A QUIET DAY
If you'd been here on a day like this,
you'd have cleared the park before lunch.
May 20, 2026 hit a 2/10, one of the quietest days we've recorded at Dollywood this season. Crowds bounced between a 1 and a 4, settling around a 2 for most of the day.
PLANNING A TRIP?
Pick your dates on the crowd calendar
and we'll show you how this day compares to your window.
2
/10
Quiet
Quiet
AVG WAIT16m
PEAK60m
RIDES OPEN14/14
WEATHER–
The day, hour by hour.
3
11 AM
3
12 PM
2
1 PM
2
2 PM
1
3 PM
2
4 PM
2
5 PM
4
7 PM
4
8 PM
11 AM to 10 AM
Rope-drop the headliner anyway
Lightning Rod 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 + Mystery Mine walked on.
2 PM to 6 PM
Knock out the rest of your list
The quietest stretch of the day starts around 2 PM. Lightning Rod 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 Lightning Rod now with a fresh queue.
Every ride, by average wait.
Smoky Mountain River Rampage
peak 35m · 69% uptime
Lightning Rod
peak 60m · 71% uptime
FireChaser Express
peak 45m · 63% uptime
Dragonflier
peak 50m · 70% uptime
Tennessee Tornado
peak 30m · 68% uptime
Mystery Mine
peak 25m · 71% uptime
Thunderhead
peak 60m · 80% uptime
Daredevil Falls
peak 25m · 51% uptime
Big Bear Mountain
peak 25m · 71% uptime
Wild Eagle
peak 20m · 73% uptime
Blazing Fury
peak 10m · 87% uptime
Whistle Punk Chaser®
peak 10m · 19% uptime
Barnstormer
peak 5m · 14% uptime
Drop Line
peak 5m · 7% uptime
The Waltzing Swinger
1 ride was closed all day
The Waltzing Swinger
FOR YOUR TRIP
This is the day,
but live, in your pocket.
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.
WHAT YOU'D HAVE GOTTEN ON THIS DAY
10:42a Drop alert: Lightning Rod 28m to 16m
1:15p Walk-on window: Tennessee Tornado + Mystery Mine
4:08p Smart pick: Lightning Rod is short right now, go
6:30p Dinner spike flagged, sit it out
4 drop alerts · 3 picks · 1 skip suggestion