Dolly Parton was unexpectedly missing from the latest Dollywood event.
As her amusement park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, announced its new ride titled Night Flight Expedition, the 79-year-old country singer was curiously absent from the reveal. However, she did film a video for her fans explaining that a health issue had kept her from attending.
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“Hello Dollywood! It’s me,” she said. “I know—and I’m here, and you’re there. And you’re wondering why that is? Well, I had a little problem.”
Parton went on to explain that she’d been having a kidney issue.
“I had a kidney stone that was causing me a lot of problems, turned out it’d given me an infection, and the doctor said, ‘You don’t need to be traveling right this minute, so you need a few days to get better,’” she said. “So, he suggested I not go to Dollywood today, but I’m there with you in spirit… I was looking so forward to it.”
The new ride will open at Dollywood next year, teasing a theme park experience that has never been done before, promising “four thrilling adventures in one attraction,” with a video showing a roller coaster that seems to somehow transition into a water ride.
“What happens in the Smoky Mountains after the sun goes down? Soar, plunge, climb and navigate the first ride of its kind in the world,” said a post on the park’s official Instagram page.
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