Dollywood: NightFlight Expedition Opens to Visitors Today

(eap) The wait is over! After season pass holders were already able to experience their first rides on the new indoor attraction at Dollywood Theme Park starting last Saturday, “NightFlight Expedition” officially opens to all guests today. The park describes the ride as an “Immserive Indoor Adventure Coaster”. Technically, the attraction is a Rocking Boat ride system supplied by Mack Rides and represents the world’s first indoor installation of this ride model. The attraction combines elements of a roller coaster ride with a white-water rafting experience. With an investment of more than 60 million USD, it represents the largest single investment Dollywood has ever made in an attraction.

Already along the queue area, visitors can expect imaginative, richly detailed theming. // Photo: Dollywood Parks & Resorts NightFlight Expedition expands the existing “Wildwood Grove” themed area (cf. EAP 5/2019) and is embedded in an imaginative story centered on the search for “Secret Lake”. Together with two scientists, guests embark on a nighttime journey through the Smoky Mountains, following bioluminescent traces in search of the mysterious source of the Wildwood Tree.

“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.

Read all further details about the new attraction at Dollywood Theme Park in one of our upcoming magazine issues. ■