When to queue
Go at 9pm.
- Typical wait at 9pm
- 33min
- At 1pm, its worst hour
- 50min
Dollywood
Nightflight Expedition wait times
- Typical wait
- 59min
- At its busiest
- 72min
- Shortest queue
- 9pm
- Running
- 60%
59minTypical wait
A typical day, opening to close
Nightflight Expedition at Dollywood averages 59 minutes. It is shortest at 9pm and worst at 3pm. It has run 60% of the park's opening hours recently.
Nightflight Expedition queue times, day by day
Every reading through the day, against what Nightflight Expedition usually does at that hour. Pick another day underneath.
Nightflight Expedition over recent weeks
Typical waits from this ride's own recorded readings
Nightflight Expedition has averaged about 59 minutes of queue across its recorded readings, peaking around 72 minutes, with the longest queues near 3pm, and the shortest near 9pm. Pick a date below to see that day minute by minute.
- Typical
- 59min
- Peak
- 72min
- Running
- 60%
- Busiest at
- 3pm
Last 14 days, tap one
Which day
Pick a Saturday.
- Typical wait on a Saturday
- 49min
- On a Friday
- 74min
Does Nightflight Expedition break down?
Quite often.
It was running 60% of the time Dollywood was open over the last two weeks, so it was down about 24 minutes in every opening hour.
- Running, share of opening hours
- 60%
- Queue readings recorded
- 9,393
The record
155 minutes.
The longest queue Nightflight Expedition has held, on Monday 12 October.
Every ride at Dollywood →When is the Nightflight Expedition queue shortest?
Usually at 9pm, about 33 minutes, against 50 at 1pm. Turning up at the right hour saves 17 minutes on a single ride.
Nightflight Expedition queue times by hour
Typical wait, last 90 days · minutes
479a
4210a
4211a
4112p
501p
432p
493p
404p
475p
486p
437p
388p
339p
Walk on under 10 minShort 10-19 minModerate 20-34 minLong 35-59 minVery long 60 min and up
Best time to ride Nightflight Expedition
9pm on a Saturday
Nightflight Expedition averages 33 minutes at 9pm. The longest queue it has ever held is 155 minutes.
59maverage
Which day is quietest for Nightflight Expedition?
Saturday, at 49 minutes on average, against 74 on Friday.
Nightflight Expedition by day of the week
14 days with a recorded queue
- Mon56m
- Tue55m
- Wed50m
- Thu59m
- Fri74m
- Sat49m
- Sun53m
Does Nightflight Expedition break down?
It ran 61% of Dollywood's opening hours across 14 recorded days, and is improving. It ran without a recorded stop on Friday 23 Oct.
Uptime and closures
61% of opening hours · 14 days recorded
↑ improving61%
Poor
Running 61% of the minutes Dollywood was open.
Each square is one day, its share of opening hours running. Tap a day to open it above.
How long can the Nightflight Expedition queue get?
The worst queue recorded for Nightflight Expedition was 155 minutes on Monday 12 Oct.
Longest Nightflight Expedition queues on record
Peaks in the last 14 days · Every one a real date
- 1Monday 12 Oct155m
- 2Sunday 11 Oct120m
- 3Thursday 15 Oct120m
- 4Friday 16 Oct120m
- 5Tuesday 13 Oct110m
- 6Friday 9 Oct105m
- 7Wednesday 14 Oct105m
- 8Thursday 22 Oct90m
Which months are busiest for Nightflight Expedition?
August runs longest at 72 minutes on average, and September is quietest at 34.
Nightflight Expedition through the year
All-time average by month · minutes
72Aug
34Sep
54Oct
About Nightflight Expedition
Nightflight Expedition is Dollywood's enclosed multi-launch coaster, themed to a UFO-encounter mountain expedition. The ride opened in 2025 and replaces the former Tennessee Tornado footprint. Three LSM launches and an indoor layout with synchronised lighting and visual effects make this a different experience from Dollywood's outdoor coasters. Ride duration about two and a half minutes.
As Dollywood's newest major attraction, Nightflight Expedition consistently draws the longest queues at the park - 90-150 minutes on busy days are normal. Time Saver passes save significant time. The fully indoor experience runs reliably in any weather, making it a strong choice on rainy days when other coasters may close.
Nightflight Expedition has averaged about 59 minutes of wait over recent weeks, and is typically busiest around 3pm and quietest around 9pm. Over the last two weeks it has been open around 60% of the park's operating hours. It's typically quietest on Saturdays and busiest on Mondays.
How we measure
- Readings
- The queue time Dollywood publishes for this ride, read every few minutes while the park is open.
- By hour
- This ride's own last 90 days, within opening hours.
- Day by day
- Its last 14 days.
- Running
- The share of the park's open minutes the ride was running.
Frequently asked
What's the current wait time for Nightflight Expedition?
The live wait time for Nightflight Expedition at Dollywood is shown at the top of this page and refreshed directly from the park's own ride system. Check live Nightflight Expedition wait times.
Is Nightflight Expedition open right now?
The live status badge at the top of this page shows whether Nightflight Expedition is open or closed right now - it updates automatically from Dollywood's own ride system. Over the last couple of weeks, Nightflight Expedition has been open around 60% of Dollywood's operating hours. You can also see the live status of every ride at Dollywood.
What's the best time of day to ride Nightflight Expedition?
Based on historical wait time data, Nightflight Expedition is typically quietest around 9pm. For most rides the queue is shortest in the first hour after the park opens and the last hour before it closes, with midday through mid-afternoon the busiest window.
What is the best day to ride Nightflight Expedition?
Nightflight Expedition is usually quietest on Saturdays, and busiest on Mondays based on recent weeks - visit on a Saturday for shorter waits.
How long is the line for Nightflight Expedition usually?
Over recent weeks, Nightflight Expedition has averaged about 59 minutes, with lines usually longest around 3pm. Wait times usually build through the morning, peak from midday to mid-afternoon, then ease off before close. Weekends and school holidays run noticeably longer than quiet weekdays. This page shows today's live wait time, the day's average, hourly breakdowns and the full history of peak lines for Nightflight Expedition at Dollywood.
Is Nightflight Expedition often closed or broken down?
Over the last two weeks, Nightflight Expedition has been running about 60% of the time. We track Nightflight Expedition's uptime and downtime automatically - see the "Reliability" and "Downtime History" panels on this page for its full record over the last 30 days, including any current closures and how long they've lasted.
Where can I find Nightflight Expedition at Dollywood?
Nightflight Expedition is at Dollywood - see the park map and full ride list for its exact location. The Dollywood page also shows which rides nearby have the shortest lines right now.
Can I get wait time alerts for Nightflight Expedition?
Yes - create a free alert and we'll notify you when Nightflight Expedition's wait time drops below your chosen threshold (for example, "tell me when Nightflight Expedition is under 20 minutes"). Great for timing your sprint from across the park.
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Other rides at Dollywood
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