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Hello. My fiance and I are heading to Gatlinburg end of April for my honey's Marine reunion. They rented one of those luxury cabins in the mountains. We are planning to drive from NJ, and are leaving the day before and will be arriving in Gatlinburg area about 10 or 11pm. Check-in for the cabin is about 3pm the next day.
I have been looking at hotels to stay in the night before. There are plenty in Gatlinburg that are pretty inexpensive, but we were wondering about other nearby towns. My fiance wants to stay at Holiday Inn Express because he likes the beds, but the closest is in Pigeon Forge. How much out of the way is that, and will we hit traffic in that area the next day trying to get to the mountain area from there?
Which town will be nicest to spend the morning in, walk around and have a nice breakfast? Is there any "must go" breakfast places or attractions that we would be near in either area?
The entire towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are filled with literally dozens of breakfast places. It's almost like they think they invented the pancake!. Pigeon Forge is very near to Gatlinburg. It's actually on the way to Gatlinburg, but about 10 miles before you get to Gatlinburg. It's the home of Dollywood and is a family vacation mecca (or monstrosity, depending on your point of view). It's not a walkable type town, pretty much need to drive everywhere. Gatlinburg, however, is made for walking. The main street has wide sidewalks and all manner of restaurants and touristy attractions and shops. Again there are pancake places everywhere.
Not knowing your interests, I wouldn't know what to recommend as far as must-do things. The place has every possible sort of activity from miniature golf to ziplining, horseback riding, white water rafting, ATV riding, a wonderful aquarium, many Ripley's attractions, and off- the-wall museums like the Titanic museum, and Alcatraz East crime museum, and of course Dollywood, Dolly Parton's wonderful theme park with excellent roller coasters, live musical acts, plays, etc, all centered around the Smoky Mountain lifestyle of the past.
The entire towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are filled with literally dozens of breakfast places. It's almost like they think they invented the pancake!. Pigeon Forge is very near to Gatlinburg. It's actually on the way to Gatlinburg, but about 10 miles before you get to Gatlinburg. It's the home of Dollywood and is a family vacation mecca (or monstrosity, depending on your point of view). It's not a walkable type town, pretty much need to drive everywhere. Gatlinburg, however, is made for walking. The main street has wide sidewalks and all manner of restaurants and touristy attractions and shops. Again there are pancake places everywhere.
Not knowing your interests, I wouldn't know what to recommend as far as must-do things. The place has every possible sort of activity from miniature golf to ziplining, horseback riding, white water rafting, ATV riding, a wonderful aquarium, many Ripley's attractions, and off- the-wall museums like the Titanic museum, and Alcatraz East crime museum, and of course Dollywood, Dolly Parton's wonderful theme park with excellent roller coasters, live musical acts, plays, etc, all centered around the Smoky Mountain lifestyle of the past.
Thanks, Gatlinburg sounds better due to walkability! I'm not much for adventure, but the two museums and the aquarium sound like my speed, lol. Are they in Gatlinburg?
Would Dollywood be a waste if I don't go on coasters or big, spinny rides?
Have you ever tried the coasters in the mountains where you can drive the car yourself and go as slow as you want? How does that even work, so the people behind don't hit you?
Yes, for walking Gatlinburg is the way to go. Most of Pigeon Forge does not have sidewalks. A few places inPF are good for walking, like The Island. It's sort of a shopping, eating, attraction center there that is very walkable, but most of PF would require driving. Dollywood is fine if you would like to see the shows and the various restaurants and attractions there, but if you aren't interested in country music or the mountain way of life you might not feel it's worth the money. We've gone several times when we didn't ride a single coaster, but we like to see the shows, and people watch, etc, but we have season passes, so if we were paying...maybe not.
There are several alpine coasters. You are in individual cars that come down the mountain, and they don't start a car behind you until you are at a point where you won't collide. There are a couple right on main street G'burg. I also recommend Annakeesta. It's a mountaintop attraction. You ride either a chairlift or a gondola car to the top (your choice). Up there is an outdoor restaurant/bar with views to die for, food trucks, shops, a walking path commemorating the victims of the fire in 2016 (over 2000 homes and cabins burned and 14 people died), a tree-walk consisting of rope bridges, zip lines, and an alpine coaster. It's new and partially still being developed. I also like the rooftop bar at the Loco Burro Mexican restaurant for nice views, and Blake Shelton has a brand new restaurant opening in March that will have live music from 11 am until closing, on the main street of Gatlinburg. The Titanic museum is very worth it. It's on the north end of Pigeon Forge. You all might enjoy stopping at one of several moonshine distilleries and doing the moonshine tasting. It's pretty fun and you pay $5, but then you get a $5 coupon on anything you buy there.
