Ellen Liston on Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood
Ellen Liston shares how Dollywood brings the magic of the Smoky Mountains to life through storytelling, tradition, and community engagement.
About Ellen Liston
Ellen Liston, a Kingsport native, is the Public Relations Manager at The Dollywood Company, where she has spent over a decade blending her East Tennessee roots with a passion for the Smoky Mountains. In her role, Ellen crafts narratives that showcase Dollywood’s unique mix of tradition, innovation, and community spirit. She focuses on storytelling, community engagement, and maintaining the park’s authentic identity.
About Dollywood
Founded in 1961 as Rebel Railroad and becoming Dollywood in 1986 with Dolly Parton as co-owner, the park draws approximately 3 million visitors annually and employs over 3,000 team members, making a major impact on East Tennessee’s tourism economy. Dollywood is celebrated for its Smoky Mountain Christmas, which transforms the park from November 1 to January 4 with over 6 million lights, 12 real trees as natural landmarks, themed areas with unique color palettes, and specialty shows including Christmas in the Smokies, Twas the Night Before Christmas, and A Christmas to Remember by Dolly’s niece Heidi and her family. Visitors can also enjoy the unique Santa’s Lists…Naughty or Nice experience. Dollywood has been ranked the #1 theme park in the U.S. by Tripadvisor in 2025, has won the Golden Ticket Award for Best Christmas Event for 15 consecutive years, and will celebrate 40 years under its current name in 2025 with specialty tours and festivities honoring its rich history.
Resources
Christmas at Dollywood
Visit Sevierville
TripAdvisor’s 2025 Number One Theme Park in the U.S.
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Spencer: Ellen Liston, public relations manager from Dollywood. Welcome to Signature Required.
Ellen: It's so correct, but what a treat to be here. Surrounded by trees especially. There's a flocked tree here, which we've found we share a love of, so very exciting.
Spencer: Yeah. I really love a flocked tree. So like for those that are just listening, that aren't watching, we have a fabulous flocked tree beside us here. It's truly fabulous. Just close your eyes and imagine it.
Ellen: Mm-hmm. And that's what it looks like.
Spencer: Carli, for those that don't know what a flock tree is, why don't you describe for our listeners what a flock tree is? For those that have no
Carli: idea, it's such a. Perfect version of torture. It is a tree with little shards of plastic styrofoam to make it look like snow, that if you move said tree in any way, explode off the tree and cover every surface area of your entire house.
Carli: See,
Ellen: and I just think it's magic snow, don't you?
Spencer: Absolutely. The beauty is pain, you know? So that's a, I love that for you,
Carli: at least you got one here in the studio.
Spencer: Um, Ellen, we have been really excited to have you on because, uh, Dollywood in so many ways has become the place for not just Tennesseans to go, but like I.
Spencer: Big part of the country. Mm-hmm. You all are ranked the number one theme park on TripAdvisor now, right? Yeah,
Ellen: it's pretty exciting. We've actually been number one three of the past four [00:02:00] years. Wow. And we were number two that year and we lost out to our sister Park Silver Dollar City, which is owned by the same parent company.
Ellen: Um, but I, you know, I think it's, it's a huge testament. Obviously to Dolly. Um, we call her our dreamer in chief isn't not the greatest title ever. Oh, that is. It's the greatest. Um, but it's a huge tribute to her. It's a tribute to really the state of Tennessee. We're just, it's a great place. There's nothing like the Smoky Mountains and there's nothing like I'm a native Tennesseean.
Ellen: So to me there's nothing like this state. And I think it's a great testament to our whole state that people want to come here. They love the people, they love the atmosphere. And then we add just a little bit of that wonder of Dolly and her just essence and what she represents and. Our employees, we call them [00:03:00] hosts because when you come to Dollywood, we wanna feel, we want you to feel like you're being hosted.
Ellen: And probably the number one question I get is, is Dolly here? Oh, I bet Is Dolly at Dollywood today? And actually she's, Dolly is at Dollywood every day because it's her dreams, her aspirations, her Smoky mountain spirit, and she instills that in us. And so. What better job to have than you get to represent what Dolly stands for every day, and that's kind of what Dollywood's all about.
Carli: I love that you couldn't have picked two better things to impress Spence Patton than being number one on TripAdvisor because he has this sneaky gift to like deep dive on TripAdvisor and find true gems. It's like a interesting part of his persona. He'd be like, oh, let me trip advisor, and 45 minutes later he's still down the rabbit hole.
Carli: I've heard that about you. I like that. But also, sneaky fact, the patents are amusement park people. [00:04:00] We would go. We would take a restful holiday to an amusement park any day. It just is like fills our bucket. So the fact that you have the Trip Advisor stamp for the number one amusement park is like the most impressive accolade.
Ellen: You know, I think that one of the things that we are so proud of that is that it's people like you, it's families, it's couples, it's friends that wanna make, just get away from the everyday ground of life and have some fun and. Add a little dolly in there and it almost makes it perfect. And some cinnamon bread.
Ellen: And cinnamon bread. You didn't
Carli: bring any, did you?
Ellen: No. If I had it, it would've either been eaten in the car or eaten at my niece's house. Her husband would've been like,
Carli: Ooh, that stuff is like
Ellen: Dolly magic. It, it's, it's a little bit addictive, but if you've gotta be addicted to something, cinnamon bread, not a bad thing, girl.
