Dolly Parton shared in a video why she missed the big opening of a new ride at her beloved Dollywood. The 80-year-old country music legend was supposed to be at the Aug. 14 opening of NightFlight Expedition in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. But she ended up sending fans a video from her home in Nashville instead. The reason was that her doctor told her to stay put after she experienced dizziness and dehydration.
Dolly Parton says dizziness and dehydration kept her from Dollywood’s NightFlight Expedition opening
Parton made the best of the situation, appearing in the recorded video with a pair of butterfly wings flapping behind her as she shared her health update. “I’ve told you before, all my fans, that I’ve had a few little health issues and sometimes I get a little dizzy and I get dehydrated. And I’m dehydrated,” she said, according to fan footage shared online.
She then explained that her Nashville doctor wasn’t taking any chances with the 200-mile trip to Dollywood. She said, “My Nashville doctor has kind of clipped my wings, saying, ‘You ain’t traveling this week.’” Then she added, “So I guess if your doctor tells you, ‘You ain’t traveling this week,’ you ain’t traveling this week.”
The singer also gave fans some reassuring news, saying that “all is going well on the medical end of things.” Staying home, however, does not mean she has stopped working. Parton said she is still busy with projects including her SongTeller Hotel, Life of Many Colors Museum and her upcoming Broadway show, Dolly: A True Original Musical.
She also made sure to celebrate the new Dollywood attraction. In the video, she shared her excitement for NightFlight Expedition and told fans she would see them “down the road.”
Parton has been open about dealing with health problems in recent months. She canceled her previously postponed Las Vegas residency in May and told fans that she “still got some healing to do.”
At the time, she also said she was responding well to medication and treatment. However, she needed more time before she could return to performing because some treatments left her feeling “a little swimmy-headed.”
Parton has also previously discussed dealing with kidney stones. After her husband’s death in March 2025, she spoke about how difficult the year of “firsts” following his death was for her. Still, she has continued making public appearances when she can.
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