Hershey Park has apologized after its official social media account used a tribute to Dolly Parton to promote the amusement park’s discounted ticket prices.
The controversy began Tuesday, August 25, shortly after Parton’s death at the age of 80 was announced. A fan praised the country music legend for keeping admission to Dollywood relatively affordable despite rising prices throughout the theme park industry.
“And she kept the prices reasonable in this economy,” the user wrote alongside a screenshot showing Dollywood tickets priced at approximately $99. “I will absolutely be going to support the estate.”
Hershey Park’s official X account responded with a sales pitch of its own.
“Our summer tickets are $49.99,” the since-deleted reply read.
The episode illustrates how quickly news—and mistakes—travel on social media. Even corporate accounts run by professionals can miss important context. As Hershey Park quickly learned, an unfortunately timed reply can spread just as rapidly.
Hershey Park Faces Backlash Over Promotional Reply
The promotion immediately drew criticism from users who accused Hershey Park of attempting to capitalize on Parton’s death by advertising its lower ticket price beneath a post celebrating her legacy.
“Are you guys going to offer an official apology for this TACTLESS post or keep on ignoring it?” one user asked.
The Tilt-A-Whirl ride at Hersheypark – YouTube, The Coaster Spot
“This is such a big yikes….like I’m shocked,” another wrote.
In response, Hershey Park claimed that the person who posted the promotional message had not seen the complete context of the discussion, which centered on Parton’s death.
We certainly respect your concern. A reply clarifying our ticket price in another conversation was posted without seeing the context of the chain so we removed quickly to avoid any confusion or insensitivity over intent. We absolutely apologize for the error.
— Hersheypark (@Hersheypark) August 26, 2026
“We certainly respect your concern,” the park 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.”
Hersheypark also released a statement shared with People:
“We join the millions mourning the loss of Dolly Parton, whose generosity, talent and spirit touched so many. 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.”
The main sign at Dollywood. Photo Credit: Sarah Stierch (CC BY 4.0)
Although providing information about ticket prices might ordinarily be routine, the timing and placement could not have been worse. As much of the world continues mourning Parton’s passing, Dollywood has come to represent the generosity and commitment to her community that made the country music icon so beloved.
Dollywood Honors Parton’s Final Wishes
Parton became a co-owner of Dollywood in 1986, using the Tennessee attraction to create jobs and strengthen the economy of her native Smoky Mountains region.
Dollywood remained open the day following Parton’s death in accordance with the entertainer’s wishes.
Dolly Parton rings in the 40th anniversary of Dollywood in person – Photo Credit: That Park Place
“Dolly’s 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,” a park spokesperson said.
While Hershey Park’s explanation may account for how the reply was posted, it did little to diminish the backlash. The incident demonstrated how quickly a routine promotional message can become a public-relations disaster when posted without considering the conversation surrounding it.
What do you think of Hershey Park’s post and apology? Sound off and let us know!
