Sevierville TN questions

[jupers]

Hi all...we are driving to Sevierville Sat from Boston before heading to wdw...anyone been there? Any must do's...we have dollywood tix. The kids are 10 and 5. We are excited but nervous!

 

[TennesseeGirl]

Definitely go to Gatlinburg which is about 15-20 minutes from Pigeon Forge. I would describe it as tourist extreme - can honestly say I've never been anywhere quite like it though. Do you have time to go hiking?

 

[Kae]

Go to the Old Mill Resturant over the Apple Barn. Ripley"s golf is fun & the Aquarium is awesome.

Kae

 

[DWillowBay]

Our family was just there 2 years ago. Great fun, very beautiful, wonderful people, waaaay too much food!! I was surprised at the level of commercial build-up in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, but fun. If you are going to be there for the Fourth of July, Gatlinburg has the distinction of having the first Fourth of July parade in the country every year. They have it at 12:01am on the 4th! It was great fun....and since my birthday is the 4th, it was unique way to usher that in too. If you get at chance to see Dixie Stampede, it is worth it. Again, food, fun, very nice people.

 

[mommyarewegoingback]

This is funny, we usually vacation at disney, but we wanted to do a quick July 4th weekend trip to sevierville/pigeon forge/gatlinburg. My family are totally disney people, we are originally from Boston (south end and Framingham) but are now Atlanta residents (we moved to be closer to disney ). We went to tn las spring break. So although you have the New England aquarium, and all the east coast aquariums, we still got a kick out of the ripley's aquarium in gatlinburg. My DD liked "panning" for rocks and my DS loved the multi level wooden go-kart. We actually stayed away from dollywood, since it just can't compare to disney. If you're into this type of thing, there is this bird / parrot world (actually near dollywood) which was really cool, since they can land on your shoulders, and you can feed them too. Have fun! We're actually going to wilderness in the smokies water park / resort in sevierville for this trip.
-Virginia

 

[NC Disney Fan]

We live near Seiverville and have season passes for Dollywood. As someone mentioned, it is totally commercialized and a nightmare to travel on the main strip. Where are you staying? Here is a map I found of the main strip http://thegreatsmokeymountainsparkway.com/_map/pigeon_forge/pfparkway.htm You will be able to see what is on it. My strong, strong suggestion is to avoid this main strip and try to take backroads like Teaster, Middle Creek etc or else you can sit on the main strip for an hour, moving only 1 mile. It can be that bad. This is especially true if you are going on the weekend.

I have tried to get the route you need to take in to avoid this mess. I had to use AAA trip tik and change what they were trying to do. I am not sure if it will work but this is the link for the map I created.
http://ww1.aaa.com/scripts/WebObjec...700+Dollywood+|Pigeon+Forge |TN| | |&poiKey=0

Essentially, you need to avoid 441, the main parkway through the town like the plague! Instead, turn onto 411 Dollywood Parkway and travel until you hit Veterans Blvd. You will take a right and then follow that down until you see the signs for Dollywood--it's right off this road. I promise it will save you so much time and heartache. We made the mistake of listening to our GPS even though we KNOW this area but we were renting a cabin and didnt quite know where it was. I kid you not, 1 hour and 15 minutes on the main strip to get to Dollywood Lane which ultimately was a huge circle around to the otherside of Dollywood when we could have gone just how I told you. It was brutal.

Okay enough of that. You will enjoy your time here. Dollywood is a great family place. The food is awesome. We suggest eating at Miss Lillian's Chicken house--she is wonderful and will entertain you. Be waiting for Kettle Corn, great shows (as Kids' fest is on I think) and fun rides. We have been pass holders since our girls were 3 & 5. They have always loved it, even the shows. You will find a great train, the carnival areas with kiddie rides, a carousel, water rides (wearing a bathing suit may be a great idea). It's fun.

In terms of what else to do. Your kids will probably be worn out. There are some good restaurants like the Apple Barn and Johnny Carinos (or Italian fav) but those are on the main strip. We just stay at Dollywood and avoid all of the madness.

