Published by Cel Manero from Global One Media Inc.
On March 14, Jordan Ramey and his family traveled to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, to attend Dollywood’s passholder opening day.
On March 14, Jordan Ramey and his family visited Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, for Dollywood’s passholder opening day at the amusement park co-owned by Dolly Parton.
As the parade started, Jordan stood on a bridge near Mountain Laurel with his 8-year-old son, Owen, camera in hand. Excited to share the moment, Jordan, 35, FaceTimed his mom to show her Parton, 79, while his wife, April — Owen’s stepmom — recorded the special moment.
That’s when April captured Owen’s unforgettable reaction.
“Oh my God, oh my God!” Owen shouted excitedly, shaking a pink pom-pom as Parton passed by. While Owen continued to cheer, Parton noticed him from her carriage, pointed in his direction, and smiled warmly. Moments later, Jordan asked Owen who he had just seen, and the thrilled 8-year-old enthusiastically screamed, “Dolly!”
“I was laughing and completely surprised by his reaction,” Jordan told PEOPLE, recalling his son’s excitement. “The whole time we were standing there, he didn’t seem that thrilled. But the moment he spotted her — and she acknowledged him — he absolutely lost it. He’s always seen her pictures all over the DreamMore Resort, and I think seeing her in person made him realize, ‘Wow, she’s real!'”
Jordan explained that Owen has been visiting Dollywood since he was 3 years old. “He’s absolutely crazy about Dollywood!” the proud dad shared. “He loves everything about it — he’s fearless when it comes to roller coasters, and he’s a big fan of staying at the DreamMore. That’s where his admiration really comes from.”
Not long after the parade concluded, Jordan shared a video on TikTok with the caption: “Please Watch! Our 8-year-old seeing @Dolly Parton for the first time!”
When he uploaded the video, Jordan expected a fair number of likes, but he was stunned when it soared past 6 million views and racked up nearly 10,000 comments. When he informed his son, Owen, about the video’s viral success, the boy was just as surprised.
“He had always dreamed of going viral, and it finally happened,” Jordan shared.
According to Jordan, the comments were overwhelmingly positive. “It seemed like plenty of people would have reacted the same way about Dolly,” he said. “My favorite comments are the funny ones, like people joking, ‘At least he stayed calm.’ That one really cracks me up. I also enjoyed seeing verified accounts commenting on the video — I thought that was pretty cool.”
Even major brands joined in on the fun. Spotify commented, “Honestly, everyone should be matching his energy—it’s DOLLY PARTON!!!”
Ulta Beauty added, “The only valid reaction tbh.”
Visa chimed in with, “This is the only appropriate reaction 😭.”
Barbie playfully commented, “Same buddy… same.”