Ellen: But I think that that TripAdvisor. Designation is so special because it's people [00:05:00] like you saying, wow, we, this has been a great experience. Um, for years, especially our Christmas festival, they actually retired the award for best Christmas event at a theme park worldwide because nobody else could win it, you know?
Ellen: And they changed the voters and everything. No, it was still Smoky Mountain Christmas. Wow. And. Getting accolades from your peers, as y'all know. It's, that's so, um, it's impactful. It's impactful to everybody involved. But for the people that come and visit you and pay hard-earned money to come mm-hmm. Say, we'd rather come here than any other theme park.
Ellen: That's been just a game changer for us and for Tennessee as a whole too.
Spencer: I feel like Dolly. Is having a moment that I don't know in American history that there has been such a universally beloved figure as [00:06:00] Dolly, like everything associated with her is just booming right now. Like a. Residency in Vegas, a musical at Belmont up the road.
Spencer: Yeah. The success of her brand and what she has done, like it transcends political barriers, it transcends social barriers. It really is wild. Like what a. Incredible privilege. It must be to be responsible for the public relations for such a significant aspect of her brand. One that you know, is probably one of the leading brands that if someone's gonna interact with mm-hmm.
Spencer: Dolly right now, it's probably through. What you're responsible for. So, uh, does that ever just wash over you for a moment? To say I am really kind of steering American history in some ways for what is going on with Dolly right now.
Ellen: You know, I think you hit the nail on the head. Working at Dollywood [00:07:00] with it being such a big part of Dolly's dreams started when she was a kid, is a huge privilege.
Ellen: It's a very unique privilege. So. Um, you know, there are days I have to get up really early or I'm at work really late, but you're seeing people. Create these memories that they're gonna carry with them. Mm-hmm. And Dolly started all that and it's very impactful. Impactful for me personally. Um, but more than anything, it is a huge privilege, I think, for all of us that work there to get to, in some small way, represent her and what she stands for.
Ellen: Um, and then. You know my, I have a great nephew and he has started to get Imagination Library books and I was fortunate enough to be on the team that kicked that off.
Spencer: And will you describe what it is for those that don't know? It's [00:08:00] incredible. Yeah. So
Ellen: the Accra, the Imagination Library Dolly for the, everyone knows she's just literally has the biggest heart.
Ellen: It's probably bigger than the whole world, and she's always looking for ways to help others. So, um, she started the Dollywood Foundation and did a couple of different programs, but wanted to know how am I gonna make the most impact down the road? Mm-hmm. And one of the ideas that came back through the foundation to her was.
Ellen: You know, kids that are brought up reading and with their own books create a love for learning for reading. And Dolly talks very openly about the fact that her dad was the smartest man she ever knew. And but he couldn't read and write. And she always wondered what could he have been if he had had that opportunity?
Ellen: And this is a tribute to her dad, which I love too. I love my dad and. She [00:09:00] listened, which I also think is one of the things I love so much about her is she listens to everyone's ideas. Mm-hmm. And then sees how that's gonna be the best thing to do. So when they said, this is probably the best opportunity to make the most impact.
Ellen: And she said, let's do it. And so it started very small, started in Sevier County, which is where Dollywood is located in the foothills of the great smoke mountains. And she, um, like we had funding, like she generated all that initial funding and I think the original dream was. Statewide for the Dollywood Foundation.
Ellen: But you know, that's not Dolly. Dolly always thinks bigger. And so now they're imagination libraries in all 50 states and communities. It's partially funded by the community or sponsors now. And um, some states are fully funded. Tennessee is fully funded. Kentucky, North Carolina, quite a few are. [00:10:00] And um. She has said that and, and kids get a book a month until they reach kindergarten, so it's 60, 60 books.
Ellen: So y'all have four kids?
Carli: Oh, we have a lot of Miss Dolly books in our house and.
Ellen: Just because your oldest got 'em doesn't mean your youngest doesn't get their own. Mm-hmm. And I think this my own supposition, by the way, I think that because she was one of 12 kids, she always had to share things and had to hand me downs.
Ellen: And it was real important for her. Every child got their own imagination library. Whether you're a triplet or you're the youngest of four kids, you get your own stuff. Yeah. From Dolly. And she says the two things she hopes she'll be remembered for, and this just shows her humbleness and her good heart is being a song, a songwriter, a storyteller, and being known as the book lady.
Ellen: Hmm. Which I think is so precious. She's
Carli: so sweet.
Spencer: So let's talk for a second about [00:11:00] Dollywood. Uh, for those that haven't been, a lot of our listeners have been and undoubtedly, uh, are eager to learn the secrets that you're gonna share, uh, about the park later, but for those that don't have context, haven't been.
Spencer: Why don't you just talk about some of the, the roots of it, some of the history, and just why it is kind of the beloved place that it is, and then we'll go into some other things beyond that. But let's explain what it is to start.
Ellen: So. Dollywood is a theme park. And, and not everybody even knows that, which is interesting about our brand.
Ellen: But, um, Dollywood started, obviously this is a dream of Dolly's. Um, we actually turned 40 years old this year. It's our 40th anniversary season. But even before we opened in 1986, Dolly Infamously was on a Barbara. Walter's special and. Barbara Walters asked her a typical question. Mm-hmm. Barbara Walters the famous.
