It has been reported that the new ride opening in 2026 is an indoor ride that will do something that no other indoor ride in the world does. Any guesses?
^ Operate without frequently breaking down? LOL
NightFlight Expedition - Opening 2026
"Expanding on Dollywood's Wildwood Grove, NightFlight Expedition is a groundbreaking hybrid coaster and whitewater river ride with Cora and Jasper Oakley leading you on an extraordinary journey to discover the mystery of the legendary Secret Lake.
Embarking on a daring journey aboard remarkable vehicles, adventurers will experience four thrilling experiences in a first-of-its-kind attraction as they fly through the Smokies, conquer raging rapids, climb mountain peaks and glide across a shimmering lake. Follow the roots and light the way!"
https://www.dollywood.com/themepark/rides/nightflight-expedition/
This is a Mack Rocking Boat ride.
USA Today recently published an article about this ride.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/experience/theme-parks/2026/03/07/dollywood-nightflight-expedition-ride-preview/88981097007/
This will likely be our Flooded Mine replacement before too long.
Seems like a cool and unique ride concept. I'm interested to see the POVs when it opens. Most interesting part of the article is how it really sounds like DW is pushing to become a national destination on the level of the Orlando parks.
Looks like this new attraction is running behind schedule. Betting it gets postponed to the fall or possibly till '27
Meanwhile at the sister park, this was going on.... https://youtu.be/elNGsm4EHWk?is=V4dz_LhrXWX-kRb3
We got a few rides in on NightFlight Expedition this week.
It is a very ambitious ride and isn't something you would really expect outside of Disney or Universal. That being said, there are still quite a few kinks to be worked out.
We planned on one last ride on it, but it closed in the evening and didn't reopen before the park closed.
They have a great ride, but still have quite a bit of fine tuning to do.