Dollywood Fends Off Fire and Buyout Rumors Amid Dolly Parton Memorial
Dollywood, the popular amusement park in Tennessee owned by Dolly Parton Productions and Herschend Family Entertainment, has been at the center of several rumors and hoaxes since the death of its founder, singer Dolly Parton.
The first claim that spread like wildfire on social media was that Disney was buying Dollywood for a record $200 billion. However, this was fact-checked by Snopes and ABC 10 San Diego, which confirmed it to be false.
Just days later, a new rumor emerged claiming that Dollywood had burned down in a fire and would be permanently closing. This claim originated from viral videos on TikTok and an unconfirmed news story on a website about a potential fire at Pigeon Forge. However, the Pigeon Forge Fire Department has confirmed that there was no fire at or near Dollywood.
Dolly Parton's amusement park remained open as normal after her death, with the park announcing hours later that 'the show must go on.' In a statement, they highlighted that Dolly Parton would have wanted the park to remain open, saying 'Dolly’s heartfelt wish was that Dollywood always remain a place of joy, hope and togetherness, a space where families and friends could honor her memory, not with silence, but with laughter, music and shared dreams.'