Ellen: Yeah. Oh yeah. Um, I don't, interviewer, I guess would be her title. Um, asked Dolly, [00:12:00] what's next for Dolly Parton. Um, do you have any other big dreams? She had just finished nine to five. The movie, you know, been nominated for an Oscar, all kinds, she'd crossed over all kinds of great things for her. And she goes like, oh yeah.
Ellen: She said, my next big dream is I want to open a theme park in my hometown. I can provide jobs, good jobs for people. I wanna have give my family a place where they can entertain and people can come. Just have fun, make memories. And Barbara Walters was like. Sure that's fun. And so there has been a theme park there, sincere, early sixties, and the Hersch and family, um, who own Silver Dollar City and now we have all kinds of great family entertainment properties.
Ellen: But, um, they heard she wanted to do this and they were like, Hmm, it'd be a great idea to go in partnership with her, have many of the same values as her, and. Another smart thing about [00:13:00] Dolly as if they're enough, she was like, Hmm, I know about music, entertainment, family, fun. You know, come from a big family.
Ellen: I know what families would like think of. My nieces and nephews would like, they know how to run a theme park.
Hmm.
Ellen: Yeah. Let's do this. Yeah. Um, and honestly, I think that's one of the most brilliant things mm-hmm. About Dollywood is she. It was like, I'm gonna bring my talents, you're gonna bring your talents, and I'm gonna let you do what you do best, and I'm gonna do what I do best.
Ellen: And so the first year, Parkinson has doubled. Um, the first year there were about 1.3 million visitors. Uh, this past year we were 3.23, something like that. Grown, just a little bit grown in acreage. But we are, uh, have 165 developed acres. We have world class roller rollercoasters. Uh, if you like to be thrilled.
Ellen: Uh, we've [00:14:00] got that. Me, not so much. So, um, I love the Dollywood Express train and I love the Carousel and all of our shows we have mm-hmm. Incredible entertainment. Um, I'm a little biased, but I would say our food is, uh, second to none. So we have a great team of chefs on our culinary staff, and we not only have the amazing cinnamon bread, but.
Ellen: Every festival, which we're kind of known for those now too, um, has its own festival food. So they get to have a little fun. So it's kind of southern comfort food with an Appalachian flavor, and then just some creativeness, um, which that kind of describes Dolly too. So no matter what you want. In a fun day or more, we've got, we also have waterpark and we have two resorts that are all connected.
Ellen: Um, so if you wanna come and never leave our property, you can do that, but you'd [00:15:00] kind of be remiss if you don't at least spend a little time in the Great Monkey Mountains. But that's kind of it in a nutshell. But Dollywood's secret sauce is really two things. It's obviously Dolly and the Smokies, which kind of go hand in hand.
Ellen: But it's also our people, um, who kind of go the extra mile and you, you never, are surprised by what our hosts do. perfect example, A couple years ago. My family had come to Dollywood. They lived near Bristol, and my cousin lost her prescription sunglasses and literally, and they were like Ray bands.
Ellen: They had just gotten them a couple of weeks before. Oh gosh. She goes, Al's gonna kill me. She's just gonna, he's just gonna kill me. Here's where the last time was that I, I saw them and it was like in the middle of the day that she remembers having 'em. And [00:16:00] so I said, let me, I'll go to the park in the morning and see if I can find them.
Ellen: Oh yeah. One of our people that, uh, cleans the restrooms had found them, taken 'em to lost and found like an hour after. She remembers not having them. And while our rides are phenomenal, our shows are great. The food is delicious. Cinnamon bread just is kind of a world of its own. Um. Those are the things people remember and that's, to me, what makes it so special.
Carli: I think you're so right because we again, are theme park people and we've been to the big and the small and all over the place and we love a roller coaster, just like love a roller coaster. But there is something about Dollywood where you get in there and it's uniquely Tennessee, where very uniquely.
Carli: Kind and they don't rush you. Like you can take your time and people move at your pace and you feel like they have all day to [00:17:00] be there with you and it's so clean and lovely. Like I would go back to Dolly. Every week if I could. I just think it's lovely and the setting is so good and my kids had so much fun and I felt safe.
Carli: Yeah. Running around, if they get a hundred paces in front of you and then wanna run back, you're not like, oh, where's my kid? You know that they have this freedom in this safe environment. But one thing since we haven't done, which I think in this moment, I'm like really bummed about is we've never been at Christmas.
Carli: Mm-hmm. You know, when you've got little kids trying to get to all the Christmas programs and wrap all the things and make sure they have. Their concert attire and whatever. It's a
Ellen: lot.
Carli: But now I'm kind of like, what have we been doing with our lives? They're, they had to retire the award for Best Christmas Festival and we haven't even seen this thing.
Carli: So for those of us hooligans that have never gotten to see it, what is Dollywood like at Christmas?
Ellen: So I would not label you a hooligan just because you haven't been there at Christmas, but, so the Christmas festival itself started [00:18:00] 35 years ago. Um. Like
Carli: within five years of Dollywood being Dollywood.
Carli: Yeah. Christmas, it had grown
Ellen: that much and it was something that Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg in Sevierville and Dollywood said, it'd be great to extend our season. It'd be great for the economy, it'd be great for people who live here, who work here. What better place to try to expand than into Christmas?
