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Dollywood
vs
Magic Kingdom

On a typical day Dollywood queues less: about 15 minutes a ride against 25 at Magic Kingdom, a difference of roughly 10 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 Magic Kingdom compared on their typical recorded queue times
TypicallyDollywoodUnited StatesMagic KingdomUnited States
Average wait per ride 15 min (best of the two)25 min
Rides with recorded waits 31 (best of the two)23
Longest typical queue NightFlight Expedition68 minTRON Lightcycle / Run68 min
Shortest typical queue Lucky Ducky5 minPrince Charming Regal Carrousel7 min
Average ride uptime Share of opening hours a ride is running81%92% (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.

Dollywood and Magic Kingdom compared on live queue times
Right nowDollywoodUnited StatesMagic KingdomUnited 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 25 at Magic Kingdom, a difference of roughly 10 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 15 minutes a ride against 25 at Magic Kingdom
  • You want more to do: 31 rides here have recorded wait data against 23 at Magic Kingdom
  • 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

Pick Magic Kingdom if…

  • You will accept a longer queue - 25 minutes a ride here against 15 at Dollywood - for what Magic Kingdom has that Dollywood does not
  • You would rather not find rides shut: Magic Kingdom's rides run 92% of opening hours against 81% at Dollywood
  • TRON Lightcycle / Run is on your list - it is Magic Kingdom's longest typical queue at about 68 minutes, so it is the one to do first
  • You want Magic Kingdom'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

Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom is the original Florida Disney park, opened in 1971, and still the most-visited theme park in the world. The classic line-up is iconic: Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, TRON Lightcycle / Run, and Tiana's Bayou Adventure. Cinderella Castle anchors the central hub with nightly fireworks.

Magic Kingdom is busy almost every day of the year, with peak crowds during US school holidays, the December holidays, and special events like Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Mid-January through early February is the quietest period. Check live wait times across Disney's free Lightning Lane system, and use our crowd calendar to plan your visit around Disney's Extended Evening Hours and holiday patterns.

Magic Kingdom live queue times

05 · Questions

Dollywood or Magic Kingdom?

Which is better, Dollywood or Magic Kingdom?

If you are judging on queues, Dollywood: it averages about 15 minutes a ride on a typical day against 25 at Magic Kingdom, roughly 10 minutes back on every queue you join. Dollywood has 31 rides with recorded waits against 23 at Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom also runs its rides more reliably - 92% of opening hours against 81%.

Which has shorter queues, Dollywood or Magic Kingdom?

Dollywood, by about 10 minutes a ride. On a typical day Dollywood averages 15 minutes against 25 at Magic Kingdom. 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 Magic Kingdom best time to visit to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Dollywood and Magic Kingdom 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 Magic Kingdom for the full ride lists.

Is Dollywood bigger than Magic Kingdom?

By rides we track waits for, Dollywood is the bigger day out: 31 rides against 23. 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 calendarMagic Kingdom calendarCompare other parks
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