Theme Park Report
Dollywood has outlined several additions honoring Dolly Parton, including a new Dreammaker character in Wildwood Grove, a reflection area near the Robert F. Thomas Chapel and updates to The Dolly Parton Experience.
The plans were presented Sept. 2 by Eugene Naughton, president of Dollywood Parks & Resorts, at the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, theme park. Naughton said Parton had reviewed and approved expansion plans for Dollywood and its hotels before her death, with plans extending through 2036.
The new Dreammaker character is scheduled to debut in Wildwood Grove in 2027. Inspired by Parton’s encouragement of children’s dreams and her Imagination Library program, the character will interact with children and other guests in the family-focused area. The program provides free books to preschool children.
Wildwood Grove also will receive interactive kiosks where guests can record stories and memories about Parton and the ways she inspired them. Submissions may be kept private or shared publicly for use in the park’s storytelling.
Near the Robert F. Thomas Chapel, Dollywood plans to add a mountainside waterfall and a guitar-shaped sculpture. The area is intended to provide a place for guests to reflect and remember Parton. Inside the chapel, new stained-glass windows will depict the changing seasons of the Smoky Mountains. According to Attractions Magazine, the chapel and waterfall enhancements are expected to open in early March 2027.
The Dolly Parton Experience, which opened in 2024, also will be updated. A new portal from Showstreet is planned to lead guests into the exhibits, which will receive a new film and finale. Attractions Magazine reported that the “Precious Memories” section may eventually incorporate stories and memories from Parton’s family, while the Songteller exhibit is set to receive a new finale in its “I Will Always Love You” room.
Naughton also said Dollywood’s longer-term plans include future third, fourth and fifth resorts, including an outdoor resort. The concepts for those resorts were reviewed and approved by Parton, according to his comments reported by the two outlets. Dollywood announced a 10-year, $500 million investment strategy in 2021.
Separately, Dollywood is working with the city of Sevierville on a project tracing Parton’s footsteps through locations connected to her life. Installation is expected to begin within days, with 11 stories planned at sites including Red’s Drive-In and the Pines Theater.
