Pigeon Forge 4th of July 2011 - Trip Planning (Knoxville, Savannah: waterpark, house)

[FloridaKash]

Hello everyone. Planning on a 4th of July visit to Pigeon Forge with the kids (9, 7, 5) this year. I have been there twice, once when I was 8 and last summer on our relo to Florida with DW. The kids were not with us, I think they would enjoy the trip.

How busy is Pigeon Forge on and around the 4th? I would assume very busy, not sure though. Here is the my plan, any insight would be greatly appreciated. We currently live in the Tampa Bay are of Florida, moved from Alaska.

Friday - July 1
-Travel from Tampa to Savannah, GA - 6 hours
Afternoon - Riverboat Tour
Evening - Eat at Pirates House Restaurant
Sleep - Wingate by Wyndham


Saturday - July 2
-Travel from Savannah, GA to Pigeon Fore, TN - 7 hours
Evening - Eat at Old Sawmill (Loved this place)
Sleep - Cabin Rental

Sunday - July 3
Afternoon - Raft Lower Pigeon Forge River
Evening - Dixie Stampede

Monday - July 4
Afternoon - Do misc activities along the parkway
Evening - 4th of July Party at Pigeon Forge

Tuesday - July 5
All Day - Dollywood
Dinner - Eat at the Cabin

Wednesday - July 6
All Day - Dollywood Splash Country
Dinner - Eat at the Cabin

Thursday - July 7
Afternoon - Tubing
Evening - Blackbear Jamboree

Firday - July 8
Morning/Afternoon - National Park
Evening - Relax... or do whatever

Saturday - July 9
-Travel from Pigeon Forge to Tifton, GA - 8 hours
Have no idea what to do here, probably just relax a little after full day drive. Any suggestions for dinner?

Sunday - July 10
-Travel from Tifton, GA to Tampa, FL - 5 hours



Any advice, thoughts, tips or suggestions would be helpful. Again, how busy is Pigeon Forge during this time?


Thanks

[Barking Spider]

Yes it will be crowded.

Plan for crowds.
Allow extra time for travel.
Bring sunscreen.
Make cabin reservations early.

[TN Gal now]

looks really nice, but you will be there during a PEAK weekend and week, if not the busiest week of the entire tourist season, then it's in the top three busiest of the year. So yes, it will be VERY crowded.

Keep in mind that currently there is construction on Hwy 66/Winfield Dunn Pkwy, the main thoroughfare from the interstate to Pigeon Forge, and it will still be under construction this summer. During peak season I've seen traffic literally take HOURS to get from the interstate to Pigeon Forge. On the 4th, Gatlinburg has the distinction of having the FIRST 4th of July parade in the country - it begins at 12:00 AM. The traffic begins much earlier and it's a BEAR! Most of the traffic flows in/out of Gatlinburg through Pigeon Forge.

I'd allow lots of "Murphy" time for driving in and around Pigeon Forge during that week.

Good luck and have a great vacation

[BirdieBelle]

Yes, the PF traffic is so bad sometimes it can take 40 minutes to get from one end of the parkway to another.
The heat will be something to deal with. We were there in May last year and just wanted to get from one shady spot to the next because it was so dadgum hot.
I think your activities and the way you've spread them out look great. I always try to go out first thing in the morning because heat and crowds are less, but everyone does things differently.
Sounds like a fun trip!

[TN Gal now]

Originally Posted by Wmsn4Life

Yes, the PF traffic is so bad sometimes it can take 40 minutes to get from one end of the parkway to another.
The heat will be something to deal with. We were there in May last year and just wanted to get from one shady spot to the next because it was so dadgum hot.
I think your activities and the way you've spread them out look great. I always try to go out first thing in the morning because heat and crowds are less, but everyone does things differently.
Sounds like a fun trip!

I lived just about 1/2 mile off the Parkway, about one mile from Walmart. I once made the mistake of going to Walmart on a Saturday during peak season and it took me 45 min to get home.

And yes, I forgot to mention the heat. Some years it's not so bad - some years it's unbearable. But it's usually cooler in the GSMNP.

[FloridaKash]

Thanks for the advice. Last year when we drove through PF we got stuck on that dang Parkway for about an hour... it was crazy busy.

Since this is one of the most, if not the most, busiest weekends of the year are the lines at Dollywood and the waterpark pretty unbearable? Since we live in Florida I try to avoid days where lines are over 45 minutes to get on a ride. Especially standing in lines that long with little ones can test my patients.

[TN Gal now]

been to Dolly's water park and have never been to Dollywood on a holiday weekend. The times I've gone to Dollywood have been in early spring during "local appreciation" days which is not peak season. My guess is that you can count on long lines for the 4th of July EVERYWHERE you go.

And I'll add my opinion, this is probably true for ANY high destination tourist area. The 4th is generally peak season/time for any summer tourist area. Since I'm from Florida, it took me a long time to adjust to the reversal of tourist seasons...and even in FL that's a busy holiday.

[Barking Spider]

No one in their right mind goes to Dollywood on a holiday weekend. :-)

Obviously many people are not in their right minds, because it is PACKED on holidays. I only made that mistake ONCE, and it was because of an out of town relative.

It WILL be hot. The good thing is, you can buy something to drink about every 20 yards.

[hiknapster]

Even though the OPs only lived in Tampa for one year, this area will be a break from the heat. Of course, I use to live much further south of Tampa, but it should be a bit of an improvement and he will know enough to drink plenty of water.

Oh, and pardon my ignorance but what is "Murphy time"?

[TN Gal now]

is the phrase I use to allow for extra time for unforeseen complications. For example, if I plan a trip that takes 7 hours, I would probably pad it to 8+ hours to allow for a flat tire, bad weather, getting lost, going back to turn off the coffee pot, etc. It references Murphy's Law" which has a long list of complications, usually beginning with if anything can go wrong it will, and at the least opportune time...the other line always moves faster - and if you move to the other line, the line you left will begin to move faster...etc. Murphy time is how long something actually takes to do as opposed to how long it's supposed to take.

Theoretically, since it's less than 20 miles from the interstate to Pigeon Forge, it should take less than 30 minutes. HA!!! Murphy time allows for road construction, tourist traffic, and all other variables that cause it to take hours.

Hence, my Murphy time ; ) I allow Murphy time for EVERY home project I begin and generally include it for work/job projects. It's saved my neck more than once

And, I'm native Floridian from central Florida, Clearwater - Lakeland, and I think the heat is often comparable. We've had extremely mild summers the past few years, but last year was more like when I first moved here and it was really, really hot in the 1980s and 1990s. I had cans of soda exploding in my car in Knoxville in 1993 - that never happened in my 30 years in FL...