By the way, wherever you go the vets can ask for a military discount, usually 10-15% off, pretty much everywhere in PF or G'burg. I recommend that you stop, as you are passing through Pigeon Forge, at the Pigeon Forge Welcome Center. It's on the right side near Intersection #1, and get some of the free guide magazines and maps they have there for both towns, as well as coupon books to many attractions and restaurants.
Last edited by TheShadow; 03-05-2019 at 12:28 PM..
Yes, for walking Gatlinburg is the way to go. Most of Pigeon Forge does not have sidewalks. A few places inPF are good for walking, like The Island. It's sort of a shopping, eating, attraction center there that is very walkable, but most of PF would require driving. Dollywood is fine if you would like to see the shows and the various restaurants and attractions there, but if you aren't interested in country music or the mountain way of life you might not feel it's worth the money. We've gone several times when we didn't ride a single coaster, but we like to see the shows, and people watch, etc, but we have season passes, so if we were paying...maybe not.
There are several alpine coasters. You are in individual cars that come down the mountain, and they don't start a car behind you until you are at a point where you won't collide. There are a couple right on main street G'burg. I also recommend Annakeesta. It's a mountaintop attraction. You ride either a chairlift or a gondola car to the top (your choice). Up there is an outdoor restaurant/bar with views to die for, food trucks, shops, a walking path commemorating the victims of the fire in 2016 (over 2000 homes and cabins burned and 14 people died), a tree-walk consisting of rope bridges, zip lines, and an alpine coaster. It's new and partially still being developed. I also like the rooftop bar at the Loco Burro Mexican restaurant for nice views, and Blake Shelton has a brand new restaurant opening in March that will have live music from 11 am until closing, on the main street of Gatlinburg. The Titanic museum is very worth it. It's on the north end of Pigeon Forge. You all might enjoy stopping at one of several moonshine distilleries and doing the moonshine tasting. It's pretty fun and you pay $5, but then you get a $5 coupon on anything you buy there.
By the way, wherever you go the vets can ask for a military discount, usually 10-15% off, pretty much everywhere in PF or G'burg. I recommend that you stop, as you are passing through Pigeon Forge, at the Pigeon Forge Welcome Center. It's on the right side near Intersection #1, and get some of the free guide magazines and maps they have there for both towns, as well as coupon books to many attractions and restaurants.
That’s awesome information, thanks! If they’re waiting for you to get to a certain point on the roller coaster before they let the other car down, do they get annoyed if you’re going slow and taking a long time to get to that point? And if the person behind you was going much faster than you don’t they eventually catch up? Or should I just avoid the whole thing entirely, LOL? The one I was looking at is supposed to be a nine minute ride through the mountains.
Would Dollywood be a waste if I don't go on coasters or big, spinny rides?
Dollywood would not be a waste at all. My mom and nephew do not do roller coasters or other rides, and they always go with us, and have a blast. Dollywood is consistently ranked near the top for best theme parks because of the landscaped, lush and late 1800s atmosphere with crafts and shows and several really great restaurants.
You can always ride the 1800s steam train (really fun), shop, attend some musical shows, go to the eagle exhibit, and watch skilled craftsmen and women do all kinds of things like make candles (incredibly relaxing LOL), blow glass, create steel sculptures, and leather goods. It's a great area of the park. There's even a Dolly tour bus and Dolly's old cabin replica that she grew up in as a kid, that you can tour.
It's a theme park that is worth the visit even if you don't ride the thrill rides. It's super enjoyable.
Dollywood would not be a waste at all. My mom and nephew do not do roller coasters or other rides, and they always go with us, and have a blast. Dollywood is consistently ranked near the top for best theme parks because of the landscaped, lush and late 1800s atmosphere with crafts and shows and several really great restaurants.
You can always ride the 1800s steam train (really fun), shop, attend some musical shows, go to the eagle exhibit, and watch skilled craftsmen and women do all kinds of things like make candles (incredibly relaxing LOL), blow glass, create steel sculptures, and leather goods. It's a great area of the park. There's even a Dolly tour bus and Dolly's old cabin replica that she grew up in as a kid, that you can tour.
It's a theme park that is worth the visit even if you don't ride the thrill rides. It's super enjoyable.
I do like corny things, so I would probably like Dollywood. The town I lived in until recently had barbershop quartets in the corners downtown and I like those kind of things. The train definitely sounds like my speed! I’m banking on the fact the other women will be 50+ too, and I won’t be the only one that refuses to go on the roller coaster!