Ellen: Mm-hmm. Everybody kind of came together and I remember, so I started the year after. Smoking milk. Christmas started, and so I started in the second season and I started in the Christmas season, which was fun too. And I remember the first time I went, I thought, wow, when you are a little kid, you think if I could just have the perfect.
Ellen: Christmas place, like if I could step into a snow globe, what would I want with my [00:19:00] perfect Christmas land? I'd have for me, I'd have music. Um. I love, you know, all the Christmas carols. I know all the verses, you know, like to the first Noelle and, oh, come on, you faithful. My best friend knows a verse in Latin, by the way.
Ellen: Just, you know, to throw that in there, right? I love all that stuff. So I love the music, the traditions. I love lights. I love a gingerbread cookie. I love just that sense of being together and experiencing things that. Maybe next year will be different. But you have those memories and that's what Dollywood is.
Ellen: And then we throw in things like if it's not too cold, the rods still run. And on the weekends we have fireworks and um, we have a little something for everybody. So whether, um. You're very spiritual and you want to even add [00:20:00] to that meaning of Christmas. Um, you know, we have a chapel at Dollywood, which is very unique for a theme park, and we have Sunday services there and we have carolers that sing every evening after it gets dark and we have an activity, and then we have parts of that in our shows.
Ellen: Um, if you. I have a teenager who maybe is kind of at that age where they're like, I'm not really sure. I wanna be with my family. Totally. We, you know, you can get on a ride. Mm-hmm. And then they can, they'll, they'll do something you want. So I think that it's that, um, just the wonder of Christmas when you're a kid.
Ellen: You truly become like a kid again at Christmas, and you especially do that at Dollywood and you can see Santa. I'm still working on the nice list. I think I'm almost there, but I got a little work to do I think. So we'll have to check in with him on the 23rd before [00:21:00] he goes on his mission.
Carli: I asked my son.
Carli: Who on our, in our family was on the nice list and who was on the mean list or on the bad list. And he got really big eyes and he was like, mama, will I be put on the naughty list if I tell you who is on the naughty list?
You know? That's a
Carli: really good point. And I was like, here I am corrupting our 6-year-old.
Carli: Just because I wanted him to. I think it
Ellen: was an innocent question as a mom, it was to be fair. With four kids. I just wanted to hear what dirt he had on his sisters. Like a little bit. Yeah, exactly. But good, good. He had too much integrity to
Carli: tell me who was on the naughty list. See, that
Ellen: shows you're rising, right?
Ellen: Right there. Depends on
Carli: the day. Wait, I do have to ask. How many trees at Dollywood are flocked for those of us that have strong opinions about flocked trees?
Ellen: So the great thing about Dollywood being an. Outdoor attraction is sometimes they're naturally flock. Mm-hmm. Like we've had some snows and talk about Gorgeous.
Ellen: What a concept. You don't have to
Spencer: spray 'em with styrofoam. [00:22:00]
Ellen: Correct. Correct. But I think that one of the other things that's so beautiful about Smoky Mountain Christmas at Dollywood is that. When you go to different areas of the park, every area has a little bit different looks. So, in the first years that we had Smoky Mountain, Christmas, we, the children's area, so since you've been there down where Country Fair is, it becomes Peppermint Valley.
Ellen: So we did different things down there, but it came back as Peppermint Valley this year, and I was so excited. Mm-hmm. It just so says Christmas. Everything's red and white. And then up near the chapel in our craft Simmons Valley area, it's kind of an older area. It looks more like. Um, an old fashioned Christmas, the lights are gold and white and silver kind of have that.
Ellen: There's stars around the church that are just gorgeous. And then we have an, we turn the area where a lot of the [00:23:00] rods are. Um, wilderness Pass becomes Glacier Ridge, so everything is white and silver and blues and hues of that. You kind of go through a tunnel of those lights. And then on the other end of that, when you leave Craftsman's Valley, you go through lights that they're even pretty in the daylight, but there's it.
Ellen: There becomes magically mist from the mountains to Smoky Mountains and it's our kind of version of the Northern Lights with different colors and of lights, and then they change color as you're walking through them and. One of the things I love to do is when I'm back, say 20 feet from where those begin.
Ellen: And just people looking up at 'em. Yeah. And watching them. And they literally could be two or 92 and the effect is the same. And that's just really special. So technically no Flocked Street, [00:24:00] we do have a few and some shops. But sometimes we have Mother Nature's flocking, which is even, which is my preferred version, which is even more beautiful.
Ellen: Yes. But I'm, I'm still over here with,
Spencer: One of my favorite things about. What Dolly has envisioned for the park is how much employment That park creates.
Spencer: Like there's real intentionality around providing jobs in a community that didn't have a lot to speak for and not a lot going economically. And not only has that park. Through just the labor inside the park. But when you look at the kind of second and third order effects of all of the hotels and Airbnb and restaurants, can you just take a moment to speak to that too?
Spencer: Because I just, I love seeing an entrepreneurial story where an entrepreneur makes it big, but they [00:25:00] never forget where they came from. And she really captures that theme so well in what she does. So I just, I would love to hear more, just anything that you think, uh, uh, is, is worth adding onto that.
Ellen: You know, I think it's a great tribute to Dolly's vision.
