Dolly Parton Won't Go on Dollywood Rides: ‘Any Number of Things Could Happen to Me on Those Rides'
Dolly Parton has been the co-owner of the biggest ticketed tourist attraction in Tennessee, Dollywood, since 1986. The iconic theme park has live entertainment, dining areas, and plenty of rides.
However, Parton revealed that she isn't a fan of riding the rides at her own park. "I used to get sick on the merry-go-round as a kid on the playground," she admitted in a speech she gave this March.
She went into more detail about her reasons for staying off the rides in a 2023 interview with Peachtree TV. "I don't like to ride the rides, everybody knows that about me," the country star said. "I have a tendency to have motion sickness. And then I'm a little bit claustrophobic. I don't like to be closed in. And I just think 'Well, I just have too much to lose.' My boobs could fly out, my hair could fall off. Any number of things could happen to me on those rides."
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When speaking about how she got involved in Dollywood in the first place, she told USA TODAY, "When I was growing up here in the Great Smoky Mountains, we used to come every now and then down to this area. When it was the county fair, we'd come to town, and I used to think if I make it big, if I get rich like I was dreaming I might, that I'd love to do something special, to come back home and build a park of my own. And I'm still dreaming and it's still coming true."
She continued, "I feel like all the people here are my people, in this area. I even wrote a song, you know. ‘These are my mountains, my valleys. These are my rivers flowing like a song. These are my people.' All these multicolored rainbows, these are my people. This is my home."
The theme park is set to open its biggest attraction ever, called NightFlight Expedition, later this year. According to PEOPLE, the $50 million ride will be an indoor attraction that is both a water ride and a roller coaster. Although Parton usually avoids the rides, she admitted she is tempted to check out this one herself. "I usually don't ride the rides, but this one sounds so magical, I might just check that one out," she said when the ride was announced.
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This story was originally published May 21, 2026 at 3:25 PM.