Pigeon Forge, TN?

[turnlisa]

I'm hoping that a few DISers can give me some hints on good things to do in Pigeon Forge that are somewhat budget-related. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg and I want my kids to have a good time. We are already planning on Dollywood and I have been told by various people about the tip that if you go after 3:00 on one day you get the next one free. I was thinking the Ripley's Aquarium but then I heard that it was expensive and something you can do in an hour or so. It will be me, my DH, and my two boys (8 and 12). Anyone know anything that we would all love that won't cost a lot of money? I am willing to spend some but don't want to feel ripped off either. Hoping that after all the tips I got about Hershey last year someone can help me this year. TIA!

 

[ilovejack02]

I just got back from there two weeks ago. My one budget tip is to head into the National Park. Its free and my kids love it! Packed a lunch and spent 7 hours there one day. Also the Roaring Fork area has a nice picnic area and a good place to play in the water. Tubing might be a good idea too. I think I saw a place between Townsend and P.F. for about 8 bucks a person.

I don't find anything budget friendly in that area lol. The one really touristy thing I like is the ski lift in Gatlinburg it is really neat at night.

 

[ilovejack02]

http://www.riverragetubing.com/

My son and I also did a carriage ride in Cade's cove we enjoyed, I did pay for that of course. Maybe 8 or 9 a person. That was during our day in the National Park.

 

[**Stephanie**]

I too just returned recently from a Gatlinburg trip and it is NOT cheap to visit. I will second the idea of going into The Great Smoky Mountains National Park..we did the Cade's Cove trail which is free and takes about 3 hours or so traveling very slowly on a one lane, one way road where everyone hangs out their car windows, sunroofs or sits in their truck beds to see the lovely wildlife and views. It was a highlight of our trip. On the way up the mountains there are also a lot of areas you can stop and fish in the cold water streams or just creek walk...other areas have great tubing rapids which also looked fun!

I have to say the Ripley's Aquarium was wonderful! It is worth the price because it does take a few hours to look around...we were really into it and looked at everything...they even have where you go "under" the aquarium and view the beautiful sharks from underneath...just amazing!

It was DH, DD9, DD8, myself and grandparents...all loved it! Cannot say so much for the 2 Airbrushed t-shirts that cost me over $50

 

[brooklynbrenden]

COMEDY BARN. Excellent show and reasonably priced. 22.95 with 11 and under free

http://www.comedybarn.com

 

[WrightFamily06]

Santaland Amusement Park , not sure on the prices but , I know it's not too much cause it's in one of the older parks around . Kids seem to really like it , who wouldn't love Christmas 24/7 . LOL

 

[turkygurl]

Check out the Great Smoky Mountains Natl Park website. There are a ton of Junior Ranger programs at various sites throughout the park (including small hikes, stream splashers, pottery, blacksmithing, etc.) If the kids do a few of the programs and complete a booklet, they can get their "Junior Ranger Badges" complete with a swearing-in ceremony. Cades Cove is excellent. We packed a picnic lunch, entered the loop around 10am, saw many deer, stopped at the homestead and ate lunch, continued on and saw a momma bear with 2 cubs 40 feet from the road, and wound up leaving around 4pm. We then drove to the Chimneys picnic area (where there is a nice set of waterfalls and pools for the kids to swim) grilled burgers and hot dogs, then headed over to Clingmans Dome for a sunset hike to the tower. It was a super fun day and wore the kids out (DD-6 and DS-just shy of 4). Whitewater tubing is fun and pretty inexpensive.

We were in the mountains for 10 days and spent 5 days in the GSMNP.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

We just returned from there ourselves. We go once or twice a year and my children seem to enjoy Dollywood, putt-putt and the Aquarium, which will take more than just one hour.

I think that your children would enjoy the NASCAR place close to the outlets in PF. They have a deal where you can but a one day pass for 30.00 or so that is good for all of the attractions. You can come & go as you please. The parents do not have to buy the pass to watch. We have tried this twice, but the weather ran us off both times. My kids really wanted to do it though. It seems like a good deal considering that we have spent way more than that doing other things.

A tip on Dollywood, we went to a McDonalds in Knoxville and bought drinks for everyone and on the cup it had a $5.00 off coupon. It saved me $25.00 that day.

Also, you can go to tripadviser.com and they have some great information about that area.

Some of our favorite places to eat are: The Old Mill, Calhouns, Best Italian(in GB), and Smokey Mtn Brewery. There are others but those are our favorite. Best Italian is by far the number one place for pizza and their rolls are to die for.