Ellen: Um, she, even as a young. Performer, you know, looking ahead. She never just looked at what I'm doing next month or even this year. She always had that vision of what she wanted to be, what she wanted to do with her career, but honestly what she wanted to do for others, which is just the incredible thing about her spirit.
Ellen: And so that was one of the. It, you know, when most people say I wanna do this, it's kind of all about them. Mm-hmm. [00:26:00] Having a, a dream or a vision. And even in that Barbara Walter special that she did four years before Dollywood opened, she said, I wanna open a place that will create jobs for the area. I wanna open a place that will be a great place for my whole family too.
Ellen: Be able to entertain and kind of show, she gets to show 'em off, you know? Yeah. Mm-hmm. Um, never in that was it. I want it all about me. Mm-hmm. And. That in itself tells you so much about Dolly and it, it has been an incredible boon to that area, obviously. And you know, across from Dollywood's Dream More resort there is like a gas station and a Burger King.
Ellen: And imagine what great business they do. I know because they're right across from that. It's your [00:27:00] last, like if you're getting ready to leave. There's a gas station right there and there's somewhere, there's an official word for it. I don't remember what it's, but that what you're just talking about.
Ellen: Mm-hmm. Whether you work at Dolly Parks and Resorts, or you work in Pigeon Forge, that a lot of that is attributed to that dream of Dolly Partons to bring all that to the area. And Sometimes when I travel and talk about Dollywood in other states and somebody says, well, I'm, I'm not really sure.
Ellen: You know, this is just a fun story. It's a huge business story. Yeah. And, when you think about the state of Tennessee, Seviere county, where Dollywood is located is the 20th most populated county. And we are number three in sales tax revenue back to the state as a county. That's, that's pretty impressive.
Ellen: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So other than the Nashville area and the Memphis area, which [00:28:00] are, you know, huge metropolitan areas, it's Seviere county that's next. And I think, um, you know, that's something we're all proud of and it's something Dolly can be proud of that she gave. I mean, I've had a great. Career and a great work life, doing something fun that I enjoy doing.
Ellen: But also I get to help people every day, either with something they are interested in or help them make memories. And that's all because of, of Dolly and her vision.
Carli: Dolly's story, I think. Brings not only economic development to Sevier county and to different people. I think she also brings dignity back to the American worker by being so authentic in talking about her childhood and the story.
Carli: There's a, my mom and I talk about this every year. The song Hard Candy Christmas, which she wrote based on her childhood, where they didn't have anything but her mama could make hard candy. Because it's [00:29:00] basically sugar and water. And that's what the kids would get at Christmas. And we listened to it on the radio and I remember my mom saying, you know Carli that's not just a song like.
Carli: We had hard candy Christmases growing up, and that just still speaks to the story of my mom and to different family members that had to have to work really hard and I think get overlooked or feel less than. And I think she, in that same Barbara Walters interviewed, defended what Ms. Barbara called.
Carli: Hillbillies and she said they're the hardest working, most intelligent people I know. And I, I just really appreciate that Dolly Dolly brings dignity to everyone's story and there's no one too fancy. 'cause she loves her rhinestones and there's no one who loves simple things that she won't honor with her storytelling.
Ellen: And you know, I think that. being a hillbilly is kind of cool. Like I'm a hillbilly proud of it. I used, I used to always say I [00:30:00] speak two languages, English and hillbilly, and it's really kind of true. And Dolly said that I remember Minnie Pearl, um, this is, I can't remember the exact quote, but said.
Ellen: You should always sound like where you came from. Mm. Um, because there's joy in that. Yes. There's not just pride in that, but there's joy in where you came from and nobody exhibits that better than Dolly. Mm-hmm. And, we have this big theme park and we welcome millions of people every year, and we employ a lot of people.
Ellen: It all goes back to we're there to help people create memories. Mm-hmm. And if we're not doing that, we're not doing our job. Mm-hmm. And it's everybody's job. So, you know, those days that I'm at Dollywood and. I'm maybe between working with the media crew and or I might be going to the bakery for something, can't, [00:31:00] who knows what that would be.
Ellen: Um, or somebody wants a Dolly t-shirt and I'm going to get one for 'em, and somebody is holding a map and they just have that look. And, you know, a lot of times it's a mom. Mm-hmm. And she's got a couple kids running around and dad's, you know, trying to wrangle the other one. And I'm like, Hey, do you need help finding anything?
Ellen: And she's like, I, I don't even know where we are. And they just walked in and I'm like, the map is a little confusing. And then you're like, where do you wanna go? What do you wanna see? What do you wanna do? Do you have, do you have some daredevils? Do you have some chickens like me? And then you talk to 'em and you kind of tell 'em what to expect.
Ellen: Maybe they want to know what to eat, when to eat, what's the best deal, and. You can almost see them looking at you like, why in the world are you talking to me? Mm-hmm. Like, why didn't you just keep walking? [00:32:00] And I grew up in a very small community and everybody knew everybody. And you know, sometimes that's good, sometimes not so much.
Ellen: Um, but everybody's your family and everybody takes care of one another. And years ago I was asked, what is it like to work at such a big company? And I'm like. I don't feel like I work at a big company. I feel like I live in a small town. Mm-hmm. And I may see a host that I've never seen before, but they're a host.
