A rival theme park to Dolly Parton’s Dollywood has drawn widespread online outrage after posting a comment in a thread memorializing the country icon. Parton’s family announced her death at age 80 in a statement on her social media pages on Tuesday, August 25. Tributes quickly poured in for the beloved singer, songwriter, actress, and philanthropist, celebrating her music, sharp wit, generous spirit, and projects that helped ordinary people—from supporting vaccine development during the COVID-19 pandemic to providing free books to children through her Imagination Library.
Among the tributes, one fan posted on X about Dollywood, the 165-acre theme park in Tennessee that Parton co-owned. The fan praised her for keeping single-day admission at $99, writing, “And she kept the prices reasonable in this economy.” Hersheypark, a Pennsylvania amusement park, replied under the post: “Our summer tickets are $49.99.”
The comment was quickly deleted, but not before users captured screenshots and voiced anger. One demanded an official apology for the “TACTLESS post,” while another labeled the park “truly disgusting.” Hersheypark initially responded that the reply had been meant for a different conversation and that staff had not seen the full context.
“We certainly respect your concern,” the park wrote. “A reply clarifying our ticket price in another conversation was posted without seeing the context of the chain, so we removed it quickly to avoid any confusion or insensitivity over intent. We absolutely apologize for the error.” When another user called the episode “such a big yikes,” Hersheypark added that it honors industry icons and that any disrespect “was absolutely not the intent.”
In a longer follow-up statement, Hersheypark explained that a team member had spotted inaccurate pricing information about its tickets and meant to correct it privately, without realizing the reply would appear under a Dollywood tribute. “We join the millions mourning the loss of Dolly Parton, whose generosity, talent and spirit touched so many,” the statement said. “We sincerely apologize for any insensitivity.”
Dollywood issued its own tribute, calling Parton its “beloved Dreamer-in-Chief” and sharing the sorrow felt worldwide. The park noted her wish that it remain a place of joy, hope, and togetherness—honoring her memory with laughter, music, and shared dreams rather than silence. President Eugene Naughton said the greatest privilege of his life had been helping bring her dreams to life there, and that Dollywood would stay open Wednesday as she wanted, with her signature reminder: “the show must go on.”