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.
It's time for my FOURTH Year In Review for What's Up at Dollywood - the blog, the vlog, Facebook Page, Insta and the YouTube Channel! 🥳
To the daily scrollers, the deep-divers, and the Facebook regulars: thank you. This year was a wild ride, and having you in the passenger seat made every mile worth it.
From Know-it-all to Superfan: A Year of Deepening East Tennessee Adventures
Launching this channel, blog, and Facebook page has been an incredible journey through East Tennessee, and I'm so grateful for every single one of you on this adventure with me. Sharing my passion for this region with you all continues to be the driving force behind what I do.
When I first started this, I thought I’d already seen most of what East Tennessee has to offer. Turns out, I was just scratching the surface. This past year has been a great reminder of how much there is still to discover, and it’s turned me from an 'expert' into a total superfan of our own backyard. Whether you’re watching the videos or chatting with me on Facebook, thanks for coming along for the ride. Your interest is what keeps me out there exploring.
And let’s be honest: trying to keep pace with Dolly Parton is the ultimate cardio workout. Just when you think she’s done it all, she finds a new way to sprinkle a little more magic (and a lot more heart) over the world. She remains the North Star for everything we do here.
Looking ahead to 2026? We’re going deeper. We’re uncovering the stories etched into these ridges and, of course, keeping a close watch on whatever Dolly has up her rhinestone-covered sleeves next.
But first, let’s look back at the Year of W.U.A.D. videos that defined 2025. Grab a jar of something cold—let's dive in.
Dollywood's Opening Week + 'I Will Always Love You' Music Festival 2025
🟩 Hidden Hollow Aviation / NightFlight Expedition Construction Progress
🟩A Cappella Fusion
🟩Smoky Mountain String Band
🟩 Sky of Many Colors
🟩Summer Celebration - Part One
🟩Summer Celebration Part Two
🟩Summer Celebration Part Three
🟩NightFlight Expedition - Announcement
🟩NightFlight Expedition - Teaser Video presented in the Announcement
🟩 PLEASE WATCH! - This is a comparison video of Mission Bermuda, the ONLY other Mack Rocking Boat attraction in operation. NightFlight will use the same ride hardware as Mission Bermuda. NightFlight will be entirely indoors, temperature-controlled environment and will include some of the features you'll see in Mission Bermuda AND maybe some new ones we are not seeing in MB!?? When you watch the video below, you'll have a better understanding of NFE. Lift Hills and Thrills kindly provided the footage for Mission Bermuda, and I am grateful they let me use it! Check out their channel!
🟩Jessica Horton at the Chapel, Full Show except for Coat of Many Colors, see video below for that.⬇️⬇️
🟩Jessica Horton - Coat of Many Colors at the Chapel
🟩Harvest Festival Part One
🟩Harvest Festival Part Two
Check back later for Smoky Mountain Christmas 2025 Videos!
However, these 2024 Christmas Videos were published in late January (as will 2025's videos), but check out what I saw last January. The park was insanely crowded, and I mostly focused on lights and decorations over shows and entertainment. Check them out!
🎅🏼🎄SMOKY MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL 2024!🎄🎅🏼
🟩Part One
🟩Part Two
🟩Dolly's Christmas Costumes, stage clothes and wigs that she's worn at various Christmas related appearances over the years. Behind the Seems 2024.
🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢🟢
🔵Blog Posts and other Helpful Trip Planning information -
Dollywood's 2026 Ride - Hidden Hollow Aviation - Updates, Photos, Videos of it Under Construction.
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, Today is a great day for Dollywood and Dolly Parton Fans! It is Dolly Parton’s 79th Birthday and without her, none of what we all appreciate, cherish and adore would be around to love. So many different types of people with wildly different beliefs and backgrounds forget every bit of that to find commonality and love for Dolly Parton. She is a treasure of a human and I feel fortunate to be here to share her news with all y'all.
🎂🎂🎂
Check out some of Dolly's best outfits, according to Knoxville News Sentinel. Here are a couple of highlights from the article.
🎂🎂🎂
Dolly's recent interview with Southern Living is available to read online. You can do that here.
🎂🎂🎂
This is originally from Dolly's 77th birthday, and updated for her 78th, but still relevant even though she is 79 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.
🎂🎂🎂
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.
Posts
