Dolly Parton Shares The Secrets Behind Dollywood's Success

Forbes

01-04-2025

Dolly Parton performed at a media event to celebrate opening day of Dollywood and its 40th anniversary.
In a career spanning 60 years and a lifetime of celebrity, Dolly Parton has learned the art of perseverance. Shortly after the loss of her husband, Carl Dean, Parton returned to the stage to thank her fans and usher in the 40th anniversary of her award-winning park, Dollywood, in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, with all the fanfare you might imagine.
On March 14's opening day, season ticket holders, their headlights cutting through the pre-dawn darkness, lined up hours before the park's opening. Then they lined up again that afternoon waving homemade signs and wearing 'In Dolly We Trust' tee-shirts for a glimpse of the music-TV-movie-cookbook-philanthropy icon as she rode atop a glittering chariot and waved to the crowd. The mutual devotion – both from the screaming fans and Parton herself – was palpable.
She's a celebrity with a capital C, a savvy businesswoman who has parlayed her unique fusion of downhome country charm and contemporary relatability into an array of business ventures. The result is multigenerational adoration that's reflected in her fan base and park attendance. Kids and grandparents alike don sparkles and Parton's trademark butterflies. They stay at her two resorts, Dollywood's Dream More Resort & Spa and Dollywood's Heart Song Lodge & Resort, they emerge from gift shops with armloads of merch, and they happily turn over their hard-earned money with a 'you can't put a price on quality family time' attitude.
Fans gather on opening day of Dollywood to get a glimpse of Dolly Parton and shout out messages of love.
Behind the scenes, the park evolves right along with Parton's career while honoring her Appalachian roots. It's a delicate balance between past and present, all originating from a woman who believes in following her gut and surrounding herself with people who are committed to making her dreams a reality.
'When I first had the big idea to start Dollywood, my accountants and lawyers all thought I was making a big mistake,' says Parton. 'But I felt a calling to do this. So I got rid of all of them and brought in people who had faith in me. I told them, 'You need to listen to what my dreams are. I don't need to dream your dreams; you need to help me carry out mine.''
How did that work out for Parton? As she says, 'I was found out to be right, and they were found out to be gone.'
Still, the lesson was hard-earned, one that came with experience and yes, even failure. Parton shares the story of her short-lived show, Dolly, in which she was paid the highest variety show salary in history but couldn't make the series a success.
'I wanted to do a variety show, not the old kind, but my version of it, my personality, things that would touch the all-American people,' says Parton. 'But everyone kept trying to bring back the old format through me. They all pushed and shoved until I got so frustrated I just said, 'Oh hell, let's try it your way.''
Parton's acquiescence led to failure. Her business sense and forethought guaranteed that she be paid all the money negotiated in her two-year contract, but the show was cancelled in its first season. 'Looking back,' she says, 'I still would rather have had the show be a hit than have that money.'
Yet she recognizes that the lessons learned from that failure have contributed to all her subsequent successes. 'It's been a long time, but now I know to go by what I feel,' Parton says of every business venture she pursues. 'I'd rather do without it than do it wrong.'
Parton knows who she is and what she brings to the table. She understands that her fans are drawn to her authenticity, her positivity, and the oft repeated Dolly-isms that have found their place in today's viral memes.
Now, Parton does nothing without listening to her gut. And her gut tells her to be herself and to weave her life and her dreams into every aspect of Dollywood.
40 years later, 1986 Dollywood has evolved into an award-winning park for families of all ages.
It's a commitment that has paid off. When Parton added her celebrity to the former Silver Dollar City park in 1986 and rebranded it as Dollywood, attendance doubled in its first season. Today, more than 3.5 million visitors a season ride the coasters, sing along with the live performances, and soak up the Dolly Parton Experience, a trio of exhibits that explore Parton's story and make her feel like a longtime, comfortable friend. More than 4,500 employees staff the park, fulfilling Parton's dream of supporting and representing the people of her hometown.
Parton says Dollywood is a look into her personal and professional lives, and that has made all the difference. 'I think it's amazing what's happened through the years. If you live long enough with a good reputation, you can build your brand (she uses that word with a slight roll of the eyes, conceding to the changing times), and people know they can trust that. I take a lot of pride in that.'
Even as Dollywood enters its 40th season, Parton is teasing 'the park's most ambitious project yet' coming in 2026, a sign that the business mogul's dreams are as vivid and vibrant as ever.
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