywood Media Room at
http://www.dollywood.com/Media/Media-Room