Today Dolly Parton announced a $300 million investment in her theme part Dollywood located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
The money will be invested over a 10-year period beginning in 2014 with a new one-of-a-kind roller coaster called the Firechaser Express. It goes forwards, backward and from zero to hero to celebrate the hero in all of us.
In the summer of 2015 a 300-room, full-service resort will open on Veterans Boulevard, just north of Dollywood’s Splash Country, in Pigeon Forge. It will be called the Dream More Resort and will provide ways for families to connect – swings, fire pits and porches.
In addition to Dolly’s introduction, Governor Bill Haslam and Tourism Director Susan Whitaker discussed the $50.6 billion tourism dollars generated in Tennessee, and the additional $8 million that was added to the state’s budget for 2014 tourism marketing.
Pigeon Forge City Manager Earlene Teaster said that 2012 was a record-breaking year which generated over $900 million in tourism revenue. Dollywood President Craig Ross stated that the 300-room resort was just the first phase of the Resort and that there will be more unique rides at Dollywood.