A QUIET DAY
If you'd been here on a weekend like this,
you'd have cleared the park before lunch.
May 23, 2026 hit a 2/10, one of the quietest days we've recorded at Dollywood this season. Crowds dipped to a 1 out of ten for 2 straight hours between 1 PM and 3 PM.
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
PEAK70m
RIDES OPEN10/10
WEATHER–
The day, hour by hour.
4
11 AM
4
12 PM
1
1 PM
1
2 PM
3
3 PM
3
4 PM
1
5 PM
2
6 PM
1
7 PM
1
8 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 1 PM. Big Bear Mountain + Thunderhead walked on.
1 PM to 3 PM
Knock out the rest of your list
The quietest stretch of the day starts around 1 PM. FireChaser Express 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 FireChaser Express now with a fresh queue.
Every ride, by average wait.
FireChaser Express
peak 70m · 69% uptime
Lightning Rod
peak 55m · 77% uptime
Mystery Mine
peak 45m · 82% uptime
Dragonflier
peak 40m · 62% uptime
Big Bear Mountain
peak 30m · 93% uptime
Thunderhead
peak 40m · 90% uptime
Smoky Mountain River Rampage
peak 30m · 97% uptime
Whistle Punk Chaser®
peak 20m · 59% uptime
Wild Eagle
peak 15m · 99% uptime
Blazing Fury
peak 10m · 94% uptime
Barnstormer
Drop Line
Tennessee Tornado
3 rides were closed all day
Barnstormer Drop Line Tennessee Tornado
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: FireChaser Express 42m to 24m
1 PM Walk-on window: Big Bear Mountain + Thunderhead
4:08p Smart pick: FireChaser Express is short right now, go
6:30p Dinner spike flagged, sit it out
4 drop alerts · 3 picks · 1 skip suggestion