Gatlinburg / Pigeon Forge

[weregoingtodw]

We're thinking of a family Christmas trip to somewhere in the Smoky Mountains. Have any of you visited this area? Will it be a letdown to those used to Disney vacationing?

Also, does anyone know of any good forums (like the Dis!) that discuss those tourist areas?

Thanks!

 

[Michie]

TM2 goes there, she just went there for her anniversary!!!! Maybe she will be along soon!!

 

[WeirdEyes]

I love the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area. It is definitely a more laid back vacation than WDW. I would love to rent a chalet in the mountains up there one Christmas. The Great Smoky Mountains are beautiful. It is really like comparing apples to oranges (mountains vs. WDW). I don't have a forum you can go to, but there is: www.gatlinburg.com and www.pigeonforge.com.

 

[Living with the Land]

The 2 are very different vacations. My daughter will tell you her favorite place is Pigeon Forge. She loves Dollywood but also loves all the outdoor activities there are there. Parrot mountain is a big hit with her and for us is easily a half day adventure.

At Disney we usually get up at 7:00. In Pigeon Forge it is 10:00. It is just very different. We do Disney twice a year and TN about 3-4 times a year. We also love to go around christmas. If you have any questions feel free to PM me.

Holly

 

[lindalinda]

it is a wonderful vacation, tho i usually go in the fall rather than the holidays. it is all lit up for christmas tho. you would have to prepare the kids for this type vacation,its VERY different than a disney type vacation. if you have active kids its a good time to get them out in nature, even in winter there are gorgeous hikes of all difficulty levels in the smokies. order a bunch of brochures and some trail maps and let the kids see what is there. my son has been hiking since he was 5 and by the time he was 9 he was the one who carried the gear and backpack. after that, they might be ready for some whitewater rafting and rock climbing!

 

[dmslush]

It is a much more relaxed type of vacation as opposed to disney. There is a ton of stuff to do, and fun to be had, but not all inclusive like disney is.

The food is the best part LOL! Make sure and eat at The Apple Barn and The Old Mill! They are to die for. Also in downtown gatlinburg, The Brass Lantern is really good, as is Blain's (I think that is the name of it).

 

[Planogirl]

The Smokies are gorgeous and we loved our all too brief visit. I hope to go back and find a nice cabin or lodge to stay in.

Gatlinburg seemed kind of cool in a kitschy sort of way. We also want more time there.

 

[horseshowmom]

This sounds great! Is it hard to get around there around Chrismas time? We have 4WD truck, but some of those roads are pretty twisty/turny (that's a technical term ).

DD just got back from Denver and went ski-boarding for the first time. She loved it. Do they have anything like that in the area?

 

[Tiggerkeeper]

We rented a cabin for this past Christmas and it was great. It is a VERY different vacation from Disney. We went up on Friday before Christmas and stayed until Wednesday after Christmas. The crowds seemed to start the day after Christmas but through Christmas Day it was very quiet. We have never done Dollywood but they advertise like crazy for the holidays and there are Christmas versions of a lot of the regular shows too (Dixie Stampede, etc.).

Do a search for Oak Haven cabins in Sevierville- they are very nice!

 

[tiggersmom2]

TM2 goes there, she just went there for her anniversary!!!! Maybe she will be along soon!!

Here I am!!!

Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge is my home away from home......and I am a WDW lover too. You will not be let down - they are two totally different experiences.

I would definitely recommend a cabin from one of these two companies (VERY REPUTABLE and will bend over backwards to please you):

www.covemountain.com
www.gatlinburgchalets.com

If you decide to go and need any info on attractions or restaurants...just ask away.

 

[disneyfan551]

I live about an hour from Gatlinburg (through the Great Smoky Mtns., into NC!), and we visit frequently. We love to go during the Fall, but for a family vacation, I just can NOT imagine going! There are alot of outdoor activities, but you're talking Christmas time, and it will be cold and pretty boring IMHO. Good luck with your decision!

