Dollywood, Anakeesta, and extra: Quick evaluations of our household enjoyable in and round Pigeon Forge, TN

Last week, my household loved a fast journey to Pigeon Forge, TN. Our primary focus is normally the way to use miles and factors for flights and accommodations, however with this put up, I wished to supply fast hit evaluations of the issues we did on the bottom within the better Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg space. This isn’t meant to be an in-depth evaluation of every exercise, however relatively a botom-line-style evaluation with some fast ideas on every.

Dollywood Theme Park

• Cost: ~$99 per particular person for a one-day ticket. Note that tickets for a set date had been about $94, however we spent the additional $5 for an “any day” ticket, and we had been glad we did. Expected rain within the forecast meant that we made a last-minute determination to swap round days from the unique plan. Note additionally that “Time Saver” passes might double the price of a day at Dollywood, however as you’ll learn under, they wouldn’t have been crucial in our case.
• Bottom line: Worth the cash. This is a stable theme park with a really pleasant vibe that didn’t really feel overcrowded. I’d positively go once more.

Quick ideas on Dollywood

We spent one full day on the Dollywood theme park, and I used to be actually pleasantly shocked in a number of methods.

First of all, I used to be pleasantly shocked by the variety of curler coasters accessible. While they weren’t as “themed” and positively not as special-effects-heavy as what you’d discover at a Disney park, they had been actually enjoyable. A few them had been simply doable for our children (at ages 8 and 5), and a few had been clearly geared towards a barely older viewers. However, each of our children had been tall sufficient to experience all the primary rides.

I’ll say that we practically ruined your complete day within the first 20 minutes. The first curler coaster we noticed was a wood coaster referred to as Lightning Rod. We figured {that a} wood coaster may be a great way to ease our children into driving curler coasters (regardless of a couple of journeys to Disney, they’ve comparatively little expertise with curler coasters). They each flat-out refused, so my spouse, her sister and I went for a experience on Lightning Rod. For starters, it was the longest line we waited in all day lengthy (took roughly 35-40 minutes), and it was probably the most intimidating and nausea-inducing coaster of the day. As you would possibly guess by the Lightning Rod identify, it’s fairly quick. It took my abdomen half the day to recuperate. I’d gladly return to Dollywood, however I personally wouldn’t hurry again in line for Lightning Rod. More importantly, there are higher coasters to ease the children into it, like Big Bear Mountain and Dragonflier.

However, the extra broadly essential piece of information in that paragraph is the truth that we didn’t wait longer than 35-40 minutes for rides all through the day. The park by no means felt overly crowded. Instead, it felt very manageable and enjoyable.

I learn an offended evaluation from a mother who had spent more money on “TimeSaver” passes (Dollywood’s model of a “Fast Pass”) and felt she had been ripped off since there have been hardly any strains for rides after 4 pm. I don’t know if it was the truth that we went on a Monday in August, when some faculties are already again in session, Time Saver passes wouldn’t have been value it for us, both. On our day, the most affordable Time Saver move, which solely contains 5 makes use of (and excludes Lightning Rod and Big Bear Mountain) was $63 per particular person. A multi-use quick move that included 1 use for Lightning Rod (however nonetheless excluded Big Bear) was $87 per particular person. A 3rd Time Saver possibility was greater than $100 further per particular person. Those had been sizable buy-ups — and they’d have felt fully pointless by early night.

In our case, it wasn’t till about 5 pm that strains disappeared, however by about that point, it was doable to get off a experience, stroll again to the doorway, and get proper again on one rotation later. We left round 7:30 pm (with the park on account of shut at 9:30), and I took this image of the signal indicating that there wasn’t any anticipate any of the main rides (the show roated, so that you received’t see all of the rides right here, however belief me that the board just about universally seemed like this).

I clearly can’t assure that the day you go to would be the identical, but when we went again to Pigeon Forge, I’d be very tempted to get pleasure from a lazy morning and present as much as the park simply after lunch relatively than following the traditional Disney technique of being there when the gates open. We in all probability might have proven up at midday or later and spent even much less time in line whereas getting our fill of exercise.

Overall, we had enjoyable and will surely return. The Cinnamon Bread is nearly as good as its famed popularity suggests (my youthful son even introduced again a Cinnamon Bread hat).

