Dolly Parton Shares Health Update After Skipping Dollywood Event
Dolly Parton missed the dedication ceremony for Dollywood's newest attraction on Aug. 14, telling fans in a video message that dehydration and dizziness had prompted her doctor to keep her home in Nashville.
Dollywood Company President Eugene Naughton played a pre-recorded video from Parton during the ceremony for NightFlight Expedition, the park's new indoor coaster. In the video, Parton explained she was still in Nashville and had been looking forward to attending in person.
What Parton Said About Her Health
Parton told fans she was dealing with dehydration, saying her doctor had "kind of clipped my wings" and advised her not to travel that week. She added that once a doctor gives that kind of instruction, there isn't much room to argue with it, and told the crowd she'd see them down the road.
The absence follows a stretch of health challenges Parton has spoken about publicly over the past year. In September 2025, she missed an earlier Dollywood appearance after developing an infection related to a kidney stone, and she postponed a planned Las Vegas concert residency that December because of what she described at the time as a need for a few procedures. She returned to the public stage for Dollywood's 41st season opening in March, telling fans she had been "worn down and worn out" while grieving the death of her husband of nearly six decades, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025.
A Major Milestone for the Park, Even Without Her
Despite Parton's absence, Friday's ceremony marked a significant moment for Dollywood. NightFlight Expedition is described as the largest attraction investment in the park's history, with a reported cost exceeding $60 million.
The ride combines a roller coaster, a whitewater rafting sequence and a boat journey into a single indoor experience themed around the Smoky Mountains, featuring a 1,255-foot track and a run time of about five and a half minutes inside a 44,000-square-foot building.
Season passholders were able to preview the ride starting Aug. 15, with the attraction set to open to the general public on Aug. 19.
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