Watch now: Dollywood to open first-of-its-kind coaster in spring 2026

PIGEON FORGE — Dollywood will premiere a first-of-its-kind attraction titled NightFlight Expedition in the spring of 2026, park officials announced on Wednesday. The ride — a combination roller coaster and whitewater river raft — is the largest investment in a single attraction in Dollywood's 40-year history. Valued at $50 million, NightFlight Expedition will be in the park's Wildwood Grove inside a 44,000-square-foot building. The coaster will peak at 29 miles per hour and nearly three stories high, traveling a quarter-mile worth of track. For over five minutes, riders will fly over the Great Smoky Mountains, crash through river rapids, climb a mountain ridge and plunge into a lake — all accomplished through multimedia projections and 500,000 gallons of water. "We're committed to making Dollywood the number one family attraction destination, a world-class destination," said Andrew Wexler, CEO of park operator Herschend Family Entertainment. "And to have world-class storytelling, it takes a commitment to innovation." NightFlight Expedition follows the tale of twin scientists Cora and Jasper Oakley — whose uncle is another Wildwood Grove character — in their quest to find the grove's Secret Lake. Riders join their journey as the twins fashion a device that amplifies bioluminescence to an amphibious aircraft. Dollywood Parks & Resorts President Eugene Naughton said the attraction celebrates the natural beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains, one of the most biodiverse places in the world. He said that the ride's years-long development process began with its storyline, created through Herschend Creative Studios. "Then, we went out to the different ride manufacturers and said, 'Here's our story. Now we want you to pitch the right conveyance system that you have in your arsenal, or [that] you're willing to innovate,'" Naughton said. "That's a unique approach — many people do the exact opposite thing." Manufacturer Mack Rides provided the right conveyance system; it won an award for best innovation of 2025 from Amusement Today. Mack Rides also manufactured Dollywood's Wild Eagle, Lightning Rod and Big Bear Mountain coasters. Dolly Parton, the park's co-owner and namesake, was initially scheduled to attend the announcement but was absent due to a kidney stone. She made a pre-recorded video appearance, assuring her well-being and excitement for the project. "There's nothing like it in the whole, wide world. Certainly not in east Tennessee," Parton said. "They say it's the most expensive thing we've ever done — so it better be good."