Yikes…
Tributes have been pouring in for the iconic Dolly Parton since her shocking death yesterday, August 25, at the age of 80.
Aside from being a legendary country artist, releasing 50 studio albums and charting 25 #1 hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, Dolly was maybe even more well known for her philanthropy and charitable work, in her East Tennessee hometown and around the world.
One of Dolly’s most visible contributions to her hometown is, of course, her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Dolly bought the amusement park, that was previously known as Silver Dollar City, in 1986 as a way of helping her community:
“I always thought that if I made it big or got successful at what I had started out to do, that I wanted to come back to my part of the country and do something great, something that would bring a lot of jobs into this area. Sure enough, I was lucky, and God was good to me and things happened good.”
The park has created more than 23,000 jobs in the region, and has an estimated economic impact of $1.8 billion. In addition, Dollywood employees receive 100% free college tuition as soon as they’re hired, and the park also pays a portion of childcare costs for all employees.
In the wake of Dolly’s death, a viral post also praised the charitable icon for keeping admission prices to Dollywood reasonable, charging only $100 even as prices skyrocket everywhere else around the country:
While there was debate in the replies as to whether $100 was really “reasonable,” one reply in particular drew quite a bit of attention.
Hersheypark, the amusement park in Hershey, Pennsylvania, replied to the original post by promoting their own ticket prices of only $49.99.
Obviously the reply rubbed people the wrong way, as people took to social media to criticize the park for appearing to try to dunk on Dollywood on the day of Dolly’s death:
The park quickly tried to do damage control, claiming that they mistakenly replied to the post while attempting to reply to another post in the chain, without realizing the context:
“We sincerely apologize for this error. A reply clarifying our ticket price in another conversation was posted without seeing the context of this chain so we removed quickly to avoid any confusion or insensitivity over intent.”
Yeah, not a great look, regardless of whether it was their intention or not.
Dollywood, obviously, hasn’t commented on the controversy, but the park reopened today for the first time since Dolly’s death after being closed yesterday as part of their regular operating calendar.
The park released a statement yesterday confirming that per Dolly’s wishes, they would reopen as normal today:
“With heavy hearts, the Dollywood family mourns the passing of our beloved Dreamer-in-Chief, Dolly Parton. Everyone at Dollywood shares the sorrow of countless people around the world touched by Dolly’s warmth, wisdom and generous spirit.
Dolly’s heartfelt wish was that Dollywood always remain a place of joy, hope and togetherness—a space where families and friends could honor her memory, not with silence, but with laughter, music and shared dreams.
‘The greatest privilege of my life has been helping Dolly bring her dreams to life at Dollywood,’ said Eugene Naughton, Dollywood Parks & Resorts President. ‘Dolly’s heart was as vast as the mountains she cherished, and her compassion knew no bounds. She inspired generations to dream boldly and love deeply. While we grieve her loss, we are honored and committed to carry her light forward. Her legacy will continue to shine in every melody sung, every smile shared and every dream kindled within these gates.’
Dolly’s enduring legacy extends beyond her music and generosity to her remarkable work ethic—an inspiration to people everywhere. In her spirit, Dollywood will be open Wednesday as Dolly wanted, always reminding everyone with her signature sparkle — ‘the show must go on.’ Together, we honor her by carrying forward her message of love, perseverance, and hope.
Those wishing to give in honor of Dolly may consider making a gift to the organization she was so deeply passionate about, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.”
The park opened this morning with a moment of silence in honor of the late legend:
A fitting tribute.
