Tennessee's Famous Dollywood Theme Park Is Building A Trailblazing New Ride Sure To Delight Thrill Seekers

Calling all theme park enthusiasts: one of America's most beloved amusement parks, Dollywood, has an exciting new attraction opening to the public in 2026. NightFlight Expedition will be the first family-friendly ride in the world to combine an indoor roller coaster with a whitewater rafting experience. Costing over $50 million, this will be Dollywood's most expensive attraction to date, and will guide riders on a thrilling and immersive journey through Great Smoky Mountains National Park as they chase the phenomenon of bioluminescence.

Located in the mountain town of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Dollywood first opened in 1986 as a partnership between country music legend Dolly Parton and Herschend Family Entertainment. The theme park has since expanded to nearly 50 rides and attractions. Parton first hinted at the new ride during Dollywood's 40th season opening day in March 2025. She was unable to attend the September 17 announcement event for NightFlight Expedition, but said in a press release: "I'm just so proud that Dollywood has grown so much in its first 40 years that we're able to add a ride like NightFlight Expedition."

Details of the new ride have been kept under wraps until now. Since the announcement, Reddit has been abuzz with discussions about NightFlight Expedition, with one Reddit user writing: "Looking forward to this new Mack Rocking Boat. This will be an indoor family coaster, but it should be pretty unique. I expect some cool theming elements on this ride."

NightFlight Expedition is currently under construction and will be housed in a five-story, 44,000-square-foot building, located in the Wildwood Grove section behind another popular attraction, Big Bear Mountain, Dollywood's longest roller coaster. The new ride is a collaboration between Dollywood, Herschend Creative Studios, and German manufacturer Mack Rides. It will combine "four unique features," the details of which have not been fully disclosed.

Riders will board a custom-designed amphibious ride vehicle that will take them on a Smoky Mountain adventure, interacting with various multimedia projections, onboard and offboard audio, and lighting effects. The experience will last 5 1/2 minutes and will include everything from traversing a mountain ridge on a roller coaster to navigating a shimmering lake by boat to surging through more than 500,000 gallons of water on a thrilling whitewater rafting experience.

In the press release, Dolly Parton spoke of her enthusiasm about the new ride: "A lot of people ask me about my favorite season in the Smokies, but no one ever asks me what my favorite time of day is. Our new ride sends you out into the mountains at night, which is the time that I think they really come to life!"