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Park Queue TimesPQT

Dollywood
vs
Legoland New York

On a typical day Dollywood queues less: about 11 minutes a ride against 18 at Legoland New York, a difference of roughly 7 minutes on every queue you join.

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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.

Dollywood and Legoland New York compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyDollywoodUnited StatesLegoland New YorkUnited States
Average wait per ride 11 min (best of the two)18 min
Rides with recorded waits 31 (best of the two)20
Longest typical queue NightFlight Expedition55 minCoast Guard Academy41 min
Shortest typical queue Village Carousel5 minDJ's Dizzy Disco Spin8 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running92% (best of the two)84%

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.

Dollywood and Legoland New York compared on live queue times
Right nowDollywoodUnited StatesLegoland New YorkUnited 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 11 minutes a ride against 18 at Legoland New York, a difference of roughly 7 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 Dollywood if…

  • You want shorter queues: Dollywood averages 11 minutes a ride against 18 at Legoland New York
  • You want more to do: 31 rides here have recorded wait data against 20 at Legoland New York
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Dollywood's rides run 92% of opening hours against 84% at Legoland New York
  • NightFlight Expedition is on your list - it is Dollywood's longest typical queue at about 55 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Dollywood's own character - the rides, theming and atmosphere described below

Pick Legoland New York if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 18 minutes a ride here against 11 at Dollywood - for what Legoland New York has that Dollywood does not
  • Coast Guard Academy is on your list - it is Legoland New York's longest typical queue at about 41 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Legoland New York'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

Legoland New York

LEGOLAND New York is the newest LEGOLAND resort, opening in Goshen, New York in 2021, about an hour north of New York City. The park covers 150 acres and groups rides into seven themed lands including LEGO Castle, LEGO City, and Pirates. Rides include The Dragon, LEGO Factory Adventure Ride, and a full MINILAND featuring New York landmarks.

As one of the newer parks, LEGOLAND New York hasn't built up the same year-round attendance as Florida or California, so weekday visits stay pleasantly quiet. The summer and fall weekends draw busier crowds from NYC and New Jersey day-trippers. Check live wait times on arrival and use the crowd calendar to avoid peak holiday weekends.

Legoland New York live queue times

05 · Questions

Dollywood or Legoland New York?

Which is better, Dollywood or Legoland New York?

If you are judging on queues, Dollywood: it averages about 11 minutes a ride on a typical day against 18 at Legoland New York, roughly 7 minutes back on every queue you join. Dollywood has 31 rides with recorded waits against 20 at Legoland New York. Dollywood also runs its rides more reliably - 92% of opening hours against 84%.

Which has shorter queues, Dollywood or Legoland New York?

Dollywood, by about 7 minutes a ride. On a typical day Dollywood averages 11 minutes against 18 at Legoland New York. Queues still move hour by hour, and a midweek day outside school holidays beats the gap at either park. See Dollywood best time to visit and Legoland New York best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Dollywood and Legoland New York 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 Dollywood and Legoland New York for the full ride lists.

Is Dollywood bigger than Legoland New York?

By rides we track waits for, Dollywood is the bigger day out: 31 rides against 20. 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.

Dollywood calendarLegoland New York calendarCompare other parks