 

[Minnie M6]

By far my kids' favorite thing to do in the area is tubing in Townsend. You can pay an all day rate which is very reasonable. The park is also wonderful for exploring. Have a great trip!

 

[pperfectmom]

Definitely go into the National Park and do a trail, play in the creek, etc. The drive up to Clingman's Dome is awesome and the trail up is just a mile or so and is paved. You will get the best view in the Smokey Mts. from up there. You can pick up trail maps in the Visitor's Center outside of Gatlinburg. We go to that area often and never spend much money. We don't like doing all the Ripley's stuff, go-carts, etc. Riding the tram to OberGatlinburg is fun but a little expensive. You can also drive up there and they have an indoor ice skating rink that we love and I don't think it is too expensive at all. I also second the recommendation for Cades Cove and Roaring Fork Driving Nature Trail. There are also several wineries in the area that do free tastings including the one at Apple Barn(and try to eat a meal in the restaurant there-it's awesome!).

 

[pperfectmom]

Some of our favorite places to eat are: The Old Mill, Calhouns, Best Italian(in GB), and Smokey Mtn Brewery. There are others but those are our favorite. Best Italian is by far the number one place for pizza and their rolls are to die for.

Got to say we LOVE Smokey Mt. Brewery. Their soft pretzels with warm beer cheese are one of my favorite foods in the world. The pizza is great as well and the beer is better than anything else around there(not saying much but it is pretty good).

 

[ilovejack02]

Dont forget Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburg for Pancakes. We never miss a chance to eat there.
I recommend going to it during the week if you will be there and hit it about 11.

Cash only . It has been open over 40 yrs and a family tradition with my ENTIRE family. I just got back from a family reunion there and it was so funny to hear how many of my Aunts and Uncles ate there on there Honeymoons 40 ish yrs ago.

 

[Liz&Griff'smom]

I was going to recommend the Apple Barn restaurant also. We eat there everytime we visit Pigeon Forge. I believe that there is the Apple Barn Grill and the Apple Barn restaurant. They serve pretty much the same food. Both are great.

 

[Liz&Griff'smom]

Dont forget Pancake Pantry in Gatlinburg for Pancakes. We never miss a chance to eat there.
I recommend going to it during the week if you will be there and hit it about 11.

Cash only . It has been open over 40 yrs and a family tradition with my ENTIRE family. I just got back from a family reunion there and it was so funny to hear how many of my Aunts and Uncles ate there on there Honeymoons 40 ish yrs ago.

Is the Pancake Pantry located on the main road in Gatlinburg? Everytime my family goes to the mountains on vacation, I must have pancakes. It is the only time that I eat them. We always end up at a pancake place in Pigeon Forge located in the middle of a motel. I don't remember the name. We are going back in December and I will definitely try the Pancake Pantry. Thanks!

 

[Mom-to-2-Princesses]

We go down there every year and just got back last week.

Yes, there is a lot of fun things to do -- my BIGGEST piece of advice is to let the kids know upfront that you will be doing xx number of paid things. Their eyes are going to be popping out when you drive down the main drag, there is mini-golf, go carts, all those funky museums, bungee jumping, etc, etc. Our first trip was filled with too many "no, we can't do that". After that trip the girls were told, "your choice of 2 items".

That said - here are my budget tips!

1) yes, yes on the National Park. Go to Sugarlands Visitor Center and see the free film about the Smokys. Sign the kids up for the Junior Ranger program. Check out the times of the free Ranger talks and walks (on the web site and at the Visitor Center) They have many hands on activities for the kids. Our favorite hike is the Grotto Falls hike in the Roaring Fork area. About 2.2 miles round trip to a waterfall that the kids can walk behind. Also, hit Clingman's Dome the highest lookout.

2) Tubing -- a day of fun for less than $8 per person. As someone else mentioned we used River Rage (they advertise $8 a day - green tubes). The other companies are about $13 and it is the same river. Yes, Rage had lots more people in the parking lot, etc. but they were very well organized and everything moved quickly. They have three drop off points - 1 1/2 hour lower river, 3 hour lower river, and 1 1/2 upper river. The lower river was less rapidy and less rocky. We did the 1 1/2 lower, had a picnic lunch by the river at the Rage place and then did the upper river. Bring water shoes for the rocks. Even if you don't do tubing you will want water shoes for the river fun in the parks.

3) Food - bring a soft cooler and pack picnic lunches. Make a big bag of GORP for the hikes and give everybody a baggie. Some places are just expensive. One day we felt like ice cream so we headed to Baskin Robbins -- it was $5.39 for a small milk shake We couldn't do it, so we headed across the street to Fudruckers and got shakes for $3.79. You just have to be careful.

