The park’s largest-ever attraction is opening, but Dollywood President Eugene Naughton says the team is already “knee-deep” in plans for what comes next.
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (Smokies.LIVE Adventure Center) — Dollywood has a brand-new attraction ready to take families on a nighttime expedition through the Smokies, but don’t think the excitement stops with NightFlight Expedition.
In fact, Dollywood President Eugene Naughton says the park is already looking well beyond its newest $60 million-plus attraction — with 2029 and 2030 already on the radar.
“I really look forward to incorporating a lot of the lessons that I learned in the construction of this indoor attraction and getting ready for our big announcement for 2030,” Naughton said.
That means while guests are getting ready to experience NightFlight Expedition, Dollywood’s team is already thinking about what comes next in its effort to remain one of America’s premier theme parks.
🌙 A New Way to Experience the Smokies
Naughton says NightFlight Expedition gives Dollywood an opportunity to tell a story that is authentically tied to the mountains surrounding the park.
About 12 million people visit the Great Smoky Mountains each year, but there is a side of the mountains many visitors never experience — what happens after dark.
“The thing that I think we’re authentically Smoky Mountains, and that’s really what Dolly has truly shown us a path forward to be able to do that,” Naughton said.
The attraction takes guests into a 44,000-square-foot indoor environment where Dollywood can showcase the nighttime world of the Smokies.
Naughton points to the incredible biodiversity of the mountains and the species that come alive after sunset as inspiration for the experience.
🎢 Four Experiences. One Expedition.
NightFlight Expedition isn’t simply one ride experience.
Naughton describes it as four unique experiences wrapped into one attraction.
Guests encounter an immersive multimedia experience, a massive turntable ride system, a whitewater rapids adventure featuring a tank holding half a million gallons of water, and a grand finale taking riders through Secret Lake and the roots of the Wildwood Grove tree.
The finale includes 1,200 synchronous fireflies, along with morning and nighttime fog effects inspired by what visitors regularly experience in the Smokies.
Naughton says the rapids section could particularly surprise riders.
“They’re going to be like, ‘Wow, what just happened?’” he said.
🔭 But Dollywood Isn’t Done
While NightFlight Expedition represents the largest attraction investment in Dollywood’s history, Naughton made it clear the park isn’t taking its foot off the gas.
The next chapter is already being developed.
“We’re already knee-deep into 29 and 30,” Naughton said.
That means Dollywood is already working toward 2029 and 2030, using what the team has learned from creating NightFlight Expedition to shape future projects.
And that may be the biggest takeaway for Smoky Mountain visitors:
The newest attraction isn’t the finish line. It’s another step in Dollywood’s plan for the future.
As NightFlight Expedition prepares to welcome riders, Dollywood is already looking toward its next big announcement in 2030.
For a park determined to stay at the top of the theme park industry, the message is clear:
The adventure is just getting started.
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