Dolly Parton Misses Dollywood Roller Coaster Opening on Doctor's Orders
Dolly Parton was not in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee on Friday, August 14, 2026, when Dollywood cut the ribbon on its new NightFlight Expedition roller coaster. Her doctor told her not to travel.
In a video shared on Instagram by Dollywood president Eugene Naughton, the 80-year-old Parton addressed the first riders of the new attraction from Nashville, roughly 200 miles away. She apologised for missing the opening in person and explained that her doctor had advised against the trip after recent health problems that left her "a little dizzy" and dehydrated. Parton quoted her Nashville doctor directly: "You ain't traveling this week." She added that he "kinda clipped my wings." Billboard
The NightFlight Expedition opening was the latest in a string of Dollywood events Parton has had to sit out. She also missed a media and VIP preview for the ride because of the same ongoing health issues, according to Atlanta's WSB-TV. WSB-TV
Parton has been open about her health over the course of 2026, without specifying the details. In March, she made a rare in-person appearance at Dollywood to deliver the keynote address on the park's 41st anniversary opening day. Even then, she told the crowd she had "a few little health issues" and that "we're taking good care of them."
Those issues have since affected her schedule beyond the theme park. Parton postponed a Las Vegas residency planned for September, citing "a few" undisclosed medical procedures. No rescheduled dates have been announced.
For Dollywood, the NightFlight Expedition opening went ahead without its founder and namesake but with her recorded welcome playing for the first guests in line. Parton, for her part, made clear she had every intention of being there — and made no secret of her frustration at the doctor's orders that kept her home.
