May 21, 2012
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- You know it's spring when Dollywood opens its gates to the public.
This is the 25th Anniversary season for the park.
Officially, Dollywood opens Saturday; on Friday season pass holders were invited to come on in and check it out.
Whether you've been there many times before or never at all, Dolly Parton herself made an appearance to ask you to come take a look.
"Hello! Happy anniversary to us," Parton beamed as she stepped off a cake wheeled onto the Celebrity Theatre stage.
And she wasn't the only one celebrating: the thousands who filed into the park on the first day of the season had nothing to complain about.
"Even if it's dreary, you can still go to the shows," Tammy Richardson told Volunteer TV.
Parton told the audience that her business managers told her Dollywood was a bad idea.
She says she knew better.
"Me and my husband have been coming since '85 when it first opened. And we've had season passes for about 20 years," Richardson said.
In a time of recession, Tennessee's number one attraction is still growing.
Every season, it's something new.
This year, look for Adventure Mountain: the country's largest challenge course with swinging beams, suspension bridges and a ropes course.
"We have a lot of talented people and they come up with wonderful ideas. I get to be in on their ideas and they listen carefully to mine and because of that we come up with new and better things every year," Parton explained.
Park patrons tell us, they don't mind spending some cash for a play day.
"Even in a down economy, you're willing to come to Dollywood?" WVLT asked park visitor Audry Hillon.
"Right," she said. "Get your gold passes and get your discounts."
"This is mainly what we do instead of big trips since he can't take a lot of time off work. We just come up here for a day with our kids," Richardson continued.
With more than two million guests coming to Dollywood every year, Dolly Parton says she now has new business managers.
Adventure Mountain was a $6 Million project.
On Friday, Dolly said to look for Dollywood to add a resort and spa in the years to come, and look for a Dolly appearance on Hana Montana and a Kenny Rogers 50 year celebration.
