PIGEON FORGE, Tennessee —(Aug. 14, 2026) — Dollywood’s newest attraction, the more than $60 million NightFlight Expedition, was celebrated with great fanfare today during a ride dedication event attended by media, VIPs and park season passholders. A common description overheard by many as they exited the ride was simply, “Incredible!”
Anticipation for the ride has been high since it was announced last September, with many experts describing it as a gamechanger not only for Dollywood but for the entire theme park industry. Featuring a thrilling, one-of-a-kind experience, NightFlight Expedition has been named by many outlets as the most talked-about theme park attraction opening this season. The ride is the largest single attraction investment in Dollywood’s history and is the park’s 11th roller coaster.
“I’m so proud that we’re able to create something like NightFlight Expedition and give families a brand-new way to experience the Smokies together,” Dolly has said about the attraction. “Growing up here, I learned to love these mountains in a way that stays with you your whole life. I always want folks who visit Dollywood to feel that same way.
“This ride truly is an adventure that lets you see the mountains the way I always remember them, full of wonder and beauty. I’m also excited that with NightFlight Expedition we’re able to tell stories about what happens in the mountains after the sun goes down. Whether a family is coming for their hundredth visit or if they’re coming for their very first time, I hope they’ll make memories here that are just as special as the ones I made growing up.”
With four different experiences comprising one coaster, Dollywood’s NightFlight Expedition adds to the park’s roster of industry-leading ride innovations. The immersive indoor adventure coaster takes guests soaring on a nighttime flight over the scenic Smokies, plunging into a daring whitewater rafting excursion through more than 500,000 gallons of surging water, climbing up and over a mountain ridge, and splashing into a shimmering Smoky Mountain lake.
NightFlight Expedition continues Dollywood’s long history of rich storytelling, beginning with a highly detailed queue line experience that introduces Cora and Jasper Oakley, the niece and nephew of Ned Oakley, the character made famous by the Big Bear Mountain family coaster. Created and built by Dollywood, Herschend Creative Studios and esteemed manufacturer Mack Rides, NightFlight Expedition’s custom-designed ride vehicle interacts with vivid multimedia projections, dynamic onboard and offboard audio, as well as special lighting effects, to draw guests into an extraordinary Smoky Mountain adventure. Mack Rides won the 2025 Amusement Today Golden Ticket for Best New Innovation, thanks to the ride system utilized in NightFlight Expedition.
“NightFlight Expedition represents a defining moment not only for Dollywood but for the theme park industry as a whole,” explained Eugene Naughton, Dollywood Parks & Resorts President. “This attraction redefines how a family ride can be used to tell a rich, authentic story true to your park and its surroundings. We’re blessed to be in the Great Smoky Mountains, and NightFlight Expedition allows us to take guests on an unforgettable nighttime adventure in the mountains with groundbreaking technology, immersive storytelling and a ride system that offers four distinct experiences.
“We believe NightFlight Expedition will be a true game changer, further elevating Dollywood’s reputation for innovation, true heart and world-class experiences rooted in the beauty of the Smoky Mountains.”
NightFlight Expedition—which features a 39” height requirement—is located inside a 44,000 sq. ft., temperature-controlled facility, allowing it to operate independently of the Smoky Mountain weather. At the heart of the ride’s nearly five-and-a-half minute adventure is the search for Secret Lake, the water source thought to provide Wildwood Grove’s Wildwood Tree with its colorful glowing canopy.
Guests set out on their expedition to find Secret Lake with the help of twin scientists, Cora and Jasper. The twins, who work out of a hangar at Hidden Hollow Aviation, have invented the Bioluminator, a device designed to detect and amplify bioluminescence, the biochemical emission of light by living organisms found naturally in the Great Smoky Mountains. Cora and Jasper mount the device onto their one-of-a-kind Smoky Mountain Tracker Vehicle to illuminate the Wildwood Tree’s glowing roots and follow them to Secret Lake.
NightFlight Expedition marks an expansion of Wildwood Grove, the six-time and current winner of the Golden Ticket Award for Best Theme Park Kids’ Area. Wildwood Grove has won the award every year since it opened in 2019.
Dollywood’s position as a leader in the theme park industry has grown quickly in the last decade, with the park routinely earning top awards as voted by both guests and industry insiders. Those who have visited the park understand the quality of the Dollywood experience is unparalleled and is the driving force behind the park’s recent awards success. Guests recognize many of the park’s noteworthy attributes, including its overall value, cleanliness and friendliness of its hosts. The park was named Tripadvisor’s #1 U.S. theme park for 2025, 2024 and 2022, and has earned the Best Theme Park Award from the National Amusement Park Historical Association every year since 2022. Dollywood also is the only park to ever win the Golden Ticket Award for Best Guest Experience.
There is still plenty of fun for Dollywood Parks & Resorts guests this year. From Aug. 16-Sept. 13, Dollywood theme park hours are extended from 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., allowing guests more time to enjoy NightFlight Expedition and the fun of Dollywood’s world-class rides and attractions. Dollywood’s Splash Country also provides guests with more time to cool off with operating dates through Sunday, Sept. 20.
The fun continues with the fall family tradition that is Dollywood’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana (Sept. 14-Oct. 31). The event celebrates the beauty of fall in the Smokies with thousands of carved pumpkins, spirited performances from talented singers and the fun of Great Pumpkin LumiNights. The season concludes with the festival known as the industry’s Best Theme Park Christmas event —Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana (Nov. 6- Jan. 3, 2027). Guests can enjoy with 6 million lights, festive holiday shows and the warm Christmas atmosphere they have come to expect during this joyous time of year.
For more information about NightFlight Expedition and Dollywood’s 2026 season, please visit Dollywood.com.
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About Dollywood Parks & Resorts: A highly awarded and widely recognized leader in the amusement industry, Dollywood Parks & Resorts consists of the 165-acre Dollywood theme park; the 35-acre Dollywood’s Splash Country; and two award-winning resort properties: Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa, and Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort. As unique as its namesake and owner Dolly Parton, Dollywood opened in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, on May 3, 1986, and earned the theme park industry’s highest accolade, the Applause Award, in 2010. Dollywood has earned 67 Golden Ticket Awards and 28 Brass Ring Awards for live entertainment. In 2022, 2024 and 2025, Dollywood was named by Tripadvisor as the #1 theme park in the country based on actual guest reviews. The park is located near Great Smoky Mountains National Park and has been recognized as a top U.S. theme park by USA Today on multiple occasions. Dollywood is open mid-March through early January and offers rides, attractions, shows and crafters inspired by and authentic to the East Tennessee region. Dollywood’s Splash Country, recognized by the Travel Channel and Tripadvisor as one of the country’s most beautiful water parks, operates from mid-May to mid-September. Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort and Spa as well as Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort provide guests with spectacular mountain views and family-friendly amenities next door to Dollywood theme park and Dollywood’s Splash Country. For more information, visit dollywood.com. Operating days and hours vary.
Media Contacts:
Pete Owens: Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations, (865) 428-9486, (865) 755-7972 or [email protected]
Wes Ramey: Public Relations Director, (865) 428-9484, (865) 640-3805 or [email protected]
Ellen Liston: Public Relations Manager, (865) 428-9629, (865) 919-7001 or [email protected]
Jennifer Webb: Sr. Publicist, (865) 428-9602, (865) 323-7584 or [email protected]
Sophia Nieves: Publicist, (865) 428-9456, (256) 631-5413 or [email protected]
For B-roll, photography and more information, visit the Dollywood Media Room at http://www.dollywood.com/Media/Media-Roo