Dolly Parton is already imagining what Dollywood could become in 2050, and her long-range dreams for Pigeon Forge sound more like a bold cultural blueprint than a theme park plan. ML

• Dollywood President Eugene Naughton is using Dolly Parton’s journey and dreams to plan the theme park’s next few decades.
• Dollywood’s Pigeon Forge campus has about 840 acres of undeveloped property, making room for new resorts and theme park additions.
• The theme park could explore opportunities beyond Pigeon Forge with support from its partner Herschend Family Entertainment.

Imagine going to Dollywood and hopping on an innovative thrillride of a roller coaster, discovering the adventures of a new park in a different city, or relaxing on a Dollywood cruise. Or maybe there’s an exhibit completely dedicated to cinnamon bread!

These are all hypothetical concepts of what could be at Dollywood by the year 2050. But the theme park’s leaders are already working on ambitious projects that will take Dolly Parton’s namesake to new heights for decades to come.

Surrounded by the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains, Dollywood sits on 1,142 acres. But only about 300 acres of that is developed, leaving around 840 acres of possible growth in Pigeon Forge, alone.

“It is an expansive opportunity for the future,” Dollywood Parks and Resorts President Eugene Naughton told Knox News. “My job really is to put wings to (Dolly Parton’s) dreams.”

And Parton, Dollywood’s Dreamer-in-Chief, has some big dreams that include more resorts, more attractions and more fun!From our Dollywood reporter: When going to Dollywood is your job, when is it just for fun?

Is a giga coaster ever coming to Dollywood?

When NightFlight Expedition opens in spring 2026, it will mark the largest attraction investment in Dollywood history. At over $50 million, it’ll cost even more than it took to build Dollywood’s first resort, DreamMore, which opened in 2015.

“That says something,” Naughton said. “That says we’re really stepping forward into being able to provide a very innovative attraction.”

NightFlight Expedition is a first-of-its-kind indoor ride that combines four ride elements into one attraction. The custom immersive hybrid ride is inspired by Parton’s love for the Smoky Mountains at nighttime and will take riders up in the air and down into more than 500,000 gallons of water.

Right now, Blazing Fury is Dollywood’s only dark ride. The 47-year-old ride reopened in July after beingclosed for nearly a year for maintenance and upgrades so that people can enjoy it for the next 50 years, Naughton noted.

“I think that that’s what NightFlight Expedition represents to us. It’s an attraction that will easily be around through 2040 and 2050,” he added.

While some theme park enthusiasts seek high-intensity thrill rides known as giga roller coasters, the likelihood of having one at Dollywood is slim.

“I just don’t see that happening because it’s not an attraction that’s good for the whole family, and I think that that’s what we really are,” Naughton said.

Dollywood does have some thrilling rides, including Lightning Rod, Big Bear Mountain. NightFlight Expedition will have some exciting moments, too. But what makes Dollywood stand out from other theme parks is that it’s a place specifically designed for multigenerational families.

“That’s a lot of fun for me to be able to see some older people being able to enjoy some of our attractions with their grandkids because that’s the family-fortifying experience we’re trying to make sure we offer our guests,” Naughton said.

This is also why award-winning live entertainment and dining options will continue to be important aspects of the Dollywood experience. As Naughton put it, older folks can spend a full day watching shows and sampling food while the younger ones bounce from ride-to-ride.

But never say never to a high-velocity coaster at Dollywood.

“You know, 50 years from today could that change? I guess. But probably not in in my tenure,” Naughton said.

What are the next resorts planned at Dollywood?

Naughton became Dollywood’s president in 2019. Two years later, he and Parton announced a rolling 10-year strategic plan that would invest $500 million into Dollywood Parks & Resorts. The plan, which evolves and refreshes every few years, includes three new resorts – for an eventual total of five – plus one unique experience.

“Think camping, Dolly style,” Naughton teased. “There’s going to be a certain amount of fun added to a normal experience from an outdoor RV park and campground experience.”

The outdoor concept has tested well for the park, but it was initially paused to allow Dollywood’s second resort, HeartSong Lodge, to find its footing after overcoming challenges while building during the COVID-19 era and opening in 2023.

“I’m feeling really, really excited about getting to work on a more detailed plan for our outdoor resort, and that’s what’s going to be next in terms of our hospitality portfolio,” Naughton said.

Four hundred acres of Dollywood’s property has been designated for lodging options. The concepts for the three additional resorts have already been mapped out with Parton’s shimmering stamp of approval.

“She’s been able to help us develop and narrate each of the storylines,” Naughton said. “It was important for me for her to be able to weigh in on our future.”

“I can assure you the same way that we’ve done DreamMore and HeartSong, we’re connecting it to Dolly’s journey and her life, and people will be able to really feel that connection,” he added.

