Dollywood is officially open for the 2026 season, so my son Mason and I went on opening day to walk the park and show you every update you might miss if you’re not there in person. Dollywood continues to impress me—spotless clean, great operations, and it honestly didn’t feel like a typical “opening day” at most parks. I cover practical improvements like the much-needed Timber Canyon restroom expansion, a new covered seating structure at Wilderness Pass, and marketplace tweaks that help guest flow (huge win). I also talk coaster updates like Tennessee Tornado’s fresh new paint, plus the surprise of Lightning Rod actually running—and running two trains. The big focus, though, is NightFlight Expedition—the $50 million indoor hybrid that’s combining a water ride with a coaster, which is something we’ve never had at Dollywood. I show the construction progress, point out the new eight-person vehicle on display, and share the key detail a lot of families care about: the height requirement is 39 inches. And yes, I give my honest take on the timeline—after seeing how much work is still left (track, theming, water elements, testing), I’m not convinced the June target holds. Personally, July feels more realistic, but I hope I’m wrong and we’re riding sooner.