"Older women would come up to me and say, 'Oh, he was a heartthrob!'"
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If you’ve ever stood along the parade route at Dollywood, clutching your child’s hand while waiting for Dolly Parton to stroll by, you already understand what happened to the Ramey family one year ago.
And if you’ve been visiting the park for years, building those precious traditions one roller coaster ride at a time, you’ll recognize the pure, unfiltered joy that made one little boy’s reaction resonate with parents everywhere.
With the theme park’s 2026 opening day just one month away, there’s no better time to revisit one of Dollywood’s most wholesome moments than right now.
The moment that captured every Dollywood fan’s heart
It’s been one year since 8-year-old Owen Ramey proved that some legends never lose their influence—and that sometimes, kids express exactly what we’re all feeling inside.
On March 14, Parton surprised tens of thousands of fans when she appeared at Dollywood's opening day 2025 to celebrate the theme park’s 40th anniversary season.
No one in the crowd knew that they would be in the presence of an icon.
In one TikTok video, shared by Jordan Ramey on March 17, his 8-year-old son is standing on the edge of the street when Parton strolls by in a flower-bedecked carriage.
And he absolutely lost his mind.
“Oh my God!” he screamed several times as he waved a pink pom-pom. His scream grew even louder when Parton laid eyes on one of her youngest, biggest fans and pointed directly at him.
@rameyfamily.4 Please Watch! Our 8 year old seeing @Dolly Parton for the first time! #passholderday #dollywood #openingday #dollyparton #superfan@Toni Michelle ♬ original sound - Jordan April Ramey
For any parent who has watched their child experience pure, overwhelming joy—the kind that bubbles up and simply cannot be contained—this moment needed no explanation.
Owen wasn’t performing for the camera. He wasn’t trying to go viral. He was simply a kid who suddenly realized he was standing in the presence of someone truly extraordinary.
A family tradition years in the making
What makes Owen’s reaction even more meaningful is understanding the family tradition behind it.
This wasn’t a first-time visitor having a lucky encounter. This was a little boy whose love for Dollywood (and Dolly Parton) had been carefully cultivated over years of family memories.
Owen’s father, Jordan Ramey, opened up about his son’s reaction in an interview with People, published March 24.
“I was laughing and shocked at the way he was reacting,” the dad said. “The whole time we were standing there, he didn’t act that excited at all. But the moment he laid eyes on her and she acknowledged him, he lost it.”
READ MORE: Dolly Parton’s says she has to have this food with nearly every meal. It runs in the family
“He’s always seen her pictures all over the DreamMore [Resort], and I think when he saw her in real life, he realized, ‘WOW, she’s real!’” he added.
Any parent who has stayed at the DreamMore Resort knows exactly what Ramey is describing.
Dolly’s presence permeates every corner of that property—her photos grace the walls, her spirit infuses the atmosphere, and her story becomes part of your family’s experience even when she’s not physically there.
For young visitors like Owen, Dolly can seem almost like a fairy tale figure, someone who exists in pictures and songs but not quite in the real world.
“Owen has been going to Dollywood since he was 3 years old,” the father explained. “He is crazy about Dollywood! He loves everything about it. He’s fearless when it comes to riding roller coasters.”
Five years of family traditions. Five years of roller coaster conquests. Five years of walking past Dolly’s photos and hearing her music and absorbing the magic of a place built on one woman’s dream to give back to her community.
That’s what exploded out of Owen in that single, unforgettable moment.
The internet approves of Owen’s expressive reaction
The comments to Ramey’s viral video prove that Owen wasn’t the only one who would’ve reacted that way—even though no one else at the parade was as excited as him.
“If Dolly Parton acknowledged my existence you best believe I’d be screaming too,” one TikTok user wrote.
“Honestly everybody else underreacting,” another user commented.
Even some major brands hopped aboard the Dollywood train in the comments section.
READ MORE: Dolly Parton reveals why she's putting her music career on hold after tragedy
“honestly everyone should be matching his energy it’s DOLLY PARTON!!!” Spotify wrote under the video.
There’s something beautifully honest about a child’s reaction in moments like these. Adults have learned to temper our enthusiasm, to play it cool, to act like we’ve seen it all before.
But Owen? Owen gave us permission to remember what it feels like to be completely overwhelmed by wonder.
Dolly Parton’s bittersweet return to the spotlight
What many fans watching the video didn’t initially realize was the emotional weight Dolly herself was carrying that day. After all, the interaction came at a sensitive time for Parton.
The 79-year-old country music icon was married to her husband Carl Dean for 58 years until his death on March 3 at the age of 82.
Her carriage stroll at Dollywood marked her first public appearance since his death.
“I’m doing as well as one can after 60 years being with and loving somebody,” she told Entertainment Tonight in an interview, published March 21. “I miss him… I was with him for so long.”
While Dolly Parton's husband “did suffer a lot for the last few years” and a part of her is “happy he’s at peace and at rest,” she said she's still grappling with the fact that he’s no longer with her.
“But then, of course, there’s part of me that will miss him forever and long for him every day and for the rest of my life, I’m sure,” she explained to ET.
Knowing this context adds another layer to Owen’s viral moment. In the midst of profound personal grief, Dolly chose to show up for her fans.
ALSO ON MOD MOMS CLUB: Dolly Parton says working helps to keep her ‘occupied’ following husband’s death
And when she locked eyes with that screaming, pom-pom-waving 8-year-old, she pointed directly at him—acknowledging not just Owen, but every family who has made Dollywood part of their traditions.