Anakeesta (Mountain Coasters, Treetop Walk)

• Cost: You pay individually for the gondola experience up the mountain and choose actions. In our case we paid the next for members of our group to experience up the mountain + a further $16.99 per particular person for 2 coaster rides:
  • Adults (12–64): $39.99
  • Seniors (65+): $32.99
  • Children (4–11): $27.99
• Bottom line: Mountain coasters are numerous enjoyable, however there are such a lot of within the space that don’t require paying a ~$40 price to reach on the coaster that it’s onerous to justify the extra price right here. There had been some cool points to Anakeesta, however I in all probability received’t be again.

Quick ideas on Anakeesta

The better Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/Sevierville space is thought for its mountain coasters. There are many various mountain coasters to attempt, most of which cost individually for particular person rides (otherwise you could possibly purchase a bundle for a few rides relying on location).

Anakeesta is a mountaintop journey heart accessible by gondola experience from the middle of Gatlinburg. Unlike most different mountain coasters within the space, you must pay individually to get to the coasters (on this case, by taking the gondola up the mountain). In addition to the $16.99 for 2 coaster rides (you’ll be able to both experience each coasters 1 time every or experience one coaster twice), you pay about $40 for the gondola experience to the highest of the mountain.

If you’re solely going for mountain coasters, that’s not value it. In our case, we determined to check out Anakeesta so as to additionally take a look at a few of the different actions on the mountaintop, which embrace a “treetop walk” (which is a sequence of platforms linked by suspension bridges) and a few climbing/play programs for teenagers. There are additionally zip strains, which come at further price, however we weren’t planning on doing these.

The view was good, and the coasters had been enjoyable, however the treetop stroll was very crowded (positively a case the place the “reel” model doesn’t match the “real” model — that’s an Instagram dad-joke for you), and all the things else about it felt extra like a vacationer entice. Unfortunately, storms moved in whereas we had been on prime of the mountain, so the gondola was shut down. At that time, the one manner off of the mountain was through open vehicles (suppose safari automobiles, however larger). We waited in line for greater than an hour, and we had been rapidly nearer to the entrance of the road than the again of the road as soon as it began raining. Luckily, we had been on the small part of the road that was underneath cowl when the rain was at its heaviest, however others weren’t so fortunate. The climate is hardly Anakeesta’s fault, however the provisions in place when the climate turned appeared weak, at greatest.

Go-karts at The Track Pigeon Forge (closing November 2026)

• Cost: $45 for 60 factors (sufficient factors for five rides on the signature monitor or double as many on the kiddie tracks) with widely-available coupon codes. Note that in case you take a double cart, solely the motive force pays.
• Bottom line: I’d positively race karts at The Track once more, however this location in closing in November 2026.

Quick ideas on The Track, Pigeon Forge

Pigeon Forge has tons of go-kart tracks, with most of the coolest-looking locations that includes multi-level tracks. We had beforehand been to The Track, which additionally has areas in Myrtle Beach, SC (which we’ve got additionally visited), Destin, Florida, and the Gulf Shores, Alabama area. We determined to return to The Track, primarily for its “Wild Woody” course, which encompasses a 3-story wood spiral.

The Pigeon Forge location of The Track is definitely closing in November 2026 after 42 years in operation. While Pigeon Forge is the unique location, information tales point out that the house owners of the enterprise had been unable to resume their lease on the land (I learn feedback in on-line boards indicating that Ripley’s could have purchased the land, however I didn’t look into these claims). One side of The Track that I like is that you just purchase a card loaded with factors and you need to use these factors at another The Track location (and, in reality, we did use a previous card from Pigeon Forge in Myrtle Beach). The factors on the cardboard may also be used within the arcade, so after we had some leftover factors this time, my youngsters had been joyful to make use of them up.

The Track sells playing cards in numerous denominations, however the perfect deal is to purchase the cardboard with 60 factors. That card prices $55, however it is extremely simple to seek out promo codes that take $10 off of $55 or extra (they’re accessible within the many flyers stuffed with coupons that you will discover within the space and also you’ll additionally discover codes on-line in case you Google for them). As a outcome, we purchased a couple of 60-point playing cards in separate transactions for $45 every.

