If you'd been here on a weekend like this, you'd have spent more time eating than waiting.
Aug 23, 2026 hit a 1/10, one of the quietest days we've recorded at Dollywood this season. Crowds dipped to a 1 out of ten for 4 straight hours between 4 PM and 8 PM.
PLANNING A TRIP?
Pick your dates on the crowd calendar
and we'll show you how this day compares to your window.
1
/10 Quiet
AVG WAIT12m
PEAK120m
RIDES OPEN11/11
WEATHER84° Clear
Tap to enlarge
The day, hour by hour.
10 AM to 8 PM · crowd level 1–10
4
10 AM
1
11 AM
2
12 PM
1
1 PM
2
2 PM
3
3 PM
1
4 PM
1
5 PM
1
6 PM
1
7 PM
4
8 PM
10 AM to 10 AM
Rope-drop the headliner anyway
NightFlight Expedition 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 4 PM. Dragonflier + FireChaser Express walked on.
4 PM to 8 PM
Knock out the rest of your list
The quietest stretch of the day starts around 4 PM. NightFlight Expedition fell to its low for the day.
8 PM to 8 PM
Last lap and re-rides
A small closing-hour bump is normal. Re-ride NightFlight Expedition now with a fresh queue.
Every ride, by average wait.
15 rides · avg wait shown
NightFlight Expedition
92m avg
peak 120m · 24% uptime
Dragonflier
11m avg
peak 25m · 47% uptime
FireChaser Express
10m avg
peak 25m · 74% uptime
Smoky Mountain River Rampage
10m avg
peak 25m · 53% uptime
Lightning Rod
9m avg
peak 20m · 70% uptime
Mystery Mine
8m avg
peak 15m · 57% uptime
Thunderhead
8m avg
peak 15m · 67% uptime
The Waltzing Swinger
7m avg
peak 60m · 56% uptime
Big Bear Mountain
6m avg
peak 20m · 66% uptime
Blazing Fury
5m avg
peak 5m · 30% uptime
Whistle Punk Chaser®
5m avg
peak 5m · -- uptime
Barnstormer
0m avg
peak 0m · -- uptime
Daredevil Falls
0m avg
peak 0m · -- uptime
Tennessee Tornado
0m avg
peak 0m · -- uptime
Wild Eagle
0m avg
peak 0m · -- uptime
Weather that day: ☀️ Clear, high 84°F, low 67°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.
