Dollywood Opening as Other Theme Parks Announce Closures for Coronavirus

Dollywood announced that the theme park would open as scheduled this weekend amid coronavirus concerns that closed other theme parks in the country.

Dollywood opens on schedule Friday, March 13, 2020 for its season pass holders and on Saturday for general guests after installing hand sanitation stations throughout the park and vowing to clean surfaces more frequently.

“We’ll be open as scheduled this weekend,” the park said in a Facebook post. “Our team is committed to providing a safe and memorable experience for our guests. We take cleanliness and hygiene seriously year-round, but we have increased efforts to help prevent the spread of germs. We’ve added more than 300 hand sanitation stations throughout the park, we will be cleaning commonly touched surfaces even more frequently and we posted supplemental hygiene signage in public and host areas. We’re diligently following guidelines from the CDC and working with our partners at Covenant Health, which has provided a comprehensive website to answer your questions about Coronavirus: https://www.covenanthealth.com/coronavirus/“

Dollywood cancelled its annual media event Friday in which it planned to give an update on the park’s upcoming investment and expansion plans.

“The exciting economic news we planned to share does not seem appropriate based on what is going on.  It doesn’t feel right,” Dolly Parton said. “We need to focus on good health and praying for those who are affected. We know brighter days are ahead.” 

Walt Disney Company announced the closure of its theme parks in Florida, California and Paris. The company said it would pay cast members during the closure. Six Flags parks and Universal Studios also announced closures.

UPDATE: Dollywood Reverses Decision, Postpones Opening Until End of March