Live wait timesAs of 9:46 AM ET on October 9
Dollywood Wait Times Today
Well above the 30 day all day average right now. As of 9:46 AM ET on October 9, the average posted wait at Dollywood is 24 minutes across 11 attractions, against a 30 day all day average of 15. Longest ride: NightFlight Expedition, 60 minutes.
- Average Posted Wait
- 24min
- 11 attractions reporting9 min above the 30 day all day average of 15
- Shortest Ride Wait
- 5min
- Black Bear Trail
- Longest Ride Wait
- 60min
- NightFlight Expedition
- Rides Open
- 31of 34 tracked rides
- 11 posting a wait, 3 closed right now
Open now9 AM to 10 PM ET
Crowd Level Today8 of 10 Estimate
Crowd Level Tomorrow9 of 10 Estimate
Posted waits from Queue-Times.com, collected about every 10 min
Headliners
Top Rides Right Now
Longest headliner wait
60min
NightFlight Expedition
Wildwood Grove, 36 min above the average posted wait
Wilderness Pass
45min
FireChaser Express
Timber Canyon
45min
Thunderhead
Wildwood Grove
40min
Big Bear Mountain
Wildwood Grove
15min
Dragonflier
Timber Canyon
15min
Mystery Mine
Craftsman's Valley
Open, no posted wait
Tennessee Tornado
The Full Board
Every Ride by Land
Posted waits as of 9:46 AM ET on October 9.
The Village2 ridesMap
- Dollywood ExpressClosed right nowClosed
- Village CarouselOpen, no posted waitOpen
Rivertown Junction1 rideMap
- Smoky Mountain River RampageOpen, no posted waitOpen
Craftsman's Valley3 ridesMap
- Blazing FuryClosed right nowClosed
- Daredevil FallsOpen, no posted waitOpen
- Tennessee TornadoOpen, no posted wait, HeadlinerOpen
Timber Canyon5 rides, avg 25 minMap
- Drop LineOpen, no posted waitOpen
- Lumberjack LiftsOpen, no posted waitOpen
- Mystery MineHeadliner15min
- ThunderheadHeadliner45min
- Whistle Punk Chaser15min
Wilderness Pass2 rides, avg 45 minMap
- FireChaser ExpressHeadliner45min
- Firehouse Fun YardOpen, no posted waitOpen
- Wild EagleOpen, no posted wait, HeadlinerOpen
Wildwood Grove8 rides, avg 23 minMap
- Big Bear MountainHeadliner40min
- Black Bear Trail5min
- DragonflierHeadliner15min
- Frogs & Fireflies10min
- Great Tree SwingOpen, no posted waitOpen
- Hidden HollowOpen, no posted waitOpen
- Mad Mockingbird5min
- NightFlight ExpeditionHeadliner60min
- TreeTop TowerOpen, no posted waitOpen
Owens Farm1 rideMap
- BarnstormerOpen, no posted waitOpen
- Little Pilot's PlaygroundOpen, no posted waitOpen
Country Fair10 ridesMap
- Amazing Flying ElephantsOpen, no posted waitOpen
- Busy BeesOpen, no posted waitOpen
- Demolition DerbyOpen, no posted waitOpen
- Lemon TwistOpen, no posted waitOpen
- Lucky DuckyOpen, no posted waitOpen
- Piggy ParadeOpen, no posted waitOpen
- ScramblerOpen, no posted waitOpen
- Shooting StarOpen, no posted waitOpen
- Sky RiderOpen, no posted waitOpen
- Waltzing SwingerOpen, no posted waitOpen
Jukebox Junction2 rides, avg 10 minMap
- Lightning RodClosed right now, HeadlinerClosed
- Rockin' Roadway10min
No ride matches that name.
Closed Right Now
- Blazing FuryCraftsman's Valley
- Dollywood ExpressThe Village
- Lightning RodJukebox Junction
Closures
Planned Closures and Refurbishments
Announced Dollywood closures in effect now or starting soon, with the operator’s dates.
No operator confirmed closures were found for Dollywood; Dollywood posts operating details on its official theme park page.
Operators change dates without notice.
Estimate
Crowd Outlook
Estimated crowd levels from the Deep Arrival crowd calendar, on a 1 to 10 scale. Not attendance counts and not wait predictions.
Today, Friday, October 9
Crowd level estimate 8 of 10. Hours 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM ET.
- Basis
- Not recorded
- Issued
- Not recorded
Comparison
How Today Compares
The 30 day all day average is the mean of daily averages over the 30 calendar days ending yesterday, counting only days with data: 25 of 30 days reported, Sep 9 to Oct 8. It is not a figure for this hour.
Average Posted Wait Now
24min
Well above the 30 day all day average
- 30 Day Average
- 15 min25 of 30 days reported, Sep 9 to Oct 8
- Same Weekday Average
- 14 min10 days in 90
- Yesterday
- Not recorded
Last 7 Days
By Month
- July 202617 min18 days
- August 202612 min26 days
- September 202614 min25 days
- October 2026, 8 days so far19 min5 days
By Weekday
| Day | Average | Days counted |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 14 min | 12 |
| Monday | 15 min | 12 |
| Tuesday | 15 min | 9 |
| Wednesday Shortest | 13 min | 9 |
| Thursday | 15 min | 10 |
| Friday | 14 min | 10 |
| Saturday Longest | 16 min | 12 |
History shown: last 90 days.
