Dollywood After Dolly

Dollywood after Dolly: Park leaders share vision for honoring ‘Dreamer-in-Chief’

I stepped out of the car in the Preferred Parking/Media Lot, sitting up on a hill above the old part of the park with the mechanics of Wildwood Grove going on behind me. It was the first Wednesday in September and a hot and brutally humid day. I took a moment to look down – for the first time in my life – on a Dollywood with no Dolly. 

It had been eight days since Dolly’s passing – after a reportedly brief battle with cancer – and I tried to find some meaning in the continued operation of a relatively empty park. 

The truth is – it was extremely hot, and the kids are back in school. This day was one of the rare ones in which there was no festival going on. Summer is also over in our hearts and at Dollywood. But at Dollywood, fall hasn’t quite arrived yet either. 

We were led through the side entrance to the Heartsong Theater – which was odd. Usually, media events happen in the Celebrity Theater. Maybe we didn’t need the big space. We usually share media events with passholders willing to get up and wait at the crack of dawn for their spot in line. But, of course, this day was not the usual day. Park goers waited – over the years – for a chance to see Dolly. But this time there was no Dolly to see.

So, we gathered there. And then, at the appointed time, Dollywood President Eugene Naughton came out and discussed the vision for the future. 

Dolly and her park

Naughton – who has been Parton’s frequent comedy team partner at park events over the years – led off speaking about his friend and boss. 

“I know this week has been terribly difficult for everyone. But I’ve been reminiscing on some of my favorite stories with Dolly. And you all have seen a lot of times when we were on stage together, I just never quite knew where she was gonna take it,” he said. “And honestly that’s some of the funnest times that I’ve ever had in my life, getting a chance to be along side of her. It was quite a dream.”

But now, he said, the curtain has fallen on Dollywood’s first act – one that lasted nearly 41 years. And the time has come to talk about the journey forward into Act II.

“Dolly would be telling us to get back to work,” he said. “She knew what she wanted Dollywood to be.” He said Dolly taught them how to dream big. 

“Now you know, she always loved being on property, and it was always a treat for all of us,” Naughton said. “You know Pete (Owens) and I had a lot of time with her. She always talked about how relaxing it was to visit Dollywood Parks and Resorts. It was a chance away from her crazy that she was always ordinarily having to experience in her life. It was a chance for her to reconnect with her home.” 

Naughton said over the last week, he’s spoken with guests in the midway, sharing stories and tears. That’s a natural part of the process, he said. But it’s also part of the process to look forward. 

“The last seven days have been filled with a lot of grief. And that comes with feeling the loss of a loved one,” he added. “I know that we have all cried. Now, it’s time to look at how we’re going to honor her on park.”

How Dollywood will honor Dolly Parton

I hadn’t really considered this issue until Naughton started laying out plans to honor Dolly. How do you memorialize someone in a park that already celebrates their entire life? What can you do that’s meaningful and appropriate and not replicating another part of the park? 

Well, the folks at Dollywood came up with something. A cascading mountainside waterfall just outside the Robert F. Thomas Chapel. It will celebrate Dolly’s faith and her connection to the Smoky Mountains. The waterfall will feature a reflective guitar and serve as an appropriate spot to reflect on Dolly’s life and legacy.

In addition, the Chapel will get a bit of a sprucing up with new stained-glass windows commissioned to reflect Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV), the Bible verse that resonated deeply with Dolly: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Inspired by Dolly’s love for the Smokies and the many seasons of her life and career, the windows depict the changing seasons of the mountains. 

I asked Naughton whether Dolly had been aware of the plans for the waterfall or whether that had come up after her passing.

“She gave me the inspiration,” Naughton said. “I always communicated with her about what her wishes were. The favorite thing I had about Dolly and her leadership style is that she never told me what to do. But she always inspired me to do the right thing. And so, the waterfall is that for us.”

Other efforts to honor Dolly will include adding a new character in the Wildwood Grove section. The Dream Maker will share stories and interactive experiences that encourage guests to dream big, believe in each other and lift others up through courage and kindness. The Dream Maker will have her Dream Wagon. It will give children a chance to share their dreams, hear stories inspired by Dolly and discover that dreams can become even more meaningful when they are shared with others.

There will also be kiosks where guests can leave their own memories – which can be private or shared publicly – of Dolly, her legacy and her impact. 

The new portal at the Dolly Parton Experience

In addition, Dollywood will construct a new “portal” into the Dolly Parton Experience section of the park. It’s the bridge. They’re making that bridge a lot fancier, making it feel like the entrance to that section of the park is a little more of a happening. 

Dollywood Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations Pete Owens explained further changes in the area. 

“The first thing that we’re going to be doing is put a true portal into the Dolly Parton Experience that will allow really a very defined entrance. It will help define the experience,” he said. “And then within the Dolly Parton Experience, we will have a new finale within the SongTeller Experience. And within Precious Memories, set in the lobby of the DreamSong Theater, there are six videos of Dolly speaking about important people in her family, friends, and others who have been included over the years. She spoke about her family, and now we’ll give the family a chance to speak of her. That will enter the rotation in the Precious Memories.”

Or in Dollywood’s words, “The new entrance will provide a fitting gateway to the area dedicated to celebrating the life and work of Dollywood’s Dreamer-in-Chief.”

Dollywood after Dolly: Plans through 2036

Some have expressed concern that, after Dolly’s passing, the park would change in ways she wouldn’t have allowed in life.

But, as Naughton explained, that’s not really how Dolly worked. Visions have been put in place for Dollywood’s coming decades. And her voice has played a clear role in creating those visions. 

“Our Dreamer-in-Chief really taught us well,” he said. “Believe me you, she gave us the gift of time to be able to prepare what was gonna eventually be happening here. The foundations of this being a great place for families to come? That will never go away. Her love of music and her love specifically of live music, the chance to bring those stories to life here will always be at the heart of who we are as a company. 

“We talked all the time about our future. She didn’t really get into daily operations, that wasn’t really her thing. However, she always lit up when we talked about the future. We have plans all the way through 2036 that she laid emphasis on for us as a leadership team. So, I’m really confident in that. When I first joined the company, you heard us talk about a half a billion dollar investment strategy that we’re going to be carrying forward. In that we talked about a total of five resorts to be added on our property.”

He added, “You’ll love to know that resorts three, four and five and the outdoor resort all planned on stories that Dolly has already approved. Because it’s really important for her, and for us, in looking out to the future. She was really special at that for us. So, I’m confident we’re not only going to be the same. But if she were looking down right here on me with lightning bolts, she’d be kicking my rear if I didn’t say we’re going to get better every day.”

Frequently asked questions

Will Dollywood close after Dolly Parton’s death?

No. Dollywood stayed open in the days after Dolly’s passing, and park leaders say they are moving forward. Dollywood President Eugene Naughton said the park has plans through 2036 that Dolly helped shape, including a half-billion-dollar investment strategy and new resorts built on stories Dolly had already approved.

How will Dollywood honor Dolly Parton?

Dollywood plans a cascading mountainside waterfall with a reflective guitar outside the Robert F. Thomas Chapel, plus new stained-glass windows inspired by Ecclesiastes 3:1. A new character, the Dream Maker, and her Dream Wagon are coming to Wildwood Grove, along with kiosks where guests can leave memories of Dolly. The park is also building a new portal into the Dolly Parton Experience, adding a new finale to the SongTeller Experience and giving Dolly’s family a chance to speak about her in Precious Memories.

What do you think about the changes at Dollywood? Let us know in the comments and on the socials.