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Combine star power, Tennessee culture, bluegrass music, gospel shows plus thrill rides and you discover what makes Dollywood unique.
The popular Dolly Parton powered theme park is about a seven-and-a-half-hour drive from Northwest Ohio nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. “She’s the most colorful thing to come out of the Smokies. And we try to capitalize on those things that are specifically about her but more about her stories and Smoky Mountain stories,” said Dollywood Vice President of Marketing Pete Owens. “If you are coming as a guest, the opportunity is a welcoming experience that is maybe different than you would have anywhere else.”
Dollywood covers the theme park, two resort hotels and a water park. The theme park attracts more than three and a half million guests annually. Trip Advisor rated Dollywood the #1 theme park in America. Owens gives credit to competitors like Disney, Universal and Cedar Point. “Cedar point is a classic theme park…and that’s the experience that you get there. It’s obviously the coaster capital of the Untied States. We all have our own individual niches, but it’s really about, for us, that family experience.”
In addition to sharing the rags-to-riches story of Dolly Parton, there are plenty of thrills in the park. A new attraction called Night Flight Expedition features an immersive roller coaster allowing guests to experience virtual flying, floating and whitewater rafting.
But there’s no mistaking that Dolly Parton is the heart and soul of Dollywood. “We don’t do anything here at Dollywood or the resorts or any of our businesses without her signing of on whatever it is we do,” Owens explained. “Generally, things are her idea. So, it’s a nugget of an idea that grows into something bigger.”
Images of butterflies are everywhere. “When she was a kid, she used to dream that she could hop on the wings of butterflies and fly out of the holler in which she lived and go to explore the world.”
Owens added the famous singer-actress provides the vision. “She wakes up with new dreams every day. So, I just have to hold on and see what she’s got in mind.”
