We're passionate about all things Dollywood and Sevier County, and we want to share that passion with you. Come along as we explore all that this beautiful area has to offer. From Dollywood and Splash Country to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Cades Cove, there's something for everyone in Sevier County.
We're also big fans of Dolly Parton, and we'll be sure to keep you up-to-date on her latest news and projects. We're sure you'll find something to love here.
This article includes all of my visit to the Smoky Mountain Christmas Festival AND A Photo Trip Report that includes some of the pics from my visit. I have included a Photo Trip report in my blog for each visit this season! See links below for each festival.
If you are interested in all of the Holiday Flavors that Dollywood serves up, then you need to check out my mouth-watering blog post detailing all the menu items that the park serves for their incredibly popular Tasting Pass menu. In short, you purchase this pass and can get any five items from their vast selection of offerings. All the details are in the blog post. Click Here to go there!
Let's start with the videos, and below that the Photo Trip Report!
NightFlight Expedition!
Over the summer, I published a video detailing some of what we might experience in NightFlight Expedition - based off of the only other Mack Rocking Boat attraction - so check it out to get an idea of what we can expect out of this incredible new attraction!
If you're curious about Dollywood's Next Huge Ride - This is It!!
Check out my blog post with all the details that I think I know.
Hotels with High Ratings in Pigeon Forge. I have created a spreadsheet that incorporates ratings from different reliable sources and ranked hotels in the area. I've listed out columns for things like indoor pools, hot tubs and more on the spreadsheet. Very helpful if you, or someone in your group is looking for a specific amenity.
Top Breakfast Restaurants in Pigeon Forge. I have created a list of the best Breakfast restaurants in Pigeon Forge using ratings from various reliable sources and ranked them in my blog post.
Tons of YouTube videos - I have so many YouTube videos of Dollywood including every festival and lots of general park updates as well as Big Bear Mountain footage.
Hi Everyone, Happy 80th Birthday to the legendary Dolly Parton! 🦋 Today we celebrate the woman who created everything we love and adore about Dollywood. It’s rare to find someone who unites people of every background quite like Dolly does. She is an absolute treasure, and I’m honored to be sharing her news with this community today. Happy Birthday, Dolly!
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Check out some of Dolly's best outfits, according to Knoxville News Sentinel. Here are a couple of highlights from the article.
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Dolly's recent interview with Southern Living is available to read online. You can do that here.
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This is originally from Dolly's 77th birthday, and updated for her 78th and 79th, but still relevant even though she is 80 today. This is an article called 77 Facts for Dolly Parton’s 77th Birthday, written by Hope McAlee and posted to our local ABC Affiliate, WATE-TV in 2023. Dolly is probably having a slice of PIE today, if #54 is true.
Happy Birthday, Dolly Parton. This is one of my favorite pictures of her at Dollywood, on the Thunder Express Roller Coaster, around 1989 or so.
15. In 1967, Dolly released her first full-length album, Hello, I’m Dolly, with Monument Records.
16. Parton had a television show that debuted in 1976 called Dolly. The show had 26 episodes before it ended in 1977.
17. Parton’s first film was 9 to 5, released in 1980.
18. Parton is listed as the author of eight books on Amazon, including novels, inspirational books, and children’s books.
19. Dolly has a never-before-heard song locked away at Dollywood that will be released in 2045. (Watch Jeff's YT Short here)
20. She broke four world records. Parton originally held the records for most decades on the US Hot Country Songs Chart for a female artist at 6 decades and most No. 1 hits on the chart by a female artist at 25 songs. She then broke both of those records, having 109 hits on the chart and staying on the chart for 7 decades.
25. Parton starred in the 1982 film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
26. In a Vanity Fair interview, Dolly admitted to having pastel tattoos to cover scars.
27. Dolly creates the concepts of her looks and her creative team cranks out around 300 outfits a year, according to Steve Summers, Dolly’s creative director.
28. Summers, who has been working with her for over 30 years, told WATE that there is a warehouse that has every single garment Dolly has worn since 1964.
29. Parton has released at least 50 duets, including “I Will Always Love You” with Vince Gill, “Islands In The Stream” with Kenny Rogers, and “Here I Am” with Sia for the 2018 Netflix film Dumplin’.