Ellen: They have a name tag and we kinda wave and smile at each other. And it's just that atmosphere that's contagious and I don't even think it's take pride. It's just that's what we do. Mm-hmm. That's what we are called to do, and. That's what, if Dolly was there watching us, that's what she would expect of us because that's what she would do.
Ellen: Um, but you know, it might be a little harder in the heels [00:33:00] and, you know, she gets recognized. So she leaves that part up to us.
Spencer: Yeah. Ellen, if we have some like hardcore Dollywood, they go every year. Listeners here then, which
Ellen: I feel sure we do. Mm-hmm. I, I
Spencer: do. Mm-hmm. And that's why I've gotta bring a specific piece for them.
Spencer: Is there anything that might be a secret? Anything that might be something that. Even those that go every year might not know about. Is there something that you could share?
Ellen: Okay. I love this question. It's one of my favorite things to tell people. So, um, when we started having big anniversaries, like for the 25th anniversary of Dollywood, every team was challenged to come up with something just for that season that was gonna be special.
Ellen: So our culinary team came up with a 25 pound apple pie. Which we still [00:34:00] have, um, because it was so popular and it comes, you can purchase, you can purchase this, you can purchase either the whole thing, and I'm not exaggerating. So for those of you in Radioland that can't see this, there's a table in front of me and it's cooked in a ca irons git about the size of this table.
Spencer: Oh my gosh. That's like five feet across. Yeah, it might be
Ellen: a little small. I might be 10. I might tend to exaggerate. Okay. Maybe it's not quite, we're going with five feet, but anyway, we're going.
Spencer: It's maybe seven, Ellen, it's gonna be seven feet now.
Ellen: Yeah. Whatever you want it to be. That's right. Just imagine that, and you're here.
Ellen: You know what, how big it is. It's big. Yeah. So it's, it's like a cast iron skillet and. It's 20, it's 25 pounds of pie once it's baked. Okay. It's like 35 to 40 apples. Oh my gosh. And of course it had the crust on top. You know it's the lats crust. Mm-hmm. On top with a little butterfly, of course. And the crust.
Ellen: But I'm digressing, so. It was so popular, we'd [00:35:00] still have it. And you can either buy the whole pie or you can buy a slice at a time, which will feed literally four to six people. It's literally this big. So for the 30th anniversary, they were like, what can we do that's gonna be impactful? And they decided that anyone who was an original employee, so had been there all 30 seasons, was gonna get a plaque.
Ellen: That told a story about their employment. Hmm. So for example, um, our former general manager who has since retired was a big car guy. He was very instrumental when we added the jukebox junction. Yeah. The 1950s area. We still have a few of those cars out there. Oh my gosh. He was like everywhere trying to find these cars and so.
Ellen: When he had his 30th anniversary. [00:36:00] Um, and his wife of course, I mean he, as you can imagine, worked a lot of hours. So he wanted his wife incorporated into it, but they were allowed to give some ideas of what they might like. 'cause a lot of 'em had worked in different places. And it, somewhere on these plaques, it has their name.
Ellen: Um, a lot of them, if they had a spouse or a child, work there is incorporated into the plaque. It's something that they worked on and it somewhere hidden in there is the year they started. I remember he started in 87, so it either had, 87 cents, $87, something like that incorporated into the sun, and they're all over the park, and some of them are by restrooms.
Ellen: Some of them are in more. In places you might see them more. Um, but every time I tell this story, people are like. Oh, we gotta look for 'em next [00:37:00] time. Yeah. So each one of those tells not only a story and they look just like other signage that might be there. But I love that because it tells the story of those people who gave decades of their life.
Ellen: Mm-hmm. And this year, on our 40th anniversary, we had, I think it was. 11. It may have been a few more that have worked all 40 seasons. Wow. Three of them are sisters. Stop. Isn't that the greatest? That
Carli: is the greatest, yeah. I didn't know Dollywood and. We were born in the same year as Dollywood. We're all turning 40 this year.
Carli: See? So
Ellen: you're like Dollywood originals.
Carli: We should probably go and ride some dolly coasters to celebrate this 40th year.
Ellen: Yeah, I hear that. Exactly. And this year we put up plaques on everything that I think it actually says Dollywood [00:38:00] original. 40 years. So a lot of the things that are still there, not that Now, if they make a
Carli: 40 pound chocolate cake, will you like let me know?
Carli: Yeah. Or
Ellen: I mean like 40 pound cinnamon bread is what you really need. Yes, yes. Keep me in the loop. That won't be a secret. That's me. You're gonna make sure
Carli: that it's not Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. That it's like definition of what you do. Absolutely. Yeah.
Spencer: Ellen, when people are thinking about where they want to go, sometimes when you've been to a place and you've been to a place, a lot of times there can be some nostalgia with it.
Spencer: But there also can be like, you know what, I've kind of seen everything that there is to see. Uh, and even though you may hate that thought, uh, it is a reality, a practicality. So what is the park doing to kind of keep things fresh and give a new reason to come back? For those that have come a lot of times,
Ellen: there's a couple of things that Dollywood does for that.
Ellen: So one of the things is we always look at, um, what [00:39:00] is taking place during our festivals. 'cause we basically almost have festivals all year long. So we really listen to what our guests like. Mm-hmm. And like we kick the kicked the year off with, the, I'll Always Love You Festival, which of course. Is lots of pink, which I love.
