The Dollywood Company has announced a ten year investment programme of £300 million in new attractions and resorts.
Already under construction is the new new FireChaser Express rollercoaster, opening in March 2014 at Dollywood. The first dual-launch family coaster in the US, FireChaser Express travels forwards and backwards on a winding 2, 427-foot track, twelve stories above the park's Wilderness Pass area.
To mark the company's 30th anniversary in 2015, a 300-room DreamMore Resort will be developed next to the Dollywood theme park and Dollywood's Splash Country waterpark. The design of Dollywood's DreamMore Resort is inspired by that iconic Southern gathering spot, the front porch. An independent economic impact study commissioned by The Dollywood Company estimates that Dollywood and its hospitality investments will add $150 million per annum to the local economy, the 10 year investment plan will generate more than $7 million in state and local taxes, and around 2, 500 jobs will be created by the addition of the resort.
Dolly Parton said, "I've always been a big dreamer just like I've always wanted to do more for my home here in these beautiful Smoky Mountains. This is where I nurtured my heart's dreams, and I want to share more of them. My plans for the next 10 years are to expand my Dollywood properties to offer families more opportunities to play together and grow closer while they make their best memories. It's truly the culmination of this country girl's wildest dreams!"
Craig Ross, President of The Dollywood Company, said, “With Dolly Parton's vision and world-class properties like Dollywood theme park and Dollywood's Splash Country waterpark as our foundation, The Dollywood Company is poised to become a family vacation destination like no other. Dolly welcomes folks into her home and her heart, and our plans to grow and expand The Dollywood Company are steeped in her desire to bring families closer together by creating experiences delivered from the heart."
