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Dollywood considering its options in lodging
By DEREK HODGES
dhodges@themountainpress.com
May 14,2009
PIGEON FORGE — Though there's nothing official to announce yet, Dollywood officials are reportedly mulling over the idea of entering the lodging business and may have some plans set by mid-summer.
Dollywood spokesman Pete Owens confirms higher-ups at the attraction are currently discussing the possibility of getting into the accommodations industry.
"We're currently reviewing what options there are," Owens says. "For years our guests have told us they'd be interested in us getting into the vacation planning business. We're just considering if we might want to do that and what form that might take."
Owens would not speculate on what is being discussed in higher levels of the company, though he said there will likely be a decision on how, if at all, the theme park will proceed with its foray into the lodging business by the middle of the summer.
The company is apparently considering several options, including opening something such as a hotel that will carry the theme of the park and working out deals with existing accommodations businesses to offer packages to local visitors. Owens did say there are "no immediate plans for building."
If the attraction does decide to further diversify its holdings, it will have some profitable models to follow.
Walt Disney World in Orlando is widely accepted as the first theme park to introduce destination-owned lodging options. Since those enterprises - which include on-property hotels, condominiums and a campground - opened at the Florida resort, reports indicate the park has seen not only a huge income from those staying at the resort, but also an increase in visitation.
As the requests from visitors Owens references indicate, there is considerable interest in properties that carry the brand of a nearby theme park.
Outside Dollywood there is some apprehension about the possibility from the businesses that would be in competition for any lodging operation the park might open. Though those lodging offerings have for years profited from the tourists the attraction brings to the area, some of their customer base would likely be cut if Dollywood opens its own lodging.
Ken Maples, who owns several accommodations properties in Pigeon Forge, says he expects anything the park might build would cater to visitors with a few dollars to spend.
"I assume anything they would build would be a real high-end kind of thing,' Maples says.
Because his properties mainly offer a mid-price experience, Maples isn't worried the park's possible enterprise would hurt his business. Still, he says it may be a concern in an area he believes might already have too many lodging options, particularly in this type of economy.
"Everybody needs a place to stay, but I think there are some segments of the lodging industry that are over-saturated," Maples says. "There's no doubt about that. We've gotten to a point where demand isn't driving supply anymore."
If Dollywood does eventually decide to enter the accommodations business, Maples offers some suggestions as it considers its options.
"My best advice is really for them to study their plans and their feasibility," he says. "It may be that they have to make a decision to not get into it right now in this economy, but money is cheap now and the cost of materials is going down, so it may be that they see this as the right time.
"Knowing Dollywood like I do, I'm sure they've done their homework."
