Details have started being revealed for a massive new attraction coming to Dollywood in 2026! It’s no surprise that they want to celebrate Dollywood’s 40th anniversary in a big way in 2026, and what better way to do it than a major new ride! Some of you remember when we broke the news about Lightning Rod and listed every public hint leading up to the official announcement. You may also remember when we revealed details that lead up to the announcement of Wildwood Grove.
Our goal is to only share publicly available information rather than rumors or unverifiable sources. And for the new 2026 attraction, we’ve already got quite a few hints, so let’s dive into it!
Public Hint #1: September 3, 2024
On September 3, 2024 the Hollers and Hills Podcast interviewed Pete Owen’s, Dollywood’s VP of Marketing & PR (video below). Starting at 11:51 in the interview, Pete discusses Wildwood Grove and the growth taking place around it.
Some notable comments he made include:
- ( 12:04 ) Big Bear Mountain was Wildwood Grove Phase 2
- ( 12:07 ) The 2026 Project is Wildwood Grove Phase 3
- ( 12:10 ) There’s a Phase 4 parcel there across the road
- ( 29:39 ) We have a major attraction in 2026, a nearly $50M attraction
- ( 29:55 ) It’s something that no one has ever done before in this particular way
- ( 29:59 ) We’re also refurbishing a legacy attraction that we’ll be able to celebrate in 20:26
So the biggest reveal here is the cost of this new attraction…nearly $50 million! For comparison, Big Bear Mountain was their single-largest attraction investment, which was $25M. So we’re looking at a new attraction worth around twice that!
Is this a “ride”, though? Pete had an interesting response when the host, Beth Haynes, asked if it was “a new ride”. Pete paused and responded with, “It’s hard, I will tell you and you will understand that it is something that no one has ever done before in this particular way (Listen to his comment here ). So he didn’t “acknowledge” that it’s a “ride”, which is a bit interesting. We could be reading too much into his vague response, but it leaves the options open to what it will be.
Public Hint #2: September 24, 2024
Reported by The Mountain Press , Dollywood presented plans to the Pigeon Forge City Commission for their new attraction. While Dollywood didn’t give away too many details, they did share the following tidbits:
- It will feature a 43,000sqft building
- It will sit on a 3.5acre tract
- It will be located behind Wildwood Grove
- The structure will hold approximately 1,000 people
Ok, so we’re starting to get a picture of what this new attraction will be. The “building” leads us to think it will be a “dark ride” or “indoor attraction”, which will take up approximately 3.5 acres.
The structure “holding approximately 1,000” people was worded in an odd way, because it made us think of another indoor attraction that Dollywood’s parent company, Herschend Family Entertainment, opened recently at Silver Dollar City. Here are some stats about that other attraction:
- Located in a 32,000 sqft building
- Capable of 1,000 riders per hour
- Cost $30 million to build
That ride is the new version of “Fire in the Hole” at Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO, which is part of the newly create “Fire District”. The old version was similar to Dollywood’s Blazing Fury, which is currently the oldest ride in the park.
Ok, so this new building will be roughly 1 acre in size…but the plans call for it to sit on a 3.5 acre tract. So what about the other 2.5 acres. Well, Silver Dollar City’s Fire District is 2+ acres in size.
Oh, and Pete did say they would be refurbishing a “legacy attraction”, and it doesn’t get any more “legacy” than Blazing Fury.
But then again, Pete also said “It’s something that no one has ever done before in this particular way”…so we could be WAY off…and honestly, we hope we are. Nothing against the Fire District and Blazing Fury, but we love to be surprised and we love innovation. We want to be “wow’d” when it’s finally revealed.
Where will it be located?
Based on Pete’s comments that it will sit behind Wildwood Grove and the plan presented to the City Commission showing it would sit on 3.5 acres, our best guess at this time is that it will be located on the flat ground directly behind the new Big Bear Mountain roller coaster. While there are other options for locations, this particular spot would require the least amount on site prep of moving dirt, removing trees, changing erosion, etc. It’s the most obvious spot, so that’s our first guess.
One last thing
A Reddit user posted images of a survey that Dollywood sent out in the summer of 2024. We’re simply linking to it rather than sharing the details and images here…for a variety of reasons. But the survey requested feedback on a potential “thrilling new nighttime family ride”.
Could that be what Dollywood is cooking up? We’ll continue posting public hints and clues leading up to when Dollywood officially reveals it!
Whatever it is and wherever it’ll be located, we can’t wait to finally see it…and experience it!
