Part 2
That's why you'll find a working grist mill where they grind cornmeal the old-fashioned way. A blacksmith shop where you can watch someone hammer iron into shape. Candle shops where they dip wax by hand. These aren't decorations. They're working exhibits. And then, right around the corner, you've got the Thunderhead, a wooden roller coaster that consistently ranks as one of the best in the world. You've got the Wild Eagle, a wing coaster that makes you feel like you're flying. You've got Splash Country, a separate water park that's basically its own destination.
Dolly told me they have “wonderful roller coasters, water rides” and that they've “preserved the Smoky Mountain heritage like a hundred years ago.” That's not marketing speak. That's just what it is. And the fact that she doesn't ride any of it? That's the most Dolly thing ever. She's like a master chef who doesn't eat her own cooking. She just knows what people want.
I remember asking her if she ever considered adding something like a rocket car — just to see what she'd say. She paused and said, “Well, maybe.” Then she laughed and said she was watching me earlier and thought I was going to blow up. That's Dolly. She can turn any question into a bit, but she's also genuinely paying attention. She notices things. And she remembers.
So what's it actually like to spend a day at Dollywood? That's the question I kept coming back to. And the answer is: it depends on what you want. If you want thrills, you've got them. If you want to step back in time, you've got that too. If you want to eat cinnamon bread that will ruin all other cinnamon bread for you, well, you're in luck. But the real magic is that it doesn't feel like a compromise. It feels like a conversation between the past and the present. And that's exactly what Dolly intended.
In the next section, I'll tell you what Dolly said about Kenny Rogers, Billy Ray, and Miley — and why she thinks Miley is going to be just fine. But before we get there, I want to leave you with this: Dolly Parton was told she'd lose her butt. She did it anyway. And 25 years later, she's still standing. That's not just a business lesson. That's a life lesson. And if you're ever in Tennessee, you can go see it for yourself. Just don't expect to see Dolly on the roller coaster. She's got too much to lose.
Miley, Kenny, and the Art of Not Sinking Like the Titanic
You know that moment when Dolly Parton starts talking about Miley Cyrus and you can practically hear her blood pressure spike? That’s where we are. She calls Miley a 'doll,' says she’s known her since she was a baby, and then—without missing a beat—gets protective. 'They’ve just been kind ofounding her to death,' she says. You can feel the mama-bear energy. And honestly? She’s not wrong.
Miley was 17 when this conversation happened. Seventeen. Let that sink in. She was already a global phenomenon thanks to Hannah Montana, already a Disney Channel staple, already a tabloid target. And now she’s trying to transition into grown-up pop stardom. That’s a tightrope walk over a pit of hungry critics. Dolly sees it. She lived it—well, a version of it.
Dolly didn’t have a Hannah Montana. She had something better: a grandma with a winter coat. 'I remember stealing the shoulder pads out of my grandma’s winter coat to make a push-up bra,' she says. 'That was before Frederick’s had ’em. In fact, I think I gave them that idea.' She’s joking. Sort of. But the point lands: she remembers being 17 and wanting to feel sexy, wanting to be seen, wanting to grow up faster than the world was ready for. That’s the empathy she extends to Miley. She doesn’t lecture. She relates.
And here’s the thing: Dolly never had a formal godmother ceremony with Miley. She says they never did the official thing. But she’s there if Miley needs her. That’s the kind of godmother you want—the one who shows up without a contract. The one who says, 'Let’s leave Miley alone' when the press gets too rabid. The one who knows that being 17 in show business is a different beast than it was in 1963. 'There’s so much pressure,' Dolly says. 'You get into show business at any age, the pressure is incredible. Let alone when you know, like nine or 10 when she started.'
But Dolly isn’t worried. 'I think she’ll be all right because she’s very smart. I didn’t realize how smart that kid is.' That’s a hell of a compliment from a woman who’s been outsmarting the music industry for six decades. And it’s not just Miley—Dolly’s known her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, for a long time too. She did a video with him back when he was 'so hot like Miley now,' during the 'Achy Breaky Heart' era. Symmetry, right? Billy Ray was a teen phenomenon. Now his daughter is. And Dolly’s seen both sides of that coin.
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So when you ask, 'Wait, is Dolly actually Miley’s godmother?' The answer is: not officially. But spiritually? Absolutely. And that’s the kind of relationship that doesn’t need a ceremony. It just needs someone who remembers what it felt like to be 17 and desperate to be taken seriously.
