2023 Dollywood ERT Schedule

• Amber Davis

Bookmark this blog if you are a Dollywood Gold or Diamond Season Passholder or if you plan to stay with us at Dollywood’s DreamMore Resort this year on a Friday night. (Or, I guess keep this handy if you want to build your case as to why you should become a Gold Season Passholder or book a room at DreamMore Resort!)

Dollywood announced the 2023 schedule for Early Ride Time (ERT), and here it is. From left to right, you’ll see the month, day of the month, the featured attraction, the park hours for that day and then the time ERT is scheduled. I’ll break it up to point out a few things.

As a quick refresher, ERT is an invitation for Gold and Diamond Passholders and our lodging guests to enter Dollywood an hour before park operation on Saturdays and experience one of our guest-favorite attractions. This exclusive opportunity gives guests an hour to get in as many rides as possible on the featured attraction before the park opens to the general public. It really helps you jumpstart your park to-do list. There’s a rotation of eight coasters plus a popular water ride which you see enter the schedule once summer begins.

I’d like to point out that there’s an entire month of Saturdays (that’s five consecutive) where Gold and Diamond Passholders—and don’t forget lodging guests—get our newest coaster all to themselves. Yes, Big Bear Mountain debuts the ERT calendar in July. (It’s on track to open this spring.) Then, after that month of the spotlight, it will fall into the regular rotation throughout the rest of the year.

Another note I’d like to make, the ERT schedule during Smoky Mountain Christmas has not been announced yet, but the team is working on a plan. Stay tuned!

To round out this blog, I have a few miscellaneous notes:
-Keep in mind, the schedule is subject to change.

-You can find this information and more on the Passholder Hub page of our website.

-Dollywood’s Splash Country has its own ERT schedule for Gold and Diamond Passholders and lodging guests. Keep an eye out for a blog detailing that!

-For Gold and Diamond Passholders, ERT can be combined with Golden Hours for two hours of Dollywood domination. (Wow, that was more dramatic than I intended. Let’s go with it!) That means, you can take advantage of an hour of exclusive rides on the featured attraction—followed by an hour of using your Gold or Diamond Pass as a TimeSaver on TimeSaver-eligible rides. Watch this video from one of our Dollywood Insiders about how much her family was able to accomplish during Golden Hour.