Bring back Dolly Parton's likeness to Dollywood

  • by: Greg K
  • recipient: Dollywood Co. / Herschend Family Entertainment

Over the past 15 years, Dolly Parton's likeness has slowly but surely begun to fade from the branding of her very own themepark Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, TN. The park opened in early 1961 as Rebel Railroad and went through several ownerships and name changes over the years before Dolly's involvement. The park was re-christened as Dollywood in 1986 after Dolly bought an interest in Silver Dollar City in 1985. Dolly has actively been involved in the theming, entertainment, new attractions, and overall operations of the park. Her likeness has graced merchandise, brochures, billboards, and attractions have boasted names associated with Dolly's music, career, and family. The park even has the only Dolly Parton museum in the world "Chasing Rainbows", and a show featuring members of her family called "My People". Since it's inception, Dolly has promoted her themepark in TV ads, late night and daytime talk shows, concerts, magazines, brochures, radio interviews, etc. For the first 20 years of Dollywood, Dolly actively promoted the new attraction each spring. In recent years, her promoting of the park has lessened, partially due to the fact that the park now boasts a yearly attendance of over 3 million with attractions large enough to compete with any other themepark and/or amusement park in the wold; thus, rendering the park able to support itself without Dolly's heightened promoting. Dolly continues to actively involve herself in the park, appearing every spring at the park in May and expanding the park to now boast Dollywood's Splash Country water park and DreamMore Resort.

However, for the past 10-15 years, Dolly's likeness has been dramatically lessened throughout the park. Her photo no longer appears in the park's brochure, Dolly merchandise has dwindled down to just a few small items, and Dolly-themed attractions are no longer being added and some have even been removed or changed. This dramatic change has become glaringly obvious by the throngs of Dolly fans who visit the park annually. In the early years, you could find Dolly's image on everything from blankets, to postcards, to shot glasses and mugs, to purses and t'shirts, to magnets, rulers, keychains, etc. Today, her likeness only appears on a handful of specific items. Restaurants and attractions in the park that once boasted Dolly-related names have since been removed, Applejack's Deli, Hannah's Ice Cream Parlor, Mountain Dan's Burgers, Uncle Bill's Music Shop, Stella's Fritters, etc.
Now, in 2017, the park has ceased issuing "Dolly Dollars", currency with Dolly's image on it, useable within the park and purchasable with U.S. currency. The Dolly Dollar has existed from 1991-2016 and was just one more Dolly element that fans have loved and now ceases to exist.
We petition for the Dollywood Co., and Herschend Family Entertainment (the parent company that operates Dollywood), bring back Dolly's likeness to merchandise, advertising, and themed features in the park. Dollywood will remain part of Dolly Parton's strong legacy long after she is gone. In January 2003, Dolly spoke to the New York Times about the strong connection with between Dollywood and her fans saying, "It gave them somewhere to go, that they didn't have to hang on to me so much," she said. "Almost like a mama. I can't entertain 'em all the time. I can send 'em to the playground, though, with fun people that I trust. You know: 'Go. Go, go, go play. Go swing. Go get on the seesaw.' 'Cause they feel like it's all me. It's under that Dolly umbrella. And I feel good that I've been able to give them something. An extension of myself, so to speak."

Hello, This is a petition to the Dollywood Co. and Herschend Family Ent. for the return of Dolly Parton's likeness fully to Dollywood in areas where it has been removed. In the past 10-15 years there has been a significant and noticeable decrease in Dolly merchandise (t'shirts, keychains, postcards, mugs, Dolly Dollars, etc). There's also been the removal of her likeness in advertising/marketing (website, Facebook, park brochures, TV commercials, etc). Additionally, Dolly themed (or named) attractions have been decreased (AppleJack's Deli, Hannah's Ice Cream Parlour, Mountain Dan's Hamburgers, Uncle Bill's Music Shop, Stella's Fritters, etc). Dollywood is a part of Dolly Parton's legacy, and her likeness needs to remain now and in the future a strong presence in Dollywood. In January 2003, Dolly spoke to the New York Times about the strong connection between Dollywood and her fans saying, "It gave them somewhere to go, that they didn't have to hang on to me so much," she said. "Almost like a mama. I can't entertain 'em all the time. I can send 'em to the playground though, with fun people that I trust. You know: 'Go, Go, go, go play. Go swing. Go get on the seesaw.' 'Cause they feel like it's all me. It's under that Dolly umbrella. And I feel good that I've been able to give them something. An extension of myself, so to speak." Thank you,
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