Skip to main content
Park Queue TimesPQT
Join

Dollywood vs The Great Escape

Which is better? Side-by-side wait times, ride counts, opening hours and a clear recommendation based on what you're after.

Live data refreshed every 20 seconds while you're on this page.
Dollywood
United States
Rides Open / Total
-
Average Wait Right Now
-
Opening Hours Today
-
Longest Queue
-
Shortest Live Queue
-
See live queue times
The Great Escape
United States
Rides Open / Total
-
Average Wait Right Now
-
Opening Hours Today
-
Longest Queue
-
Shortest Live Queue
-
See live queue times

Dollywood vs The Great Escape: at a glance

Choose Dollywood if...

  • You want the experience described above - Dollywood's character, rides and atmosphere
  • Live queue times show shorter waits at Dollywood today (check the stats above)
  • You want to ride Dollywood's headline coasters and themed areas without crossing them off a big list at The Great Escape
  • You're planning a single-park day and want to focus your energy on one place

Choose The Great Escape if...

  • You want the experience described above - The Great Escape's character, rides and atmosphere
  • Live queue times show shorter waits at The Great Escape today (check the stats above)
  • You want to ride The Great Escape's headline coasters and themed areas without crossing them off a big list at Dollywood
  • You're planning a single-park day and want to focus your energy on one place

About each park

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.

The Great Escape

The Great Escape sits in Queensbury, New York, near Lake George in the Adirondack region. The park has been running since 1954 and combines older classic rides with a newer Ghost Town themed area. Headline coasters include Comet (a rebuilt classic wooden coaster, originally from Crystal Beach Park), Steamin' Demon, and a Ghost Town coaster. A Great Escape Splashwater Kingdom water park is included with admission.

The Great Escape has a short operating season (roughly Memorial Day to Labor Day, plus Fright Fest weekends) with peak crowds on summer weekends and US school holidays. Weekdays are usually very pleasant. Check live wait times for Comet on arrival, and use our crowd calendar to pick a midweek visit - the Lake George location pairs well with a full Adirondacks holiday.

Common questions

Which is better, Dollywood or The Great Escape?

It depends on what you're after. Dollywood and The Great Escape both appeal to different crowds - this page shows live queue times, ride counts and opening hours side by side so you can judge against your own priorities. Generally: go for the park with shorter average waits today if you want to maximise rides, and pick on theme/nostalgia if you're splitting a longer trip across both.

Which has shorter queues, Dollywood or The Great Escape?

Queues change hour by hour. Right now the live data above shows the average wait at both parks and the longest/shortest live queues. Mid-week visits outside school holidays give the shortest queues at either park. Use the Dollywood best time to visit and The Great Escape best time to visit tools to pick a quiet day.

Can I visit Dollywood and The Great Escape 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 live data above for today's ride counts - or jump to Dollywood and The Great Escape for the full ride lists.

Is Dollywood bigger than The Great Escape?

Park size is less useful than how many rides you can actually get on in a day - that comes down to queue times and opening hours. The comparison above shows ride counts and live wait times for both.

Want a different comparison?

Our custom comparison tool lets you pick any two or three parks from 88+ and see them side by side.

Compare other parks