The strip does have go karts and stuff. If you go to Tanger Outlet (on the main strip but early on and accessible by taking Middle Creek) you can spend the day shopping, shopping, shopping. Check out their website for the huge list of stores. There is also a kids amusement area there like Putt, putt, go karts so mom could shop; dad could have fun

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[Disney2013Girl]

As others have said, a LOT of what is on the main stretches of both Pidgeon Forge and Gatlinburg are touristy and super crowded. However, out of all of those, the Christmas Store is my favorite.

 

[mommyarewegoingback]

NC disney fan- thanks for your tips. Speaking of the traffic, coming from Atlanta, would it be better to drive over the mountain on 441 or all the way around on 40, if my goal is to get to sevierville? I worry about the traffic over the mountain and on the main drag.
-Virginia

 

[scrappymel]

We just got back from that area Saturday! I would suggest taking either the pigeon forge or gatlinburg entrance to the great smoky mountains national park. About 15 miles or so into the park you can stop at the NC/Tennessee state line for a nice little kid friendly climb in the rocks then onto clingsman's dome a few miles more. It was a breathtaking view. We saw a momma bear and her cubs playing and really enjoyed the afternoon. Our daughter also did the jr ranger program and got a big kick out of that. Kits are available at the info centers.

I agree about the old mill restaurant. I think I had the best breakfast of my life there. We had lots of fun at dollywood. Head for the eagle, tornado, and mystery mine rides first if rides are your thing. We walked on pretty much for an hour that morning.

The "strip" in PF and gatlinburg are tourist traps. Not my cup of tea, but we did visit the aquarium and it was nice. Have a great time!!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[iloveallthingsdisney]

We loved the Titanic Museum and Cade's Cove. We would've done some river rafting but the water was too cold (early May) for us!!

 

[nolanboys]

We're heading to Gatlinburg for the fourth time this July. As pp stated, the Ripley's Aquarium is incredible. We also enjoyed tubing a ton. We go into Smokey Mountain National Park daily. They have phenomenal kid and adult programs that are free. We like to head into downtown Gatlinburg for either dinner or ice cream. It's fun to walk around. Can't wait to be there again!

 

[NicoleK1974]

It may sound small, but there is a little brewery there in the strip mall in Pigeon Forge, it has THE most amazing rootbeer and soft pretzels EVER!
We are only 3 hours from there and it is a MUST DO every time we go out that way!

 

[tennessee]

if u r staying in Sevierville than u must try the forbidden caverns. My fav place to eat is the blue moose and the almo. I really nice drive is roaring fork road, you will take the turn off for that in Gatlinburg I think stop light 8, just pick up a book when u get there and it will show you. If you try to eat before 4 at most restaurants it is cheaper. I stay away from Gatlinburg way to many people, but im a hiker so I head into the mountains. Also u will see a bear at roaring fork road drive, unless its to hot. enjoy

 

[mrsksomeday]

I agree with the Old Mill Restaurant, the Apple Barn, and Parrot World.

 

[jupers]

This is funny, we usually vacation at disney, but we wanted to do a quick July 4th weekend trip to sevierville/pigeon forge/gatlinburg. My family are totally disney people, we are originally from Boston (south end and Framingham) but are now Atlanta residents (we moved to be closer to disney ). We went to tn las spring break. So although you have the New England aquarium, and all the east coast aquariums, we still got a kick out of the ripley's aquarium in gatlinburg. My DD liked "panning" for rocks and my DS loved the multi level wooden go-kart. We actually stayed away from dollywood, since it just can't compare to disney. If you're into this type of thing, there is this bird / parrot world (actually near dollywood) which was really cool, since they can land on your shoulders, and you can feed them too. Have fun! We're actually going to wilderness in the smokies water park / resort in sevierville for this trip.
-Virginia

This s funny...we are staying here over the 4th!! We are on the Wyndham side!

 

[dpswift]

Try Cades Coves it was fun and we saw bears upclose.

