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Hi Everyone,
Planning a trip to Dollywood? Whether you're just getting started or have already begun, this compiled list of area school systems can help you plan your trip, or give you some indication of when you may want look at different dates - either way, I hope this helps make your visit perfect.
🔵Compiled Chart 2025-2026
This handy chart is published by the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism (pdf). It lists break dates for the many school systems that frequent Dollywood during their respective Spring & Fall breaks along with dates for Christmas breaks. It includes the first and last day of school for each school system as well. Click on the image to make it bigger.
🔵Crowd Calendar
Another helpful Dollywood Trip Planning tool is the Dollywood Crowd Calendar! It's run by a third party, Queue-times.com, that analyzes ride wait times that Dollywood publishes for their app.
🔷Check out Dollywood's Crowd Calendar here.
🔷An additional cool feature of the Crowd Calendar is that it works at more parks than just Dollywood, so check it out while you're doing your trip planning.
🔷Many people, myself included, will tell you this Crowd Calendar is not perfect. It can not account for special events and one-off events like the 40th Anniversary of Dollywood for example. It also can't account for when Dolly will be on park...since that is usually kept private until the last moment for security reasons. The Calendar is not perfect, but it is still a valuable tool you can use to help plan.
🔵Blog Posts with other Helpful Trip Planning information
- Dollywood's 2026 Ride - Hidden Hollow Aviation - Updates, Photos, Videos of it Under Construction.
- Getting To Dollywood by Plane
- Hotels with High Ratings in Pigeon Forge. I have created a spreadsheet that incorporates ratings from different reliable sources and ranked hotels in the area. I've listed out columns for things like indoor pools, hot tubs and more on the spreadsheet. Very helpful if you, or someone in your group is looking for a specific amenity.
- Top Breakfast Restaurants in Pigeon Forge. I have created a list of the best Breakfast restaurants in Pigeon Forge using ratings from various reliable sources and ranked them in my blog post.
- 30 Great Places to Eat In Pigeon Forge that are open after 2pm! A list of highly rated establishments that are open past 2pm.
- Guide To Mountain Coasters - A look at all the types of mountain coasters in Sevier County.
- Dollywood's 2025 Operating Calendar +MORE - speculation, guesses on future projects, etc.
- Navigating to Dollywood from North Carolina post-Hurricane Helene.
- 8 Things to do at Dollywood if you don't care for rides - There's a lot to do!
- Pigeon Forge Trolley Info You'll Want to Know!
- Trip Advisors Top 10 Budget Friendly Hotels in Pigeon Forge.
- Tons of YouTube videos - I have so many YouTube videos of Dollywood including every festival and lots of general park updates as well as Big Bear Mountain footage.
- Check out my 2024 End of Year Recap to see all of my Dollywood videos from 2024.
- Check out my 2023 End of Year Recap to see all of my Dollywood videos from 2023.
- Check out my 2022 End of Year Recap to see all of my Dollywood videos from 2022.
- 2024-2025 School Break Calendar - includes Fall, Christmas & Spring Breaks for regional schools.
- Link to Dollywood's TimeSaver Info Page - click Here.
Good luck with the planning process and ask any questions you may have in the comments below. I'll do my best to answer or point you in the right direction.