4) This was our first year doing a show, and we did Magic Beyond Belief. It was awesome and, like the Comedy Barn, kids were free.

5) Coupons, Coupons, Coupons. If you know before what you want to do go to their website and print a coupon. The River Rage site has coupons for $1 off -- so your day of renting is $7. Our favorite restaurant - the AppleBarn (a country restaurant with down home good food) has a loyalty program on line which gave us a buy-one-get-one-free lunch. When you get there you will see coupon books all over -- pretty much you should be able to find coupons for almost all attractions.

Too be honest, for us it's not all about saving the money -- we have more fun doing the items listed above. The area is beautiful and it's great to enjoy it. Have a great trip!

 

[ilovejack02]

Yes, there is a lot of fun things to do -- my BIGGEST piece of advice is to let the kids know upfront that you will be doing xx number of paid things. Their eyes are going to be popping out when you drive down the main drag, there is mini-golf, go carts, all those funky museums, bungee jumping, etc, etc. Our first trip was filled with too many "no, we can't do that". After that trip the girls were told, "your choice of 2 items".


Too be honest, for us it's not all about saving the money -- we have more fun doing the items listed above. The area is beautiful and it's great to enjoy it. Have a great trip!

Ill remember that, this was the first time my 6 yr old has been , but i have been many times. He constantly asked to do all the Ripley junk etc. I will tell him next time pick two things and that is it! I hate all that tourist junk lol!

 

[nandzmom]

Hi TurnLisa -

I actually live in this area and have to boys of my own (7 & 9). I must reiterate what some of the other posters have said...the National Park is the BEST There are soooo many things to do that do not cost. I highly recommend the trip to Cades Cove. There are a number of places to picnic along the way to the Cove as well as in the cove. The Abrams Falls hike is wonderful and not too difficult for the young ones (or older ones) You are more likely to see wildlife early in the morning or later in the evening. I am not sure where you are staying in Pigeon Forge but from there it will (more than likely) take you about 1-2 hours to get up there. That all depends on how comfortable you are driving in the mountains. Along the way up you will see the tubing that a couple others have referenced. That is a lot of fun at little cost Townsend is the best area for finding the tubing companies. My boys LOVE the Aquarium in Gatlinburg. You will easily spend 4-5 hours there. They have a hands-on area that is great and the shark tunnel is second to none. Well worth the expense. Another favorite in Gatlinburg is HillBilly Golf (Putt Putt). They take you up the side of a mountain on an incline railcar and then you play down the side of the mountain. Dollywood Splash Country is another option I need to throw in...it is on the more expensive end of things but worth every penny. It is one of the best waterparks I have been to. It is clean and very well run. They have something for every age/thrill range. MagiQuest in Pigeon Forge is relatively new and I have not been there personally but a few people I know have been and rave about it. Their children had a great time and the cost is not too outrageous (or so I have been told).

As for places to eat...in Pigeon Forge/Sevierville the Apple Tree/Barn and the Old Mill Restaurant are great - not too expensive. In Gatlinburg the Park Grill is good. Our favorite place to eat at up there is a very small place (maybe 6 tables) located above the Cheese Cupboard & Hofbrauhaus in the Village Shops. They have the BEST sandwiches around

I hope this helps you some. There really are a number of things to do here that don't cost an arm and a leg...you just have to use your imagination This is a truly beautiful part of the country!

 

[nandzmom]

Not quit sure how the negative sign got in front of my title ...it is definitely all thumbs up here

 

[meandmytwogirls]

We're about 2 1/2 hours from PF and visit often. We hit wonderworks in PF last time we went and enjoyed it. We went early and then left for lunch and came back later that evening. You admission is good for the entire day and we found some good coupons in the coupon racks at the hotels. As others have said there are coupons for just about everything in PF so use them.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

We're about 2 1/2 hours from PF and visit often. We hit wonderworks in PF last time we went and enjoyed it. We went early and then left for lunch and came back later that evening. You admission is good for the entire day and we found some good coupons in the coupon racks at the hotels. As others have said there are coupons for just about everything in PF so use them.

What exactly is Wonderworks? When we drove by my kids went nuts and wanted to go see what it was.

We also like the Apple Barn, I forgot about that one. One of our all time favorite shops to visit is The Christmas Place. We go there every year and get a personalized Christmas ornament. It's a neat place to see.

I have also read about a little place in the Village called Desserts and More. Everyone said that it was wonderful. We didn't get a chance to eat there this past time but we will in Nov or Dec when we return.