All aboard the hype train for Dollywood's NightFlight Expedition

December 25, 2025, 11:43 AM · What will be the best new ride of 2026? It's too early to tell, of course, but I would bet a cup of egg nog and a leftover Christmas cookie on Dollywood's NightFlight Expedition.

The first U.S. installation of Mack Rides' Rocking Boat ride system promises to offer a unique Smoky Mountain experience. Built at a cost of more than $50 million, it's the largest single attraction investment in Dollywood's history. And it will take riders on a nighttime adventure with its roots in Dollywood lore.

Set in an expansion of the park's Wildwood Grove land, NightFlight Expedition will extend that land's backstory, introducing two new members of the Oakley family. They are on a mission to explore just what makes the land's iconic Wildwood Tree so special, and they have invented a new gadget to help them do that.

And, of course, we are invited along for the ride.

"As the world’s first indoor family hybrid coaster and whitewater river raft ride, NightFlight Expedition takes Dollywood guests on an unforgettable journey through the Smoky Mountains to search for bioluminescence in the nation’s most-visited national park," Dollywood said of the new attraction. "During the 5 1/2-minute experience, guests soar on a nighttime flight over the scenic Smokies, enjoy a thrilling whitewater rafting excursion through more than 500,000 gallons of surging water, traverse a mountain ridge on a roller coaster, and navigate a mysterious shimmering lake by boat."

Dollywood and Mack Rides unveiled the ride vehicle at the IAAPA Expo in Orlando last month.

"Guests set out on their expedition to find Secret Lake with the help of twin scientists, Cora and Jasper Oakley, who just happen to be the niece and nephew of Wildwood Grove’s resident wilderness explorer, Ned Oakley. The twins, who work out of a hangar at Hidden Hollow Aviation, have invented the Bioluminator, a device designed to detect and amplify bioluminescence, the biochemical emission of light by living organisms. Cora and Jasper mount the device onto their family’s one-of-a-kind amphibious aircraft to illuminate the Wildwood Tree’s glowing roots and follow them to Secret Lake," Dollywood said.

Dollywood owner Herschend does a better job of establishing backstories and themes for its major attractions than any other regional park operator in the United States. With an engaging story and a unique set of ride experiences, NightFlight Expedition offers a tantalizing mix to theme park fans hungry for something new in the new year. I can't wait to experience this new attraction, and I suspect that many Theme Park Insider readers feel the same way.

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