If you'd been here on Independence Day, you'd have spent more time eating than waiting.
Jul 3, 2026 hit a 2/10, one of the quietest days we've recorded at Dollywood this season. Crowds bounced between a 1 and a 5, settling around a 2 for most of the day.
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2
/10 Quiet
AVG WAIT14m
PEAK60m
RIDES OPEN13/13
WEATHER91° Clear
Tap to enlarge
The day, hour by hour.
11 AM to 9 PM · crowd level 1–10
2
11 AM
1
12 PM
2
1 PM
3
2 PM
2
3 PM
2
4 PM
1
5 PM
3
7 PM
1
8 PM
5
9 PM
11 AM to 10 AM
Rope-drop the headliner anyway
FireChaser Express held strong all day. The first hour was the only time it ran shortest.
11 AM to 1 PM
Eat early, ride during lunch
Crowds dipped to their low around 2 PM. Tennessee Tornado + Lightning Rod walked on.
2 PM to 6 PM
Knock out the rest of your list
The quietest stretch of the day starts around 2 PM. FireChaser Express fell to its low for the day.
8 PM to 9 PM
Last lap and re-rides
A small closing-hour bump is normal. Re-ride FireChaser Express now with a fresh queue.
Every ride, by average wait.
15 rides · avg wait shown
FireChaser Express
27m avg
peak 60m · 73% uptime
Mystery Mine
20m avg
peak 40m · 71% uptime
Tennessee Tornado
14m avg
peak 35m · 31% uptime
Lightning Rod
14m avg
peak 30m · 62% uptime
Smoky Mountain River Rampage
12m avg
peak 30m · 40% uptime
Thunderhead
12m avg
peak 30m · 28% uptime
Wild Eagle
12m avg
peak 20m · 28% uptime
Blazing Fury
11m avg
peak 20m · 71% uptime
Daredevil Falls
10m avg
peak 20m · 12% uptime
Dragonflier
9m avg
peak 20m · 71% uptime
Big Bear Mountain
8m avg
peak 15m · 74% uptime
Whistle Punk Chaser®
6m avg
peak 10m · 23% uptime
Drop Line
5m avg
peak 5m · -- uptime
Barnstormer
Closed all day
The Waltzing Swinger
0m avg
peak 0m · -- uptime
1 ride was closed all day
Barnstormer
Weather that day: ☀️ Clear, high 91°F, low 76°F, rain for 5h.
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Days like this are why people swear by going off-peak. Ride Ready spots them in advance, then turns the forecast into real-time recommendations the moment you walk through the gate.
