A TikToker shocked viewers filming a $229 apple pie at Dolly Parton's theme park. But he's pushing back, saying it's actually a 'good deal.'

• A TikToker in Tennessee visited the Dollywood amusement park, where he came across a $229 pie. 
• He filmed the 25-pound dessert for TikTok, where users debated whether it was worth the price. 
• He told Insider he knew it would cause controversy, but thinks the price is actually a good deal.

A TikToker who went to Dolly Parton's amusement park filmed an apple pie that cost $229, sparking a heated debate about whether it was worth the price. 

In mid-March, 25-year-old Stonewall Kelsey, who is based in Memphis, Tennessee, took his wife across the state to visit Dollywood, a theme park, waterpark, resort, and spa, which is located in the city of Pigeon Forge and is owned in part by Parton.

While the couple was on the hunt for coffee at the amusement park, they said they came across an apple pie that weighed 25 pounds, baked in a cast iron skillet. A sign on the stand said the pie cost $19.99 for a slice or $299 for the whole thing. 

The pie was originally produced to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Dollywood in 2010, made using between 40 and 50 apples, according to a promotional video on the Dollywood Parks & Resorts YouTube channel, which also says that one slice of the pie "can feed a family of four." 

Kelsey told Insider that he decided to film the pie and post it on TikTok because he knew the price would "stir up some controversy" among hardcore Dolly Parton fans, whom he has noticed have started organizing online more prominently in recent years. The country star joined TikTok herself in December 2022, where she is immensely popular and currently has 2.5 million followers.

The TikToker was right. His video went viral, receiving 3.2 million views, and hundreds of commenters weighed in with their thoughts on the cost of the giant pie. 

Many said they would never pay that much for a dessert, and some joked that the pie would have to come with gold or diamonds for them to spend that much on it. A number of people also complained about the cost of food at amusement parks more generally, saying they thought much of what is on offer at these venues is overpriced. 

Other commenters defended the asking price for the pie, saying that if you take into account the size and weight of the dessert alongside the number of ingredients needed to produce it, it was probably worth it. 

"It's a whole table of pie what do you think it's gonna cost," one user wrote. 

Meanwhile, another user said they loved Dolly Parton "so much" that they would order it regardless of the price.

Kelsey told Insider that he and his wife did not order the pie themselves and that when he initially saw the sign advertising it for $229, he thought it must have been a "joke," considering it seemed like such a large amount to pay for a dessert. 

While he observed that some of his viewers on TikTok had "strong opinions" about the asking price, he told Insider that when he saw the size of the pie, he came to the conclusion that "if you break it down, $230 for 25 pounds of pie is a pretty good deal." 

Creators who have documented an inside look at the true cost of visiting popular amusement parks and tourist destinations have previously gone immensely viral on TikTok. 

A mom of two who broke down the cost of a $1,113 day trip to Universal Studios in September to help other families navigate budgeting plans for taking their children on vacations told Insider she thinks videos about surprising costs and expenses at such locations generate interest on TikTok because they reflect the general trend of inflation and the increased cost of living.

"People are now really interested in how much things are costing. I've seen people talking about this in the supermarket, all coming together and doing a sharp intake of breath at the cost of butter," she said, adding that she thinks such videos appeal to families who are trying to work out whether they can afford to go certain tourist hotspots and destinations. 

Representatives of Dollywood did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. 

For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here.