If you'd been here on a weekend like this, you'd have spent more time eating than waiting.
Jul 12, 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 3 straight hours between 5 PM and 9 PM.
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2
/10 Quiet
AVG WAIT14m
PEAK50m
RIDES OPEN14/14
WEATHER78° Cloudy
Tap to enlarge
The day, hour by hour.
11 AM to 9 PM · crowd level 1–10
5
11 AM
1
12 PM
3
1 PM
1
2 PM
2
3 PM
2
4 PM
1
5 PM
1
6 PM
1
7 PM
4
9 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 5 PM. Smoky Mountain River Rampage + Dragonflier walked on.
5 PM to 9 PM
Knock out the rest of your list
The quietest stretch of the day starts around 5 PM. Lightning Rod 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 Lightning Rod now with a fresh queue.
Every ride, by average wait.
15 rides · avg wait shown
Lightning Rod
32m avg
peak 50m · 65% uptime
FireChaser Express
23m avg
peak 50m · 76% uptime
Smoky Mountain River Rampage
14m avg
peak 25m · 35% uptime
Dragonflier
12m avg
peak 25m · 79% uptime
Mystery Mine
11m avg
peak 25m · 77% uptime
Big Bear Mountain
10m avg
peak 25m · 59% uptime
Thunderhead
8m avg
peak 25m · 45% uptime
Blazing Fury
7m avg
peak 10m · 39% uptime
Whistle Punk Chaser®
7m avg
peak 10m · -- uptime
The Waltzing Swinger
5m avg
peak 10m · 31% uptime
Wild Eagle
5m avg
peak 10m · 66% uptime
Barnstormer
5m avg
peak 5m · -- uptime
Daredevil Falls
5m avg
peak 5m · -- uptime
Tennessee Tornado
5m avg
peak 5m · -- uptime
Drop Line
0m avg
peak 0m · -- uptime
Weather that day: ☁️ Cloudy, high 78°F, low 69°F, rain for 15h.
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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.
