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    Dolly Parton plans Nashville water/snow park

    By JOE EDWARDS | Associated Press – Fri, Jan 20, 2012

    NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Dolly Parton plans a water-snow park in Nashville, described as the first of its kind in the country, to join her other tourist attractions in East Tennessee.

    The new $50 million venture, announced Thursday on Parton's 66th birthday, is a 114-acre park projected to open as early as summer 2014. It is not yet named.

    It will join her Dollywood theme park and a water park in Pigeon Forge, about 190 miles away in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee.

    "I'm not a bit afraid of competing with myself," she said. "They are far enough apart. I live in Nashville, so it's natural for me to have two working places."

    The planned venture will be a partnership with Gaylord Entertainment, which owns the sprawling Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center and the Grand Ole Opry country music show in Nashville.

    The park is projected to have 500,000 visitors in its first full season with 450 full- and part-time employees.

    Details about the new attraction were not announced except that there will be special winter festivities along with "lots of music," said Colin V. Reed, chairman and CEO of Gaylord Entertainment. Another 35 acres are reserved for expansion.

    Parton's Dollywood theme park and Splash Country attract approximately 4 million visitors yearly. The theme park opened in 1986, and the water park in 2001. Parton also owns the Dixie Stampede dinner theater in Pigeon Forge.

    She said she was not worried that winter weather might hurt attendance at the new attraction.

    "Unless there's a blizzard, we'll be ready for 'em," she said.

    Reed said he believes the new park will help draw people to Parton's existing attractions.

    The two described the partnership as 50-50 with no worries about financing.

    "We have a strong balance sheet and an icon like Dolly with us," Reed said. Groundbreaking is projected for late this year or early 2013.

    Gov. Bill Haslam said he welcomed new revenue from the park.

    "The idea is a big one. If you think about it, the state lives off sales tax. And this will be something that will mean new dollars for Tennessee," he said.

    Nashville has one other commercial water park, plus a city-owned wave pool.

    According to the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau, the city has 11 million visitors a year. One million of those stay at Gaylord's resort, which is across the road from the new park.

     

    17 comments

    • CW
      CW  •  Tampa, Florida  •  4 mths ago
      Dolly is one sweet lady
    • Bruce
      Bruce  •  Brisbane, Australia  •  4 mths ago
      The best thing about Dollywood was that crazy magician they used to have...the guy with the raccoon...by the train. Not the new one, but the one that was there since it was Silver Dollar City. Made our whole trip!
    • Daisy
      Daisy  •  4 mths ago
      Dolly is one of the best people to ever come out of Tennessee. All the best, Dolly.
    • coyote
      coyote  •  4 mths ago
      But, is she still working 9-5?????
    • Tom
      Tom  •  4 mths ago
      Go Dolly! Love Dolly Parton! This has to be the smartest woman in Show Biz!
    • wally
      wally  •  Doylestown, Pennsylvania  •  4 mths ago
      Sounds so kool, now you will have Graceland in the west, Dolly in the east, and Dolly in the middle!!
    • Tindoor Tailgator
      Tindoor Tailgator  •  4 mths ago
      Hey, Dolly - Wishing you the very best, Thanks for Your God Given Talents, Truly a Blesssing - in this world of hate & sarrow, That's community organizing at its best, not the crap our politician's would have you believe...God Bless, The United States of America - Truly an American Hero & Legend, well Earned, One Smart Lady...
      • John
        John 4 mths ago
        and for her surgically given talents too!
    • Scotty
      Scotty  •  Nashville, Tennessee  •  4 mths ago
      I have to go right past that area on the way to work. I know they are going to make traffic horrendous on Briley Parkway (I have to take it to work) and I can only imagine the fun getting to and from work after it opens! I already dodge tourists at Opryland coming out from where I work!

      Still, I'll probably check it out.
      • anon
        anon 4 mths ago
        How can you dodge tourist at opryland when opryland no longer exist? it closed in 1997.
      • Scotty
        Scotty 4 mths ago
        Peopel here in Nahsvilel would know what I'm talking about you #$%$
      • ALLISON
        ALLISON 4 mths ago
        No need to be a name-caller. Anon merely stated a fact pertaining to old theme park and you were referring to hotel and Opry Mills traffic which is still pretty non-existent at this point. I think the traffic will be just fine. I don't have any trouble in that area ever since they finished all the road work several years ago. Plenty of lanes. Only real problems are at Christmas. I, for one, can't wait to see what they come up with for this park--especially for the snow portion!
    • Stalin a swine.
      Stalin a swine.  •  4 mths ago
      Dolly is the best.
    • Terra
      Terra  •  4 mths ago
      She should name it : Over The Top With Dolly !
    • tg
      tg  •  Nashville, Tennessee  •  4 mths ago
      hope the river doesn't flood again
    • Richard
      Richard  •  4 mths ago
      I expect a wet T-shirt shot from her.
    • Charmed
      Charmed  •  4 mths ago
      yeeeeeeeeehaaaaaawwww...lol
    • viet vet
      viet vet  •  4 mths ago
      If the park isnt run better than the old Opryland it will fail. You paid to get in then paid for everything you wanted to do.
    • Tiger
      Tiger  •  4 mths ago
      Cant wait for it to open sounds great.
    • Nelson
      Nelson  •  4 mths ago
      Where is the picture of Dolly????? I wanted to see my beloved Dolly..........
      Please smack me with your melons........
    • JD
      JD  •  4 mths ago
      Has she come out yet?? Good lord, when is that woman going to be honest with us! She is GAY. No, I dont mean the insult, I mean she really is gay. And she needs to stop lying about it. We'd all respect her a lot more if she just told the truth. It's decades beyond time for it,.
      • Sweet S
        Sweet S 4 mths ago
        you are sick. the most "gay" thing she is, her happy gay smile. And I'm not talking about sexual gay either. U are just someone that is a trouble maker wishful thinking, well darlin' she wouldn't look your way, she has a husband that she has loved FOREVER.
      • JD
        JD 4 mths ago
        No she doesnt have a husband that she has loved FOREVER,. She;s NEVER lived with him. Did you know that?? NEVER. Instead, she lives with a woman she claims is just her friend. But they sleep in the same bed, and have for decades. In the same house. In the same bed. Her husband Carl has NEVER lived with her. She married him for a cover, that's all. You better start paying a little closer attention to what's going on. It's been going on like that for decades!
      • anon
        anon 4 mths ago
        how would you know who she lives with?
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