Dollywood Ride Reliability
Which rides run smoothly, and which keep breaking down
Jun 2026
Rides most often closed at Dollywood
Based on the share of opening hours each ride was running over recent weeks. Lower uptime = more downtime.
- Busy Bees3% uptime
- Lemon Twist9% uptime
- The Waltzing Swinger9% uptime
- Drop Line®10% uptime
- Village Carousel15% uptime
- Lumberjack Lifts18% uptime
- Barnstormer19% uptime
- The Amazing Flying Elephants27% uptime
- Tennessee Tornado28% uptime
- Daredevil Falls34% uptime
- Sky Rider47% uptime
- Shooting Star48% uptime
- Demolition Derby49% uptime
- The Scrambler49% uptime
- Blazing Fury54% uptime
About Dollywood and live queue times
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 reliability FAQ
Dollywood reliability FAQ
Which rides break down most at Dollywood?
Over recent weeks, Busy Bees has had the most downtime at Dollywood (around 3% uptime). See the full list of the least-reliable rides and each ride's reliability further up this page.
Which rides are closed at Dollywood today?
For live, up-to-the-minute closures, open the Dollywood live page - every ride shows whether it's open or closed right now, with the reason and how long it's been down where the park provides it. This page focuses on the longer-term pattern: which rides close most often over a full month.
How do I check if a ride at Dollywood is closed right now?
Check the Dollywood live ride list or an individual ride's page - both show the current open or closed status, refreshed automatically from the park's own ride system. If a ride shows "Closed" or its queue hasn't moved for 45+ minutes, it's probably down. Use this Reliability page to see whether that's unusual or a regular occurrence.
Which rides at Dollywood break down the most?
The Reliability table above ranks every ride at Dollywood by uptime percentage, total downtime minutes and number of separate closures in the selected month. Rides with higher downtime are usually older, more mechanically complex, or subject to weather-related closures.
What counts as a ride "closure" in these stats?
Any period where the ride's status flipped from operating to closed for more than a couple of minutes counts as a closure. Brief resets and scheduled early morning tests are excluded. A ride with 10+ closures in a month is almost certainly unreliable, not just temporarily out of service.
How do you calculate Dollywood ride uptime?
We track each ride's open/closed status every few minutes throughout the park's operating hours. Uptime percentage = minutes the ride was open divided by the park's total operating minutes. A ride that ran all day shows 100%, one closed half the day shows 50%.
Are some rides at Dollywood more reliable than others?
Almost always. Newer coasters typically have higher uptime in their first year, then stabilise. Classic flat rides and family rides tend to be the most reliable. Intense thrill coasters and water rides often sit toward the bottom of the uptime table because they're more complex and weather-sensitive.
How can I avoid riding something that keeps breaking down?
Check this page before your visit. If a ride you care about has under 80% uptime this month, prioritise it early in the day when reliability is best. Also check live queue times - if a ride shows "Closed" or hasn't moved in 45+ minutes, it's probably down for the afternoon.
Does rain or weather affect Dollywood reliability?
Yes - water rides close automatically in heavy rain, and exposed coasters may close in lightning, high winds or very cold temperatures. Our uptime figures reflect actual operations including weather closures, which is why uptime varies seasonally.