By 2050, Dollywood’s hospitality program should be fully operational, featuring all five resorts – each with around 300 rooms – and the outdoor resort.

Will Dollywood finally be open year-round by 2050?

A longstanding goal for Naughton is to have Dollywood open all year long. Currently, the park has around 280 operating days per year, opening in March and closing in early January. Dollywood has steadily added days in recent seasons, and indoor attractions like NightFlight Expedition will help expand its offerings during colder months.

But reaching the year-round goal is a little more complex than simply adding operating days on a calendar. It takes time and money.

Here’s how Naughton explained it:

“We have 10 coasters that operate on our property right now. And in order for them to operate more calendar days and more operating hours, we would have to add trains to our fleet. … Say you take 10 coasters, $2 million per train, that’s a $20 million investment just to open this last bit of time that we’re not open in the calendar year.”

And then there are employees and necessary maintenance to consider. During its offseason, Dollywood employees get a break, but they also complete a host of training courses. Maintenance teams use the time to complete several projects, too.

Dollywood sees about 4 million guests a year, but Naughton estimates that number could cross the 6 million-mark by 2050. From ride longevity to parking lots to lodging to operating days to staffing, there’s a lot to balance.

“We have to give thoughtful consideration to how much we grow and when we grow, so that … our infrastructure and our entertainment units that we provide our guests are keeping pace with how many people we actually invite over to our home,” Naughton said.

Dollywood beyond the Smokies

Along with expanding its operating calendar, could Dollywood also expand its physical presence to other markets? Herschend Family Entertainment – which co-owns Dollywood with Parton – now operates 49 properties after acquiring 24 additional ones earlier this year.

The Smoky Mountains will remain Dollywood’s flagship location, but Herschend’s sister properties can spark new ideas and opportunities to spread Parton’s story.

“I’m not sure that we’ll transplant and build a brand-new Dollywood somewhere else in the world, but could we share our hospitality experience across our company as we continue to grow? One hundred percent,” Naughton said.

An example already in motion is the new SongTeller Hotel in downtown Nashville. The hotel themed around Parton’s life and music is scheduled to open next year and will feature music venues, a speakeasy, an all-day cafe and a museum dedicated to Parton. Naughton foresees a future where hotels like SongTeller are in other cities around the country.

Because there is so much unused property, the Pigeon Forge campus also could be home to a third Dollywood park. One idea Naughton has is a kid’s park developed around the books of Parton’s popular children’s literacy program, Imagination Library.

And next year, Dollywood’s Splash Country will debut a “Neon Nights” event. The nighttime event allows the seasonal water park to be utilized in a new way, and the idea is based on programming from a Herschend-owned water park in Long Island, New York.

Planning for growth and sustainability

Environmental sustainability and adequate infrastructure are also part of Dollywood’s innovative future projects. Naughton envisions solar-covered parking that would allow the park to generate and store its own electricity while also providing shade to guests. Dollywood recently installed 14 electric vehicle charging ports as the company embraces more energy-conscious solutions.

Infrastructure wise, Dollywood has master-planned an additional 3,000 parking spaces to accommodate future growth. There will be more parking spaces for employees, too, as more attractions are added over the years.

How does Dolly Parton plan to keep Dollywood getting better?

Parton shared her hopes for Dollywood’s future with Knox News at the March 2025 opening for the park’s 40 season. Crucial to keeping the park thriving, she said, is listening to the needs and wants of guests, monitoring the pulse of theme park industry trends and being innovative.

“As long as we grow with the public and keep our ears open and our eyes (open), we’re going to find out what they want and we will grow accordingly,” she added.

Parton praised Naughton’s “great vision” and Dollywood’s forward-thinking team.

“We have a lot of dreamers, a lot of doers,” Parton said. “We just dream and think, what do we want? We don’t want things that’s just going to last a season or two…we want things to be lasting.”

But the true secret that will keep people coming to Dollywood for another 40 years is “Southern hospitality.”

“People in this area are just great people, period. They’re just good people. And then you put them on a park to welcome guests, you feel that. You feel that they really mean it when they say, ‘Well, welcome (to Dollywood)’,” Parton said.

Putting wings to Dolly Parton’s dreams

For all of Dollywood’s planned and potential expansions and innovations, the heart of the theme park is Dolly Parton’s life, music and dreams.

“I think she’s always going to be our Dreamer-in-Chief,” Naughton said. “We’re always thinking of ways that we’re going to be able to make sure that 50 years from today, everyone is going to understand who she was and what she did for her hometown and what she did for the world.”

Dollywood wraps its milestone 40th season Jan. 4 and will prepare to “take flight” above the Smokies with NightFlight Expedition in its 41st season. But how high Dollywood soars by 2050 and beyond is limitless.