Credit: Inside the MagicJust weeks after the passing of her beloved husband, Dolly Parton made a surprise appearance to mark the reopening of Dollywood where she also shared future plans for the theme park.
Dollywood isn’t just a theme park — it’s a reflection of Dolly Parton’s larger-than-life legacy. Tucked in the Smoky Mountains, the park blends Appalachian charm with thrill rides, live music, and Southern comfort food. Dolly’s influence is everywhere, from the family-friendly attractions to the storytelling that honors her roots. While the rides themselves are stellar, it’s really the country star’s personal touch that makes the park a standout.
As its Dreamer-in-Chief (who also owns 50% of the park, with Herschend Family Entertainment owning the other half), Dolly has inspired one of the park’s most significant attractions: the Dolly Parton Experience. Three times the size of its predecessor, the Chasing Rainbows Museum, this gives guests an in-depth look at the singer’s life and career.
Dolly can also regularly be found at Dollywood events. While it’s not like you can spot her strolling the grounds on a daily basis, she does play an integral role in promoting the park – as proven by the fact that she attended today’s reopening.
Dolly Parton Confirms Future Dollywood Plans
According to WVLT News, Dolly took the stage around 11 a.m. to talk to a group of Dollywood passholders and introduce a trailer confirming future plans for the theme park, which held previews today ahead of its seasonal reopening tomorrow.
A teaser for @Dollywood’s 2026 attraction (the park’s most expensive to date!!) — with a cameo by Dolly Parton herself and Dollywood president Eugene Naughton!
A teaser for @Dollywood’s 2026 attraction (the park’s most expensive to date!!) — with a cameo by Dolly Parton herself and Dollywood president Eugene Naughton! pic.twitter.com/IDrD6xdHmB
— Coaster101.com (@Coaster101) March 14, 2025
Dollywood’s new trailer kept specific details under wraps, but President Eugene Naughton confirmed a “new attraction” is on the way — calling it the park’s most ambitious yet, with Dolly adding, “and expensive!” The teaser featured the Great Smoky Mountains at night, ending with the tagline “take flight 2026.” Naughton hinted the project will celebrate Dolly’s love for the Smokies, with Dolly herself saying, “I love the Smoky Mountains, especially at nighttime.”
This year, guests can look forward to a new restaurant in Wilderness Pass, a new attraction in the Imagination Playhouse, and a “facelift” for the Country Fair section of the park. As Dolly said on the latter, “If you see something sagging or dragging, you need it plucked or tucked!”
Dolly Addresses Husband’s Passing
Dolly also used the appearance as an opportunity to address the recent tragic passing of her husband, Carl Dean, who passed away earlier this month at the age of 82.
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) March 4, 2025
“I just want to say thank you and I love you for all the flowers, cards and well-wishes,” Dolly said. “I just wanted you to know that of course, I will always love him. I will miss him, and of course I will always love you.”
Despite being married to Dolly for nearly 60 years, Dean was famously private. The pair first met outside a laundromat on the first day the singer arrived in Nashville. As Dolly previously said about their first meeting, “I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me). He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about.”
Dean inspired several of Dolly’s songs, but he most notably played a role in her hit “Jolene.” She explained that the song was written about a bank teller who had developed a crush on her husband.
“He just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention,” Dolly said in 2008. “It was kinda like a running joke between us – when I was saying, ‘Hell, you’re spending a lot of time at the bank. I don’t believe we’ve got that kind of money.’ So it’s really an innocent song all around, but sounds like a dreadful one.”
Do you plan on visiting Dollywood this year?