 

[keepinitreal]

Dollywood season passholder here. I highly recommend Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg for a family trip. It is very laid back with plenty to do. We ususally go up on a Sunday night and stay thru Wed several times a year. The rates fall dramatically 119.00 Fri&Sat to 59.00 Sun-Thur. We always try to stay at the Music Road Hotel or Music Road Inn in pigeon forge. Dollywood is a must do during christmas, but stay away from Saturdays as it is packed. Sun or a weekday is usually very low crowd volume.

 

[christinadei]

Here I am!!!
www.gatlinburgchalets.com

I want to second this company, Mountain Rentals of Gatlinburg. They are awesome. They have great specials and were the cheapest I could find. They were very nice as well. I'll probably never rent from anywhere else!

 

[J.C.&ALI'SMOM]

We go about 3-4 times a year and I second the endorsement of Oak Haven Resort (www.oakhavenresort.com). The cabins are very nice and they have recently converted one into a day spa, so you can get a variety of spa treatments there! We enjoy the Smokies for a weekend trip, but for us it would be very hard to stay for a whole week.

 

[christinadei]

We go about 3-4 times a year and I second the endorsement of Oak Haven Resort (www.oakhavenresort.com). The cabins are very nice and they have recently converted one into a day spa, so you can get a variety of spa treatments there! We enjoy the Smokies for a weekend trip, but for us it would be very hard to stay for a whole week.

I find the opposite to be true for us. We were there a week and it wasn't nearly enough to do everythign that we wanted to do!

 

[tigger2005]

We live near Pigeon Forge and go there often. We Love it there. Of course we Love Disney World and went there in December but it is just too far away to visit often, so we go to Pigeon Forge quiet a bit. We go there so often in fact that I have started a Discussion Forum similar to this one but just for Dollywood, and the Pigeon Forge area. Let me know what you think of it. I am just getting started and do not have much on there yet but am hoping to grow if I can get more people to visit the site. If you have any questions about the Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Smoky Mountain area just feel free to ask.

Dollywood Discussion Forum

http://www.dollywoodinfo.com/forums/index.php

P.S. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Brier Rose]

We just got back from a quick trip there last week! We had soo much fun. Much more laid back than WDW of course. We don't ever see snow, so that's a BIG deal for us! When we got there we bought these little plastic snow sleds and found a nice spot up on the mountain with lots of snow. The kids had a ball!
Afterwards we went and got hot chocolate. We could have done that everyday and not gotten tired of it, but like I said snow is a novelty for us.LOL

We also had a lot of fun shopping at the outlets in Piegon Forge,going to the Dixie Stampede, and of course EATING just about everywhere! They still had all of the Christmas lights up,so that was fun. At night we built a fire and sat around playing cards and watching the snow fall. (well a lot of the time there was snow falling..lol)
My parents just bought a condo up there, so I'm looking forward to doing this every year. I would LOVE to do Christmas up there.

They did close the road between Cherokee and Gatlinburg, so we had to detour through Asheville, but we enjoyed every minute of it. The scenery is so beautiful we didn't mind the drive at all. Plus it was snowing all the way, so we were good! LOL

I have a few pictures if you would like to see them let me know.

 

[Pooh Crew]

Not to hijack this thread, but would early June be a good time to go--crowdwise? Also, is there stuff for younger kids (ages five and six)? I've been twice, but only as an adult and it was many years before my kids were born.

 

[weregoingtodw]

I have a few pictures if you would like to see them let me know.

I'd love to - thanks!

 

[weregoingtodw]

We live near Pigeon Forge and go there often. We Love it there. Of course we Love Disney World and went there in December but it is just too far away to visit often, so we go to Pigeon Forge quiet a bit. We go there so often in fact that I have started a Discussion Forum similar to this one but just for Dollywood, and the Pigeon Forge area. Let me know what you think of it. I am just getting started and do not have much on there yet but am hoping to grow if I can get more people to visit the site. If you have any questions about the Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Smoky Mountain area just feel free to ask.

Dollywood Discussion Forum

http://www.dollywoodinfo.com/forums/index.php

P.S. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Oh great, DH will love me finding another board to spend my time on ;-). Seriously, this is great... and I love the Dis-type format!!