 

[NC Disney Fan]

NC disney fan- thanks for your tips. Speaking of the traffic, coming from Atlanta, would it be better to drive over the mountain on 441 or all the way around on 40, if my goal is to get to sevierville? I worry about the traffic over the mountain and on the main drag.
-Virginia

I just did the AAA triptik and looked at the difference. GPS/directions have you go 441 because it shaves about 40 miles off the total trip. But if you go 75 to 40 into Pigeon Forge, it actually has your time as about 7 minutes less. I would assume that it can be even a quicker time as you can book it on the interstate versus on more winding mountain roads.

I am always the type that prefers interstate. I think that you can get from point a to point b quicker with free flowing traffic, easy ability to pass slower travelers and straightish roads. I live in Asheville, NC where winding roads are our thing. I am used to them but boy, when you get behind someone who isnt' it can be brutally slow. And if you are not sure of winding mountain roads then it may slow down your trip. So with all of that said, my choice would be 75 to 40 and then turning off on 411 once in Sevierville--that is unless you are heading to the main strip for lodging etc. Hope this helps.

 

[JanB]

I just did the AAA triptik and looked at the difference. GPS/directions have you go 441 because it shaves about 40 miles off the total trip. But if you go 75 to 40 into Pigeon Forge, it actually has your time as about 7 minutes less. I would assume that it can be even a quicker time as you can book it on the interstate versus on more winding mountain roads.

I am always the type that prefers interstate. I think that you can get from point a to point b quicker with free flowing traffic, easy ability to pass slower travelers and straightish roads. I live in Asheville, NC where winding roads are our thing. I am used to them but boy, when you get behind someone who isnt' it can be brutally slow. And if you are not sure of winding mountain roads then it may slow down your trip. So with all of that said, my choice would be 75 to 40 and then turning off on 411 once in Sevierville--that is unless you are heading to the main strip for lodging etc. Hope this helps.

This is accurate advice -- however, I am going to suggest that you not totally eliminate the possibility of taking 441 through the mountains, one way or the other.

If you would like to "enjoy the journey", taking 441 is a great way to do that. If you just want to arrive at your destination as efficiently as possible, then I75 is the way to go.

441 is a beautiful drive through the North Georgia mountains and through a number of small towns. There are many little roadside stands where you can buy honey, jams, jellies, crafts. Depending on the ages and gender of your children --- Cleveland, GA is about 15 miles off of your route. It is the home of Babyland General Hospital and the Cabbage Patch Kids --- little girls particularly love going here. Also, you would be driving through Cherokee, NC, which is a hokey, touristy town -- with a lot of kid appeal.

If you decide not to take this route this time, I do recommend, since you live in Atlanta, that you take a day or weekend trip up that way sometime in the summer or the fall. You can go through Cleveland and on up to Helen, GA, which is a fun place for the family to spend a day or two. From Atlanta, you can be there in less than 2 hours.

 

[JPorter044]

We just got back from that area Saturday! I would suggest taking either the pigeon forge or gatlinburg entrance to the great smoky mountains national park. About 15 miles or so into the park you can stop at the NC/Tennessee state line for a nice little kid friendly climb in the rocks then onto clingsman's dome a few miles more. It was a breathtaking view. We saw a momma bear and her cubs playing and really enjoyed the afternoon. Our daughter also did the jr ranger program and got a big kick out of that. Kits are available at the info centers.

I agree about the old mill restaurant. I think I had the best breakfast of my life there. We had lots of fun at dollywood. Head for the eagle, tornado, and mystery mine rides first if rides are your thing. We walked on pretty much for an hour that morning.

The "strip" in PF and gatlinburg are tourist traps. Not my cup of tea, but we did visit the aquarium and it was nice. Have a great time!!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

The best breakfast is at The Pancake House on mainstreet in Gatlinburg. Get there early it is usually packed but well worth the wait. You can actuallly eat the pancakes with no syrup they are that good.

 

[whitney37354]

I live 1.5 hrs. from Sevierville. I love the whole area, even though it is touristy. Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburg was okay, but I wouldn't stand in line for hours & be advised that it's a cash only business. We love Dixie Stampede & we have season passes to Dollywood & Splash Country.