Budget Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg trip

[Our 2 Princesses]

My family and I (2 DD ages 5 and 9 and Dh) are planning a 5 day/4night stay in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg this summer. We have our accomodations booked already and we are also going to Dollywood for a day and a half due to buying the tickets after 3 pm the evening before. We have never been to this area for a trip before and would like to know of any budget-minded places to visit or things to do. Any help would be greatly appreciated! TIA!!

 

[Sunny37]

We love vacationing in that area. We love going to the national park http://www.nps.gov/grsm/ (free!)and riding through, stopping whenever we wanted to, walking on the rocks in the streams and just looking at all of the beautiful scenery. You can take a picnic and stop at one of the picnic areas along the way.

Cades Cove http://www.cadescove.net/ is a driving tour that is nice and scenic and I believe it is free also. They do offer a guide book for Cades Cove and I think it was maybe $1, but very informative. you can take a picnic and stop at one of the picnic areas along the way.

As far as Pigeon Forge, there are TONS of outlet malls. Lots of good deals to be had!

You will have a blast! It is so beautiful there.

 

[ceecee]

I second Cade's Cove...just drive around, take a picnic lunch and enjoy the scenery. We spent hours walking through the streams. We go there often, as it is close to home. We love to shop (but it wouldn't be a budget trip then) and love to eat and there are a few places we always go to (Apple Barn...in Pidgeon Forge has an ice cream and candy shoppe as well as gift shops). You can do a lot of things there, but if you're looking for free things....a drive is your best bet. We like to ride the tram thing (what's it called???) and spent some time looking around that area.

 

[poohj80]

I second taking time to explore the Great Smokey Mountain National Park - it's beautiful!

 

[christinadei]

There are lots of good hiking trails and waterfalls to see in the national forest. we spent a lot of time there. We also loved Cade's cove. All of those free. We brought a lot of picnic lunches. We also had fun at the outlet malls and went to Cherokee. On the strip in Gatlinburg, we bought combo passes for Ripleys and the aquiarium. We had so much fun. There is so much to do, we can't wait to go back. It was the first vacation that we actually spent way less than we brought! There was just so much free stuff and we cooked in our cabin a lot too.

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

Thanks so much for all the great tips so far. We don't have to do free things as much as just cheaper things. We definitely want the girls to see some nature in the Smokey Mtns as they don't see much when we go to Disney (aside from AK, of course!!) Also, I heard there was a Disney outlet store down there. How is it? I have to get my Disney in somewhere since we aren't able to go this year!

 

[HM]

The great thing about buying your tickets after 3pm is that many people are leaving the park for the dinner theaters and you'll be able to do many rides without much wait. Then in the morning get there early and do the things you missed out on the night before. We loved Dollywood. Its really a great park.

We only went for Dollywood (on our way to Chicago) for those two days, so didn't hit any other things in the area. So can't give you other ideas.

Have fun! -HM

 

[DianeV]

We went to Dollywood and were not impressed and got our money back..maybe we are just too Disney park spoiled..

The aquarium is a big hit with our kids but the Believe it or Not museum is pretty lame (in our opinion)

Cherokee is interesting but beware its a harrowing drive through the mountains. I was gripping the seat the whole time (its VEEEEERY high up) -

We loved Cades Cove as well but allow alot more time then you think if you want to stop at each section..and bring food as they dont sell any there and its a decent long drive back and forth AGAIN through high mountains..

Did I mention that the mountain roads are HIGH???

Also alot of people seem to enjoy taking the chair/ski lift thing up to get great views of the area. Not me, I have a fear of heights which you have probably figured out!

There is a Disney outlet but its a catalog outlet I believe and its very hit or miss and there really isnt alot in there (at least the 2 times we were there)

 

[swilshire]

We went to Dollywood and were not impressed and got our money back..maybe we are just too Disney park spoiled..

There is a Disney outlet but its a catalog outlet I believe and its very hit or miss and there really isnt alot in there (at least the 2 times we were there)

I'm surprised that you disliked Dollywood so much (and really surprised that you got your money back). We've been season pass holders there for more years than I care to think about. Sure .... it's not Disney, but there are at least a few rides for every age. This year they've added several new ones. We enjoy the shows even more. Excellent music all over the park. We also particularly like the special events. Right now they are doing the Festival of Nations where they bring in entertainers from all over the World. We've been to it once this year and would have gone again Sunday had not one of our children been sick. We saw a Russian circus, Chinese acrobats, incredible acapella singers from Zambia, and others. They also do a Kids Fest starting in June that is marvelous for the smaller ones. The Harvest Fest in the Fall is not to be missed and they decorate the park up more than Disney does at Christmas.

We hit the Disney Catalog Outlet every time we pass buy. Sometimes we find great deals, but not always. You also have to watch their prices as we saw a jacket for about double the clearance price we had just paid in the regular Disney Store at the mall.

