Dollywood grows in popularity every year with new rides, attractions, shows, and things to do. There are plenty of things to enjoy and be surprised about when visiting, but one of the least favorite things to experience is a heavy crowd. Pictures and videos of Dollywood's busiest days find their ways to social media with stories of long lines and grumpy people. We're not fans of either, which is why we've created this Dollywood Crowd Calendar to help you pick the best days to experience Dollywood!
First and foremost, we've been visiting Dollywood since, well, before it was Dollywood. We have decades of personal experience in knowing what days to visit and which ones to avoid. Along with that, we have years of data on wait times for each ride. We then we pair those elements with Dollywood's schedule, events, festivals, national holidays, school breaks, etc to create the most comprehensive crowd calendar to know the best days to visit Dollywood.
Here's the funny thing about predicting crowds. It's kind of like forecasting weather. We base it on data, but some whacky variables can throw it off. Examples include:
With all of that said, however, we have been personally testing our crowd predicitions over the years and have gained enough confidence in it to share it with you in hopes that it can help make your visit to Dollywood as enjoyable as possible!
Our predicitions for Dollywood crowds on every operating day is included below. Keep in mind that weather can shift crowd levels. Most-notably is during holiday weeks such as Thanksgiving week. Last year, extremely cold weather was forecast Wednesday-Sunday, which caused crowds to increase dramatically Monday & Tuesday before the cold arrived. So keep an eye on the weather forecast when you visit to know how it may impact your chosen park day!
For 2026, we've analyzed wait times from 2025 along with weather that impacted those wait times, and then cross-referenced with school calendars from the counties where most visitors come from. We've also accounted for the anticipated increase in visitors due to the launch of Nightflight Expedition, new festival additions, etc. Dollywood will potentially have record-attendance in 2026. Keep in mind that weather can shift crowd levels, so be sure to check the weather forecast when you visit to know how it may impact your chosen park day!
We have a dedicated page that includes Dollywood's daily operating hours along with the list of festivals throughout the year in our Dollywood Guide.
Dollywood rarely offers coupons or discount tickets, so the absolute best way to save money is to purchase through a site that has lower fees or by bundling it with another show or attraction for an incredible deal! To get tickets with lower fees and to see lots of discounted packages for Dollywood, click the button below!
Click Here To Buy Dollywood TicketsIf you plan to visit Dollywood only one time and still want to save money, we can show you how! Our coupon and discount guide will show you numerous ways to save money on Dollywood tickets, parking, food, and more! Definitely be sure to check it out before you plan your visit!
