Pigeon Forge, Friday, 19 September 2025.
Dollywood unveiled NightFlight Expedition last Wednesday: a $50 million indoor dark‑ride hybrid combining coaster elements, a whitewater sequence and amphibious ride vehicles in a 4 087 m² building. Marketed as the world’s first indoor family hybrid coaster/whitewater raft experience in the U.S., the five‑to‑6‑minute attraction mixes multimedia projection, onboard/offboard audio and special lighting to simulate a nocturnal Smokies expedition that moves guests through soaring flight, 1.9 million litres of turbulent water, ridge coaster sections and a mysterious lake. For operators and suppliers this signals durable demand for high‑complexity, moderately high‑cost dark‑ride investments that prioritise weather‑proofing, storytelling and throughput engineering to drive per‑capita spend and length‑of‑stay in four‑season markets. Key implications touch ride‑system vendors (rocking‑boat tech), show‑tech integrators, and operations planning (queueing, capacity, maintenance cycles). Retail and F&B planners should expect shifts in dwell time and spend patterns when the ride opens in spring 2026.