Ultimate Guide to Golden Hour at Dollywood
Quick Takeaways: Dollywood’s Golden Hour is a special perk during the first hour of park opening that allows Gold and Diamond Passholders, as well as Dollywood resort guests, to use the TimeSaver lines without purchasing a TimeSaver pass. It’s the perfect opportunity to ride top attractions with little to no wait. To make the most of it, arrive early and head straight to popular coasters like Mystery Mine, Big Bear Mountain or Lightning Rod.
If you’re planning a trip to Dollywood, Golden Hour is the start to an incredible park day—especially if you’re staying at one of Dollywood’s resorts. We recently stayed at the beautiful HeartSong Lodge & Resort and took full advantage of this underrated perk, and we’re here to break down exactly how it works and why it’s a total game-changer.
What Is Golden Hour?
Golden Hour is Dollywood’s early access perk for the headliner rides that allows eligible guests to enter select rides using the TimeSaver entrances during the first hour the park is open. Typically, this is a benefit reserved for Gold and Diamond Season Passholders—but here’s the exciting part:
Guests staying at Dollywood’s resorts (like HeartSong or DreamMore) also get Golden Hour access when using their complimentary TimeSaver wristbands. Note: The rides you do during Golden Hour will not count towards your 5 TimeSaver rides that are included on your wristband.
This means you can skip the regular lines and get a head start on some of the most popular attractions, even if they aren’t included on the TimeSaver list later in the day.
Who Is Eligible for Golden Hour & How It Works
Golden Hour is an early access perk that lets you use the TimeSaver entrance for select rides during the first hour the park is open. It’s available for both Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country. Here’s who gets access:
- Dollywood Resort Guests: If you are staying at HeartSong Lodge or DreamMore Resort, you receive a complimentary TimeSaver wristband. This wristband grants you Golden Hour access.
- Gold & Diamond Season Passholders: Your season pass is your ticket to Golden Hour.
Important Rules to Know
- No Sharing: Every person in your group (age 4+) must have their own resort wristband or eligible pass. You cannot bring a friend along with you just because you have access.
- Kids Passes: Children with a Pre-K Imagination Pass may enter with an eligible Gold or Diamond Passholder.
- Not Included: Silver Passholders and regular ticket holders do not get Golden Hour access unless they purchase a TimeSaver pass for the day.
- It’s a Freebie! The rides you enjoy during Golden Hour do not count against the five rides included on your resort TimeSaver pass later in the day!
Our First-Hand Experience
We tested out Golden Hour during our stay at HeartSong Lodge—and the results were impressive. Here’s how our morning unfolded:
- 8:37 AM – Trolley pickup at HeartSong Lodge, after our delicious breakfast at Ember & Elm.
- 8:46 AM – Left for Dollywood. Stopped at Splash Country First.
- 9:04 AM – Dropped off at Dollywood entrance.
- 9:06 AM – Entered the security line.
- 9:15 AM – Security opened, and we were through by 9:17.
- 9:18 AM – Held on the bridge at the ticket turnstiles.
- 9:27 AM – Pledge of Allegiance and park welcome.
- 9:29 AM – Turnstiles opened… and a minor hiccup. Our “Bring-a-Friend” ticket didn’t scan, and we had to head to guest services. The “School’s Out” promotion was having issues for multiple guests that day. Thankfully, the Dollywood team helped us get it sorted quickly.
- 9:40 AM – Back in and ready for rope drop. Held at Mystery Mine entrance.
Our Golden Hour Ride Strategy
Despite the slight delay, we made the most of Golden Hour—and rode four major attractions, including three coasters that aren’t included on TimeSaver later in the day:
- Mystery Mine – Entered TimeSaver line at 10:02 am
- FireChaser Express – Entered TimeSaver line at 10:17 am
- Dragonflier – Entered TimeSaver line at 10:33 am
- Big Bear Mountain – Entered TimeSaver line at 10:43 am
We ended our Golden Hour at 10:58 AM, and we had already knocked out four big attractions with very little wait and still had the 5 rides that are included on the resort TimeSaver pass!. That’s the kind of start that sets you up for an amazing day.
Important Tips for Using Golden Hour
- Use the TimeSaver entrance! During rope drop, DON’T follow the crowd into the regular line. The TimeSaver queue is what gives you the Golden Hour advantage.
- Mystery Mine’s TimeSaver entrance is separate and a bit hidden—make sure you know where it is so you don’t waste time. We have included a picture of it here.
- Plan your route ahead of time. We recommend heading straight to high-demand rides that don’t offer TimeSaver later (like FireChaser, Dragonflier, and Mystery Mine).
- Stay calm if there’s a hiccup. Our Bring-a-Friend ticket issue set us back 10+ minutes and put us further back in the rope drop crowd than we wanted, but we still crushed Golden Hour.
Maximizing Your Dollywood Experience with Golden Hours
Our goal when we visit Dollywood or Splash Country is to get as much done as we can with as little stress as possible and we have a feeling if you have read this far, that is your goal too! When we pay to visit Dollywood and spend most of the day waiting in line, not accomplishing as much as we had hoped for, we feel like we are wasting our money. Whether we are staying at a Dollywood Resort or just in the parks with our Gold Season Pass, using Golden Hour will allow us more time to accomplish what we want to do in the parks (How can you visit Dollywood without taking in a show, shopping the crafters, or eating some delicious food) while not sacrificing riding the rides we were looking forward to doing.
We feel like this is a good way to have your Cinnamon Bread and eat it too!(Pun Intended) If you’re staying at Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge and Resort or DreamMore Resort, Golden Hour is one of the best perks you can use—and it doesn’t cost a thing extra. With just a bit of planning and an early start, you can ride more, wait less, and start your Dollywood day on a high note.
Do I need to reserve Golden Hour?
No, reservations are not needed. Access is automatically granted to eligible resort guests and passholders.
Do all rides participate in Golden Hour?
No, Dollywood has a handful of headliner attractions that have TimeSaver entrances. If the ride is listed with the TimeSaver logo, it is an option during Golden Hour. You can find that list here.
Is Golden Hour available every day?
Golden Hour is available on most park operating days but can be subject to change. It’s always best to confirm on the official Dollywood calendar.
Do all members of my party need a Gold or Diamond Pass?
Yes, each person using the TimeSaver line during Golden Hour must have their own qualifying pass. Children under 4 and Pre-K Imagination Pass holders may accompany a passholder.
