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A rival theme park to Dolly Parton’s Dollywood has sparked outrage online over a comment, which was shared to a thread memorializing the star.<\/p>\n
Parton’s\u00a0family announced the sad news of\u00a0her passing\u00a0at the age of 80 in a statement shared to her social media pages on Tuesday (August 25).<\/p>\n
Tributes to the widely adored singer, songwriter, actress, and philanthropist began to pour in, praising Parton’s\u00a0music, character, wit, and her many projects supporting ordinary people, from helping finance the Moderna vaccine during the Covid-19 pandemic to sending children’s books to young families to encourage a love of reading in children.<\/p>\n
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Among the many tributes was one fan who took to X to share a post about\u00a0Dollywood, the 165-acre theme park in Tennessee, co-owned by the country icon.<\/p>\n
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The fan praised Parton for keeping the single-day admission price to Dollywood at $99, writing: “And she kept the prices reasonable in this economy.”<\/p>\n
However, an account belonging to another park, Hersheypark, responded: “Our summer tickets are $49.99.”<\/p>\n
The comment was swiftly deleted, but not before many outraged users had taken screenshots of it, with one demanding: “Are you guys going to offer an official apology for this TACTLESS post or keep on ignoring it?”<\/p>\n
Another took to social media to slam the park as ‘truly disgusting’.<\/p>\n
Hersheypark, which is located in Pennsylvania, made an initial public response after screenshots of the post began to circulate, saying that the post had been intended for another conversation and they had not seen the ‘context’.<\/p>\n
“We certainly respect your concern,” it 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.”<\/p>\n
Other users continued to criticize the park, with one commenting: “This is such a big yikes\u2026. like I’m shocked.”<\/p>\n
Hersheypark replied to this comment, saying that they ‘honor our industry icons’ and that this was ‘absolutely not the intent’.<\/p>\n
Following the backlash online, the park shared a longer statement in which it explained and apologized for the post, as well as paying tribute to Parton.<\/p>\n
Hersheypark said that they had seen information about their pricing online which was incorrect, and had intended to respond to clarify it.<\/p>\n
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“We join the millions mourning the loss of Dolly Parton, whose generosity, talent and spirit touched so many,” it said in a statement.<\/p>\n
“A member of our social media team noticed inaccurate pricing information about Hersheypark within a post and intended to respond directly just to that individual to correct it, not realizing the reply would appear as a response to a conversation about Dollywood. It was removed as soon as we recognized the context. We sincerely apologize for any insensitivity.”<\/p>\n
Following the news of Parton’s passing, Dollywood issued the following statement: “With heavy hearts, the Dollywood family mourns the passing of our beloved Dreamer-in-Chief, Dolly Parton. Everyone at Dollywood shares the sorrow of countless people around the world touched by Dolly\u2019s warmth, wisdom and generous spirit.<\/p>\n
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“Dolly\u2019s 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.”<\/p>\n
Eugene Naughton, Dollywood Parks and Resorts President, added: “The greatest privilege of my life has been helping Dolly bring her dreams to life at Dollywood.<\/p>\n
“Dolly\u2019s heart was as vast as the mountains she cherished, and her compassion knew no bounds. She inspired generations to dream boldly and love deeply. While we grieve her loss, we are honored and committed to carry her light forward. Her legacy will continue to shine in every melody sung, every smile shared and every dream kindled within these gates.”<\/p>\n
The statement continued: “Dolly\u2019s enduring legacy extends beyond her music and generosity to her remarkable work ethic – an inspiration to people everywhere. In her spirit,\u00a0Dollywood will be open Wednesday\u00a0as Dolly wanted, always reminding everyone with her signature sparkle — ‘the show must go on’.<\/p>\n
“Together, we honor her by carrying forward her message of love, perseverance, and hope.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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