Ellen: Mm. But that started. Four years ago when the song had its 50th anniversary, we thought, well, that would be a fun thing to, we were looking kind of for something new that would be a fun way to kick the season off. It was so popular. It hasn't gone away. We're getting ready to do, it'll kick off season again this year for its fourth year.
Ellen: So that's one thing is. Keeping festivals fresh and adding to them changing things that, um, maybe have been there for a little bit. What do we need to do that's new, but keeping. Those things that everyone loves. So for Christmas in the Smokies, our literally landmark show [00:40:00] during our Christmas festival, it changes, the performers change.
Ellen: We add some new songs, but people do not want that to change. So they want some things that they know about. To your point, then they want some things that are new. But they also want, if they are true theme park people and love the rides is the reason they come. They wanna see new rides and they don't wanna see the exact same ride every time.
Ellen: So, about every three to four years we add a new ride. So it might be more geared towards families, which Big Bear Mountain, which opened in 23 was a family ride, so that it could be something little ones could. Could ride, so you only have to be 39 inches to ride it. But it incorporated things that were new, so it incorporated in car audio, which we had never done before.
Ellen: Mm-hmm. Um, it has a little zip to it. That's a fun ride even. No, it's a family ride. Yeah. Because it has three launches. So, you know, [00:41:00] normally you may get a launch, then you might, you might turn upside down, you might go 70 miles an hour, but. It doesn't launch again. So that's kind of the thrill factor for that ride.
Ellen: Um, very excited. It had a huge storyline to it. And so in 2026 we're having a new ride that's very exciting, and it's called Night Flight Expedition. And first of all. Since y'all are theme park people, um, two things that y'all are gonna love about it before you even know what the theme of it is. It's a five and a half minute experience during the ride.
Ellen: Oh, wow. Oh wow. Okay. Not the cue line part. Sure. Just the ride itself five and a half minutes. And it's what in the industry is known as a dark ride. Which means it's all indoors, so it's kind of weatherproof, so it won't shut down if there's thunderstorms. Um, it, if it gets colder. It's not gonna matter tonight, flood expedition.
Ellen: But [00:42:00] it we're really excited that it's gonna have four different experiences in it. It's part roller coaster, it's part water ride You're gonna feel like you're, um, soaring through the clouds of the smokies at night, and then you're gonna plunge into a river. Lots of other fun things, very themed. More incur audio.
Ellen: So it'll open sometime in spring of 2026 and Spring's a long time. So, okay, we don't have that date yet, but very excited about that. So if maybe you haven't been in four or five years and you're like, well, if you haven't been since, let's say. 2018, we have a whole huge new area. Wawa Grove and Big Bear Mountain and Night Flight are extensions of that area as well.
Ellen: So it's a lot different if you. Haven't been for a couple of years, but I'll have people say, well, I haven't been in a decade. I'm like, okay. You may not recognize it, except of course for the cinnamon bread. [00:43:00] That's the great equalizer at Dollywood.
Carli: So I have one more Christmas question for you. In addition to the flock tree debate that takes place in the patent household every year.
Carli: It is quite controversial when one would perhaps start decorating for Christmas, right? You've got your team post Turkey like one holiday at a time, and then you have those of us that think it should be holiday magic for an extended period. So when does Dolly start decorating Dollywood?
Ellen: So, you know, Dolly loves Christmas, so there's never too much Christmas for Dollywood and um.
Ellen: We have over 6 million lights throughout the park during the Christmas festival, so, um. We're only closed for four days between Harvest Festival and Christmas Festival. And our people are amazing, but even our people can't work that fast. So we start putting the lights up [00:44:00] in July. Yes. Um, we start with backs of buildings.
Ellen: Um, no, we do not leave them up all year. you know, the little filigrees in the lights. Might rust out to be on there. And then we want them all to be fresh and you know, if the one light goes out Yeah. Like
Carli: we don't want that to
Ellen: happen. Wait, but so
Carli: what you're telling me is that it's socially acceptable to have
Ellen: Christmas in July.
Ellen: So we believe in Christmas in July, and we also have. A Christmas shop that's open the entire time. Dollywood is open starting in March, so never too early. Thank you for Christmas.
Carli: You let me down on your visions for flock trees. I'm just gonna say it however, the timeline for holiday magic, it's all give and take, right?
Carli: We're now aligned. We are now aligned with that and we can land the plane knowing. That we agree. Correct. Thank you. Thank you. I feel better.
Spencer: So we end every podcast with three short fill in the blank sentences. So, uh, [00:45:00] I will read a short prompt and it'll have a blank. I'm very excited at the end.
Spencer: Okay. Alright. Number one, one way Dolly shapes the Christmas experience is. Blank.
Ellen: One way Dolly shapes the Christmas experience is. All the stories that are told through the different kinds of music that you hear at
Spencer: Dollywood.
Ellen: Mm.
Spencer: From our time there, it is amazing how much you really do notice the music. Like sometimes you can go through. Areas in life and there's just stuff playing in the background, but it really does catch your attention at Dollywood and it kinda makes you laugh as you go through different parts. Like it is more impactful in the experience than what you would expect, which is really, yeah, that's fun for the park.