Plan Around the Lines
How to Use Dollywood Wait Times
The board is a tool for choosing the next ride, not a promise about the line.
Each tile shows the posted wait for that ride, as of the time printed above the board. Posted waits are estimates, so they work best for comparing rides rather than predicting an exact time in line.
Dollywood spreads across hilly terrain, so compare rides in the same area before climbing to the far side of the park. When a headline coaster posts a short wait, check the tile again on arrival, since posted waits can change on the way.
The official Dollywood app provides wait-time updates for popular attractions. This board can also be checked before arrival. Many rides can show Open, no posted wait when the feed carries no number, so confirm at the ride entrance.
Daily Rhythm
When Dollywood Lines Tend to Build
General tendencies, not predictions.
Morning
Coasters Fill First
Lightning Rod and Big Bear Mountain tend to build first, which makes them common early picks.
Midday
Peak From Late Morning
Posted waits tend to run highest from late morning through mid afternoon. Shows and indoor attractions fit this window.
Evening
Shorter Near Closing
Lines often ease in the last hours before closing. Outdoor coasters can pause for storms, which can push waits up elsewhere.
Fall
Harvest Festival
Harvest Festival runs through October 31, 2026, with Great Pumpkin LumiNights after sundown, and fall weekends tend to be busy. Closing times vary by date on Dollywood park hours.
More Wait Times
Questions
Dollywood Wait Times FAQ
What are the wait times at Dollywood right now?
The board above lists the posted wait for each Dollywood ride, as of the time shown above the board. Deep Arrival collects these posted waits from Queue-Times.com and adds the Average Posted Wait, the Shortest Ride Wait, the Longest Ride Wait and the Closed Right Now list.
How often do Dollywood wait times update?
Posted waits are collected about every 10 minutes while the park is open, and the board shows the time of the latest check. There is no per ride guarantee: a tile older than 20 minutes shows Updating instead of a number.
What does “Open, no posted wait” mean?
The ride is reported open, but the feed carries no usable posted wait, and a zero cannot be verified as a walk on. The label is common at Dollywood; these rides are left out of the Average Posted Wait and the ride statistics, so check the ride entrance.
Which Dollywood ride usually has the longest wait?
Lightning Rod and Big Bear Mountain tend to post some of the longest waits, and NightFlight Expedition, which opened in 2026, can also run long. The Top Rides Right Now strip shows which ride leads at the moment.
What time of day are Dollywood lines shortest?
Lines tend to be shortest soon after opening and in the last hours before closing, and longest from late morning through mid afternoon. Festival weekends and storms shift that pattern, so treat it as a tendency, not a prediction for any single day.
Are Dollywood posted wait times accurate?
Posted waits are estimates the park sets at each ride, not measured time in line. The actual wait can be shorter or longer, so the numbers are most useful for comparing rides and seeing whether a line is growing or shrinking.
What is the average wait at Dollywood today?
The Average Posted Wait tile counts every attraction with a posted wait above zero: rides, shows and character meets. How Today Compares sets it beside the 30 day all day average, the same weekday average and yesterday, using the same measure Deep Arrival stores each day.
Does Dollywood have an official app with wait times?
Yes. The official Dollywood app provides wait-time updates for popular attractions. This board can be checked from anywhere and adds the Average Posted Wait and a comparison with recent days.
Method
How the Data Works
Posted Waits
Posted waits come from Queue-Times.com. Deep Arrival collects them about every 10 minutes; the check time is shown in park time (ET). The check time and each attraction observation are separate: a new check does not make an old observation fresh. Readings older than 20 minutes are marked Updating. Posted waits are estimates, not a promise of the time you will spend in line.
Averages and Extremes
Average Posted Wait is the arithmetic mean of fresh positive posted waits from all reporting main-park feed attractions, including rides, shows and character meets. Shortest and longest prefer classified rides; coverage is shown beside the figures. Open, no posted wait is excluded from the average and does not promise a zero-minute queue. Rides Open follows provider attraction status, not park admission hours. Feed coverage is not complete.
Comparisons
The 30 day all day average is the mean of daily averages over the 30 calendar days ending yesterday, counting only days with usable data. It needs at least 10 days and shows coverage. Missing days are No data, never zero. This is not a figure for the same hour. Current comparisons need at least 3 fresh posted waits. Resort rankings also require parks inside regular hours; a lower current park average is not a crowd or ride recommendation.
Park Hours
Park hours come from the Deep Arrival hours calendar, supplemented by exact dated closures verified on an official operator calendar. A verified closure applies only to its recorded park date. Missing hours remain unknown; closed ride readings alone never establish that the park is closed. Fresh waits may still be shown before opening or after regular hours, with no event or admission eligibility inferred.
Crowd Levels
Crowd levels are estimates from the Deep Arrival crowd calendar on a 1 to 10 scale, with their basis and issue date beside the outlook. They are not attendance counts and not wait predictions.
Status Labels
Park closed today means a dated calendar confirms a full-day closure. Closed right now means before opening or after regular hours. Closed on a ride reports that attraction status only. No posted waits means a fresh check has no usable numeric waits and does not establish park closure. Updating or Data delayed means readings are missing or too old, not zero-minute waits.
Planned Closures
Each planned closure links to the operator page it comes from. Operators change dates without notice.
Powered by Queue-Times.comQueue-Times.com supplies the posted waits only. Deep Arrival is not affiliated with any park operator.