Gatlinburg Vacation - What did you enjoy?

Hisgirl

Hisgirl

DIS Veteran
Joined
Apr 8, 2011
Whoa...talk about a lot of choices!

We have the dates, we have the house, we have the KIDS, ages 4-15, and 4 adults.

I am stunned at all the choices! Please share what yall did and what was fun and what was not so fun. I'm not as concerned about price as I am quality of fun.

Share away! I've only ridden bikes through cades cove and that's it. I look forward to hearing!
 
A good friend at work LOVES Gatlinburg! She is hoping to do the firefly event-look it up and see if you'll be there for it.I'll ask her tomorrow about her favorites!
 
We love the junior ranger programs-free and put on the national park service. They are aimed at kids, but all ages are welcome to participate and earn a super official plastic badge:) There is a schedule on the smokey mountain national park website. We also are big lovers of Dollywood. We usually buy a season pass and do several days there.
 
Owlpost23 said:
A good friend at work LOVES Gatlinburg! She is hoping to do the firefly event-look it up and see if you'll be there for it.I'll ask her tomorrow about her favorites!
Click to expand...
Thank you so much! The amazing thing is, regarding that firefly event, I SAW IT one year! Quite by accident! I have a house in the North Ga mountains and one night, as I was going to bed, I looked out my picture window and suddenly the night was filled to the brim with tens of millions of fireflies! Every square inch of seeing space was filled with flickering. I've never witnessed anything so spectacular! I woke up my friends, 'Hurry! Hurry!! " and we stood in amazement at the night sky filled with fire. The entire backyard was a huge flickering massive gob of light. Amazing!
 


We enjoy the Ripley's Aquarium in Gatlinburg and the Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge. I would like to do the SkyBridge, the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America, the next time we're in Gatlinburg.

We like to drive US 441, Newfound Gap Road, from Gatlinburg to Cherokee, NC through the National Park. Newfound Gap is a really neat, pretty area.
 


The Sky Bridge is really great. It's the longest suspension bridge in the US. We also really enjoy the drive from Gatlinburg to Cherokee. It's a beautiful drive!
 
What we inevitably talk about and remember the most from visiting the area is just the time we spend taking in the National Park itself.
 
Lots of hikes in the Smokies, cheap tubing, cheap white water rafting. Also we had a great day at one of those go kart places where we paid one price and could go kart/minigolf/rock climb all day. The men and teens in particular loved this.
 
Our favorite part of our trip was hiking (and driving) through the park, which was the main focus of the trip.
We did some touristy things too. We thought the the aquarium was OK (compared to other ones), and I completely agree with the pp- don't bother with the Believe it Or Not Museum.
In Pigeon Forge, I think my favorite thing was the Titanic Museum. Dixie Stampede was entertaining and the boys loved the go-carts.
We also enjoyed some hang-out time at the cabin, it had a game room and a hot tub on the deck and spectacular views of the sunset. I would love to go back.
 
Like others, hiking in the park was definitely the highlight of our trip to PF/Gatlinburg. We also did white water rafting, the aquarium, go carts, some dinner shows, and--I haven't seen this mentioned yet--a mountain coaster. The coaster was at a place called Goats on the Roof. It was a lot of fun.
 
We just got back after spending 2 days there over New Years. We've been before and were traveling with a baby, two three year olds and two five year olds. We did Dixie Stampede (it was a christmas show) the kids enjoyed it, the food was disgusting and it was expensive, but the entertainment was good. We also went to Anakeesta one morning - we really enjoyed Anakeesta, my only complaint was that to get up there its a chairlift, gondola or truck. We took the truck up because the line for the gondola was over an hour (they only have 8 small enclosed gondolas that hold 6 people). I'm terrified of heights and with little ones no way we were doing the chairlift. But the kids and adults all enjoyed what Anakeesta had to offer.
 
Dollywood was fun, it's been 6-7 years ago since we went, but when we did, we bought the after 4 or something ticket which got us in the next day as well. Coupled with a coupon from a McD cup, it was very reasonable.
 
We went in June. We had a great time with the UTV tour from Smoky Mountain Adventures. Will say the member of your party who drives can't be timid about it! DH LOVED it.

Of course the Park, hikes, Visitor Centers, Roaring Fork Motor Trail, Cades Cove, etc. Sky Bridge in Gatlinburg- get your band earlier in the day to do the bridge and then you can ride up again at night to look over the town and lights.

Went to Dollywood one day...it was cool and rainy, yet the misting fans were blasting on us in line, we didn't know where anything was or what the rides were like, kids got stuck on one, newest ride went down while we were in line...not all was Dollywood's fault but we just laugh now how badly it went and it cost $300 for the pleasure...
 
bjscheel said:
We went in June. We had a great time with the UTV tour from Smoky Mountain Adventures. Will say the member of your party who drives can't be timid about it! DH LOVED it.

Of course the Park, hikes, Visitor Centers, Roaring Fork Motor Trail, Cades Cove, etc. Sky Bridge in Gatlinburg- get your band earlier in the day to do the bridge and then you can ride up again at night to look over the town and lights.

Went to Dollywood one day...it was cool and rainy, yet the misting fans were blasting on us in line, we didn't know where anything was or what the rides were like, kids got stuck on one, newest ride went down while we were in line...not all was Dollywood's fault but we just laugh now how badly it went and it cost $300 for the pleasure...
Click to expand...

Do you mind saying which UTV tour you did?
I've been looking into that for dh's birthday at places out in Vegas area, but this could work for better since I'd be willing to go along LOL
 
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