30. Parton was first signed by Tree Publishing and Mercury Records in Nashville with her uncle, Bill Owens.
31. Parton has been married to her husband Carl Dean for over 55 years.
32. In 2020, Parton told People Magazine that she first met Dean, who was a Nashville businessman, when she was 18.
33. Parton also told People that one of their first dates was at McDonald’s.
34. Dolly has been offered the Presidential Medal of Freedom twice and turned it down. The first time she turned it down because of her husband’s illness and the second time because of the pandemic.
41. Despite her success, Parton isn’t a billionaire. Parton’s net worth was estimated at $350 million by Forbes in August 2021, and some recent estimates suggest her net worth may be around $650 million.
42. Dolly Parton is only two inches taller than Danny DeVito. Sources say Parton is five-feet tall while DeVito is four-feet 10 inches tall.
The song to which Parton refers is likely “My Place In History,” a tune she recorded in 2015 and tucked away in a “Dream Box” located at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort in Pigeon Forge, TN - WATCH MY VIDEO #SHORT OF THE BOX AT DREAMMORE - HERE.
47. Paton acted in approximately 135 movies, television shows, and music videos according to IMDb.
48. She has hundreds of wigs. Out.com asked Dolly how many she had at the Heartstrings premiere, and she responded that she wears one about every day, so she must have at least 365.
50. Dolly doesn’t have any children of her own. According to Today, Parton told Oprah Winfrey that she believed God didn’t mean for her to have kids so that everybody’s kids could be hers.
52. Parton is an early bird. In an interview with Today, she told them she wakes up by 3 a.m. for meditation and spiritual work before she takes care of business.
53. Parton told CMT she wrote “I Will Always Love You” about her mentor, Porter Wagoner, not a romantic interest.
54. On her birthday, she eats pie, not cake, Parton told a USA Today reporter.
56. After filming completed on Parton’s 2022 Christmas movie, some of the props and costumes used were donated to a Sevierville thrift store for charity.
57. Dolly’s first paid performance was at the Pines Theater in Sevierville when she was 10 years old. In May 2022, the company that owns the theater announced it was being remodeled to turn it into an entertainment venue, named The Pines.
58. Parton seems to be a fan of Lil Nas X. After Lil Nas X’s cover of “Jolene,” Parton said she was excited and that she loves him. In 2019, there was also a Twitter thread between the pair teasing the possibility of a remix of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” with Parton.
59. Parton released a children’s album called “I Believe in You.”
61. Parton raised over $9 million in a telethon for her My People Fund, which gave $1,000 checks to families affected by the wildfires monthly for 6 months. The fund received enough donations that the final check fire victims were given was $5,000.
62. Parton was recognized by the FBI for helping Gatlinburg wildfire victims. The FBI gave the 2018 Directors Community Leadership Award to the Dollywood Foundation.
63. Dolly helped reduce dropout rates in Sevier County Schools from 30% to 6% in 1991. The Dollywood Foundation launched the Buddy Program in Sevier County Schools. Seventh and eighth-grade students were each promised $500 if they and a buddy graduated high school.
64. She once donated an autographed pair of heels to be auctioned for Soles4Souls.
73. In addition to Dollywood’s employees, Dolly has had a major economic impact on East Tennessee. According to a study at the University of Tennessee, Dollywood has an annual direct and indirect economic impact of over $1.8 billion and created over 23,000 jobs in the region.
75. At 10 years old, Parton was interested in show business. A former audio technician shared that when she wasn’t performing, she was watching everything happening behind the scenes.
78. In 2023, Parton released her Rock n’ Roll album “Rockstar,” however, on the Download Exclusive version of the album, Parton included a new recording of “Jolene” with Italian rock band Måneskin.
79. In 2026 Dolly will open her first hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. It will feature a Life of Many Colors museum, luxurious rooms with state of the art media technology, a rooftop bar called Jolene's, and much more. It's in the heart of Downtown Nashville, minutes from the action of Broadway.
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Check out my recent video of Dolly's Fan Shop and some of
The Dolly Parton Experience, that opened in 2024.
Below is a video from the Songteller part of the Dolly Parton Experience. It tells Dolly's origin story from Locust Ridge to Nashville.
Here are some of Dolly's 'Christmas Outfits and Costumes', she's worn through her career.
Sing-A-Long with Dolly with a POV of Dollywood's newest roller coaster - Big Bear Mountain!
