Rival theme park faces outrage over ‘truly disgusting’ response after Dolly Parton’s death

Admirers across the globe have been paying tribute to Dolly Parton following her passing. On social media, one person praised the singer for maintaining affordable admission at Dollywood. Yet when a competing amusement park entered the discussion, the reaction from fans was immediate and furious. The criticism became so intense that the rival park ultimately had to release a statement.

Dolly Parton’s ambition to establish a theme park of her own became a reality in the 1990s, and Dollywood developed into an enormous success. The attraction now receives roughly 4 million guests annually. But the origins of the much-loved destination stretch back much further.

In 1982, Dolly told Barbara Walters about a deeply personal goal: she wanted to build a “Smoky Mountain fairy land” in the area where she had grown up. Her idea involved more than giving families somewhere magical to visit. She also hoped the project would provide employment and generate additional income for the local economy.

That vision soon drew the interest of amusement-park proprietors Pete and Jake Herschend. Recognizing what Dolly’s concept could become, the brothers partnered with the country star. Working together, they remade the former Silver Dollar City in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, into the attraction that would eventually carry the Dollywood name.

Dollywood

A dream rooted in Dolly’s cherished Smoky Mountains grew into one of the area’s most important tourist destinations. Dollywood welcomed visitors for the first time on May 3, 1986, and the singer’s idea quickly proved remarkably successful.

During the park’s opening years, about 1.3 million people came through its gates—approximately double the attendance Silver Dollar City had recorded the previous year, The Sun reported. For Dolly, the achievement meant that a wish dating back to childhood had at last come true.

Dollywood has since shown that its popularity was no short-lived phenomenon. It has expanded steadily while drawing millions of guests year after year. Tripadvisor ranked it as the leading amusement park in the United States last year. This year, the business also took the No. 49 position on TIME magazine’s ranking of the nation’s 500 biggest privately owned companies.

More significant still may be the enduring effect Dolly’s idea has had on the community that raised her. In the peak season, the park provides jobs for approximately 3,000 people, making it the largest employer in Pigeon Forge as well as Sevier County.

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Following Dolly Parton’s death, Dollywood announced that it would continue operating normally. The park said it was prepared to receive guests as scheduled and was honoring what Dolly had wanted.

Dolly Parton applauded for keeping Dollywood admission affordable

In a statement, Dollywood Parks & Resorts President Eugene Naughton said that Dolly’s lasting influence reached far beyond her songs and charitable work. He described her extraordinary dedication to work as an example for people everywhere.

Naughton added that Dollywood would open on Wednesday in accordance with Dolly’s wishes. Recalling her familiar sparkle and belief that the show should continue, he said the park would honor her by carrying her message of hope, perseverance, and love into the future.

Dolly Parton earned many millions of dollars over the course of her career. When she died, estimates placed her net worth near $450 million. With Dollywood, though, money had never been the point.

A supporter wrote on X that Dollywood deserved praise for holding the cost of a one-day ticket steady at $99. The fan noted that, even in the current economy, Dolly had managed to keep the price reasonable.

What began as a tribute to Dollywood’s restraint on admission costs soon turned into anger. Rival attraction Hersheypark appeared in the replies and declared that its summer tickets cost $49.99.

Although the reply was removed, numerous users had already captured screenshots and circulated them, leaving many others outraged. One person demanded to know whether Hersheypark would issue a formal apology for such a tactless remark or simply continue ignoring it. Others called the comment disgusting.

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The Pennsylvania amusement park was compelled to publish multiple statements about the deleted response. Its representatives said the price clarification had been intended for an entirely different exchange and acknowledged that they understood why people were concerned.

Rival park provokes outrage with remark amid Dolly Parton’s death

Hersheypark explained that a reply correcting its ticket price in another discussion had been posted without anyone noticing the surrounding thread. It said the message was quickly taken down to prevent confusion or any perception of insensitivity, and the park offered an unequivocal apology for the mistake.

Some people remained unconvinced by that account. One commenter described the episode as a major embarrassment and said the situation was genuinely shocking.

As criticism of Hersheypark continued, the attraction released a more detailed explanation. In a statement provided to People Magazine, the park said it stood alongside the millions grieving Dolly Parton, whose spirit, generosity, and talent had affected so many lives.

The statement continued by saying that someone on Hersheypark’s social-media team had noticed incorrect information about the park’s prices within a post. That employee meant to answer only the individual who had supplied the inaccurate figure, but did not realize the response would publicly appear beneath a conversation centered on Dollywood.

What do you make of the controversy? Share your thoughts in the comments.