Thanks to all the guidance on here - since we had to cancel a different trip this year, my spouse encouraged me to find a cheap way to take this trip and to do the "not as big" attractions (aka - not Dollywood) to get us excited to take other family here next time. So, we are going 6 days/5 nights in the heart of this summer with a current all-included budget (travel, lodging, food, entertainment, etc) of about $2.1K for 6 (2 adults, 1 teen, 3 kids), with $600 of that covering our our annual timeshare dues (since we're using our resorts, so OOP that's "free", but I do pay for them every year in dues)...I've stumbled on same great deals already and will keep looking (since one is refundable if I find better), but I'm pretty excited. Our plans...
Resort ($600 for dues)
Gas ($120 - 4 tanks)
Pet sitter (free - friend)
Attractions ($710 Total broken out below)
- Nature-Based ($70)
1. Forbidden Caverns (still need to buy, but this is spouse #1 desire - I plan $70, but hoping to see this pop up with a better coupon)
2. Smokey Mountains - Sugarlands Visitor Center with Waterfall Hike (free)
- Show-Based (1st 3 all bought - spouse #2 desire - have all tickets for $388 total, but will try to do better b/c this is refundable til 2 days prior) ($410, with tip for HM)
3. Hatfield and McCoy Dinner Show
4. Smoky Mountain Opry
5. Magic Beyond Belief with Daniel Romeo
6. The Island Water Show (free)
- Entertainment Based ($230)
7, 8, & 9. Ripleys' Attraction 3 pack (bought at $23/adult + shipping for all of us - this is not changeable) - Aquarium of the Smokies, Ripley's Haunted House (spouse #3 desire) are definite, but still deciding 3rd site
10. Wyndham Smokies indoor/outdoor waterpark day ("free" b/c it's included in our stay)
11. Bush's Baked Bean Museum (free - boys are dying for this, but this is 1st to go if I have to drop something
) - will use some of souvie budget below if needed
12. Sugarlands Distillery Tour and Tasting = $10 for 2 tastings - tour is free and all ages (get $10 back to use on a product, so probably $30 total, when spouse picks his favorite - since he makes his own beer and mead, he's gonna love this surprise
)
13. Severveille Outlets Day (if it's raining on waterpark day, since the indoor park will only entertain so long) ($50 if I use this - but this gives me a souvie budget for more moonshine, if nothing else
)
Food (Planned, but if I see deals, I'll drop and change - $670
)...I have 2 meals a day out planned most days, but I may drop to 1 b/c we will be buying about $100 of this in groceries...depends how much of this rich food we can do. This is actually almost my largest expense category now, but even if we eat cheaper, we'll likely spend it doing things (I'd add in a coaster or 7d theater, b/c those were my spouse's other "we should try these if we can fit them in" stuff). I am planning no sharing in these #s for 3 adults (2 adults, 1 teen), 3 kids, but some of these look stupid big, so adults might share, especially my teen girl and I at breakfasts - we'll see - it might be too good to share
)...
Apple Barn Breakfast ($80)
Apple Barn Dinner (the other site we haven't done, since there are 2 locations with a slightly different vibe
) ($90)
Paula Deen Lunch ($100)
Crockett's Breakfast Camp ($80)
Old Mill Restaurant ($80)
HM Dinner Show (paid in entertainment category)
TBD Food that are convenient and pure TN (2) - cheap sites, like Pigeon Forge Deli or a converted gas station diner, drive in, and dive
...($80)
2 Fast Food lunches to and from TN ($60)
Groceries ($100)
So, I'm at $2100...now to see if we stay anywhere close
...the good news is I'm not seeing a lot of free time in our plans to fit anything else in...and we have free mini golf at one of our stay resorts and free waterparks at the other (doing a split stay), so we have some fun the kids want to do right where we'll be (over pools, resort scheduled activities, etc)...
Edit to add - The reason we are skipping Dollywood (other than cost) is b/c we don't like walking theme parks in enormous heat, and b/c we just did Busch Gardens Williamsburg at Xmas, so we figure we don't want to do the straight comparison 6 months apart...thus the "water parks" full day as the "ride" day for the kids...also, this is why we have lots of indoor stuff and only one outdoor "in the heat" nature day (which we'll choose for the coolest of the days we are there)...
) but it's grown on me and now I can't even imagine not having passes. They have some of the highest rated rollercoasters, and Lightning Rod is the fastest wooden and first wooden launch coaster. All my friends who've been on it said it's hands down their fav coaster ever and incredibly smooth. (It's still not officially open but guests can ride it during the day when they call for riders. I'm sure it will be officially open by April when you're there.)
