Dollywood debuts a documentary 40 years in the making
Somehow, it’s a story that has been undersold. In the early 80s, Dolly Parton was certainly a multimedia icon. But she also had a vision on a scale only matched by Walt Disney. She dreamed of building a theme park in the Smokies, near her hometown. A place much, as Disneyland’s Main Street did for Walt, that would celebrate the place that nurtured her and also allowed her to develop into a massive star.
Dolly hadn’t originally planned on partnering with an existing park. She had land picked out near Gatlinburg. She mentioned the dream during an interview with Barbara Walters in the early 80s. And it turns out, the right person was listening.
An executive with Herschend Family Entertainment saw the interview. This person quickly ascertained it would be better to work with Dolly than against her. He suggested to his boss – the owner of a successful but small theme park in Pigeon Forge named Silver Dollar City – that they reach out to the mega star and gauge her interest in a partnership.
A meeting was set up with Dolly while on a tour stop in Denver. And that is where a partnership was born. In 1986, Dollywood opened and began an upward trajectory that today has the park regularly named the top or among the top theme parks in the United States.
As part of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of Dollywood’s opening, the park has debuted “The Dollywood Dream,” a documentary tracking the park’s meteoric success story.
Tracking the Park’s history
The Dollywood Dream tracks the development of the park. It begins from its 1961 origin as Rebel Railroad and goes through the transitions to Goldrush Junction to Goldrush to Silver Dollar City. Along the way, the cast of characters includes the Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell. He owned the park from 1970 to 1976 before selling it to the Herschends, who remain co-owners with Dolly today.
The story is told through first-hand accounts from Dolly, Jack and Peter Herschend and a variety of former and current park presidents, as well as other park executives. In this world of mass media production and thirst for content, it is a story that is surprisingly unknown amongst the larger parks.
When Dollywood opened in 1986 with its punny name, it was widely met with skepticism and even derision. Parton is an astute businesswoman who has been underestimated her whole life, in part due to her public persona. However, in this case, she was seen as overestimating her popularity and worse, stroking her own ego. She’s no Walt Disney, came the derision from many quarters.
I can remember hearing the announcement, I would have been 11, going on 12. I also recall thinking it was crazy and would never work. However, I – and the throngs of other skeptics – couldn’t have been more wrong. Dolly’s legions of fans embraced the park. Tourists to Pigeon Forge and the Smokies embraced the park. Eventually, theme park fans from around the world embraced the park. Over these 40 decades, Dollywood has changed from a small time, chintzy theme park to a powerhouse.
Other interesting articles about Dollywood
- The ultimate guide to Dollywood: Rides, shows, food, and more
- Major new attractions coming to Dollywood in 2025/2026
- Exploring Dollywood throughout the years, what’s changed at the theme park
- Have you heard about the mysterious update for one of Dollywood’s legacy attractions
- Best things to do at Dollywood that aren’t rides
Dollywood’s accolades in just the last few years:
- Dollywood named Tripadvisor’s #1 U.S. Theme Park based on guest reviews (2022, 2024)
- Forbes’ Top 300 Best Customer Service (#27 – one of only two theme parks on the list) (2024)
- Forbes’ America’s Best Midsize Employer (2022, 2025)
- USA Today National Top Workplace (2022, 2025)
- National Amusement Park Historical Assoc. (NAPHA) – Favorite Theme Park (2023, 2024, 2025)
- Southern Living: Best Attraction in the South (2024)
- #1 attraction in the world “Guests Want to Return To” (2024)
- Newsweek Top Customer Service Award (2024)
Dollywood – believe it or not – is one of America’s great businesses success stories. The inescapable conclusion is that she is, in fact, Walt Disney’s equal.
The documentary
“The Dollywood Dream” premiered in May on partner television stations and is now available for home viewing through the Dollywood Parks and Resort YouTube channel. The documentary is (appropriately) 40 minutes long. It was created in collaboration with Devin Olson Media. It was directed by Devin Olson, produced by Jenna Olinger and executive produced by Pete Owens and Scott Durand.
Did you know about the “Dollywood Dream?” If so, let us know in the comments!