The Wild Woody monitor prices 12 factors, in order that works out to $9 per experience. That actually isn’t low cost, however it’s aggressive with many different tracks within the space.

That mentioned, if you wish to experience a bunch, it may be value wanting into the Ultimate Park Hopper Pass supplied by the entity that owns SpeedZone, Xtreme Racing Pigeon Forge, and LazerPort. All three parks have go-kart tracks, and the Ultimate Park Hopper prices $55.99 on the time of writing and permits for limitless rides in any respect 3 parks for the day. Since The Track might be closed every time we get to Pigeon Forge once more sometime, I’ll in all probability examine that move out subsequent time.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

We spent a morning/afternoon driving across the Cades Cove Loop in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We did some simple mountaineering (wish to the John Oliver cabin), noticed some historic constructions, discovered that that is probably the most biodiverse nationwide park within the United States, and noticed a lot of bears. This bear pic is zoomed in (I used to be nicely over the really helpful distance). A shock to me on this journey was seeing a mama bear with cubs consuming cherries up in a tree.

By the tip of the day, my youngsters accomplished sufficient of the exercise e book to get their Junior Park Ranger badges. If you’re going to a nationwide park with youngsters, it’s at all times value stopping on the information heart on the entrance to seize no matter supplies you want for the children to earn the badge for the park you’re visiting, because it helps preserve them engaged as you tour across the park and so they full actions.

Dinner Shows: Dolly Parton’s Stampede and Pirate’s Voyage

• Cost: ~$82 per grownup / ~$42 per youngster (ages 3-9) for every present
• Bottom line evaluation: Neither of those is a must-do exercise, but when I needed to decide one, I loved Pirate’s Voyage extra. That mentioned, a few of the members of our group disagreed about that.

Quick Thoughts on Dolly Parton’s Stampede and Pirate’s Voyage

We attended two dinner reveals in Pigeon Forge, each owned by the identical firm: Dolly Parton’s Stampede and Pirate’s Voyage.

The members of my group had been break up on which we loved extra, and each side felt passionately about which was higher. For my cash, I discovered Pirate’s Voyage extra entertaining (the present has a bunch of acrobatic stunts, together with a very good little bit of diving, some trampoline work, swings, and many others).

That mentioned, the criticism amongst a few of my group was that it was onerous to observe what was happening — the Pirates Voyage storyline isn’t so….linear…and the sound system made it onerous to listen to what was happening at instances. Dolly Parton’s Stampede was largely a horse present. On the floor, those that are into horsemanship will in all probability not less than benefit from the concept of the Stampede. That mentioned, if you’re conversant in the scent of a horse barn, you could (rightfully) ponder whether this is smart as a dinner present. I wasn’t satisfied that it does (although Google evaluations recommend I’m within the minority in that opinion).

That mentioned, I’ll admit that the meals was a bit higher on the Stampede. To be clear, each meals are very comparable. We went to the reveals on back-to-back nights, and I wouldn’t advocate that. You’re getting virtually the identical meal, which consists of a creamy vegetable soup, hen, pork (the pulled pork at Stampede was surprisingly good; most of my group didn’t just like the ham at Pirates), corn, and a starchy aspect (mashed potatoes at Stampede; kraft-like mac & cheese at Pirates). The vegetarian meal was precisely the identical each nights (which was largely a plate of steam greens).

Neither present is a must-do for my part, however both might be value the price of admission while you determine that the meal alone might simply price you greater than half the value of a ticket at most eating places (think about that you just get soup, a really full primary, dessert, and your alternative of some delicate drinks which have limitless refills). You are anticipated to tip on the finish of the night time, and so they didn’t make that so simple as doable. They had an indication each few place settings encouraging visitors to tip the waitstaff, however there wasn’t a QR code to try this out of your telephone (or not less than not at each seat).

Bottom line

We had numerous enjoyable in Pigeon Forge. The price of actions actually added up over our days within the space, however one of many issues I get pleasure from about utilizing rewards for flights and accommodations is the flexibility to increase the price range for issues to do. In the better Pigeon Forge space, there are a lot of family-friendly actions to get pleasure from. I’m certain that we’ll be again sooner or later within the coming years each for the scenic great thing about the Smoky Mountains and extra enjoyable at Dollywood, although we’ll take a look at some completely different mountain coasters subsequent time.