I do like corny things, so I would probably like Dollywood. The town I lived in until recently had barbershop quartets in the corners downtown and I like those kind of things. The train definitely sounds like my speed! I’m banking on the fact the other women will be 50+ too, and I won’t be the only one that refuses to go on the roller coaster!
Yeah, you'll like Anakeesta a lot. It's a newer attraction and I think it is going on just under 2 years old this spring. I went for the first time back in September of last year, and the mountain slide coaster was not yet open. There are beautiful views once you get on top of the mountain, and there's a sit down nice restaurant, a couple of other quick spots to eat and some shops. The best part about it is the tree canopy walk. It's a slightly (and sometimes a bit more than slightly LOL) swinging wood pathway to walk on, connected from tree to tree, and ranging from about 15 feet to 30 or 40 feet up (or a bit more?!!) in some spots. It's a fun thing to do, but if you are afraid of heights (the rails on each side are pretty high though--you feel safe), you may not like it. But I had a great time! It's really fun.
Also, to get up to Anakeetsa, you have a choice of a traditional chairlift up or an enclosed car. There are far fewer enclosed cars than chairlifts, so if you choose that option, you will most likely have to wait longer. My experience with the chairlifts was that they are a bit scary LOL. They only have the long bar that fits snugly on yours and your co-rider(s) laps, and the rest feels super open and it swings and rocks a lot--especially when it stops. This is fine and good typically on a chairlift, but this one is REALLY HIGH in spots going up the mountain. I was surprised how thrilling it was going up the mountain on the chairlift. I was not expecting that, and like I said, when the lift stops (to get people on/off and to catch up, etc), the chair will rock some and if you are about 50 feet up or so over buildings, yards and houses, it feels really high.
But, all in all, so so worth it. It's a great addition to the already-packed Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge and Sevierville attractions.
Yeah, you'll like Anakeesta a lot. It's a newer attraction and I think it is going on just under 2 years old this spring. I went for the first time back in September of last year, and the mountain slide coaster was not yet open. There are beautiful views once you get on top of the mountain, and there's a sit down nice restaurant, a couple of other quick spots to eat and some shops. The best part about it is the tree canopy walk. It's a slightly (and sometimes a bit more than slightly LOL) swinging wood pathway to walk on, connected from tree to tree, and ranging from about 15 feet to 30 or 40 feet up (or a bit more?!!) in some spots. It's a fun thing to do, but if you are afraid of heights (the rails on each side are pretty high though--you feel safe), you may not like it. But I had a great time! It's really fun.
Also, to get up to Anakeetsa, you have a choice of a traditional chairlift up or an enclosed car. There are far fewer enclosed cars than chairlifts, so if you choose that option, you will most likely have to wait longer. My experience with the chairlifts was that they are a bit scary LOL. They only have the long bar that fits snugly on yours and your co-rider(s) laps, and the rest feels super open and it swings and rocks a lot--especially when it stops. This is fine and good typically on a chairlift, but this one is REALLY HIGH in spots going up the mountain. I was surprised how thrilling it was going up the mountain on the chairlift. I was not expecting that, and like I said, when the lift stops (to get people on/off and to catch up, etc), the chair will rock some and if you are about 50 feet up or so over buildings, yards and houses, it feels really high.
But, all in all, so so worth it. It's a great addition to the already-packed Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge and Sevierville attractions.
Maybe I’ll be brave and try the chairlifts! That will be my scary ride lol. Hopefully it won’t be crowded as we are there right after Easter break is over.
The chairlift at Annakeesta is just like a chairlift at most ski resorts. If you sit back it's fine. Even my hubby who has fear of heights was fine with it, just a little nervous. The line for the enclosed cars is much longer than for the chairlift. One tip to shorten your waiting time is to buy your tickets online even minutes before you get there, and then skip to the will-call window to pick them up. This will save you maybe 15-20 minutes waiting in the ticket line.
It sounds like you would like Dollywood. I really love how much shade there is, and the way quaint mountain life is represented. There are musical acts performing on open air stages, and the shows in the theaters are very good in terms of the skill of the singers and dancers. I also enjoyed the bald eagle sanctuary there, and the little show about the raptors. You can tour one of Dolly's old tour buses, and I enjoyed her museum of her life and career. Dolly has put so many people of her hometown to work, both in the park and in the city of Pigeon Forge. I really respect all that she has done for "her people" as she calls them. Her imagination library charity is such a wonderful gift to the children of America.
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