Skip to main content
Park Queue TimesPQT
Create accountSign up

Disney California Adventure
vs
Dollywood

On a typical day Dollywood queues less: about 15 minutes a ride against 26 at Disney California Adventure, a difference of roughly 11 minutes on every queue you join.

See both right nowCompare other parks

01 · On a typical day

What you would normally queue.

Averages across recent weeks, so one broken ride or one wet Tuesday cannot decide it. This is the comparison to plan a trip on; the live figures below are the one to act on today.

Disney California Adventure and Dollywood compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyDisney California AdventureUnited StatesDollywoodUnited States
Average wait per ride 26 min15 min (best of the two)
Rides with recorded waits 2131 (best of the two)
Longest typical queue Radiator Springs Racers70 minNightFlight Expedition68 min
Shortest typical queue Jessie's Critter Carousel5 minLucky Ducky5 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running75%81% (best of the two)

Averaged across every ride at each park with recorded waits. A ride that never opened is left out, so a park is not flattered by counting a shut ride as a queue of zero.

02 · Right now

Both parks, this minute.

Live queue times at both parks. These fill in as soon as the page loads, and keep updating while you are here.

Disney California Adventure and Dollywood compared on live queue times
Right nowDisney California AdventureUnited StatesDollywoodUnited States
Average wait right now --
Rides open --
Opening hours today --
Longest queue --
Shortest queue --

These keep refreshing while this page is open. A closed park posts no waits, so its rows read as dashes rather than zeroes.

Verdict, on a typical day On a typical day Dollywood queues less: about 15 minutes a ride against 26 at Disney California Adventure, a difference of roughly 11 minutes on every queue you join.

03 · Choosing

Which one is your day out.

Every line here is earned by one of the figures above - nothing is a generic sentence with a park name dropped into it.

Pick Disney California Adventure if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 26 minutes a ride here against 15 at Dollywood - for what Disney California Adventure has that Dollywood does not
  • Radiator Springs Racers is on your list - it is Disney California Adventure's longest typical queue at about 70 minutes, so it is the one to do first

Pick Dollywood if…

  • You want shorter queues: Dollywood averages 15 minutes a ride against 26 at Disney California Adventure
  • You want more to do: 31 rides here have recorded wait data against 21 at Disney California Adventure
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Dollywood's rides run 81% of opening hours against 75% at Disney California Adventure
  • NightFlight Expedition is on your list - it is Dollywood's longest typical queue at about 68 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Dollywood's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

04 · The parks

What each one is.

Dollywood

Dollywood is Dolly Parton's theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, tucked into the Smoky Mountain foothills. It's a large park with a strong coaster line-up: Lightning Rod (a wooden-launched coaster, since converted to a steel track), Wild Eagle (the first wing coaster in the USA), Thunderhead (a GCI wooden coaster), and Mystery Mine. Southern-style food, craftsmen and live country music are integral to the park's character.

Dollywood's season runs March to early January, with peak crowds during the Smoky Mountain Christmas event and US summer school holidays. Weekdays in spring and autumn stay far calmer. Check live queue times for Lightning Rod and Wild Eagle on arrival, and use our crowd calendar to pick a quieter date - the mountain weather also affects ride availability day to day.

Dollywood live queue times

05 · Questions

Disney California Adventure or Dollywood?

Which is better, Disney California Adventure or Dollywood?

If you are judging on queues, Dollywood: it averages about 15 minutes a ride on a typical day against 26 at Disney California Adventure, roughly 11 minutes back on every queue you join. Disney California Adventure has 21 rides with recorded waits against 31 at Dollywood. Dollywood also runs its rides more reliably - 81% of opening hours against 75%.

Which has shorter queues, Disney California Adventure or Dollywood?

Dollywood, by about 11 minutes a ride. On a typical day Dollywood averages 15 minutes against 26 at Disney California Adventure. Queues still move hour by hour, and a midweek day outside school holidays beats the gap at either park. See Disney California Adventure best time to visit and Dollywood best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Disney California Adventure and Dollywood in the same trip?

Yes - both parks are in United States, so a two-park trip is realistic over a long weekend. Split the days so you start at whichever opens earliest and drive to the other in the evening.

How many rides does each park have?

See the tables above for ride counts - or jump to Disney California Adventure and Dollywood for the full ride lists.

Is Disney California Adventure bigger than Dollywood?

By rides we track waits for, Dollywood is the bigger day out: 31 rides against 21. Acreage matters less than how many you can actually get on, which comes down to queues and opening hours - and on those Dollywood is the quicker park.

Then pick
the quiet day.

Both parks have a crowd calendar with six weeks of forecast and the best day left to go.

Disney California Adventure calendarDollywood calendarCompare other parks
v7.17.4