Dollywood opened NightFlight Expedition to general guests on Wednesday, August 19, after a reserved passholder preview period. The Wildwood Grove attraction puts simulated flight, coaster-style drops, a whitewater section and a lake crossing inside one indoor ride.
Rutledge and Dollywood public relations vice president Pete Owens joined CoasterRadio for a 29-minute interview published Monday. Their discussion covers the attraction's 2023 origin, the rocking boat technology that shaped it and the work behind a ride intended to last for generations.
A Mack Rides meeting gave NightFlight its moving boat
Rutledge said the creative team decided in 2023 that the attraction would belong in Wildwood Grove and take riders through the Smoky Mountains at night. A meeting with Mack Rides introduced the rocking boat conveyance system that became the foundation for the experience.
The ride begins with simulated flight, moves into coaster-style hills and forward and backward drops, enters a whitewater section where the boat floats while remaining tethered to the track, then crosses the bioluminescent setting of Secret Lake.
NightFlight's prototype involved more than 1,000 people
Rutledge described NightFlight as a prototype rather than an existing ride model ordered from a catalog. More than 1,000 people worked across design, engineering and fabrication as the teams joined the four movements into one continuous story.
The queue also contains references for longtime Dollywood visitors, while the characters Cora and Jasper Oakley connect NightFlight to the story world already used by Big Bear Mountain. The discussion places the attraction inside a 60-to-100-year planning horizon.
NightFlight's August 19 opening followed passholder previews
NightFlight Expedition opened to all guests at noon Wednesday, August 19, after a reserved passholder preview period from August 15 through 18.
Silver, Gold and Diamond passholders who bought a 2026 pass from September 17 through October 12, 2025 can reserve one timeslot through My Dollywood. Reservations opened Friday, August 7 at 10 a.m. CDT.
The all-indoor, climate-controlled building keeps the attraction ready through rain or shine, while the public opening puts Dollywood's newest Wildwood Grove ride into the regular guest lineup.
Four ride systems inside one climate-controlled building
NightFlight Expedition combines coaster track, a whitewater section, a controlled climb and a lake crossing inside a 44,000-square-foot building. The 1,255-foot route reaches 29 mph and takes about 5.5 minutes including loading and unloading. Each vehicle holds 10 passengers, and the minimum height is 39 inches.
The opening also comes before Harvey's Boo Bash, Dollywood's first separately ticketed after-hours event, where NightFlight Expedition is part of the planned attraction lineup.
Sources: CoasterRadio's direct interview with Erica Rutledge and Pete Owens, Dollywood's NightFlight Expedition attraction page and the park's original attraction announcement.
Images: Dollywood Parks & Resorts.