Timeshare Information

Dollywood is turning 25! The popular theme park built in Pigeon Forge, TN, by singer/song-writer Dolly Parton, is celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2010. Rent a timeshare in Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg and join in the big celebration.

In 1982 Dolly Parton announced in an interview with Barbara Walters that she wanted to open a theme park in her Tennessee hometown. Enter Ted Miller, General Manager of Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO who, as he says, saw the writing on the wall. "That would have been a formidable competitor," said Miller, and he immediately contacted Parton about forming a partnership with the Herschend Family Entertainment Corp, which runs 26 theme parks around the country. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Dollywood attracted 650,000 visitors its first season. Open just nine months out of the year (late March through the first of January), Dollywood has an astounding 2.5 million visitors annually. Miller attributes the theme park's success to "Perfect branding - with its cultural location near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the country, and Parton's iconic status as an international celebrity."

Over the past 25 years Dollywood has stayed true to its roots as a complete family entertainment venue with its mountain and musical themes. The 150-acre theme park offers more than 40 rides and attractions; live entertainment featuring country, bluegrass, gospel and mountain music; and numerous crafters authentic to the East Tennessee region. For Parton, Dollywood was mostly about creating jobs for friends, family and people who love to entertain. More than 2,500 people work inside the park.

In just the past four years Dollywood has won 15 major awards, the most of any theme park in America, from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), the largest international trade association for permanently situated amusement facilities worldwide. IAAPA represents over 4,500 individual members from more than 90 countries.

Watch for Dolly Parton's television special about Dollywood's 25 year history scheduled to air in July, 2010, on the Hallmark Channel. Then quick! Book a timeshare rental so you and your family won't miss out on the fun and celebration of Dollywood's "Silver Jubilee!"

“Everyone knows that I’m a dreamer, and the 25th anniversary of my Dollywood theme park is the continuation of a country girl’s dream of a special place where families can experience and enjoy all that my Smoky Mountain home has to offer,” Dolly Parton said. “I'm inviting everyone to join us all season long as we celebrate the dreamer in YOU, too!”

See Pigeon Forge timeshares. See Gatlinburg timeshares.

Plan a timeshare rental vacation for the entire family in Missouri's entertainment mecca, Branson, and head to Silver Dollar City. This exciting theme park actually had its beginnings when the Herschend family leased Marvel Cave in 1950, modernized it with electricity and cement staircases, and began holding square dances in it.

In 1960 the Herschends looked for a way to bring more visitors to Marvel Cave. They opened Silver Dollar City, an authentically recreated Ozark frontier town of five shops and a church. It featured a log cabin with actors playing out the feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys.

In its first year Silver Dollar City drew more than 125,000 people, four times more visitors than the number that toured Marvel Cave. "We discovered we were in the theme park business," Pete Herschend said.

Today Silver Dollar City is called "The Friendliest Theme Park in the U.S.A." "The park's 1880s-themed experience," as Pete Herschend explains, "fits Branson's vision as a family-friendly vacation destination with down-home charm."

The "down home charm" claim might be a little deceiving as Silver Dollar City is a world-class caliber theme park with over 30 rides and attractions. Take the American Plunge which drops 50 feet at speeds up to 35mph. Or Fire in the Hole, an indoors in-the-dark roller coaster ride featuring strobe lights, water and other special effects. Lost River of the Ozarks will take you on a wild raft ride, some of it in the dark, with numerous twists, turns and sudden drops. And then there's Powder Keg (the name says it all), Thunderation, and the list goes on and on. In fact, in 2009 the American Coaster Enthusiasts organization (A.C.E.), held its national summer convention at Silver Dollar City.

And never fear, there is something for every member of the family. The little tykes will enjoy the Animal Barnyard petting zoo, getting wet in Geyser Gulch, and riding the Frisco Silver Dollar Line steam train. Silver Dollar City's operating season runs from mid-March until late-December. See all Branson timeshares.