September 27, 2021
As a Dollywood Insider, I field a lot of questions about Dollywood. This question is what I hear the most often: when is the best time to visit Dollywood? And, my answer is always the same: when it rains! Yes, you read that correctly. Visiting Dollywood in the rain is the perfect time to maximize your time spent at the park. Recently, I had a conversation with a group of people about their favorite Dollywood memories, and five of them mentioned their favorite memories include rain. Here are just a few reasons why your day at Dollywood might be awesome if you find yourself being rained on during your visit to the park.
This one may seem obvious, but most people do not like to ride attractions in the rain. Their loss is your gain because you almost always can hop on any ride of your choosing. If there is thunder in the area, rides will be closed, but a little rain never hurt anyone. Lines that can normally take half an hour suddenly have zero wait time. Take advantage of the crowds clearing out of the park to ride as many attractions as your heart desires.
Riding a ride during the rain may not seem like your idea of fun, but you can take shelter from the rain by seeing a show. With dozens of show opportunities available every week, you can find something to occupy your time until the rain clears out. Seeing a show guarantees you will stay dry during the rain, but also gives you the chance to obtain a better seat while in the theater due to smaller crowds.
Who doesn’t love a good water ride? There is nothing better than using Daredevil Falls or Smoky Mountain River Rampage to cool yourself off on a hot summer day, but sometimes you don’t want to walk around the park wet all day. If it rains, you’ll be wet anyway, so it is the perfect time to take advantage of the fun water rides. Get soaked while you’re already soaked—it is a win-win situation. (Water rides operate seasonally.)
Once rain begins to fall, people clear out almost immediately, and it feels like you have the park to yourself. With a cleared-out park, there is less bobbing and weaving to get to get to your destination. It also becomes way easier to maneuver a stroller or to keep up with your little ones.
The next time you are caught at Dollywood when the Smoky Mountain rain begins to fall, don’t leave! Stay and enjoy a completely different experience that the park can offer only when it rains. If you are planning a trip to the park and see rain in the forecast, go anyway! Dress for the occasion, make some memories and you won’t regret the rain.
All Insiders
All Insiders
