Inside the comfortable borders of Sevier County, Dollywood is considered the best thing since sliced bread, homemade lye soap and powdered sugar funnel cakes. Each year, two million people pour into the hills to visit this family-centric adventure park built on the down-home country persona—not to mention branding power and entrepreneurial vision—that is Dolly Parton.
It’s been 21 years since Parton first partnered with Atlanta-based Herschend Family Entertainment, owners of the park formerly known as Silver Dollar City. The resulting tourism powerhouse now sprawls across 125 acres off U.S. Highway 441 (known as “the parkway”), deep into Pigeon Forge. The popularity of Dollywood started out strong during her mid-1980s singer/songwriter/actor career peak, a time when the presence of Dolly fans alone would ensure a healthy grand opening.
Yet the draw of Dolly the entertainer alone cannot account for the park’s subsequent growth and sustainability. What gives Dollywood the leg up where other similar themed attractions have failed? “They are putting some serious cash in. It’s very calculated,” says Tim O’Brien, amusement park expert and author of theme park guides. O’Brien says that $46 million has been earmarked for thrill rides that could take Dollywood to a whole new level.
In industry terms, these figures are minimal compared to the hundreds of millions of dollars some theme parks invest in a single ride experience. “It’s a money pit. You have to build something big and new every year,” O’Brien adds, labeling Dollywood as an aggressive family park.
Global industry trends show that families want to visit parks with attractions that every age group can enjoy, O’Brien says. Dollywood had part of that equation already in place—except teenagers.
Enter the speed coasters.
In April, the park will open its most ambitious, expensive attraction to date—the $17.5 million Mystery Mine steel coaster. Although not Dollywood’s first roller coaster, this dark, or indoor, ride offers twists and turns that will outshine the Tennessee Tornado and Thunderhead, the park’s award-winning wooden coaster.
Does this mean Dollywood’s use of her trademark country music as a staple is starting to wane? It didn’t seem to last for Nashville’s Opryland USA theme park, owned by Gaylord Entertainment. O’Brien contests that theory.
“Nobody really knows why [Gaylord] pulled the plug. The park had been doing well. It hadn’t been dropping in attendance, staying right around the $2.1 million mark—right even with Dollywood. Everyone was surprised,” O’Brien says. By the time Opryland closed in 1997, it had reached 200 acres in size, but geographically was boxed in and forced to remove older attractions to introduce new ones. The park’s closing “hurt tourism in Nashville so bad for a number of years,” O’Brien adds.
Dollywood, on the other hand, still has plenty of leg room and an aggressive plan to launch a new major attraction annually as it has already for the past five years. Country music certainly was the “in” for Parton’s foray into the amusement park business, but it was her vision to create a place for families that drives repeat visitation.
But, Dollywood doesn’t want to become something it’s not.
Every new addition has to remain true to its original rustic, mountain theme. “You can just go to Dollywood to get the whole effect – crafts, food, beauty. It’s a real Southern thing,” says park spokesman Pete Owens.
Being strictly in the family entertainment business, there seems to be no need for Dollywood to expand into other areas like lodging or outlet mall retail, things already offered in mass throughout Sevier County.
That said, it was still a natural fit for the Dolly brand to infiltrate other attractions by opening the $20 million Dollywood’s Splash Country water park in 2001. The Dollywood Company also is now the largest shareholder in the Dixie Stampede dinner attractions in Pigeon Forge, Branson, Mo., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Orlando, Fla.
It’s difficult to determine exactly how much revenue Dollywood generates annually, as the privately held business remains protective of its financials. A regular, one-day ticket costs $42.40, and season passes
are $26.60 more—prices that hold up against regional thrill-ride competitors Six Flags Over Georgia ($44.99 for single admission) and Cincinnati’s King’s Island ($29.95 single admission).
And, Dollywood has been able to bank on its “softer” attractions like its harvest and Christmas festivals, which have boosted family attendance, says Owens, and keeps the park in operation from April to December.
It’s hard to find much negative concerning Dollywood’s prospects. While grand expansion plans continue, the park has maintained its high level of customer service and cleanliness of its facilities, something that often gets neglected as venues grow.
Is Dollywood underrated? “No, just look at the traffic to get in there,” O’Brien says. It wouldn’t be surprising if the park introduced a $100 million single attraction in the coming years. But, don’t expect it to be anything less than down-home Dolly perfect.
Email to a Friend
Print-Friendly Format