Contents of Dolly's Dream Box for Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort revealed

Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort was driven by Dolly’s dream to create a place where families can reconnect. To honor her dreams and the people who made them possible, Dolly created a Dream Box which will remain locked until 2045. Visiting families can see Dolly’s Dream Box on display at the resort.

“My resort is a dream 30 years in the making, and the items I picked for my Dream Box are closely tied to special people who encouraged me and certain events in my life where that encouragement paid off,”

said Dolly.

Dolly’s Dream Box contains:

1. A copy of her 2012 book "Dream More: Celebrate the Dreamer in You" which expands on the popular 2009 commencement speech that Dolly delivered at the University of Tennessee.
2. A piece of wood from Dolly’s Tennessee Mountain Home’s front porch, a favorite gathering spot for her family and where she sang as a child growing up in the Smoky Mountains.
3. A song written by Dolly for the future to be released in 2045 that shares her hopes and dreams for the future.
4. A sealed mystery box made of chestnut, the contents of which are known only to Dolly and are to remain unopened until 2045. The box honors Dolly’s Uncle Bill Owens who, early on, recognized his niece’s talents and helped her career take flight. Owens’ work with the American Chestnut Foundation helped develop a blight-resistant American chestnut tree, restoring it to the woodlands of the Eastern U.S.

Dolly participates in a traditional ceremony to bless the site of Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort

In keeping with Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort's close ties to the land in the Smoky Mountains, Dolly welcomed Dollywood theme park’s Chaplain Joey Buck and the Beloved Man of the Cherokee Nation Elder Jerry Wolfe to a special ceremony on May 2, 2014. Buck presided over a blessing of the resort followed by a traditional Native American smudging by Wolfe.

Dollywood's DreamMore Resort will celebrate the iconic Southern gathering spot, beckoning to a time when families and friends sipped iced tea, enjoyed homemade ice cream and socialized. Centered on the rich traditions of storytelling, family and togetherness, the resort will feature many special touches including family sanctuaries like fire pits, swings and hammocks plus story spots scattered throughout the grounds.

Dolly shares new conceptual drawings of Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort

Dolly released the first conceptual renderings of Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort. The renderings showcase both the resort’s interior and exterior, which is reminiscent of a Southern-style front porch. Specific renderings included:

1. A king-sized guest room which features bunk beds.
2. An exterior view of a stunning two-story architectural window which creates a focal point for the property’s rear elevation.
3. The resort’s three-story lobby which looks out onto the sprawling property where families can explore and relax. The three-story lobby window frames a magnificent view of Mt. LeConte in the distance.
4. An exterior view of the resort’s various front porch areas, filled with rocking or “dream” chairs where families are invited to spend time together relaxing and sharing stories.

Dolly hopes these various room types provide families a place to reconnect saying,

“We’re going to create lots of simple ways for families to spend time together and really enjoy one another. All of this, plus being surrounded by views of the Smoky Mountains, folks are going to know that they are truly somewhere special when they stay with us.”

Dolly sets Dollywood ablaze with the newest addition, FireChaser Express

With the help of her hometown firefighters, Dolly launched the maiden voyage of FireChaser Express, the nation’s first dual-launch, forward and backward family coaster. Dolly encouraged recruits as small as 39 inches tall to ride the coaster with the entire family!

Dolly kicked off the international celebration at Dollywood’s 2014 Festival of Nations

Dolly delighted guests as she kicked off Dollywood’s 2014 Festival of Nations by making appearances at the festival’s headlining shows, "Mother Africa" and "La Danza de Colombia." Dressed in traditional outfits with special Dolly flair, she showed her passion for bringing international experiences to her hometown and to Dollywood.