Pigeon Forge in April....and drive from Mass

[Tattylou]

We usually fly to FL for April school vacation. Thinking of saving on airfare and driving someplace instead for 2019 school vacation (DH is a teacher, dates are not flexible)...or flying someplace with cheaper airfare than Boston to Florida on spring break. Travel party is myself, DH, my parents (age 71 in 2019), my 2 sons (ages 8 and 10 in 2019).
The more I hear about Pigeon Forge, the more I am thinking it could be a great trip. So, what is the weather in Pigeon Forge in April? Recommendations of things to do? Of places to stay? Has anyone done the drive from Boston? Anywhere fun to stop along the way for a night? Anything else we should be aware of? Suggestions of nearby airports in case I can find cheap flights. Thanks in advance!

 

[rramsr]

Hi, I have nothing for you but plan on going in July instead of Disney and we are driving from MA also. We are planning on going to Arlington National Cemetary (dh wants to go) and stay in the area that night then finish the drive to Pigeon Forge.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/nashville-or-memphis.3651539/
Here is a thread I started. There is Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg recommendations on the second page

 

[JaxDad]

We went to Pigeon Forge in the summer of 2015, so I'm not sure about the weather in April, but it should be pretty easy to research.

We really had a great time on that trip. My kids were right about the same age as yours. We stayed at the SpringHill Suites, which was convenient to walk to some things and also close to one of the major backroads (traffic in Pigeon Forge can get pretty bad, at least in the summer). Our vacation was basically hiking or white water rafting in the day, then being tourists at night. Pigeon Forge is kind of kitschy, like I-Drive on steroids, but we enjoyed it. We did some dinner shows, go-carts and arcades, and other very touristy attractions. We planned to go to Dollywood, at least to the water park, but just ran out of time. (We ended up adding an extra day in the Smokies.) There are a couple places with mountain coasters, which we really enjoyed, plus we went over to Gatlinburg to the aquarium and walked the main road there. In fact, as you research this trip, you may want to consider staying in Gatlinburg. It is closer to the national park, and has more of a mountain town feel. The two cities are easy and quick to travel between.

 

[Hikergirl]

When we went for Spring Break in April it snowed on our way down in VA. It was warmer in NY LOL
There was some snow left in Gatlinburg the day we arrived, but it was just a little covering in the woods. I have some great pics of snow covered flowers from our first hike. The rest of the week was great weather during they day and cool at night.
We rented a cabin in Gatlinburg at the edge of the park. I think we were actually closer to Pigeon Forge than the town of Gatlinburg but pretty much in the middle of the two. Cabin was up the mountain and had a fantastic view.
We did Dixie Stampede and Titanic Museum and Go Carts in Pigeon Forge, but that was really it. It isn't a place where you can park your car and "stroll" through. It does have all the tourist trap things, but it isn't a quaint place like Gatlinburg.
We spent most of our time in the park hiking and site seeing there. We did go to the Aquarium and Ripley's Museum (in Gatlinburg) on a rainy day. And spent nights walking around the town or back at the cabin in the hot tub and using the pool table.
I would love to go back and do and see the things we missed, it is a beautiful area, and it is one of my favorite family vacations we have taken.

 

[loves to dive]

It's in the mountains so it's going to be cold, at least to this Georgia girl it's cold. The lure of the area is nature, its beautiful. As other's have said there is the tourist stuff to do in Pigeon Forge, Dollywood, the dinner show, etc and the same for Gatlinburg, they are just a hop skip and jump from each other. I would definitely rent a cabin in between the two and do both. Cherokee NC isn't far from Gatlinburg, around 35 miles or so. It's another tourist place and I wouldn't normally say visit there but there is a nice living village there to visit that is pretty good.

 

[JBeaty0507]

I live about 2 hours away from Pigeon Forge and therefore, we visit frequently. Our preferred Hotel is The Margaritaville Hotel or Margaritaville Island Inn. They are close to "The Island" and there is a ton to do right there. Also, there is an entrance from a backroad which helps avoid traffic. We also like the Hilton Garden Inn, and Hampton Inn as well as the Springhill Suites. Can't go wrong with any of these. April in this area can be all over the place. There will be days in April that our area is very warm, and then we'll get a strong spring storm and it will be cold for a while. Sorry I'm not too much help there! Also, we love Dollywood, shopping in the outlets and driving through the National Forrest. I hope you have fun if you decide to come!!

 

[PollyannaMom]

Definitely on our "someday" list! I'm piggybacking to get ideas & advice too.