Spencer: Uh, number two, one thing I hope [00:46:00] every visitor takes away from Smoky Mountain Christmas. Is
Carli: blank
Ellen: So one thing I hope every visitor takes away from smoking Mountain Christmas is great memories of whoever they chose to attend with, because that's what keeps the spirit of Christmas alive in the days and years and decades to come.
Ellen: Mm-hmm.
Spencer: And number three, the part of the holiday festival that brings me the most joy. Is blank.
Ellen: The part of the holiday festival that brings me the most joy is the people that come and share it with us. And Ginger Park cookies. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Carli: The real reel. Yeah. Yeah.
Spencer: Ellen, it's a real treat to have you on here, um, Dollywood and all that is happening, uh, for Dolly as a whole, [00:47:00] but.
Spencer: Dollywood two being ranked number one and how many millions of people get to experience Tennessee for the first time as a part of the experience is just really, really special. And so I'm glad that you are part of the storytelling that goes into convincing people to come, whether they have, uh, come for the first time or, uh, they're returning veterans.
Spencer: Um, it's no surprise to me that part of what you spent time talking about was the personality of the hosts when Dolly has created the economic opportunity for people to be able to provide for their family and impact their community. Yeah, it's a whole different reason why they greet you with a smile.
Spencer: Mm-hmm. Yeah, absolutely. Um, she is known exclusively for being not only fair, but more than fair and how she pays, how she [00:48:00] treats everybody. And so it's just a real treat to get to have you here and highlight the fun things that. Dolly is doing for our state and our country. So, I'm thinking Dolly for President Ellen, what do you think?
Ellen: Well, I think that she probably would say she. It can have more impact other ways, but I think that you know, when you work for a ray of sunshine, it's easy to shine.
Spencer: Thank you for being here. You're welcome. Thank you. It was great. Be with you.
Ellen: Same. Good luck with the trees.
Spencer: Ellen Liston, public relations manager at Dollywood. What a great embodiment of what being at Dollywood feels like. In getting to sit and talk with Ellen, she just has that spirit like it's so clear to me why they look and say, let's [00:49:00] have Ellen be our representative to help tell the story of what it's like to attend Dollywood.
Carli: Oh, she was awesome. We were even chitchatting before we got started out in the hallway and she had the whole team cracking up. Like everyone I'm pretty sure is now her best friend and wants her number and is coming over for Christmas. That's Ellen.
Spencer: For those that have never been to Dollywood, I hope they give this episode a listen because it really is unlike any other experience that you get in a theme park.
Spencer: Like the people that are there, the rides are really good. Mm-hmm. And a lot of times you sacrifice that and that's. Really important to me. Like I'll put everything else aside as long as the rides are really good. And a lot of times you go to those parks and you're expecting that, okay, it'll be cute and quaint, but the rides are gonna be kind of crappy.
Spencer: But Dollywood has amazing rides and they're investing in new ones. She told us about the largest capital investment project they're gonna have in a [00:50:00] ride. So I'm excited, but I appreciate that there's something for everybody. Mm-hmm. And our family has really experienced that like it's. Really fun whether you are two or 92.
Carli: I agree. Well, and what's funny is I don't think you had been for a really long time.
Spencer: Yeah,
Carli: I guess maybe we had gone when we were pregnant with Zoe and you know, first time parents, I was afraid to ride anything, all of that. And then I went on a girl's trip with like a good friend and their daughters and.
Carli: Girls and we hadn't been back. And I remember coming home being like, babe, you have to see Dollywood. You have to. And he's like, don't, they don't really have rides, do they? I said, no, you'll love it. So when we finally got the kids there, we were so pleasantly surprised. And everything she says is not just a byline.
Carli: I mean, everyone is so nice. The food is so good, the park is so clean, and there's something so uniquely Tennessee. About Dollywood, about the kindness. The minute you step in, people aren't just like, here, let me snap your picture for an upcharge. Yeah, [00:51:00] they're, they wanna help you get that family photo that you may not get with the butterflies in the background.
Carli: And you can see all the intricate care in all of decorations regardless of the season. And I don't know, it's just something that makes me so proud about living in Tennessee is it embodies that spirit in a way that few other places do.
Spencer: It's fun to see someone like Dolly who is incredibly talented musically, like clearly gifted from the Lord, but is also a phenomenally talented businesswoman.
Spencer: Oh yeah. I mean, it's amazing to see. The intentionality that she has around her brand, because a lot of times people that are great at music are the world's worst in business or really much of the rest of their life, although they can sing well. But that is not the case for her, and it's [00:52:00] really fun to see.
Carli: There's something about Dolly that I just think that there should be a class, and I know Belmont's doing Dolly classes, but I specifically would love to write a dissertation on. Her ability to navigate things that would blow up for anybody else. She has this way through her charm and her wit of walking through really sticky things.
Carli: That make people laugh. She doesn't offend people, but she also doesn't hide from saying what she knows to be true. And there are so many times that I've just honestly wanted to like channel that is to say, Hey, how can I build people up but stand my ground? And I think that that is what Dolly does and I think.
Carli: One thing I really appreciated that Ellen brought to the table was talking about how she started Dollywood as a partnership, and we've talked about that here before too. So often as entrepreneurs and dreamers, you think you have to reinvent the wheel and sometimes the most, not only [00:53:00] profitable economic way to do it, but also the way to get the biggest bang for your buck.
Carli: The biggest reach is to work with partners, and she has done that so well.
