So with Dollywood, the famed theme park located in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., that puts Dollywood in position to enjoy a booming summer season. Co-owned by country music legend Dolly Parton and Herschend Family Entertainment, the park has opened its gates for the season with renewed optimism. Dollywood even pushed back its opening by a week in March due to the worries over the economy. Today, it’s looking for families who want a regional, cost-effective amusement getaway.
This year, Dollywood introduced two new rides, enhancing the park’s offerings and excitement for visitors. Those pieces for these rides came in the fall. Since it would inconvenience the fans to instate a higher ticket price just for a temporary solution, management decided to cover the installation costs themselves. As the economy has its ups and downs, this decision is a strong indication that Dollywood’s focus on offering value comes through.
Dollywood’s Director of Communications, Pete Owens, said they started noticing a shift in consumer behavior. Most recently, he noticed that visitors are purchasing tickets out much closer to their actual visit date instead of several weeks out. Whatever the reason, this trend is a reflection of families being more intentional with their choices as they face unprecedented financial uncertainty.
Dollywood’s attendance is up 4% over last year’s record-breaking figures. One hot local trend Families are flocking to new local entertainment choices and eschewing pricey escapes to distant major theme parks such as Disney World. The park’s operators have said they’ve had big crowds and a noticeable buzz among visitors.
Brian Hartley, a spokesperson for Dollywood, echoed the jubilation seen throughout the park.
“We’ve had good crowds, and everyone seems excited to be here.” – Brian Hartley
Despite that backdrop of economic uncertainty, Dollywood has been enjoying continued growth in attendance this year. The management team is committed to keeping a close eye on consumer sentiment, understanding that changing economic moods may lead to changes in visitation patterns.
Planning for summer started last year, it wasn’t without its challenges. Like many theme parks, Dollywood incurred extra expenses because of new tariffs levied on suppliers, especially from China. Jeanine Gentile, my new favorite person and another major player in Dollywood’s day to day workings, illustrated the challenge in obtaining materials for the park.
“We ordered them months ago before the tariffs were in place, but they typically arrive for delivery at this time of the year, and so obviously the tariffs were in before we received the product.” – Jeanine Gentile
Dollywood’s leadership made a wise decision in preemptively buying supplies before the storm to help avoid severe disruptions. Gentile emphasized the importance of this strategy.
“We tried to purchase as much stuff as we could to be ready for the season because that little bit makes a big difference in the bottom line at the end of the day.” – Jeanine Gentile
Even with all of these challenges that they too have faced, Dollywood’s announcement to not raise the price of their tickets has sparked joy. Gentile stated,
“We’ve just sort of felt that if we can do this (not raise prices) for Long Island and for our guests let’s do it, where we can afford it, at least for this season.” – Jeanine Gentile
The park’s management has been very attuned to shifts in consumer behavior, and there’s no question that families are seeking value-oriented experiences now more than ever.
Chris Del Borrello, a frequent visitor himself, provided great insight on what keeps families coming back to Dollywood year after year.
“We come here every year because it’s so fun, and we build memories every single summer.” – Chris Del Borrello
As we move further into this summer season, Dollywood is still just getting started on providing exceptional experiences for its guests. This combination of thrilling new attractions and a commitment to affordability bodes well for Dollywood as the country continues to find its footing through uncertain economic times.
