Dollywood Goes Silent To Mourn Its ‘Chief Dreamer’

At exactly noon in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee on Wednesday, all the rides at the Dollywood amusement park stopped for one minute.The entire park and all its patrons stood still, pausing for a moment of silence for Dollywood’s “Chief Dreamer” — country music legend Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday at age 80.“It’s a very surreal atmosphere that the person who built all this just passed away,” said William J. Smith, a New Jersey father of two who happened to be vacationing at the park with his wife and children.“You could not find a nicer place with a nicer bunch of people than this area,” he said by phone from the park. “Having been to a lot of amusement parks across the country, the place is immaculate, all the employees couldn’t be nicer to you and seem genuinely appreciative I think for what she’s done and the opportunity that they have here.”As tributes for Parton poured in from all over the world, as figures as diametrically opposed to each other as President Trump and the Democratic Socialists of America both released statements honoring her legacy, one of Ms. Parton’s proudest achievements continued serving up smiles.Parton, one of 12 children born in a one room cabin about 15 miles away from where the park stands today, paid her community back and then some with Dollywood. With thousands of people on its payroll, it’s one of the biggest employers in eastern Tennessee. It’s a brick and mortar example of the humility, hard work and altruism that made Parton so beloved.When Mr. Smith and his wife Maryellen booked a late August vacation to Dollywood, it was for a family trip to celebrate their daughter Catherine’s sixth birthday.“An innocuous family vacation turned into kind of being a witness to history here,” he said.Catherine and her seven-year-old brother William III, are familiar with Parton’s music and face from YouTube videos, and Catherine had mused she hoped to meet Parton while on vacation.“She loves music, she loves dancing, we figured this would be a great, great time to come and never in my wildest imagination did I think we would get the news we got yesterday when we were here.” Mr. Smith said. “People were shell-shocked when they found out.”The parents sat Catherine and William III down Tuesday night to tell them what had happened to Parton, Mr. Smith said. Catherine cried for about “45 seconds” but both children handled the news well.Dollywood was closed Tuesday to prepare for Halloween decorations, but on Wednesday morning when it opened the front gate was lined with media cameras and cards from mourners. People wearing Dolly t-shirts took extra selfies in the sticky Tennessee heat.On Wednesday, Mr. Smith and his family took in a water ride, roller coasters and spinning rides and rode the log flume after lunch. Catherine was still looking forward to seeing the Dolly Parton Stampede live entertainment on Wednesday night.“This place I don’t know what it would be like if it weren’t for Dolly Parton and all the businesses she put here,” Mr. Smith said.

Dollywood Goes Silent To Mourn Its ‘Chief Dreamer’

Dollywood Goes Silent To Mourn Its ‘Chief Dreamer’

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