We have a few other favorite stores in the same mall that we usually hit. The Pepperidge Farm outlet is a must. My kids usually want to go to the Old Navy and Aeropostle outlets. There's also a Skeechers outlet, but we never seem to find any bargains there. It's a huge mall and they seem to add another building every time I go by there. A Google search for Tanger Five Oaks will get you all the info on it.

President Bush was coming to Cades Cove for Arbor Day last week, but there were tremendous storms in the area, so he spent the day in an airport hanger instead. Lots of disappointed locals that had hoped to get a glimpse of him.

Sheila

 

[mdinecola]

Just a tip about Cade's Cove - our favorite place in the mountains. If you plan to go later in the day - around 4pm - and take your drive then, you are more likely to see lots of deer and even bears. We have been lucky at the evening times and seen bears on every trip and we have also been within 15 foot of the deer there - they are really used to people and sometimes you don't realize that they are even there until you hear a little rustle in the leaves! If you go to the picnic area before you enter Cade's Cove - or at the end, whichever you choose - it's a great place for the kids to walk through the stream. It's very shallow - and very cold. My kids think that is the best part of going there. They play in the stream-it only comes to about their ankles. I never knew that in 80 degree weather, the mountain water is still like walking through ice water! My kids also liked the aquarium, plan to spend at least a few hours there as there is a lot to see. We also liked Dollywood - and we must have ridden the water ride a 20 times! If you bought the combo ticket, the water park is GREAT! We ended up spending an entire day there, from open to close. Anyway, have a great time!

Michelle

 

[lilred]

We were there two years ago and did the Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail in Gatlinburg. What an awesome drive! I have a photo of the Place of a Thousand Drips (on the trail) hanging in my living room today!

 

[baggypants]

If you are looking for a nice family dinner theater try the Black Bear Jamborie. Very good value.

 

[lmjacobs]

We love the area. There are a lot of cheesy things to do, like Ripley's and I think "Cooter" from Dukes of Hazzard series has a museum there. It is nice to park and then walk up and down thru Gatlinburg. There are mini golfs and a couple of short movie rides with the moving seats. Look for coupons, they're everywhere. If you do the Track in Pigeon Forge, you can get tickets online cheaper. The go-karts are great fun. At Ober Gatlinburg there is an ice skating rink (at least it was there last time we went). There are trams to take you from Pigeon Forge to Gatlinburg and you can toodle around each location on the trams if you don't mind waiting. I think they are .25 cents to ride or something cheap like that.

 

[christinadei]

Oh and I forgot about The Mill and The Apple Barn. Both are GREAT places to eat! The Mill has fresh milled breads and stuff and you get corn fritters and chowder, your meal and then dessert, all included in the price. Then there are a few shops to walk around to walk some of that food off. The apple barn has fresh milled cider, apple fritters and apple butter to go with your meal. Again, it's so much food, but luckily as mentioned above, there are a few little shops to walk around as well. They are both the best places to eat, and not expensive at all. I think they are both in Pigeon Forge. Just be sure to go hungry!

 

[lovemygoofy]

When you pull into town stop of one of the ticket buildings you see coming into town and pick up a coupon book. There are several buy one get one half off meals and mini golf in there. There are sevearl other coupons in there for free hour of floaties for the lazy river with the purchase of an hour or there are coupons for discounts into the museums. I HIGHLY reccommend Dixie Stampede. The show is fun for your family and the food is decent (just be prepared to eat with your hands..lol).

Other great places to eat

The Apple Barn
The Old Mill (use the coupons and buy some fudge and also look at all the shops in the mill area)
There is a mexican resteraunt in Gatlinburg next to the aquarium that is a great place to eat.
We also like the Smoky Mountain Brewery for their burgers and my dh likes to try the different ales.

Have a great trip but be prepared for the awful awful traffic. I do love going up there though. My dh and I try to go once or twice a year.

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

I knew I could count on you guys!! I am going to print all your tips out and take it with us. Ever since my girls saw Dollywood on the travel channel, they have been begging us to go. Our youngest who has platinum blonde hair used to walk around saying she looked just like Dolly "Partener."
Thank you again!

 

[marthachick]

Ditto on the Old Mill. Yum. Go VERRY hungry. Even at lunch. And we love Dollywood. Course it helps that we love country & bluegrass music. DH says Pigeon Forge is like Myrtle Beach without the ocean.

 

[my3kids]

We went and hated the area. I can't even describe how much we hated the area...I really do hope you have better luck. The national park was wonderful and such a fresh change from the the city. Even my kids who love amusement parks and aren't bothered by crowds hated the area, aside from the national park, which is wonderful.

 

[dcibrando]

Go to the Old Mill Restraunt as well as the Apple Barn Restraunt. You won't regret it...AWESOME FOOD!!!

 

[jenr812]

Subbing to this thread, since we are talking about planning an extended family trip here next summer. Great posts Thanks!